birders guide to Cape May

Many visiting birders to Cape May will get to the world-famous hawk watch platform to see the amazing spectacle of hawk migration. And the hawk watching IS fabulous! But there are many other spectacles to see as well: spring and fall warbler flights, sparrow fall-outs, nesting songbirds, amazing seabird flights, wintering owls, winter loons and huge rafts of ducks, the morning songbird flight, heron rookeries, endangered red knots, nesting piping plovers and other shorebirds, to name just a few.

Knowing where to go to see each of these and more is the purpose of the landmark book and ultimate guide to birding Cape May, "Birds and Birding at Cape May: What to See, When and Where to go," by Clay and Pat Sutton, veteran naturalists, educators, and long-time residents of Cape May.

This book is a treasure trove of information, including what to expect during each season, a history of birding in Cape May, and a description of 32 sites that every birder should make a point to visit. Plus, they have documented historical changes that are having an impact on the birds and other wildlife, both those changes that are harmful to the birds as well as those changes that are having positive effects.

This is the must-have guide for any birder wishing to make the pilgrimage to Cape May.

David Sibley painted the plates for his consumate field guide, the "Sibley Guide to Birds," while living in Cape May. This is my favorite field guide because every bird has pictures from above and below, as well as juvenile and both male and female plumages.

The ultimate guide to hawk identification, "Hawks in Flight," was written by Cape May residents Clay Sutton, David Sibley, and Pete Dunne. Each of these authors has amazing skill at identifying "dot birds," hawks that are too far away to ID by standard field marks. They have developed an amazing system of identifying hawks by flight patterns, behavior, and body shape.

Jerry Liguori has added to hawk identification with "Hawks from every Angle." This book does a splendid job of educating its readers as to the specific characteristics the experts use to make their identifications.The book's strength is its numerous crisp diagnostic photographs that, if diligently studied, should make readers competent to correctly identify virtually any hawk species. This book is a fine example of the sophistication of field identification in the study of birds.

Shorebirds are an abundant feature of the Cape May birding experience, but often the most difficult to identify. Three veteran Cape May birders, Michael O'Brien, Richard Crossley, and Kevin Karlson, have solved this problem with "The Shorebird Guide." Join the experts in this revolutionary approach to bird identification. Experienced birders use the most easily observed characteristics - size, structure, behavior, and general color patterns - to identify birds even before looking carefully at plumage details. Now birders at all levels can learn how to identify shorebirds quickly and simply.

Another group of birds that causes identification angst are the warblers, especially those "confusing fall warblers." But, not to worry, assistance is also available here with "A Field Guide to Warblers," by Kimball Garrett and Jon Dunn. This book removes the confusion with excellent illustrations. Used in combination with the Sibley Gudie, you will soon become an expert in warbler identification.

The first time I went to Cape May to attend a birding weekend, I had a pair of $30 binoculars from my local sporting goods store. I soon discovered that this was a very poor choice for birding. People around me were describing details of birds that I was simply unable to see with these binoculars. I purchased a pair of Leupold binoculars that weekend and was amazed at the detail that I was now able to discern. Now I could really identify what I was seeing.

This is an important lesson for all birders: optics matter! You can never expect to learn to identify birds or become a birder without good binoculars.

As I birded more and more, and struggled to identify shorebirds and treetop warblers, I again graduated to my current binoculars, Zeiss Victory 8 x 42. I am thrilled that I finally made this lifetime investment. They are bright, clear, and having the ability to rapidly focus from the tanager in a nearby shrub to the hawk high in the sky.

The other piece of equipment you are sure to want is a good spotting scope. You simply cannot watch shorebirds or ID ducks, or see distant raptors without one. A spotting scope will change your world. You'll be amazed at the details and identifying factors you will be able to see when you add a scope to your birding arsenal.

Michael O'Brien, co-author of "The Shorebird Guide," is featured in Miyoko Chu's "Songbird Journeys." I have stood on the dike at Higbee Beach in Cape May before daylight listening to the phenomenon of morning flight. I am always amazed while there to hear Michael calling out the ID of the birds passing overhead and giving the little chips and peeps of their flight calls. Miyoko Chu has discussed Michael's amazing ability to identify birds by these calls.

Clay and Pat Sutton, authors of "Birds and Birding at Cape May, have also authored several other books, including "How to Spot Hawks and Eagles" and "How to Spot Butterflies." Join these amazing naturalists on a journey of discovery.

Many birders are familiar with Pete Dunne of the Cape May Bird Observatory. He's a prolific author of books and articles in many birding magazines. His "Essential Field Guide Companion" extended the method of hawk identification developed by Clay Sutton, David Sibley, and himself to the other birds. Dunne uses what he calls the "Cape May School of Birding" to identify birds by behavior and general impression of size and shape. Let's face it, sometimes there is just no way to ID a bird using field marks. Maybe the light is bad or the bird is hidden behind leaves. Dunne has offered a method of bird ID that will help in these situations.