25 Nature Spectacles in New Jersey
Join Joanna Burger and Michael Gochfeld as they guide readers to New Jersey’s most marvelous natural spectacles. From mating horseshoe crabs in the Delaware Bay to goldenclub and orchids at Web’s Mill Bog, the authors show us Garden State nature at its best.
While New Jersey boasts far more than 25 nature spectacles, the authors have selected those that are the most dramatic, predictable, and characteristic of the state so readers can easily enjoy them over and over again. Being in the right place at the right time makes all the difference, so the guidebook is organized by season to ensure the best viewing.
Each chapter begins with a photo and a brief description of the spectacle. A listing of key locations, directions, and the best time to visit follows. A prime habitat section provides a brief characterization of the appropriate surroundings to look for the plant or animal spectacle. The description provides ambiance, natural and life history information allowing readers to enjoy fully what they are observing. A final section lists an agency or organization where more information can be found.
The book contains maps as well as a calendar of recommended events, including the Lambertville Shad Festival and the Barnegat Bay Duck Decoy Festival. The authors also list a number of other spectacles that while they didn’t make the top 25 list, but are well-worth checking out—including a tongue-in-cheek look at what may be New Jersey’s best-known wildlife, humans at the shopping mall.
This book grows from the authors’ quarter century of exploring the state’s estuaries, bays, fields, and forests, observing and enjoying its natural habitats. They’ve written the perfect guidebook for everyone, whether you are ready to head off to the great outdoors or prefer to read about nature from the comfort of your armchair.
New Jersey is a natural history treasure trove; this book is your treasure map.
List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter of Events
Maps
SPRING
1 Chorusing Frogs in the Spring
2 Shad Run on the Delaware River
3 Glass Eels (American Eels) at Cheesquake
4 Spawning Horseshoe Crabs on Delaware Bay
5 Migrant Shorebirds at Delaware Bay
6 Mountain Laurel
SUMMER
7 Nesting Herons at Avalon
8 Laughing Gulls at Stone Harbor
9 Nesting Least Terns and Black Skimmers
10 Fiddler Crabs at Low Tide
11 Butterflies in Gardens
12 Grass Pink and Other Orchids at Webb's Mill
13 American Lotus at Mannington Marsh
14 Coalescing Terns and Skimmers at Hereford Inlet
FALL
15 Migrating Monarchs at Cape May
16 Migrant Hawks on the Inland Ridges
17 Migrant Hawks at Cape May
18 Migrant Songbirds at Cape May
19 Cranberries in the Pine Barrens
20 Bats at Hibernia Mine
WINTER
21 Dwarf Pine Plains
22 Migrant Snow Geese at Brigantine
23 Wintering Gulls in Coastal New Jersey
24 Brant and Other Waterfowl on the North Shore
25 Swans at Whites Bog and Coastal Lakes
26 Other Spectacles
Epilogue: People at the Mall
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Selected References
Subject Index
Taxonomic Index
