Great Shearwater is common in the early fall waters off Grand Manan. Photo: Steve N.G. Howell
Rising from the sea at the entrance to the Bay of Fundy, the Canadian island of Grand Manan has its own rich sense of place, created by the backdrop of neatly painted houses, the sound of fishing boats on a foggy morning, and the ageless sight of lobster traps stacked on wooden piers. Early autumn here is marked by clear days and cool nights, and migrant birds can be abundant in the island’s spruce forests and on rocky headlands, marshes, and ponds. Wildflowers are superb at this season, which is also when numbers of whales gather in the bay.
Our headquarters is the simple and congenial Shorecrest Lodge. We’ll spend the entire week here, with no hotel changes, making it easy for anyone to take time off to enjoy a setting where weather and tide still dictate the pace of life.
Day 1: The tour begins at 1:00 pm at the airport in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Once we’ve assembled, we’ll drive about an hour and a half to Black’s Harbour, where we’ll board the ferry for the 90-minute crossing to Grand Manan. Night in North Head.
Days 2-7: Once settled in, we’ll explore the island from end to end. We’ll also find time for two boat trips to nearby smaller islands and to undersea ledges that are often the site of gatherings of seabirds and whales. We’re likely to see Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill, and Great, Sooty and Manx Shearwaters—if herring are schooling in the area, the numbers of birds can be staggering. Cetaceans can also be numerous, and among the five or six species we might see is the very rare Northern Right Whale.
Back on Grand Manan itself, passerine migration should be in full swing, with wood warblers of 20 or more species often conspicuous. Most of our land birding days will start with breakfast in the lodge at about 7:00 am, followed by our departure for the day’s birding. We’ll generally be taking picnic lunches with us, but on most days we can also return to the lodge briefly at midday to drop off or pick up anyone who has decided to take half a day off to enjoy island life. Our afternoon return to the lodge will leave us time to relax and clean up before dinner. Nights in North Head.
Day 8: We’ll depart North Head early to return to Saint John, where the tour concludes at about 11:00 am.
Updated: 10 August 2011
Prices
- 2012 Tour Price : $2,350*
- Single Occupancy Supplement : $380
Notes
This tour is limited to 8 participants with 1 leader.
* Tour invoices paid by check carry a modest discount. Details here.