Eco Travel

CAUGHT IN MONHEGAN’S TRAP
Monhegan Island, Maine
September 20-25, 2026

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Get ready to leave the noise and bustle of everyday life behind as we venture to this picturesque and serene island off the coast of Maine! Its remote location 10 miles offshore and diverse habitats help to make Monhegan one of the top migrant “traps” on the East Coast. Our time will be filled observing some of the incredible array of birds that reside on or visit this island, such as flycatchers, thrushes, vireos, warblers (over 20 species possible), sparrows, finches, and blackbirds. We will scan the ocean waves for waterfowl, alcids, shearwaters, jaegers, and other seabirds, while raptors pass by in their search for prey on the island. The list of possibilities reads like a checklist, and we’ll search for species such as Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, Black Guillemot, Manx Shearwater, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Parasitic Jaeger, Red-necked Phalarope, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Philadelphia Vireo, Connecticut Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Clay-colored Sparrow, and many more!! Regularly sighted vagrants include Western Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Dickcissel, Lark Sparrow, Orchard Oriole, Blue Grosbeak, and more. Monhegan has also hosted a stunning list of rarities, topped by the likes of Magnificent Frigatebird, Bridled Tern, Swallow-tailed Kite, Say’s Phoebe, White-winged Dove, Northern Wheatear, Bell’s Vireo, Virginia Warbler, Lazuli Bunting, and Lark Bunting! We will be leaving our vehicles on the mainland and soaking it all in while covering some of the many trails on this small and peaceful island (only 1.7 miles long and .5 miles wide), which includes a freshwater ice pond, nine-acre meadow, and the tallest cliffs on the eastern seaboard (160’). Wonderful birding, breathtaking scenery, and an enchanting atmosphere – Monhegan has it all!

The tour starts/ends in Port Clyde, Maine. Besides the spectacular birding, coastal Maine has a natural beauty beyond compare. Monhegan itself has a quaint fishing village and artist’s retreat, with several shops and galleries; it is a favorite tourist day-trip destination in the summer. Maine is also famous for its historical lighthouses, one of which is located right on the island. This tour will truly be a memorable coastal experience!

Additional information about the tour, with specific meeting times, accommodations, lists of things to bring, a reading list, further information about weather, dress, and so forth, will be mailed to all participants well in advance of the tour.

TOUR SIZE:

This tour is limited to 10 participants.

ACTIVITY LEVEL:

Moderate. This tour has been given an activity level of Moderate. It is considered a more active tour with daily intermediate to long-distance walking on sloping or uneven terrain, and/or climbing stairs; this tour involves a lot of walking/hiking. It also involves a water crossing over open ocean, with the possibility of rough seas. Those with physical limitations or trouble with seasickness should take these factors into consideration or contact the tour leader for details.

PACE, WEATHER, AND TRAVEL CONDITIONS:

The focus of the tour will be birds and scenery, but we will have time for other wildlife, botany, and photography. We will be walking throughout the tour, as there is no ground transportation. All accommodations are at an inn or guesthouse; stairs are required for any rooms above the ground floor (there are no elevators). Expect a warm to cool climate, depending on current weather systems, with daily high temperatures usually in the 60s and lows in the mid to upper 40s. The pace is relaxed, with multiple hikes of one-two miles on easy to moderate terrain, including some woodland trails with exposed roots and uneven ground—you can expect to walk upwards of five miles per day.

DATES:

Sunday, September 20 to Friday, September 25, 2026

PRICE:

$2,395/person based on double occupancy; $700 single supplement payable if you request single occupancy or if we cannot find you a suitable roommate. A deposit of $500/person will hold your place until July 15, 2026, when full payment becomes due.

PRICE INCLUDES:

Professional guide services are included for the duration of the tour. This tour also includes five nights of seaside accommodations at a hotel/inn or guesthouse. Each room has a private bath. All rooms are furnished with one queen or king bed (a sofa bed is also available in some rooms). Smoking is not permitted inside the building. Dinner at two of the fine local restaurants is provided (Friday and Tuesday), as well as breakfast each morning. All other meals are the responsibility of the individual tour participants. The cost of the ferry crossings between Port Clyde and Monhegan Island on arrival and departure days are included.

PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

Transportation to/from Port Clyde is not included. For those flying into Portland, there are several options to travel to Port Clyde. For those driving to Port Clyde and leaving a car on the mainland, parking will be available at the boat landing for the duration of the time on Monhegan at $10/day.

SEND DEPOSITS AND OTHER PAYMENTS TO:

NJ Audubon Eco-Travel
Attn: René Buccinna
2350 Route 47 North, Building #1
Woodbine, NJ 08270
Phone: (609)400-3852
Please make checks payable to New Jersey Audubon OR by email to [email protected]

TOUR LEADERS:

Brett Ewald is the Director of New Jersey Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory, fostering the appreciation and understanding of birds and nature through their full schedule of walks, workshops, presentations, and research. He has been enthralled with birds for over 40 years, specializing in migration and distribution patterns, including as Director of the Hamlin Beach Lakewatch for Braddock Bay Raptor Research in New York. These endeavors have taken him from the mountains of New Mexico to the beaches of New Jersey – including a stint (no pun intended) as the Cape May hawkwatch counter in 1990. For sixteen years, he was the owner and guide for Lakeshore Nature Tours, focusing on the birdlife of North America at the premier destinations, from the Arctic Ocean in Alaska to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas (including multiple tours to Monhegan Island, about which he recently published the book The Birds of Monhegan. He currently resides in Cape May Beach and shares his favorite moments with his wife, Sheryl, and their energetic companion, Neah Bay, a Treeing Walker Coonhound. He looks forward to putting his knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to work for you.

RESPONSIBILITY:

The New Jersey Audubon Society, as tour operator, does not act as an agent for any person or firm providing transportation, accommodations, or services on the tour; and the Society accepts no responsibility for any loss, damage, expense, injury or claim arising from any defect in any vehicle, conveyance, or accommodation provided by any such person or firm. Neither shall the New Jersey Audubon Society be held responsible for any loss or delay caused by changes in transportation services, strikes, illness, weather, or other cause. We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance to protect yourself.

TERMS:

The New Jersey Audubon Society reserves the right to alter itinerary or arrangements, if necessary, without penalty; and to prorate any increases or decreases in trip price caused by such alterations; and to cancel the tour at any time prior to departure, with full refund as settlement to tour participants.

REFUND POLICY:

For cancellations more than 60 days before the starting date of the trip, deposits will be returned less a $25.00 service charge. Cancellations made 60 days or less before the starting date of the trip will be charged $250.00, unless the space can be filled (in which case the $25.00 service charge would apply). Deposits are non-transferable from tour to tour. If cancellations take place after hotels and vans have been booked and other services contracted for, hotel, van rental and other service policies will determine what portion, if any, of payments are recoverable. No refunds will be made to no-shows or for any unused portion of the tour, unless arranged prior to departure date. All cancellations must be in writing and are presumed final.

With Scott Barnes, Senior Naturalist-Cape May Bird Observatory
Friday November 13 to Monday November 16, 2026

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The arm-like peninsula of Cape Cod extends some 30 miles east into the Atlantic Ocean, making it an excellent place to see New England’s birdlife, especially in late fall. The cape’s pristine beaches, quaint harbors and towns, freshwater wetlands, tidal marshes, and maritime forests may host a wide range of species. Cape Cod Bay and open ocean can host high numbers of sea ducks, loons, and perhaps a pelagic species or two such as Black-legged Kittiwake or Parasitic Jaeger. Even shearwaters and other tubenoses are possible if conditions are right. The numerous coastal woods and thickets may host songbirds including flocks of sparrows, late warblers, thrushes, and other passerines. It’s also a good time of year for scarce raptors and rarities. Winds and weather largely dictate what each day’s birding focus will be.

PACE, WEATHER, AND TRAVEL CONDITIONS:

We will depart the hotel each morning around 7:00 am for our days afield and should return to the hotel by around 5:00 pm. Fall weather can be tricky, but typical temperatures for this tour will likely be mild to cold, with average daytime highs in the low 50’s and overnight lows in the upper 30’s. Rain is a possibility; if we encounter such conditions we can still do a lot of birding from the comfort of our vehicle.

GROUP SIZE:

Travel during this tour will be in a passenger van with no more than 7 participants plus the leader.

ACTIVITY LEVEL: Easy to Moderate

The trip involves light to moderate amounts of walking but no strenuous hikes. The terrain is generally flat with most walking on wide paths and roadsides. Some walking will be on sandy trails and open beaches. Windy and/or rainy conditions are always possible. If necessary, we’ll mitigate this by spending time birding in or near the tour vehicles where you can stay dry and warm. Most drives on the tour aren’t more than a few hours (mostly on Fri/Mon as we travel from/to NJ).

TOUR PRICE:

$1,475 based on double occupancy. Single supplement $300. Tour price includes transportation from NJ Audubon’s Scherman Hoffman Sanctuary, 3 nights lodging, all entrance fees, and leadership. It does not include meals. A deposit of $500 will hold your space until September 30, 2026 when full payment is due.

SEND DEPOSITS & OTHER PAYMENTS TO:

NJ Audubon Eco-Travel, Attn: René Buccinna, 2350 Route 47 North, Building #1, Woodbine, NJ 08270 tel. 609-400-3852. Email [email protected] Please make checks payable to New Jersey Audubon. Visa, MasterCard and Discover are also accepted.

MEETING LOCATION:

The tour starts at NJ Audubon’s Scherman Hoffman Sanctuary in Bernardsville, NJ at 7:15 am on Friday November 13. The address is 11 Hardscrabble Rd, Bernardsville NJ 07924. We will return to Scherman Hoffman on Monday November 16 at approximately 7:00 pm.

TOUR LEADERS:

Scott Barnes began birding in the mid-1980’s and has been an avid naturalist ever since. Encouragement and learning came from his parents and many birders, including members of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club and staff of New Jersey Audubon. An interest in travel and natural history has led him from the Bering Sea to the desert southwest to the tropics of Central America in search of birds and other wildlife. Scott has compiled the San

dy Hook Christmas Bird Count for over twenty-five years, served for thirteen years on the New Jersey Bird Records Committee, led for See Life Paulagics tours for nineteen years, serves on the NJ Waterfowl Stamp Advisory Committee, teaches Beginner Birding Courses for Princeton Adult School, and is an eBird reviewer for NJ. Scott has led NJ Audubon tours in 23 states in the U.S., Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Spain, and Trinidad & Tobago. Scott has been visiting and leading birding tours to Massachusetts for decades.

PROVISIONAL ITINERARY:

Friday November 13: Meet at NJ Audubon’s Scherman Hoffman Sanctuary at 7:15 am. We’ll monitor recent bird reports and do some birding on our drive up to Cape Cod. We may visit Hammonasset Beach State Park, one of the best birding sites in Connecticut. The park’s habitats include tidal marsh, scrub-shrub thickets and woodlots, and the waters of Long Island Sound. Waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, and songbirds may be all be found at this productive park. Time permitting, we do some additional birding as we make our way to our lodging in West Yarmouth, MA.

Saturday November 14: There is a wealth of good birding locations across the cape; we will be hard pressed to visit all of them, but some standout locations on today’s agenda include the Fort Hill area in Eastham, Nauset Marsh and lighthouse, and other stops in the southern half of Cape Cod National Seashore. November is still migration time, and the winds and field conditions will determine what we’ll focus on. It might be a good raptor flight, or a late season push of sparrows, or watching an excellent nearshore seabird movement.

Sunday November 15: Race Point Beach in Provincetown is one of the best places to view pelagic species of birds from land. Every day is different here and we’ll hope for favorable winds or a local abundance of food to attract a variety of waterbirds including loons, grebes, gulls, and jaegers. In some years rarer seabirds may be present, including alcids, shearwaters, and other tubenoses. There are many pine forests, thickets, and other places to explore in Provincetown and nearby sites in Truro where we’ll compliment the day’s birding searching for marsh and upland species including raptors, kinglets, thrushes, sparrows, and late-season warblers.

Monday November 16: Depending on what we’ve seen so far and weather conditions we’ll have time for a few hours of birding on the Cape. Possible stops include Crane WMA and Scusset Beach Reservation. We’ll stop for a quick lunch before starting our drive back to New Jersey. Estimated return time to Scherman Hoffman is 7:00 pm.