Photos of Wildlife are always special!!  I believe you will enjoy the four close-up photos included in this week’s article, BUT, these Wildlife Photos are just an attraction or introduction, if you will, to my greater point – THE LOCATIONS!!  Over the years, I have taken numerous hikes all over the place and photographed all sorts of wildlife out in their natural areas.  Sharing these adventures has always been a part of my Open Space Outreach, trying to introduce and make the public aware of the beautiful Open Space Lands with all its interesting wildlife within.  Recently, I have been trying to ‘push the envelope’ by locating areas that are not really associated with, or thought about as, sites for viewing wildlife. YET, these very sites actually may provide for some pretty neat visits, where wildlife may be easily observed!!!  This was the case with today’s wildlife photos, including your Photo of the Week!!

How easily observed?  How about from the comfort of your car! The sites I am referring to are detention basins!!  They are all over the place!! 

OBSERVATIONS:  Think about some of these factors:

1. The basins are usually close to places of business, which means people are going near them on a day to day basis! 

2. Most are located by roadways or parking lots, so they are easily visible from your car. 

3. Observing wildlife out in the wild, can be a challenge!!  We are an intruder into their domain, and they avoid us!! 

4. At a basin, we are actually a part of their domain; they view us daily as we drive by. THUS, they may be not as skittish!!

Getting back to my message, think of these basins as a place to view wildlife!!  When you return to your car after shopping, etc., don’t just start the engine and head for the highway!!  Do yourself a favor, drive slowly along the basin and look for animals!  Take it from Charlie, this sometimes works!! 

Story behind photo of the week:

Just finished dinner in Hackettstown and I’m going to check out the two detention basins between Applebee’s and Lowes. It is 6:05PM and I spot a Great Blue Heron in the first basin. Took multiple photos watching him on the hunt from the fence!!  Set my camera to ‘bird watching’ and pressed multiple shot mode, which helped capture the Great Blue Heron’s fast hunting moves!  Moved to the second basin and again went to the fence and immediately noticed a Green Heron on the basin’s edge and a small deer right behind him on the other side of the rear fence!! PRETTY NICE VISIT!!! Hear a little commotion to my left and observe a muskrat eating along the shoreline. I am switching back and forth with photos of the Muskrat and Green Heron when I notice a commotion in the middle of the basin and up pops a head; I think that is a small beaver!!! Now I’m scanning all over trying to keep track of the actions when I notice a beaver walking down the grass slope, quickly put the camera in movie mode and try to find the beaver walking down the grass, NUTS!!! only got him getting into the basin!! I left at 7:11PM; my camera is still cooling off!! Let’s see, a Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Deer, Muskrat and multiple Beaver photos. Not bad for a little over an hour. AND, to boot, in the middle of Hackettstown’s business district!!  Great place to observe nature!!

I have listed below a few places that I have always enjoyed looking for wildlife, sometimes from my car!!

Please visit my Flickr site for additional photos of other places for easy viewing of wildlife using the links below:

Hackettstown detention basin off parking lot by Lowes, Hackettstown – https://www.flickr.com/photos/charliefineran/albums/72157709928796341

Youngs Island Rd., Allamuchy – https://www.flickr.com/photos/charliefineran/albums/72157665566926228

Detention basin and walkway Village 9 Panther Valley outside the gates off Alphano Rd., – https://www.flickr.com/photos/charliefineran/albums/72157699616349032

Detention basin and Wetlands Garden between Allamuchy Firehouse and playground off Alphano Rd. – https://www.flickr.com/photos/charliefineran/albums/72157658917491026

Enjoy Your Open Space

Charlie Fineran

Director Open Space
Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission – Chairman
Allamuchy Historical Society – President