With 470 birds already on our list, we headed south in search of Florida’s only endemic species, the Florida Scrub‑Jay. From Oscar Scherer and Babcock‑Webb to Sanibel and a Fort Lauderdale rarity chase, the weekend delivered great birding and three hard‑earned year birds.
Early October brought peak foliage, crisp air, and memorable birding in New York’s North Country. From a rare Eurasian Wigeon on Lake Champlain to Boreal Chickadees in Newcomb and a magical night of Saw‑whet Owl banding with Larry Master, it was a standout fall trip.
With summer finally fading, fall migration brought waves of warblers, vireos, shorebirds, and a standout Stilt Sandpiper to Florida’s Gulf Coast. From Sawgrass Lake Park to Fort DeSoto and Siesta Key, three weekends of birding delivered classic September movement and familiar local favorites.
Just days after leaving Arizona, we traded desert canyons for the California coast. From Pinnacles National Park to Carmel River State Beach and a spectacular Monterey Bay pelagic, the weekend delivered Elegant Terns, albatrosses, murrelets, and a final lifer Pacific Wren in Big Sur.
Our third trip of the year to Southeast Arizona brought everything we hoped for: Sky Island scenery, rare flycatchers, Mexican Chickadees in the Chiricahuas, and a final Gilded Flicker just before our flight home. A spectacular September weekend in one of America’s best birding regions.
Cape St. Mary’s delivered towering cliffs, thousands of nesting seabirds, and some of the most breathtaking scenery of our trip. From puffins at Witless Bay to a lifer Tufted Duck in St. John’s, Newfoundland Part II was packed with unforgettable birding and coastal beauty.
Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula delivered everything we hoped for: lifer Atlantic Puffins, soaring Gannets, rugged cliffs, seals in the surf, and a Boreal Chickadee in the boreal forest. From Cape Race to Cape Spear, it was a breathtaking introduction to birding on Canada’s eastern edge.
Mid‑July in Florida may bring heat and doldrums, but it also delivers surprises. From Smooth‑billed Ani and Egyptian Geese to a wild American Flamingo and a dark‑morph Short‑tailed Hawk, our weekend chases turned up some of the state’s most exciting rarities.
Southeast Arizona delivered everything it’s famous for: Sky Island canyons, desert grasslands, legendary guides, and a lineup of specialties from Elegant Trogons to Violet‑crowned Hummingbirds. Three days across the Huachucas, Patagonia, and Las Cienegas made this one of our most memorable birding trips.
Our June Adirondack trip unfolded against the backdrop of a statewide manhunt, but the birding was unforgettable. With Joan Collins guiding us through flycatchers, woodpeckers, Gray Jays, and a lifer Bicknell’s Thrush, the North Country delivered some of its best summer specialties.