Best birdwatching spot in Western New Jersey

Western New Jersey is something of an avian paradise. This stretch of the coastal state attracts brilliantly colored migrating birds from across the Americas every year. With varied environments drawing flocks representing a range of species, it’s a veritable birdwatcher’s paradise.

Identify rare species and find out the best birdwatching spots in Western New Jersey with our essential guide.

Old Mine Road 

Birders familiar with New Jersey may suggest heading to Cape May, located at the southern tip of the state, as it’s a better-known spot to see a variety of birds flying north in the spring or south in the fall. But the lesser-known Old Mine Road is where you should really go to see the birds that breed in New Jersey and sing nonstop to defend their territories.

Flycatchers, warbles and redstarts can be spotting flitting to and fro here, and lucky spotters might even catch a glimpse of a soaring Bald Eagle.

Old Mine Road’s southern end starts in Worthington State Forest, a few miles from the state's section of the Appalachian Trail and runs into the adjacent Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. If you enjoy hiking, boating and beaches, the area offers plenty of things to do in addition to birdwatching. The trails include some with steep inclines and one that connects to the Appalachian Trail, while the Delaware River is great for canoes and tubes.

When to spot birds in Western New Jersey

Starting in late April, the birds that wintered in South America fly north, and the area turns into a bird paradise as one of the prime breeding areas along the eastern flyway. Male passerines – or perching songbirds – flock en masse to unpopulated, higher elevations to breed. Once they pick their territory and attract a mate, they sing nearly nonstop to alert other males that the space is taken.

The result of so many different types of breeding birds congregating in one area is a cacophony of song that can be overwhelming. The challenge is to ignore the birdsong you know and focus on each individual song to figure out what other birds are in the area. For ‘birders’, this game never gets old.

Whether you birdwatch from the comfort of your car or while hiking on or off the road, you can easily see and hear more than 50 bird species, including birds you won't see or hear in your neighborhood park.

What makes Old Mine Road New Jersey’s best birdwatching spot?

Located in the Kittatinny Mountains, this quiet corner of the world is to be found down an unassuming dirt road. You’ll know you’re heading the right way as the birdsong intensifies.

Be sure to listen to the Baltimore orioles, wood thrushes, cedar waxwings, ovenbirds and yellow-throated vireos, which all breed in this area.

Old Mine Road was built by the Dutch around 1650 to connect what became the town of Kingston, New York, on the Hudson River, with the Pahaquarry copper mines a little over 100 miles away, but you'll see few signs of that now. A plan to build a dam in the late 1960s prompted the federal government to take over the land and clear out the homeowners. The dam was never built, and the only things in the area now are the birds, insects and the occasional bear, snapping turtle and raccoon.
 

So Many Birds, So Little Time

The sheer number of birds also makes the area unique. You won't hear just one yellow-throated vireo, more like a dozen or more. You may see an assortment of shorebirds or hear the four Empidonax flycatchers that look alike and are best identified by their song: Acadian, least, willow and alder. The skulking Kentucky warbler and the near-endangered golden-winged warbler may pop in for a visit, too. Expect the unexpected.

If there is a prize sought by birdwatchers, it's the cerulean warbler, which spends its time in the highest parts of the tallest deciduous trees. The male is sky blue, the female is yellow-green.

It’s estimated that there are at least 20 pairs of these warblers breeding along Old Mine Road, which is extraordinary because the cerulean has been in steep decline throughout its U.S. range in recent years. Getting a look at one is a big deal in the birding world, and that’s more likely to happen along Old Mine Road than almost anywhere else.

If you want to add as many birds as possible to your birding list while enjoying challenging hikes, lazy canoe rides and relaxing drives through the woods, visit northwest New Jersey.

Rent a car in New Jersey with Hertz and start your birdwatching adventure today. For more tips check out the Hertz blog.