Saturday, January 10: Liberty State Park

Red breasted mergansers. Photo by Beni Fishbein.

8:00 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Meet at parking lot 4 off Morris Pesin Drive by its intersection with Freedom Way.  

Located along the Hudson River in Jersey City, Liberty State Park is a premier site for finding winter birds.  Over the years, eBirders have documented 135 species there in January.  Commonly seen are: brant, gadwall, ruddy duck, bufflehead, red-breasted mergansers, horned lark, fox and savannah sparrows. Other possibilities include grebes, loons, both scaup as well as white-winged gulls such as Iceland and glaucous, and American tree sparrow. If it’s an irruption year, we might even see snowy owl and snow buntings. We can walk the Hudson River walkway to search the river for waterfowl, explore the woods around the nature center, and do the long, but often rewarding, walk to Caven Point, where many good rarities have been found.

Bring binoculars, a snack, something to drink and a scope, if you have one. Dress warmly; it is cold along the river. We will walk mostly along paved pathways that are completely flat, but if we go to Caven Point we may walk through mud or snow at some point.

 We will meet at the south end of the park see Park Map here in parking lot 4 near the East Jetty (E on the map) on Morris Pesin Drive   Best access is via the NJ Turnpike Extension, exit 14B.  Restrooms are available in the park office near our meeting place.