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New Jersey

Birding Cape May

Program No. 14349RJ
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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 )
4 expert-led lectures
10 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
5 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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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 at 5:00PM
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.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a Jitney, riding up to 5 miles. Walking up to 3 miles; sand, uneven terrain, paved walkways.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll hop aboard the Jitney and head out on a field trip to the Ocean City Welcome Center. The Roy Gillian Welcome Center is located on a salt marsh island that provides a unique opportunity to observe breeding wetland and coastal birds that visit Cape May County in warmer months. This location is a popular viewing site for getting close looks at nesting night herons, egrets, ibis, and more! We’ll ride back to the hotel after our field trip.
Lunch:
At the hotel.
Afternoon:
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. After returning to the hotel, we’ll gather for a lecture on birds and birding in Cape May with local experts, Pat Sutton.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Activity Note
Early morning pre-breakfast birding walk. Getting on/off a Jitney, riding up to 25 miles. Walking up to 3 miles; sand, uneven terrain, paved walkways.
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 breeding warbler species as possible. We will then return to the hotel for breakfast. Our mid-morning trip includes a visit to Northwood & De Witt Trail. We will return to the hotel for a "Bird Identification Workshop" with our naturalist.
Lunch:
Lunch at the hotel
Afternoon:
We will be exploring the Delaware Bayshore, spending time on a variety of beaches to witness shorebird migration and the congregation of Horseshoe Crabs, unique to the area.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a Jitney; riding about 20 miles. Walking up to 3 miles; sand, uneven terrain, paved walkways.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Setting out again by Jitney, we will ride to Cape May Point to experience migration firsthand at CMBOs Springwatch. We will meet CMBOs Migration Monitoring Coordinator, Tom Reed, and his Springwatch Technicians to learn how and why they count the over 200 species of birds each spring. Additionally, we will visit Cape May Point State Park to track down waterfowl and warblers, followed by checking out CMBOs Northwood Center.
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 Wildwood. We will explore the coast and a few inland sites in search of seabirds, roosting herons, and shorebirds.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
After dinner, enjoy a free night and feel to explore the downtown Cape May area. Our hotel is walkable to charming downtown Cape May!
Activity Note
Early morning pre-breakfast field trip. 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.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will head out before breakfast for an early morning visit to the Nature Conservancy Property, the Garrett Family Preserve. This Preserve is home to a tidal salt marsh, wildflower meadows, successional fields, and taller stands of trees, making it a haven for migrating songbirds, raptors, and pollinators. Returning for breakfast and then leaving again, we'll take the Jitney 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 breeding songbirds and possible rarities, as well as wintering waterfowl.
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 the Hotel. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
We’ll gather for a presentation by our naturalist, Adehl, "Gardening for Wildlife". Prepare for check-out and departure after our closing lecture in the morning.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
At the hotel, 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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