Oberly Road, Alpha Borough and Pohatcong Township, NJ
Phone: (609) 984-0547(NJDEP)
www.njfishandwildlife.org/wmas.htm
www.proriverview.org
NJ Department of Environmental Protection; Phillipsburg Riverview Organization
Turn Left out of driveway onto Fox Farm Road. Follow this to the stop sign and turn Left onto CR 519 South/Uniontown Road. Proceed 2.7 miles and turn Left onto U.S. Route 22 following signs for CR 519 truck route. Proceed 0.8 miles and turn Right at stop sign onto U.S. Route 122 following signs for CR 519 truck route. After 0.9 miles turn Left onto CR 519 South, while still following signs for CR 519 truck route. Continue 1.7 miles passing under I-78 and take the first Right onto CR 635/Snyders Road. After 1.3 miles turn Right onto Oberly Road. Map
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| Bobolink | Lloyd Spitalnik |
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| | No matter the season, Oberly Road will not disappoint the beginner or experienced birder. In spring and summer the fallow and cultivated fields are the best place in the Skylands to see declining, threatened and endangered grassland birds. In fall, it is a productive site for migrating sparrows, warblers, pipits and hawks. The winter months bring visiting larks, buntings, longspurs, Northern Harrier and owls.
The cold months are the peak time of year for Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, Rough-legged and Red-tailed Hawks, Horned Lark and uncommon visitors such as Snow Bunting, Dickcissal and Lapland Longspur. On cloudy gray days and at dusk, Short-eared Owls are often present. The flight of this crepuscular owl is described as moth-like. Bald Eagle is occasionally seen wandering over the countryside from roosting spots on the nearby Delaware River and Merrill Creek Reservoir, and numbers of Snow Geese are usually present in late fall and early winter, gleaning corn and other seeds from the fields.
Breeding grassland birds return. Look and listen for the territorial American Kestrel, Horned Lark, Eastern Meadowlark, Field Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, Grasshopper Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow and Savannah Sparrow. Migrant American Pipits and large flocks of Bobolinks are often present in high numbers in May. Each of these species has a distinctive call. Pipit is named for its sharp “pipit” sound and nothing compares to the bubbling, gurgling ecstatic song of the Bobolink. Have a field day with the sparrows; many migrants can be found such as White-crowned, White-throated, Swamp, Tree, Fox and Chipping Sparrows.
Grassland birds continue singing into mid-July. Look for fledgling birds being fed by adults. Some species will even have second broods. American Goldfinch is in peak plumage in summer. An easy bird for even the most novice birders to learn; it will be the only bright yellow bird with black wings flitting about. Males have the addition of a black cap.
Early in September, look for the American Kestrel flight, which peaks in mid- to late-month. Most people think of raptors feeding on mammals or rodents, but kestrels are fond of grasshoppers, which makes for an entertaining show as they swoop about a field after these insects. Merlin are sometimes found with the kestrels. Because Scotts Mountain, a major hawk migration site, is nearby to the north, Pohatcong/Alpha Grasslands is a great place for big flights of southbound Broad-winged Hawk in mid-September and other hawk species from September through mid-November. Keep an eye out for Bald Eagle from the nearby Delaware River. Snow Geese usually return to the area in early November.
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