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JERSEY SHORE IMAGES
SPRINGTIME AWAKENS ALONG BARNEGAT BAY, continued from page 79
Above: Mute Swans, Toms River.
A pair of mute swans have taken up residency on Barnegat Bay behind my townhouse in
Toms River. I have been photographing them for several years. Every spring, the pair will
proudly swim past and display their new cygnets. The male becomes extremely aggressive
during the nesting period. Although beautiful, mute swans are not indigenous to the Jersey
Shore and are considered bad for the environment, displacing many local ducks and other
waterfowl.
Opposite page, top: Gosling, Toms River.
A male goose is called a "gander" and a baby goose is called a "gosling." Each year many
Canada geese nest along Barnegat Bay. This gosling and the rest of the clutch were
hiding in the high grass for protection along an estuary. Sometimes, the mute swans
compete for the same territory. This can prove fatal for some goslings.
Opposite page, bottom: Black Duck, Seaside Park.
There are a variety of ducks that live or visit Barnegat Bay each year. This Black Duck looks
like it may also be part Mallard. I often sit for hours and watch these ducks as they float
along the bay on North Bayview Avenue in Seaside Park.
