- Overview
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Experience the ultimate fall bird migration at America’s quintessential beach town. Historic Cape May in October is considered the top birding destination in North America to witness fall migration, especially for birds of prey. Timed for peak land and sea bird diversity and quantity, we visit famous New Jersey birding locations and little-known local patches up and down the coast, including the Cape May Bird Observatory’s nature center and hawk watch platforms and Avalon Sea Watch; tour the world’s largest contiguous salt marsh by boat, explore Higbee Beach WMA’s forests and fields, bird the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, and experience the thrill of large scale migration from the Morning Flight viewing platform.
Cape May itself is a national historic site and offers incredible examples of Victorian architecture and charm, as well as some of the best seafood on the east coast. Our lodgings for the week are at a classic beachside hotel in historic Cape May. Many mornings begin with an optional sunrise beach walk in search of shorebirds and the beautiful Black Skimmer. Daily trips range from exploring the many examples of tidal salt marshes by boat and van, to visiting one of the most successful beach and dune restorations in the United States.
It’s Cape May’s unique location, situated on a south facing peninsula where the Atlantic seaboard meets the Delaware Bay, that makes it a geographic migrant trap. Birds, both land and sea flyers, sometimes by the thousands, follow the coastline south and find themselves at this peninsula; the perfect spot to stop and fuel up before heading out over the Delaware Bay. Far from the metro areas of northern New Jersey, the Cape May peninsula is home to forests, farmland, wetland meadows, and salt marshes. We catch late migrating eastern warblers and experience the larger songbird migration, which is peaking while we visit. Famous for its hawk migration too, we spend time at the various hawk watches and counting locations. Large numbers of shorebirds and seabirds are also in migration and they use the vast saltmarsh flats to feed and rest.
Please keep in mind that weather, winds, and tides play an important role in the migration along the coast and while we visit all the great birding sites, we may rearrange daily activities accordingly.
![Royal Tern, Birding New Jersey, Bird watching Cape May, Cape May New Jersey, Nature Tour, Naturalist Journeys, Wildlife Tour, Wildlife Photography, Ecotourism, Specialty Birds, Birding Hotspot, Endemic Birds](/img/tours/photos/24242.jpg)
![Cape May Lighthouse, Birding New Jersey, Bird watching Cape May, Cape May New Jersey, Nature Tour, Naturalist Journeys, Wildlife Tour, Wildlife Photography, Ecotourism, Specialty Birds, Birding Hotspot, Endemic Birds](/img/tours/photos/24241.jpg)
![Black-and-white Warbler, Birding New Jersey, Bird watching Cape May, Cape May New Jersey, Nature Tour, Naturalist Journeys, Wildlife Tour, Wildlife Photography, Ecotourism, Specialty Birds, Birding Hotspot, Endemic Birds](/img/tours/photos/24240.jpg)
![Hudsonian Godwit, Birding New Jersey, Bird watching Cape May, Cape May New Jersey, Nature Tour, Naturalist Journeys, Wildlife Tour, Wildlife Photography, Ecotourism, Specialty Birds, Birding Hotspot, Endemic Birds](/img/tours/photos/24239.jpg)
Tour Highlights
- Enjoy a one-stop, unpack, and relax tour at a beachside hotel
- Watch for large numbers of Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, and Merlin at the Cape May State Park Hawk Watch Platform
- Spend an afternoon at The Nature Conservancy’s South Cape May Meadows Preserve, one of the most successful beach habitat restorations on the Atlantic seaboard
- Look for Common, Forster’s, Caspian and Royal Terns at Stone Harbor Point
- Search for the elusive Diamondback Terrapin, America’s only saltwater marsh turtle along with migrating ducks, shorebirds, and herons aboard a salt marsh pontoon boat cruise
- Visit Avalon Sea Watch, one of the country’s longest-running seabird watch/counting sites and a good spot to see dolphins and whales
- Watch hundreds, if not thousands, of warblers and other passerines at Morning Flight, a morning watch of returning birds that were pushed out to sea on their evening migration
- Marvel at the east coast’s largest population of migrating Monarch Butterflies
![Peregrine Falcon, Birding New Jersey, Bird watching Cape May, Cape May New Jersey, Nature Tour, Naturalist Journeys, Wildlife Tour, Wildlife Photography, Ecotourism, Specialty Birds, Birding Hotspot, Endemic Birds](/img/tours/photos/24243.jpg)
![Eastern Phoebe, Birding New Jersey, Bird watching Cape May, Cape May New Jersey, Nature Tour, Naturalist Journeys, Wildlife Tour, Wildlife Photography, Ecotourism, Specialty Birds, Birding Hotspot, Endemic Birds](/img/tours/photos/24246.jpg)
![Great Cormorant, Birding New Jersey, Bird watching Cape May, Cape May New Jersey, Nature Tour, Naturalist Journeys, Wildlife Tour, Wildlife Photography, Ecotourism, Specialty Birds, Birding Hotspot, Endemic Birds](/img/tours/photos/24245.jpg)
![Yellow-rumped Warbler, Birding New Jersey, Bird watching Cape May, Cape May New Jersey, Nature Tour, Naturalist Journeys, Wildlife Tour, Wildlife Photography, Ecotourism, Specialty Birds, Birding Hotspot, Endemic Birds](/img/tours/photos/24244.jpg)
Trip Itinerary
Itineraries are guidelines; variations in itinerary may occur to account for weather, road conditions, closures, etc. and to maximize your experience.
Tues., Oct. 7 Arrivals
Please plan to arrive today at the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) where we assemble as a group at 2:00 PM at a pre-arranged baggage claim area. Your guide is wearing binoculars and meets you there. Then, we load up and travel about 2.5 hours to our lodgings in Cape May, New Jersey. If time permits we visit the Cape May Point State Park and its famous Hawk Watch and then take a bit of time to freshen up for dinner and get to know our fellow traveling companions.
Accommodations at the Sea Crest Inn (D)
Wed., Oct. 8 Higbee Beach | Cape May Point State Park | South Cape May Meadows Preserve
We’re off for an early start to the Morning Flight viewing platform at Higbee Beach, an ongoing morning watch/count of returning migrants that were pushed out to sea on their evening migration. This is a chance to see hundreds, if not thousands, of warblers and other passerines making their way back to land. We do this at least once on the trip as a group and then as an option on any appropriate morning.
Today we get to know Cape May. We stay close to this pretty beach town and familiarize ourselves with the island and the local spots that we visit throughout the week. We start at the Cape May Bird Observatory headquarters and gift shop to orient ourselves, get the local birding news, and pickup any birding necessities. Then we’re off to the Cape May Point State Park Hawk Watch Platform, nature center, and light house. There, we spend the rest of the morning hawk watching and exploring the state park. A good day on the hawk watch platform can be marked by the passing of 2000 – 3000 Sharp-shinned and Coopers Hawks, and dozens of Peregrine Falcon and Merlin. More than 1000 Osprey have been counted on a given day, too! Walking the nearby beach can produce sightings of Parasitic Jaeger, all three scoters, loons, and many species of gull. Walks around the park can produce late migrating eastern passerines this time of year and multiple duck species as well. Lunch is at one of our favorite local cafes.
This afternoon we explore the South Cape May Meadows Preserve. Owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy, this important coastal birding area is one of the most successful habitat restorations on the Atlantic seaboard. Fall migration at the Meadows can be nothing short of spectacular. It’s famous for evening Merlin and Peregrine flights as they work the meadows to catch that last dragonfly snack before settling in for the evening. Many of the hawks counted at the Cape May Hawk Watch pass directly over the Meadows or hunt within it. Peregrine, Cooper's Hawk, and Merlin can put on a spectacular show from mid-September through late October, along with scads of Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and even the occasional Bald Eagle circling overhead. Beach areas can offer a good selection of shorebirds often sitting inland to get out of the wind.
Accommodations at the Sea Crest Inn (B,L,D)
Thurs., Oct. 9 Cape May Seafront | Stone Harbor Point | Salt Marsh Boat Tour
This morning those who wish can enjoy an optional sunrise beach walk before breakfast. Migration is much in evidence with passerine calls heard in the predawn and migrants foraging in the dune vegetation.
After breakfast we head to Stone Harbor Point where many of the shorebirds and waterfowl in the area can be found. Common, Forster’s, Caspian, and Royal Terns are all possible. Monarch butterflies are common in the brush, as are migrant songbirds.
After a local lunch we head to Miss Chris Marina where we board the Osprey, a large pontoon tour boat, to explore the salt marshes along New Jersey’s Intracoastal Waterway. Here we have a chance to see many shorebirds and migrating waterfowl that utilize the sea grass islands and constantly changing tidal creek mudflats of the saltmarsh. We watch for the elusive Diamondback Terrapin, North America’s only saltwater marsh turtle.
Accommodations at the Sea Crest Inn (B,L,D)
Fri., Oct. 10 Edwin B. Forsythe NWR | Sunset Beach
We bird our way to the vast salt marsh areas north of Cape May today as we make our way up the coast to Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (aka Brigantine), a 43,000-acre natural area with both fresh and saltwater marshes. Here we have great opportunities to see Clapper Rail, American Bittern, Black-crowned Night-Heron, migrating shorebirds and waterfowl, as well as Peregrine Falcon hunting the marshes. All the East Coast waterfowl and wading birds can be found here, and Brant and Snow Geese should be just arriving. Watch as Peregrine and Merlin push around shorebirds that take flight in flashing waves of motion. Osprey are common and we may even tire of seeing them! There are thousands of acres of both fresh and salt marshes here and almost any East Coast water bird is possible—Roseate Spoonbill, White Ibis, and American Avocet have all graced previous visits.
In late afternoon we explore the salt marshes as we drive the intracoastal areas with stops at Nummy Island where Nelson’s, Saltmarsh, and Seaside Sparrows frequent narrow tidal channels as well as the large, pale form of Savannah Sparrow, ‘Ipswich Sparrow’, a sub-species that breeds solely on Cape Sable Island but winters in small numbers along the Atlantic Coast. Tides may require that we rearrange some of the activities today. We close the day at Sunset Beach in Cape May Point to watch for terns, various gull species, cormorants, and scoters in Delaware Bay and of course enjoy a fabulous sunset. We then return to our hotel to freshen up before dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodations at the Sea Crest Inn (B,L,D)
Sat., Oct. 11 Higbee Beach | Beach Plum Farm | Cape May Point State Park
We start the day with another pre-dawn visit to the Morning Flight platform at Higbee Beach. Past experience has shown that repeat visits can be extremely productive, especially during the first two to three hours of daylight. An outdoor breakfast, weather permitting, follows at Beach Plum Farm, after which we walk the property’s trails and fields searching for migrating songbirds and raptors. The rest of the day is wide open, perhaps to revisit some of the premier birding spots such as the Cape May Hawk Watch, or watch Monarchs roosting and being tagged at Cape May Point State Park, as well as paying careful attention to the most recent grapevine news and rare bird alerts which could lead us anywhere on the Cape May peninsula!
Accommodations at the Sea Crest Inn (B,L,D)
Sun., Oct. 12 Avalon Sea Watch | Jake’s Landing | Historic Cape May
This morning we head north to the Avalon Sea Watch, one of the country’s longest-running seabird watch/counting sites. Birds we’re likely see here include: Double-crested Cormorant (200,000 per year), Red-throated Loon (50,000 per year), scoters (100,000 – 200,000 annually, mostly Black and Surf), Northern Gannet (50,000 per year), and uncountable numbers of gulls. Here, a good day for scoters can amount to a count of 20,000 birds! There is also a steady flow of Common Loon, terns of various species, Green-winged Teal, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Black Duck, scaup, and many other species. New Jersey Audubon counters are here to help with identification and information.
After brunch we head further north toward Jake’s Landing, an expansive area of saltmarsh haunted by Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, and Bald Eagle! Carefully checking the muddy creeks may reveal Clapper Rail and Nelson’s Sparrow and we shall hopefully find Palm Warbler of both sub-species and good numbers of Savannah Sparrow. The saltmarsh is overlooked by mixed woodland, often an extremely productive area for woodpeckers—Pileated, Hairy, Downy, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers are all possible, plus Yellow-bellied Sapsucker … that’s as well as White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches! Eastern Screech-Owl, while more aloof, is also resident in the woodland and we may just get lucky and hear one call.
Late afternoon can be taken at leisure, a relaxing walk along the beach or an exploration of Cape May’s famous historic downtown area, closed to vehicular traffic. Our farewell dinner tonight is at another wonderful Cape May restaurant where we finish our bird lists and reflect on the week.
Accommodations at the Sea Crest Inn (B,L,D)
Mon., Oct. 13 Departures
After an early breakfast, we depart for the Philadelphia airport. (B)
Cost of the Journey
The cost of this journey is per person, based on occupancy: $3290 DBL / $3970 SGL, from Philadelphia. Cost includes all accommodations, meals specified in the itinerary, group airport transfers, professional guide services, local park and other area entrance fees, and miscellaneous program expenses. Cost does not include transportation to or from your home to Philadelphia or items of a personal nature such as laundry, telephone charges, porterage, maid gratuities, or beverages from the bar.
Travel Details
Please plan to make air travel plans only after the minimum group size has been met. We will send you a confirmation email as soon as the trip has been confirmed.
Arrival and Departure Airport: Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Arrival Details: Please plan flights to arrive October 7, 2024 no later than 2:00 PM. If you plan to drive to Cape May, please meet the group at the Sea Crest Inn around 3:00 PM. Parking is available.
Departure Details: Plan flights to depart October 13, after 1:00 PM
Travel Tip: If you are arriving early or staying on after the trip in Philadelphia, there are plenty of hotels near the airport. The Philadelphia Airport Marriott is connected to Terminal B of the airport and very convenient. Another nearby option is the Hampton Inn Philadelphia Airport. If you’re looking to explore around Philadelphia, there is no shortage of things to do! The Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Museum of the American Revolution, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, and the African American Museum are just a few of the great museums in the city. No trip to Philadelphia is complete without a visit to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, which is conveniently located near several museums and the National Constitution Center. Philadelphia is easy to get around via taxi, Uber, or SEPTA, which is the public transportation system offering buses, trains, trolleys, and subways.
Browse below for trip reports and species lists from past versions of this and other tours from this destination.
New Jersey
- October 2017
- October 2018
Cape May
- October 2014
- October 2017
- October 2018
- October 2021
- October 2021
- May 2022
- October 2022
- May 2023
- October 2023
- May 2024
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Dan Donaldson
Dan Donaldson is an accomplished naturalist-birder based in Northeastern Ohio and has been guiding for Naturalist Journeys for nearly 20 years. Dan has developed his skills while working as a naturalist for a local park district for 25 years as well as with his full-time job as director of the local soil and water conservation district. Acustomed to varied audiences from novices to experts, Dan incorporates much more than just identification in his tours and programs. Dan has led tours for The Nature Conservancy, National Parks Conservation, and other tour companies. While now an international guide, his specialization in birding locales ranges from the Great Lakes to coastal destinations ranging from the Maritime Provinces of Canada and Maine, to the Florida Keys.
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Rick Weiman
Rick lives in Oakland, NJ with his wife Patricia and two teenage children, Jack and Annabel. Rick has led birding trips for a number of years as a volunteer associate naturalist for NJ Audubon and a preserve monitor for The Nature Conservancy. He just completed his 30th world series of birding event, raising dollars for endangered species recovery efforts. His passion for conservation started during his college years at Rutgers where he majored in Biology and he has been a trustee of the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ since 2000. More recently his volunteer and fundraising efforts for The Raptor Trust, the largest wild bird rehabilitation center on the east coast, resulted in his recent addition to their board of trustees in 2018. In his spare time besides birding, Rick enjoys playing tennis, street hockey, and is also a youth hockey coach.
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Essential Information +
Packing List +
Suggested Reading List +
Useful Links +
Photo credits: Banners: Black Skimmers (Jay Eisenberg), Morning Birding (Hugh Simmons), Black-crowned Night-Heron (Hugh Simmons), Northern Pintail (Sandy Sorkin), Forster's Tern (Hugh Simmons), Northern Shoveler (Sandy Sorkin), Merlin (Hugh Simmons) Thumbnails: Royal Tern (Hugh Simmons), Cape May Lighthouse, Black-and-white Warbler (Hugh Simmons), Hudsonian Godwit (Hugh Simmons), Peregrine Falcon (Hugh Simmons), Eastern Phoebe (Hugh Simmons), Great Cormorant (Hugh Simmons), Yellow-rumped Warbler (Hugh Simmons)