This is a column about why I like Cape May. It is a very easy column to write because there is a lot to like in Cape May.
One of the things I like most is birds.
Another thing I like is liking birds.
Yet another thing I like is writing about the birds I like to like. And talking to other people who like to like birds and listening to other people who like to like birds.
There are a lot of people in Cape May who like birds. Nice, friendly people. The kind of people you would like to like.
We likable birders all stand around, very likeable like; happy and joyful, fulfilled and spreading cheer everywhere we go. Talking about birds we’ve seen and liked. Talking about the birds we’d really like to see, like Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, for instance (which are a rarity that have been seen quite regularly since July 18). Talking about…
Okay, maybe I lied. Sometimes liking birds leads to a small measure of un-likable frustration. Even in Cape May (maybe even especially in Cape May).
This smallest level of frustration, that leads to not liking Cape May as much as before, happens when a bird that you really like shows up in Cape May but you don’t see it.
I know it’s silly, but we birders have this penchant for liking birds we haven’t seen more than liking the ones we have seen.
Isn’t that silly? Kind of schizophrenic, wouldn’t you say? Bipolar even.
You see, finally seeing a bird we’d really like to see is especially happy and fulfilling. Conversely, not seeing a bird that we’d really like to see makes us feel slightly less happy and slightly less fulfilled. Commonly, the way birders find about birds they wanted to see (but didn’t) is while standing around with a likable birding friend who suddenly interrupts the friendly conversation with an observation like:
“What? You mean you didn’t see the Black-bellied Whistling Ducks? They were here for a week! Didn’t anybody tell you?”
Even in a place as likable as Cape May, and speaking with someone as likeable as a fellow birder, this is not a likeable situation. In fact, it really, really makes you have border-line unlikable thoughts.
Right off, the bird you’d really like to see suddenly becomes the bird you’d really, really, really, REALLY like to see more than anything else in the whole word.
Then, there is a less than likeable tendency to want to rip the larynx out of the likeable person you are talking to and feed it to the nearest gull before going home and mixing a couple, three good stiff drinks preparatory to going on line and electronically pissing on the legs of all your rotten, selfish, ex-birding friends who failed to alert you to the presence of the bird that means more to you than life and death.
You know. That stupid, lousy, feathered miscreant that showed up in Cape May last week and even didn’t have the freaking decency to let you see it. Stop. Pour another drink. Damned duck! Freaking damned duck. If there isn’t a season on Black-bellied Whistling Ducks there should be. In fact, they ought to put a bounty on the ugly, harlot faced, scum-sucking little…
It’s enough to make you want to sell your optics and move to a place where birds are only slightly less common than empty space and idiot writers don’t drivel about why they like Cape May.
Which is, all said and done, a very lovely, likeable place despite the treacherous birds, treacherous friends, and the schizophrenic, bipolar (but otherwise likable) writers who infest this place.
Seen any good birds, lately?
Don’t say yes.
As of this afternoon, July 29, the Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are still hanging around but don’t know how long they will stay or when you’ll get to read this. But if they are, the Cape May Bird Observatory offers expertly led bird walks (every day but Sunday and Tuesday throughout July), where you might just get lucky enough, unlike the writer, to have someone pick them out for you. Kinda hard to miss, unless you’re like the writer.
Just stop over to the Cape May Bird Observatory, THE place for anything to do with nature, and pick up a copy of The Kestrel Express, for our full schedule of walks and boat trips. CMBO (609.884.2736) is located at 701 East Lake Drive overlooking lovely Lake Lily in Cape May Point and is open 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM every day. Ask any of our staff or volunteers – they are always glad to help with anything you need – even things you didn’t know you needed yet. Check out the latest in books (including the newest Bayshore Summer by Pete Dunne – which if you bring with you on the Monday morning walk, you can get him to personalize), bird feeders, and some great new and fun merchandise – including our exclusive CMBO logo jewelry, clothing, totes, and more. Take a look at the sightings log or our website to check what’s being seen, scan the bookshelves, pick up a bargain from the used and vintage books section, look at some of the wonderful Charley Harper merchandise, or just browse around. And if you aren’t fortunate enough to be in the area, visit us online www.BirdCapeMay.org – where birding Cape May is only a click away.
Pete Dunne is the Director of the Cape May Bird Observatory and Chief Communications Officer for New Jersey Audubon Society. Author of several books on and about nature (available at the Cape May Bird Observatory), he has written for virtually every birding magazine.
With cold fronts growing increasingly colder and windier, it is perhaps worthwhile to review some of the basic principles behind keeping warm.
There’s a saying among devout outdoor recreationists: there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear. Within limits, this is true. Many pages could be written about how to dress for warmth in foul conditions, but here are a half dozen essential principles to keep in mind.
1. The base layer is more important than what you put on top of it. The base layer is the one next to your skin, a.k.a your “thermal underwear,” and performs two critical functions. First, it creates a layer of warmed air next to your skin that cold has a hard time penetrating, or more accurately, makes it harder for warmth to depart your body. Second (if it’s the right stuff), it will “wick” moisture away from your skin. To do this, it must fit snugly (not tightly), must be of a moisture wicking material (NOT cotton or wool), and must be of a weight befitting the conditions. Different brands use different ratings according to warmth, typically along the lines of light, medium, and heavy or expedition weight. The expedition weight stuff is tempting, and that’s what I wear in extreme conditions (mine is sold under the brand name of MTP by Cabela’s), but most of the time it’s too warm. You can always put more clothes on top, because. . .
2. If two layers are good, five are better. Most people are familiar with the concept of layering clothing, which leaves you flexible as conditions change. Layers also trap air, and air is a poor conductor of heat away from your body. When it’s really cold I have five or six layers on my upper body – for example, two of the Cabela’s MTP underwear (the second one a turtleneck), then a fleece sweater by Mountain Hardwear, then a fleece jacket by The North Face that zips to my chin, then a lightweight, incredibly warm Micropuff jacket by Patagonia. Pay attention to layering down as well as up. For example, take a bunch of stuff off if you are going into a restaurant or for an extended drive. Moisture-wicking base layers are great, but have limits, and if you bead up with sweat, you will wind up with damp inner garments. When that happens, nothing short of doing jumping jacks continuously can keep you warm then.
3. Keep your head and neck covered. Wear an inner layering garment like a turtleneck or fleece jacket that zips up to your chin. Then carefully place a fleece neck gaiter over the neck-covering garment but under your outer jacket to seal off all heat loss through the neck opening in your clothes. A properly worn neck gaiter adds a good 10 degrees of warmth. Wear a heavy wool or fleece cap – if it’s windy, choose a cap with some kind of wind protection material. Consider wearing two hats, one right over the other.
4. Warm hands. Wear Gore-tex lined, Thinsulate-insulated gloves with a wicking inner liner. If your hands always get cold, drop a disposable handwarmer in each glove. Make sure your sleeves are not too tight, just snug enough to keep drafts out. Otherwise you will lose circulation to your hands, something you do not want to happen.
5. Warm feet. The base layer is important here, too. I generally opt for heavy wool-synthetic blended socks that wick moisture (mine are sold under the brand name Ultimax). Plain wool socks seem never to conform properly to feet. For boots, insulated leather boots are great for dry conditions, insulated pac-boots with rubber bottoms are the way to go if it is cold and wet. Leg gaiters add a lot of warmth, so I often wear them even if there is no snow. Foot gear must not be tight – you are better off with lighter socks than heavy socks if they make your boots too tight. I don’t often need them, but when I do, disposable foot warmers make all the difference on super-cold days. I use a brand called “Toasty-toes,” which are designed to stick lightly under your toes. I wear them on top of the toes, which is much more comfortable.
6. Buy less, but buy good stuff. As a general rule, I tend to look at what rock climbers, alpinists, backpackers, whitewater boaters, and similar ultra-intense outdoor enthusiasts are using for gear. These folks are not shopping at big box stores. Brands I regard highly include Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, Marmot, The North Face, Outdoor Research, REI, Eastern Mountain Sports, and Cabela’s. Good gear is expensive, initially – but it works, it lasts, and some companies have extended or unconditional warranties.