Just as wildlife awakens from their hibernations and dormant slumbers, many of us are ready to trade in our winter doldrums for a chance to get outside and enjoy nature this spring. In central New Jersey, the options are endless. From migrating hawks and nesting raptors to snakes and spring peepers, there’s something for everyone on this suburban safari.
The great annual spring bird migration is under way along the Great Atlantic Flyway. While interesting sightings can be found just about anywhere, there’s arguably no better spot in central New Jersey to experience this spectacle than Sandy Hook.
“Spring migration is going full force, with an ever-changing array of species pretty much now through the first few days in June,” said Scott Barnes, senior naturalist at New Jersey Audubon in Sandy Hook. “April is the peak for hawks, and you also have a lot of waterfowl moving through or leaving. May is the peak for neotropical migrants, a lot of colorful species like orioles, tanagers, and most warblers.”
Fortunately, for those unable to break free to visit Sandy Hook or other birding hotspots, there’s a way to bring the birds right to you. Yes, birdfeeders have always brought the birds to your yard, but now nest cameras deliver them right to your computer screen. An amazing nest camera at Duke Farms in Hillsborough gives viewers a front-row seat for the hatching and feeding of young bald eagle chicks. A similar camera by NJDEP Fish and Wildlife captures the daily routine of a beloved pair of peregrine falcons that nest on a Jersey City skyscraper.
Densely populated Edison, surprisingly, offers a taste of the tropics. At this time of year, the Dismal Swamp Conservation Area is bursting with life, none more loudly and insistently than the deafening drone of spring peepers and wood frogs. Spring peepers, tiny frogs hardly bigger than your fingernail, call out through the late afternoon and night from vernal ponds in this nature preserve. A drive to the Triple C Ranch and Nature Center at dusk feels like you’re entering a rainforest.
The Great Swamp in Basking Ridge offers a spectacle even more exotic. In mid-April, scores of northern water snakes gather on the mossy tussock islands, sun themselves on tree branches, and swim the shallow waters. It’s a serpent Eden right out of the Amazon. The cautious visitor shouldn’t worry — the Great Swamp’s elevated boardwalk trails provide a safe remove from these nonpoisonous snakes.
There’s something for everyone in the wilds of Central Jersey — even if you choose to experience it from the comfort of your computer screen.
David Wheeler is the founder of Wild- NewJersey.tv and the director of operations for Edison Wetlands Association. For more information, visit www.WildNewJersey.tv or www.EdisonWetlands.org.