Our Birding Legendary Cape May Crew. Photo by Emily Jones.
Thirty intrepid birders gathered in the beautiful Victorian seaside resort town of Cape May, New Jersey on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 26. We were there to spend a long weekend sampling the feathered autumnal delights of one of the world’s most-famous migration hotspots.
And we were not disappointed.
Our local guide was world-class naturalist and birder Mark Garland. Not only does Mark know all the best birding sites of Cape May he knows all the best birders, too. Thus, over the following four days, while we were being blown away by the sheer spectacle of songbird and raptor migration, we were also meeting and engaging with the famous birders, talented naturalists, and skilled field researchers who make Cape May their home. Each day the sky was peppered with clouds of tree swallows, ragged clusters of blue jays, and swooping northern flickers, while the beaches held multiple species of gulls, terns, and shorebirds. Offshore, black scoters, ospreys, and an unusual number of parasitic jaegers thrilled us. Merlins, peregrines, and accipiters raced overhead while the warm mid-day thermals carried vultures, buteos, and eagles aloft. A boat trip to the salt marshes north of Cape May yielded two dozen hard-to-find species, including whimbrel, both night-herons, American oystercatchers, and close looks at two bald eagle pairs.
No one went hungry on this Rendezvous; event planner Emily Jones put together a series of culinary experiences that left us more than sated. Ben Lizdas, the LeBron James of Birding Optics, not only lent us his guiding expertise, he also matched a number of attendees with their perfect binocular or spotting scope courtesy of Redstart Birding.
It was a record-setting weekend for the Cape May Point Hawk Watch, with season-high numbers of black and turkey vultures, northern harrier, sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks, and red-shouldered hawk recorded on Saturday, September 29.
At the final dinner, after a few raffle prizes were handed out and the final list was tallied, Bill Thompson, III, serenaded us with a few bird-themed songs, joined on stage by his mom Elsa, and former Rendezvous planner Wendy Clark.
All of us agreed that it was the most wonderful weekend of birding we’d ever experienced.
Check out photos of the event!
Participants listening intently to Mark Garland's presentation on the birds we were to see during our short week in Cape May. Photo by Emily Jones.
Participants listening intently to Mark Garland's presentation on the birds we were to see during our short week in Cape May. Photo by Emily Jones.
Mark Garland giving participants the Cape May Hawk Watch rundown. Photo by Emily Jones.
Mark Garland giving participants the Cape May Hawk Watch rundown. Photo by Emily Jones.
Record high bird counts at the Cape May Point Hawk Watch. Photo by Bill Thompson, III.
Record high bird counts at the Cape May Point Hawk Watch. Photo by Bill Thompson, III.
Hawk watchin' at Cape May Point State Park. Photo by Emily Jones.
Hawk watchin' at Cape May Point State Park. Photo by Emily Jones.
Crowded Hawk Watch platform. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Crowded Hawk Watch platform. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Stilt sandpiper, one of the Rendezvous' best birds. Photo by Bill Thompson, III.
Stilt sandpiper, one of the Rendezvous' best birds. Photo by Bill Thompson, III.
Beach at Cape May Point. Photo by Mark Garland.
Beach at Cape May Point. Photo by Mark Garland.
Black skimmers, Cape May Point State Park. Photo by Mark Garland.
Black skimmers, Cape May Point State Park. Photo by Mark Garland.
Bird watching at Cape May Point State Park. Photo by Bill Thompson, III.
Bird watching at Cape May Point State Park. Photo by Bill Thompson, III.
Cape May Point State Park birding shot by Nancy Zeglen.
Cape May Point State Park birding shot by Nancy Zeglen.
Northern Flicker at Cape May Point State Park. Photo by Mark Garland.
Northern Flicker at Cape May Point State Park. Photo by Mark Garland.
Bill Thompson posing with a couple of young birders at the Hawk Watch. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Bill Thompson posing with a couple of young birders at the Hawk Watch. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Savannah sparrow by Mark Garland.
Savannah sparrow by Mark Garland.
Mark Garland explaining monarch tagging and migration. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Mark Garland explaining monarch tagging and migration. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Garrett Family Preserve. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Garrett Family Preserve. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Eastern kingbird by Mark Garland.
Eastern kingbird by Mark Garland.
Northern parula by Mark Garland.
Northern parula by Mark Garland.
Always have to get the lighthouse in the pictures at Cape May Point State Park. Photo by Bill Thompson, III.
Always have to get the lighthouse in the pictures at Cape May Point State Park. Photo by Bill Thompson, III.
Black-and-white warbler by Mark Garland.
Black-and-white warbler by Mark Garland.
Prairie warbler by Mark Garland.
Prairie warbler by Mark Garland.
Birding at South Cape May Meadows. Photo by Bill Thompson, III.
Birding at South Cape May Meadows. Photo by Bill Thompson, III.
Northern Waterthrush at Higbee Wildlife Management Area. Photo by Mark Garland.
Northern Waterthrush at Higbee Wildlife Management Area. Photo by Mark Garland.
Grand Hotel, grand friends. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Grand Hotel, grand friends. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Ben Lizdas cracking jokes for the last dinner in the Grand Hotel Ballroom. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Ben Lizdas cracking jokes for the last dinner in the Grand Hotel Ballroom. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Saturday's dinner & closing ceremony. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Saturday's dinner & closing ceremony. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Bill Thompson rockin' out on the last night! Photo by Emily Jones.
Bill Thompson rockin' out on the last night! Photo by Emily Jones.
BWD columnist and our local guide, Mark Garland, and Bill Thompson posing for a sweet picture at Sunset Beach. Photo by Wendy Clark.
BWD columnist and our local guide, Mark Garland, and Bill Thompson posing for a sweet picture at Sunset Beach. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Merlin at Sunset Beach, Cape May Point. Photo by Mark Garland.
Merlin at Sunset Beach, Cape May Point. Photo by Mark Garland.
Founding publisher, Elsa Thompson, and advertising director, Ben Lizdas, chatting at sunset on Sunset Beach. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Founding publisher, Elsa Thompson, and advertising director, Ben Lizdas, chatting at sunset on Sunset Beach. Photo by Wendy Clark.
Sunrise beach birding photo by first-time Rendezvous attendee, Nancy Zeglen.
Sunrise beach birding photo by first-time Rendezvous attendee, Nancy Zeglen.
Mike Maier doing birdie things on the beach! Photo by Emily Jones.
Mike Maier doing birdie things on the beach! Photo by Emily Jones.
One of our favorite Rendezvous duos: Lee and Alan Dolan. Photo by Emily Jones.
One of our favorite Rendezvous duos: Lee and Alan Dolan. Photo by Emily Jones.
Our fabulous local guide for the short week, Mark Garland! Photo by Emily Jones.
Our fabulous local guide for the short week, Mark Garland! Photo by Emily Jones.
"Do it for Facebook!" Photo of attendee, Martha Cartwright, at sunrise on our last morning in Cape May, New Jersey. Photo by Emily Jones.
"Do it for Facebook!" Photo of attendee, Martha Cartwright, at sunrise on our last morning in Cape May, New Jersey. Photo by Emily Jones.
Wendy Swanson posing for a quick photo on the beach in front of the Grand Hotel. Photo by Emily Jones.
Wendy Swanson posing for a quick photo on the beach in front of the Grand Hotel. Photo by Emily Jones.
Yellow-billed cuckoo by Mark Garland.
Yellow-billed cuckoo by Mark Garland.
Beloved Rendezvous repeat-attendee couple, Roger and Linda Taylor. Photo by Emily Jones.
Beloved Rendezvous repeat-attendee couple, Roger and Linda Taylor. Photo by Emily Jones.
Our Birding Legendary Cape May Crew. Photo by Emily Jones.
Our Birding Legendary Cape May Crew. Photo by Emily Jones.
"Everyone point in different directions!" Photo by Bill Thompson, III.
"Everyone point in different directions!" Photo by Bill Thompson, III.
We tried to catch every sunrise on this trip! Photo by Bill Thompson, III.
We tried to catch every sunrise on this trip! Photo by Bill Thompson, III.
Birding Legendary Cape May
Sept. 26 - 30, 2018
Cape May, NJ
During the event we saw a total of 136 species. Check out the official checklist, available in PDF format.
