This tour is all about migration- diversity and numbers. Mass daytime visible migration is always impressive, and sometimes truly awe-inspiring, even to seasoned veterans of the spectacle. At this time of year, visible migration will be in full effect, and we will be visiting the locations where all three migration counts take place (the hawk count, the water bird count, and the songbird morning flight count), but there will also be ample opportunities to experience large numbers of birds on the ground, and we will strike a strong balance between the two.
Cape May is one of the late season strongholds of Tree Swallow in the northeast, and most years there are still impressive flocks of these beauties swirling around the county in late October.
Day 1
Arrival in Philadelphia, PA. We’ll pick you up at the airport and transfer to out hotel. We’ll enjoy an evening introductory dinner before bed. Night in Philadelphia.
Day 2-6
We will drive down to Cape May early in the morning, and depending on the weather we may make stops on the way, or we may push right through and go directly to Cape Island, at the southern tip of the peninsula, if conditions look good for migration.
As weather is one of the biggest determinants of bird migration in Cape May, the exact itinerary of each day will depend on the day-to-day weather, as we hope to capitalize on favorable migration conditions. On days with good landbird migration conditions, we will be starting off either at Higbee Beach, or somewhere on Cape May Point, to watch morning flight. We will then continue birding for migrants on foot nearby. As it warms up, we will head to the famed Cape May Hawk Watch, to take in the raptor migration.
In no particular order here are some of the localities we’ll be visiting:
Cape May Point State Park: The most famous birding location in Cape May, this park lies at the southern tip of the Cape May peninsula, and is home to the Cape May Hawk Watch. As they fly southward, many birds that come to lands end at Cape May are discouraged by the long water crossing they encounter, and will hesitate in their migration as they reach the water, making Cape May Point a great place to see huge numbers of birds in the fall, both in the air and on the ground.
Higbee Beach WMA: At the northwest corner of Cape Island, this protected gem of forest and fields is a major chokepoint for migrant passerines, and is an especially good place to watch morning flight. In fact, the Morning Flight songbird migration count takes place on the dredge-spoil dike at the north end of the area.
The South Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge (a.k.a. The Meadows): This open freshwater marshland is managed by the Nature Conservancy, and lies just to the east of Cape May Point State Park. Depending on water levels it can be a great place to see shorebirds, ducks, and secretive marsh birds.
The Beanery: A former working Lima Bean Farm, Rea Farm includes open fields, dense brushy edges, wet woods, which can host a great diversity of
Pine Siskins are a fall staple of the Cape May migration scene, though due to their irruptive nature the numbers vary greatly from year to year, as does their migration timing.
birds in late fall, along with wide views of the sky that will allow us to keep an eye on overhead migration while birding the excellent terrestrial habitats.
Brigantine (Edwin B. Forsythe NWR): 45 miles north of Cape May, this well known National Wildlife Refuge has an immense amount of coastal salt marsh habitat and some very large impoundments that can be excellent for both shorebirds and waterfowl. This vast refuge is luckily made easily accessible with an 8-mile driving loop around the impoundments that will give us an excellent chance to see a good diversity of coastal salt marsh avifauna. Given the laundry list of rarities that have shown up at “The Brig” over the years, truly anything is possible here.
Stone Harbor: This beach town is 10 miles up the cast from Cape May, but boasts several areas with unique habitats, which can be good for beach-dwelling shorebirds, as well as migrating marsh birds such as Clapper Rail, and Saltmarsh, Seaside, and Nelson’s Sparrows.
The Avalon Seawatch: Located at the northern end of Avalon, at the tip of the barrier island, 7th street in Avalon is the location of Cape May Bird Observatory’s waterbird migration count, as birds migrating down the coast from the north are forced to angle away from land as they go around the obstacle that this barrier island presents to their movements. This count averages over half a million birds a year counted between late September and late December. This time of year is close to the peak of Scoter migration, and boasts a very high diversity of migrating waterbirds. It would not be unusual for us to see thousands of Scoters flying south in mixed flocks, and it is a great spot to quickly increase your skill at identifying waterbirds in flight, because there are so many.
We will also be focusing on some of the research being done in Cape May including the raptor banding, and the migration monitoring counts. The Cape May Raptor Banding Project has a rich tradition of raptor banding, and we will visit one of their several hawk blinds set up around Cape Island, hopefully being able to see some raptors up close and personal in the hand. Cape May also, as has been alluded to, has three long running migration counts, each of them very different, and we will be visiting all of them, and learning about the ins and outs of each of the counts.
This trip coincides with the peak of Sparrow migration through Cape May, and if we’re lucky we’ll find a Clay-colored Sparrow that was as obliging as this one at Cape May Point State Park was!
Our home base throughout the week will be a rental house in Cape May City, on the eastern side of Cape Island, not far from the beach for the duration. Meals will consist of a mix of home cooked meals by leaders, restaurant, and sometimes store bought “on the run” fare (there are some very good sandwich shops in Cape May). Nights in Cape May City.
Day 7
On our last day we will have an opportunity for one last morning of birding before we depart for Philadelphia to drop folks off at the airport. The tour ends this afternoon in Philadelphia, PA
Although we will typically adhere to the above itinerary, the exact schedule of the tour is liable to change depending on local conditions and of course the birds!
Trip Reports
Coming soon…
Photos
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Coming Soon…
Health Considerations
New Jersey presents no major health hazards, however, proper clothing including rain gear and a jacket will be needed.
Climate
New Jersey in fall is fairly mild with highs in the 50’s and 60’s. Cold fronts are always possible (and welcome as they often produce migration events!) so warm clothing, including a jacket or two and rain gear is highly recommended.
Dress
Informal throughout. A jacket or fleece as well as light rain jacket will be a must! Temperatures will be cool so other warm clothing may be required if you get cold easily. Rain pants are recommended but not required. Lastly, sturdy, waterproof boots are important.
Laundry
Laundry is typically available for a fee at our lodging and is not covered by BRANT. It can be very convenient to do laundry during a trip to drastically reduce the amount of luggage that you must bring. If you decide to do laundry be sure to plan your laundry for a time when we will be staying at the same lodge for two nights in a row. Ask your guide to help you with this if you need. Otherwise there is not enough time to get it done.
Group Size
Maximum group size is 10 participants. We typically have 2 guides for this tour.
Tour Pace
As with all birding tours, this trip will have early mornings and relatively full days of birding . Hiking is minimal, flat, and leisurely.
Food
Meals will be taken at local restaurants and home cooked throughout the tour.
Transportation
Our transportation will depend on how many participants we have. In any case we will have a comfortable rental vehicle appropriately sized for our group. We’re not sardines and we don’t expect you to be either.
Accommodations
We will be staying at a beautiful rental home throughout the trip with the exception of one night at clean and friendly chain hotel.
References
For this tour we recommend purchasing Sibley East. For information on other guide books, please contact us.
Non-US Citizens
Non-U.S. citizens will need a valid passport and may need a tourist visa to enter the United States. You can locate the nearest U.S.Embassy or Consulate here.
Before deciding to register for this tour, please read over the the following information as well as the “What To Expect” tab on this page. After you have read and understood the all important tour information please fill out the Registration Form at the bottom of this page and complete you payment under the “Payment” tab. Please note that your spot on the tour is not reserved until we have received your deposit in full. If you need help or have questions at any time feel free to contact us via email or phone.
What’s Included
The tour price includes all travel from the point of departure (Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia, PA), all lodging while on the trip, all meals unless otherwise noted, tour materials, and all services of the tour leaders. Tips for included meals, porters, drivers, and other service providers are also included.
Lodging is booked on double occupancy, most lodging in the U.S. can allow us to arranged for single rooms at an additional charge; lodging outside of the U.S. is usually in small locally-owned lodges and will almost always be double occupancy. If you are traveling single we will match you to appropriate roommates and can discuss any changes once the group has established. Double occupancy means that you are sharing your room with another individual, single occupancy means that you are paying for the room for just yourself, and you do not want a roommate.
Items that are not included in the tour price are as follows: passports, visas, airfare , departure taxes, immunizations, baggage charges, telephone calls, alcoholic beverages, laundry services, room service, snacks, emergency evacuation fees and medical fees, and other personal purchases you desire to make in the course of the trip.
Travel to Point of Departure
Your fees include travel arrangements for the trip at/from point of departure. For example if your trip begins in Albuquerque, NM, you will need to make arrangements to get to Albuquerque, NM. From that point we will pick you up and provide all other transport. If you are traveling internationally we will provide you with suggested airline and travel times for you to book your flight. We will provide specific information about arrival and departure times in the trip packet sent to you after registration. If you would like assistance with your travel plans please feel free to contact us and we will help you out.
Gratuities
At BRANT we value our guides experience expertise and do everything we can to compensate them appropriately. We do not expect you to tip them, and they do not expect a tip (seriously, we are not offended), however if you feel as though they have gone above and beyond to help make your trip exceptional and wish to tip your guides, they would be more than happy to accept. At the end of the tour please present your tip to the lead guide at the appropriate time and he/she will make sure to distribute the tips fairly to all the guides.
Tips for hotel staff, servers, kitchen staff, local guides, drivers, and anyone else are included in the cost of the tour. We hope to eliminate any confusion for our participants by covering all tips in the cost of the tour. However, if you wish to tip above and beyond that you are more than welcome to do so.
Restrictions On Participation
In general there is only one absolute restriction to a nature tour, you absolutely cannot collect any plants, artifacts or animals during the tour.
Otherwise, there are no restrictions. We only ask that you let us know about any potential limitations or safety concerns that may hamper your ability to participate in any aspect of the desired tour. For example, walking difficulties, diabetes, asthma, angina, diet limitations, applicable phobias, etc. should be noted on the registration form. Our tours are typically not physically demanding however the level of physical difficulty for each tour is available under the “Pace of Tour” section of each tour. If there is any question about your ability to participate on a tour we would be more than glad to provide more information that you and/or your doctor may need to help make that decision. All hikes, on all tours, will be round trip, that is returning to the vehicle start point unless otherwise noted, allowing any participant to ‘sit one out’ if they feel inclined to do so. In addition to any walking, participants should be mindful that they will be required to be able to sit in any seat on our tour vehicles.
Tour Confirmation
Tour confirmation occurs at the time of invoicing or 3 months prior to the tour departure date. This tour will be confirmed no later than July 26th, 2015.
Tour Cancellations
In the event a tour is cancelled by BRANT (due to civil unrest, natural disaster, low participation, etc.) we will offer you an alternate tour option (same time/similar birding targets) or refund the full amount of your tour deposit and price.
Price Increase
Projecting the cost of a tour package months in advance is not an exact science. If unexpected increases do occur it may be necessary to charge participants up to 10% increases of the tour price. If greater than 10% increases are necessary, participants may withdraw from the tour without penalty.
Refunds, Transfers, and Cancellations
We hope that you will be able to join us on this tour, however, if circumstances cause you to cancel your trip we understand. If cancellations are made 3 months before the start of your tour, your deposit, less the non-refundable amount, will be refunded to you. If cancellations are made after 3 months before the departure date, your deposit is not refundable. If cancellation is made 45 days or less before the departure date all deposits and payments are non-refundable.
BRANT will allow a one-time transfer of a deposit to an upcoming tour date as long as the transfer takes place at least 45 days prior to tour departure date. Once a transfer has been made you will no longer be eligible for a transfer or refund of any amount at any time should you cancel again. Please contact us to discuss this option.
Registration Form
Please fill in all required fields. Remember that you must pay your deposit in addition to submitting this form before your spot on the tour is secured.If you have any questions or problems please contact us at anytime.
If you would prefer to mail your registration form you can click here to print a hard copy. Our mailing address can be found here.
Cape May – Migration Magic Registration From
Cost
The price of this tour may vary by the selected tour date. Pricing is as follows:
October 26th – November 1st, 2015
$1,795.00 (+ 7% Tax)
Single Occupancy Supplement – $350 ($2,145.00 Total) (+7% Tax)
Deposit Due at Registration – $450.00
October 25th, 2016
Price TBA
Payment
Deposits can be made either online via PayPal or by check. Payments by check carry a significant discount, applied at the time of invoicing.
Make checks payable to BRANT Tours and mail them to the following address
7522 Edith Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM
87113
To pay the deposit online, select your departure date below and click “Buy Now”
October 26th, 2015
October 25th, 2016
Payment not available yet
Trip Material
After you successfully register for a trip we will send you an information document that will include:
- Detailed tour itinerary
- Study/reference info
- What to bring list
- Receipt for deposit and invoice for remaining balance owed
- Information regarding travel to and from tour departure location
- Liability Waiver
Although your guides will be able to identify all of the wildlife for the area you are visiting, it is always a good idea for you to study up on the expected wildlife for your trip. If you want more information about any aspect of your trip prior to departure please contact us and we will be happy to answer any questions and/or recommend any reference guides.
Liability Waiver
BRANT has selected known areas in the US and internationally, we cannot, however, guarantee anyone’s personal safety. For the most part ecotourism is done in remote, outback, and jungle like areas. The terrain is often rugged and local services and government assistance is not available in an emergency. In many out of the US areas there may not be phone or internet services for a day or two at a time during the trip. (However, in most established lodges internet service is readily available.) Therefore, we require that you accept your personal responsibility and agree to release us from liability for your safety within the limits of the law by completing the Assumption of Risk and Liability Agreement provided in your tour registration packet. This agreement must filled out and returned to us prior to the departure date of your tour. YOU MUST COMPLETE THE LIABILITY WAIVER TO PARTICIPATE ON ANY BRANT TOUR!
You can return the liability waiver to us via post or email at anytime prior to your trip.
Liability Waiver (click to download PDF)
Health Preparations
Health precautions for trips in the US are minimal to none. If you have a health condition that requires medication please have the prescription filled for more than the numbers of days your trip encompasses, carry it in the original bottle, clearly labeled with instructions. If you have a health condition that you feel may affect your participation on the trip please discuss this with us so we can advise you and/or provide you with information to discuss with your physician.
Trip Insurance
Please check with your insurance agent for coverage you may already have and any limitations on national and/or international travel. Travel insurance may be purchased from several reliable companies; Travel Insured International (travelinsured.com) and Travelex (travelexinsurance.com) are two to consider. Travel insurance is purely voluntary and not required to participate on BRANT tours.
