I made on of my usual trips to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm this morning, and in the afternoon I decided to try a place I had not yet visited. About five miles from my home and just off Interstate 295 near the Pennington-Ewing border is the Heritage Preserve.
It’s a 66-acre tract of former farmland that the Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space acquired in 2008. It features a trail of about one mile and three quarters that loops through deciduous forest.
The trail is wide, grass-covered at first and thick with tree roots once you enter the woods. Preserve planners installed double and triple plank crossings over the many wet spots that were evident today after yesterday’s heavy rain.
Informational signs on the preserve’s history, trees, deer, wildflowers, etc. are posted along the trail, which is easy to follow with plenty of white blazes on trees.
So what about birds? I arrived a little after 3 p.m., not expecting to see many. I was surprised to spot decent activity early in my walk. A turkey vulture flew overhead, blue jays squawked and swamp and probably other sparrows flitted about. I also got a yellow-rumped warbler on camera.
I didn’t see many birds as I got deeper into the trail, but I spotted a Northern flicker (shown at top of post) high up in a tree on my way back to the car, the only one parked in the lot off Reed Road.
The preserve website says there’s space for five or six vehicles. I guess that’s possible, but it would be tight.
I had limited time and did only a half-mile out and back. I’m hankering to return at a time when more birds are about. I also think this would be a great place to take kids. 🦅