On January 27th, 2026, I saw one American Woodcock foraging on the side of the road near Shaws Mill Pond, Cumberland County NJ. The surrounding forest was covered in ice-capped snow, and it was tapping for earth worms in a small strip of bare dirt created by a snow plow. It did this for quite a while, and even after it noticed me and flew off it went right back to foraging on the side of the road again. Not busy road at all.

I, Mason Cain, took all of these photos on November 16th, 2025, at The Nature Conservancy's South Cape May Meadows Preserve. I was doing some birthday biking in Cape May that day, and decided I would do some hiking here on one of my stops. 

Every fall two natural phenomenon's take place, the annual Monarch Butterfly Migration back south and the blooming of Goldenrod. Most of people think of "field" types of goldenrod at first, famous for making fall fields seem golden. Most people also don't seem to know about the Monarchs perilous journey down to Mexico it takes every autumn, and I thought I would highlight not only this incredible migration but also a different type of Goldenrod that fuels the Monarch's migration as they stumble along the Atlantic Flyway; Seaside Goldenrod.

The largest of all Nuthatches in North America, this bird is always great to see!

Now a common sight in coastal New Jersey, these migratory raptor's were nearly extirpated from the Garden State at one point.

Taken in Washington and Jefferson National Forest

Spartina Alterniflora, a salt-water tolerant grass that has evolved to survive the bays harsh conditions, dominates the salt marshes.