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:
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| Seconds after getting out of a car an immature bald eagle flew right over. |
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| 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. |
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| That appears to have been directed at Shawnee who could have cared less about that starling up above. |
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| Cranky starling, isn't he? Now he is scolding his friend who just arrived. |
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| Heading out on the boardwalk. |
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| Green-winged teals to the right. |
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| At the end of the boardwalk. |
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| More green-winged teals to the left. |
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| Heading back. |
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| Coming up on the parking lot and nature trail where we'd be heading next. |
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| All saddled up and ready to go. |
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| The crushed shell surface is actually pretty nice to walk on. |
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| After going through a wooded area, the marshes come into view. |
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| A broken boardwalk. The work of Hurricane Sandy, no doubt. |
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| Alien-looking bird houses right at ... |
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| ... access from a bike route and another parking lot. |
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| 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... |
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| ... a bald eagle coming right up behind me. Had I not turned around, I would have never seen him. |
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| Looks like he found himself some lunch. |
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| On to that dilapidated boardwalk. |
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| It is partially usable. |
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| Continuing on. |
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| That is where all of those seagulls are coming from. |
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| Zillions of them hanging out on huge shell mounds. |
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| Heading towards the last platform. |
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| Turkey Vulture |
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| Red-winged Blackbird |
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| Long-tailed Duck |
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| But first there is a side path down to the river. |
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| Maurice River |
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| Now on to that last platform which was also not accessible - the section straight ahead was under water. |
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| Just a short distance farther, the end of the trail. |
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| Heading back. |
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| Looking back at the boardwalk from the beginning of the hike, the only one that is completely intact and usable. |
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| Almost back at the parking lot but first ... |
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| And a short distance away, an eagle on a nest! |
