I had the pleasure of spending 5 days this month traveling and birding with a small group of six enthusiastic birders and two knowledgeable guides, down at Cape May. The trip was hosted by the North Branch Nature Center, in Montpelier, which has run this trip for a decade. I had never been on an organized trip before, and the opportunity to join a small group of birders to one of the great birding hotspots in the eastern US was too good to let pass by. Plus, the price was within my budget, I wouldn't have to drive, and best of all, I would be going with people who knew where to go and what to see. Our group included intermediate and advanced birders, a botany-enthusiast, and two shutter-bugs -- yup, one was me!
The weekend of our trip coincided with the World Series of Birding. The WSB is a 24-hour birding Marathon on one day of the year, with teams of 3-4 birders, many of them youth teams, streaking hither and yon across Cape May County or All of New Jersey, to identify, confirm, and log as many species as they can. We did the WSB marathon but at a more leisurely pace, because while we were equally enthusiastic about the quest, we wanted to savor each bird species, the sounds, smells, settings, and everything around us.
Our base of operations was a group cabin in Belleplain State Forest in adjacent Cumberland County. Our cabin had a picnic area, it's own dock onto the lake, and was very private - apart from being less than 50 yards from a highway. The days were intense: Up at 5:00am, out at 6:00, bird all morning, picnic lunch, bird all afternoon, a light dinner, and then out for evening/twilight birding. Mornings usually started in a cool, moist, dense fog, but mid-afternoons were hot and sunny. Some nights we weren't back until almost 10:00pm. I stayed up each evening to sort thru photos and crop down the best, so that my companions could watch a slide show with breakfast the next morning. Oh, breakfasts: for the record, I've had enough of Greek yoghurt and Granola for quite some time; I am proud to call myself an 'opportunivore' but on my first morning back, I wanted nothing other than a hot, flavorful sausage and egg breakfast sandwich.
The end result of the marathon weekend was 20 checklists (including the WAWA near Belleplain, and the service plaza on the Garden State Parkway) and 135 bird species. That's 8 more bird species than I've seen in Vermont in all of 2015 (so far)!
Here, for my Cape May compatriots, my birding friends, and my real-world friends, is a medley of photos, organized by the general habitats we trekked thru. Enjoy!
The weekend of our trip coincided with the World Series of Birding. The WSB is a 24-hour birding Marathon on one day of the year, with teams of 3-4 birders, many of them youth teams, streaking hither and yon across Cape May County or All of New Jersey, to identify, confirm, and log as many species as they can. We did the WSB marathon but at a more leisurely pace, because while we were equally enthusiastic about the quest, we wanted to savor each bird species, the sounds, smells, settings, and everything around us.
Our base of operations was a group cabin in Belleplain State Forest in adjacent Cumberland County. Our cabin had a picnic area, it's own dock onto the lake, and was very private - apart from being less than 50 yards from a highway. The days were intense: Up at 5:00am, out at 6:00, bird all morning, picnic lunch, bird all afternoon, a light dinner, and then out for evening/twilight birding. Mornings usually started in a cool, moist, dense fog, but mid-afternoons were hot and sunny. Some nights we weren't back until almost 10:00pm. I stayed up each evening to sort thru photos and crop down the best, so that my companions could watch a slide show with breakfast the next morning. Oh, breakfasts: for the record, I've had enough of Greek yoghurt and Granola for quite some time; I am proud to call myself an 'opportunivore' but on my first morning back, I wanted nothing other than a hot, flavorful sausage and egg breakfast sandwich.
The end result of the marathon weekend was 20 checklists (including the WAWA near Belleplain, and the service plaza on the Garden State Parkway) and 135 bird species. That's 8 more bird species than I've seen in Vermont in all of 2015 (so far)!
Here, for my Cape May compatriots, my birding friends, and my real-world friends, is a medley of photos, organized by the general habitats we trekked thru. Enjoy!
Shorebirds, Offshore birds, and Coastal-cruising Cetaceans |
Marshes and Coastal Woodlands |
Woodlands and Open Spaces |
And of course, Humans and their Creations |
