Things You'll Need:
- Bird watching guide
- A spotting scope or binoculars
- Sunscreen
- Water
- Notebook
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Step 1
Start a New Jersey birding trip at the Sandy Hook Bird Observatory in Fort Hancock. This area, established in 2001 by the New Jersey Audubon Society, is the best year-round birding site in the state. The Sandy Hook itself is a peninsula that juts out into the Raritan Bay at the far northern end of New Jersey's coast. The diversity of bird species is extremely high with over 340 bird species identified.
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Step 2
Travel to the Pinelands National Reserve, which includes parts of 7 southern New Jersey counties and protects over 1 million acres overall. The area was established in 1978 as the first National Reserve. Due to the special nature of the Reserve, the lives of the local people are closely linked to the preservation of the environment. This gives bird watchers a rare opportunity to interact with the local people across the vast Reserve.
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Step 3
Find exceptional bird watching in the Barnegat Bay Region. Migratory songbirds are especially plentiful in the coastal marshes and barrier islands and the fall Neotropical migration offers the greatest concentration of bird species. In the summer, Indigo Bunting, Blue Grosbeak and Yellow-breasted Chat make themselves at home in the region.
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Step 4
Journey along the Wildlife Migration Trail. The trail was intended to be enjoyed by driving and has a wide selection of natural areas, nature preserves, refuges and parks. There are guides and bird checklists available for the majority of the sites along the trail. Travel along the Trail and discover a variety of bird watching sites waiting.
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Step 5
Print out maps, guides and checklists before birding in New Jersey (see Resources below). New Jersey has a number of the top bird watching spots along in the East Coast.
