It was a nice size group all fitting in one vehicle and we got on well. Loved the whale watching, seeing Beaver and Moose. The autumn colours were amazing and think we were lucky to have caught them at their peak.
I.R. Kent
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Autumn Colours of New England
Tour Code: USA05A 13-day holiday to the eastern seaboard of the United States to enjoy the spectacular autumn colours as well as the birds, mammals and sea-life of the region.
£4,595 (Inc flights)
£3,945
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
This holiday begins with a flight to Boston from where we will drive north, birding en route, along the coast of Maine to the Bristol or St George Peninsula, our base for two nights. We’ll spend a day on the tiny island of Monhegan, an important stopover for migrant birds, before continuing our journey north to Mount Desert Island, the ideal base for exploring Acadia National Park which is home to White-tailed Deer, Racoons and other mammals as well as a wide variety of birdlife including Spruce Grouse and Common Loon. We'll also go out to search for Humpback Whales and other cetaceans as well as seabirds such as shearwaters, petrels and skuas. Next we head inland to the Moosehead Lake region where we will spend three days exploring the boreal forests by boat, minibus and on foot before driving south into New Hampshire to the White Mountains where we will be based for three nights. Finally we will visit Walden Pond, made famous by the author Henry David Thoreau, as we make our leisurely way back to Boston for our flights home, having enjoyed the colours, scenery, wildlife, and pancakes and muffins of New England at this special time of year.
- Enjoy world-famous colours of the New England ‘fall’
- Look for Humpback, Fin & Minke Whales
- Blackburnian, Cape May & Chestnut-sided Warblers among migrants on Monhegan Island
- Eastern Chipmunk, Eastern Coyote & visit to Beaver Pond, Acadia NP
- Bald Eagle possible, Acadia NP
- Evening visit to Beaver Pond, Mount Desert Island
- Look for American Mink, Striped Skunk & Canadian Lynx, Moosehead Lakes
- American Pipit, White-throated Sparrow, Purple Finch & Northern Flicker among birdlife
- Drive along the Kancamagus Highway & visit Walden Pond
- Led by expert naturalist guide
Grading
Grade A. Gentle wildlife walks.
New England, on the east coast of the United States, is justifiably famous for its wonderful display of autumn colours that occur with the onset of each autumn (or ‘fall’). From vivid reds and oranges through to bright yellows and darker shades of purple, the forests present a kaleidoscope of colours as the air turns crisp with the change of season. As the populations of many species of birds, and mammals especially, have recovered in recent decades to levels not seen for centuries, we also have a great chance of encountering some of the forest’s most famed inhabitants, amongst them Beaver, Moose, White-tailed Deer and, with a little luck, Black Bear. With the autumn passage of migrant passerine birds well under way, we may also enjoy the challenge of identifying a confusing array of warblers, vireos and sparrows, as well as typical common residents such as Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal and Blue Jay.
We begin our holiday with a direct flight to Boston where we will spend some time in the city before heading to accommodation to the north. On our first morning we will drive north along the coast of Maine to either the Bristol or St George Peninsula. En route we may stop at Scarborough Marsh, its tidal saltwater creeks and freshwater marshes attracting a wealth of wildfowl and wading birds, amongst them Baird’s, White-rumped and Stilt Sandpipers.
From our base along the Maine coast, we will spend a day exploring Monhegan Island, lying 11 miles off the coast of Maine. Covering barely a square mile, this diminutive island provides an important stopover for migrant birds and, with our visit coinciding with the autumn migration, we can hope to see a variety of small migratory passerines such as Blackburnian, Cape May, Wilson’s Warbler, and Blackpoll, as well as various raptors as they journey south. In addition to the birds, we should also see migrant Monarch butterflies in good numbers, as they begin to make their way south to the mountains of central Mexico.
Continuing our journey north, we next travel to the stunning Acadia National Park, on Mount Desert Island, where we will be based for the next two nights. The park is home to a rich assemblage of mammals and birds and, by exploring its trails by day, we can hope to see White-tailed Deer, Eastern Chipmunks, Raccoons and Eastern Coyotes, as well as such birds as Gray Jays, Boreal Chickadees and Spruce Grouse. We will also make an evening visit to Beaver Pond, and look in adjacent coastal bays for Common Loons and sea duck … and perhaps a Bald Eagle passing overhead. One day we will head out to sea on a whale-watching trip, hoping in particular to see Humpback, Minke and Fin Whales as they feast in these waters before their migration south. We will also look out for seabirds such as shearwaters, petrels and skuas.
After spending our first five nights on the coast, we next head inland, travelling north-west to Lake Umbagog, which straddles the state line between Maine and New Hampshire. This area marks the transition from deciduous to evergreen boreal forest and, during our three days here, we will search for Moose by boat and from our vehicle, as well as look for other mammals such as American Mink, Striped Skunk, Raccoon, Eastern Coyote and even Canadian Lynx. For the final part of our holiday we will drive south-west to New Hampshire where we will be based for three nights in the White Mountains, part of the northern Appalachians. We will travel to the top of the range’s highest summit, Mount Washington (1,917 metres) to enjoy the colourful views and look for American Pipit and White-throated Sparrow; we will also drive along the Kancamagus Highway, famous for spectacular vistas and superb autumn colours. We will stop at vantage points to take photographs, and seek out forest birds such as Red-breasted Nuthatch, Purple Finch and Northern Flicker.
Lastly, we will visit Walden Pond, made famous by Thoreau, who travelled there along quiet back-roads in the mid-19th century. The tranquillity of the Pond offers a last chance to reflect on the excellent New England hospitality (muffins and pancakes galore!), the superb fall colours of the Sugar and Red Maples, Red Oaks and Yellow Birches and, perhaps, as Thoreau did 160 years before us, reflect on a ‘simple life in the woods’ before it is time to return to Boston for our journey home.
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation:
We stay in comfortable tourist lodges and hotels, where rooms have private facilities.
- Food:
All breakfasts are included. Lunches and dinners are not included, in order to give you the freedom to sample New England's excellent seafood and other specialities. Allow approximately $50 per day.
Reviews
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We had a particularly good year for the fall colours. Excellent accommodation with welcoming and friendly hosts.
C.F. West Sussex -
The week chosen was just right for the colours. Sharon and Phil were an excellent couple to take us. The accommodation was all very nice.
A.R. West Sussex
Dates & Prices
2024
Tour Leader: Adrian Langdon
2025
2026
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
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