|
|
|||||
 |
|
||||
|
|||||
         |
|
INSTITUTE FOR FIELD ORNITHOLOGY | |
 |
|||||
|
|
|
|
INSTITUTE FOR FIELD ORNITHOLOGYULTIMATE MIGRATION 26-31 October 2008  Peregrine Falcon. Photo by USDA T Kogut. Cape May, New Jersey is a world-renowned avian crossroads, and its name is synonymous with migration. Cape May also hosts one of the largest populations of professional birders, ornithologists, and researchers anywhere. Experience this unique area with two veteran and resident naturalists, the husband and wife team of Clay and Pat Sutton, in an in-depth learning experience at one of the country's best migrant traps and all around birding locations. The dates of the workshop are carefully chosen to coincide with peak water bird migrations and raptor diversity, and the largest volume of nocturnal songbird migrants. You will enjoy classroom and field activities with Clay and Pat whose combined specialties include migration, raptors, waterbirds, owls, butterflies, and backyard habitat.  Clay and Pat Sutton. Photo by Pam Higginbotham. Clay and Pat Sutton are long-time naturalists whose names are synonymous with Cape May, New Jersey, a place that has been aptly called the migration capitol of North America. Clay and Pat are free-lance writers, naturalists, lecturers, and tour leaders. Clay is a life-long resident of Cape May, where he has worked as the Environmental Program Administrator, Vice-President of an environmental consulting firm specializing in threatened and endangered species, and for the past decade as a self-employed naturalist and field biologist. He is a long-time instructor for the Institute for Field Ornithology, having taught various workshops for the past 18 years. Clay is captivated by migration in all its forms. He was for 10 years the Mid-Atlantic Regional Editor for the Hawk Migration Association of North America, and is a long-time member of the Raptor Research Foundation. Pat Sutton was the Program Director at the New Jersey Audubon Society's Cape May Bird Observatory for 21 years. Prior to that, she was the Park Naturalist at Cape May Point State Park. Pat is a founding board member of the North American Butterfly Association. Her consuming interests include owls, butterflies, wildlife gardening and wildscapes. Clay and Pat have had papers published in a number of journals and proceedings, and have contributed numerous articles to virtually all of the popular birding magazines. Clay is a co-author, with Pete Dunne and David Sibley, of the instant classic Hawks in Flight (Houghton Mifflin, 1988), and Clay and Pat together have co-authored How to Spot an Owl, How to Spot Hawks and Eagles, and How to Spot Butterflies, all published by Houghton Mifflin. In December, 2006, their landmark book, Birds and Birding at Cape May, was published by Stackpole Books. This in-depth book is the result of their efforts over many years documenting and protecting the migration and the hometown that they so love.  Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Clay Sutton. Cape May is well known to birders as a 'migrant trap' and is one of North America's prime birding locations. Migratory birds traveling southward along the New Jersey coast during autumn collect at the tip of the peninsula, particularly following northwest winds of cold fronts. Enormous numbers of species and individuals can build up in the local area, with an average of over 55,000 raptors counted each fall season. Less well known, but no less impressive, is the migration of waterfowl and seabirds. Over a million loons, sea ducks, cormorants, and gannets pass the Avalon Seawatch each year. The famed Forsythe (Brigantine) National Wildlife Refuge is part of our itinerary too, as well as Cape May National Wildlife Refuge and the incomparable rural and scenic Delaware Bayshore. Cape May, New Jersey is 45 miles from Atlantic City International Airport, which has regular air service and rental cars. Philadelphia International Airport is 65 miles away and easily accessible, with a better array of flight schedules. The Cape May - Lewes Ferry serves Cape May from the south, and there is regular bus service from New York City as well. 
Surf Scoter. Photo by USDA D Herr. The group may be walking one to three miles each day, usually only a mile at a time, and at a relatively slow pace. All walking will be done on level surfaces, with no hills, but some hiking will be on the soft sands of beaches. Price: $1695 Includes lodging, ground transportation during the workshop, continental breakfasts, and one dinner. Workshop is limited to 16 participants. ABA Institute for Field Ornithology, ABA |
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
| Copyright © American Birding Association, Inc. 2008. All material displayed on the ABA website is subject to copyright protection either by the ABA or its associates and should not be reproduced in any form without the express prior written consent of ABA. |