Wildlife

[capedoc]

Slightly off topic, but i've seen several seals while doing field work a few years back. They work their way to the bays here around fall and stay seasonally or just pass through. There is a small colony that spends part of the season on one of the small islands in the bay here.

I see them every fall while sea kayaking in Tuckerton NJ. There's an Island near Little Egg Inlet where 100's of seals congregate for the winter. Not sure why they like this location so much but they are there every year.
Sometimes they are curious and will surface uncomfortably close to my kayak and even follow me.
I have also seen sharks and dolphins in New Jersey while kayaking. Not too fond of seeing those sharks though. Saw a group of Hammerheads while paddling 5 miles off the coast of Cape May.

More on Topic: my favorite animal to spot while mountain biking our owls. When I lived near Allaire, I'd see this great horned owl pretty frequently. Sometimes it looked like it was part of the tree and that tree had two gigantic yellow eyes. I've also had a barn owl swoop down in front of my face while night riding. Bats do that a lot too.

 

[Norm]

I saw some orioles last week. Always like them.

And cows. So awesome.

Favorite woodpecker is the pileated.

I see foxes 5 times a week in the early morning. Damn hard to get a pic though.

Saw a rattlesnake while hiking once. It was cool in that "this is only cool in theory" kinda way.

And hippos. All up in there.

 

[capedoc]

I saw some orioles last week. Always like them.

Saw one of these on my road ride the other day. Didn't realize how brightly colored they are in real life. Have only seen on basball caps previously.

 

[marley mission]

I saw some orioles last week. Always like them. .

awesome - used to yard feed - tried everything to try to get these to come round but never succeeded - good on ya

 

[Norm]

awesome - used to yard feed - tried everything to try to get these to come round but never succeeded - good on ya

As I understand it, they're not feeder birds. I think the only chance you have is a birdbath. Not sure how much it helps though.

 

[marley mission]

As I understand it, they're not feeder birds. I think the only chance you have is a birdbath. Not sure how much it helps though.

orange halves

never saw any - they're only in this area for a short period of time each year from what i understand

when i fed i used to get tons of goldfinches - had a specific feeder for them - perch over the feed hole - goldfinches can feed upside down hanging from the perch - other birds - including house finches - try - but dont succeed - funny to watch

 

[Norm]

We have the finch feeder too. The chickadees can hang. Not as pretty as goldfinches but ballsy birds. I'm told you can get them to eat out of your hand. I tried once but with no luck.

Lots of woodpeckers in these parts. But I've gotten really lazy with the seed.

Never had any luck getting hummingbirds. Neighbors all seem to do well.

Always liked the nuthatch too. Saw one go toe-to-toe with a chipmunk once. Kept poking him square on top of the head and the chipmunk ran away. Good stuff.

 

[moray42]

I see them every fall while sea kayaking in Tuckerton NJ. There's an Island near Little Egg Inlet where 100's of seals congregate for the winter. Not sure why they like this location so much but they are there every year.
Sometimes they are curious and will surface uncomfortably close to my kayak and even follow me.
I have also seen sharks and dolphins in New Jersey while kayaking. Not too fond of seeing those sharks though. Saw a group of Hammerheads while paddling 5 miles off the coast of Cape May.

More on Topic: my favorite animal to spot while mountain biking our owls. When I lived near Allaire, I'd see this great horned owl pretty frequently. Sometimes it looked like it was part of the tree and that tree had two gigantic yellow eyes. I've also had a barn owl swoop down in front of my face while night riding. Bats do that a lot too.

Yeah, that is the same group. Never any sightings while kayaking. I used to work at that field station on the inlet, and would see them from time to time in the fall while passing through on the boats. Not too many shark sightings any bigger than a dogfish, but there were a few that got the hair raised when it was just a little too murky to make an ID.

On topic again, I have been seeing a high squirrel turn out recently.

 

[monteverest]

Riding through Waway last weekend, an animal hisssed at me behind some thicket. Never saw what it was. It may have been a snake or cat but it sounded too big to be either. I pedaled as fast as my legs could cycle.

 

[capedoc]

Yeah, that is the same group. Never any sightings while kayaking. I used to work at that field station on the inlet, and would see them from time to time in the fall while passing through on the boats. Not too many shark sightings any bigger than a dogfish, but there were a few that got the hair raised when it was just a little too murky to make an ID.

Nice! The island south of the abandon fish factory is where they hang for the winter. And seriously, It's like hundreds of them.

Here's a photo I got of one popping his head up near my kayak. I have more/better photos on a HD somewhere.

 

[Dr Superb]

I saw a snapping turtle in the water crossing on the white trail at CR last weekend. I thought it was a damn rock...

 

[Arwen's Mom]

Birds in the backyard: besides the sparrows and such, I get cardinals, goldfinch, catbirds, robins, and this year a Carolina Wren, for such a little bird wow are they loud. I also get titmouse, cute and funny little birds. Right now there are 4 nests that I know of in my yard.

Want to attract cardinals and not squirrels? Try safflower seeds.

 

[marley mission]

Want to attract cardinals and not squirrels? Try safflower seeds.

yep +1

although - squirrels will eventually eat just about anything AND do just about anything to get to it
they arent a huge fan of thistle either but if nothing else at the buffet then...

 

[BShow]

I don't ride in Jersey much anymore, but lately I've been seeing a lot of critters on my lunchtime road loops. In the last week and a half I've seen a Coyote, a Red Fox, a pair of big ass wild Turkeys (that almost killed me on a descent) a Blue Heron, an escaped Rooster in the woods, a Skunk, and I think I'm missing something.

When I lived in South Jerz, I used to see "wild" turkeys everywhere - like more than any other bird... It was unbelievable. In college, I had friends that would spend entire hunting season in the woods of southern Virgina turkey hunting and not even hear one. In Jersey, I go for a road ride basically at any time and see flocks of like 50 of em. Those rednecks I went to school with would sh*t themselves.

Last year, I was riding at Gloucester County College and saw a good sized Black Rat Snake... 4-5 feet long. It was the largest BRS that I've seen and I'm thinking it had something to do with that flourescent orange stream that runs through those woods.

After I grabbed his tail...

 

[2Julianas]

Interesting posts about the bobcats/mountain lions. a few weeks back (in early April) we were just done with a girls ride at SSP with Patty and Robin and decided to explore less used trails that took us under the 80 overpass toward the old Waterloo village. we were pedaling along the flat trail thats on a ridge when we saw something take off through the bushes parallel to the group about 20 yards down in the brush. nobody got a great look but it was much lower to the ground than a deer, lighter in color than a deer, had a square head, and wasn't moving like a dog. the thing was quick. we all considered mountain lion ... then turned around fast! maybe we were right??

Also have seen snakes at Blue Mountain, black bears, turtles, frogs, birds.

the scariest thing of all was in Canada ... I was on the chairlift with my bike at a downhill park when this gigantic brown bear (not the cute little berry eating black ones we have in NJ) lumbered out of the woods, sniffed around the pole, and crossed the trails to the other side (where the downhill trails entered the woods). The operators immediately shut down that side of the park once they were notified but there were still riders going down so we were yelling at them from the chairs to not stop and ride like heck to get off those trails and not go into the woods. Apparently those things are like grizzlies and dont think twice about attacking. I was so glad it was the last day of my Canada bike trip because that thing scared the heck out of me.

 

[Deamon59]

wow i feel like im missing out, the only real cool thing i saw was a turtle, almost ran over it...

the sightings of snakes at six mile scare me a little, although the sightings of foxes are a little disappointing since i haven't seen any

 

[RNG1]

That's a good sized rat snake. Bigger than the one I saw at JH. I did see a rattler at Ringwood once. Curled up right in the middle of a rocky downhill.

 

[pedals]

Just yesterday driving home from a ride at Stephens SP with my girlfriend....leaving the dirt lot just off the Sussex-Branch rail trail heading up towards the old BASF HQ...a Lynx or Bobcat ran across the road!

Interesting posts about the bobcats/mountain lions. a few weeks back (in early April) we were just done with a girls ride at SSP with Patty and Robin and decided to explore less used trails that took us under the 80 overpass toward the old Waterloo village. we were pedaling along the flat trail thats on a ridge when we saw something take off through the bushes parallel to the group about 20 yards down in the brush. nobody got a great look but it was much lower to the ground than a deer, lighter in color than a deer, had a square head, and wasn't moving like a dog. the thing was quick. we all considered mountain lion ... then turned around fast! maybe we were right??

That happened so fast. It had to be a cat. They are so elusive, I doubt we'll ever see that again. I do believe they are out there now. Going to mooch tomorrw and I'll be keeping an eye out for whatever!!

 

[Trail Rider]

Last night there was lots of wildlife moving around on the trails at 6MR as the rain was trying to move in just before dusk.

The most interesting was when I came around a corner on the orange trail and looked down the hill. I was looking at the dipsy bridge close to where the red and orange trails meet/separate on the side closest to 27.

There were two kit foxes walking straight towards me in parallel. One was on the bridge itself walking down the length of the bridge, the other was on the ground trail right next to it. The one on the ground was walking normally but the one on the bridge seemed to be strutting and swaggering as he walked on the uneven bridge.

Perfect timing for me to come around the corner and a moment that only lasted a few seconds before they got scared off by my approaching bike.

I will admit to standing tall on my bike and swaying in tribute once I went over the now empty bridge.

 

[Arwen's Mom]

Husband saw this in the MIDDLE of a trail at Mountain creek, so he picked it up, let me take a pic, then placed him in a safer place way off the trail.