Commercial Township Wetlands Restoration Site, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
PSEG Estuary Enhancement Program - PSEG
Commercial Township Site - PSEG

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 39.24011, -75.04444

TRAIL MAP:
Commercial Township Site Public Use Map - PSEG

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HIKE DISTANCE:
Commercial Township Wetlands Restoration Site - 4 miles
     hiked together with (19 mile drive)
Cohansey River Watershed Wetland Restoration Site - 1 mile
     hiked together with (27 mile drive)
Alloway Creek Watershed Wetland Restoration Site - 1.5 miles

THE HIKE:

Seconds after getting out of a car an immature bald eagle flew right over.

From the parking lot a boardwalk goes straight with the nature trail starting to the left.  Shawnee could do the boardwalk without the wheelchair so we went there first.

That appears to have been directed at Shawnee who could have cared less about that starling up above.

Cranky starling, isn't he?  Now he is scolding his friend who just arrived.

Heading out on the boardwalk.

Green-winged teals to the right.

At the end of the boardwalk.

More green-winged teals to the left.

Heading back.

Coming up on the parking lot and nature trail where we'd be heading next.

All saddled up and ready to go.

The crushed shell surface is actually pretty nice to walk on.

After going through a wooded area, the marshes come into view.

A broken boardwalk.  The work of Hurricane Sandy, no doubt.

Alien-looking bird houses right at ...

... access from a bike route and another parking lot.

I was walking along taking pictures of the marshes and listening the the chatter of seagulls flying over when something one of the seagulls said behind me sounded different - different enough to make me turn completely around to see...

... a bald eagle coming right up behind me.  Had I not turned around, I would have never seen him.

Looks like he found himself some lunch.

On to that dilapidated boardwalk.

It is partially usable.

Continuing on.

That is where all of those seagulls are coming from.

Zillions of them hanging out on huge shell mounds.

Heading towards the last platform.

Turkey Vulture

Red-winged Blackbird

Long-tailed Duck

But first there is a side path down to the river.

Maurice River

Now on to that last platform which was also not accessible - the section straight ahead was under water.

Just a short distance farther, the end of the trail.

Heading back.

Looking back at the boardwalk from the beginning of the hike, the only one that is completely intact and usable.

Almost back at the parking lot but first ...

And a short distance away, an eagle on a nest!

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