Season at the Point: The Birds and Birders of Cape May

by Jack Connor

Cape May Point, New Jersey, is home to a natural phenomenon of stunning proportions. Each autumn millions of migrating birds converge here on their annual flight to wintering grounds as far away as Brazil and Peru. Season at the Point, the rich and telling story of the birds and birders of Cape May, evokes the sense of mystery and excitement that pervades the Cape as birders gather to count owls by the hundreds, hawks by the tens of thousands, and shorebirds and songbirds by the hundreds of thousands.

Genres: Birds, Nonfiction, Nature

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1991

Reviews

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

You need to be into hawk watching to really enjoy this book as it can get very statistical throughout. The author meet many famous birders which was interesting.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! I don't think you need to be a birder to appreciate this, by any means. The story tracks a season at a particularly famous bird-watching spot in southern New Jersey. It jumps around to the different types of people there (bird-banders, hawk watchers, general conservationist) while weaving a narrative that follows several of the main people in each pursuit.

So back when I was in grade school I wrote to Jack, back when he was writing for Living Bird Quarterly. I was probably 11, and was curious about some behavior he had written about that I had also observed. He actually wrote back, which is great for any kid, particularly when it's someone known in a field you like. Several years later, in middle school, we had to write to someone we admired and try to get a picture with their autograph. I wrote to Jack again, and mentioned having Season at the Point (this was back in the mid-90s). He wrote back (again!) and sent along a nice letter, along with an autographed copy of this book, the one I re-read all these years later (~25!!) for this review.

Thanks again Jack!

[Nick Leiby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting flavor and look at the history of birding in NJ and Cape May in the 80s. A lot of the science has moved on as we learn more about migration, but this is really more about the characters than the biology, anyway.

[Trish Harrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

For any birder that has ever visited Cape May in the fall. Amazing history of the Cape May Bird Observatory.

[Emerson Harman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read about birding at Cape May. A little dated now, but still very cool to read about!

[Brandon Brogle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun look at the early birding and hawk watching culture in Cape May. Written well and enjoyable

[Ricky Rico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having had the opportunity to band raptors at Cape May and meet many of the people in this book while witnessing the phenomena of Fall migration… this read was a no-brainer. I was addicted. There is so much great information about birds, Cape May, migration, and some of the superstars of birding in this book that it is incredible. It offered more than just narratives. This is a great read for anyone, especially birders that want to get the inside scoop about the hottest Hawk Watch and Warbler migration spot in North America. You also gain an inside understanding of the dynamic of all the people that made Cape May what it is today. Cape May is Mecca and this book is your map.

[Chris Leuchtenburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly delightful account filled with raptor lore and astute observations of now famous birders, including David Sibley, Richard Crossley and Pete Dunn.

[Maryanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice read about the evolution of bird counting and birding at Cape May New Jersey

[Bonny Elwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story of the various types of birding at Cape May - including hawk watching, banding, counting, warblers, owls, etc. from the 1930s-1990s.