Cape Cod & Rhode Island

Long-tailed Duck © Gene Tortelli/Macaulay Library

Seabirds, migrant landbirds, cranberry bogs, special landscapes, and delicious seafood are all to be expected from a fall trip to beautiful coastal New England.

New England in the fall is a magical place. Birds and marine mammals abound in the cool coastal waters and estuaries, the crowds of summer are long gone, and forests and cranberry bogs are luminous with color. On this short trip, arranged exclusively for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Golden-wing Society, we’ll experience the joys of fall migration on the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, one of the country’s most beloved regions.

This trip promises extensive exploration of Cape Cod and southern Rhode Island. Fall is a great time to visit these areas to look for resident species and arriving winter specialty birds. Among the prizes we hope to find are Long-tailed Duck, Common Eider, Common Murre, Black-legged Kittiwake, Iceland Gull, and more. Cape Cod offers some of the best sea watching on the East Coast. The geographic cape sticks out far off the Massachusetts mainland, making it ideal for viewing seabirds from shore. A trip to Stellwagen Bank on a whale watching boat out of Provincetown should provide encounters with migrating Humpback Whales and ample seabirds. We will spend a few nights on the cape exploring its barrier beaches, salt marshes, and maritime forests. These unique habitats will hold mixes of resident species, wintering birds, and lingering migrants.

Cape Cod is also home to charming villages that are as fascinating to explore as are the unique landscapes. We will stop at the famous Birdwatcher's General Store in Orleans to chat about birds and see the latest in birding gear.

With its rich history and beautiful architecture, southern Rhode Island is truly a beautiful area. Rhode Island has a fair amount of public land on its coast. We will explore migrant traps such as Sachuest National Wildlife Refuge, Brenton Beach, and Beavertail State Park for migrating birds, the latter an especially good place to look for migrating Northern Saw-whet Owl. We will also spend a morning birding and touring one of the largest cranberry bogs in New England. We’ll see how the operation works and have access to its extensive dyke system to look for waterfowl and whatever else we can find. We never know what we might find in this, the country’s smallest state. This six-night trip is sure to net us great birds, wonderful beach views, and great seafood!

This trip will be hosted by Melissa Walker from the Lab team. Guiding our activities will be Kevin Burke from Victor Emanuel Nature Tours, a respected organization with a long history of collaboration with the Lab. Together, we’ll experience great birds, food, landscapes, and culture as we make our way through beautiful southern New England.

Finally, it should be emphasized that our birding and natural history endeavors will be complemented with social time, time to learn about recent news from the Lab, and time simply to enjoy a great fall getaway.

While Cornell is pleased to facilitate travel opportunities for its alumni and friends with tour operators that specialize in high-quality educational travel, please be aware that Cornell does not conduct, manage or operate these travel experiences, or act as an agent for travelers interested in tours. Tour operators and travelers are responsible for making their own safety decisions concerning this travel, and, as a facilitator between travelers and the tour operators with whom travelers make arrangements for completing travel, Cornell’s role and liability are strictly limited.

Specific tour operator and national health and safety protocols will apply to each trip, and travelers should review all protocols and trip terms and conditions, including terms and conditions regarding cancellations, refunds, health and safety, and insurance prior to making a reservation. Cornell is not responsible for changes to trips or travel arrangements or for losses or additional expenses resulting from travel.

Good accommodations; good to excellent meals; easy to moderate terrain; several short beach walks and a couple of 2–3-mile flat hikes; generally mild days with potentially chilly mornings.

Black-legged Kittiwake © Michael Buckham/Macaulay Library