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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.
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![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/24308.jpg)
![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/24307.jpg)
![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/24306.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
![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/24310.jpg)
![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/24311.jpg)
![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/24313.jpg)
![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/24312.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. 14 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. 15 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.
In the 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. 16 Stone Harbor Point | Salt Marsh Boat Tour | Nummy Island
This morning, those who wish can enjoy an optional sunrise (6:30 AM) 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 butterfly 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.
Afterwards we explore the salt marshes as we drive the nearby intracoastal areas with stops at Nummy Island, famous for nesting Black-crowned Night-Heron; watch for flyby terns of various species and search for the ever-present Clapper Rail. Here we also stop at a local patch where Nelson’s, Saltmarsh, and Seaside Sparrows frequent. Tides and boat schedule may require that we rearrange the activities today. We catch the sunset at Sunset Beach again back in Cape May and then return to our hotel to freshen up before dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodations at the Sea Crest Inn (B,L,D)
Fri., Oct. 17 Forsythe NWR | Avalon Sea Watch
We bird our way through 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 and King Rails, bitterns, 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 just be 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.
On the way back to Cape May we stop at the Avalon Sea Watch, one of the country’s longest-running seabird watch/counting sites. Birds we 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.
Accommodations at the Sea Crest Inn (B,L,D)
Sat., Oct. 18 Delaware | Cape Henlopen State Park | Prime Hook NWR
Delaware is the smart little brother to Cape May. Best known for its spring migration of Red Knot and Horseshoe Crab, Delaware offers fantastic birding opportunities and diverse habitats. It could have been the birding destination on the east coast if it weren’t for its big brother, New Jersey.
We board the early Lewes Ferry for a pelagic-birding ferry crossing of the bay to the state of Delaware. This ferry trip can be very productive for sea birds and scoters that either spend the night afloat or fly in at sunrise to feed. Once in Delaware we spend the day exploring the pine barren habitats of Cape Henlopen State Park searching for one of our key Delaware birds the Brown-headed Nuthatch. We have lunch in the Historic District of Downtown Lewes and spend the remainder of our afternoon at Prime Hook NWR, local hawk watch sites, and other fall birding hotspots on the Delaware side of the bay. Our late afternoon departure gives us the opportunity catch the “fly out” of birds that visit bay areas during the day. This being a bit of a long day, we have traditionally made this our pizza party dinner at the hotel so we can turn in a bit earlier.
Accommodations at the Sea Crest Inn (B,L,D)
Sun., Oct. 19 Cape May Fall Festival | Pelagic Trip to The Rips
This morning we participate in the NJ Audubon fall birding festival and participate in a trip with a celebrity birder for their leader’s choice birding trip. Visiting local birding patches of their choice, we experience their observation and interpretation skills in action. Afterwards we visit the festival vendors in the convention center.
After lunch, we board the American Star tour boat for a three-hour mini pelagic trip to the “the Rips.” The Rips is an upwelling at the mouth of the Delaware Bay, comprised of shoals and deeper surrounding cuts. Water movement across the shoals on the incoming and outgoing tides brings nutrients and small organisms to the surface, which are then fed on by successively larger fish, marine mammals, and birds. This trip is timed to get us out there at the prime time for bird and marine mammal action, so expect to see numerous terns, gulls, and Northern Gannet, along with a chance at some of the rarer visitors such as Parasitic Jaeger. Bottlenose Dolphin are regulars on this trip, and Humpback Whale are occasionally seen as well (fingers crossed)!
Our last dinner is at a famous 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. 20 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, miscellaneous program expenses, and festival registration fee. 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 to arrive October 14, 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: Please plan flights to depart October 20, 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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James P. Smith
James brings some twenty five years of guiding experience to Naturalist Journeys. Originally from Sheffield in the United Kingdom, he discovered a love for guiding in Israel in 1995 where he helped establish the Kibbutz Lotan Center for Birdwatching in the Southern Arava Valley. Since then, he’s led hundreds of tours throughout the Northern Hemisphere for a number of UK-based tour companies. His trips to Israel and North America are especially close to his heart but he’s also led or co-led tours to Mexico (Veracruz), The Gambia, Kenya, Iceland, Scottish Highlands, Spanish Pyrenees, Central/Southern France, Greece (Lesvos), and India (Goa). An accomplished illustrator, James placed runner-up in the British Birds “Bird Illustrator of the Year” competition in 1992 and went on to have his work published in numerous birding magazines and journals. He also co-authored the two volume set A Guide to the Birding Hotspots of Israel (Published in 2000 by the Israel Ornithological Center and the S.P.N.I.). He returns to Israel every year to lead trips and remains an active member of the Israel Rarities and Distribution Committee. When not leading tours he can be found at home in Western Massachusetts with his wife Susannah and their young son Matan.
Other trips with James P. Smith
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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: 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)