Birdwatching & Hiking

Birds of the Cohansey River Watershed

As a result of the ban on DDT, the Cohansey Watershed eagle population has rebounded from near extinction.

The lands that buffer and border the Cohansey River are home to the largest nesting population of bald eagles in New Jersey. According to the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, there are 12 pairs of nesting bald eagles that reside in the Cohansey River Watershed. Not counting the Eagle on post 4Delaware  River, this makes the Cohansey River home to the most nesting pairs of bald eagles in the entire state of New Jersey. Furthermore, on Conserve Wildlife’s midwinter eagle count, a total of 30 bald eagles were counted in the Cohansey River Watershed.

The river corridor and adjoining uplands also support breeding pairs of state-threatened Osprey, Cohansey R-42state-special concern Cooper’s hawk, Northern harrier and large numbers of waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds and songbirds. Other rare species include Black-billed Cuckoo, Bobolink, Merlin, Yellow-crowned night heron, Sandhill crane, Bobwhite quail, Northern pine snake, Southern gray tree frog, and Northern diamondback terrapin.

Egrets 004The New Jersey and National Audubon Societies have designated the Cohansey River Corridor as one of New Jersey’s Important Bird and Birding Areas.  The program is an offshoot of a worldwide initiative, begun by Birdlife International, to identify and protect outstanding habitat for birds.

Hiking Trails

The 1100 acre Bridgeton City Park offers hiking trails through a variety of woodland ecosystems.

Visit the Green Swamp Nature Area, part of the 930-acre Cohansey River Wetland Restoration Site. Public Service Entreprise Group (PSEG) purchased the land in 1994 in order to restore tidal marsh by successfully reducing the non-native, invasive weed, Phragmites. Come out and enjoy  a short nature trail that transects an open field, woodland, salt marsh, and freshwater wetland where you can see a variety of wildlife. Enjoy also the outdoor classroom, boat ramp, boardwalk, and New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route Site.

More coming soon!