Egrets typically look very elegant, almost regal. But I recently learned they have their days. On a windy day when focusing on the baitfish at their feet, they let it all go. Feathers tossed in every direction to reveal that they're just like everybody else. These Barnegat Inlet photos show this particular bird in his "island time" state of mind.

I set out yesterday in my little skiff with a camera in search of interesting birds in flight. I wanted to test some different settings to freeze action in midair. Ironically, the most interesting shot was a guy who was clamming on a remote island near Barnegat Inlet, who walked past a beached buoy in the background. These aids to navigation are crucial to safe passage for boats coming and going between Barnegat Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. This particular channel marker is cl

At first I thought I was just grabbing a snapshot of a couple of sea gulls...

We beached our skiff on Conklin Island in Barnegat Bay this past weekend. We were on a mission to find sea glass. The colorful treasures are usually prevalent on Conklin's shores. Instead, we were greeted by scores of horseshoe crabs. It was obvious that it's horseshoe mating season. Sea turtles were also scurrying into the water from the beach grasses. It's egg laying time. The funniest thing among the circle of life that was happening around us was buoys that found a home,

Whenever I have a few spare minutes, I take a camera and long lens to different areas of the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Barnegat, NJ. Forsythe is a protected nature sanctuary that spans 48,000 acres of New Jersey's coastal habitats. A true treasure. And, it never fails that I can see any number of egrets, ibis, herons, and more. I've even seen storks, which is a rare sighting in NJ. Today was no exception. Here are just a couple of the nearly 200 shots I captured sp

My wife and I, along with a couple of friends, recently went to Atlantic City for the Soar and Shore Air Show. Perfect weather. We spent several hours on the beach watching the progression of planes, from vintage aircraft to modern fighter jets, as they performed their seemingly impossible aerobatics. Really stunning. At the begining of the show, two Coast Guard helicopters with divers demontrated air-sea rescues. After the demonstration, two Coasties emerged from the surf in

I think I've been looking at birds far too long. Going through recent snashots taken in Florida I found this funny pair. I guess they're looking in opposite directions so they can discover anyone or any animal approaching them from any angle... like a guy with a camera. But it does look like a two-headed bird.

It's been said that putting a purple martin house in your backyard is like installing a neighborhood. They gather and perform aerobatics to snatch up flying insects for meals. Fun to watch! And they can be very noisy. This flock was seen at Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, Florida over the winter. A crazy flurry of activity in the neighborhood.

Catching early morning light or taking pictures on clear, blue sky days can greatly increase your chance of capturing a beautiful photo or two. What about the rest of the time? Which lately seems to be most of the time. I challenge myself on the bleakest of days to find the beauty. It's always there, there's just different light. I captured these photos at the mouth of Forked River on Barnegat Bay. As you can see, it was wall to wall clouds. Dark, rainy, just a bit dreary. So

I frequently grab a camera and a couple of lenses to head out for a long scenic walk. Whether I'm in New Jersey or South Florida, I'm lucky to be near fantastic wildlife refuges. Both Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach and the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge up and down the NJ coast are treasures. A casual walk on any day will be a show of all kinds of bird activity, fish schooling, and at Wakodahatchee, alligators creeping. Certainly getting your steps is impo