Smyrna Dunes Jetty

A real quick drive out on the beach north to the jetty at Smyrna Dunes Park in the hopes of finding a Purple sandpiper turned up a few shorebirds, gulls, and tern but not our hoped-for sandpiper. Our first bird occupying the jetty was the Ruddy turnstone. We always look closely at the assemblages of these birds because it is often that we find the purple sandpiper tucked in with them. Sadly, not so today.

Ruddy turnstone - Smyrna Dunes Jetty - 2/3/26

Forster’s tern - Smyrna Dunes Jetty -2/3/26

The most active bird in the area was a lone Forster’s tern which was continually scouring the shallows next to the jetty in search of small baitfish. Directly below this bird was a lazy Bonaparte’s gull which was looking for the same prey, but never bothered to leave the surface of the water. He simply would swim out against the incoming current and then drift back in occasionally dipping down into the froth to grab a little morsel.

Bonaparte’s gull - Smyrna Dunes Jetty - 2/3/26

Surprisingly, not only was the Purple sandpiper absent, but the much more common Snowy egret was not to be found. This is possibly the first time in years that I’ve been out here and not had numerous snowies picking their way through the weed on the rocks of the jetty. Hopefully, they’ll be back the next time we visit the site.