CMBO Captivates Visitors During Cape May Fall Festival

New Jersey Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory (CMBO) celebrates its 41st anniversary during the 2017 Cape May Fall Festival Oct. 19-22, the 71st consecutive event of its kind held by New Jersey Audubon.
The oldest birding festival in the nation, Cape May Fall Festival stands out among others for many reasons. One – it seeks to connect anyone with nature, while other festivals focus on avid birders alone. Two – because of Cape May’s prime ornithological location. As birds migrate south of Cape May for the winter, many species fly close to the coast to avoid traveling over vast bodies of water, where they are vulnerable to predators. Due to Cape May County’s peninsular configuration, these migrating birds are naturally funneled to the tip of the state, Cape May, which makes it an international destination for birding.
At Cape May Fall Festival, both beginners and experts alike can immerse themselves in nature and connect with Cape May’s beautiful environment. Cape May Convention Hall will play host to demonstrations, exhibits, shows and vendors of all kind, all free and open to the public. Friday through Sunday three times daily, Jonathan Wood will fly his raptors inside Convention Hall for an exciting performance. There will be a silent auction with incredible deals on nature gear and other items starting Friday through Sunday. Saturday and Sunday at noon, enjoy a Monarch butterfly tagging demonstration. Saturday at 2:30 p.m., award-winning sand sculptor Brendan Schaffer will demonstrate basic sand sculpting techniques on the beach outside of Convention Hall.
Those who wish to register for the event at $75 per day or $200 for all three days can take advantage of an abundant selection of walks, talks, tours and other programs held by expert naturalists.  Registration includes a Hawk ID Master Class at the bleachers on Stevens Street overlooking the Rea Farm and fields, as well as a trip to the Avalon Seawatch for a Waterbird ID Master Class. This is the perfect location to see migrating seabirds due to the fact that the beach here extends a mile farther out into the ocean, allowing southbound seabirds that are following the coastline to pass very close to the beachfront.
The Cape May Triple Play Trolley Tour will take you to this famed Avalon Seawatch, as well as the Cape May Hawkwatch and Morning Flight Songbird Count at Higbee Beach. The Cape May Hawkwatch platform is known as the hub for birders around the world, seeing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Located in Cape May Point State Park at the very tip of the Cape May Peninsula, Hawkwatch is an excellent location to witness migrating birds. A few miles north at Hibgee Beach is the Morning Flight Songbird Count, where smaller migrant birds are often visible the first few hours after sunrise. These species typically funnel in at dawn after overnight flights, where they rest and feed until the winds are right again.
While anyone is able to visit these spots at any time, during Cape May Fall Festival is an opportune time to visit with talented guides and learn from the experts!
Through the annual Cape May Fall Festival, New Jersey Audubon carries out its mission to connect people to nature and steward the environment for generations to come.
Come be a part of the longest running birding festival in the country and be enchanted by fall migration in Cape May! For more information and to register, visit birdcapemay.org.