Cape May, New Jersey. Another Long Overdue Visit. But No Migratory Birds.

I am writing this blog 190 miles from my home in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I am in Cape May, New Jersey on a  Saturday morningand  I am enjoying a cup of coffee in my hotel room,  waiting for the sun to rise. My hotel is on the beach and I fell asleep, and awoke to,  the crashing of the waves on the nearby shore.   It is a good place to be. I only decided to visit this quaint, scenic, and historic town yesterday morning. It was a large flock of migrating  yellow-rumped warblers I saw  while foraging for wild mushrooms near my home on Thursday afternoon that inspired this trip. 

I was surprised to see the warblers still in our area.  I did some research on the migration of song bird and  I learned that Cape May is a major migration flyover and stopover for migrating birds. It is also one of  the best locations to see migrating  raptors too, in fact, one of the best  on the East Coast. I had not  visited Cape May in 25 years. I loved this scenic and historic town  and promised myself on  my last visit I would return soon.  Well it’s 25 years later, and , although I have many unfinsihed projects and chores to do at home,  I decided to take the 3 1/2 hour drive to Cape May on Friday .

I booked a hotel, and after a few hour at my law office I was on the road  driving through the scenic mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania. I drove through the  historic town of Jim Thorpe and the famous Lehigh Tunnel. Traffic was light  and I made good time even through the congestion of Philadelphia. I was soon on the Atlantic City  Expressway. I remember this road from the first time I saw the ocean when my  family took our only  vacation when I was about 9 years old.

Around  1 p.m. I was hungry and stopped at the Greets Diner in Williamstown New Jersey. I love diners and learned this one is even older than me. It opened  in 1942. I was served a wonderful late breakfast in the classic diner and soon on my way to  Cape May. The Expressway left the urban areas and passed through the woodlands I remembered from my drive when I was a child.

I left the Expressway at Egg Harbor and was glad there was little traffic on the Garden State Parkway. I remember the hours of traffic congestion when visitng Wildwood in my younger days. I was at my hotel, the La Mer Beachfront Resort around 2:30 and pleased to find a room available. I quickly settled in , and was out the door again, driving a few miles to the Nature Center of Cape May,

I stopped here since I did not have a lot of time to research the birding areas and hiking trails around Cape May . I learned a lot from the pleasant woman at the desk and she recommended I begin my exploration at the Cape May Wetlands and Meadows area near the famous Cape May Lighthouse.

It was mostly sunny and warm when I started my hike and exploration of the area by following  a  boardwalk on , I think  it was the Monarch or  Yellow Trail . It took me  through an area of wax myrtle and  goundseltrees  shrubs.

I then came to a  wooded area and  was surprised to see the many species of trees growing in the sandy soil. It was a mixed hardwood/conifer forest. At first I walked  under the shade of large eastern red cedar trees.

There were black willow,

sweet gum , black tupelo, arrow wood and maple tree also grew along the shaded trail. My iPhone app helped with the identification. I was surprised to find oak trees so close to the ocean , I learned they were swamp  and southern red oak trees.

I believe many  of these trees were planted here and not natural but it was still a beautiful trail. What I didn’t  see were any birds or other wildlife. However, there were a lot of humans enjoying the trail. I was surprised with the number of people, from young couple with children to old birders with binoculars.

A few yellow thin sunflowers  flowers bloomed along the trail

and I saw these netted chain ferns, a species of ferns I had never seen before, growing under the shade of the trees. 

This section of the trail ended in a grove of loblolly pines . This is the northern range of this pine tree common in our southern states .

The trail came to an intersection and I followed the boardwalk  path on the Monarch  Trail that took me into a meadow/marsh. 

The trail was now lined with tall reed with many more goundseltrees band wax myrtle shrubs..These are  native species. However there were s few invasive plant species such  autimn olive shrubs, These are autumn olive berries.

The Monarch  trail continued through  the marsh  and I came to a side trail that  took me to a pond,

where I finally saw some birds. They were wading birds and not the migrating warblers and vireos I traveled so far to see.  I was glad to view, and get  some photos of a great egret ,

a snowy egret

and a, I believe,  greater yellowlegs  wading in the waters of the shallow pond.

I returned  to the Monarch   trail and followed it through the marsh. It was now late afternoon and still very few birds or wildlife along the trail.

There were some more native wildflowers blooming along the trail including spotted beebalm flowers,

swamp rose mallow flowers and

these hairy asters visited by a yellow jacket.

A few butterflies were also attracted to the flowers including this beautiful red admiral butterfly.

The trail now follwed  a boardwalk took me  through a wetter area of the marsh,

here, I finally heard and saw a  bird, this  Carolina wren singing a cheerful afternoon song.

An osprey also flw overhead, I was very diappointed I hadn’t seen any migrating warblers and wondered if I had visited  the wrong area of Cape May.

I left the board walk loop and returned back to the main Monarch  trail.

Here I  saw this snake stretched across the trail.

I believe it is a black rat snake.  I was surprised to see one so close to the ocean.

 I wanted to take more photos and a video, but, when I approached, instead of assuming a defensive position, as they usually do, this onery fellow lunged past me and into the reeds.

I followed the Monarch  trail which took me on the Plover Trail and along another pond but there wre no water fowl here. I followed the trail to a parking lot and trailhead and then back on the East Trail through the South Cape May Meadows, and along another large pond.

Here I saw a small group of green winged teals

and I believe blue winged teals.

I also saw a few Canada geese.

I followed the trail back toward the lighthouse, through a meadow of tall reeds.

A side trail  took me up and over the dunes and down to an isolated beach.

I loved the solitude of the beach as I listend to the crashing of the waves.

High clouds had moved in adding to the somber Fall feeling. It was a great place to enjoy nature and reflect on another passing season.

Only a few people roamed on the beach with the light house in the distance.

It was getting late so I left the beach and continued my hike,

I came to another series of ponds and here I saw another snowy egret,

a small group of gadwalls,

and a lot of mute swans.

I watched a fmily of these graceful birds  glide over the water.

They are beautiful creatures. This is a juvenile

 Unfortunately they would be the last birds I would see on my hike. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos of the birds snd other wildlife I saw on my hike. Cape May  hike wildlife October 4 2023.

I finished my four mile hike back at the parking lot near the lighthouse. It was now after 6 p.m. so I left the Cape May Lighthouse disappointed I didn’t see any of the warbler I hoped to find here. However, I did not regret my decision. I enjoyed seeeing so many different shore and waddding birds, a wide variety of different plants, trees and flowers, and, a relaxing walk on a secluded beach. It was a good afternoon. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from   my hike. Cape May hike  October 4 2023.

I returned to my hotel, qucikly showered , and drove off to hopefully catch a sunset. However, the skies remained cloudy and the setting sun was obscured. There were still some nice clouds formations in the sky.

It was a long day and I was hungry. I deicded to eat the Lobster House. It has been 35 years since I last ate here when I would visit Wildwood in my younger day. It is a South Jersey traditon and I had a wholesome meal starting with a bowl of New England clam chowder,

and a broiled seafood platter for my main course.

I was exhausted  when I returned to my hotel, but since the hotel  was on the beach I had to walk down to the ocean and enjoy the crashing of the waves. in the darkness. I was another reflective moment.  I returned to my room, and opened the door patio. I soon fell asleep, listening to the crashing of the waves. A day early I had no idea I would be here next to the ocean.  I looked forward to another day of exploring  Cape May as I dozed off.

“Every time I stand before a beautiful beach, its waves seem to whisper to me: If you choose the simple things and find joy in nature’s simple treasures, life and living need not be so hard.”
Psyche Roxas-Mendoza

fskokoski@gmail.com

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