My buddy Jim and I drove through the fog down to the Michael Huber Prairie Warbler Reserve in the Pine Barrens this morning. Although we did spot a few prairie warblers, they weren’t the day’s highlight.
Jim has been to the Huber reserve many times, but this was my first visit to the sprawling stretch of pines at Vincentown, New Jersey, roughly 25 miles both south of Trenton and east of Philadelphia.
The reserve has multiple hard-packed sand trails through the tall pines. We started hearing birds the moment we stepped out of the car. I was keen to see a black-and-white warbler — a bird that has surprisingly eluded me over the last year — and hoped to catch a hooded warbler, which would be a lifer.
As the fog lifted and the sun came out, we saw more and more birds, starting with white-eyed vireos that popped in and out of tree branches just off the trail. We heard and finally saw black-and-white warblers, plus a blue-winged warbler.
Other birders have been reporting prothonotary warblers nesting at a bridge over a creek, and Jim said the spot is a great place to stand and wait for birds to appear.
He was right. As we approached the red gate on one side of the small bridge, I got a partial look at a hooded warbler through the branches. Jim and I spent quite a bit of time on and near the bridge, hearing an Acadian flycatcher, seeing a phoebe and more white-eyed vireos. To our great surprise, a barred owl — a first for me — started calling from the woods. We didn’t find it, but I was pleased to add it to my life list.
We never saw a prothonotary warbler, but Jim pointed out an egg nestled in a wood post on the bridge.
A hooded warbler eventually came by into trees just off the bridge, and I was able to get the bird firmly in focus. With its black cowl and vivid yellow body, it is truly a beautiful bird. I’ve made it the main image for this post.
No doubt excited by the hooded warbler, I accidentally closed file on my e-Bird checklist. I started a second one for our return to the car, and we heard more birds on the way: pine warblers, a couple of scarlet tanagers and more ovenbirds than you can shake a stick at.
Our last thrill came as we approached the turnout where our car was parked at the trailhead. I spotted a bird ahead on a branch at eye level and pulled up my binoculars. Female goldfich? No! A birder who had just arrived and was a few yards ahead of us had her bins on the bird and cried out, “Yellow-throated vireo!”
There were two of the vireos, it turned out. I had trouble focusing on them as they hopped to and fro among the dark pines. But one flew almost directly overhead, and I was able to get a few sharp shots of it munching on a bug.
Jim and I had figured on having a good day at the Huber reserve, and we were not disappointed. I look forward to returning. 🦅
The Jersey Birder 
Congrats on the lifers! And what great biodiversity!
Barrens are such unusual northeastern habitats and often an engine for biodiversity. I checked eBird to see if Whip-poor-wills (who are drawn to barrens) are reported at this location and indeed they are.
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Thanks, Jared. I hope to go back some evening catch the whip-poor-wills, a bird I’ve heard only once, and that was a long time ago while camping in Nebraska.
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