May 2-5, 2026: Montclair Bird Club Delmarva Trip

Greater Yellowlegs. Photo by Beni Fishbein.

Delmarva (Delaware, Maryland and Virginia) is a great place to bird in early May. We will begin at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge on the coast of Delaware. The refuge is similar to Brigantine in NJ with its’ extensive wildlife drive accessing many ponds, marshes and moist woodlands. Our primary targets will be the shorebirds and waders that should be passing through at this time; a scope is helpful if you have one. We will provide a meeting time to those that sign up; lunch will be brown bagging as we bird, so make sure you bring food. Around mid-afternoon, we will head south to our hotel at the Maryland/Virginia border. Day two will be spent between Millburn Landing and Shad Landing State Parks and perhaps a few additional local hot spots. These are primarily wooded areas that attract migrating passerines. There are several gentle trails we will walk in addition to the interior roads, looking and listening for spring migrants. Day three will be at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia. In addition to migrating passerines, this is a wonderful area to see waders and shorebirds up close - and hopefully some of the famous Chincoteague ponies the area is known for. Dinners will be at local restaurants and will be as a group. Sign up is required - contact Donna Traylor at montclairbirdclub1920@gmail.com.

Saturday, May 2: Cold Brook Farm, Tewksbury, NJ

Yellow warbler. Photo by Ric Cohn.

Registration limited to 12 participants.

Meet at 8:30 am in Tewksbury, New Jersey, at the address sent to you on registration.

This trip will take place rain or shine, unless it is pouring.

Join us at Cold Brook Farm, the home of club members Deb and Jason DeSalvo. We will explore fields, wooded areas, the river, and wetlands to discover the many different migratory and breeding bird species that use this restored property to refuel and to nest. Deb and Jason have been working hard to remove invasive plant species and plant natives to improve the habitat for insects, birds, and other animals. Among the nest boxes they have installed are those for American kestrels and eastern bluebirds. Our May 2025 trip to Cold Brook Farm yielded 58 species, including great horned owl, 4 flycatcher species, 4 vireo species, rose-breasted grosbeak, bobolink, ruby-throated hummingbird and 6 warbler species.   

Bring binoculars, a snack, and something to drink. If it has rained recently, waterproof boots are recommended.

Email mbcoutings@gmail.com if you want to attend. Address and driving directions will be sent to you once you register.

Saturday, May 9: Big Day with Montclair Bird Club at Garret Mountain Reservation

Scarlet Tanager. Photo by Ric Cohn.

Meet Fred Pfeifer at 8 a.m. at Great Meadow Picnic Grove Parking Lot by the Great Meadow bathroom.

Saturday, May 9^th is New Jersey Audubon’s Big Day, a day to raise money for environmental causes and to draw attention to bird conservation. Teams set out to see and hear as many different bird species as they can in a 24-hour period. We’re not planning on birding for 24 hours, but we are going to try to see and hear as many species as we can within the park boundaries.

Garret Mountain Reservation in Woodland Park, NJ is a well-known migrant trap in the middle of metropolitan northern New Jersey. It’s 310 acres of woodlands, fields, a pollinator garden, and pond, commonly host a wide variety of spring migrants including warblers, flycatchers, tanagers, and vireos as well as many resident birds.

We will bird for as long as we can, but you can feel free to leave at any time.  If you’d like to, you may also use this opportunity to raise money for your favorite environmental organization: see the websites for New Jersey Audubon and Friends of Garret Mountain and if you would like to donate to any of them.

For more information and to express your interest email mbcoutings@gmail.com.