Dr. Witmer Stone was a noted Ornithologist who lived from 1866 to 1939. The former Witmer Stone Wildlife Sanctuary is located at Sunset Beach in Cape May, New Jersey. If you're unfamiliar with the area, the sanctuary site sits right across from the Sunset Beach Gift Shop. You'll find free parking there.
On the site you'll find various historical markers about his life. For example, in 1890, Dr. Witmer Stone first observed the spectacle of fall hawk migration in Cape May. It was accompanied by the continuous sound of gunfire. Dr. Stone devoted more than 50 years of service to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia in a variety of signficant positions. 1888-1939.
As you continue to read the historical marker you'll learn that he was a founding member of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club in 1890 and was president of the American Ornithologists Union from 1920 to 1923. He championed the study of living birds, thanks to the invention of binoculars and the publication of detailed field guides.
He observed Cape May birds in detail for 50 years which resulted in his 1937 book, Bird Studies at Old Cape May. This comprehensive work has long been considered the Bible of bird watching in Cape May. In 1930, Dr. Stone and members of the DVOC demanded protection of the hawks of Cape May Point. This led to the establishment of the Witmer Stone Wildlife Sanctuary in 1935, one of the first efforts to conserve habitat in Cape May.
Today thousands of bird watchers flock to Cape May to witness what Dr. Stone fought so hard to protect. All information in this post obtianed from the markers located at the site. The photo above shows the Sunset Beach Gift Shop, so I'm standing across from that at the Dr. Stone Wildlife Sanctuary.
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