Birding Grand Manan Island
Program Number:
5377RJ
Start and End Dates:
9/1/2013 - 9/7/2013
;
Duration:
6 nights
Location:
Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick
Price starting at:
$949.00 -
Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type:
Birding; Natural History
Meals:
17; 6 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 6 Dinners
Meal Options:
Gluten Free; Low Salt; Low Fat; Vegetarian
Grand Manan is internationally renowned as a bird watcher’s paradise, still teeming with the myriad bird species that captivated J.J. Audubon in 1833. On this field trip-based program, study the seasonal migrants of the Grand Manan archipelago, and round out your week of learning with a visit to the Alan Moses Bird Collection at the island museum.
Highlights
• Experience a six-hour boat trip among the outer islands to study seasonal migrants.
• Field trips unveil the Anchorage Bird Sanctuary, the beaches and ponds of White Head Island, Castalia Marsh Sanctuary and more.
• Local interpreters and experts deliver up-close encounters with birds, sea life and the inter-tidal zone.
Activity Particulars
Walking up to one mile. Must be able to board and disembark vessel. Bring your own binoculars for birding.
Date Specific Information
9-1-2013
Boat trip to a remote island to visit a large colony of Leach's storm petrels.
Grand Manan Island
The largest island in the Grand Manan archipelago is internationally renowned as a bird watcher's paradise and from spring to autumn still teems with the species of birds that enchanted J.J. Audubon in 1833 when he visited the islands.
Accommodations
Century-old inn with period furnishings, large verandah overlooking fisherman’s wharf.
Meals and Lodgings
Marathon Inn
Grand Manan Island, NB
6 nights
Marathon Inn
Type:
Inn
Description:
Century old inn; period furnishings; large verandah overlooking gardens, scenic Flagg's Cove and Fishers' Wharf ( watch working fishing boats arrive and depart; see the ebb and flow of world famous Bay of Fundy tides); walk to the "Hole in the Wall, Swallowtail Light or just stroll through North Head village.
Contact info:
19 Marathon Lane
Grand Manan, NB E5G 3A4 Canada
phone: 888-660-8488
web:
www.angelfire.com/biz2/marathon
Room amenities:
private bath, hair dryers
Facility amenities:
Inground, solar heated swimming pool, tennis court, bird feeding stations **Free internet,& free long distance calling anywhere in North America**
Smoking allowed:
No
Additional nights prior:
$74.00- $109.00 Canadian. Pre-booking required.
Check in time:
2:00 PM
Additional nights after:
$74.00- $109.00 Canadian. Pre-booking required.
Check out time:
11:00 PM
Travel Details
Start of Program:
5:30 PM in Hotel Lounge: pre Dinner Reception. You will be staying at
Marathon Inn
that night.
End of Program:
Program ends after breakfast. Check out time is 11:00 a.m. You will be staying at
Marathon Inn
the night before.
Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required. A passport is required for all air travel to/from Canada. On June 1, 2009, a new US law known as the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) will require those traveling to/from the United States by land and sea to also have a passport or other appropriate secure document (NEXUS card). Passport requirements are subject to change. Visit www.travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html
Parking availability:
Ample free parking at inn.
Transportation
To Start of Program
Location:
Grand Manan Island, NB
Nearest city or town:
Black's Harbour
Nearest highway:
Route 1
Nearest airport:
Saint John Airport
From End of Program
Location:
Grand Manan Island, NB
(
Additional transportation information same as above
)
Travel Details
Saint John
From Airport
Service:
Hotel Shuttle
Marathon Inn
Advanced Reservations Required
Per Person/One Way:
37.50 includes ferry fare
Prices are subject to change.
Travel Time:
2 hours 30 min.
Pick up & drop off available at any accommodation in Saint John, as well as airport, bus terminal, etc. Actual driving time to ferry 1 hour, extra time allowed for likely multiple pickups. Ferry ride is 1 & 1/2 hours. Please indicate if service is required in the appropriate place in advance materials.
Driving Directions
St. Stephen or Saint John
Route 1 from St. Stephen/Calais border crossing approx. 30 miles east to Black's Harbour exit, or route 1 from Saint John approx. 50 miles west to Black's Harbour exit; 5 miles to village of Black's Harbour, follow signs to ferry dock; no ticket office at Black's Harbour ferry dock (purchase ticket upon return only) join line up; first come, first served; arrive at ferry line up at least one hour prior to desired departure time; advance ticket available from Grand Manan only; approx. cost $50.00 Cnd for two adults and passenger vehicle, round trip; ferry schedule provided with information package; may view online also at www.coastaltransport.ca; ferry trip is one and on half hours; modern ferry with cafeteria on board.
Equipment Requirements:
Must provide own binoculars.
The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.
Daily Schedule
Day 1:
Arrivals and "Birds of Atlantic Canada"
(Sunday, September 1)
Arrive To:
Check in, registration
Dinner:
Dinner in main dining room
Evening:
Orientation in Annex Lounge; birding orientation: slide/lecture format with group leader Roger Burrows, BSC, wildlife consultant & naturalist with considerable experience providing avifaunal surveys,shorebird surveys, breeding bird surveys, shoreline surveys, field studies & technical reports in Atlantic Canada; published author of several books including Birds of Atlantic Canada (Lone Pine Press).
Accommodations:
Marathon Inn
Meals Included:
Dinner
Day 2:
Birding Boat Trip, "Pelagic Birds"
(Monday, September 2)
Breakfast:
Optional 6am coffee at the Inn and birding walk before breakfast.
Hot or cold cereal, fruit, hot entree (cook's choice; changes daily) juice, coffee, tea.
Morning:
Boat trip around Archipelago to seek seabirds such as Puffins, Razorbills, Common Murres, Black Guillemots, Greater, Sooty & Manx Shearwaters, Leach's & Wilson's Storm Petrels, gulls including Bonapartes & Black-legged Kittiwakes. Watch for Humpback, Minke, Fin and the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale (waters off Grand Manan Island are the breeding ground of this great leviathon in August).
Lunch:
Bag lunch provided by inn
Afternoon:
Continuation of boat trip
Dinner:
At inn: set appetizer & dessert (made fresh daily); choice of fresh catch of the day or meat entree daily, preorder after breakfast each day
Evening:
Pelagic birds: slide/lecture format by the managing director of the Grand Manan Whale & Seabird Research Station
Accommodations:
Marathon Inn
Meals Included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3:
Whitehead Island, Seabird Research Station
(Tuesday, September 3)
Breakfast:
Optional 6am coffee at the Inn and birding walk before breakfast.
Hot or cold cereal, fruit, hot entree (cook's choice; changes daily) juice, coffee, tea.
Morning:
Field trip by barge ferry to Whitehead Island to seek southbound adult & juvenal shorebirds ..... lots of plovers & sandpipers, possibility of ruddy turnstones, whimbrels & redknots, variety of gulls
Lunch:
Bag lunch provided by inn
Afternoon:
Continuation of field trip
Dinner:
At inn: set appetizer & dessert (made fresh daily); choice of fresh catch of the day or meat entree daily, preorder after breakfast each day.
Evening:
Field trip to Whale & Seabird Research Station
Accommodations:
Marathon Inn
Meals Included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4:
Birding Boat Trip, Whistle Light Station at Sunset
(Wednesday, September 4)
Breakfast:
Optional 6am coffee at the Inn and birding walk before breakfast.
Hot or cold cereal, fruit, hot entree (cook's choice; changes daily) juice, coffee, tea.
Morning:
Second Archipelago boat trip: more whales & seabirds!!
Lunch:
Bag lunch provided by inn
Afternoon:
Continuation of boat trip
Dinner:
At inn: set appetizer & dessert (made fresh daily); choice of fresh catch of the day or meat entree daily, preorder after breakfast each day.
Evening:
Birding & sunset at the Whistle Light Station viewing platform perched on a cliff top over looking the beautiful Bay of Fundy ...... land birds plus possibility to view seals and whales from shore!
Accommodations:
Marathon Inn
Meals Included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5:
Land Birding Field Trip, Grand Manan Museum
(Thursday, September 5)
Breakfast:
Optional 6am coffee at the Inn and birding walk before breakfast.
Hot or cold cereal, fruit, hot entree (cook's choice; changes daily) juice, coffee, tea.
Morning:
Field trip to seek land birds such as later flycatchers, vireos, thrushes, Cedar Wax Wings, & most wood warblers in non breeding plumage, a few early sparrows & breeding ducks
Lunch:
At inn
Afternoon:
Guided visit to Grand Manan Museum (includes fisheries & geology exhibit); also home of of the renowned Alan Moses bird collection; many local cultural artifacts.
Dinner:
At inn: set appetizer & dessert (made fresh daily); choice of fresh catch of the day or meat entree daily, preorder after breakfast each day.
Evening:
Free Evening
Accommodations:
Marathon Inn
Meals Included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6:
Lifestyle and Culture of a Fishing Community
(Friday, September 6)
Breakfast:
Optional 6am coffee at the Inn and birding walk before breakfast.
Hot or cold cereal, fruit, hot entree (cook's choice; changes daily) juice, coffee, tea.
Morning:
Field trip to visit and learn about various aspects of the fishing industry past and present, reflecting the culture and lifestyle of a fishing island. Visit lobster pounds, smoked herring stands, dulsing operations, boat building,salt fish operation, visit a small fishers' supply store.
Lunch:
At inn
Afternoon:
Free afternoon
Dinner:
Choice of lobster or steak dinner
Evening:
Graduation & Farewell Get Together
Accommodations:
Marathon Inn
Meals Included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7:
Farewells and Departure
(Saturday, September 7)
Breakfast:
Continental breakfast at 6:15 am for those who wish to depart on 7:30 am ferry; full breakfast begins at 7:30 am for remainder
Morning:
Please check out by 11:00 am
Meals Included:
Breakfast
Important information about your itinerary:
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.
You can't find a better value than Road Scholar.
As a not-for-profit organization, we are dedicated to providing all-inclusive educational programs at great value. From lectures to gratuities to field trips to accommodations - the tuition you pay up front is all that you pay.
Specifically, this program includes:
6 nights accommodations
17 meals: 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 6 dinners
Expert-led lectures: 2
Expert-led lectures
Led by one or more of our world-class instructors, typically in a classroom setting, lectures come in the form of presentations, discussions or workshops and offer expert insight into your area of study.
Field trips: 7
Field trips
The world is your classroom, as you're on location with an instructor to pursue your educational theme firsthand.
Plus these special experiences...
Two Boat trips through the Grand Manan archipelago to seek Black Guillemots, Puffins and Razorbills; dolphins, seals, whales and basking sharks
Sail past fog stations, light houses, salmon farming sites, weirs and working fishing boats and savor the best of the local catch at dinner
Birding and sunset at the Whistle Light Station perched on a cliff top over looking the beautiful Bay of Fundy ...... land birds, seals and whales
A barge ferry trip to Whitehead Island; lots of plovers & sandpipers, possibility of ruddy turnstones, whimbrels & redknots, variety of gulls
View the Daily Schedule to see more
And included with all Road Scholar programs:
Learning led by expert instructors who are authorities in the field of study.
An experienced Group Leader attuned to the needs of Road Scholar participants.
Customary gratuities throughout the program that you would normally pay yourself.
The Road Scholar Travel Assistance Plan, providing 24-hour-a-day emergency assistance coverage.
Taxes
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Call toll-free: 1-800-454-5768