Issue #15 

Spring 2007

The Basin Bulletin

Newsletter for Stakeholders of the Raritan River Basin

Prepared on behalf of the Raritan Basin Watershed Alliance

MIDDLESEX COUNTY: New Report Catalogs Local 308 Bird Species

Edison Wetlands Association has released a report on "The Birds of Middlesex County," the first time a full inventory of bird species has been compiled for this area. The association's report finds that 308 species of birds have been sighted in Middlesex County, including a number of rarities that are usually more at home in tropical regions hundreds or even thousands of miles from New Jersey. 

"Middlesex County has an incredible range of birds in a very small area -- everything from bald eagles and peregrine falcons to pileated woodpeckers and ruby-throated hummingbirds," said association Director of Operations David Wheeler, who produced the report with assistance from Angela Gorczyca and Diana Morgan. "For the first time, there is a single source allowing birders and everyone interested in nature to findout what's right in their backyard."

The association's report notes a number of locations throughout Middlesex County, fromSouth Amboy's Raritan Bayfront and the Dismal Swamp Conservation Area in South Plainfield and Edison, to the Plainsboro Preserve and Cheesequake State Park in Old Bridge.

The report is available at www.edisonwetlands.org, or by calling (732) 287-5111.

In compiling the report, the association relied on previous local counts, as well as feedback from birding enthusiasts throughout the state.

STAFF REPORT - From the Courier News website www.c-n.com  Monday April 30, 2007