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Migrating Semipalmated Sandpipers by Steve Bird.NOVA SCOTIA
Shorebird & Seabird Spectacle!

August 10 - 18, 2027

Contact [email protected] to reserve your space!

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The Canadian province of Nova Scotia is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, the Bay of Fundy, and the Northumberland Strait. The mosaic of habitats here include the Bay of Fundy Cliffs, home to the world’s highest tides, exposed fossils, and dramatic red-rock canyons; the Acadian Forest with its mix of northern and southern tree species; the wind-sculpted, granite Coastal Barrens with stunted trees and hardy alpine-like vegetation against the backdrop of sweeping ocean views; and the salt marshes and tidal rivers that serve as nurseries for birds, fish, and invertebrates.

 

Cory's Shearwater by Gavin McKinnon.

We've designed this tour to visit Nova Scotia in August, during the peak shorebird concentration, prime pelagic seabird time, and a time when coastal habitats are buzzing with migrants staging for fall. The massive shorebird migration along the Bay of Fundy hosts tens of thousands of sandpipers and plovers that gather to feed before flying nonstop to South America. This is one of the great natural spectacles of eastern North America - where mudflats exposed at low tide create perfect feeding conditions for Semipalmated, White-rumped, and Stilt Sandpipers, as well as Whimbrel and Godwits and others. August pelagic trips often produce shearwaters, puffins, kittiwakes, jaegers, phalaropes, and storm petrels with whale sightings as a bonus. Brier Island, where we stage for the pelagic trip, is consistently ranked as Nova Scotia’s top birding hotspot with 293+ recorded species.

 

 

The combination of warm weather, the stunning landscapes of the coast, wildlife, and long daylight hours in Nova Scotia creates one of the richest nature- travel experiences anywhere in Atlantic Canada.

 

Join us to experience the wonders of Nova Scotia!

 


Northern Gannet by Gavin McKinnonITINERARY - subject to change based on wildlife & weather

 

Day 1: Arrive in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Today we will arrive in Halifax, Nova Scotia (Airport code: YHZ) where we will begin the tour with dinner near our hotel, and go over the plan for the following days.

 

Day 2: Hartlen Point - Peggy’s Cove - White Sand Resort
We will begin with birding at Hartlen Point just outside of Halifax, here we will get an introduction to the birdlife of North America’s Atlantic coast. Species like Northern Harrier, White-rumped Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Common Eider, and as well as passerines such as Lincoln's and Savannah Sparrow, maybe an early Dicksissel, and several species of warbler can be seen migrating through here. After lunch, we’ll begin our drive north to the Annapolis Valley. Our destination for the evening is the charming town of Wolfville, nestled near the shores of the Minas Basin.

 

Day 3: Birding The Guzzle and Wolfville area
This morning’s birding will be dictated by the tides, as we plan our visit to “The Guzzle” around high tide to experience one of Nova Scotia’s great natural spectacles. At The Guzzle, a narrow channel on nearby Long Island, we’ll witness flocks of Semipalmated Sandpipers gathering by the tens of thousands. These birds stop here to rest and feed during their southbound migration creating an awe-inspiring display as they swirl and shift in tight formation. The combination of sheer numbers and the movement of the flocks makes this a highlight of the tour. After soaking in this spectacle, we’ll spend the next few hours of the day looking for migrant passerines before making the 3-hour drive to Brier Island. We will spend the next two nights at a quaint lodge with views of the shoreline.

 

White-rumped Sandpiper by Gina Nichol  Semipalmated Sandpiper by Gavin McKinnon

 

 

South Polar Skua by Gavin McKinnonDay 4: Brier Island Whale Watching & Pelagic
A whale-watching and seabird pelagic trip from Brier Island is a highlight of any visit to Brier Island. These nutrient-rich waters attract Humpback Whales, Fin Whales, Minke Whales and White-sided Dolphins.

 

Wilson's Storm Petrel by Gavin McKinnonAs the boat cruises offshore, we'll scan for pelagic species like Great, Sooty, Manx, and sometimes Cory’s Shearwaters, Red-necked Phalaropes, Kittiwakes, Puffins, and Wilson’s and Leach’s Storm-Petrels gliding over the waves. South Polar Skuas and Parasitic Jaegers search for their next opportunistic meal, and Fulmar, Murres and Razorbills are possibilities.

 

 

 

Day 5: Brier Island to Yarmouth
Blackburnian Warbler by Gavin McKinnon.This morning, we’ll spend a few hours this morning birding on Brier Island, taking in the coastal habitats and searching for migrants and seabirds. The island’s quiet roads and windswept headlands offer excellent opportunities for lingering warblers, flycatchers, and ocean views. After a walk and some relaxed birding, we’ll take the ferry back to the mainland. From there, we’ll begin our drive along the south shore of Nova Scotia to Yarmouth.

 

 

Day 6: Cape Sable Island and Baccaro Point
We will spend the day today birding on Cape Sable Island and Barracco Point. Cape Sable Island is one of the only locations in Canada to host a breeding population of American Oystercatchers. We will also be on the lookout here for more migrant shorebirds such as Semipalmated Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, and the sandy colored Piping Plover are also found here. We will also look for larger waders such as Whimbrels and Hudsonian Godwits. This island is also a hotspot for southern rarities, in past years species such as Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Little Blue Heron and Snowy Egret have appeared here. The surrounding mixed woodlands and fields can hold migrant warblers, flycatchers, and the occasional rarity. Night in Yarmouth.

 

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher by Gina Nichol.

Day 7: Cape Forchu
Today we will bird around Cape Forchu, one of the best locations for migrant songbirds in Nova Scotia, we will keep our eyes peeled for Blackburnian, Black-throated Green, and Black-throated Blue Warblers in the trees. Flycatchers possible here include Yellow-bellied, Olive-sided as migrants, while Least and Alder Flycatchers may still be lingering here from the breeding season, possibly with fledglings. From the lighthouse, we will conduct a sea watch and hope to see Great Shearwaters and Northern Gannets gracefully streaming past. In the late afternoon we will drive back to Halifax for the final evening of the tour.

Day 8: Depart Halifax
Plan on departing from Halifax (YHZ) today.


Leaders: Gavin McKinnon, Gina Nichol & Steve Bird.

 

Baird's Sandpiper by Gina Nichol

 

Great Shearwater by Gavin McKinnon.NOVA SCOTIA
August 10 - 18, 2027

Contact [email protected] to reserve your space!
Registration Form>    

TOUR PRICE:  US$4495.00 per person, based on double occupancy and a minimum of 6 persons from Halifax, Nova Scotia (YHZ).

Single supplement: US$1095.00 per person based on availability

Deposit: $1000.00 per person per tour. Note: Tour deposits can be paid by credit card via PayPal.  Use this link to make your credit card payment.  Please advise [email protected] when you have made payment. 

Included in cost:  All accommodations, guide services as stated in the itinerary, private ground transportation during the tour, and park entrance fees.

Not included: Flights from your home to and from Halifax, Nova Scotia HST* (14%), tips for drivers and guides, travel insurance, excess baggage charges, private excursions, evening meals, snacks, drinks, laundry, telephone calls and anything else of a purely personal nature. Also, any and all costs arising from illness or medical issues are not included in the tour cost and are the sole responsibility of the traveler. These include, among others, the costs of medical treatment, hospitalization, medical fees, transport, meals and accommodation in case of illness or quarantine, and the costs of any medical tests needed before, during and after the tour.

*The Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) is a consumption tax applied in Canadian provinces that combines the federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the regional Provincial Sales Tax (PST) into a single rate.

RESERVATIONS: To reserve your place on this tour:

1) Contact Gina Nichol at [email protected] to confirm availability and hold your place.

2) Review the Terms and Conditions of Booking (pdf download)>

3) Complete the Registration & Release Form (pdf)> and mail it with your deposit (amount indicated above per person) to Sunrise Birding, LLC within two weeks to secure your place. 

>Download & print the Registration Form (pdf download).
Instructions are on the form.

Reservations are held with a paid deposit on a first-come, first-served basis.

Once the tour is confirmed to go ahead, we will send you information about booking your flights.
Please do not book flights until you receive this information from us and are notified that the trip has sufficient numbers to run. Final payment is due April 10, 2027. Check or bank transfer are preferred but credit card payments are possible (surcharges of up to 5% are added depending on amount to cover credit card company fees). 

 

**Please note: Tour prices are based on quoted costs from ground operators (in their local currency), estimated fuel costs, and the rate of exchange the time of itinerary publication. The erratic nature to global financial markets makes it difficult to predict changes in costs and foreign currency exchange rates over the long term. Since tours are priced well in advance of the actual operation of the tour, tour costs, fuel costs and exchange rates can change, sometimes drastically. Depending on the extent of such changes, it may be necessary to implement a surcharge on this tour. If a surcharge is necessary, every effort will be made to minimize the amount.

Cancellations and Refunds:
Please review our Terms and Conditions of Booking (pdf download)> prior to registering for this tour. All cancellations must be made in writing. Please ensure that you take out adequate insurance to cover this and any other eventuality as early as possible. You may have the opportunity to transfer your booking to another tour or another person, provided you are unavoidably prevented from coming on the tour. In this case, you will bear any extra costs that such changes may incur.


There are no refunds once the trip is confirmed to go ahead and no refunds will be made for unused meals, accommodations, or other trip features. Sunrise Birding, LLC cannot accept liability for airline cancellations or delays or penalties incurred by the purchase of non-refundable airline tickets or other expenses incurred by tour participants in preparing for this tour.

 

TRIP INSURANCE:
Sunrise Birding LLC strongly recommends that you consider purchasing a travel protection plan to protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected in case of delay, injury or illness prior to or during a tour. Travel protection plans can include coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip Delay, Baggage Loss and Delay, Emergency Medical Transportation, Pre-existing Conditions, and more. Get started here>

PLEASE NOTE:

  • Insurance policy requirements vary and the timing of your purchase can affect coverage. Some insurance providers require that for coverage of pre-existing conditions, a policy must be purchased within 7-14 days of booking. Others, like CSA, offer policies that cover pre-existing conditions as long as the policy is purchased prior to making your final payment for the tour.

  • Trip insurance policy premiums may be non-refundable, but they may be able to be amended or transferred. Check with your insurer. It is important to be sure that the tour is sufficiently subscribed to operate before you purchase trip insurance.

  • Pay attention to coverages provided by your policy. Be aware of the requirements of country or destination can change, so check often. Some policies are now offering Covid related coverages so check with your insurer.

  • US medical insurance plans (including Medicare) often do not provide coverage outside the US. The US State Department strongly advises Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and if it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation. Consult with your insurer prior to your trip to ascertain whether payment will be made to the overseas healthcare provider directly or whether you will be reimbursed later for expenses that you incur. Be sure to get and keep all documentation of any expenses incurred.

Questions? Contact Gina Nichol at gina@sunrisebirding.com 
Phone: +1.203.453.6724

American Oystercatchers by Gavin McKinnon.

Photo credits (top to bottom): Migrating Semipalmated Sandpipers by Steve Bird; Cory's Shearwater by Gavin McKinnon; Northern Gannet by Gavin McKinnon; White-rumped Sandpiper by Gina Nichol; Semipalmated Sandpiper by Gavin McKinnon; South Polar Skua by Gavin McKinnon; Wilson's Storm Petrel by Gavin McKinnon; Blackburnian Warbler by Gavin McKinnon; Yellow-bellied Flycatcher by Gina Nichol; Baird's Sandpiper by Gina Nichol; Great Shearwater by Gavin McKinnon; American Oystercatchers by Gavin McKinnon.