Archaeopteryx Birding and Nature Tours
Professional Bird, Butterfly, Nature, and Photography Tours Around Central Florida and the World – Creating Lifetime Memories One Tour at a Time
We lead 3 trips for the Bird of a Feather Fest and met lots of new birders and had a great time. Beck got Ruff as a state bird on Saturday’s trip. Friday’s trip nabbed Ash-throated and Vermilion Flycatchers. Got to spend more time with Greg Miller as well.
We’ve decided to try something a little different for our January
tour of 2021. We’ll be offering a road trip tour from the Orlando,
Florida area to Southern New Jersey. We’ll be renting a minivan to
give everyone plenty of space for their gear and luggage. Because of
covid-19, many people do not wish to fly and do not view it as a safe
mode of travel until the vaccine can become more readily available.
Everyone on the tour will have to show proof of a negative covid test
and we’ll have disposable masks and hand sanitizer available. We’ll
begin our journey from Orlando and spend the night in Fayetteville,
NC (about an 8-hour drive straight through, but longer since we’ll be
making stops occasionally). We’ll do some local birding in the
morning and continue on the rest of the drive up to New Jersey.
Southern New Jersey has a unique variety of habitats and therefore a
diverse number of bird species that spend the winter in this area.
We’ll be targeting Evening Grosbeak, Black, Surf, and White-winged
Scoters, Harlequin Duck, Purple Sandpiper, Red-throated Loon,
Canvasback, Brant, American Black Duck, Long-tailed Duck, and
perhaps even a Snowy Owl or a Snow Bunting if we’re lucky.
Between Cape May Point State Park, Forsythe National Wildlife
Refuge, and Barnegat Lighthouse in the north, we won’t run out of
things to do, or birds to see. Here is a breakdown of the itinerary:
1/20- Depart Orlando, Florida in the morning and begin our drive
north. We’ll be making stops for food, gas, or restrooms along the
way. We’ll be spending the night in Fayetteville, NC
1/21- A visit to Smith Lake Recreation Area in Fort Bragg, NC. We’ll
bird until around 10am and target species such as Dark-eyed Junco,
Red and White-breasted Nuthatch, Field and Fox Sparrow, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Northern Flicker, Bufflehead, and American
Woodcock. We’ll get to Atlantic county, New Jersey late at night and
check into our accommodations
1/22- We’ll start birding a little later in the day to make sure everyone
is well-rested after the long drive. At 10am, we’ll start the tour at
Edwin B. Forsythe NWR wildlife drive to look for Brant, American
Black Duck, Canvasback, Peregrine Falcon, Clapper Rail, and
wintering shorebirds. Possibility for rarities such as Short-eared Owl,
Snowy Owl, and Rough-legged Hawk. We’ll take a break for a late
lunch at Mott’s Creek where we’ll have additional opportunities to
locate Short-eared Owl, Rough-legged Hawk, and Snow Bunting
1/23- Barnegat Lighthouse State Park for Purple Sandpiper,
Harlequin Duck, Long-tailed
Duck, American Pipit, and
Common Eider. Rarities
include Razorbill and King
Eider as well as assorted
gulls and terns.
1/24- A trip to Cape May
county. We’ll begin the
morning at South Cape May
Meadows for American
Woodcock, Tundra Swan,
Bufflehead, and other
wintering waterfowl. Then
head to Cape Island/Sunset
Beach for Surf Scoter,
Black Scoter, Northern Gannet
and Red-throated Loon. Also, Cape May Point State Park for Evening
Grosbeak, Fox Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Golden-crowned Kinglet and
Winter Wren. Possibility for Purple Finch, Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Nashville Warbler. On our drive back up north
to Atlantic county, we’ll make a quick stop at the 8th Street Jetty in
Avalon to check for any additional species we may have missed the
previous day.
1/25- Pole Farm at Mercer Meadows County Park for Short-eared
Owl, Great Horned Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Northern Harrier,
American Tree Sparrow, and Ring-necked Pheasant
1/26- Get on the road early for our drive south. We’ll be making a
short stop at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware for
American Avocet, Tundra Swan, shorebirds, and waterfowl that can
Harlequin Duck
be seen along the wildlife drive. We’ll then continue driving south and
spend the night in Florence, South Carolina
1/27- Continue our drive back to Orlando. Stop at Savannah National
Wildlife Refuge in Georgia for a little birding from the wildlife drive. We
should be able to see Sora, shorebirds, Ruddy Duck, Redhead, and
Vesper Sparrow. We’ll arrive back home in Orlando that evening.
Cost per person will be $1399 (+$600 singles supplement). The price
includes professional guide, lodging, transportation, park entry fees,
and light snacks/water. A checklist of all birds seen will be provided
to each participant upon completion of the tour. Please contact us at
archaeopteryxtours@gmail.com or call/text 609-553-0757 if you’re
interested in more information or to book a space on this tour.
Join Archaeopteryx Birding and Nature Tours this March for a 6—day tour of the Rio Grande Valley, TX! Starting March 24th through 29th, 2021, we’ll visit such iconic places as the Santa Anna National Wildlife Refuge, the National Butterfly Center, and the Estero Llano Grande State Park. Also included in the cost is a boat tour on the Rio Grande river- the perfect location for viewing and photographing waders, Long-billed Curlew, and Green and Ringed Kingfishers! We’ll also be targeting such local specialties as Great Kiskadee, Plain Chachalaca, Altamira Oriole, Green Jay, Olive Sparrow, and Pyrrhuloxia. Not only is this area unique for birding and butterflying, but it’s also a known source for delicious Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants! Afternoon/evening activities will alternate between the National Butterfly Center and the parrot roost, depending on what we’d like to see. Here’s a breakdown of our daily morning activities:March 24th: Arrival by 3pm at the McAllen airport. Eat dinner and check into hotel. Parrot roost for Red-crowned Parrots and Green Parakeets. Possibility for Yellow-headed and Red-lored Parrots as well.March 25th: Santa Ana NWR for Olive Sparrow. Possibility for Franklin’s Gull, White-faced Ibis, Broad-winged Hawk, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Plain Chachalaca, Inca Dove, Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Black-crested Titmouse, and Stilt Sandpiper, as well as wintering ducks and shorebirds.March 26th: Estero Llano Grande State Park for Lesser Nighthawk, Common Pauraque, and more wintering ducks and shorebirds.March 27th: Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park for Couch’s Kingbird, Swainson’s Hawk, Verdin, Least Grebe, White-tipped Dove, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Neotropic Cormorant, Curve-billed and Long-billed Thrashers, Lesser Goldfinch, Olive Sparrow, Long-billed Curlew and possibility for Green Kingfisher.March 28th: Rio Grande Riverboat tour for additional waterbird species and possible Ringed Kingfisher!March 29th: Morning birding and butterflying at the National Butterfly Center for Pyrrhuloxia, Green Jay, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Clay-colored Thrush, Hooded Oriole, and Altamira Oriole
Flights home in afternoon or evening.We’ll also attempt to locate any rare birds that are reported in our tour area, or visit the Brownsville area depending on remaining time. Cost per person will be $1729. The price includes professional guide, lodging, transportation, park entry fees, and light snacks/water. Rooms will be double-occupancy. A checklist of all birds and butterflies seen will be provided to each participant upon completion of the tour. Please contact us at archaeopteryxtours@gmail.com or call/text 609-553-0757 if you’re interested in more information or to book a space on this tour. Minimum 2 participants to run this tour.
Keep checking back for other tours…
