CAPE MAY 25 September–3 October 2010 25 September–3 October 2011 Leader: James P. Smith

Cape May, at the southern tip of New Jersey, is one of the world’s best-known migration hotspots. Large numbers of seabirds, raptors, waterfowl and shorebirds combine with some of the best songbird migration spectacles in North America to provide a major attraction for all levels of birder; indeed, many a well-known American birding personality has settled down to live at Cape May. September mornings can provide some truly exhilarating birding, as wave upon wave of migrating warblers head south on autumn migration. We visit when warbler variety will be at its peak and vireos, tanagers, thrushes and sparrows filter through the bushes, converging at hotspots such as Higbee Beach. Cape May isn't just about songbirds, however. A growing interest in sustained seawatching has furnished some exciting results and we may well find ourselves watching migrating divers, scoters and skuas, and maybe shearwaters, from shore. In addition, Cape May's well-deserved reputation for rarities will find us chasing the most unexpected birds – anything from a Roseate Spoonbill to a rare tern to a vagrant hummingbird from the west. Our visit will also coincide with some spectacular Monarch migration. With all of the key birding spots being relatively close together, including a specially designed raptor-watching platform, we’ll be able to maximise our time in the field and minimise time spent on the road.

Day 1 Scheduled flight from London to Philadelphia followed by a one-hour-forty-minute drive to our accommodation at Cape May. En route we should see common species such as Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird and Common Grackle. Six nights in Cape May.

Days 2–7 No two days on this trip will be alike and most will produce something exciting at this time of year. Most mornings we will head for Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area, generally the best area on the peninsula to observe warblers and other passerines. On a good day it's possible to see 20 species of wood warbler plus both kinglets and numerous vireos, all before breakfast! Even on a quiet day, 15 warbler species is not unusual. Rarer warblers, such as Connecticut, Hooded and Cape May, can be found with a little luck and seeing a fall of several hundred American Redstarts or thousands of Yellow-rumped Warblers can be awe inspiring. As it's autumn, many warblers will be in first-year or winter plumage, although some will retain their resplendent breeding colours. Considerable improvements in identification techniques and much better field guides have revealed autumn warblers to be less confusing than previously thought, and identifying them will be a big part of the fun of this trip! In addition, there will certainly be a chance of Scarlet Tanager, Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted and possibly Blue Grosbeaks, lots of Indigo Buntings plus Bobolink and Dickcissel. By mid-morning the pulse of migration will be winding down for the day and we'll have a chance for ‘brunch’ or a coffee break to boost our reserves for the rest of the day.

Various other sites, including Cape May Point, Belleplain State Forest, Stone Harbor Point, The Hawk Watch and South Cape May Meadows, offer rich, diverse habitats. By visiting them regularly and gleaning information from the excellent local grapevine, we’ll add many more species to our lists, which should include American Bittern, Clapper, Sora and Virginia Rails, American Woodcock, Cedar Waxwing, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Blue Jay, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Tufted Titmouse, Chimney Swift, Carolina Wren, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Carolina Chickadee and Common Nighthawk. We should also see an abundance of sparrows on this trip and amongst the Chipping and Field Sparrows, both Clay-colored and Lark Sparrows will be worth looking for. In open areas, Horned Larks and American Pipits will be unobtrusive but certainly present and there may be a chance of Lapland Longspur. Further identification challenges, such as those posed by the Empidonax flycatchers, will keep us busy. Least Flycatcher and perhaps Acadian, Yellow-bellied, Willow and Alder Flycatchers are all possible and can cause headaches! Fortunately, Eastern Kingbird, Great Crested Flycatcher and Eastern Wood-pewee will pose fewer identification problems. Woodpeckers will also feature high on our target list and by visiting various sites we should see Northern Flicker (these can pour through in hundreds in late September), plus Downy, Hairy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers and migrating Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers. Red-headed Woodpecker is rather scarce but still possible. Skulking thrushes may need some work but eventually Swainson's, Gray-cheeked, Hermit and Wood Thrushes plus Veery may be found. Identifying Bicknell's Thrush will pose an almost impossible challenge – some say that it can’t be done in the field whilst others are quite happy that it can!

Turning to raptors, Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, Broad-winged, Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks, American Kestrel, Turkey Vulture and Bald Eagle will be amongst the more common. The migration of Merlins and Peregrines will be almost at its peak and many of the Peregrines will be of the ‘tundra’ form originating from the Arctic. We should have no trouble in finding Northern Harrier, which should be everywhere in open areas on the peninsula.

At least one day will be devoted to Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge, about 90 minutes from Cape May. This superb refuge is best known for passage and wintering wildfowl and shorebirds. The eight-mile drive loop will give us plenty of opportunity to find many new species including Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue, Little Blue, Tricolored and Green Herons, Wood Duck, American Black Duck, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Semipalmated Plover, Least, Pectoral, Semipalmated, Stilt, Spotted and Western Sandpipers, Killdeer, American Oystercatcher, Eastern and Western races of Willet, Long- and Short-billed Dowitchers and Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. Scarcer species such as Red-necked and Wilson’s Phalaropes, American Avocet, Baird's, White-rumped, Upland and Buff-breasted Sandpipers and Hudsonian Godwit can all be found in the area at this time of year. Terns such as Forster's and Caspian should still be present together with a few Black Skimmers. Passerines may include Tree Swallow, Fish Crow, Marsh Wren, Savannah and Song Sparrows, Seaside and Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows (frequenting the saline marshes here) and there’s also a good possibility of Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow on migration. Although a little early, the vanguard of Canada, Cackling and Snow Geese may well be reaching Brigantine at this time. The first major wave of Snow Geese could harbour the smaller (and much rarer) Ross’s Goose, now being detected annually in the region.

Depending on the intensity of the migration, on another day we may take the Lewes ferry crossing of Delaware Bay, primarily to visit the excellent Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Not only will we find more waterfowl and shorebirds, but this is a refuge with a big reputation for national rarities and will almost certainly harbour some new additions to our trip list. Should time allow we may visit some of the numerous state parks and beaches around the Delaware shore.

Day 8 Sadly, we have to bid farewell to Cape May but there should be enough time for a final morning at Higbee Beach or perhaps another visit to Brigantine on the way to Philadelphia International Airport, where we’ll have a mid-afternoon flight back to the UK.

Day 9 Arrival back in London at the conclusion of the tour.

General Information The weather can be highly changeable at this time of year, with some days with quite high temperatures and others with strong winds and perhaps heavy rain. The pace of the tour will be fairly relaxed with only a moderate degree of fitness required. There are no special medical requirements and visas are not required. Biting insects will be reduced to a minimum in most areas by late September; however, ticks, and especially Deer Ticks which can carry Lime's disease, can be found in the longer grasses and woodlands.

Group size Minimum number for tour to go ahead: 6; maximum group size: 9 with 1 leader, 16 with 2 leaders.

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