5 replies to this topic

[BirdingBlues]

Hello all,

I am trying to plan a trip at the beginning of May and would like to make a birding trip primarily.

Does anyone have any suggestions for East Coast birding? I live in NH but would like to head south, perhaps to coastal New Jersey - I hear Cape May is good, but really don't know much about the area.

Preferably within a good 7 hour drive - open to any and all suggestions. Thanks!

[JimBob]

I think Cape May would be good. Never been there or any where in the area.

[Joejr14]

It all depends....what are you looking for? Do you have specific species you're looking to check off the list, or just want to go out and go birding?

[hawkhenries]

Well I was going to suggest heading east to Acadia Nat'l Park where the birding is great. There are some small boats that take
cruises to pelagic birding sites and of course along the way you may see whales, dolphins/porpoise and seals BUT since you want to go south look into the Shenendoa Valley. Magnificent place!!!!

[birdbrain22]

If you could hold off until the middle to end of May...Cape May in May is THE place to be in NJ. You have all the migrating passerines coming through as well as all the shorebirds. As far as locations in Cape May... you have Higbee Beach and if you get there at sunrise, the warblers and such will be dropping in to rest right after the night flight and making it over the Delaware Bay. Other great spots are the Cape May State Park trails and Nature Conservancy Migratory Bird Refuge property(formerly the South Cape May Meadows), Nesting Least Terns, Piping Plovers and B. Skimmers on the beach off the N. Conservancy property. Nearby Belleplain State Forest is another great spot for migrants and the shorebirds will be congregating and gorging on the Horseshoe Crab eggs all along the Delaware bay shoreline. You will be impressed and can not go wrong with Cape May. Also Dolphins are seen from the beach riding the surf and I have seen Humpback Whales as well, although not many times. The Hieslerville impoundments often get a few Curlew Sandpipers.Very often rarities show up in Cape May, such as Swallow-tailed Kites, Purple Gallinule, Swainson's Hawk, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Painted Bunting and others and have had flyover Anhinga, and Wood Stork last year. This winter they had Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Western Grebe, Dickcissel, WW Dove, and Eurasian Collared Doves have just been confirmed as nesting this year(don't know if that is good or bad though). The World Series of Birding is on May 12.... so Cape May will be hoping!!!! Other good spots in the area are.... Reeds Beach, The Villas, The Beanery,Turkey Point, Stone Harbor, and many others. Here are some links for more info. http://www.birdcapem...checklist.shtml open the maps to see the Hotspots http://www.birdcapemay.org/index.html


And here is a vid of the May feeding frenzy(NOT MINE)...

[Parula]

go to chincateague. lots of good birds