Thursday, December 17, 2026: Sandy Hook
Meet at 9:30 am in Lot B, on the right side of the road just past the entrance booths.
with Rick Wright and Alison Beringer
(canceled in the event of bad weather)
An hour and a half from Bloomfield and Montclair, the long peninsula of Sandy Hook is irresistible in late autumn to seabirds and terrestrial species alike. We will explore the beaches, ocean waters, holly forests, and thickets in search of waterfowl, raptors, and migrant and wintering passerines. Among the birds we can hope to see are all three scoter species, common eider, horned lark, snow bunting, and Ipswich sparrow. Sandy Hook is a great place to look for glaucous and Kumlien gulls, snowy owls, and other scarce winterers, too.
Expect to walk a total of about three miles today, some of it on loose sand. If you have a spotting scope, you will want to bring it. Dress for cold weather, and bring a snack, a lunch, and a warm drink. Weather permitting, we will have lunch at North Beach, then bird our way slowly back out of the area, arriving at home around 3:30 pm. Driving directions are here.
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