34 Merrill Creek Road, Washington, NJ
Phone: (908) 454-1213
www.merrillcreek.com
Merrill Creek Owners Group
Turn Left onto CR 647 West/Harmony-Brass Castle Road and after 2.3 miles turn Left onto Montana Road. Follow the signs for Merrill Creek. At a fork in the road, stay Right onto Allens Mills Road. Proceed 1.6 miles and turn Left onto Richline Road. After 0.3 miles turn Right onto Merrill Creek Road. Proceed 0.3 miles and turn Right into Merrill Creek Reservoir at the sign. Turn Right into the parking area after 0.3 miles.
To reach the hawk watch, exit the Merrill Creek parking lot to the Left. After 0.3 miles turn Left at the stop sign onto Merrill Creek Road. After 0.3 miles turn Left at the stop sign onto Richline Road. Proceed 0.3 miles and turn Left at the stop sign onto Fox Farm Road. After 1.5 miles turn Left into driveway for Inlet/Outlet Tower and hawk watch area. Map
The visitor center is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Trails are open daily from dawn to dusk.
Make sure to call the center or visit Merrill Creek’s website for major holiday closings, boating and fishing schedules, public and environmental education programs and trail maps, along with other permitted or prohibited activities. Indoor restrooms are available at the visitor center and outdoor facilities are available at the boat ramp and Inlet/Outlet Tower parking areas. Much of the property is open to hunting, so check with the main office regarding specifics, and also visit the state’s website for hunting details: www.njfishandwildlife.org.
The observation area accessed from the Overlook Parking lot is a must from December through early March for seeing Snow Geese on the water. When they take off it is like watching a choreographed display as the flocks move as one. Quite possibly in that mass of waterfowl is an elusive and rare Ross’s Goose.
Take the time to walk through the visitor center to view the natural history displays, hands-on activities and information boards. Pick up brochures and speak with the resident naturalists about the latest sightings and environmental education opportunities.
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| Trail at Merrill Creek | Jane Bullis |
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| | This privately-owned 650-acre reservoir, located on top of Scott’s Mountain in Harmony Township, offers a variety of year-round activities. The reservoir stores water for release to the Delaware River during periods of low flow or drought, and is surrounded by a 290-acre preserve and an additional 2,000 acres of woodlands and fields. This is a “must stop” birding location throughout the year. Make sure to stop in at the visitor center or visit Merrill Creek’s website for a bird checklist and a map of the seven hiking trails, which cover eleven miles and traverse many diverse habitats.
Scott’s Mountain Hawk Watch is held daily September 1 through November 30 at the Inlet/Outlet Tower parking lot. The daily counts are reported to the Hawk Migration Association of North America and HawkCount.org. Mid-September can bring great flights of Broad-winged Hawk; as many as 10,000-plus have been recorded in one day. October usually produces a variety of migrants passing through, while November may offer up some rarities. From here it is possible to see resident Bald Eagle and possibly the nest, depending upon the time of year.
During the winter months spectacular flights of Snow Geese numbering in the tens of thousands visit the reservoir on a daily basis. Most winters produce a great variety of waterfowl, including Tundra Swan, Redhead and Canvasback, or a rare White-fronted Goose. Search around the feeders at the visitor center for White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco and winter finches and the wildlife observation blinds for a glimpse of red fox. In the late winter months, stay until dark and listen for the “hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo” call of the Great Horned Owl.
Early spring is the time for both songbird and waterfowl migration at the reservoir. Use the perimeter trail to scan the water for everything from Common Loon to grebes to Wood Duck. During late spring, visit the woods behind the visitor center for migrating warblers; Palm, Yellow-rumped, Black-and-white and Northern Parula may be passing through, and some of these species stay to breed.
Birding behind the center in the small garden for Ruby-throated Hummingbird can be rewarding. Look out for fierce territorial quarrels between the feisty, diminutive males. Then move to the meadow to observe American Goldfinch, Field Sparrow and several other species. Eastern Bluebirds, which are cavity-nesters, breed in abundance in the nest boxes located throughout the property. Placement of boxes has helped slow the decline of this attractive species. Once in the woods, follow the calls of Ovenbird, White-breasted Nuthatch, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
During the fall, focus on the year-round residents of the park, and listen for some of the woodpeckers, such as the Pileated and Red-bellied. Seek out the evergreens for an early returning Red-breasted Nuthatch, and try to spot some of the fall warblers. Don’t forget to stop at the hawk watch for hawk migration. Cooper’s, Sharp-shinned, Broad-winged, Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks, American Kestrel and Peregrine Falcon are all possibilities. Also look for migrating waterfowl such as Atlantic Brant, Lesser Scaup, Common Loon, Long-tailed Duck and all three species of scoters, Surf, White-winged and Black.
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