January or February: Alpha Grasslands (Oberly Road)

with Fred Pfeifer

Located in Pohatcong Township in Warren County, 1.5-mile Oberly Road is designated an Important Bird and Birding Area by NJ Audubon. Comprising mostly pasture and agricultural fields, the area supports wintering snow buntings, horned larks, northern harriers, and short-eared owls.

The date of this trip will be set to take advantage of recent snowfall, which pushes seed-eating birds to the bare field edges, making for easier roadside viewing. Other species we can hope to see include American tree, field, Savannah, white-throated, and song sparrows, as well as many snow geese flying over. Alpha Grasslands is close to Merrill Creek Reservoir, so those who want to can visit there as well as Alpha.

Dress warm and bring binoculars and a scope, if you have one. There is no bathroom at

this site. To register, email mbcoutings@gmail.com. You will be notified when conditions are right for us to name a date for this trip.

From the Montclair area, take the Garden State Parkway south to 78 West, toward

Springfield. At Exit 3, take US 22 toward NJ-122/Phillipsburg/Alpha. Turn right onto New

Brunswick Avenue, left onto Hawk Avenue, and continue onto 3rd Avenue; turn right onto

High Street and turn left onto Carpentersville Road.

Tuesday, February 4: The Meadowlands

A birder's meet-up in conjunction with Leaderless Walks.

Meet at 9:30 am in the parking lot at the Meadowlands Environmental Center, 2 DeKorte Plaza, Lyndhurst, New Jersey. Some of us may want to start earlier; contact

Beni for further information.

Bordering the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers, the Hackensack Meadowlands comprises 21

parks where over 285 species of birds have been sighted. We will meet at DeKorte Park and bird the trails there, then decide whether to continue at DeKorte or check out some

other Meadowlands locations. We expect to see a variety of wintering waterfowl, including canvasbacks, northern pintail, mergansers, and gadwall, along with various sparrows and, hopefully, northern harriers and other birds of prey.

There is a porta-san at the DeKorte parking lot. Expect cold and wind, and dress warm. Bring binoculars, a scope if you have one, water, and a snack. We expect to finish by 1:00.  

A map of DeKorte Park is here. From the Montclair area, take Route 3 east to the Polito Avenue/Orient Way exit. Continue straight onto Polito Avenue. At the stop sign, turn left onto Valley Brook Avenue. Follow Valley Brook approximately 1½ miles to its end. Cross the railroad tracks and enter the park on your left. Bear right into the parking lot at the little guardhouse.

February 19–21: Cape Ann, Massachusetts

with Donna Traylor. 

The annual Montclair Bird Club trip to Cape Ann, Massachusetts, will take place

February 19–21. Plan to arrive by Tuesday evening, February 18, so we can start birding first thing the next morning.

We will stay at the Fairfield Inn, 35 Clarks Road, Amesbury, Massachusetts. The hotel's direct number is 978 388-3400. We have arranged a group booking, so be sure to say that you are with the Montclair Bird Club when you make your reservation. Our special nightly rate is $104.00 plus tax; this rate will be in effect for bookings made through January 28, 2025. Cancellation is permitted up to 48 hours before arrival, so if the forecast is unfavorable, you can cancel your reservations by Sunday without penalty. Check in Tuesday, February 18, and check out Friday morning, February 21, 2025.

The hotel provides a good hot breakfast. We will try to find indoor lunch stops. If we

anticipate a problem with lunch, we will let you know the day before so you can bring your own food. Dinners are a group affair. I will make reservations prior to the trip: about ten minutes away from the hotel, Newburyport has some wonderful restaurants offering a diverse

menu of seafood, beef, and chicken dishes.

We typically spend one full day birding Gloucester and Rockport, with the second day spent in Amesbury and Newburyport. The locations we bird include Salisbury Reservation and Plum Island (Amesbury and Newburyport day) and Bass Rocks, Eastern Point Lighthouse, and Gloucester (southern day). The last half day is usually spent along the (short) New Hampshire coast. The trip normally concludes around noon on Friday, letting you be back in New Jersey by dark.

There is minimal walking on this trip, but good boots are recommended in case of snow and ice. Both days will be along the coast, so dress for wind and cold; layers are important.

The trip list can be a who's who of wintering birds along the Atlantic Coast. Hopefully, this will include all three species of scoters, two species of loons, harlequins and eider, alcids, both cormorants, grebes, owls including snowy and short-eared, and rough-legged hawks and eagles. Should any winter finches be reported, we will search them out. If you have a scope, please bring it, as many birds are at a distance on the open water.

I need to know by February 11 that you are planning on attending so I can make the dinner reservations. If you plan on arriving early enough for dinner on Tuesday and would like to join Don and me for dinner, let me know. Feel free to email me any questions at dtraylor@ptd.net.