Cape May, New Jersey’s southernmost county, was spared the wrath of Superstorm Sandy, so it’s business as usual at the Cape May Bird Observatory. Visit during the annual Cape MAYgration Shorebird and Horseshoe Crab Festival (May 16 to 19) to see North America’s second highest concentration of spring shorebirds (Alaska’s Copper River Delta is number one) and the world’s largest aggregation of breeding horseshoe crabs. Delaware Bay is a critical refueling stop for the red knot on its 9,000-mile flight north to the Arctic from Tierra del Fuego. Each May, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds descend on buffered bayside beaches to feast on fertilized eggs deposited by waves of spawning horseshoe crabs. Register online for boat tours, naturalist-led field trips, and other programs to create a personalized festival itinerary. Spend at least one morning listening to the songbird chorus at Higbee Beach, returning in time for homemade granola at the Queen Victoria, the Albert Stevens, or another gingerbread-trimmed Victorian inn in the Cape May National Historic District
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