Field Trips
Field Trips to local birding “Hot Spots” and beyond
Experienced birders from WCAS lead regular birding field trip to some of the region’s top birding hotspots in Central New Jersey, the Delaware Water Gap, Delaware Bay, the New Jersey shore, and eastern Pennsylvania. Field trips are free, open to the public, and most require no advance registration. Participants of all experience levels are welcome. If there are field trips you would like to see added to WCAS field trip offerings, please feel free to contact us.
For more field trip information, contact our Field Trip Chair, Brad Merritt, 609-921-8964. If the trip is co-sponsored, please note the registration request in the trip description. In case of inclement weather, please check this website or contact Brad for field trip cancellation updates by 10:00 p.m. the night before.
Check our Event Calendar below for details and contact information
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*** RESCHEDULED to SUNDAY 1/6/19 due to bad weather forecast for Saturday *** Winter Birds at Barnegat Light: A field trip on Sunday, January 6, 2019 at 9:00 AM led by Brad Merritt. Barnegat Light, located at the north end of Long Beach Island, is a great site for wintering birds. The inlet, beach, and jetties are well known for unusual visitors, including at times the beautiful harlequin duck. Bring lunch and beverage, and dress warmly. Call Brad at 609-921-8964 in the evening two days prior to the trip for date, time, and directions.
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Friends for the Abbott Marshlands: A field trip on Saturday, January 12, at 9:00 AM led Brad Merritt, Mary Leck, Andrew Bobe. Roebling Park is a Mercer County park adjacent to the Hamilton/Trenton marsh. We plan to follow the trails and see how the marsh and its wildlife adjust to the cold weather. In case of inclement weather, contact Brad Merritt at 609-921-8964. Directions: Take South Broad St. to Sewell Ave. turn onto Sewell at traffic light; at road’s end, turn left and continue downhill to parking lot. Co-sponsored with Friends for the Abbott Marshlands.
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Birds of Shark River: A field trip on Saturday, January 26, at 9:00 AM led by Brad Merritt and Andrew Bobe. The Shark River area allows us to visit several interesting habitats along the bay, ocean, and fresh water ponds. Directions: Take I-295 to I-195 to Route 35 in Belmar. Meet at Marina in Belmar. Bring lunch and beverage, dress for the weather. For more information and confirmation of trip location, contact Brad Merritt at 609-921-8964.
We are looking for additional team leaders—naturalists who can head out into the field and lead a small group of members and friends around your favorite natural location(s). We’ll help coordinate your team and support donation collection. If you would like to volunteer or lead a team, please email Juanita Hummel or Brad Merritt at contact.wcas@gmail.com.
Click on calendar entries below for field trip locations. Clicking on the field trip you wish to join will bring open up the trip’s details including a Google Map and GPS coordinates. You may also visit our birding “Hot Spots” page for a map of local hot spots.
Above & immediately below: WCAS trip to Sandy Hook Saturday, November 10. Photos © Tony Singleton (missing from picture).
Check our event calendar below for individual program details. If there are field trips you would like to see added to WCAS field trip offerings, please feel free to contact us. All photos except where noted above © Tyler Christensen except lower right © Diana Hayes.
More outings in 2018
Sun, Dec 16 | Princeton CBC
Sat, Dec 29 | Trenton Marsh CBC
Sort Calendar by “FIELD TRIPS” category on left; Sort by “MONTH”, “WEEK” and “AGENDA” views on the right
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Birds at Barnegat Light—Now SUNDAY, January 6 9:00 am Winter Birds at Barnegat Light—Now SUNDAY, January 6 @ Barnegat Light Jan 6 @ 9:00 am – 1:00 pm UPDATE: Event RESCHEDULED for Sunday, January 6th due to inclement weather forecast for Saturday, January 5th A field trip on Sunday, January 6, 2019, at 9:00 AM led by Brad Merritt. Barnegat Light, located at[...] | Abbott Marshlands 9:00 am Abbott Marshlands @ Roebling Park at Abbott Marshlands Jan 12 @ 9:00 am – 1:00 pm A field trip on Saturday, January 12, at 9:00 AM, led Brad Merritt, Mary Leck, Andrew Bobe. Roebling Park is a Mercer County park adjacent to the Hamilton/Trenton marsh. We plan to follow the trails[...] | |||||
| Sharyn Magee: Birds of Birds of South Africa 8:00 pm Sharyn Magee: Birds of Birds of South Africa @ Stainton Hall at Pennington School Jan 21 @ 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm  In her illustrated talk, Sharyn Magee will introduce us to the birds of South Africa with an emphasis on birds endemic to Africa. Sharyn will elaborate on their distribution, habit requirements and conservation. Her stunning[...] | Birds of Shark River 9:00 am Birds of Shark River @ Belmar Marina Jan 26 @ 9:00 am Birds of Shark River: A field trip on Saturday, January 26 at 9:00 AM, led by Brad Merritt and Andrew Bobe. The Shark River area allows us to visit a number of interesting habitats along the bay,[...] | |||||
Pole Farm at Mercer Meadows at corner of Cold Soil and Keefe Rds.
GPS: 40.312911, -74.737523
Deer management in winter
Baldpate Mountain, Fiddler's Creek Entrance
Mercer County Website lists address as 327 Fiddlers Creek Road, Titusville, NJ 08560
Baldpate formerly known as Kuser Mountain
GPS: 40.317418, -74.889530
Check for Deer Management closing dates in winter
Abbott Marshlands
Use Sewell Avenue entrance to Roebling Park section of the Abbott Marshlands and park by Spring Lake. Be mindful that this natural area is located in an urban setting. Use caution when visiting. Don’t leave your camera or valuables lying about. Report any suspicious behavior to the Hamilton (609-581-4000) or Bordentown Township (609- 298-2800) Police. In an emergency, call 911.
GPS Coordinates: N40 11.714 W74 43.923
Baldpate Mtn., Pleasant Valley Rd. entrance
40.330450, -74.871657
Rogers Wildllife Refuge next to Institute Woods
Directions: From Princeton take Alexander Street toward Route 1. At the bend before the canal turn right on West Drive. Go a short distance on West Drive and park near the entrance to Rogers Wildlife Refuge.
GPS:
40°19’38.5″N 74°39’33.6″W
40.327353, -74.659342
Pole Farm Federal City Rd./Reed Bryan entrance
GPS: 40.316586,-74.758068
St. Michaels Preserve
Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association
31 Titus Mill Rd, Pennington, NJ 08534
GPS:
40°21’06.3″N 74°46’21.3″W
40.351751, -74.772571
Mercer County Park
Negri-Nepote Native Grassland Preserve
Washington Crossing State Park Nature Center
355 Washington Crossing Pennington Rd, Titusville, NJ 08560, USA
GPS:
40°18’49.5″N 74°51’46.6″W
40.3137529, -74.86295740000003
Assunpink Wildlife Management Area
Assunpink Wildlife Management Area Boat Launch parking lot
Intersection of Imlaystown-Hightstown Rd & Clarksburg-Robbinsville Rd, Millstone, NJ 08535, USA
Directions: East on I-195 to exit 11, Imlaystown. North on Imlaystown Road 2.6 miles to parking area at Lake Assunpink.
GPS:
40°12’54.9″N 74°31’00.7″W
40.215254, -74.516866
Cumberland County Heislerville WMA
Dikes on Matts Landing Rd, Leesburg, NJ 08327, USA
GPS:
39°14’02.9″N 75°01’34.5″W
39.234133, -75.026264
Peace Valley Nature Center
42-64 N Chapman Rd, Doylestown, PA 18901, USA
GPS:
40°20’23.8″N 75°10’16.2″W
40.339942, -75.171179
Mt. Rose Preserve
Mount Rose Preserve, Carter Rd., Hopewell Township, NJ 08540, USA
Please confirm parking on west or east side of Carter Rd.
GPS:
40°21’41.4″N 74°44’15.4″W
40.361489, -74.737621
Garret Mountain Reservation
2 Mountain Ave, Woodland Park, NJ 07424, USA (near Patterson)
Directions: Take I-287 to I-80. Go east to exit 56A (Squirrelwood Road). Go to the stop sign and turn right on Rifle Camp Road. Go up the hill about 0.5 miles to Mountain Ave., which comes in from the left. Turn left on Mountain Ave. (look for army tank and reservoir on the left) and go 0.3 miles to the entrance to Garret Mountain Reservation. Go right up the hill for a short distance to a large parking area. The distance from Somerville on I-287 and I-80 to exit 56A is 40 miles.
GPS:
40°54’08.5″N 74°10’54.5″W
40.902367, -74.181791
Round Valley Reservoir Boat Launch
County Rd 629, Lebanon, NJ 08833, USA
GPS:
40°37’54.9″N 74°50’57.5″W
40.631908, -74.849302
Pryde's Point Trail
Park on 23 Gulick Rd., Ringoes, NJ:
https://goo.gl/maps/D3jcGqNVTSP2
GPS: 40.407954, -74.870407
Don’t park at the WMA entrance for Pond Trail on Rocktown-Lambertville Rd. Pryde’s Point Trail map on NJ Trails website: http://njtrails.org/trail/prydes-point-alexauken-creek/