Cape May has been a destination point for birds and bird observers for quite some time and birding is a popular activity for locals and visitors alike during all seasons of the year. There are quite a few who come over especially during the late winter months for some great observation outings and we have heard there have even been some snowy owl sightings! If this type of activity is of interest to you, we encourage you to plan a getaway where you can enjoy some birding and relaxing.
Cape May Observatory Workshops & Walks
The Cape May Bird Observatory offers some really interesting and worthwhile workshops that you may be interested in attending during your stay with us. They require advance registration and they limit the number of participants to ensure everyone has the best experience possible. Coming up this spring are several workshops including Gulls Simplified on March 4, 2017, Field Sketching for Beginners on April 1, 2017, Introduction to Bird Photography on April 7-8, 2017, and Birding by Ear: Calls & Songs of Eastern Birds on April 29-30, 2017.
Another series of outings that the observatory offers are their Weekly Walks. These walks, led by the professional staff and naturalists from the observatory, take you to the best birding and natural history locations around Cape May. All experience levels are welcome, whether you know can spot birds to match every letter of the alphabet or know nothing about birding whatsoever—you’ll have a great time! You’ll want to allow 2-3 hours for the walk and there is no pre-registration required. Children age 15 and under are also free. You are encouraged to bring field guides, bug repellant, drinking water, appropriate clothing for the weather, and of course your binoculars! The walks are generally around a mile or so and will be on varied terrain so wear some good walking shoes that can also handle getting a bit dirty. You can see a full calendar of their weekly walks here.
Birding is popular in the cooler months and some of the places you may find some unique sightings are the Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area, Cape May Point State Park, the Cape May Migratory Bird Sanctuary, the Wetlands Institute, Nummy Island, and Stone Harbor Point. The kinds of birds you may see in the next couple of months include Purple Sandpiper, Red-throated Loon, Long-tailed Ducks, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Northern Gannet, Great Cormorants, Red-tailed Hawks, Bald Eagle, Ospreys, Great Egret, and Black-crowned Night-herons to name just a few!
We would love to help you plan the perfect getaway so book your room at our hotel online today and contact us for further information about our historic, seaside hotel or the gorgeous area of Cape May.
