CURRENT TRIPS
Minnesota | January 28-February 2, 2027
Winter in northern Minnesota may be chilly, but the birding can be hot! Join NJ Audubon senior naturalist Scott Barnes and Sean McLaughlin of Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth January 28-February 2, 2027. This short tour focuses on Great Gray & No. Hawk Owls, winter finches, Black-backed Woodpecker, Boreal Chickadee, and Canada Jay in the beautiful north woods, Sax-Zim Bog, and shores of vast Lake Superior
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.
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 rene.buccinna@njaudubon.org 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.
For questions, contact us at : travel@njaudubon.org.
WHY ECO-TRAVEL
New Jersey Audubon’s Eco-Travel Program has taken participants around the world for over 30 years.
NJ Audubon staff design natural history and birding trips to a variety of domestic and foreign destination sites, ranging from relaxed nature getaways to relatively intensive birding adventures. Specific trip goals are stated in each trip’s itinerary, but one goal of every trip is for participants to better understand ecological systems both far and near, and from that understanding to maintain a high ethic concerning earth and resource stewardship in their daily lives. By traveling with New Jersey Audubon, you are helping preserve your natural heritage, since proceeds from our Eco-Travel Program directly support NJAudubon’s mission of conservation, environmental education, and wildlife research.
Program Goal
The goal of NJ Audubon’s Eco-Travel Program is to reflect our broad conservation mission through a balanced offering of natural history and birding ecotours for NJ Audubon members, New Jersey residents, and any other interested individuals.
These tours reflect natural systems education and maintain a high ethic concerning earth and resource stewardship.
HEALTH PROTOCOLS FOR NJA ECO-TRAVEL
NJ Audubon continues to put health and safety first. We follow federal and state health guidance about best practices to ensure the health and safety of participants, staff and volunteers.
NJ AUDUBON ECO-TOURS FEATURE:
- Small group size (maximum 12 on most trips)
- Leader to participant ratio of 1:6 or better on domestic tours
- Destinations planned to coincide with greatest bird diversity
- Window seats for all participants on most domestic tours
WE OFFER TOURS WITH A VARIETY OF PACES AND GOALS:
- Relaxed vacations with nature
- General ecology with a focus on birdlife
- Intensive birding adventures
A NOTE on PHOTOGRAPHY
NJ Audubon tours provide plenty of opportunities to take photos of birds, other animals and scenery. Serious photography is not a focus of NJ Audubon tours, unless specified. The NJ Audubon tour leader will manage participants’ photographic desires with birdwatching activities.
Learn about past Eco Travel tours
Hear from our guides and attendees, view stunning images and discover what species they encountered
Activity Levels Defined
Be Prepared!
In addition to being properly prepared for the trip in terms of attire and optical equipment, for maximum enjoyment of any Eco-Travel tour, you should be properly prepared for the activity level of the tour. We have developed the following logos and descriptions for use to define the activity level of each of our tours. Please make sure your tour selection matches your expectations in terms of daily activity. For instance, if you are a recreational birder who enjoys short walks, or are not capable of hiking, then a tour listed as “Moderate” or “Active” is not for you. However, if you enjoy long hikes in more remote areas, then you should focus on our “Active” tours. In all cases, please contact us if you have any questions regarding the activity level for any tour.
Easy:
A relaxed tour with low activity. Daily walks include walking relatively short distances over level terrain or paved walkways. Tour involves mostly van travel, with stops at various sites. Minimal steps. Free time to relax between morning and afternoon outings.
Moderate:
A more active tour with daily intermediate- to long-distance walking on sloping or uneven terrain, and/or climbing stairs. Includes several long field days, with many lunches in the field. Those with physical limitations should take this into consideration, or contact the tour leader for details.
Active:
An intensive tour with long-distance, sometimes strenuous hiking most days. Participants should be physically fit.
Eco-Travel Policies
Be sure to read and understand the following New Jersey Audubon Eco-Travel Policies before booking a trip with us.
Please read and/or download our PDF TRAVEL POLICY document HERE
PARTICIPATION
Participants in NJ Audubon Eco-travel are expected to understand and accept the conditions covering tour price, refund policy, responsibility, and terms as outlined in the tour information. By registering, participants affirm that they have read the itinerary and are in general good health and are physically able to keep up with the group in the ordinary course of field activities. Participants accept as their personal risk the hazards of participation inherent in field activities, and will not hold the New Jersey Audubon Society or its tour leaders responsible for same.
NJ Audubon reserves the right, at the sole discretion of the tour leader, to ask a participant to leave any group trip at their own expense, if, in the leader’s judgment, that person’s continued participation is detrimental to the overall quality of the tour, to other trip members or to the individual. In such a case, NJ Audubons’ liability would be limited to costs recoverable, if any, by NJ Audubon from vendors and tour operators of unused portions of the tour. We reserve the right to decline the registration of any individual whose previous conduct on a NJ Audubon program has been deemed detrimental.
Minors (children under the age of 18) are welcome as participants on some (not all) of our tours. Minor participants must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Please confirm suitability of the tour for minors with the tour leader before registering.
REGISTRATION
All tours require a $500 deposit on registration, with the balance due 60 days prior to the start of the tour for domestic tours, unless otherwise noted in the tour information. For international tours, refer to the individual tour information.
DEPOSITS
Deposits are required to reserve your space, unless otherwise stated in the tour itinerary. All tours require a $500/person deposit on registration, with the balance due 60 days prior to the start of the tour for domestic tours, unless otherwise noted in the tour information. For international tours, please refer to the individual tour information.
For weekend van tours, the required deposit is $500/person, with the balance due 30 days prior to the start of the tour.
PAYMENT
We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, or personal check.
EXCLUSIONS
The following items are not included in the tour price unless specifically stated in the tour itinerary: Airfare to and from departure city, passports, visas, departure taxes, immunizations, excess baggage charges, optional excursions, telephone calls, alcoholic beverages, laundry, room service, snacks and anything of a purely personal nature, and excursions deviating from the scheduled tour.
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.
REFUNDS FOR DOMESTIC TOURS
For cancellations more than 60 days before the starting date of the trip, deposits will be returned less a $50.00 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 $50.00 service charge would apply). However, if cancellations made less than 60 days before the start of the tour 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.
Deposits transferred from tour to tour are subject to service charge schedule for cancellations and are conditional upon available space for tours.
All cancellations must be in writing and are presumed final.
FOR INTERNATIONAL TOURS
Refer to the individual tour information.
IN CASE OF CANCELLATION OF A TRIP BY NJ AUDUBON
Rarely, NJ Audubon Eco-travel programs must be cancelled by us.
We make every effort to avoid this situation. If a trip is in danger of being cancelled, we will notify any participants of that fact two weeks prior to the date final payment for the trip is due.
If NJ Audubon cancels a trip, and has notified participants of the potential cancellation 10 weeks prior to departure, and notifies participants of final cancellation four or more weeks before scheduled departure, our liability is restricted to refunding in full any deposits or payments that have been made to NJ Audubon for the trip.
AIR TRAVEL
Tour participants are required to make arrangements for their own air travel unless this is covered by the tour price. Please do not purchase non-refundable air tickets until assured that the trip will run as planned. We recommend purchasing travel insurance and/or deferring the purchase of airline tickets until the date final payment is due (normally 60 days prior to departure), at which time it will be known whether the trip will run or is in danger of cancellation.
RESPONSIBILITY
New Jersey Audubon, 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 New Jersey Audubon 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.
Download our TRAVEL POLICIES document in PDF format.