Even experienced birders are in awe of the sheer number and varieties of birds that they spot at Two Mile Beach. Part of the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge (CMNWR), the 507-acre, Two Mile Beach has a short trail – slightly less than a mile – that winds behind beach dunes, maritime forests, tidal ponds and beach front.

Each year, between April 1 and September 30, the beach is closed so that the endangered Piping Plover and Least Tern can nest in peace and quiet. But that doesn’t mean you can’t visit. Two Mile Beach’s trail is open year-round so even in the cold months, you can spot wintering waterfowl, such as American Black Duck and Northern Pintail, wading birds such as Black-Crowned Night-Heron and Snowy Egret, and shorebird species such as Dunlin, Sanderling, and Semipalmated Plover.

Red-Tailed Hawks hang around the refuge year-round. Owls use Cape May’s woodland habitats in winter, and several other species–such as the Barred Owl, Barn Owl, and Eastern Screech Owl – also nest here. During migration, especially in the fall, you can spot massive numbers of Woodcock. Many songbird species also nest here – including Ovenbirds, Wood Thrushes, and Yellow Throated Warblers. No wonder the area has an international rep as one of the best places in North America for birding.

Since you are so close by, after you follow the Two Mile Beach trail, take a very short drive to see the two other units that comprise the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge. The Great Cedar Swamp Division is at the northern end of the refuge. Blue-Winged Warblers, Ovenbirds, and Short-Eared Owls live in the salt marsh, hardwood swamp, bog, grasslands and forested uplands.

The Delaware Bay Division stretches along five miles of Delaware Bay. Thousands of shorebirds, including the Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstone and Sanderling thrive in the bayshore’s salt marsh, wet and dry forests, vernal pools, shrub/scrub habitat and grasslands.