Vacations for Birders and Others

A few years ago, I had a subscription to a birding magazine. I let the subscription run out, and haven’t thought about it much in years, as it was very dry and technical--a good journal for ornithologists, perhaps, but not really interesting reading for the rest of us.

There was one topic that came up frequently, if I remember correctly, and it was the dilemma of going on birding vacations with a non-birding spouse.

Of course, this problem doesn’t only affect married birders. Most birders probably want to do a little birding no matter where they travel to. And if they are not traveling alone--whether their travel partner is their husband, wife, or someone else--there can be a problem. To a birder, a nature preserve is incredibly interesting. After all, you never know who might fly by. But to a non-birder--well, maybe not so much. Crouching in a bird blind, staring at one of our feathered friends as it (most likely) just sits there, is not something that is to everyone’s taste. I enjoy it. Hopefully anybody reading this column enjoys it. But I bet we all know somebody who wouldn’t.

So what can a birder do? You can always go on a birding tour, but they are expensive (usually several thousand dollars, not including airfare.) You can travel alone, but that can be intimidating for some, and also expensive, as you have to pay single supplements. Or you can try to compromise--find a place that offers good birding and other activities for your partner.

Las Vegas was one place suggested by the writers of the magazine. There is a nature preserve a few miles outside of Sin City, and it is a great place to see wild horses and burros. But I didn’t see too many birds when I was there, and it was hot! So, while you may pick up a few desert birds to add to your list (I saw a canyon swallow), I don’t feel it’s a particularly good choice. Other places, however, do offer excellent birding as well as fun for everyone else.

Most of my suggestions are places on the East Coast of the United States. If you know of a great place somewhere else, please send me an e-mail (I’ll set up a place to post on the forum, as well.)

If your travel partner likes gambling or partying:

Atlantic City is about 10 miles away from an outstanding preserve, the Edwin B. Forsythe Wildlife Refuge (aka Brigantine). This is one of my all time favorite birding sites because you don’t even have to get out of the car! You can stare out the window and see huge populations of shorebirds and skimmers (summer) and waterfowl (winter), and your non-birding partners don’t even have to pay attention! They can nap, listen to the radio or do whatever they normally do in the car. For a gambler/birder duo, I find this trip much better than a trip to Las Vegas. The casinos in Vegas may be better, but the Forsythe is far superior to Vegas’s Red Rocks Canyon in terms of bird finding.

The Miami area is home to many sophisticated nightclubs and many unsophisticated birds in the nearby everglades.

If your travel partner likes restaurants and cute shopping areas:

Cape May, about 40 miles south of Atlantic City is considered a birders’ paradise. There are several nature preserves in the area. However, there aren’t that many birds in the height of summer, and like the preserves near Vegas, they are hot! And, unlike Vegas, humid! Cape May is outstanding during the spring and fall migrations, though, and there are many quaint Victorian-themed places to stay, eat and shop in all year. And you may even see a ghost!

Maine is similar to Cape May, in that it is chock full of cute towns, seafood restaurants and outlets. Maine is also the only place to see a puffin in the United States. Puffin tours leave from Boothbay Harbor and Acadia National Park, and there are also various whale and seal-watching boats as well. If you don’t want to travel quite so north in New England, go to the Boston area. After you see the sights, take a whale watch trip, and see the pelagic birds along the way.

If you are traveling with children:

Any beach will provide both swimming fun and at least some birds to identify. There is a nature preserve with a salt marsh usually within a few miles of every amusement pier. Seaside Heights, home of the incredibly tacky “Jersey Shore” show, is just down the road from the excellent Island Beach State Park, for example. Ocean City, Maryland is near Assateague National Park, which is known for horses as well as birds.

But probably the best place of all:
Orlando, Florida.

There are almost as many birds as tourists here. They may not be rarities, but if you want to see ibises, herons, anhingas, and storks, you may not have to look much further than your local amusement park. I will never forget the sheer number of wild birds that flew into Sea World at night, probably attracted by the fish thrown at all the performers. Disney World doesn’t do badly, either. There are egrets sitting on top of souvenir stands, anhingas swimming in the lakes, ibises hanging around water parks, herons under the monorail. You can bird if you want--or go on rides and see shows. Or bird while you wait on line to get on the rides.