At the end of Long Beach Island, New Jersey, there is a bird sanctuary. It's a state park where the birds are free to roam without any human interruption.
During the summer, it is closed off just a few feet down from where the houses end, so that the birds have their privacy.
But, during the fall, many parts of it are open to the public.
The coast line seems to stretch on forever in the distance, broken only by the trees and beach grasses that make up the dunes.
People and their pets were all over the area, enjoying the sunny October afternoon.
A vast number of the people out were fishing. I almost ran into wire a few times!
Tide pools littered the beach, full of interesting shells and deceased wildlife.
The ocean wrapped around hills on the beach in curves, creating peninsulas where you could walk fifty feet or so out into the middle of the water without getting even your feet wet in the sand. Couples were all over the place, holding hands, staring warmly at each other. It was lovely.
The best part though, was when my feet did get wet. It was almost 65 degrees Farenheit outside- warm for a late fall day, but the water was even warmer! The cold came when the wind hit my wet ankles.
Seagulls, terns, and sandpipers were everywhere! But they were much more skittish than on most other beaches, since they weren't accustomed to humans. It was really hard to get a photograph of them at any kind of close range where they weren't attempting to fly away!
Some of the little tidepools were surrounded by large rocks, which had probably, at one time, been part of jetties. These rocks had obviously been on the beach for some time. Barnacles, moss and other sea life coated them, making them green and slimy.
There were shells everywhere too! Hundreds of them, untouched all summer long. Shell collecting is really popular on Long Beach Island, and finding shells like moonsnails is really unusual. I picked up more than thirty just that afternoon! It was magical.
Even some of the types of shells more commonly seen in the bay were on this beach.
This puppy ran up to me out of seemingly nowhere and jumped into my arms! It was so cute and sweet, yipping playfully and licking at my face. I love dogs, and I have never had one, so I cherish moments like that. Unfortunately, it did have a family who were about one hundred feet away on the other side of the hill. For a moment there, I thought I had been sent a new friend.
All in all, it was a perfect adventure.
Holgate, New Jersey, USA
