The Montclair Bird Club
Montclair Bird Club
Celebrating 100 Years of Birding
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MONTCLAIR BIRD CLUB
OUTINGS and 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
WEDNESDAY MORNING WALKS
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.
Raptor Identification Workshop
at Montclair Hawk Lookout
Sunday, October 1, 2023
11:00 am to 2:00 pm
rain date Sunday, October 8
Right in our own backyard, the Montclair Hawk Lookout is our country's second-oldest continuous hawkwatch site and New Jersey Audubon's smallest sanctuary. This is a great site to learn the basics of raptor flight identification; there will be an experienced hawk watcher or two on the platform to help you understand what you're seeing. All ages and all skill levels are welcome. Bring sunscreen, a hat, and water. A word of warning: the climb to the hawk lookout includes 103 steps, and there are no restroom facilities.
To reach the hawk watch, set your GPS for the address of our street-level neighbors at 34 Edgecliff Road, Montclair. Parking is permitted only on the sae side of the street as the house at 34 Edgecliff; there is also parking on the other side of the street farther up the road, at the south entrance to Mills Reservation. The trailhead for the lookout is next to 34 Edgecliff Road. For further information, write MBCOutings@gmail.com.
Troy Meadows Natural Area
Sunday, October 21, 2023
8:30–11:30 am
Rain or shine
a birder's meetup
Troy Meadows, in Parsippany and East Hanover, is one of the best freshwater marshes in northern New Jersey. This very special place is an excellent spot to encounter a wide variety of songbirds, waterfowl, wading birds, raptors, and, if we're lucky, rarities—including some hard-to-find sparrows.
We will meet in the small parking area on the left at the end of Troy Meadows Road, close to the gas pipeline crossing; the coordinates of the parking lot turnoff are 40.84913908249395, -74.38472085305187. Driving directions from Montclair are here. The area can be very wet, and waterproof boots are highly
recommended. There are no bathrooms at this location.
Sandy Hook
Saturday, October 28, 2023
8:30 am to 12:30 pm
rain date October 29
The northernmost point on the Jersey shore, Sandy Hook has long been known as one of New Jersey's premiere birding sites. In fall, Sandy Hook's considerable patches of coastal forest can attract great numbers of migrants crossing New York Bay. We will explore this and the other habitats at Sandy Hook in search of a good variety of sparrows, late warblers, thrushes, shorebirds, raptors and maybe something unexpected.
We will meet at Lot B, on the right side of the road just a few hundred yards after the entrance gate. Park near the building in the center of the lot, which has a public restroom.
Sandy Hook is largely flat and its trails are not challenging, but walking in general can be quite fatiguing since it is mostly done on sand. We recommend comfortable hiking boots that can keep sand out.
Along with binoculars, please bring a scope if you own one—there are many spots
where it will come in handy. Extra layers are recommended if it is windy.
Bee Meadow Park, Whippany
Thursday, November 2, 2023
8:00 am
rain date November 3
A favorite childhood birding haunt of Pete Dunne, 89-acre Bee Meadow is a multiple-use park with playing fields, swimming pools, and great birding opportunities year round. The two ponds attest to the area's historical use in brick production, as does the often slippery clay soil. We hope to see a variety of ducks, sparrows, and other late migrants in habitats including wet woodland, a powerline cut, woodland edge, and native plantings. The trails here are flat, but can be wet and slick; off-trail walking is allowed. There are no bathrooms here at this season. Meet in the parking lot at 111 Reynolds Road, Whippany; driving directions are here.
Mill Creek Marsh Photography
Saturday, November 11, 2023
8:00 am
Rain date: Sunday, November 12
Join us for a Montclair Bird Club PHOTOGRAPHY field trip to Mill Creek Marsh. We’ll meet at the entrance gate by Bob’s Discount Furniture at 8 am with cameras, tripods, scopes, and smartphones. We’ll take our time on the trail, keeping the sun over our shoulders and concentrating on photographing birds, landscapes, butterflies, groundhogs, and any other slice of nature we encounter—sharing tips, helping each other with equipment, or reviewing shots.
If you are new to photography or just like to watch photographers, you are welcome to come along. Contact Sandy Sorkin at 973 698-7900 for further information.
Bathrooms are available at Bob’s Furniture, which opens at 10:00 on Saturday and 11:00 on Sunday. There are no bathrooms at Mill Creek Marsh itself.
Directions to Mill Creek Marsh are here. We recommend that you search in your GPS for Mill Creek Marsh Trail, Secaucus, NJ 07094, or for Bob’s Discount Furniture and Mattress Store, 3 Mill Creek Dr., Secaucus, NJ 07094. The
entrance to the marsh is to the right as you face Bob’s.
1. Take NJ Route 3 East.
2. Follow NJ-3 E to State Rd 3 E Local in Secaucus. Take the exit from NJ-3 toward N Bergen/Kennedy Blvd/I-95. The exit comes up quickly and almost invisibly, immediately after you pass under the second overpass.
3. Take Harmon Meadow Blvd. as it curves to the left and passes Red Lobster and Starbucks.
4. Continue to the stop light at the T-intersection by Sam’s Club; turn left and keep to the right.
5. Pass over the turnpike, then turn right at the stop light toward Bob’s Discount Furniture. The entrance to the trail is just to the right of the furniture store.
For more information about any of our trips and outings, email mbcoutings@gmail.com.
