Coastal North Carolina - Painted Buntings to Tropicbirds
Adult Trip

Program Location: North Carolina
Leaders: Strickland Wheelock; Kathy Seymour; Tia Pinney, Drumlin Farm Teacher-Naturalist
Fee: $1,350 m / $1,500 nm
Dates: July 23, 2010-July 27, 2010

Join us for a spectacular birding trip to eastern North Carolina’s Cape Hatteras and the Croatan National Forest. This five day trip allows us ample time to explore a number of habitats in depth. On previous trips, we’ve seen over 175 species including many rarities and most all the southern specialties. The range of habitats includes the Croatan National Forest for red-cockaded woodpecker, Bachman’s sparrow, brown-headed nuthatch, Swainson’s, prothonatary, Kentucky and yellow-throated warblers, summer tanager, chuck-wills-widow, owls and goatsuckers; marshes near Morehead City with calling black rails & seaside sparrows, coastal thickets with painted buntings and blue grosbeaks; the Bodie Islands on the Outer Banks where we experience volumes of shorebirds and terns (gull-billed, sandwich, etc); Pea Island NWR for shorebirds and waders including stilts, avocets, marbled godwits, western sandpipers, and white ibis; and the Great Dismal Swamp to see hooded warblers and Acadian flycatchers. The highlight of the trip will be a private boat tour to the Gulf Stream with Brian Patteson, Join us for a spectacular birding trip to eastern North Carolina’s Cape Hatteras and the Croatan National Forest. This five day trip allows us ample time to explore a number of habitats in depth. On previous trips, we’ve seen over 175 species including many rarities and most all the southern specialties. The range of habitats includes the Croatan National Forest for Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Bachman’s Sparrow, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Swainson’s, Prothonatary, Kentucky and Yellow-throated warblers, Summer Tanager, Chuck-wills-widow, owls and goatsuckers; marshes near Morehead City with calling Black Rail and Seaside Sparrow, coastal thickets with Painted Bunting and Blue Grosbeak; the Bodie Islands on the Outer Banks where we encounter volumes of shorebirds and terns (Gull-billed, Sandwich, etc); Pea Island NWR for shorebirds and waders including Stilt, Avocet, Marbled Godwit, Western Sandpiper, and White Ibis; and the Great Dismal Swamp to see Hooded Warbler and Acadian Flycatcher. The highlight of the trip will be a private boat tour to the Gulf Stream with Brian Patteson, the pelagic expert on the East coast. This all day trip will produce several species of shearwaters, petrels, jaegers, and terns with excellent chances for skua, tropicbird, and booby. Some of the expected birds are Black-capped Petrels, Leach’s and Band-rumped storm-petrels, Bridled and Sooty terns, Cory’s and Audubon shearwaters, South Polar Skua and hopefully Masked Booby, White-tailed Tropicbird, Long-tailed Jaeger or a rare petrel (Herald, Bermuda). In the end, you will have one of the most exciting and educational birding trips of your life.

Pre-registration is required; open to anyone age 18 or older. Contact Jennifer Riley at 781-259-2206 or jriley@massaudubon.org for a full itinerary.

For more information:
Please contact Drumlin Farm, Lincoln at 781-259-2200 or e-mail drumlinfarm@massaudubon.org.

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