[elkcub]

My wife and I will be visiting New York during the first two weeks in October. We have one week to roam around the Hudson Valley and also try to include Hawk watching — perhaps at Cape May, NJ. Anyone have a suggestion on a nice itinerary departing and returning to NYC? We'll have a rental car, a new GPS device, and a desire to see the Fall folliage. Do we have a good alternative to Cape May for hawk watching that doesn't take us so far south? Your ideas would be appreciated.

elkcub

[gthang]

Well, I seriously don't know what an intinerary is but I can recommend some spots.

Obviously, the Hudson River itself is a bird watcher's dream. Great Blue Herons, Bald Eagles, Osprey, and various gull species have been recorded here by my family. Also, visit any state parks you can find. There's sure to be a good number of birds at these parks. Good parks include Clarence Fahnstocke Memorial State Park, Bashakill Marsh Wildlife Management Area, and a few others. There's also a "zoo" of sorts at Bear Mountain, but I'm not sure how to get there. The reason I said "zoo" is because the animals in the "zoo" are all animals that can be found in NY, and also because some of these animals have dead ones stuffed and on display.

My neighborhood has been filled with over 50 bird species, including Red-Shouldered Hawk, Red-Tailed Hawks, Solitary Sandpiper, Green Heron, Great Blue Heron, and a lot more. To see a more detailed list of the birds in my area, check the Bird Database, for NY.

This is all I know, since I would like to get out more myself. But definitely try the Hudson River.

[dacol]

Originally Posted by elkcub

My wife and I will be visiting New York during the first two weeks in October. We have one week to roam around the Hudson Valley and also try to include Hawk watching — perhaps at Cape May, NJ. Anyone have a suggestion on a nice itinerary departing and returning to NYC? We'll have a rental car, a new GPS device, and a desire to see the Fall folliage. Do we have a good alternative to Cape May for hawk watching that doesn't take us so far south? Your ideas would be appreciated.

elkcub

Your plans cover a lot of territory. I am not familiar with NY state but I am familiar with a large chunk of New Jersey. At the time of the year you are going Cape May is the best place for watching all kinds of migratory birds, not just hawks. The first half of October is the prime time for the passage of Peregrine Falcons at CM. Other Fall hawkwatches in NJ are inland, along the ridges and at this time will not have the same numbers as CM. Closer to NYC than CM would be the Montclair Hawk Watch and the Wildcat Ridge Hawkwatch. Besides hawkwatching you could enjoy very beautiful Fall foliage views at these sites. Check this website:

http://www.njaudubon.org/Sites/

Also remember that hawk watching is extremely weather dependent. Follow the weather reports to find when north winds and cold fronts are approaching. In this regard I think that CM, as far as birding is concerned, is more interesting at this time of the year than the inland ridges as, no matter what the weather, there will be a good variety of birds around, even when the hawk and passerine flights are weak.

Dalcio

[elkcub]

All,

Thanks for the help. We wound up mainly birding Central Park during the first week in NYC, and Jamaica Bay when we returned after a week upstate. I've learned that it's not easy to access the Hudson traveling North on the West side. Nonetheless, we were able to get some hawk watching done, as well as passerines and shore birds. Unfortunately, a trip to Cape May will have to wait for next year.

-elkcub

[gthang]

Are you going to post a trip report? I posted my Nova Scotia trip report, and man, I got about 7 lifers!