Destinations: A Bird's Eye View and More at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry

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The ospreys have landed at the Cape May (NJ)-Lewes (Delaware) Ferry (CMLF)! This is the second year in a row that an osprey couple has made its home on the top of the power boom located on the terminal dock on the Lewes, Del. side of the ferry. Last year the ospreys built a nest with three eggs. This year there are four babies on the way. A reporter from DelmarvaNow recently visited the ferry's osprey nest (before all four eggs were confirmed) and wrote a story, Osprey nests signal a rebounding population in Delaware, http://delmarvane.ws/1I3AZvB

While many birders come to this area to see the renowned Cape May Bird Observatory (CMBO), visitors are encouraged to come onboard to see all of the wonderful birding opportunities like this one that exist on and immediately surrounding the Cape May-Lewes Ferry.

Also visiting the area are red knots, an endangered species, which annually travel 9,750-miles from Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America to the Arctic. They come to the Delaware Bay beach between the two full moons, this year between May 3 and June 3, which is when horseshoe crabs lay their eggs. More details are contained in an article in the Cape May County Herald.com, http://bit.ly/1FF1S97.

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In terms of protecting endangered species, May 9 kicked off the World Series of Birding at the Nature Center in Cape May and the CMLF was a 2015 Team Sponsor of this major fundraising event for conservation.

The Ferry is also a travel resource for Delaware City, Delaware, the new headquarters of the Audubon Society. This stretch of Route 95, dubbed the "highway in the sky," is considered the major flight route for birds each year, and Delaware City offers exceptional viewing locations, as well as a selection of restaurants and shops.

In addition to seeing the Ferry's resident ospreys, and perhaps a red knot or two, and before debarking for Delaware City, or the Cape May Bird Observatory or Nature Center, while onboard, visitors can view other birds, whales, dolphins, butterflies, lighthouses and more, while enjoying beautiful breezes, a meal with a view and the convenience of bringing a car, bicycle, RV and even pets onboard.

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The Ferry and its terminals also offer special events such as classic car shows, June 28 and 29 this year, wine and beer dinner pairings, live bands and educational lectures, and once passengers disembark they can visit America's oldest seaside resort, Cape May, NJ, with its beautiful Victorian homes and architecture. Cape May is also the #2 East Coast fishing Port and Cape May County was recently designated by the Coast Guard as a Coast Guard Community, one of only two such counties in the country. If you're a foodie, you'll be interested to know that Cape May was designated one of America's Best Food Cities in Conde Nast Traveler in 2014. On the other side of the ferry, visitors can visit the first town in the first state founded by the Dutch in 1631. Lewes, Delaware, is a naturally beautiful area with beaches on both the ocean and the bay, trails and nature preserves, with a wonderful historic district.

The Cape May-Lewes Ferry, open 365 days a year, has a 5-star Trip Advisor Status and recently received the 2015 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence for the fourth year running. The Ferry offers an 85-minute cruise, spanning 17 miles traversing the Delaware Bay and cutting miles off a trip along the Atlantic Coast, connecting points along the Jersey-Delaware shoreline and beyond, to Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas and Florida. Some folks choose to stay onboard for the 3-hour, round trip mini-cruise. The Ferry began operations on July 1, 1964, and has transported more than 11 million vehicles and 34 million passengers during that time.

To book a trip or for more information, visit http://www.capemaylewesferry.com/ and connect there to the Ferry's social media pages which regularly report bird sightings!