A look at High Point State Park and Stokes State Forest.
Clay-colored sparrow WHAT WE'VE SPOTTED
* Red-necked phalarope, Cape May
* Red-headed woodpecker, Kingwood
* White ibis, Tuckerton
* Alder flycatcher, Old Mine Road, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
* Clay-colored sparrow, Merrill Creek reservoir
This week, we're continuing a theme -- the places to be for great birding this month in the Garden State.
These spots are, for the most part, in northwest New Jersey. They include Old Mine Road, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area; Stokes State Forest; High Point State Park; the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge; and Newark's Pequannock Watershed.
We last discussed Old Mine Road, the best birding road in the state for nesting passerines. Today, we will cover High Point State Park and Stokes State Forest.
High Point State Park, as its name suggests, has the highest elevation in the state -- at about 1,800 feet. Two main roads traverse the park, Park Ridge Road and Steam Mill Road, both with great birding along the way. The park can be easily accessed from Route 23.
The elevated habitat of High Point State Park is attractive to the many neotropic migrants that choose to nest there. Almost 20 species of warblers nest within the park boundaries, including cerulean warbler, the most declining in population in America; the hooded, blackburnian, black-throated green and chestnut-sided warblers; and the Louisiana waterthrush.
Not all warblers have the word "warbler" in their name, such as the Louisiana waterthrust. These include the American redstart, ovenbird, northern waterthrush, common yellowthroat, northern parula and yellow-breasted chat. Almost of all of these warblers have nested within this great park's boundaries over the years.
High Point State Park is also home to the state's first nesting colony of yellow-bellied sapsuckers, an attractive woodpecker that was discovered here about 20 years ago. America's most glorious avian songster, the hermit thrush, is a nester here. If you want to hear it sing, you must get to the park very early since these birds usually end their performance well before 7 a.m.
Stokes State Forest, also located in Sussex County, is a great location to check out, too. The forest, bordering High Point State Park to the south, is easily accessed from Route 202.
Its Steam Mill Trail offers an opportunity to see two of the state's most sparse nesting warblers, the black-throated blue warbler and the Canada warbler, as well as many additional passerines.
The forest's road to Sunrise Mountain can be great for nesting birds. This is one of the few remaining locations in the state at which you have a reasonable chance of seeing a ruffed grouse -- and the spectacular view from the top of the mountain is worth the trip.
Both the forest and the park offer ample camping facilities.
This column is compiled and written by Pete Bacinski, longtime New Jersey birder and retired NJ Audubon All Things Birds program director. Questions or comments should be directed to him by emailing petebacinski@comcast.net.
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