The State We’re In by Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, NJ Conservation

Autumn bird migration takes flight

If you think fall isn’t just around the corner, take a look at the birds!

If you’ve been at the Jersey shore recently, you may have noticed tiny sandpipers known as sanderlings pecking and scurrying along the water’s edge. They just spent their summer breeding in the Canadian arctic. Some are now following New Jersey’s coastline on their way to South America, while others will stay at the Jersey coast all winter.

You may also have spotted common nighthawks in the early evening. They’re also heading south. In the next couple of weeks, many raptors – especially hawks, falcons and eagles – will pass through New Jersey on their southward migration. They conserve energy as they follow our state’s mountain ridges and coastline, taking advantage of thermals, wind currents, and updrafts.

And this is just the beginning! New Jersey’s fall bird migration is an amazing spectacle that runs through November. The eastern flyway migration route follows the Atlantic coast and the Appalachian mountain range, giving Garden State residents a front-row seat as hundreds of species head south for the winter.

Here are a few fun events to check out if you’d like to help usher in autumn bird migration:

Cape May Fall Festival – New Jersey Audubon is celebrating their 80^th Fall Festival from October 15-18. The festival includes a weekend full of guided field trips and talks with experts. The Cape May Convention Hall will also host nature-themed vendors throughout the weekend. Visit njaudubon.org/cape-may-fall-festival/ for more information.

The Cape May peninsula hosts both an incredible variety and staggering quantity of migrating birds during the fall. Many birds follow the Delaware bayshore and Atlantic coast and those routes converge at Cape May Point, funneling birds onto a narrow strip that’s a world-famous birding destination!

Wings Over Mercer – This second annual bird-a-thon puts a focus on beginning birders, challenging them to identify as many different species as possible within Mercer County on Saturday, October 3^rd. Wild Bird Research Group, host of the event, will be stationed at Rosedale Park in Pennington, New Jersey with identification tips as well as some other goodies. Visit wildbirdresearch.org/wingsovermercer/ for more information.

Hawkwatches – New Jersey has more than a dozen “hawkwatch” locations, most of them along mountain ridges. Top viewing spots include Palisades Interstate Park in Bergen County, Wildcat Ridge in Morris County, Sunrise Mountain in Sussex County, Raccoon Ridge in Warren County, Chimney Rock in Somerset County, and the Montclair Hawk Lookout in Essex County. Most famous is the Cape May Hawkwatch, which has been operating at Cape May Point State Park for more than 40 years. Falcons and smaller hawks can be seen in September and October, soon to be joined by larger raptors. By late November, you may be lucky enough to see golden eagles and northern goshawks if conditions are right.

Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge – Take an 8 mile self-guided tour – complete with observation towers – of saltwater marsh, freshwater habitat, and upland forest in an internationally-recognized birding “hotspot.” The Refuge protects close to 50,000 acres of southern New Jersey coastal habitat. It is actively managed for migratory birds and is located on one of the Atlantic Flyway’s most active flight paths, making it a critical link during seasonal bird migration.

Luckily, lots of organizations and clubs hold bird walks in the fall, so you’ll likely have luck searching for something close to home.

New Jersey Conservation Foundation will host a series of three fall migration bird walks on Sept. 9, Sept. 30 and Oct. 14 at the Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center in Chester Township, Morris County. For more information, go to njconservation.org/events/.

So get outside and fall for the birds!

And to learn about preserving New Jersey’s land and natural resources, visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.