It's Your torn
Cape May, N.J., becomes a birder’s paradise in the fall
We are hot-wired to tune out excessive sights and sounds. If we really did see and hear everything around us, our brains would go on overload. So when I went birding in Cape May, N.J., I was awestruck by the number of birders who could spot a speck in the sky and call out “tern,” “kingfisher” or “kestrel.”
Each time they got it right.
For a novice like me, even binoculars were no help in identifying the types of birds that soared high in the sky. However, after a day with the experts, I started spotting birds in marshes and in trees. I still didn’t know their names, but each time one came into view, I would shout out, “Oh, wow!”
Spotting a great blue heron in the marsh or a double-crested cormorant taking flight is exciting. And discovering that Cape May — a place so close to home — is a birder’s mecca is a delightful surprise.
Even Pete Dunne, author of more than a dozen books on birding and chief communications officer of the Cape May Birding Observatory, said he used to drive through the area on his way down south to look for birds.
“I live in northern New Jersey,” he explains, “and before I discovered Cape May, I took 11 road trips right past here to go to North Carolina. Now I know better.”
What makes the Cape May peninsula a key destination for migrating birds is its diversity. Here you will find upland forests, forested wetlands, salt marshes, beaches, maritime forests and grasslands. That combined with the wind and geography of the place makes Cape May a top U.S. destination for migrating hawks, seabirds, shorebirds, songbirds, butterflies and dragonflies.
Dunne, who has been birding since age 7, was surrounded by watchers from all parts of the country. He often leads talks about the migrating birds at the Cape May Hawk Platform in Cape May Point State Park. Just a few yards from the Cape May Lighthouse, you will see dozens of birders staring up at the sky, looking across the lake with binoculars in hand. If you sign up for a talk and are new to birding, there are several pairs of loaner binoculars available.
Through mid-November on the weekends, the Cape May Bird Observatory hosts a number of talks and walking tours. Children are welcome on the tours. We went on a two-hour afternoon walk around Cape May Point State Park, led by Chuck and Mary Jane Slugg. They are avid birders and retired teachers — and are adept at dealing with antsy children.
One of the highlights of our weekend was taking the Birding by Boat tour. Several birders on the pontoon were repeat customers because, as many told me, the tour is different each time. That’s due at least in part to Capt. Bob Lubberman and First Mate Dave Lord. In addition to exuding enthusiasm for the birds and the area, they enjoy interacting and sharing stories with the other birders on board.
The three-hour tour (they also host two-hour versions) allowed us to see snowy egrets, doublecrested cormorants, American oyster catchers and several other birds that, because of their colors, either stood out or blended into the scenery.
We watched several birds dive into Jarvis Sound and others lined on piers as if posing for the obligatory pictures. We even stopped along the sound to sample the crunchy and salty Virginia glasswort, which I was told is used on salads in many fancy restaurants. The birds dined on fiddler crabs.
Back on land, we headed to Cape May Point State Park to watch volunteers tag monarch butterflies that were on their way to Mexico. As a child, I read about thousands of monarchs descending on a small town outside of Mexico City. The article never said that the butterflies start their journey in Cape May.
These bright orange-and-black beauties can be seen throughout Cape May, in the town and on the beaches and in the parks. Through November, just look up and you will find hundreds of them roosting on trees. When they open their colorful wings, they are usually ready for takeoff.
Volunteers tag between 1,000 and 2,000 butterflies. Each year, about 100 of the tagged butterflies are spotted in Mexico and back here in Cape May after making the 2,000-mile journey. For information on the tagging workshops, contact the Cape May Bird Observatory..
There’s one other way to immerse yourself in a weekend with nature and animals: the Cape May County Zoo. The zoo is free and a great place to observe a wide variety of animals, including snow leopards born on the property.
Michele C. Hollow writes about travel. She is the creator of the blog Pet News and Views (PetNewsandViews.com).