Ducks, Geese, Swans

Mallard Duck

Female above, male below

There are many kinds of wild ducks, and even more types of domesticated ducks, but the Mallard is a good representative of all. Ducks are harmless. Bring some bread along, I never met a duck that didn't expect to be fed.

-- Wikipedia


Canada Goose

Canada Geese are extremely common. Although not native to the area, a large population has long-ago stopped migrating and become resident. Most of the time, they will retreat from your approach, but if they have young it is best to avoid them, or you might get a nasty surprise.

-- Wikipedia


Brant

Brants are very similar to Canada Geese, but smaller - intermediate in size between a goose and a duck. At times there can be a great many of them around, as they pass through in migration. Other times there are none. They have a much stronger affinity for saltwater than the other birds on this page.

I don't think I've ever seen a Brant on land, always in the water or in the air.

-- Wikipedia


Mute Swan

Swans are beautiful to watch, but do so from a respectful distance. Swans are large and strong, and can be quite aggressive, especially when they are protecting their young. Of all the birds you will find while out kayaking, this is the only one that is likely to attack you, and if it does, you will lose. A pair of swans will clear a small body of water entirely of all other waterfowl - that is the reason they were introduced around the world. Swans are perfectly capable of flying, but you'll seldom see them do it - they'd rather stand their ground and fight.

A Mute Swan driving-off a duck

If a Swan ruffles-up it's feathers like the one above, back away! He is not afraid of you!

-- Wikipedia


Union County
( 40.64849, -74.31513 )

  1. Ambrose Brook - Bound Brook ( 40.56764, -74.51489 )
  2. Ambrose Brook - Possumtown ( 40.55555, -74.48630 )
  3. Arthur Kill - Buckingham Ave ( 40.51462, -74.25871 )
  4. Arthur Kill - Carteret Waterfront ( 40.57186, -74.21301 )
  5. Arthur Kill - Ferry St ( 40.54576, -74.25424 )
  6. Branch Brook Park ( 40.75077, -74.18305 )
  7. D-R Canal - New Brunswick ( 40.50806, -74.46376 )
  8. D-R Canal - Somerset (N) ( 40.54077, -74.51404 )
  9. D-R Canal - Somerset (S) ( 40.52390, -74.49248 )
  10. D-R Canal - South Bound Brook ( 40.55880, -74.53118 )
  11. Delaware River ( 40.17371, -74.84843 )
  12. Echo Lake - Mountainside ( 40.67351, -74.34560 )
  13. Green Brook - Billian Legion Park ( 40.56222, -74.52483 )
  14. Hackensack River - Secaucaus (S) ( 40.76390, -74.08685 )
  15. Lake Surprise - Summit ( 40.69370, -74.37097 )
  16. Liberty State Park - Jersey City ( 40.69768, -74.06520 )
  17. New Market Pond - Piscataway ( 40.57675, -74.45490 )
  18. Newark Bay - Bayonne ( 40.66284, -74.13305 )
  19. Newark Bay - Rutkowski Park ( 40.68882, -74.11216 )
  20. Orange Reservoir - Rahway River ( 40.75964, -74.28903 )
  21. Passaic River - Basking Ridge ( 40.69503, -74.51600 )
  22. Passaic River - Chatham ( 40.73795, -74.37159 )
  23. Passaic River - Chatham ( 40.72583, -74.38948 )
  24. Passaic River - Dead River ( 40.65005, -74.52464 )
  25. Passaic River - East Hanover (N) ( 40.82749, -74.33529 )
  26. Passaic River - East Hanover (S) ( 40.82581, -74.33332 )
  27. Passaic River - Kearny ( 40.76313, -74.15933 )
  28. Passaic River - Livingston ( 40.77879, -74.36862 )
  29. Passaic River - Newark ( 40.73326, -74.15206 )
  30. Passaic River - Nutley ( 40.81175, -74.13909 )
  31. Passaic River - Riverside County Park (S) ( 40.80182, -74.13801 )
  32. Passaic River - Warren ( 40.67078, -74.46441 )
  33. Rahway River - Clark ( 40.62884, -74.29746 )
  34. Rahway River - Cranford (N) ( 40.66036, -74.30627 )
  35. Rahway River - Cranford (S) ( 40.65097, -74.30133 )
  36. Rahway River - Cranford (W) ( 40.65900, -74.30997 )
  37. Rahway River - Jackson's Pond ( 40.62805, -74.28492 )
  38. Rahway River - Lenape Park ( 40.67407, -74.31426 )
  39. Rahway River - Mohawk Park ( 40.64041, -74.29408 )
  40. Rahway River - Nomahegan Lake ( 40.66832, -74.31741 )
  41. Rahway River - Park ( 40.62040, -74.28944 )
  42. Rahway River - Rahway ( 40.59952, -74.26856 )
  43. Rahway River - South Branch (E) ( 40.60010, -74.27397 )
  44. Rahway River - South Branch (W) ( 40.57998, -74.30463 )
  45. Rahway River - South Mountain ( 40.73112, -74.30704 )
  46. Rahway River - Springfield ( 40.70824, -74.30186 )
  47. Raritan Bay - Cliffwood (E) ( 40.45089, -74.22033 )
  48. Raritan Bay - Cliffwood (W) ( 40.45216, -74.22269 )
  49. Raritan Bay - Cliffwood (Whale Creek) ( 40.45090, -74.22274 )
  50. Raritan Bay - Laurence Harbor (E) ( 40.45877, -74.24622 )
  51. Raritan Bay - Laurence Harbor (W) ( 40.46223, -74.25482 )
  52. Raritan Bay - South Amboy (N) ( 40.48343, -74.27059 )
  53. Raritan Bay - South Amboy (S) ( 40.47946, -74.26831 )
  54. Raritan Bay - South Amboy Ramp ( 40.48401, -74.27416 )
  55. Raritan River - Bound Brook ( 40.55995, -74.52758 )
  56. Raritan River - Edison ( 40.48791, -74.38382 )
  57. Raritan River - Highland Park ( 40.48864, -74.42226 )
  58. Raritan River - New Brunswick ( 40.48760, -74.43280 )
  59. Raritan River - Perth Amboy ( 40.50057, -74.27712 )
  60. Raritan River - Piscataway (N) ( 40.54085, -74.51236 )
  61. Raritan River - Piscataway (S) ( 40.50935, -74.46641 )
  62. Raritan River - Sayreville ( 40.47450, -74.35606 )
  63. Robinson's Branch - Rahway River ( 40.61839, -74.30495 )
  64. South River - Sayreville ( 40.45397, -74.37222 )
  65. South River - South River ( 40.45838, -74.38361 )
  66. Speedwell Lake - Morristown ( 40.81265, -74.48090 )
  67. Watchung Lake - North Plainfield ( 40.63723, -74.45384 )
  68. Weequahic Lake - Newark ( 40.70570, -74.19775 )
  69. Weston's Mill Pond - East Brunswick ( 40.46677, -74.42603 )
  70. Whippany River - Whippany ( 40.81921, -74.44021 )
  71. Woodbridge Creek (N) ( 40.58555, -74.26267 )
  72. Woodbridge Creek (S) ( 40.56256, -74.26890 )

All of present-day Union County was part of the Elizabethtown Tract, which was purchased in 1664, by English colonists from the Lenape Native Americans that lived in the area of present-day Elizabeth, New Jersey. Union County was formed on March 19, 1857, from portions of Essex County; it was the last of New Jersey's 21 counties to be established. With a population density of 4,955 inhabitants per square mile in 2000, Union County was the 15th-most densely populated county in the United States.

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