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School of Birding
What’s that Warbler?
NJ, United StatesJoin The Warbler Guide author Scott Whittle and travel through Cape May hotspots in search of these little gems! Fall warblers can be tricky to identify. Males are no longer singing, and most species have lost their colorful breeding plumage. Luckily, Cape May hosts a diverse array of warblers migrating south during the fall, and September is the best time to see as many different species as possible. Scott Whittle will lead you through Cape May hotspots in search of these little gems while teaching you how to ID them with confidence. We will go over differences in shape, plumage, behavior, and even work on call notes. Because of the inherent dynamic nature of birding, we do not pre-set an exact itinerary but will visit those parts of Cape May County that regularly hold good numbers of birds during September. Final location decisions will be made by the leader based on local knowledge and conditions at the time. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. PREREGISTRATION REQUIRED COST: $90 members, $120 nonmembers. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: We bird in all weather. Be sure to check the forecast in advance and dress in layers appropriate for prevailing weather conditions. The weather in Cape May can differ considerably from nearby inland areas and may be warmer, colder, or windier so it’s best to be over prepared. We may have to bird in the rain, so please bring your rain gear. TRANSPORTATION: Please arrive at the appointed time with a full tank of gas, as transportation to field sites is by private vehicles. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. Some trips involve walks over jetties. ACCOMMODATIONS: For those of you traveling from further afield and looking for somewhere to stay, please take a look at our list of Business Supporters of the Cape May Bird Observatory below: Carroll Villa Hotel-Mad Batter Restaurant – Carroll Villa Hotel-Mad Batter Restaurant West Cape Motel – West Cape Motel Coastline Realty – Coastline Realty Periwinkle Inn - Periwinkle Inn The Jetty Motel Mt. Vernon Motel The Views at Cove Beach Avondale by the Sea Capri Motor Inn Cape May is a popular place, so we suggest making reservations as early as possible. Accommodations are the responsibility of participants and are not included in the price. NEW JERSEY AUDUBON'S PROGRAM GUIDELINES: New Jersey counties are varied in their COVID-19 community transmission rates. New Jersey Audubon highly recommends that anyone who is not fully vaccinated or who wants additional protection should consider wearing a mask and social distancing, especially indoors. Please do not come to a program if you are sick, have a sick family member or have reason to believe you may have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus. CANCELLATION: CMBO programs require a minimum number of registrants to run, five days in advance of the start of the tour but are seldom cancelled. If we do cancel, due to lack of participation, severe weather, or unforeseen circumstances, we notify all participants in advance, and all are eligible for a full credit or […]
Raptor Migration at its Best – SOLD OUT
NJ, United StatesJoin CMBO Director Brett Ewald for this two-day workshop. Bird the “raptor capital of North America” at the peak of diversity. Bird the “raptor capital of North America” at the peak of diversity, when falcons are zipping along the dunes, accipiters are flap, flap, flapping by, buteos are soaring overhead, and eagles are chasing Ospreys. Early October often produces flights in the thousands and is the peak time for Peregrine Falcons and others. It is a rare moment during October in Cape May when raptors are not in view and this concentration of birds should ensure that we almost always have something to look at. Learn how to tell buteos from accipiters, falcons from eagles, at the very edge of your eyesight or right overhead, and focus on tricky species-pairs, such as the many ways to tell Sharp-shinned from Cooper’s Hawks. We’ll visit several areas around Cape May to make the most of your raptor watching on this “in the field” workshop. We’ll also be in a prime location to enjoy other migrants, such as shorebirds, late warblers, early sparrows, and more! Because of the inherent dynamic nature of birding, we do not pre-set an exact itinerary but will visit those parts of Cape May County that regularly hold good numbers of birds. Final location decisions will be made by the leader based on local knowledge and conditions at the time. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. PREREGISTRATION REQUIRED COST: $150 members, $200 nonmembers. Interested in becoming a member? Please click on the following link to learn more or join: Become a Member today! IMPORTANT INFORMATION: We bird in all weather. Be sure to check the forecast in advance and dress in layers appropriate for prevailing weather conditions. The weather in Cape May can differ considerably from nearby inland areas and may be warmer, colder, or windier so it’s best to be over prepared. We may have to bird in the rain, so please bring your rain gear. TRANSPORTATION: Please arrive at the appointed time with a full tank of gas, as transportation to field sites is by private vehicles. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. Some trips involve walks over jetties. ACCOMMODATIONS: For those of you traveling from further afield and looking for somewhere to stay, please take a look at our list of Business Supporters of the Cape May Bird Observatory below: Carroll Villa Hotel-Mad Batter Restaurant – Carroll Villa Hotel-Mad Batter Restaurant West Cape Motel – West Cape Motel Coastline Realty – Coastline Realty Periwinkle Inn - Periwinkle Inn The Jetty Motel Mt. Vernon Motel The Views at Cove Beach Avondale by the Sea Capri Motor Inn Cape May is a popular place, so we suggest making reservations as early as possible. Accommodations are the responsibility of participants and are not included in the price. NEW JERSEY AUDUBON’S PROGRAM GUIDELINES: New Jersey counties are varied in their COVID-19 community transmission rates. New Jersey Audubon highly recommends that anyone who is not fully vaccinated or who wants additional protection should consider wearing a […]
Birds in Flight – Spring Edition
Cape May Point State Park Hawkwatch Platform NJ, United StatesJoin CMBO Migration Count Coordinator Tom Reed for a day of watching water and sky for northbound migrants. Cape May is synonymous with migration and birds in flight. This workshop takes place at a time of year when many species are on the move and flying past the Cape May peninsula on the way to their breeding territories. Depending on the weather this may include waterfowl, wading birds, raptors, shorebirds, swallows, songbirds, and much more. Join Tom Reed for a full day of watching water and sky for northbound migrants, while learning in-flight ID tips and more about the status & distribution of spring migrants at Cape May. As an added bonus, this session will also touch on the fundamentals of bird migration counts and how they are conducted, along with an introduction to the Cape May Springwatch program. Because of the inherent dynamic nature of birding, we do not pre-set an exact itinerary but will visit those parts of Cape May County that regularly hold good numbers of birds. Final location decisions will be made by the leader based on local knowledge and conditions at the time. We may walk up to 2 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. PREREGISTRATION REQUIRED COST: $90 members, $120 nonmembers. Interested in becoming a member? Please click on the following link to learn more or join: Become a Member today! IMPORTANT INFORMATION: We bird in all weather. Be sure to check the forecast in advance and dress in layers appropriate for prevailing weather conditions. The weather in Cape May can differ considerably from nearby inland areas and may be warmer, colder, or windier so it’s best to be over prepared. We may have to bird in the rain, so please bring your rain gear. TRANSPORTATION: Please arrive at the appointed time with a full tank of gas, as transportation to field sites is by private vehicles. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. Some trips involve walks over jetties. CANCELLATION: CMBO programs require a minimum number of registrants to run, five days in advance of the start of the tour but are seldom cancelled. If we do cancel, due to lack of participation, severe weather, or unforeseen circumstances, we notify all participants in advance, and all are eligible for a full credit or refund. Participants may cancel without penalty if greater than 30 days in advance. Cancellations 10 to 30 days in advance may be subject to a 25% service charge. No refunds or credits for cancellations less than ten days in advance unless due to health emergencies REGISTER HERE
Spring Migration Special
Join David La Puma to bird for everything on this three-day break, all things that make a spring week in Cape May so special! Celebrate spring with migrating songbirds and shorebirds teeming on the mudflats - Hooded and Yellow-throated Warblers sing in the shadows of Belleplain State Forest, while Summer Tanagers “piki-tuck” overhead; Red Knots and Sanderlings feed in mosaics of rust and silver along the Delaware Bayshore; assorted egrets and herons dot the saltmarsh and there’s always the chance of a lively fall of birds somewhere around Cape May Point. This workshop is all about the diversity of spring migration and focuses not just on identifying birds, but also on learning about their lives. SPOTTING SCOPES ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR THIS TRIP Because of the inherent dynamic nature of birding, we do not pre-set an exact itinerary but will visit those parts of Cape May County that regularly hold good numbers of birds. Final location decisions will be made by the leader based on local knowledge and conditions at the time. We will be walking several miles during this 3-day workshop, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. PREREGISTRATION REQUIRED COST: $225 members, $300 nonmembers. Interested in becoming a member? Please click on the following link to learn more or join: Become a Member today! IMPORTANT INFORMATION: We bird in all weather. Be sure to check the forecast in advance and dress in layers appropriate for prevailing weather conditions. The weather in Cape May can differ considerably from nearby inland areas and may be warmer, colder, or windier so it’s best to be over prepared. We may have to bird in the rain, so please bring your rain gear. TRANSPORTATION: Please arrive at the appointed time with a full tank of gas, as transportation to field sites is by private vehicles. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. Some trips involve walks over jetties. CANCELLATION: CMBO programs require a minimum number of registrants to run, five days in advance of the start of the tour but are seldom cancelled. If we do cancel, due to lack of participation, severe weather, or unforeseen circumstances, we notify all participants in advance, and all are eligible for a full credit or refund. Participants may cancel without penalty if greater than 30 days in advance. Cancellations 10 to 30 days in advance may be subject to a 25% service charge. No refunds or credits for cancellations less than ten days in advance unless due to health emergencies REGISTER HERE
Shorebirds with the Man Who Wrote the Book
NJ, United StatesSpend two days experiencing some of the east coast's best shorebirding with Michael O'Brien, one of the authors of "The Shorebird Guide"! The Shorebird Guide, Houghton Mifflin’s landmark title on the subject, is authored by three Cape May birders and your guide for this workshop is one of them. Experience the best shorebirding on the East Coast with Michael O’Brien, equal parts skilled birder, expert guide and superb teacher. We’ll search South Jersey’s best shorebird locations in search of sandpipers, plovers, yellowlegs, and hope to find a few other gems such as phalaropes or godwits. Over 25 plover and sandpiper species are within reach, and some species number in the thousands here at this time of year. Begin learning identification by size, shape, behavior and voice, then move on to careful examination of plumage details, as The Shorebird Guide outlines. We don’t pre-set an itinerary but will visit those parts of Cape May County that regularly hold good numbers of birds at this time of year. Final location decisions will be made by the leader, based on local knowledge and conditions at the time. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. This workshop may also include an indoor session, depending on weather and birds on the day. PREREGISTRATION REQUIRED COST: $150 members, $200 nonmembers. Interested in becoming a member? Please click on the following link to learn more or join: Become a Member today! IMPORTANT INFORMATION: We bird in all weather. Be sure to check the forecast in advance and dress in layers appropriate for prevailing weather conditions. The weather in Cape May can differ considerably from nearby inland areas and may be warmer, colder, or windier so it’s best to be over prepared. We may have to bird in the rain, so please bring your rain gear. TRANSPORTATION: Please arrive at the appointed time with a full tank of gas, as transportation to field sites is by private vehicles. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. Some trips involve walks over jetties. CANCELLATION: CMBO programs require a minimum number of registrants to run, five days in advance of the start of the tour but are seldom cancelled. If we do cancel, due to lack of participation, severe weather, or unforeseen circumstances, we notify all participants in advance, and all are eligible for a full credit or refund. Participants may cancel without penalty if greater than 30 days in advance. Cancellations 10 to 30 days in advance may be subject to a 25% service charge. No refunds or credits for cancellations less than ten days in advance unless due to health emergencies REGISTER HERE
The Basics of Birding
NJ, United StatesAre you just getting into birding or need a refresher? Then spend the day with Director Brett Ewald in the field learning the basics! This all-encompassing workshop combines in the field experience and id tips with discussions on bird families, occurrence/migration, optics, field guides, backyard birding/gardening and more. We’ll visit several local hotspots to take in warblers, kingbirds, shorebirds, terns, and other early migrants. Geared towards beginners and those wishing to improve their knowledge and appreciation of birds and birding, helping you take it to the next level! We don’t pre-set an itinerary but will visit those parts of Cape May that regularly hold good numbers of birds at this time of year. Final location decisions will be made by the leader, based on local knowledge and conditions at the time. Because of the inherent dynamic nature of birding, we do not pre-set an exact itinerary but will visit those parts of Cape May County that regularly hold good numbers of birds. Final location decisions will be made by the leader based on local knowledge and conditions at the time. PREREGISTRATION REQUIRED COST: $90 members, $120 nonmembers. Interested in becoming a member? Please click on the following link to learn more or join: Become a Member today! IMPORTANT INFORMATION: We bird in all weather. Be sure to check the forecast in advance and dress in layers appropriate for prevailing weather conditions. The weather in Cape May can differ considerably from nearby inland areas and may be warmer, colder, or windier so it’s best to be over prepared. We may have to bird in the rain, so please bring your rain gear. TRANSPORTATION: Please arrive at the appointed time with a full tank of gas, as transportation to field sites is by private vehicles. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. Some trips involve walks over jetties. CANCELLATION: CMBO programs require a minimum number of registrants to run, five days in advance of the start of the tour but are seldom cancelled. If we do cancel, due to lack of participation, severe weather, or unforeseen circumstances, we notify all participants in advance, and all are eligible for a full credit or refund. Participants may cancel without penalty if greater than 30 days in advance. Cancellations 10 to 30 days in advance may be subject to a 25% service charge. No refunds or credits for cancellations less than ten days in advance unless due to health emergencies REGISTER HERE
Fall Migration at Cape May
NJ, United StatesJoin Louise Zemaitis for this three-day birding workshop exploring Cape May’s September bird migration! September straddles the migratory timetable – not too late for shorebirds, not too early for hawks, and right on time for Neotropical songbird migrants. Our time will largely be spent getting to know the great wealth of warblers, flycatchers, vireos and other migratory songbirds that pause at Cape May during their southward migration at this time of year. This migration is very much weather-dependent, so there are no guarantees on what we may see, but it is pretty certain that each day will be very different to the last, creating a wonderful atmosphere of intrigue and an element of the unknown. While songbirds will be a major focus for us, we shall also spend time sampling the shorebirds, seabirds and raptors that also pass through at this time. Most of the three days will be spent outdoors, learning directly from our field experiences and much of our time will most likely be spent at some of Cape May’s key migration locations. We don’t pre-set an itinerary but will visit those parts of Cape May County that regularly hold good numbers of birds at this time of year. Final location decisions will be made by the leader, based on local knowledge and conditions at the time. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. PREREGISTRATION REQUIRED COST: $225 members, $300 nonmembers. Interested in becoming a member? Please click on the following link to learn more or join: Become a Member today! IMPORTANT INFORMATION: We bird in all weather. Be sure to check the forecast in advance and dress in layers appropriate for prevailing weather conditions. The weather in Cape May can differ considerably from nearby inland areas and may be warmer, colder, or windier so it’s best to be over prepared. We may have to bird in the rain, so please bring your rain gear. TRANSPORTATION: Please arrive at the appointed time with a full tank of gas, as transportation to field sites is by private vehicles. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. Some trips involve walks over jetties. CANCELLATION: CMBO programs require a minimum number of registrants to run, five days in advance of the start of the tour but are seldom cancelled. If we do cancel, due to lack of participation, severe weather, or unforeseen circumstances, we notify all participants in advance, and all are eligible for a full credit or refund. Participants may cancel without penalty if greater than 30 days in advance. Cancellations 10 to 30 days in advance may be subject to a 25% service charge. No refunds or credits for cancellations less than ten days in advance unless due to health emergencies. REGISTER HERE
Raptor Migration at its Best
NJ, United StatesJoin CMBO Director Brett Ewald and CMBO Naturalists for this workshop. Bird the “raptor capital of North America” at the peak of diversity. Bird the “raptor capital of North America” at the peak of diversity, when falcons are zipping along the dunes, accipiters are flap, flap, flapping by, buteos are soaring overhead, and eagles are chasing Ospreys. Early October often produces flights in the thousands and is the peak time for Peregrine Falcons and others. It is a rare moment during October in Cape May when raptors are not in view and this concentration of birds should ensure that we almost always have something to look at. Learn how to tell buteos from accipiters, falcons from eagles, at the very edge of your eyesight or right overhead, and focus on tricky species-pairs, such as the many ways to tell Sharp-shinned from Cooper’s Hawks. We’ll visit areas around Cape May to make the most of your raptor watching on this “in the field” workshop. We’ll also be in a prime location to enjoy other migrants, such as shorebirds, late warblers, early sparrows, and more! Because of the inherent dynamic nature of birding, we do not pre-set an exact itinerary but will visit those parts of Cape May County that regularly hold good numbers of birds. Final location decisions will be made by the leader based on local knowledge and conditions at the time. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. PREREGISTRATION REQUIRED COST: $90 members, $120 nonmembers. Interested in becoming a member? Please click on the following link to learn more or join: Become a Member today! IMPORTANT INFORMATION: We bird in all weather. Be sure to check the forecast in advance and dress in layers appropriate for prevailing weather conditions. The weather in Cape May can differ considerably from nearby inland areas and may be warmer, colder, or windier so it’s best to be over prepared. We may have to bird in the rain, so please bring your rain gear. TRANSPORTATION: Please arrive at the appointed time with a full tank of gas, as transportation to field sites is by private vehicles. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. Some trips involve walks over jetties. CANCELLATION: CMBO programs require a minimum number of registrants to run, five days in advance of the start of the tour but are seldom cancelled. If we do cancel, due to lack of participation, severe weather, or unforeseen circumstances, we notify all participants in advance, and all are eligible for a full credit or refund. Participants may cancel without penalty if greater than 30 days in advance. Cancellations 10 to 30 days in advance may be subject to a 25% service charge. No refunds or credits for cancellations less than ten days in advance unless due to health emergencies. REGISTER HERE
Raptor Migration at its Best
NJ, United StatesJoin CMBO Director Brett Ewald and CMBO Naturalists for this workshop. Bird the “raptor capital of North America” at the peak of diversity. Bird the “raptor capital of North America” at the peak of diversity, when falcons are zipping along the dunes, accipiters are flap, flap, flapping by, buteos are soaring overhead, and eagles are chasing Ospreys. Early October often produces flights in the thousands and is the peak time for Peregrine Falcons and others. It is a rare moment during October in Cape May when raptors are not in view and this concentration of birds should ensure that we almost always have something to look at. Learn how to tell buteos from accipiters, falcons from eagles, at the very edge of your eyesight or right overhead, and focus on tricky species-pairs, such as the many ways to tell Sharp-shinned from Cooper’s Hawks. We’ll visit areas around Cape May to make the most of your raptor watching on this “in the field” workshop. We’ll also be in a prime location to enjoy other migrants, such as shorebirds, late warblers, early sparrows, and more! Because of the inherent dynamic nature of birding, we do not pre-set an exact itinerary but will visit those parts of Cape May County that regularly hold good numbers of birds. Final location decisions will be made by the leader based on local knowledge and conditions at the time. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. PREREGISTRATION REQUIRED COST: $90 members, $120 nonmembers. Interested in becoming a member? Please click on the following link to learn more or join: Become a Member today! IMPORTANT INFORMATION: We bird in all weather. Be sure to check the forecast in advance and dress in layers appropriate for prevailing weather conditions. The weather in Cape May can differ considerably from nearby inland areas and may be warmer, colder, or windier so it’s best to be over prepared. We may have to bird in the rain, so please bring your rain gear. TRANSPORTATION: Please arrive at the appointed time with a full tank of gas, as transportation to field sites is by private vehicles. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. Some trips involve walks over jetties. CANCELLATION: CMBO programs require a minimum number of registrants to run, five days in advance of the start of the tour but are seldom cancelled. If we do cancel, due to lack of participation, severe weather, or unforeseen circumstances, we notify all participants in advance, and all are eligible for a full credit or refund. Participants may cancel without penalty if greater than 30 days in advance. Cancellations 10 to 30 days in advance may be subject to a 25% service charge. No refunds or credits for cancellations less than ten days in advance unless due to health emergencies. REGISTER HERE
Cape May with Everything on it
Join Louise Zemaitis for this three-day birding workshop exploring Cape May during the best time of year for massive bird fallouts! This is the time at Cape May that the local birders wait for; visiting crowds of keen birders have diminished, yet the most massive bird fallouts of the season commonly occur NOW! Flocks of sparrows, kinglets, bluebirds, American Robins and Hermit Thrushes throng the trees and meadows - and it is now that knowledgeable birders start to sift through the birds in the hope of something really special, since this week starts the season for vagrants in Cape May. It’s also a great time for big raptors like buteos and Golden Eagles, while large seabird flights pass Avalon and Cape May Point nearly every day. Most of the three days will be spent outdoors, learning directly from our field experiences and much of our time will most likely be spent at some of Cape May’s key migration locations. We don’t pre-set an itinerary but will visit those parts of Cape May County that regularly hold good numbers of birds at this time of year. Final location decisions will be made by the leader, based on local knowledge and conditions at the time. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. PREREGISTRATION REQUIRED COST: $225 members, $300 nonmembers. Interested in becoming a member? Please click on the following link to learn more or join: Become a Member today! IMPORTANT INFORMATION: We bird in all weather. Be sure to check the forecast in advance and dress in layers appropriate for prevailing weather conditions. The weather in Cape May can differ considerably from nearby inland areas and may be warmer, colder, or windier so it’s best to be over prepared. We may have to bird in the rain, so please bring your rain gear. TRANSPORTATION: Please arrive at the appointed time with a full tank of gas, as transportation to field sites is by private vehicles. We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. Some trips involve walks over jetties. CANCELLATION: CMBO programs require a minimum number of registrants to run, five days in advance of the start of the tour but are seldom cancelled. If we do cancel, due to lack of participation, severe weather, or unforeseen circumstances, we notify all participants in advance and all are eligible for a full credit or refund. Participants may cancel without penalty if greater than 30 days in advance. Cancellations 10 to 30 days in advance may be subject to a 25% service charge. No refunds or credits for cancellations less than ten days in advance unless due to health emergencies. REGISTER HERE