New Jersey
Birding Cape May
Program No. 14349RJ
With its many protected areas and variety of unique habitats, Cape May is a mecca for both birds and birders alike. Come see songbirds in spring and raptors in the fall.
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date.
Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
6 days
5 nights
What's Included
14 meals (
5B, 4L, 5D
)
6 expert-led lectures
13 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
5 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Program Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
Location:
Cape May, NJ
Meals:
D
Stay:
The Inn of Cape May
Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 4:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).
Afternoon:
Program Registration: 4:00-5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the hotel meeting room to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
Orientation: 6:45 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Day
2
Coastal Birding Field Trip, South Cape May Meadows, Lectures
Location:
Cape May, NJ
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
The Inn of Cape May
Activity Note
Getting on/off a Jitney, riding up to 5 miles. Walking up to 3 miles; sand, uneven terrain, paved walkways. Walking sticks are helpful during these field trips.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll hop aboard the Jitney and head out on a field trip to Cape May Point State Park, site of the world-renowned Cape May Hawk Watch. We will begin at the park Seagrove Avenue, where we will be exploring beach, dune, freshwater pond, marsh, field, and coastal forest habitat. Our target species for this outing will be migrating songbirds and possible rarities, as well as wintering waterfowl. We’ll ride back to the hotel after our field trip. Upon returning to the hotel we will have a lecture from Pat Sutton on birds and birding in Cape May.
Lunch:
At the hotel.
Afternoon:
After lunch we will have another lecture on hawks in flight with expert Clay Sutton. After our lecture we will set out again for a birding field trip to the Nature Conservancy’s South Cape May Meadows property. This 200-acre refuge includes critical foraging and resting habitat for birds and wildlife. The preserve’s one-mile loop trail is characterized by dunes, freshwater wetlands, meadows, ponds, and a full mile of protected beach. It is an excellent place to view birdlife that may be present such as gulls, terns, herons, egrets, shorebirds, bitterns, rails, and ducks.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
We’ll gather for a "Bird Identification Workshop"; with Adehl Schwaderer, Cape May Bird Observatory’s Program Coordinator.
Day
3
Early AM birding, Birding in Town, Bayshore, CCT
Location:
Cape May, NJ
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
The Inn of Cape May
Activity Note
Early morning pre-breakfast birding walk. Getting on/off a Jitney, riding up to 5 miles. Walking up to 3 miles; sand, uneven terrain, paved walkways. Walking sticks are helpful during these field trips.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will head out before breakfast for an early morning walk through Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area, the sight of CMBO’s Morning Flight Migration Count. We will be spending time along field and forest edges to track down as many migrating warbler species as possible. We will then return to the hotel for breakfast. Our mid-morning trip includes visiting various beaches in Cape May and Cape May Point to see a variety of gulls, terns, and other beach birds. We will end the morning at the Cape May Point State Park, where we will eat our boxed lunches.
Lunch:
Boxed Lunch Provided
Afternoon:
The afternoon we will have a tour of Cellular Tracking Technologie (CTT). Led by Mike Lanzone, Founder & CEO of Cellular Tracking Technologies. He will provide an overview to how he began his business and how it has evolved to where it is today. He will discuss "Connecting Technology and Wildlife to Answer the Big Conservation Questions of Today and Tomorrow."
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At your leisure. Consider walking into town, just a short walk from the hotel.
Day
4
Early Am birding, The Beanery, Avalon Seawatch, Stone Hbr Pt
Location:
Cape May, NJ
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
The Inn of Cape May
Activity Note
Early morning pre-breakfast birding walk. Getting on/off a Jitney; riding about 20 miles. Walking up to 3 miles; sand, uneven terrain, paved walkways. Walking sticks are helpful during these field trips.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will head out before breakfast for an optional an early morning walk into town with our educator. After breakfast, setting out again by Jitney, we will ride to Rea Farm — known locally as the Beanery — bordering Pond Creek Marsh. We will have special access to this private property as we look for high flying raptors and groups of sparrows. The mix of wet woods, farm fields, weedy edges, and farm ponds, is crucial habitat for millions of warblers, passerines, finches, and sparrows. We will then visit CMBO’s Northwood Center for some backyard birding, followed by a Monarch Tagging Demo to learn about the ecology, migration, and research surrounding the monarch butterfly.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Next, we will ride a few miles north on New Jersey’s Garden State Parkway to the barrier island of Avalon-Stone Harbor. We will explore the Cape May Bird Observatory’s Avalon Seawatch on the northern end to witness seabird migration in action, then to Stone Harbor Point on the southern end to catch a glimpse of a variety of shorebirds.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At your leisure. Consider walking into town, just a short walk from the hotel.
Day
5
CMP State Park, Back Bay Birding Study Cruise
Location:
Cape May, NJ
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
The Inn of Cape May
Activity Note
Getting on/off a Jitney; riding about 5 miles. Getting on/off a boat; riding about 1 hour. Walking up to 3 miles; sand, uneven train, paved walkways. Walking sticks are helpful during these field trips.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll take the Jitney for a songbird banding demonstration at the South Cape May Meadows, led by New Jersey Audubon’s Vice President of Research, Dr. David Mizrahi. Our group will then travel to the Cape May Point State Park for a Raptor Banding Demonstration from the Cape May Raptor Banding Project. After the demonstration, we will then spend time on the Hawkwatch and park trails to raptor and songbird migration in action.
Lunch:
We’ll ride to Lobster House Restaurant, a local favorite.
Afternoon:
We will walk from the restaurant and board the Osprey Birding by Boat with Captain Bob and one of his naturalists, to see the habitats in and around the Cape May Harbor and any birds that may be present.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
We’ll gather for a lecture by a local expert. Prepare for check-out and departure after our closing lecture in the morning.
Day
6
Wrap-up Lecture, Program Concludes
Location:
Cape May, NJ
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Hotel check-out 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Our birding expert will lead a wrap-up lecture. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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