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Open World Explorer Birding Hotspots
Birding
Group Birdwalk ($500 - $600)
Guided and customized for your group, bird walks are great for libraries, birding clubs, historic societies, hotels and resorts, and corporate events. Private groups with over five individuals can get a group rate of $500 (June-April) or $600 (May) for 2-hrs guided birdwalk. A travel add-on may be applied for distances greater than 30 miles. I can provide up to 7 sets of binoculars, 2 spotting scopes, and field guides, so guests can get the best experience.
[Non-profit organizations can deduct $100 from Group Birdwalk price.]
*Costs are per person; Youth 10-15yo are 50% off
For private tour add $40 per ticket
Massachusetts
Middlesex Fells (March-October) - Only minutes from Boston, this large tract of conservation land and water supply reserve hosts multi-use trails and activities. A variety of habitats, including open fields (a dog park), mature pine and hardwood forest, wooded-pines, and scrubby-rocky ridgelines contribute to the birding appeal hear. It's best to visit early before it gets too crowed, but this is usually a good spot. Specialties - Bald Eagle, Wood Duck, Pine Warbler, Brown Creeper.
Mt. Auburn Cemetery (Year-round) - An Uber/Lyft ride away, this is a must for any birder. Located in Cambridge this landmark has diverse and welcoming habitats for birds. Walking roads and trails weave and allow you to get great views and angles for birds, ... all without tramping on sensitive resting plots. An oasis among a sea of asphalt and concrete, the cemetery forms a migrant trap as they layover before the next leg of their journey.
Plum Island (Year-round) - A US Top 10 year-round birding hotspot, this is a must visit for any birder. Parker River National Wildlife refuge with ocean-front, sandy beaches, spartina marsh, mudflats, and dune woodlands support migrant and overwintering shorebirds. Specialties - Snowy Owl, Short-eared Owl, Piping Plover, Saltmarsh Sparrow, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, and songbird migration. eBird Species = 350+
New Hampshire
Birds and Blooms Hike - (May - June). This hike follows low elevation trails within the White Mountain National Forest. The exact trail is determined based on location of the booking and is variable. Ask me and I can schedule a hike near your stay. This trip will go for approximately 3 hours and cover intermediate terrain. How far? Don't know, and don't care. The focus is on the birdwatching, bird identification (visual and audal), and plant identification.
Boreal White Mountains and Bicknell's Thrush (June - July) - This tour is for serious and focused birding, primarily in pursuit of Bicknell's Thrush and other boreal (high-elevation, spruce-fir forest) birds. Time on this 4-hour tour is emphasized toward viewing Bicknell's Thrush. Moderate-strenuous trail hiking is required. Private tour recommended for focus on photography or for slow hikers. Specialties - Bicknell's Thrush, Canada Jay, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Blackpoll Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Boreal Chickadee. Ask me about non-hiking options to visit the boreal forest zone.
Coastal NH (Year-round) - A gem among New England birding hotspots. Options for this tour are Odiorne Point State Par(north) and Hampton Beach State Park (south). Odiorne Point hosts coastal forest bordering classic rocky-intertidal shoreline, and spartina back-marsh. Hampton Beach is a great winter spot as it regular attracts Snowy Owl, Snow Bunting, Horned Lark, and rock-pipers on the jetty. Great sea-watching at both locations.
Mt. Washington Valley (April - November) - Fantastic three season birding ... winter finches can be pretty good too. An exceptional diversity of migrant songbirds call MWV home for breeding. The regular tour visits a lowland, floodplain silver maple forest on the banks of the Saco River. Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-billed Cuckoo, Bank Swallow and more nest here. Option for this trip to go to other nearby locations for different habitat and other target species.
Maine
Biddeford Pool (September - June) - Biddeford Pool is a stunningly beautiful coastal spot in southern Maine. Excellent for migrant and winter coastal birds. Habitats include sandy beach, extensive rocky shoreline and near-shore islands, freshwater impoundments, spartina marsh, and woody-scrub (great migrant trap). Specialties - Snowy Owl, Great Cormorant, winter waterbirds - alcids, loons, ducks, Piping Plover, migrant songbirds.
Marginal Way (November - March) - A perched walk along classic New England rocky coastline. This full-walking tour (periodic benches if needed) follows the paved tourist path called the Marginal Way. Reliable spot for Harlequin Duck. Great place to find and practice near-shore waterbirds, including ducks, loons, grebes, alcids, and gulls. Specialties - Harlequin and other sea ducks, Purple Sandpiper, and Razorbill. eBird Recorded Species = 150+
| Hotspot | Location | Available | Duration | Cost* | Minimum | Reserve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plum Island | Newburyport, MA | Year-round | 2 or 3 Hours | $109 | 1 | Book Now |
| Coastal NH | Portsmouth, NH | Year-round | 2 Hours | $89 | 1 | Book Now |
| Marginal Way | Ogunquit, ME | November to March | 2 Hours | $89 | 1 | Book Now |
| Biddeford Pool | Biddeford, ME | September to mid-June | 2 Hours | $99 | 2 | Book Now |
| Mt. Auburn Cemetery | Cambridge, MA | Year-round | 2 Hours | $109 | 2 | Book Now |
| Boreal White Mountains | Bretton Woods, NH | June to July | 4 Hours | $239 | 2 | Book Now |
| Middlesex Fells | Stoneham, MA | March to October | 2 Hours | $109 | 2 | Book Now |
| Mt. Washington Valley | North Conway, NH | April to October | 2 Hours | $99 | 2 | Book Now |
| Birds and Blooms | To Be Determined | May to June | 3-4 Hours | $50 | 3 | Book Now |
Tour Reviews
Birding Tour Cancellation Policy
Birding tours are at the discretion and mercy of Mother Nature. Tours will begin and continue in conditions of misting, drizzle, and light rain ... more than light rain will cancel or truncate an event. Tours may also be cancelled or truncated under conditions where winds are of sufficient strength to move tree branches and sway trunks. Under these windy conditions, birding by ear can be significantly impaired and reduce the birding experience. Events cancelled due to weather or unforeseen circumstances by OWE will be fully refunded, including any deposits collected. Events truncated due to weather or unforeseen circumstances by OWE will be prorated to the next lowest half-hour from the time of tour termination. (Example: A tour begins at 9:20am and is terminated early at 10:50am. The next lowest half-hour is 10:20am, so the client is prorated at 1 hour for the tour. Determinations of cancellations, truncations, and charges are made by OWE and final.)
