V21 N43

Bird Droppings
Dispatches from the nation’s birdwatching capital… by Seymore Thanu
This holiday season, forget about the
sweater and electronics. This year,
give someone a hobby they will enjoy
for the rest of their lives. I’m talking
about bird watching, a hobby enjoyed
by 50 million North American residents.
It’s a treasure hunt and the playing field
is everywhere. From your own back yard to
Papua New Guinea.
There are 10,000 bird species on the
planet. Collect them all and you win a lifetime
of travel. But if you never get farther than Cape
May, your days will be filled with treasure.
Over 400 species have been recorded in the
county, making Cape May one of the most
bird-rich places on earth.
All you need are binoculars and a field
guide to the birds. Both can be had for less
than $70. That’s less than a round of golf or
dinner for two in Cape May. Most local birding
locations are free. Every national wildlife
refuge in North America can be accessed with
the purchase of a single Federal duck stamp.
Your unofficial lifetime goal should you
choose to bird only in North America is 700
species. So what’s it going to be? A lifelong
treasure hunt or a life spent watching reruns
of Gilligan’s Island or inane game shows?
Let’s say you chose a life of adventure.
Step one: Head down to Cape May Bird
Observatory and get fitted with birder worthy
binoculars — not all binoculars work in
the bird watching arena. If you tried birding
before but were frustrated, it was because the
binoculars you were using were inadequate.
Birding-worthy binoculars start at $49 and
they focus fast, focus close and offer a bright,
sharp image.
Step two: Buy a well-conceived, userfriendly
field guide to birds. I recommend the
Kaufman guide, but the Sibley excels, too. If
you own an Audubon Field Guide with the
green plastic cover, throw it away. Buy a guide
that works.
Step three, pick up a free Cape May bird
checklist.
Step four: go outside, start scooping
up treasure, each new species you identify
counts as one.
Try Bunker Pond, Lake Lily or South Cape
May, ducks abound at these locations in winter
and ducks play fair, swimming in the
open where they are easily viewed. Different
habitats host a different array of species.
A trip to Second Avenue jetty will garner
Purple Sandpipers, Red-throated Loon and
Bonaparte’s Gull. And those sandpipers on
the beach are Sanderlings. So much to see.
Will the Magic of Cape May
be enough to heal a fractured family
in time for Christmas?
A Celebration of Family & Love
In America’s First Seaside Resort.
Available October 10, 2023
From the USA Today bestselling author of
The Sound of Wings
suzannesimonetti.com
November 30, 2023 EXIT ZERO Page 31