Zoo Faces: Cape May County Zoo

I love this zoo. I remember when it was mostly farm animals and gumball machines filled with feed for a nickel.

A couple of roaring big cats were added, and a house full of reptiles, and lots of big birds, and then the African Savanna with Giraffes, Zebras, Bongos, Scimitar-Horned Oryxes, and Ankole Watusis.

These are Ankhole Watusis having dinner.

In the warmer weather the zoo is filled with colorful flowers and flowering bushes. but today, the last day of November, we're more likely to see berries and ornamental grasses.

In the cooler weather today, I found faces...

The over-the-shoulder peacock look

The I'm-pretending-to-eat-this-really-short-grass-for-your-picture look

"Whaddya want? My parents are trying to eat here."

And the Great Blue Heron asks, "Got any fish for me?"

These three snow leopards had their faces on something outside their fence...

And elsewhere in the zoo, these ducks were having a pond party. We weren't invited, so we shot some photos and politely left.

Cape May Free Photo Opps for Free

I just submitted a new article to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry's magazine, Twin Capes Traveller, about taking photographs in the Cape May County area. Of course I can't spill all the details of the article here, but I can suggest some cool (free) spots for my readers to try taking some great photos.

For great flower shooting, visit North Wildwood's Hereford Inlet Lighthouse and its amazing gardens. I hadn't explored this gem until last year when I read about it on Twitter. The Cape May County Park and Zoo in Cape May Court House is a nifty place to go for animal photos. Many of the exhibits are viewed from above, on cool overhead walkways. Back down south, the Cape May Point State Park is free and the best place to go for close-up views of the lighthouse. And if you are not worn out by now, check out the great sunsets at the (free) Sunset Beach. Technically this beach is in Lower Township, but it is south of the canal and seems like it is a part of Cape May Point, all the way at the end of Sunset Boulevard.

Now you know some of my Cape May photography secrets, but to read the rest and maybe learn some photo tips, head on over to either ferry terminal (Cape May or Lewes) later this summer and look for the little magazine that has my article. Oh, and the magazine is f-r-e-e.

The Cape May County Zooooo

There's a short list of things I like to do in the Cape May area that are free. (Sometimes this matters more than others.) Along with walking along the bay, shooting photos of the sunset, visiting Jersey Shore Alpacas, and checking out the flowers at the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse, the Cape May County Zoo is a great way to spend some time. Every time I go, it seems that there are improvements and more people milling about. This Sunday I was almost disoriented with new buildings and new parking lots meant especially for zoo visitors. The old parking lots are now designated "park parking." Okay, I can deal with change.

First up is the barnyard: chickens, pigs, goats and sheep. I never get tired of these guys.

One of the things I like about this zoo is the elevated boardwalks:

These allow zoo visitors to walk above the more exotic animals and get great photos without a lot of bars and fences in the way. That's how I got these cool shots (along with my longer lens).

These nattily-dressed creatures are part of the African Savanna section:

This is the best photo I've gotten of this snow leopard in years of attempts. He is behind a fence and I somehow got it to blur! (Look at the size of those paws!)

I skipped the Aviary and the Reptile House this visit, because there's just too much to see in a short visit. The lion was reclining, and because of this not a great photo subject, but we could all hear him pretty much all over the zoo. I wonder what the other creature think of his roars!