Itinerary - Subject to change, please do not book any flight without contacting us.
Day 1 – Arrive in Charlotte
Flights anytime during the day. Transfer to hotel for evening.
Day 2 – Weymouth Woods, Howell Woods
Our first stop in the mature, open, grassy pine savanna of Weymouth Woods will target the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker and give a shot at the elusive Bachman’s Sparrow and Northern Bobwhite. Here we should also find Red-headed Woodpecker, Eastern Kingbird, Brown-headed Nuthatch, and Pine and Prairie Warblers. Time permitting, a stop by the blackwater cypress swamps at Howell Woods will give us our first chances at finding Baltimore Oriole, Kentucky, Swainson’s, and Prothonotary Warblers and our best chance for Mississippi Kite. Night in Greenville.
Day 3 – Henslow’s Sparrow, Lake Matamuskeet, Alligator River NWR, Pea Island NWR
This morning will start with a focused search for the Carolinas’ only breeding Henslow’s Sparrows near Greenville. A stop by Lake Matamuskeet should yield Tricolored Heron, Bald Eagle, Fish Crow, Palm Warbler, and hopefully an Anhinga. At Alligator River NWR we will look for American Bittern, Bobolink, Black-throated Green Warbler (coastal race), and Indigo Bunting and have a chance for seeing a black bear. We will finish the day along the vast expanses of sandy beach at Pea Island NWR with abundant shorebirds and raptors, where we may hope for American Oystercatcher, Wilson’s and Piping Plovers, Baird’s and Stilt Sandpipers, Hudsonian Godwit, Sandwich and Gull-billed Terns, and Saltmarsh and Seaside Sparrows. Night in Nags Head.
Day 4 - Pelagic, Elizabethan Gardens
We will venture into the deep unknown of the Atlantic Ocean today on a pelagic trip with Brian Patterson. Few pelagic are made at this time of year (due to focus on landbird migration), yet Brian believes that this is the best time to go, as interesting birds always show up. Black-capped Petrel, Cory's, Greater, and Audubon's shearwaters, Wilson's, Leach's, and Band-rumped storm-petrels, Bridled Tern, and any Jaeger are all possible. After an early dinner, any remaining energy will be spent at the Elizabethan Gardens in hopes of finding Chuck-will’s-widow, Bicknell’s Thrush, and Blackpoll Warbler. Night in Nags Head.
Day 5 – Nag’s Head Woods, Roanoke Rapids, Falls Lake
A quick stop by the coastal Nag’s Head Woods should yield Wood Duck, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Great-crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Summer Tanager, and the gorgeous Boat-tailed Grackle nearby. At Roanoke Rapids we will search for Yellow-throated Vireo, Cerulean, Kentucky, Swainson’s, and Prothonotary Warblers. We will end the day at Falls Lake, giving another try for Chuck-will’s-widow, Whip-poor-will, Wood Thrush, Blue Grosbeak, and Orchard Oriole. Night in Durham.
Day 6 – Duke Botanical Gardens, Hickory, Chimney Rock SP
Our morning will begin at Duke Botanical Gardens (your leader’s favorite!), surrounded by beautiful and endangered plants and nice birds to boot. Here we will find Eastern Wood-pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Swainson’s Thrush, and Gray Catbird along with other neotropical migrants. We will stop by a park or two in Hickory on a focused search for Cerulean, Golden-winged, Blue-winged, Nashville, and Wilson's Warblers, and Philadelphia Vireo. We will finish the day along the continental divide at and near Chimney Rock State Park in search of Swainson’s and Worm-eating Warblers. Night in Asheville.
Day 7 – Mt. Mitchell, Blue Ridge Parkway, Beaver Lake
We will head up the Blue Ridge Parkway to the highest point east of the Mississippi River, Mt. Mitchell, this morning. Here, in the spruce/fir forest we will find Blue-headed Vireo, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren, Veery, Canada and Blackburnian Warblers, and have a chance for Red Crossbill. Along the way we will search for Ruffed Grouse, Broad-winged Hawk, Black-billed Cuckoo, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Ovenbird, Scarlet Tanager, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. We will stop by Beaver Lake in search of low-elevation migrants and Eastern Screech-owl. Time permitting, we will stop by a Chimney Swift roost to watch an amazing spectacle of hundreds funneling in for the night. Night in Asheville.
Day 8 – Rankin Bottoms, Hot Springs, Sandy Mush Gamelands
A short jaunt into Tennessee will take us to an amazing shorebird migrant trap at Rankin Bottoms, where American Golden-plover, Buff-breasted, Baird’s, White-rumped, Pectoral, Semipalmated, and Solitary Sandpipers are all possible and likely. Neotropical migrants are also abundant here and at our next stop at Hot Springs, NC. We will stop by the Sandy Mush Gamelands if time permits and we are still in need of Northern Bobwhite, Brown Thrasher, and Field Sparrow. Night in Asheville.
Day 9 – Jackson Park, Super Sod
We will spend the day at the best fall migrant trap in the southeast, Jackson Park in Hendersonville. It is possible to see over 30 species of warblers here on a great day, and 20-some warblers are very likely alongside flycatchers, vireos, and thrushes. We will hope for Gray-cheeked Thrush, Bay-breasted, Blue-winged, and Golden-winged Warblers. A stop by a nearby sod farm will give us another chance for migrant shorebirds. Night in Asheville.
Day 10 – Mills River or Jackson Park - depart for home
Our activities this morning will depend on our previous day’s birds. We may return for warblers at Jackson Park, shorebirds at the sod farm, or explore a beautiful acid-cove riparian hardwood forest. Drive to Charlotte for flights home
Our North Carolina trip will highlight the diversity and abundance of “eastern” warblers, shorebirds and Atlantic seabirds during fall migration, and we will pick up some southeastern specialties along the way. A pelagic trip will give us some fun Atlantic surprises.
