Newfoundland ~ Birding and Natural History

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1 Newfoundland ~ Birding and Natural History With Bill Gette ~July 14 25, 2010 Did you know? Over 35 million seabirds gather here? Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society

Extensive trip preparation notes Medical Evacuation coverage Price Excludes: International airfare Passport and visa fees; Trip cancellation insurance; Airport taxes; excess baggage charges; Items of

2 Tour Terms and Conditions NEW Tour Price: $ 3495 per person, double occupancy, Single Supplement: $400 Singles are limited. Price Includes: All meals and accommodations as shown in the itinerary Services of Mass Audubon naturalists Bill Gette Local guide and naturalist All Tips and Gratuities All excursions, entrance fees Extensive trip preparation notes Medical Evacuation coverage Price Excludes: International airfare Passport and visa fees; Trip cancellation insurance; Airport taxes; excess baggage charges; Items of a personal nature, including alcoholic beverages, laundry and telephone calls; other items not specifically mentioned as included. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: US citizens must carry a passport. Citizens of other countries should check with the Canadian consulate. MASS AUDUBON NATURALIST LEADERS: Bill Gette is the Sanctuary Director of Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary in Newburyport. Bill, a skilled teacher and field naturalist, has been leading domestic and international natural history expeditions for the Society since He has led very successful programs throughout the United States and to Canada, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Belize, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Brazil, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, and Antarctica. He led a Mass Audubon group to Bhutan in April Bill has taken a leadership role in bird research and public education about birds and bird conservation. He will be joined in leading this program with skilled local naturalists and guides. Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 2

DAY-TO-DAY Itinerary in Newfoundland Day 1: July 14 ~ Arrive St. John s Our local naturalist guide will meet us at the St. John s airport. After a brief orientation tour of the St.

The hotel is only a fifteen-minute walk from a spectacular, scenic overlook the Atlantic Ocean is in one direction, and the heart of the city is in the other.

3 DAY-TO-DAY Itinerary in Newfoundland Day 1: July 14 ~ Arrive St. John s Our local naturalist guide will meet us at the St. John s airport. After a brief orientation tour of the St. John s area (time permitting), we will check into our hotel. The hotel is only a fifteen-minute walk from a spectacular, scenic overlook the Atlantic Ocean is in one direction, and the heart of the city is in the other. Tonight, we join together for dinner and a tour orientation. Quality Hotel Harbourview, St. John s (D) Day 2: July 15 ~ St. John s Today, we will explore the historic city of St. John's and the surrounding area. St. John s has spectacular ocean scenery, wonderful urban parks, charming streetscapes, and significant cultural sites. It is also a walker's paradise with many of the walking trails following the magnificent coastline. We have planned time to visit the Johnson Geo Centre, a state-of-the-art interpretive center that illustrates the amazing life story of our planet through the remarkable geology of Newfoundland and Labrador. One of the most distinctive buildings in the province, the Centre is located on a beautiful 18-acre site at world-famous Signal Hill. In the St. John s area, we will also explore the Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden, Cape Spear, and, if time permits, the Newfoundland Museum. This museum displays significant collections representing archaeology, human history and natural history. Quality Hotel Harbourview, St. John s (B,L,D) Day 3: July 16 ~ Whale Watch This morning, we will drive a short distance south of St. John s to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. We will embark on a boat trip for spectacular whale and seabird watching. Our boat will cruise among Great, Gull, Green, and Pee Pee islands, so that we can view North America s largest Atlantic Puffin colony. In addition to the sea-parrots, we will see thousands of other seabirds including Common Murre, Black-legged Kittiwake, and Razorbill. Green Island is home to the second largest Common Murre colony in North America. We will also be on the lookout for whales. After lunch and a visit to a historic fishing village, we will return to St. John s via North American s most easterly point at Cape Spear National Historic Park. Quality Hotel Harbourview, St. John s (B,L,D) Day 4: July 17 ~ St. John s to St. Brides Our adventure continues as we leave St. John s and drive south to an extraordinary place, the Avalon Peninsula. The peninsula is classified as being part of the South Avalon Burin Oceanic Barrens. The climate here is strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean strong winds, cool temperatures, and salt spray. As a result, dense carpets of mosses, lichens, and low-growing shrubs are common. Dwarf krummholz (stunted, gnarled forests) of Balsam Fir grow in upland areas. Although Woodland Caribou populations have declined significantly in recent years due to predation, we hope to see some of these magnificent animals during our drive around the peninsula. We also have a good chance of seeing the largest member of the deer family, Moose. In the barrens, we should also be on the lookout for Willow Ptarmigan. This close relative of Ruffed Grouse will be hard to find, however, due to its secretive behavior. During our drive, we will also stop at several coastal venues to look for seabirds and whales. Bird Island Resort, St. Brides (B,L,D) Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 3

Day 5: July 18 ~ St. Brides and Placentia to Terra Nova This morning, we will explore the western part of the Avalon Peninsula near St. Brides. A highlight will be our visit to the Cape St.

4 Day 5: July 18 ~ St. Brides and Placentia to Terra Nova This morning, we will explore the western part of the Avalon Peninsula near St. Brides. A highlight will be our visit to the Cape St. Mary s Ecological Reserve on the western tip of the peninsula. Bird Rock, located within the reserve, hosts the third largest Northern Gannet colony in North America, and it is the southernmost breeding site for Thick-billed Murres. It will be wonderful to watch the breeding behavior and the general chaos associated with a large breeding colony. Northern Fulmars are often seen at Bird Rock. Whenever we scan the ocean, we should be on the lookout for whales and pelagic seabirds, including shearwaters. In the afternoon, we will explore historic Placentia, the former French capital of Newfoundland. We will also visit Castle Hill National Historic Park which preserves 17 th and 18 th century fortifications occupied by both the French and British empires. This evening s destination is the Terra Nova National Park area. Clode Sound Motel (B,L,D) Day 6: July 19 ~ Terra Nova to Grand Falls Terra Nova National Park preserves approximately 240 square miles of coastal and upland habitats. We will explore coastal areas of the park with their steep cliffs, exposed headlands, and sheltered coves, as well as the rolling forested hills, bogs, and wetlands of the inland sections of the park. The forests here are predominantly Black Spruce with pockets of Balsam Fir, Mountain Ash, and Tamarack. We will be looking for several boreal bird species, including Pine Grosbeak, Red and White-winged crossbills, and Common Redpolls. Around bogs and wetlands, we will search for orchids and look and listen for Rusty Blackbirds and nesting wood-warblers. Snowshoe Hares and Moose are fairly common in this area. With luck, we could also see some magnificent icebergs huge chunks of ice that have calved from Greenland glaciers and drifted to Newfoundland. In the afternoon, we will continue our adventure by driving west to the Grand Falls-Windsor area. We will stop occasionally along the way to see birds and take photographs. Mt. Peyton Motel (BLD) Day 7: July 20 ~ Grand Falls to Gros Morne Today will be a travel day as we make our way west along the Trans-Canada Highway to the Gros Morne National Park, a United Nations World Heritage Site. During the day, we will stop at the Mary March Provincial Museum, which features excellent displays about the history of Newfoundland s aboriginal peoples. We will also visit the Salmon Interpretive Centre where we can learn about the ecology of the Atlantic Salmon. Of course, we will also stop en route to view wildlife and take photographs. We will arrive in the Gros Morne area in the late afternoon. For those who can t wait to explore this beautiful area, we will have a short evening hike. At dusk, we should hear the magnificent, flutelike songs of Gray-cheeked and Swainson s thrushes. Oceanview Motel, Rocky Harbour (B,L,D) Day 8: July 21 ~ Gros Morne National Park Visitors to the Gros Morne National Park come away from the area with a sense of awe and wonder due to the sheer beauty and geological importance of the area. In the morning we will travel, geologically speaking, toward the center of the earth. More specifically, we will visit the Tablelands, an area where a gigantic slab of the Earth s mantle has been Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 4

shoved up onto the surface from deep beneath the ocean floor. Some scientists say that the Tablelands more closely resemble the surface of the moon than the rest of the Earth.

5 shoved up onto the surface from deep beneath the ocean floor. Some scientists say that the Tablelands more closely resemble the surface of the moon than the rest of the Earth. During the afternoon, we will explore the park s lush woodlands and riparian areas with rugged waterfalls. We expect to hear and see nesting wood-warblers, including Tennessee and Mourning, and several species of sparrows, including the beautiful Fox Sparrow. Whenever we see breaks in the forest where forestry operations or fire have killed conifers, we should look carefully for American Three-toed and Black-backed woodpeckers. Time permitting; we will visit the park s interpretive center. Oceanview Motel, Rocky Harbour (B,L,D) Day 9: July 22 ~ Gros Morne National Park Gros Morne, often referred to as the Galapagos of Geology, provides one of the world s great geology lessons, thus the United Nations World Heritage Site designation. This morning, we will travel a short distance north to Western Brook Pond, a 9-mile-long, landlocked fjord. Here, we will take a 2 1/2 hour boat trip through a billion years of geological history. After our cruise, we will resume our trip north along the coastal highway to The Arches Provincial Park. Here, the strong waves and currents of the Gulf of St. Lawrence have carved tunnels into the limestone cliffs. The ocean overlook at The Arches provides more opportunities to observe seabirds and marine mammals. Plum Point Motel, Plum Point (B,L,D) Note: We will be watching the weather conditions carefully, and we may switch the activities on days 8 and 9, so that we can have the calmest possible boat trip on Western Brook Pond. Day 10: July 23 ~ Viking Settlement Today, we will travel to the northern end of the Appalachian Mountains. Here, we will explore North America's only authenticated Viking settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows. The archaeological ruins at this site were declared a United Nations World Heritage site in We will visit a reconstructed Viking village where you can experience what it would have been like to live in this Norse settlement with its beautiful vistas over the waters of the Strait of Belle Isle. The rugged landscape of this great northern peninsula is virtually unchanged since the arrival of the first European visitors five centuries before Columbus discovered the New World. After lunch, we will travel the short distance to St. Anthony for an afternoon voyage into the North Atlantic. This will be a great opportunity to see more pelagic birds and whales. It will also be possible to see flocks of non-breeding scoters. With luck, we could have a close-up view of an iceberg. After our evening meal in St. Anthony, we will return to Plum Point. Please note that this will be a very long, late day. Plum Point Motel, Plum Point (B,L,D) Day 11: July 24 ~ Gros Morne and Deer Lake We will end our Newfoundland adventure as we retrace our route past The Arches and return to Gros Morne. Here, we will have time to explore a couple more of the park s trails and exhibits. We will also stop at the Humber River to watch Atlantic Salmon moving up the river. We will arrive at Deer Lake in the early evening and have our farewell dinner. Deer Lake Mote, Deer Lake (B,L,D) Day 12: July 25 ~ Departure for Home This morning, we will board our flight home from Deer Lake via Halifax. If time allows prior to departure, we will explore the historic city of Corner Brook. Day rooms are available for those leaving on later flights. (B,L if needed) Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 5

6 TERMS & CONDITIONS OF TRAVEL RESERVATIONS, APPLICATIONS, DEPOSITS: Early reservations are required to ensure your place on this trip. All reservations must be accompanied by a completed reservation form and a $500 deposit. In the case of questionable health, we reserve the right to require a physician s certification to affirm you are capable of the activities. You will receive a final invoice prior to departure with final payment due on April 10, 95 days prior to departure. Final Payment must be by check. RATES: $ 3495 per person, double occupancy, Single Supplement: $400 Singles are limited. All forms and fares are accurate at the time of publication Oct but are subject to change at any time prior to departure. A price increase may be called for if the group falls below the minimum of 10. The maximum number of participants is approximately 18. FLIGHTS: Travelers are responsible for arranging their own international flights to St. Johns, Newfoundland. We will send you suggested flights, including the flight details of our Mass Audubon leaders. You may book your flights on-line, with a travel agent, or directly with an airline. Please be aware that most tickets are non-refundable, therefore you should not book your flight arrangements until you have checked with us to be sure the tour has the minimum number of participants for the trip to go. Arrival should be no later than the afternoon of July 14, Departure can be anytime after 10 AM on July 25, 2010 ENTRY/EXIT documentation required: Canadian law requires that all persons entering Canada carry both proof of citizenship and proof of identity. A valid U.S. passport, passport card or NEXUS card satisfies these requirements for U.S. citizens. However, when returning to the United States from Canada, it is very important to note that all U.S. citizens are required to present a valid U.S. passport to enter or re-enter the United States via air. For entry into the United States via land and sea borders, U.S. citizens must present either a U.S. passport, passport card, NEXUS card, Enhanced Drivers License or other Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)-compliant document. (see US State department webpage for details). CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS: All cancellations must be done in writing and are effective upon receipt in the Massachusetts Audubon Travel Office. Cancellations received up to 91 days prior to departure will be refunded all money less a $300 per person service fee. For cancellations between 90 and 61 days prior to departure, all deposits will not be refunded. There are no refunds for cancellations 60 days or less from departure. We strongly urge all travelers to purchase trip cancellation insurance. You will be sent information from the Massachusetts Audubon Society upon receipt of your deposit. Your Responsibility: Although every precaution is taken to safeguard you and your belongings, group travel trips by their nature involve a certain amount of risk. Trip participants should understand that the domestic and international trips sponsored/operated by Massachusetts Audubon Society (Mass Audubon Tours) - hereafter collectively M.A.S. - involve known and unknown risks. M.A.S. assumes no responsibility for injuries, death, financial losses or damage to clients property caused by or occurring during participation in any of the travel trips sponsored/operated by M.A.S. Trip participants must assume responsibility for having sufficient skill and fitness to participate in the trips and activities offered or sponsored by M.A.S. Trip participants must also certify that they have no medical, mental or physical conditions which could interfere with their abilities to participate in the activities and/or trips they are participating in and they must assume and bear the cost of all risks that may be created, directly or indirectly, by any such condition. It is the responsibility of trip participants to have in place adequate insurance to cover any injury, damage or emergency transportation costs related to their travel and/or participation in trip activities and/or to bear the costs of such injury, damage or emergency transportation costs. Because of the risks associated with the travel trips sponsored by M.A.S. we urge all trip participants to supplement their own insurance with travel or vacation or emergency response types of insurance. M.A.S. requires that all trip participants acknowledge and assume these risks by reading and signing an M.A.S. Release and Waiver and Assumption of Risk contract prior to departure. Travelers will be provided an itinerary and trip preparation information. It is expected that travelers will read this information prior to trip departure. Travelers will be responsible for completing a reservation form, a personal information form, and a release of liability form. Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 6

7 Mr./Mrs./Ms. Traveler Name (1) as shown as passport Mr./Mrs./Ms. Traveler Name (2) as shown as passport Reservation Form for Newfoundland July 14 25, 2010 Address City State Zip Phone: Day Evening address Please indication accommodation preferences: I/We are non-smoker(s) smoker(s) (smoking is limited to outdoors in non-group spaces) I request single accommodations where available and will pay the single supplement. I would like to be assigned a roommate. If one is not available, I will pay the single supplement. I am sharing with Deposit: Please find my enclosed check or please charge my credit card for the deposit ( $500 deposit per person) VISA MC Card # Exp. Checks should be made payable to Massachusetts Audubon Society Signature Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 7

Newfoundland Circumnavigation

Newfoundland Circumnavigation June 24 - July 4, 2015 aboard the Ocean Endeavour We celebrate over two decades of cruising Newfoundland & Labrador with this summer sailing, ideally timed for whales, icebergs