Cape May, NJ, October 1, 2015 -- This three-day birding festival will showcase the wonders of fall migration in Cape May, and Cape May Bird Observatory's migration monitoring work: the Cape May Hawkwatch, Avalon Seawatch, Monarch Monitoring Project and Morning Flight Songbird Count, with special mini-bus trips, exclusive walks with our keynote speakers, many birding walks to choose from every day, a Pelagic Excursion, ID Master Classes and more!

This year's keynote speakers are Dale Rosselet and Kevin Karlson, noted authors and international tour leaders, on their new book, Birding by Impression, on Friday. Saturday features the insights of David Lindo, The Urban Birder from the UK, and author of Tales from Concrete Jungles. For more information on these authors, visit the festival website listed below.

Registration fees are $65 per day, or $175 for all three days, and includes most events, with additional costs for bus trips, special walks, and evening programs.

At the same time, The Bird Show is coming back to the Cape May Convention Hall, featuring Jonathan Wood's Raptor Project, a stunning collection of live hawks, eagles, owls and falcons. There will be three interactive shows each day; dozens of vendors offering products, from binoculars to scopes, crafts to apparel, nature activities for kids; it's a great way to spend an afternoon! And, for the first time ever, entry into the Convention Hall is FREE and open to the public. For more on the Raptor show, view this video on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqp-0dgMNe0

If you like birds and nature, this is a festival you don't want to miss! Preregistration is required and some events have limited capacity, so please sign up now. Register online at www.birdcapemay.org and click on the Fall Festival.

More on Fall Birding in Cape May

It was 1946, the year after World War II ended, that New Jersey Audubon began hosting their first festival in the resort town of Cape May. Originally limited to members, the organization later opened the event to residents and visitors from across North America and abroad. Today, there are over 100 bird festivals in North America, but still only one Cape May Autumn Birding Festival.

Much of the three-day weekend's success is directly linked to Cape May's extraordinary concentrations of migrating birds. Typically fine October weather, and the close proximity of natural areas to Cape May's fine dining and lodging, ensured the event's success.

For many attendees, the Cape May Autumn Birding Festival is an annual tradition, timed to coincide with the peak of bird migration. When migratory conditions are right (following the passage of a cold front), festival attendees are treated to the sight of tens of thousands of birds including 16 species of raptors including Bald and Golden Eagles. A good vantage point to view migrating hawks is Cape May Point State Park, where an official hawk count, sponsored by Swarovski Optik operates daily; admission is free.

Typically 200 bird species are recorded during the event, but it is the great massed spectacle of birds, not the diversity, that most people marvel at, and return for, in hopes of being so fortunate again. But even without optimal conditions, festival attendees can count on North America's most famous bird watching location to host lots of birds and the experts at New Jersey Audubon to help see and appreciate them.

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About New Jersey Audubon
New Jersey Audubon is a privately supported, not-for profit, statewide membership organization. Founded in 1897, and one of the oldest independent Audubon societies, New Jersey Audubon has no connection with the National Audubon Society.

New Jersey Audubon fosters environmental awareness and a conservation ethic among New Jersey's citizens; protects New Jersey's birds, mammals, other animals, and plants, especially endangered and threatened species; and promotes preservation of New Jersey's valuable natural habitats.

New Jersey Audubon Society Headquarters is located at 9 Hardscrabble Road, Bernardsville, NJ 07924. Call (908) 204-8998 or e-mail: hq@njaudubon.org.