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The existing lighthouse at Cape May Point
was built in 1859, stands over 157 feet tall and is still operated
by the Coast Guard. Its beacon is visible for 24 miles out to
sea and helps vessels navigate the sometimes treacherous eleven
mile wide entrance to the Delaware Bay. Situated on the southern
point of a six mile long peninsula of land, the structure is
the third official lighthouse at the site. The other two were
abandoned and eventually demolished because of poor construction
and inadequate optics. The sites of these predecessors are now
under water due to erosion.
Just to the north of the lighthouse is The
Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge. The preserve consists of 187
acres of wetlands and was acquired by The Nature Conservancy
in 1981. This habitat provides a haven for a wide variety of
fall migrating songbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors,
as well as butterflies. Here they congregate to rest and feed
before their taxing trip across the Delaware Bay. The autumn
hawk migrations are especially thrilling for new and seasoned
birders alike. Spectacular flocks fill the sky before a storm,
as cold fronts push them down from the northwest.
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