On Friday the second, I spent 2 hours working my way through Sourland Mountain Preserve in Hillsborough and Montgomery townships, New Jersey. Above is the view from the top of the hill, not far from marker 5 on the park map.
If you have time to negotiate an approximately 500 foot increase in elevation, I highly recommend the climb. In the sunny, unseasonably warm April weather, I made it to this spot in about 30 minutes.
There are always interesting things to explore at Sourland Mountain. While I'm sure fires are not permitted in the park, some folks built one anyway in this open area.
While I generally have a limited time to spend at the park, I managed to work my way from marker 1 to marker 13, 11 and 12 then up past marker 10 to marker 5, then over to marker 4.
I had never hit this particular area of the park before last Friday. The trail to and from marker 4 is extra rocky, and passes by an interesting boulder pile.
At marker 4 (pictured above), you can feel the preserve sloping down and away from you on all sides.
I admired the early spring growth that was fast appearing on every side as I descended the connecting trail (marked with a "c") back to the parking area.
Plants that bloom in the spring take advantage of the lack of leaf cover to get in as much growth as possible before the larger trees steal their sun. I saw wildflowers appear for the first time this season, coaxed out by the mild weather as I moved along the trail.
While I enjoyed my walk at Sourland Mountain, it was a relatively quite day. I passed many other hikers and many companion canines - I was not quick enough with the camera to capture much wildlife and the heavy use of the trail may have kept most critters at bay.
On Saturday the third, I made the drive to Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge on Pleasant Plains Road in Basking Ridge, NJ. Great Swamp is administered by the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, and contains a great abundance of prime swamp habitat that has remained largely undisturbed since 1960 according to the park website. Since I was a young child, I have visited the Lord Stirling Environmental Center just to the south of the Great Swamp refuge. I even volunteered there during high school. My favorite time of year to visit is the fall, as the summer days can get very hot even in the shade of the trees. Last Saturday the sun beat down without the benefit of leaf cover, and the temperature probably reached the upper 80's.
The plants and animals slowly awake after winter hibernation. The water table is very high here, hence the swamp designation. I slogged through the mud, looking for early risers.
I began my identification of frogs, snakes and turtles at the park brochure on Reptiles, Amphibians and Fishes. The main highlight of my first hour on the trail was the Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon) below. This snake was basking on a log in the middle of large puddle. I was able to approach fairly close without disturbing him in the least - he seems content and secure in his spot in the sun. For another example of this species showing its darker coloration please see the article for the species on Wilkapedia.
On the way back to the parking area, I caught this shot of a Green Frog (Rana clamitans melanota).
If you care to skip the mud, Great Swamp also has an extensive system of boardwalk covered trails, which lead out to strategically placed bird blinds.
It is a beautiful place and wildlife of all kinds is in abundance.
An Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) swims by.
Two Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) have feathered a nest not far from where the trail forms a bridge across a pond.
It seemed that nearly every spot of water was teaming with life that day.
The plants and animals slowly awake after winter hibernation. The water table is very high here, hence the swamp designation. I slogged through the mud, looking for early risers.
I began my identification of frogs, snakes and turtles at the park brochure on Reptiles, Amphibians and Fishes. The main highlight of my first hour on the trail was the Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon) below. This snake was basking on a log in the middle of large puddle. I was able to approach fairly close without disturbing him in the least - he seems content and secure in his spot in the sun. For another example of this species showing its darker coloration please see the article for the species on Wilkapedia.
On the way back to the parking area, I caught this shot of a Green Frog (Rana clamitans melanota).
If you care to skip the mud, Great Swamp also has an extensive system of boardwalk covered trails, which lead out to strategically placed bird blinds.
It is a beautiful place and wildlife of all kinds is in abundance.
An Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) swims by.
Two Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) have feathered a nest not far from where the trail forms a bridge across a pond.
It seemed that nearly every spot of water was teaming with life that day.
I believe this is a Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina), about 14 inches long. This guy was pretty hard to see among the fallen leaves and rocks. I had a lively discussion with some other folks on the trail over whether he (or she) was in fact actually a rock. Luckily the camera captured the classic extra pointed snout of the Snapper.
This is a Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata). A cute little guy at just under 6 inches long.
Before we depart the Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge, I want to mention the abundance of songbirds and waterfowl. I undertake each hike to experience nature as it is on that particular day, not to take pictures - I usually site many more species than I manage to photograph. My camera really isn't powerful enough to capture small birds from too far away anyway. But they are out there in abundance.
This is a Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata). A cute little guy at just under 6 inches long.
Before we depart the Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge, I want to mention the abundance of songbirds and waterfowl. I undertake each hike to experience nature as it is on that particular day, not to take pictures - I usually site many more species than I manage to photograph. My camera really isn't powerful enough to capture small birds from too far away anyway. But they are out there in abundance.
I spend Sunday, April 4th with family. The weather was still fair and mild and we took in some sun in the backyard before the big meal. With fair weather forecasted for next week, a world of flowers heralds the beginning of spring.
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