Nature Done Wright

Took the three-hour Purple Martin Spectacular cruise  out of Port Norris, N.J., with friends last night,

The weather was great, the cruise was refreshing, and the Purple Martins arrived in droves around sunset.

Very hard to photograph, but there were likely tens of thousands of them, and more will be arriving as the week goes on.

It was, well, spectacular, when the martins flew en masse overhead before settling down in the phragmites for the night.

Very tough to photograph these small, fast-moving birds in low light, which is why my photos look like bugs on a windshield at night.

A photo I took earlier this summer of a Purple Martin is on the right so you can see what they actually look like.

The Cruise was sponsored by CU Maurice River – Citizens United to Protect the Maurice River.

Great to meet and listen to Allen Jackson, the naturalist behind it all.

Also saw Bald Eagles, Ospreys galore, terns, herons, gulls and more.

You can learn more about CU Maurice River (the group that sponsors the week-long cruises)  here.

Photo below of the Bonanza II courtesy of the Bonanza II. (Great captain and crew.)

The Sailboat is The Meerwald.  It sails up the Hudson most summers.

You can read my column on Purple Martins here.