The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, where more than 47,000 acres of southern New Jersey coastal habitats are actively protected and managed for migratory birds is just 10 minutes down the road from the Colonial Inn.
August :Best opportunities to see shorebirds and warblers heading south. Wading birds gather for migration.
September :Ducks gather in large flocks. Blue-winged teal will be the first to migrate this month.
October: Snow geese begin to arrive in refugewetlands.
Early November: Spectacular concentrations of ducks and geese in refuge impoundments;numbers can exceed 100,000
Mid November through December:Peak snow goose and Atlantic brant numbers. Ducks and geese moving south. Bald eagle sightings most likely in December.
March 20 to April 15: Northbound waterfowl migration.Spring peepers and other frog species begin their courtship calls in freshwater wetlands. Beach-nesting birds, including piping plovers, arrive on refuge beaches.
April 30 to May 20: Wading birds and shorebirds begin to arrive; glossy ibis numbers peak in late April.
May and June: Horseshoe crabs spawn on refuge bay shores and beaches. Migrating ruddy turnstones arrive to forage on the crab eggs. Turtles may be seen laying eggs in the soft dirt along refuge roadways, or sunbathing on roads and wetland edges. Drive carefully.
Mid June to Mid July: Peak period when ducklings hatch. These young birds will migrate with adults this fall
