Hosting the arctic at our home: looking for winter birds in New Jersey

Join us for an exciting morning at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (Brigantine Section), in Galloway, NJ, when our Field Trip Leader, Professor Claus Holzapfel, Plant Ecologist, Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Ecology & Evolution section, Rutgers University Newark Campus, will guide us in spotting winter birds in New Jersey waterways. Professor Holzapfel will talk with Rutgers Alumni and their guests about identification, photography and scoping techniques as well as pointing out specific areas of interest when birding along the 8-mile drive loop at the refuge.

In January and February there is generally limited wildlife visibility. However, sightings of black ducks, snow geese, Atlantic brant, diving ducks, raptors (perhaps a bald eagle) and snowy owls are anticipated. The trip is weather dependent as cold weather may freeze refuge waterways, forcing waterfowl southward to find open water. The faculty led field trip on January 22, 2022, will focus on the eight-mile drive via autos which is a (13 km) long trail over dams and will include stops at points of interest for photography and scopes and information about the various features.