Now that summer is officially over, we can turn our attention to affairs of fall. Few events on the North American birding calendar are more autumnal than Cape May Autumn Weekend. Cape May in New Jersey is one of the magnetic poles of East Coast avian observations, a vortex that seems to exert an irresistible pull on birds and birders alike. This year, even I can’t resist the attraction, not with an itinerary like this:

• Field trips to Cape May’s birding hotspots led by North America’s finest naturalists (Weekend bird checklist can tally close to 200 species!)
• Indoor workshops and programs on field identification, beginning and intermediate birding, digiscoping, hawk watching, seabird watching, choosing binoculars & scopes, and more
• Migratory watches for passerines, raptors, and seabirds
• Poor Man’s Pelagic aboard the Cape May Lewes Ferry in search of gannets, loons, scoters, jaegers, interesting gulls, etc.
• The first annual Bird Blogging Conference

That’s right… one month from today, nature bloggers from all over the U.S. will be convening at Cape May! We’re not just talking about pros and semi-pros either. I’ll be there, as will the talents behind blogs like Birdchick, Hawk Owl’s Nest, WildBird on the Fly, Leica Birding Blog, Somewhere in NJ, Born Again Bird Watcher, Hasty Brook, Beginning To Bird, Mary’s View, and Susan Gets Native. How about you? Whether you blog or not, Cape May is a pilgrimage every serious birder must make, so why not now? If you are a blogger, Sharon has details on a special rate.

Cape May Autumn Weekend 2007 runs from October 26-28. Will I see you there?