Saturday, May 16: South Mountain Reservation, West Orange, NJ

Black and white warbler. Photo by Ric Cohn. 

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 thrushes, warblers, 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. 

Usually, there are porto-san bathrooms at this location and at later stops throughout this walk. 

For more information, email 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.