To provide you with a snapshot of Cape May’s extensive fall migration timeframe, we’ve put together some of the most symbolic species for each segment of the migration season.
Early-Autumn
Short-billed Dowitcher
This species of shorebird is one of the first fall migrants to appear in Cape May, often during the last few days of June. Known for its sewing machine-like feeding style, it is a characteristic species of mudflats and small tidal pools during July and August. Like almost all shorebirds, adults migrate before juveniles, with most July migrants being adults. By September, most of the Short-billed Dowitchers in Cape May will be juveniles. Peak numbers in the Cape May area typically occur in August, when adults and juveniles are both present. To see Short-billed Dowitchers, visit the South Cape May Meadows, Nummy Island, or Stone Harbor Point between July 4th and Labor Day. The Long-billed Dowitcher, almost identical to Short-billed, also occurs in Cape May, but in much lower numbers.
Mid-Autumn
Northern Flicker
This woodpecker is one of Cape May’s most abundant fall migrants. On a good flight morning in late September or October, it isn’t hard to see hundreds of Flickers darting about, easily identified by their flashy yellow “shafts” and direct, bounding flight. In fact, the Morning Flight project at Higbee Beach WMA typically records several thousand flickers each fall. Flickers also serve as a hearty breakfast choice for many of Cape May’s migrating raptors. If you’re out on a good flight morning and hear an urgent squeal from above, don’t be surprised to find a Northern Flicker being pursued by a hungry accipiter or falcon. The best places to see migrating Flickers? Higbee Beach, Hidden Valley, and the Beanery/Rea Farm!
Late-Autumn
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawks and several other buteos (soaring hawks) tend to migrate later in the season than other birds of prey (Broad-winged Hawk excepted).
Red-tails often make up a large percentage of Cape May’s November hawk flight, and if you’re in Cape May the day after an early November cold front, you have a great chance to see one of the season’s best Red-tailed Hawk flights. Distinguish the species in flight by its dark belly band and dark “commas” on the underside of the wings. Don’t necessarily look for a red tail--many of Cape May’s migrant Red-tails are juveniles, and they lack any trace of red! And just as the Short-billed Dowitcher is one of Cape May’s first fall migrants, the Red-tailed Hawk is one of the last, with a migration that lasts into December, and sometimes even early January.
Pulling it all Together
Now you have almost all the information you need to tackle Cape May in autumn! We’ve covered the basics, and now we’ll leave it to you and your family to make your trip to Cape May a memorable one. Remember, we’re here to help in any we can. If you have a question, just ask! To round out your Cape May Fall Primer, we’ve included a sample itinerary--a day’s worth of birding, with our suggestions on where to go, and when to be there. Enjoy!
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