Scouting Report #1--Borg's Woods Nature Preserve

For such a small woodlot, Borg's Woods in Hackensack/Maywood really seems to pack a punch. I birded there for 3 hours this morning, mostly because I wanted to bird (surprise, surprise!), but also to scout it out for the peak of migration in mid-May. It certainly exceeded my expectations, and it looks like a pretty nice stopover for migrants. This morning the park was overflowing with White-throated Sparrows, but I also found my FOY Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Eastern Towhee. Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumps, and Palm Warbler were also present, in addition to the regulars.

The thing, though, about Borg's is that it is one of the few remnants of old-growth forest in my area. Perhaps that is why it seems so much more bird-friendly than the other second-growth woodlots around my house, which rarely seem to house more than the typical feeder birds. Don't get me wrong, I love chickadees, cardinals, and red-bellies, but the suburban second-growth areas really seem to lack variety. When I entered Borg's Woods, I could already sense that it was different, noticing the wide, tall trees that define it as an old-growth woodland. In fact, it was surprising that such a gem of a woodland could be found in the middle of suburbia. Normally, random woodlots such as Borg's Woods are really nothing to write home about. Anyway, what really stood out in Borg's Woods was a large vernal pool and a surrounding swampy habitat. The pool stands in a clearing, and is surrounded by large, tall trees. Because of the shelter the habitat offers, and the abundant water and insects there, that area of the woodlot might be a good, albeit small, stopover for some migrants. I even thought I heard a black-throated blue warbler there this morning, but it was probably just my imagination. Today, I could tell that there was more bird activity around the vernal pool than anywhere else in the preserve, so that gave me some encouragement about its prospects as a migrant "trap" of sorts. Well, anyway, the park itself is beautiful and well-maintained, with a few nice trails (albeit unmarked). Borg's Woods is certainly a gem among Bergen County woodlots, and I hope to be back many more times.