By Mike Fritz

This information originally appeared as an article in the Summer 2005 Larus

Visitors to the Wildwoods in New Jersey know that on the boardwalk there are three places called the "The Hot Spots 1-3" and as you would expect, they serve up typical boardwalk junk food. The Wildwoods are not at all what we think of as a birding hotspot especially in the summer, but there is a place at the southern end of the island that I would call The Hot Spot 4 which offers some incredible birding year round. It's the 2-Mile Beach Unit of the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge and, although it is technically in Lower Township and not the Wildwoods (same island though), it has been a great birding spot for many years. Although the 2-Mile Beach Unit has been a refuge for about six years now, it is just starting to get its share of birding attention. As access to this area will only get better in the future, I wanted everyone to be aware of this under-birded spot.

Ironically part of what makes this a good birding spot is the Wildwoods themselves, as the refuge is an oasis of green among a sea of high density shore development. Migrant birds finding themselves there are unable to afford the motel rates and they naturally head for the last large undeveloped place on the island. The island affect further concentrates birds that don't like to cross open water since all sides have large open tracts to deter crossing. The final reason, and probably the number one thing that makes 2-mile Beach a hot birding spot is the nice mix of habitats all in close proximity to one another. The refuge has very nice examples of beach/jetty, salt marsh/mudflats, coastal scrub, deciduous woods, open ocean, and tidal ponds all in a neat little user friendly package. The refuge offers good birding year round, so I will break it up by season.

Winter is a great time to bird here and a walk along the beach to the inlet jetty can be very productive. The jetty and nearby waters often have all three species of Scoter, Red-throated and Common Loon, Long-tailed-duck, Great Cormorant, Purple Sandpiper, Bonaparte’s Gull, Gannets and Horned Grebes. If you are lucky you may find eider, Harlequin Duck, Razorbill and maybe even a species of white-winged gull. The beach/dunes sometimes have Snow Buntings and are a reliable spot for "Ipswich" Savannah Sparrow. There are also plenty of shorebirds and loafing gulls to sort through on a walk out to the jetty which is really just over a mile walk (No, it isn't quite two miles even if you start in Wildwood Crest!).

The refuge ponds and mudflats along Ocean Drive are also good in winter and often have pintail Gadwall, widgeon (sometimes Eurasian), Green-winged Teal (sometimes "Common" Teal), shoveler, Bufflehead, Hooded and Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, American Bittern, Dunlin, both Yellowlegs, Black-bellied Plover and sometimes uncommon winter shorebirds like dowitcher or Western Sandpiper. The woods and brushy areas along the road are also worth a look for uncommon over-wintering songbirds like Orange-crowned Warbler, Palm Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow and Tree Swallow. While there in winter, also check out the end of nearby (just across Ocean Drive) Two Mile Landing Road for both species of Sharp-tailed Sparrows. Be sure to scan the fish docks at the base of the toll bridge for rare gulls.

Spring offers even more good birding with a transition from wintering birds to the summer residents, but it's migration that makes for the most interesting birding at this season. Songbirds and shorebirds are the migrants that use the refuge the most. Shorebirds are best seen along the ponds and tidal mudflats along Ocean Drive as well as on the beach and nearby rock jetty. Songbirds like the wooded edge and thickets and are best seen by walking along the entrance road and along the short trails. Be sure to park in designated spots, though, and not along the entrance road or you may risk a ticket. On good fallout days 20+ species of warblers can be seen here along with many sparrows, vireos, orioles, etc.

Summer is the least birded time at 2-Mile Beach, but some nice birds breed here and you will find southbound shorebirds in July and August. Some interesting birds that breed here are Piping Plover and American Oystercatcher and possibly Least Tern or Black Skimmer some years. Parts of the refuge beach are closed seasonally for beach nesting birds and migrant shorebirds and those areas will be posted. At present, access to the inlet jetty and southern section of beach is still possible year round by following a path behind the dunes and then following the beach. This southern section is actually US Coast Guard property so obey any posted signs and never trespass. Rules and access change frequently here so read signs carefully as it is well patrolled for security reasons. Willow Flycatcher, a very uncommon breeder in South Jersey, nests in several spots here especially along the back scrubby areas behind the ponds. The salt marsh areas and tidal ponds are also home to Willet, Clapper Rail, Seaside Sparrow, Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow (uncommon), Forster's Tern, and sometimes Gadwall or Blue-winged Teal. Gull-billed Tern is often seen feeding here, but is not known to nest on the refuge.

Autumn is the best time to bird in southern New Jersey and 2-Mile Beach is no exception. Fall migration really gets going here in August and keeps going well into December. August and September are often really good for warblers and vireos especially following a cold front and the same holds true for sparrows in October and November. Birds blown out to sea overnight by westerly winds that make it back to shore will gravitate to the habitat here, and the roadsides and paths (even the dune grass) can be loaded with exhausted birds. A common sight in September and October is a huge swirling flock of Tree Swallows that are feeding on the abundant Bay Berries along the refuge. This can be quite a spectacle and Merlins can often be seen attacking the mass of birds. Other raptors are often seen migrating down the beach front, but Peregrine Falcons are especially numerous here.

Sea duck migration really gets started in October. Huge flocks of southbound scoters, scaup and teal along with loons, gannets, terns, and gulls are passing by just offshore and frequently stop along the beach here. Parasitic Jaegers can often be seen attacking the tern flocks offshore and there is the added bonus of frequent Bottlenose Dolphin sightings close to shore from the summer months through October.

Great birding year round along with its close proximity to so many other nearby "Hot Spots" should put 2-Mile Refuge on everyone’s birding itinerary. It is a fairly new refuge and many new trails and infrastructure improvements are in the works so it will only get better as access improves. A partial list of rarities seen there in recent years includes Eared Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Manx Shearwater, Franklin's Gull, Black-headed Gull, Glaucous Gull, Iceland Gull, Common Murre, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Bell's Vireo, Cave Swallow, Lark Sparrow, Painted Bunting, and many others. The list of rare birds seen at 2 Mile Refuge continues to grow as the area gets more birding coverage. What will be added next?