New England Bird Tours

07/05/2020

The first Black-throated Blue Warblers of spring arrived in my area on Sunday. Every year, their arrival is undoubtedly one of the most exciting events of the year for me. They are my favorite birds in the world, and a species that I’ve been studying closely for many years. I checked for them the 5 days before they arrived, anxiously awaiting them. Lots of warbler species and other migrants are also arriving. Spring is finally breaking in northern New England, and migration is starting to ramp up. Such a glorious time!

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photo: Tyler Pockette

19/04/2020

An incredible night of owling: Around the last full moon, I went out looking for owls. The moon was bright, the sky was clear, and the wind was calm. In other words, perfect conditions for owling, and I couldn’t help but jump on the opportunity. My main agenda was to find Long-eared Owls.

My first stop was a location where I had previously found Long-eared Owls roosting on two separate occasions. I arrived a bit past sunset, and about 20 minutes before twilight, when they typically become active. I walked across a field toward some woods where I had found them before, and I planned to wait there until twilight, hoping one would fly out into the field or at least start calling from the woods. As soon as I arrived and approached the wooded area, I already heard one calling. It was still very light out, and I was surprised to hear one so early in the evening. At one point, the calling had moved to a different location, and glancing in that direction I spotted the owl perched on a short snag at the edge of the woods. The owl was in plain view, and with plenty of light to fully drink it in. Songbirds in the immediate area became very agitated, and the owl was turning its head very rapidly from side to side. The owl eventually flew off into the woods, but continued to call for the remainder of the time I was there. A second Long-eared Owl eventually chimed in, which was likely its mate. All the while, two American Woodcock were displaying behind me.

I left the area, and began driving to another spot. While driving, I spotted a Great Horned Owl pounce on a probable prey item on the ground, and fly up to a tree not far off the road, illuminated by the moonlight. When I arrived at my next spot, where I hoped to find more Long-eared Owls, a woodcock was displaying there as well. I then heard a distant Northern Saw-whet Owl giving its cute “tu-tu-tu” calls. Soon after, an Eastern Screech-Owl began calling very close to me. No Long-eared Owls though, and so I headed to a third spot.

Almost immediately after arriving at the next spot, I heard nearby Long-eared Owl calls. Within moments, a second Long-eared Owl joined in very close by, again likely a mated pair. I stood in a field near the edge of some woods, and at one point, one of the owls made a short flight out of the woods and circled right in front of me, and then returned back to cover. I listened to these owls for about 15 minutes, and saw them both make short flights just inside the woods. These were the third and fourth Long-eared Owls I found on the evening. Meanwhile, a second Northern Saw-whet Owl was also calling fairly close by.

What a night of owling! In just two hours, I found 8 owls – 4 Long-eared’s, 2 Saw-whet’s, a Great Horned, and an Eastern Screech.

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photos: Tyler Pockette

16/04/2020

A couple more of New England’s breeding warblers that I saw during my recent trip to Colombia: I saw a lot of Canada Warblers wintering there. They are incredibly abundant in the Colombian Andes during winter, and the most abundant wintering warbler there besides Blackburnian Warblers. Another of our beautiful migrants that I bumped into there was a Cerulean Warbler. I typically encounter a small number of Ceruleans on trips to South America, but they are few and far between, especially given the drastic decline in their population. It’s always fun to see New England’s migrants on their wintering grounds, but there’s a whole new level of excitement seeing them return to New England in spring. For me, there’s something extra special about seeing migrants on their breeding grounds. They show up with an unparalleled vigor and intensity, with the immediate purpose of breeding in the short window of bounty during the northerly spring and summer. It’s a full-on battle from the start to the finish of the breeding season, with each bird out for themself. There’s a very intimate relationship between each species and their breeding habitat, and a high degree of specificity in how they use that habitat. It’s the playing field in which their battle unfolds, and the currency is the number of young each bird can leave behind.

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photos: Tyler Pockette

15/04/2020

I recently returned from a birding trip to Colombia, where I saw tons of Blackburnian Warblers on their wintering grounds. They are by far the most abundant wintering warbler in the western Andes of Colombia & NW Ecuador, and a ubiquitous presence in the mixed flocks of tropical residents and wintering migrants. Some of them looked to be in very vivid, fresh new breeding plumage, and were just about to begin their journeys north. Now, they have just started to hit the Gulf Coast of the US and some of the southern States, along with other tropical migrants. They’ll begin arriving to New England in less than 3 weeks, and they’ll be looking pretty slick, ready for the flurry of breeding activities. New England still feels somewhat like winter, but it’s about to come alive!

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photo: Tyler Pockette

07/03/2020

Harlequin Ducks: These are some of my favorite winter birds along the coast of New England. They are pretty rugged birds, preferring the rough surf of rocky coastline where the waves crash against the rocks. They frequently get pummeled by the waves, seemingly unfazed, as they dive for food. Always an impressive sight to see!

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photos: Tyler Pockette

05/03/2020

Boreal Owl: I rarely post things from outside of New England, but I thought this was a worthy tidbit. This very cooperative and photogenic Boreal Owl has been hanging out in Quebec, Canada, just a couple of hours north of the Vermont border. This can be a very challenging species to see, but this bird has been reliable since early December.

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photos: Tyler Pockette

29/02/2020

Red-winged Blackbirds have returned to northern New England, and are starting to sing up a storm! It’s hard to believe that in February, with plenty of snow on the ground and still falling, migrants are already beginning to arrive. Although Red-winged Blackbirds are very common, they are one of our first migrants to arrive, which is always exciting. Hearing their first song of the year is quite a delight. It’s an early sign of spring and that migration is underway! It’s just the beginning of an exciting next few months of spring migration!

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photo: Mike Creedon, custom tour participant

27/02/2020

Here are a few more photos from Mike Creedon taken during our custom photography tour for him and his wife Carole. And here is Mike’s description of the tour, taken from his review on TripAdvisor…

“The Perfect Bird Guide: We are a 70 year old couple with the hobby of photographing wildlife, with a focus on birds. Living in eastern NC we try to find somewhere cool to spend our July and August. Due to hip surgery in April, unable to make long term plans until after the surgery and recovery, we found ourselves in June deciding where to go this summer.

We ultimately decided on northern Vermont and New Hampshire. We rented 3 houses in different areas, Champlain Islands, mountains of the Rutland area, and lastly Pittsburg, NH. When we travel we try to find a guide who knows the area and the wildlife, and found David.

We were lucky that he was available, as it was all really quite short notice. David drove to spend the day with us in the Champlain Islands and vicinity. We had gone on our own pretty much where he took us, but he found us many birds we had neither seen nor knew of their existence. David then again drove to meet us in the Rutland area the next week, with similar if not superior results.

Our last week in Pittsburg was the best, and David again drove a long way to spend two days with us. We had fantastic results, and a very pleasant time with David. He knew each area as if he had grown up there.

You must remember that this was mid July til mid August, breeding was over, migration weeks away, basically the about worst time one would choose to go birding in that area. But we had great results and a fun time with David.

We highly recommend him should you be looking for someone to show you that special bird, or all the birds that are alive in the area when you are there.

Kudos to David.”

-Mike Creedon, custom tour participant

Photos: Mike Creedon

26/02/2020

Bird photography is becoming increasingly popular among people joining both our group tours and custom tours. During the past year, we ran a number of custom tours for photographers, specifically focused on capturing nice shots of New England birds. One of the highlight photography tours from last summer was with Mike and Carole Creedon from North Carolina. We spent a total of four days – two days in Vermont and two in the north woods of New Hampshire – seeking birds and good photography conditions. Mike casually keeps a list of all the species he has photographed, and was looking to add to that list, and to capture some of New England’s specialties. During the tour, he captured countless incredible photos of a high diversity of birds that he had never photographed before. He was thrilled with the results! So many beautiful birds, gorgeous scenery, and we all had an absolute blast! Here are just a few of his shots from the tour…

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photos: Mike Creedon, custom tour participant

02/02/2020

An entertaining observation of a Red Crossbill and Northern Goshawk! Red Crossbills and White-winged Crossbills have both been present in New England in good abundance since last summer. This winter, I’ve been seeing at least one of the species almost daily. Friday morning, I had an exciting encounter with one. I heard Red Crossbill call notes from fairly close by, and I began scanning through the tops of spruces, looking for the bird. After a couple of minutes, an adult northern Goshawk shot through the forest and landed in a tree less than 15m from me and fairly low to the ground. The bird perched momentarily, then zoomed almost directly over my heard, and through the forest out of view in a different direction.

The crossbill vocalizations had stopped, but began again about five minutes later from a slightly different location. I looked through my binoculars at a cone-laden spruce where the calls seemed to be coming from, and an adult goshawk was perched near the top of the spruce, illuminated by the morning sunlight. I drank in the magnificence of this bird for a few minutes, and then noticed that a Red Crossbill came into view. It perched teed up at the top of the same spruce, less than 2m above the goshawk. I could see both the crossbill and the goshawk in the same binocular view! The crossbill called persistently, and appeared very agitated. After a couple more minutes, the goshawk flew off, and I could hear the call notes of the crossbill following it. This all seemed rather bold on the part of the crossbill, especially with no other birds joining in mobbing. I suspect the crossbills might be nesting in this area, and have likely done so since mid-summer.

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photos: Keenan Yakola & Tyler Pockette

26/01/2020

We are gearing up for another fun season of spring and summer tours! Check out our 2020 tour schedule if you’re looking for a fun bird-filled adventure.

https://www.newenglandbirdtours.com/tour-schedule

25/01/2020

Some of Michelle’s photos from the custom tour featured in my recent posts with her and her husband Bill. Canada Jays, nicknamed “Camp Robbers”, are often quick to approach humans looking for food. At this site in northern Vermont, Red-breasted Nuthatches have caught on, and with some care it’s possible to get them to eat right out of your hand. Such a fun time!

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photos: Michelle & Bill Beierschmitt, Custom Tour Participants

23/01/2020

Here is a quick video from Michelle during the custom tour featured in my last post with her and her husband Bill. Ok, it's not a bird, but this moose was hanging out right at the edge of the road. He seemed largely unconcerned with us as we watched him right outside our car window. We see moose quite frequently during our tours in the North Country. Such a nice bonus to the incredible birding!

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Video: Michelle Beierschmitt, Custom Tour Participant

22/01/2020

In addition to our scheduled groups tours, we ran many customized private tours during 2019. One of our highlight private tours from the spring was with Michelle and Bill Beierschmitt from Connecticut. The tour was a retirement gift from Michelle’s employer – not too shabby of a present and way to kick of your retirement!

Michelle and Bill love watching birds in their backyard, and were mainly looking to see a diversity of birds they don’t typically see around their home in Connecticut. Their enthusiasm was endless, and they hardly wanted to take a break from birding. Throughout the trip, they were constantly blown away by the diversity of birds we found, and by the shear beauty of species we encountered.

We spent four days touring around Vermont, from the Green Mountains to the Lake Champlain Valley, and then the boreal forest in the Northeast Kingdom. They had somewhat strict rules about keeping a species tally – they both had to get good looks at a bird to count it. This meant that we couldn’t count things like the American Bittern booming its call close to us in the fading light, but not offering up a glimpse. Even so, they ended up with good looks at 117 species on the trip, including 23 species of warblers!

On our final morning, we hit a Boreal Grand Slam! A Boreal Grand Slam means finding all four of our boreal resident species in a single day – Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, Canada Jay, and Boreal Chickadee. Soon after we parked the car, two Canada Jays approached us, as they often do. Then while watching the Jays, a Spruce Grouse wandered out onto the dirt road to feed on grit. All well-captured on film by Michelle. We were then treated to several nice looks at Black-backed Woodpeckers and a very cooperative Boreal Chickadee, topping off the Grand Slam by 10am!

Among the favorite birds for Michelle and Bill were Scarlet Tanagers. This was one of the top birds they were hoping to see, so we kicked off the tour with fantastic viewing of a male and female at our first stop. Another highlight for them were several good shows by an abundance of Bobolinks. Michelle and Bill absolutely loved the Bobolinks and were endlessly entertained by them. They were also especially impressed by the beauty of Prairie Warblers, and by the cuteness of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, and some of the flycatchers, like the Eastern Wood-Peewee (we saw 7 flycatcher species in total!).

Other especially exciting moments were amazing point blank looks at the secretive marsh birds Virginia Rail and Sora, alongside Marsh Wrens singing at the tops of reeds. Bay-breasted and Cape May Warblers were incredibly abundant, and we got great viewings of Tennessee and Wilson’s Warblers.

Some other sightings that were quite satisfying were a Northern Goshawk, a Black-billed Cuckoo, a Red-necked Grebe, Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warblers, and a couple of their hybrids…not to mention all the other stunning warblers.

Besides all the amazing birds, we simply had an incredibly fun time!

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photos: Tyler Pockette, Keenan Yakola, and Jane Ogilvie

23/11/2019

Since the beginning of May, there has been nearly non-stop exciting bird action, and a stream of fun tours for us all over New England. Beginning with the arrival of spring migrants and explosion of breeding activity, followed by the incredible mixed flocks of songbirds and shorebirds in fall migration and the spectacular fall foliage season. It all seems to happen so fast, and I try to soak up every minute. Sharing this with the many folks on our tours was endlessly gratifying. Now in late November, parts of New England are already blanketed in snow, but the excitement of bird activity continues. It really never stops! Late migrant songbirds and shorebirds are still passing through (like the above Dunlin on snow), as well as loads of seabirds, ducks, and geese. And wintering birds from the north are beginning to show up.

The spring, summer, and fall was a wonderful season of tours, and I can’t thank enough everyone who joined us for all the fun and enjoyment. I especially loved the diversity of tours this year and the variety of people who participated – from beginner birders to serious listers searching for just a few new species. We also had a good number of photographers, people most interested in learning about the fascinating lives of birds, and those who came to see New England’s famous fall foliage and wanting to take in the bird life while doing so.

I am looking forward to many more great tours. Come join us!

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photos: Tyler Pockette and Keenan Yakola

13/08/2019

As you think about touring New England in foliage season, I offer private tours which cover our color-changing landscapes and focus on the birds you'd like to see.
For more information: https://www.newenglandbirdtours.com/private-tours

12/08/2019

songbirds cease to amaze me...

Could this explain the bird's remarkable memory?

27/06/2019

My most satisfying and surprising find during spring migration this year was a White-eyed Vireo in the Green Mountains of central Vermont. This species is more characteristic of the southeastern US, so perhaps not so exciting for those living in the South. But they’re quite a rare find in the North Country. In fact, I believe this was the only known record for Vermont or New Hampshire this year! The bird was likely an “overshoot” – one that flew too far north during its migration. It probably turned around and headed back south.

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photo: Tyler Pockette

26/06/2019

The Cerulean Warbler is a threatened species that has declined by more than 70% during the past 50 years. They largely breed to the south and west of New England, but small numbers reach the fringe of their range in parts of western New England. I recently set out to search for them in western Vermont at a location I had never explored before. I was delighted to find a small pocket of three breeding males! Such lovely birds!

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photo: Tyler Pockette

23/06/2019

Red Crossbills have shown up in New England! After a mega crossbill year between the summer of 2017 and spring of 2018, crossbills have been largely absent from New England during the past year. Both Red Crossbills and White-winged Crossbills often arrive in northern New England in June and increase in numbers during July. I just came across my first Red Crossbills of the year yesterday, and have now found them at three locations in the past two days. I’m hoping for more to come!

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photo: Tyler Pockette

22/06/2019

Spring migration was epic in New England! Cool weather and north winds put the migrants behind schedule, but when they finally hit, they hit with a bang! Among the highlights were the shear numbers of Cape May and Bay-breasted Warblers moving through northern New England. During the latter part of May, both species were present at nearly every place I went birding, and often in surprising numbers. During one of our tours, we tallied about 15 Bay-breasted’s in a half-mile walk, and we frequently encountered 4-5 of each species at a single spot. A handful of years ago, these species were relatively rare, and it was always noteworthy to come across either. Their numbers have since increased. Their populations are closely tied to spruce budworm, a moth caterpillar that feeds on spruce and other conifers. Every few decades or so, there is a major outbreak of spruce budworm in our boreal forests, leading to a boom in these warbler populations. We are currently in the midst of another outbreak, and these warblers are on the rise. Last fall, while recording nocturnal flight calls, about 150 Bay-breasted Warblers flew over my house in a 3-hr time span. These two lovely warbler species breed in the boreal forests in the far north of New England, and are definitely a major highlight of New England birding.

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photos: Tyler Pockette

06/06/2019

It has been an incredible spring for birding in New England, and our tours so far have been a huge success! We still have space available for our upcoming Bicknell’s & Boreal Birds tour, https://www.newenglandbirdtours.com/bicknells-and-boreal-birds.

We also have some room left in the schedule for custom private tours, https://www.newenglandbirdtours.com/private-tours.

Come join us in feasting your eyes on the array of New England’s beautiful birds!

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photo: Male Spruce Grouse, a boreal specialist. Tyler Pockette.

18/05/2019

This quick video clip is sure to impress! An American Bittern performing its bizarre mating and territorial display. Notice the snapping of the bill and gulping sound at the beginning. In doing this, the bird inflates its esophagus, which aids in creating its loud booming call. And what a wonderful sound to hear echoing across a marsh in spring!

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Video: Tyler Pockette

17/05/2019

Magnolia Warbler was one of the top highlights for birders during our recent Spring Migration Birding Weekend at Blueberry Hill Inn in Vermont. The vivid colors of a male only a few meters away got quite a reaction from our group. This spectacular warbler is an abundant breeding bird in northern New England, and one of the most abundant warblers in our northern boreal forests.

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photo: Tyler Pockette

16/05/2019

Our Spring Migration Weekend at Blueberry Hill Inn in Vermont was a huge success! Fifteen birders joined us for endless fun birding and talking about birds. A highlight for many was a stunning male Magnolia Warbler at point blank range, showing off for our group to our hearts’ content. Blackburnian Warblers were probably our most frequently seen warbler on the weekend, and they never ceased to impress with their brilliant orange plumage. A nice look at an adult Northern Goshawk flying over our heads was a life bird for even our most serious birders. Bobolinks and Eastern Meadowlarks put on a nice show for us, and were major crowd pleasers. Other favorites on the weekend included great viewing of Black-throated Blue, Chestnut-sided, Prairie, and Nashville Warblers, Northern Parula, Blue-headed Vireo, Great Crested and Alder Flycatchers, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, an Eastern Towhee teed up singing in the spotting scope, and an American Kestrel hunting close to us.

It was a wonderful group of people, and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and birding with everyone. The folks at Blueberry Hill Inn did an exceptional job…fantastic food and quite an idyllic setting and experience. We look forward to many more birding events there in the future.

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

09/05/2019

Loads of warblers and other songbirds arrived in northern New England this week. Males are looking spectacular in their breeding plumage, and are singing up a storm as they establish their breeding territories. Warblers are my favorite birds, and there is no sight more pleasing to me than that of a warbler belting out a song. Nor is there much more pleasing to my ear than the songs of warblers. New arrivals included Black-and-white, Nashville, Magnolia, Blackburnian, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Prairie, and Black-throated Green Warblers, Northern Parula, Northern Waterthrush, and Ovenbird…and my favorite warbler of them all, the Black-throated Blue Warbler. The first Black-throated Blue of the year is always one of the most exciting events of the year for me. I also saw my first Cape May Warbler of the spring just yesterday, and looking forward for more to come. Spring migration is in full swing, and the peak is yet to come!

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photos: Tyler Pockette

05/05/2019

Who doesn’t love hummingbirds? The first Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the year showed up at my house in Vermont today. An exciting event every year! And it never ceases to amaze me that these tiny birds fly here all the way from Central America and Mexico.

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photo: Tyler Pockette

02/05/2019

The true sign of spring in New England is the return of the warblers. During the past couple of weeks, some of the earliest warblers have been moving into New England, especially Yellow-rumped Warblers, Palm Warblers, and Pine Warblers. Small numbers of other species are finally hitting northern New England, and the floodgates should really open up during the next handful of days.

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photos: Tyler Pockette and Keenan Yakola

01/05/2019

New England Bird Tours was featured in a recent article about Vermont in Travel Weekly, the leading travel magazine in the UK. I have to point out that they made an error…they mention the Golden Eagle as North America’s most famous bird, but I think they meant the Bald Eagle. Nevertheless, check it out!

Known for its fall foliage and winter skiing, leafy Vermont is just as lovely in summer

28/04/2019

A mega irruption year for Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Grosbeaks, Redpolls, and Bohemian Waxwings in New England! These 4 species of northerly songbirds typically stay well north of the lower 48 states year round. Small numbers may wander south in winter, but in some years, when food is scarce, large numbers will invade the northerly states - an “irruption”. Since October, I’ve hardly walked out the door without especially seeing or hearing Evening Grosbeaks and Redpolls. Flocks of Evening Grosbeaks have numbered more than 200 birds this year, and I’ve come across flocks of about 150 Common Redpolls. One of my main birding endeavors during the winter was scanning through flocks of Common Redpolls to pick out a much rarer Hoary Redpoll. This is quite an identification challenge, and I was eventually rewarded with finding a couple of Hoaries.

Evening Grosbeak is a highly sought-after species by birders. Many of our clients have hoped to find them on our tours, and were thrilled to do so during our tours in the fall. One client in particular, who has seen over 5000 species worldwide and over 600 in the US, was seeking just 3 additional species in New England, one being Evening Grosbeak. During our custom tour, we were treated to wonderful viewing of some large flocks, a complete victory! New England is a great place to find Evening Grosbeaks. Some do stick around for the summer to breed, and plenty are still around now. So we have a good chance to find them during our upcoming spring tours.

-Dave Hof, Tour Leader

Photos: Jane Ogilvie, Keenan Yakola, and Tyler Pockette