North Jersey coastal birding

On a two day trip to my parents' place in Cape May and decided to bird on the way down. Left the house at 6 and finally stepped out of the truck at 10 in Sandy Hook. I haven't been there in twenty years and this trip brought back some nice memories of my fisheries course and Plant Ecology. Very few visitors so that was nice. 

A big part of this trip was figuring my camera. Yea, the one I've had for years. I put everything on manual so I had to pick all the settings except for ISO (because I'm still figuring that one out... in the context of the other settings). 

The first 50 or so pictures were crap - all over exposed.  Clouds came over and the pictures came out better. I'm using a Canon Rebel T1i and I don't think it shows a color histogram but this seems to be the best indicator of overexposure. 

Tomorrow's plan. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge then Cape May. 

In the meantime, here are today's best pics. 

Surf Scoter

Common Loon - with crab

Dunlin

Young Gannet 

Harlequin Duck

Long-tailed Duck

Purple Sandpiper

Double-crested Cormorant (was hoping for a Great)

Tree Swallow. What. Are. You. Doing?