Contact:  Laura Guerard, Manager, Bird Cape May On-line
Cape May Bird Observatory, Phone: 609.884.2736 (ext. 13)


CAPE MAY, New Jersey, July 13, 2007 


The New Jersey Audubon Society's Cape May Bird Observatory proudly
announces the launch of its new virtual website BirdCapeMay.org  (
www.birdcapemay.org).
 
BirdCapeMay.org is an on-line tool for birders, nature enthusiasts,
and visitors to Cape May.  Part of the websites virtual nature comes
from weekly and monthly articles found in the Tigrina Times On-line
Magazine by world renowned experts.  Articles include Field
Identification and Photo Quiz by Michael O'Brien, Bird Droppings by
Pete Dunne, Book Reviews by Mark Garland, Migrants & Residents
Interviews by Rick Radis, and Birding Fieldcraft by Don Freiday. 
 
Weather guru Paul Lehman will also be making frequent contributions
and updates to the Birding Forecast which will bring visitors
up-to-date information on weather systems and migration patterns
across the United States.   Focusing on his home town of Cape May and
the surrounding states, updates will be made "real-time" using
simulated maps along with weather primer articles on how to improve
your weather watching skills.
 
Acclaimed photographers Kevin Karlson, a Cape May County resident, and
Lloyd Spitalnik of NYC, are heading up the Photo Gallery that is truly
a "visual Cape May" and a definite "must see".   The gallery will
astound, fascinate, and delight viewers with images that will bring
you to your knees.  Featuring eight gallery categories including four
seasons, rarities, and scenes from the Cape May area along with a
highlight photographer of the month; this section is destined to be
one you will bookmark and return to again and again! 
 
CMBO Staff will be logging daily sightings on "View from the Cape"
where viewers can access detailed accounts of what is being seen and
where, as well as notes on rarities and vagrant species – an integral
part of the Cape May experience.  A Naturalist's Calendar will keep
you up to date with historical sightings, what you may expect to see
while you are here visiting.  Additionally, the programs and events
that CMBO offers year-round will be included 
 
Mentors and Young Birders have their own sections under Take A Kid
Birding!®, an initiative designed to promote mentoring and fostering a
sense of stewardship with the natural world.   Featuring articles,
educational resources, quizzes, and information on the Cape May
experience from the view of young birders themselves; including a
question and answer board for budding young naturalists where anyone
can "ask the experts."  Tips and tools for getting out and enjoying
nature more will also be provided.
 
     "There are few birding locations this side of the Big Bang that
are better known than Cape May, New Jersey, and its fame is not
accidental.   Birders everywhere celebrate its migratory fallouts,
species diversity, great migratory concentrations, the skill level of
the local birding community, and the friendliness local birders accord
visitors. 
     In fact, it sometimes seems that the world is divided into two
categories: those who have birded Cape May and those who aspire to
bird Cape May.  This website is designed to narrow the gap.   Its
purpose is to bring the Cape May birding experience to you, right now,
in a way that is as engaging, informative, and as friendly as birding
Cape May in person."   - Pete Dunne, CMBO Director
 
BirdCapeMay.org is a website created for the viewer.  Whether someone
visits Cape May yearly, is planning a trip from England and needs some
essential tools, or is sipping tea in a café in San Francisco, birding
Cape May has never been easier.  You don't even need to be here to
enjoy Cape May year-round.  To paraphrase Pete Dunne, you bring the
interest, we'll supply the reality. 
 
Founded in 1976 by the New Jersey Audubon Society, the Cape May Bird
Observatory (CMBO) is a leader in research, environmental education,
bird conservation, and recreational birding activities. 
 
Our mission: to understand and instill appreciation of the needs of
resident and migrating birds so that human ambitions do not undermine
them. Funded almost entirely by the support of an international
membership, two facilities serve our members' needs and interests. 
 
 The New Jersey Audubon Society (NJAS) is a privately supported,
not-for profit, statewide membership organization. Founded in 1897,
and one of the oldest independent Audubon societies, NJAS has no
affiliation with the National Audubon Society.