Cape Cod & Rhode Island

Black-legged Kittiwake © Kevin Burke

Seabirds, lingering migrants, cranberry bogs, and delicious seafood are what we can expect from our Cape Cod and Rhode Island tour.

This tour will take us on an extensive exploration of Cape Cod and Southern Rhode Island. Fall is a great time to visit these areas to look for New England's resident species and some winter specialties starting to settle in the area. Species we will be looking for include Common Murre, Black-legged Kittiwake, Iceland Gull, Long-tailed Duck, Common Eider, and many, many more.

Cape Cod has some of the best sea watching on the East Coast. The geographic cape sticks out far off the Massachusetts mainland, making it ideal for viewing seabirds from shore. A trip to Stellwagen Bank on a whale watching boat out of Provincetown should provide good looks at migrating Humpback Whales in addition to ample seabirds. Stellwagen Bank is a unique geological formation just under the water’s surface that forces deep water up to the surface just offshore. This provides food for many seabirds and marine mammals, some of which can be seen from shore. We will spend a few nights on the cape exploring its barrier beaches, salt marshes, and maritime forests. These unique habitats will hold a good mix of resident species, wintering birds, and lingering migrants. Cape Cod is also home to some very charming villages that are as fascinating to explore as are the unique landscapes. We will stop at the famous Birdwatcher's General Store in Orleans to chat about birds and see the latest in birding gear.

Next on the agenda is a trip to the Southern Rhode Island coast; with its rich history and beautiful architecture, it is truly a beautiful area. Rhode Island has a fair amount of public land on its coast. We will explore some of these migrant traps, such as Sachuest National Wildlife Refuge, Brenton Beach, and Beavertail State Park, the latter being a good place to look for migrating Northern Saw-whet Owl. We will also spend a morning birding and touring one of the largest cranberry bogs in New England. We’ll see how the operation works and have access to its extensive dyke system to look for waterfowl and whatever else we can find. You never know what you might find in the country’s smallest state. This six-night tour is sure to net us great birds, wonderful beach views, and great seafood.

Good accommodations; easy to moderate terrain; several short beach walks and a couple of 2–3-mile flat hikes; generally mild days with potentially chilly mornings.

Humpback Whales © Kevin Burke