By Sandra Keller

Clayton/Glassboro Woods Wildlife Management Area (WMA), known to birders simply as Glassboro Wood, is a 2,337 acre tract of oak-pine forest, deciduous swamps, and the occasional cleared field. The area is bisected by a power line cut, five dirt roads, and two gas line right-of-ways. The Red Maple and Sweet Gum dominated swamps are the key stops here for birders in the spring. The place is best described as a “birding by ear” destination and I won’t minimize the necessity of knowing the bird songs and some calls for getting the most out of a birding trip here. Even so, beginners should be encouraged to try the area. At only 30 minutes from center city Philadelphia, the area a prime destination for Delaware Valley birders in the spring. On the downside it is loaded with ticks, so stay on the roads and wider trails if this is an area of concern.

Directions:
Glassboro Woods is located between Route 47, Fries Mill Road, and Route 322 in the towns of Glassboro and Clayton in Gloucester County, New Jersey. Detailed information can be found in the DeLorme Atlas - page 62, grid C9 and vicinity. There are numerous ways to get to the site, so I’ll just give directions here from Route 55. Take Route 322 east from Route 55 and head south on Route 47. This will get you started with some of the access points like Lincoln Avenue which is 7/10 of a mile south of the intersection of Routes 322 and 47. Boyle shows the road on his map – page 370 – but he doesn’t have it labeled and there is currently no street sign posted. Carpenter is another one mile further south of here and it also is currently not marked with a street sign. The “Road to Nowhere” is the name I have given a dead-end dirt road that comes in off of Carpenter and ends at a turn-around a little over a mile later. The road is approximately ¼ of a mile from where Carpenter comes in off of Route 47. An open area near here along Carpenter that I refer to in the “birding section” is 6/10 of a mile in from Route 47. The burned area is 1.3 miles in from Route 47. Another open wet area that I discuss along Moore is 4/10 of a mile north from Carpenter. The Carpenter Rd. entrance along Fries Mill Rd. is 1.4 miles south of Route 322.

Logistics:
Glassboro Woods has no bathroom facilities, but numerous fast food restaurants and convenience stores line both Routes 47 and 322. I like to stop at the Wawa on Route 47 north of 322 if needed before starting my birding here. Remember to bring insect repellant and a light jacket as dawn here is quite cool. The day usually warms up after most birders have gone on.

References:
A Guide to Bird Finding in New Jersey, William Boyle, Rutgers University Press, 2002. Pages 318 to 322.

Photography Opportunities:
Photography can be challenging here because of the dense foliage, but patience will sometimes reward one with a shot of a singing warbler or such.

Spring Birding:
Here are my favorite routes for three different times of spring.

April:
From April 26 to April 30 is a prime time to see Louisiana Waterthrush and Prothonotary Warbler since foliage on most trees is still sparse. Pine Warbler, one of our earliest nesting warblers, tends to get quieter come May, so now is the best time to see and hear them. Ruby-crowed Kinglet and Hermit Thrush numbers peak from mid to late April. Barred and, to a lesser extent, Great-horned Owl can be heard calling before dawn. April is the time to watch for migrating Broad-winged Hawks and to watch for the pair or two that nest in the WMA.

Arriving one hour before dawn and listening along the wetter areas on the “Road to Nowhere” might reward the early birder with a calling Barred Owl. Head to the turn-around at the end of the “Road to Nowhere” for Great Horned Owl which nests in the vicinity and may still be feeding young.. At dawn, head back to the wet areas along Lincoln Avenue. This is where it I find it easiest to see Prothonotary Warbler and Louisiana Waterthrush. Hermit Thrushes can be anywhere in Glassboro Woods, but the area at the east end of Lincoln Ave. has always proved productive for me. If it is a good migrant day, say a cold front comes through after a couple days of southwest winds, the sunny western edges of the fields are sheltered from the wind and can be productive. Early warblers such as Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Northern Parula and American Redstart can be found here.

Continuing on with this route, turn right and head south on Moore at the end of Lincoln. Moore cuts through upland Pitch Pine areas and is good for Pine Warbler. The power line cut is ideal for Indigo Bunting and as you continue south, you come to another open wet area that is very good for seeing Hooded Warbler. Two pairs have nested in the vicinity and viewing is more open here. This is generally good for migrants if they are around.

Keep heading straight to the intersection with Carpenter and turn left (east). Drive until you come to a burned area on your right and find a safe place to park. This area can be very good for Eastern Bluebirds, nesting woodpeckers, Indigo Bunting, Blue-winged and Prairie Warblers and Yellow-breasted Chat.

For the next stop, turn around and head back west on Carpenter, pass Moore, and you’ll come to another wet, somewhat open area that is my favorite for seeing Prothonotary. Up to three pairs have nested in this vicinity and I theorize that because so many territories are so close together, maybe the males feel the urge to sing more often and from higher perches which is what seems to occur in this area. This stretch of wet habitat is my least favorite for seeing Louisiana Waterthrush because the undergrowth is extremely dense.

May:
Mid May has the most diversity of singing breeders and migrant passerines and seems to be the best time for seeing Kentucky Warbler as well. Foliage is usually fully leafed out so tracking the birds down for a look is a bit tougher. It is very helpful to know those songs and call notes at this time of the year! Insects are not too bad yet, but can be a problem very early in the morning on calm days.

May 10, 2002 was one of those fallout days that birders dream of and I personally had: 4 Blue-wingeds, 4 Nashvilles, 19 Parulas, 5 Yellows, 3 Chestnut-sideds, 11 Magnolias, 13 Black-throated Blues, 10 Yellow-rumps, 22 Black-throated Greens, 2 Blackburnians, 9 Pines, 1 Prairie, 1 Bay-breasted, 30 Black and Whites, 32 Redstarts, 3 Prothonotarys, 15 Worm-eating Warblers, 35 Ovenbirds, 2 Northern Waterthrushs, 2 Louisiana Waterthrushs, 3 Kentuckys, 4 Common Yellowthroats and 14 Hooded Warblers. Numbers like that are extremely unusual, but good migrant conditions for south Jersey should lead to a 20 warbler species day. Least Flycatcher is annual for me in the WMA, but is not predictable as to an area.

My favorite route for migrants and the Kentucky is as follows. Start at the east end of Carpenter – off of Fries Mill Rd. Listen for migrants as you slowly drive along, stopping if you hear any and work the feeding flock. Stop again at the 90 degree turn to the right about ½ of a mile in. This open area is one of my best if migrants are around. Continue along Carpenter when done here and stop when you hear migrants. At the big burned area on the south side of Carpenter, stop again and walk the trail. The dirt road at the west end of this burned area is probably my most reliable spot lately for Black-billed Cuckoo. Continue driving and stop at the more open wet area described under April’s account. Turn left onto the “Road to Nowhere” and stop to bird the gas line cut. Continue on and stop a few times to listen for Kentucky. Some effort will be needed to see it but this is the spot! The breeding territories of the four pairs that traditionally nest in the area are usually along here and seem to cover both sides of the road. The males fly back and forth, perching in different areas where they usually sing for a few minutes. Watch for the general area where the birds are perching and then keep scanning for better looks at the birds.

Early morning is a must for migrant thrushes since they seem to stop singing shortly after dawn. I have seen all the migrant thrushes throughout the WMA, but Lincoln Avenue seems to be the best for some reason. Listen for them and just keep watching along the road edges, a short distance into the wooded areas and along the field edges.

June:
I often have the breeders even at the end of June. Mourning Warbler has occurred here during the first week of June, but it is extremely rare and so there is no one spot to find the bird. If you visit at dusk from early to mid June you might hear Whip-Poor-Will in the drier areas of the WMA. Late migrants like Canada and Magnolia Warblers can still be found in the first week of June.

I have no route suggestions for June except to just hit areas for whatever species has eluded you the previous two months. Time starts becoming an issue for me as I find it usually takes much longer to see the birds come June.

Spring is the prime time at Glassboro Woods, but here are some suggestions for other seasons.

Summer:
Birding opportunities are limited at this time of year. The birds are still around, fledged young are moving about, but the dense foliage, lack of singing, and multitudes of insects make birding difficult to say the least. Try a visit at dusk in late summer for Common Nighthawks. It is a rare species here but can sometimes be heard and seen.

Fall:
Never as good as areas along the Atlantic coast, Bay Shore region, or the Delaware River, but Glassboro Woods can have some variety in the fall. Be careful of hunting! I would recommend a weekday or a Sunday in the fall. Sunny edges out of the wind are the best. Find the fruiting trees.

Winter:
Wintering species include both Kinglets, Hermit Thrush, Winter Wren, Brown Creeper, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and several common species of sparrows. I never have large numbers of birds but if I am spending a few hours here on a winter morning, I prefer the Cedar Swamp areas. For sparrows, the brushy areas along the “Road to Nowhere” and Carpenter Road in the proximity of the “Road to Nowhere” are the most productive areas. The fields themselves do not seem to attract the sparrows, probably because there are no brushy edges around them.

I keep a bird list for Glassboro Woods and ask fellow birders to submit any unusual sightings to me. Species like Blue Grosbeak, Yellow-breasted Chat. Golden-winged Warbler, Connecticut Warbler and Summer Tanager are of special interest to me. My current list for the area is 158 species. This article concentrates on spring warblers, but many other species occur here regularly. Overall, a visit to Glassboro Woods provides for a good morning out in the field.