January of 2021 found us still living with concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, staying close to home in relative isolation. The weather was cool but not frigid, with a good number of sunny days, and the storms that came brought mostly cold rain and wind. I seem to take more photos on the sunny days! Finally a bit of snow arrived on the 31st. I ventured out to Avalon and Stone Harbor a few times, and once heading out of the county (gasp) up to the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, but on most days my walks kept me closer to home and south of the Cape May Canal. One could do worse; here are a few of the birds (and scenes) that I saw this month.
Gadwall
Brant at Stone Harbor Point
Snow Goose at Forsythe NWR
Four Greater Sandhill Cranes and one Lesser Sandhill Crane (second from left) were seen repeatedly in many spots around Cape May this month.
Turkey Vulture enjoying some morning sunshine.
Snowy Owl in Stone Harbor, 1/16/21.
Snowy Owl, Avalon, 1/14/21.
Another Snowy Owl in Avalon, two blocks away, also on 1/14/21.
Red-tailed Hawk lets out a scream.
Two views of a Downy Woodpecker, hard at work.
Left to right: Belted Kingfisher, Rusty Blackbird, Fox Sparrow, Red-shouldered Hawk.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Marbled Godwits flying across Hereford Inlet.
These two male Northern Cardinals show the red color intensity extremes.
Winter Wren, tiny but feisty, this one showing itself at the Rea Farm.
Left: Great Blue Heron. Above: Purple Sandpiper (left), Ruddy Turnstone (right).
Below: Northern Mockingbird (left), Cedar Waxwing (right).
Sunrise 1/1/21, South Cape May Meadows
Red fox on Knox Ave, Cape May Point
Eastern Phoebe
Belted Kingfisher
Sunset skies, Cape May Point, 1/6/21
Sunset, South Cape May Meadows, 1/14/21
The salt marsh in winter
Snow on Sunset Beach, 1/31/21
January 2021