Best Places to Bird Watch on Cape Cod

Bird Watching Cape Cod

Any lover of nature will develop a strong attachment to the Cape once they spend a few days exploring it. The region’s amazing wildlife is not just restricted to the sea. There are several opportunities to experience or spot fascinating wildlife on land. One of the most fun things you can do on Cape Cod is to go birding. There are more than 400 bird species on the Cape. While some are seasonal, many species spend the entire year on the Cape. Below are some of the best places to visit on Cape Cod for an unforgettable birding experience.

Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

The sanctuary is located at 291 State Highway, Route 6, S. Wellfleet, MA. The nature center is open every day from 9 am to 4.30 pm. The trails are open from 8 am till dusk. The trail mileage on the 1100 acre sanctuary stretches 5 miles with 0.5 miles being universally accessible. Facilities in the sanctuary include a universally accessible trail, universally accessible restrooms, parking area, a picnic area, and camping grounds.  The admission fee for non-members is $5 and free for Mass Audubon members.

The sanctuary is home to several bird species all year round. eBird reports that more than 291 bird species have been spotted in the sanctuary. Rare species such as the Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, American Avocet, Lazuli Bunting, and Black-Necked Stilt have also made stops at the sanctuary in some years. Conditions for birding are good all year round with the peak birding season being from July to the end of September.

The sanctuary has a long history that stretches several decades. The original property was only 366 acres in size and belonged to the Austin Ornithological Research Station. In 1958, Mass Audubon bought the property and it has since expanded to 1100 acres of protected land that houses several habitats for various wildlife species including the most impressive collection of bird species on the Cape. Most of the birds can be found closer to the trails and beaches. The salt marsh attracts several feeding shorebirds.

To time your birding activity at the sanctuary, check-in with the Nature Center for tide charts. An incoming mid-tide provides the best opportunities to bird the flats and beaches one to three hours following low tide. Traffic at the sanctuary is usually low on sunny beach days. On cloudy days, the trails attract several birders. If you are going on a cloudy day and you want to avoid the highly trafficked trails, just ask the naturalists to show you the least visited trails. You should also consider going early to find parking space.

Sandy Neck, Barnstable

The South Cape Beaches stretches over 10 acres for the full length of the town of Barnstable. It has a variety of habitats including a sandplain grassland, coastal beach, scrub oak, salt marsh, and interdunal wetland swales. The vast land is mainly used for tourism and recreation and for the conservation of nature and wildlife. The site supports more than 1,000 shorebirds at a time with most of them being concentrated on the nontidal sides. Shorebirds present at the site include plovers, woodcocks, snipes, phalaropes, and sandpipers.

Sandy Neck is a popular stopover for many migratory bird species heading to the East Coast. Many of the birds usually last in Sandy Neck for as long as the conditions allow. The habitats containing evergreen and deciduous trees provide birds with a steady supply of food. These are the locations where most of the migratory birds gather. There are also breeding sites that attract birds such as Least Terns. Greys Beach is a particularly attractive breeding site for Roseate Terns, Common and Least Terns.

Fort Hill, Eastham

The Fort Hill Trail is located at 70 Fort Hill Road. The trail is easily accessible as it is directly off Route 6. The terrain consists of easy to moderate trails with a few small tree roots and log steps along the way. The habitat in the ecosystem comprises of forestland, salt marsh, kettle hole swamp, and open grasslands.

You can enjoy birding at Fort Hill all year round. The area has bird species that stay all year round and those that come seasonally. There are over 260 bird species that have been spotted at Fort Hill. Some of the birds you can expect to find include American bittern, Virginia rails, and clapper, greater yellowlegs, great egret, semipalmated plover, Northern harrier, merlin, cooper’s hawk, bufflehead, green-winged teal, common eider, willow flycatcher, bobolink, and marsh wren. Some of the birds that brave the winter at Fort Hill include eastern meadowlark, swamp sparrow, hermit thrush, painted bunting, and the rare mountain bluebird.

The birding trails are located at the national seashore where entry is absolutely free. The parking lots are open from 6 am to midnight. You should consider going early during the peak birding seasons as the 2 parking lots available are not that big.

Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary

Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary allows birders to explore 2.5 miles of trails that traverse through meadows and gentle woodlands that extend to the Barnstable Harbor. The sanctuary’s main role is to conserve Cape Cod’s habitats by restoring or creating wetlands on Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries as well as other conservation lands.

The trails offer a lot more than a birding experience. It is a wholesome wildlife experience with beautiful small and big animals and plants. Barnstable Harbor also enhances the experience by providing one of the best views on the Cape. Aside from walking on the dry trails, you can also take a boat cruise or kayak tour.

Beech Forest Trail – Birding Cape Cod National Seashore

Beech Forest Trail is located close to Provincetown off Race Point Road. You can easily access the property by car, bike, or on foot. The parking area can accommodate up to 80 vehicles. Parking is absolutely free for all visitors.
Beech forest offers birding enthusiasts a great opportunity to spot several bird species. The 1-mile long trail loops around a wetland area with beautiful flora and fauna surrounding it on both sides. Many of the unique shrubs and trees found in the area have been identified using trailside markers. Migrating birds such as warblers and other songbirds can be spotted here during spring. Because of the wetlands, there are several mosquitoes in the area over the summer. You should consider applying bug repellants before you take on these trails in summer.

Scusset Beach State Reservation

Scusset Beach State Reservation sits on the East end of the beautiful Cape Cod Canal. It is a popular camping area with nearly 100 camping sites. The grounds are state-owned and operated. The state has managed to keep the standards generally good. Nonetheless, the city limits camping in the offseason to self-contained units only because of the unavailability of showers, restrooms, and dump stations in the offseason.

Birders will love walking the trails of the reservation. More than 220 bird species have been spotted here. Some of the birds that have been spotted at the location include king eider, common eider, brant, surf scoter, white-winged scoter, herring gull, red-breasted merganser, common loon, bald eagle, American crow, American robin, cedar waxwing, black-capped chickadee, song sparrow, chipping sparrow, dark-eyed junco, and the northern cardinal.