Barclay Farmstead - Cherry Hill, NJ
N 39° 54.294 W 074° 59.815
18S E 500263 N 4417202
Barclay Farmstead, beside being an NRHP site is also a fabulous place for nature, especially if you're into bird watching. Approved by the N.J. Birding & Wildlife Trails, National Recreation Trails & N.J. Audubon, this beautiful oasis is a must see.
Waymark Code: WMHVWN
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 08/17/2013
Views: 3
We walked deep into the forest to look for birds. We heard plenty of bird song but our feathered friends eluded us. We went back to the edge of the property along the creek and we hit the jackpot. We saw four different specifies of bird, camera shy and jittery, we managed a few shots. We could only identify the typical robin and cardinal which we didn't bother with but we saw all sorts of other interesting birds. The posted coordinates are for where we saw the most birds along the creek and in front of the playground.
The network of three trails winds through different natural habitats including wetlands, riparian, pond and mature forest. Wetland and riparian habitats are important habitat types in short supply in the state of New Jersey as highlighted by the state’s Wildlife Action Plan. The New Jersey Audubon selected the Barclay Farm area as one of the stops on their state-wide Birding and Wildlife Viewing Trails. Signs indicating this recognition are posted at Barclay Farm trailheads. SOURCE
Scan the meadows and wetlands around the farmhouse for Swamp, Song, Field, White-throated and Savannah Sparrows. Mixed flocks of Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds and Starlings feed in the garden plots. Watch for gray squirrels and cottontail rabbits.
Migrant songbirds include Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, Indigo Bunting and a variety of vireos and warblers. Flowering dogwood and black cherry bloom in the meadow. Red maple, sweet gum, box elder and river birch blossom in the woods. Spring peepers call in the wetlands. Spring beauty and trout lily are among wildflowers.
Carolina and House Wrens chatter noisily as they defend their nestlings. Look for painted turtles, green frogs and bull frogs around the pond and tadpoles near the water's surface. The orange flowers of jewelweed adorn the edge of the marsh. Cinnamon fern and Lycopodia cover the lowland forest floor. Raccoons and opossums are active at dusk. Butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies, katydids, moths and a variety of other insects thrive in the meadows and gardens.
Goldenrods and Asters bloom in the meadows and butterflies are still plentiful through October. Scan woodland edges for Cedar Waxwing, Goldfinch, and Rufous-sided Towhee, among other fall migrants. Woodchucks, chipmunks and gray squirrels gather seeds and nuts. Check the pond for Mallard and the occasional Great Blue Heron. Barclay Farmstead hosts an Annual Living History Day in October. SOURCE