Something New and Different and Strange and Fun (FL/GA/AL/MS/LA)
January 6-13, 2027 (This tour is full)(Two on Waitlist)
Bradford/Percival
This tour came about because a couple on the Spring Florida tour were discussing their lack of birds along the Gulf Coast states. Once back in Houston, I put together a rough draft of the tour, and a couple was ready to sign up to bird four states they hadn’t birded. They already had over 150 species in Florida from the spring Florida tour.
The plan for this unusual tour is to fly into Tallahassee and out of New Orleans while visiting Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Time will be spent birding northern Florida with a quick trip into southern Georgia hitting a hotspot or two. This will net us some Georgia birds. After Georgia, we will work the panhandle of Florida hoping to add species not seen on the winter of spring Florida 2026 tours.
After Florida we will stay near Mobile, Alabama giving us easy access to the birdy Alabama Coast. We will then move west and stay along the Mississippi coast for coastal birds of Mississippi and finally end up birding Louisiana and flying home out of New Orleans/Kenner.
The reason this is an unusual tour is that Brandon and I have not birded most of the locations we will be visiting. We will be “hotspot jumping”, adding new birds to participant’s state lists. Birds in each state along the coast will be similar, though I am sure we will see some new birds in each state as we work our way west.
Instead of listing birds for each state that we will be looking for, I have posted a link to a representative bar chart from a hotspot in each state we will be visiting. The reason I am using this technique is twofold. First, it introduces some of you to the bar chart feature of ebird (something I can help you with if you have questions, it is very helpful tool) and second, I am not listing numerous birds repeatedly for each of the states. Looking at the bar charts for each state will give you an idea of what we hope to see throughout the tour.
Bar Charts - eBird Florida
Bar Charts - eBird Georgia
Bar Charts - eBird Alabama
Bar Charts - eBird Mississippi
Bar Charts - eBird Louisiana
If you are interested in a new type of tour, seeing birds in five different states this is for you.
Fee: The cost of the tour for double occupancy is $2,000. Single occupancy is an additional $550 per person. The cost of the tour covers most meals, though meals are no longer a major production, but a more relaxed and casual affair with some meals eaten in the lobby of the hotel
We will fly into Tallahassee and out of New Orleans.
Deposit: A deposit of $500 is needed to hold a spot on this tour. Deposit checks can be mailed to David Bradford 18046 Green Hazel Dr. Houston, TX. 77084 281 744 6486 leave message or text.
South Florida and the Everglades
February 17 – 25, 2027 (One Spot remains)
Bradford/Percival
After a very successful winter tour to south Florida in 2026, Brandon and I plan to return in 2027 with a slightly adjusted, slightly extended tour. This tour will be one day longer than in 2026 and eliminate a long two-way drive. This year we will fly into Tampa, instead of Fort Myers. By flying into Tampa, we eliminate back tracking. See our trip report from 2026.
https://ebird.org/tripreport/475155
Our plan is to spend time visiting different habitats including the Gulf Coast, coastal swamps, mangrove swamps, pine forests, and grasslands. We plan to fly into Tampa and spend our first day birding our way south to Fort Myers. From Fort Myers we have easy access to Ding Darling NWR on Sanibel Island, the coast, and inland birding locations. Then we head south to spend a full day exploring Everglades National Park, and eventually up to Miami. This tour serves as a great introduction to the many birds of south Florida.
As we work our way south to Fort Myers from Tampa, we plan to stop at Fort De Soto State Park for Piping and Semipalmated Plovers, Short-billed Dowitcher, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Black Skimmer, Nanday Parakeet and more. Further south a stop at The Celery Fields will hopefully offer up our first Gray-headed Swamphens, Anhinga, herons and egrets, Nanday Parakeet, Fish Crow, Boat-tailed Grackle, and Palm Warbler. Further south, if time allows, we will visit Babcock-Webb NWR where we hope to find Red-cockaded Woodpecker, other woodpeckers, and Brown-headed Nuthatch. If time does not allow, we will return the following day.
At Ding Darling National Wildlife Area on Sanibel Island, a barrier island that supports many birds and one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in the US, we plan to drive the wildlife loop to look for Mottled Duck, Hooded Merganser, Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plovers, Short-billed Dowitcher, Red Knot, Dunlin, Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, almost all the herons and egrets, both night-herons, Bald Eagle, Fish Crow, and many other species.
Other birds on the west coast we will be looking for include Common Ground-Dove, Purple Gallinule, Limpkin, Sandhill Crane, Anhinga, Glossy Ibis, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, White-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos, Northern House Wren, Gray Catbird, Eastern Towhee, Boat-tailed Grackle, Palm, Pine, Yellow-throated and Prairie Warblers. We will make a special effort to locate Florida Scrub-Jay and Snail Kite while in the Fort Myers area.
After working over the west side of Florida, we will bird our way south and east toward Florida City, the gateway to Everglades National Park, a large subtropical wilderness reserve that is home to numerous species of birds and other wildlife. The Everglades is composed of both brackish and fresh water, mangroves and saw grass, and pine and hardwood hammocks, and is home to the Florida panther, American alligator, crocodile, and manatee.
While in Everglades National Park we will spend our time driving the main road that leads to Flamingo making stops at locations such as Frog Pond Wildlife Management Area, Sisal Pond, Pine Glades Lake, Mahogany Hammock, Nine Mile Pond, Snake Bite Trail and the Flamingo area. Along our route and at Flamingo, the park road terminus, we will look for Common Ground Dove, White-crowned Pigeon, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Willet, Marbled Godwit, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black Skimmer, Roseate Spoonbill, herons, egrets, pelicans, Belted Kingfisher, Blue-headed and White-eyed Vireos, Gray Catbird, Shiny Cowbird if present in 2027, and flocks of warblers that may contain a variety of species. In 2026 we saw fifteen species of warblers. The Everglades will be a birdy and remarkable place to visit.
After enjoying Everglades National Park, we will work our way north to neighborhoods in and around Miami for some exotics like Egyptian Goose, Muscovy Duck, Chestnut-fronted and Blue-and-yellow Macaws, Red-masked Parakeet, White-winged and Yellow-chevroned Parakeets, Monk Parakeet, Red-whiskered Bulbul, and Spot-breasted Oriole.
The Miami area has a lot of birding locations, and we will use the last day and half to track any birds we are missing and visit parks that should offer up some fine birding.
Fee: The cost of the tour for double occupancy is $2,650. Single occupancy is an additional $650 per person. The cost of the tour covers most meals, though meals are no longer a major production, but a more relaxed and casual affair sometimes eaten in the hotel lobby.
We will fly into Tampa and out of Miami.
Deposit: A deposit of $500 is needed to hold a spot on this tour. Deposit checks can be mailed to David Bradford 18046 Green Hazel Dr. Houston, TX. 77084 281 744 6486 leave message or text.
New Mexico in Late Spring/Early Summer
June 3-10, 2027 (Four Spots Remain)
Bradford/Percival
Brandon and I have led many tours to New Mexico during the winter, and Brandon has visited many times during the spring and summer, however, we have not led a late spring/early summer tour to New Mexico. New Mexico has varied habitats including desert, scrubland, mountains, wetlands, and riparian and these habitats attracts numerous nesting birds to augment the many birds that are present year-round.
We will fly into Albuquerque and travel north to the cool, high elevation mountains around Taos and Maxwell NWR and then head south to Water Canyon and Bosque del Apache NWR. We will cover a lot of ground and see a lot of birds in attractive habitats.
We will spend our first two nights in Albuquerque allowing us plenty of time to bird many of the local hotspots including Rio Grande Nature Center SP for ducks, Spotted Sandpiper, egrets and herons, Cooper’s and Swainson’s Hawk, Downy and Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Bushtit, Eastern Bluebird, Lesser Goldfinch, Yellow-breasted Chat. Bullock’s Oriole, Lucy’s Warbler, Summer Tanager, Black-headed and Blue Grosbeak. This is a wonderful state park that borders the Rio Grande River. A quick trip up to Sandia Crest could yield Broad-tailed Hummingbird, White-throated Swift, Hairy Woodpecker, Western Warbling Vireo, Violet-green Swallow, Golden-crowned Kinglet, White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Hermit Thrush, Green-tailed Towhee, breeding plumaged Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Western Tanager. In the Pinyon Pines at Tijeras Ranger Station we might encounter Say’s Phoebe, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Cassin’s and Western Kingbird, Lesser Goldfinch and Spotted Towhee. A hike up Embudito Canyon might yield desert bird such as Scaled and Gambel’s Quail, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Plumbeous Vireo, Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay, Juniper Titmouse, Bushtit, Rock and Cactus Wren, Black-chinned and Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Scott’s Oriole, and Western Tanager. The canyon should be warmer than the very cold mornings we birded here on winter tours.
After two nights in Albuquerque we will head to the cool of the mountains around Santa Fe looking for high elevations birds like Band-tailed Pigeon, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Golden Eagle, Willianson’s and Red-naped Sapsucker, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Western Flycatcher, Plumbeous and Western Warbling Vireo, Canada, and Steller’s Jay, Clark’s Nutcracker, Black-capped and Mountain Chickadee, Violet-green Swallow, American Dipper, Evening Grosbeak, Pine Siskin, Wilson’s Warbler, Western Tanager and Black-headed Grosbeak. If we don’t intentionally look for Dusky Grouse, we might stumble upon one, so let’s keep that in mind as we walk and drive the Sangra de Cristo Mountains, the southern terminus of the Rocky Mountains. We must also keep in mind that late snow might prevent us from reaching the upper reaches of these mountains.
North and east of Santa Fe is the sprawling Maxwell NWR where we will look for ducks and more ducks, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Long-billed Curlew, Wilson’s Phalarope, Franklin’s Gull, Western and Clark’s Grebe, Swainson’s Hawk, Burrowing Owl, Western Wood-Pewee, Say’s Phoebe, Western and Cassin’s Kingbird, Black-billed Magpie, Northern House Wren, Cassin’s and Lark Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Northern Yellow Warbler, Blue Grosbeak, and Dickcissel. There will be plenty more to see than what is listed above.
After two nights in the Taos area, we will zoom south of Albuquerque for two nights in Socorro, the gateway to Bosque del Apache and Water Canyon. At times in Water Canyon, it is easy to think you are in SE Arizona as there are nesting Virginia’s, Grace’s, Black-throated Gray, and Red-faced Warblers along with the fan favorite Painted Redstart. In addition to these warblers, we will be looking for Acorn Woodpecker, Olive-sided and Gray Flycatcher, Plumbeous Vireo, Mountain Chickadee, Juniper Titmouse, Pygmy Nuthatch, Western Bluebird, Black-chinned and Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Canyon Towhee, Hepatic and Western Tanager.
June does not seem like a good time to visit Bosque del Apache NWR, however, since we are so close we must drive the wildlife loop and see what birds we can find. At this time of year there will be no Sandhill Cranes or Snow Geese present. But we are hoping for plenty of ducks, Gambel’s Quail, Greater Roadrunner, American Avocet, Neotropic Cormorant, herons, egrets, and Black-crowned Night-Herons, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Black and Say’s Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher, Verdin, Bewick’s Wren, Curve-billed and Crissal Thrasher, Phainopepla, Black-throated Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Western Meadowlark, and Pyrrhuloxia. This is a national wildlife refuge that can be visited at any time of year. Brandon stomped around here in July of 2018.
Fee: The cost of the tour for double occupancy is TO BE DETERMINED and includes most meals. Single occupancy is an additional TO BE DETERMINED per person. Meals are no longer a major production, but more relaxed casual affairs are sometimes eaten in the hotel lobby.
Deposit: A deposit of $500 is needed to hold a spot on this tour. Deposit checks can be mailed to David Bradford 18046 Green Hazel Dr. Houston, TX. 77084 281 744 6486 leave message or text.
Hummingbirds and Others of SE Arizona
August 16-21, 2027 (Two Spots Remain)
Bradford/Percival
This is a new type of tour designed to find the usual birds in SE Arizona but with an emphasis on hummingbirds. A few of the Pennsylvanians asked for a tour to SE Arizona that spends a little extra observation time and study time at the numerous hummingbird stations we normally visit during fall migration. Fall migration in SE Arizona is the time for hummingbirds and other migrants.
Looking at past fall tours we have led, I see we usually observe ten to eleven different species of hummingbirds. On this tour we expect about the same number of species, but we will a little extra time at the feeding stations studying hummingbirds and discussing field marks that are used to identify both male and female hummingbirds. Fortunately, adult male hummingbird identification is sort of straight forward, while female identification can be challenging.
In SE Arizona there are plenty of hummingbird feeding stations to visit, like the feeders at Desert Meadows Park, Santa Rita Lodge and Madera Kubo high in the Santa Rita Mountains, Beatty’s in Miller Canyon, Ramsy Canyon Preserve, Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary, and of course world-famous Paton Center for Hummingbirds in the small town of Patagonia.
At these many feeding stations, we will expect to see Rivoli’s, Lucifer, Black-chinned, Anna’s, Costa’s, Calliope, Rufous, Broad-tailed, and Violet-crowned hummingbirds. Hummingbirds that aren’t always present include the rarer Allen’s, White-eared, and Berylline. If one of these is present, we will try to track it down to study. On just three of our many SE Arizona tours have we encountered a Plain-capped Starthroat, and though not expected, you never know.
Though our emphasis will be hummingbirds, we certainly will need to take walks to stretch our legs and as we do so we will be looking for the usual suspects found in this birding mecca. The feeding stations, in addition to attracting hummingbirds, will attract many of the sought after birds of this area.
If you want to join us as we spend a little extra time looking at hummingbirds, while still seeking out the usual sought after birds, please join us. This would be the ideal tour for those that aren’t quite up for the lengthy, high elevations hikes that we usually take during a longer, typical SE Arizona tour.
Fee: The cost of the tour for double occupancy is To Be Determined Later. Single occupancy is an additional To Be Determined Later. The cost of the tour covers most meals, though meals are no longer a major production, but a more relaxed and casual affair.
We will fly in and out of Tucson.
Deposit: A deposit of $500 is needed to hold a spot on this tour. Deposit checks can be mailed to David Bradford 18046 Green Hazel Dr. Houston, TX. 77084 281 744 6486 leave message or text.
Early Winter in New England
November 10-17, 2027 (Four Spots Remain)
Bradford/Percival
Though Brandon and I have led three tours to New England and two just to Maine, we have never done a “winter” tour to this area. After birding in Connecticut and Rhode Island in November of 2025 and diligently studying ebird bar charts I have realized that in early November the winter birds have arrived, yet the cold of a New England winter is yet to arrive. Thus, giving us the opportunity to enjoy winter and resident birds without the extreme cold of a New England winter. Plus, there could be a few lingering migrants present.
This is a new tour allowing us to visit Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut with an emphasis on coastal birds and near coastal birds. We will fly into Portland, ME. and out of Providence, RI. This will allow us not to backtrack and to visit a wealth of coastal and inland hotspots that should have a good sampling of New England winter and resident birds. At this time of year, the migrant birds are gone, but the hardy permanent residents remain, and they are augmented by wintering birds.
We will fly into Portland Maine and spend two nights birding the Maine coast and inland to the Kennebunk Plains. After Maine it will be a full day along the New Hampshire Coast as we work our way south to Massachusetts where we will spend three nights allowing us time to work the coast north of Boston and some choice inland areas. Then it will be down to the Providence area for two nights allowing us access to the Rhode Island and Connecticut coasts. There are also a few inland areas we will visit as well.
Birds to be expected along the various coasts include Brant, American Black Duck, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Common Eider, Harlequin Duck, Surf, White-winged, and Black Scoters, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Red-breasted and Hooded Mergansers, Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plovers, Dunlin, Purple Sandpiper, Black Guillemot, Great Black-backed Gull, Horned and Red-necked Grebes, Red-throated and Common Loons, Northern Gannet, and Great Cormorant.
Inland we hope to find Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk, Hairy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Golden-crowned Kinglet, White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches, Horned Lark, Eastern Bluebird, American Tree Sparrow, Snow Bunting, and Purple Finch. If there is a Razorbill, Snowy Owl, or Lapland Longspur sighting nearby we will try for it.
There are many more species expected, but the above gives a good idea of the birds of interest for this area at this time of year.
Fee: The cost of the tour for double occupancy is (COST TO BE DETERMINED LATER) and includes most meals. Single occupancy is an additional (COST TO BE DETERMINED LATER) per person. Meals are no longer a major production, but more relaxed casual affairs sometimes in the hotel lobby.
Deposit: A deposit of $500 is needed to hold a spot on this tour. Deposit checks can be mailed to David Bradford 18046 Green Hazel Dr. Houston, TX. 77084 (281) 744 6486 leave message or text.
MAINE--Atlantic Puffins/Razorbills/Black Guillemots Common Murres/Warblers
June 3-9, 2026 (One spot remain)
Bradford/Percival
Each spring and summer Atlantic Puffins gather in great numbers to breed on islands off the coast of Maine. The plan is to go out of Bar Harbor to get close looks at Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill, Common Murre, and Black Guillemot. Last year we went out of the small town of Machias with Bold Coast Charter hoping to land on Machias Seal Island, however, an island landing did not happen in what I thought were calm seas. Looking on ebird, I see they make very few island landings, so we are going to go out of Bar Harbor and have looks at these birds from the boat, just as we did last year. Views from the boat are just fine with birds close and easy to view.
Before and after our boat trip we will spend time looking for land birds. Early June is a great time to be in Maine as many migrants have recently arrived and are singing to establish territories. A few birds we hope to see include American Black Duck, Common Eider, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Tern, Glossy Ibis, Yellow-bellied and Alder Flycatchers, Winter Wren, Veery, Saltmarsh Sparrow, Ovenbird, Black-and-white, American Redstart, Magnolia, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Prairie, and Black-throated Green Warblers. We will enjoy the atmosphere of Bar Harbor, take a drive-up Cadillac Mountain, and bird Acadia National Park. This year we are going to spend three nights in Bar Harbor allowing more time to fully explore the park. Aside from the scenery in the park, we will have numerous opportunities to hear and see warblers galore.
If you want to see Atlantic Puffins, other alcids, and warblers resplendent in their breeding plumage this is the tour for you.
Here is the trip report from last year. We expect to see about the same species of birds, plus or minus a few. https://ebird.org/tripreport/380581
We plan to fly in and out of Portland, Maine bird woodlands, the coast, and the ocean.
Fee: The cost of the tour for double occupancy is $2,850 and includes most meals. Single occupancy is an additional $650 per person. Meals are no longer a major production, but more relaxed casual affairs.
Deposit: A deposit of $500 is needed to hold a spot on this tour. Deposit checks can be mailed to David Bradford 18046 Green Hazel Dr. Houston, TX. 77084 281 744 6486 leave message or text.