Fox Tracks, Island Beach State Park, NJ

Fox Tracks, Island Beach State Park, NJ

It was a late spring day, and I did not have too much going on so I loaded up my gear and headed south to Island Beach State Park. I have always enjoyed the dunes here that create a bit of a different scenery than the typical flat wide open beach. I also enjoy the wildlife in this area and there have been several occasions that I have met one of the red foxes that wander about. It seems that they have grown quite comfortable with us humans, always keeping a safe distance but still close enough to keep a good eye on us. On days with little human traffic in the area, particularly after a windy day when the sand has a new surface, you can see just how active these foxes are, with tracks leading all over the park, along the beach and through the dunes.
On a different occasion, late November, I had made a trip out to the park. It was a cold windy day, which seemed even worse once I made it to the end of the park, where you either need to walk or engage four wheel drive to continue on. I walked along, stopping a few times to photograph some of the amazing designs in the sand that the constantly blowing wind had created before heading back to the parking lot. As I made my way north on the beach, I came to one of the signs posted along the beach that reminded people to stay off of the dunes. On the top of the sign, it appeared that a large bag was attached, however upon closer inspection it looked like this was something else…..it looked almost like a large….white owl?! I knew of the existence of Snowy Owls, which were white, or white with black flecks depending on the sex of the bird but I assumed this was too far south for this to be a Snowy Owl.
A few more steps and I was confident that this was indeed a Snowy Owl! I usually do not go out with the intention on photographing wildlife, however, this was one occasion I felt the desire to try to capture a photograph of this rare bird for New Jersey. I set my gear down and quickly tried to change out my wide Zeiss landscape lens in favor of a zoom lens. About the time I had the camera changed over, the large bird left its perch atop the sign and flew off. I was taken aback by the size of the wing span, and a moment of awe passed over me; I never thought I would see a Snowy Owl in this area, and this surprise sighting has left a lasting impression on me. When I arrived home, I began to research about them in this area, to find that my sighting was not all that unique. Many of the nature photographers in the area have found and photographed them. They apparently moved further and further south from the arctic as their normal food supplies have diminished.
I have been back several times, and have not seen a snowy owl since. Ken Burns has remarked in many of his documentaries that the National Parks are the nation’s treasure, one of the best things we all, as citizens, own. I would make the same argument for the state parks of New Jersey. I have been to several, and they all are great, preserving the land and the beauty for all to enjoy. They are one of the assets of our state, and we should do what we can to preserve them, to be sure they remain for future generations to enjoy, so others can go to untouched wild land; a place to bring children and adults alike to expose them to scenery and sights they do not normally get to see, to experience a quiet not normally heard, and a sense of open space not normally felt, especially in one of the most densely populated states in the country.
I hope everyone has a great week, and just a reminder, I hope you can all attend my solo show at McKay Imaging. The opening will be on December 12th from 7-10PM and will have a large presentation of my landscape photographs, to include several that I have yet to post on my website, articles or shows. You can see all of my work as well as order prints and notecards at: www.colinseitzphotography.com.