The Montclair Bird Club
Celebrating Over 100 Years of Birding
Outings & Trips
The Montclair Bird Club conducts a full program of field excursions, including both trips with a designated leader and "meet-up" outings arranged to take advantage of seasonal happenings at local hotspots. All of our activities are open to all members, friends, and visitors. For further information, please make contact with the listed leader or write to Beni at MBCOutings@gmail.com.
All participants are required to read and abide by our
For more information about any of our trips and outings, email mbcoutings@gmail.com.
Join Fred Pfeifer each Wednesday morning at 8:00 for a walk around Garret Mountain Reservation or another nearby park to enjoy the avian treasures of the season. Text or call Fred at 973 809-7674 to register and to find out the meeting location.
April 10 & 17, there will not be an organized Wednesday walk but you are encouraged to come to Garret on your own to witness the start of spring migration.
Liberty State Park: Birds and Beer
A Birder's Meetup
We'll walk the paved Hudson River Walkway past Caven Point, about a mile each way. Expected birds include brant, American black duck, bufflehead, hooded and red-breasted mergansers, double-crested and perhaps great cormorants, and early passerine migrants. Scopes can be helpful. We'll be birding for about two and a half hours, then those who wish can meet for an early dinner at Zeppelin Hall Beer Garden, with a menu featuring sausages, barbecue, and German and American beers.
Meet at the south end of the park, in Lot 3, near the East Jetty (marked C on the park map). The best access is from Exit 14B of the NJ Turnpike Extension. Restrooms are available in the park office.
For more information and to confirm your attendance, call or text Bill Beren at 862 283-8754.
Paulinskill Wildlife Management Area (Hyper Humus)
The ponds, marshes, and wooded areas of Paulinskill WMA offer a range of habitats for plants, birds, and other animals. We will start along the Paulinskill River rail trail, then walk into Hyper Humus searching for early migrants, waterfowl, and nesting eagles. Last year, we recorded 39 species on this trip, including an abundance of yellow warblers, three swallow species, and a pair of bald eagles.
The trails here are fairly flat, with occasional dips and rises. Some spots might be wet if it has rained recently, so dress accordingly. Bring binoculars, a scope if you have one, water, and a snack. We will finish around noon.
Meet in the parking lot at Warbasse Junction Road, Lafayette, NJ, at 8:30 am. From the Montclair area, take I-80 west to Route 15 north; make a left turn onto Route 94 south, then left onto Warbasse Junction Road. The parking lot will be on your right just after the bridge. There is a bathroom here.
For more information or questions, email Karen at kdc05@ptd.net.
South Mountain Reservation, West Orange, NJ
Saturday, May 4, 2024
(rain date: Sunday, May 5)
Meet at 7:30AM in the main parking lot on Crest Drive (2nd on right; you'll see a wooden sign that says "Bramhall Terrace, entrance to Summit Field).
South Mountain Reservation is a 2,100-acre nature reserve in southern Essex county. Nestled between the first and second ridges of the Watchung Mountains and overlooking the urban sprawl of the greater Newark area, it can often serve as a tremendous migrant trap in the heat of spring migration. We will walk several trails throughout the reservation and hope to see good numbers of warblers, thrushes, sparrows and others taking advantage of the feeding opportunities in the reservation's varied habitats as they pass through our area. Many of the trails are paved, but it is recommended to wear sturdy hiking boots for some trails can be a little rocky and uneven.
There are no bathrooms at this location but there are at a later stop.
For more information, email us mbcoutings@gmail.com.
Directions from Montclair area: From I-280, take exit 7, Pleasant Valley Way south for 3.5 miles, then turn left onto South Orange Avenue. Take this road for 1 mile and turn right onto Crest Drive, marked with a sign for the dog park (you will encounter Crest Drive just after you've reached the crest of the hill you've been ascending). Stay straight on Crest Drive and within a half mile there will be a very long parking lot on the right in an open space with a vista to your left. We will meet at the far end of this parking lot.
Saturday, May 4, at 8:30 am
Saturday, May 11, at 8:00 am
Big Day at Garret Mountain Reservation
Woodland Park, New Jersey
May 11 is New Jersey Audubon’s Big Day, an annual event to raise money for environmental causes and to draw attention to bird conservation. Teams set out to see and hear as many 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 boundaries of Garret Mountain Reservation. Fortunately for us, Garret is a well-known migrant trap, where we should be able to enjoy a wide variety of spring migrants, including warblers, flycatchers, tanagers, and vireos, as well as 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 New Jersey Audubon website for information on how to register in that role.
Meet at 8:00 am in the Great Meadow Picnic Grove parking lot, at the new Great Meadow bathroom.
Write Beni at mbcoutings@gmail.com for more information and to indicate your interest.
Saturday, May 11, at 8:00 am
Cold Brook Farm, Tewksbury, NJ Sunday, May 19, 2024, 8:30AM
(Rain or shine – trip to be held unless it is pouring)
Join us at Cold Brook Farm, the home of club members, Deb and Jason DeSalvo. We will explore the farm fields, wooded areas, river, and wetlands on and bordering their property 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 native species to improve the habitat for insects, birds, and other animals, so it is a real treat to explore this bird-friendly habitat. Last year, on the NJ Audubon Big Day, they saw 53 species of birds.
Bring binoculars, a snack, 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.
Sunday, May 19, at 8:30 AM
