Working Hard at Tuckerton

This week, I have been working with Tuckerton Seaport Museum to set up a new cash register system for their gift shop. Tuckerton Seaport is a cute place in Tuckerton - north of Atlantic City on Route 9 - that shows visitors the back bay lifestyle from years past and today.  They have displays in the museum and also a village set up of old houses and storefronts which is pretty cool.  Out back, they have a dock and various boats that baymen use for clamming and duck hunting (yes, duck hunting).   They also have a chicken coup and 2 goats in a pen to show how people would have kept their own livestock for eggs, milk and meat. The gift shop is terrific too with lots of duck decoys and other nautical items to purchase.

This year, the Seaport was asking to help raise Bobwhites to repopulate some areas of NJ with the bird.  They had over 100 eggs which hatched and now they have the Bobwhites in a "flight cage" out back.  Here is a photo of some of the birds:

Bobwhite fledglings

The guy that I am working with to set up the cash registers had to go feed the Bobwhite on Friday and of course, I said that I would help.  We both went into the pen.  While I was snapping photos with my iPhone, Nick went to refill the water dishes.  I was just happy to keep shooting photo and video like this:

Bobwhite in the shelter

Little did I realize that the back door was open while I was filming - look again - and the little birds were escaping one by one in single file like school kids during recess!  Aahhhh!  I yelled for Nick but I couldn't get close to the door without scaring the rest of the birds out, so I just stood there watching them go outside one by one until Nick ran over and closed the door.

Next thing I know, the 2 of us are trying to herd the Bobwhites back into the pen where they obviously didn't want to be.  Picture me waiving 2 pirate shirts - yes pirate shirts - at these little birds while Nick used a fishing net to catch them one by one.  Hysterical!  Meanwhile, other visitors are staring at us and other staff are trying to explain the situation by saying "this never happened before"  and stuff like that.  I think we got them all back into the pen.  If not, keep your ears open for the sound of  "Bob - white" next time you are near Atlantic City.