Saturday, October 4: Lord Stirling Park, Basking Ridge

Red headed woodpecker. Photo Beni Fishbein.

8:30 am to 12:30 pm (Rain Date: Sunday, October 5^th).

Meet in the parking lot of the Somerset County Environmental Education Center at 190 Lord Stirling Road. 

Geo Coords 40.695005,-74.531754

Lord Stirling Park, located in Basking Ridge, NJ, is separated from the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge by the headwaters of the Passaic River.  The park includes a diverse ecosystem of swamps, fields, forests, marshes and meadows and is home to the Somerset County Environmental Education Center, the starting point for about 9.5 miles of hiking trails and boardwalks through many of these habitats.  We’ll walk some of these trails in the hopes of seeing a variety of forest and marsh birds including red-headed woodpecker, wood duck, and migrating songbirds and raptors passing through NJ in early October.  Bring binoculars, a snack and something to drink.  Waterproof hiking shoes or boots are a good idea if it has rained recently.  Bathrooms are available in the Visitor’s Center, which opens at 9 am.  We can bird the parking lot which has adjacent ponds until the Visitor’s Center opens.

Contact mbcoutings@gmail.com for further information.

CANCELED Sunday, October 12: Troy Meadows Natural Area

Swamp sparrow. Photo Beni Fishbein.

8:30 am to 11:30 am. Rain date: Monday, October 13.

Meet at the small parking area on your left (close to the gas pipeline crossing) just beyond the end of Troy Meadows Road.

Troy Meadows in Parsippany/East Hanover is an excellent place to encounter a wide variety of songbirds, waterfowl, wading birds, raptors, and if we're lucky, some possible rarities--especially hard-to-find. The last time we did this walk, in October 2023, we were treated to sightings of a variety of sparrows including field, Lincoln’s, swamp and savannah.

The area can be very wet and waterproof boots are highly recommended. There are no bathrooms at this location. 

Google pin for exact location of parking lot turnoff:  40.84913908249395, -74.38472085305187.

Saturday, October 18: Commerce Road Wetlands, Fairfield, New Jersey

Solitary Sandpiper. Photo by Beni Fishbein.

Trip canceled in event of rain or if rain has recently been heavy as the area becomes impassable.

Meet at the end of Commerce Road in Fairfield at 8 a.m. (a nearby address is 26 Commerce Road).

Commerce Road Wetlands’ marsh and pond border the Passaic River in western Essex County next to Great Piece Meadow. EBird lists 116 species as being seen there in Octobers past including: rusty blackbird, American pipit, late migrant warblers and a variety of sparrows, shorebirds, and raptors.

Wear waterproof shoes or boots. Bring binoculars, a scope if you have one, bug spray, and sunscreen. Be sure to wear a hat and carry water. There are no bathrooms at this location. Write to mbcoutings@gmail.com for further information and in case of inclement weather.