For some of the best birding in South Jersey, I recommend a gem in the heart of the Pinelands. Franklin Parker Preserve, a New Jersey Conservation Foundation property, encompasses over 10,000 acres. You can spend hours in pitch pine forests, blueberry fields, and former cranberry bogs. The preserve also houses a cedar swamp, shallow lakes, and pristine tributaries of the West Branch of the Wading River.
According to New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Franklin Parker Preserve is “home to several animals that are considered endangered species in New Jersey, including the bobcat and bald eagle. Several New Jersey threatened species can be found in the preserve, including the Barred Owl, Northern Pine Snake and Pine Barrens Tree Frog. Twenty-nine rare plant species have also been discovered in the Preserve, including Pine Barrens Gentian, Bog Asphodel, Curly Grass Fern, Yellow-fringed Orchid, Little Ladies’-tresses Orchid and Pencil Flower.”
See more photos on Flickr.
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