Page 65 - 2025 Southern NJ Vacationer

Jersey’s other gulls, like Herring and Great Black-backed gulls, have experienced declines. Gulls hold a special fascination for birders. On the surface, they’ve shown incredible adaptability in a changing world and their in-flight acrobatics rival the most aerodynamic species in nature. In addition, the same exact species may appear entirely different looking at different times of year, especially during the first few years of its life, due to their unusual molting cycles. Entire books have been written on this subject, so
for now we’ll leave it at that.
Here in South Jersey, most of the nesting
mentioned above is happening in the back bays behind the barrier islands. The new chicks are going to stay right on their nests for safety if they can, so the best way to see them is by boat. Grab your canoe or kayak, or get aboard The Osprey, which departs from Miss Chris Marina in Cape May, or The Skimmer, which you can catch from The Wetlands Institute or the South Jersey Marina in Cape May. There’s a lot of action in the breeding colonies all summer.
Some species of gulls are here year-round, but Laughing Gulls depart for points south during the winter. In fact, the return of the first Laughing Gull is cause for celebration
each spring! We can enjoy their company from a safe distance and keep a few more fries for ourselves. That’s a win-win. l
Contributed by Lillian Armstrong, Special Events Director at New Jersey Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory.
ATLANTIC COUNTY WILDLIFE LOCATIONS
Estell Manor Park: Home of the Warren Fox Nature Center. 109 State Highway 50, Mays Landing, NJ 08330. 609-645-5960 or 609-625-1897. www.atlanticcountynj.gov/parks
Gaskill Park: Located at the bulkhead of the Great Egg Harbor River in Mays Landing, NJ 08330.. www.atlanticcountynj.gov/parks
Lake Lenape: 6303 Harding Highway in Mays Landing, NJ 08330. www.aclink.org/PARKS Weymouth Furnace: Route 559 (Weymouth Road) just north of Route 322 in Mays Landing,
NJ 08330. www.atlanticcountynj.gov/parks
Wharton State Forest: There are two locations in Wharton, one at Batsto Village and also one at the Atsion Recreation Area. Batsto Village is located on Route 542, . Atsion is located on Route 206. www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks
CUMBERLAND COUNTY WILDLIFE LOCATIONS
Edward G. Bevan WMA, 8747 Ferry Rd, Millville, NJ 08332 Cohansey River WMA, 66 Perry Rd, Bridgeton, NJ 08302
Dix WMA, Back Neck Road, Fairton, NJ
Egg Island Fish WMA & Fortescue WMA, Fortescue, NJ 08321
Heislerville WMA: Matts Landing Road, Heislerville, NJ 08324. One of Audubon’s website 10 greatest bird watching hot spots with the largest concentration of nesting bald eagles anywhere in the state.
Nantuxent WMA, East Bay Point Road, Cedarville, NJ
Natural Lands Glades Wildlife Refuge, 261 Schoolhouse Road, Newport, NJ 08345 New Sweden WMA, Cedarville, NJ 08311
Stow Creek State Park, Stow Creek Road, Stow Creek Landing, NJ
SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY VACATIONER 63