Asbury Park Press: From a lofty height - Dive-bombing gannets lead to stripers
Northern Gannet.
Photo Credit: neseabirds.com
They don’t resemble flocks of birds so much as fighter squadrons.
All of the bait that’s sustaining this unprecedented striper run, has also rang the breakfast, lunch and dinner bells for thousands of local gannets.
Northern gannets, whose scientific name is Morus bassanus, which probably means “crazy divers,” but I’m not sure, are the largest sea bird in their range. And unlike some of their feathered brethren that sit on the water’s surface and then submerge in search of food, gannets fly well above the waves before tucking their wings and hurtling toward the ocean at speeds up to 100 mph.
Posted by WILDNEWJERSEY at 4/21/2012 6:00 AM 
Categories: Birds
Tags: northern gannet birds divers stripers sea birds
Categories: Birds
Tags: northern gannet birds divers stripers sea birds
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