Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge Day 2

Day 2 at the refuge was a bit more eventful.  It was rainy all day and a bit warmer, and I knew what that meant.  Melted ice!  Stop scratching your heads.  Melted ice means more open water closer to shore, which means more birds within camera range. There weren't a lot, but there were enough to keep me interested.

Have a look.

Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge Day 1

This past weekend I had to head to the Noyes Museum of Art in Galloway to pick up some photographs I had hanging in their "Aftermath" exhibit.  It's really a wonderful place, and I highly recommend it.  One of my favorite things about the museum is that it is about a quarter of a mile from the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.  

The Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is one of my favorite places in New Jersey.  I sometimes wish I lived close to it..  However, when I think about it, I realize that's not such a great idea, because I might never leave.  The problem I have when I go there is that I am so smitten with the wildlife I usually forget to enjoy the beautiful landscape. 

I was determined to not do that on this visit.  It's helpful that in the winter there isn't as high a concentration of birds.  Also, because most of the water close to Wildlife Drive was frozen on this visit, a lot of the birds, like that tease of a snowy owl, were beyond the useful range of my 300mm even with a teleconverter.

That said, patience and determination do eventually pay off, but you'll have to wait for day two and three for that.

Here is some of what I saw on Sunday.

Sunlight glistens off the bay between the refuge and Atlantic City.

The colors and textures of the grasses are magnificent.

Mallards

Don't Forget Your Hazmat Suit

This is a horrible little place called Van Campens Glen on the Jersey side of the Delaware.  If you visit, I strongly suggest that you wear a hazmat suit.  On second thought, maybe you shouldn't go at all.  Keep Out!  Stay Away!  DANGER!  DANGER! DANGER!

Horrifying.

Waterfalls and Other Prickly Things

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I wasn't going to post anything today, because I'm so freaking tired.  But I decided I couldn't disappoint my beloved, loyal audience, which consists, mostly, of my sister and friends on Facebook, who feel obligated to visit my blog for fear of being unfriended.  Don't know if they actually read it, because nobody leaves comments.  So maybe that's my answer right there.

Nonetheless, I am making a good faith effort to post more regularly.  I don't really have anything to say right now, so here's a waterfall along the Savantine Creek and that prickly thing I was talking about.