Birding and Fishing the Nor'easter

What else is there to do on a Friday afternoon in mid October, as a Nor'easter is rambling up the Coast?

Jump on the boat and do some extreme Birding and Fishing!

As you can see in the above photo, the water seems tolarable, but also note that there are no other boats on the horizon today, later we did see one Oyster Boat working off Peck's Ledge Lighthouse.

My nephew Ken joined me to try some Blackfishing before the weather really started getting rough.

With a WNW (280 True) wind in the twenties , we thought we could hide behind on of the islands, we tried Sheffield, and decided it wasn't to bad yet, so we decided to make our way to a favorite spot to the east off Cockenoe Island.

Along the way, I spotted a shorebird on one of the boulders east of Copps Is. Dang if it wasn't one more of those late "carrot billed sparkplugs" the American Oystercatcher!

I can just never get enough of these birds, and I know everyone I see may be my last, until late March.

We anchored up on Dunder Rock, just south of Cockenoe Island in about eight feet of water, I tossed a baited crab in and immediatly hooked up to a four pound blackfish, I think to myself." it's going to be hot"

This was the last picture I took from my 400mm as a wave broke off the bow and sprayed my lens big time.

Different Camera.

As we were catching a few small togs, the wind was increasing.

Increasing to the point that we knew it was about time to call it a day, and get in before we had wind against tide conditions, where even in this shallow water the waves can get nasty.

In the above photo, these waves are 1-3 ft with occasional 4 footers, they are coming from on shore and we are fairly close to that shore, must have been a beauty mid-sound.

Had a few nice fly by birds in this wind, a White-winged Scoter, four Black Scoter and two Long-tails!

According to the Beauford Wind Scale, when white foam forms off the tops of waves,

the wind is "near gale" 32 to 38 MPH

This is that "near gale" condition.

The birds and the fish didn't seem to mind, and neither did we, but it was time for safe harbor, some dry clothes and a hot bowl of soup!