with Donna Traylor.
The annual Montclair Bird Club trip to Cape Ann, Massachusetts, will take place
February 19–21. Plan to arrive by Tuesday evening, February 18, so we can start birding first thing the next morning.
We will stay at the Fairfield Inn, 35 Clarks Road, Amesbury, Massachusetts. The hotel's direct number is 978 388-3400. We have arranged a group booking, so be sure to say that you are with the Montclair Bird Club when you make your reservation. Our special nightly rate is $104.00 plus tax; this rate will be in effect for bookings made through January 28, 2025. Cancellation is permitted up to 48 hours before arrival, so if the forecast is unfavorable, you can cancel your reservations by Sunday without penalty. Check in Tuesday, February 18, and check out Friday morning, February 21, 2025.
The hotel provides a good hot breakfast. We will try to find indoor lunch stops. If we
anticipate a problem with lunch, we will let you know the day before so you can bring your own food. Dinners are a group affair. I will make reservations prior to the trip: about ten minutes away from the hotel, Newburyport has some wonderful restaurants offering a diverse
menu of seafood, beef, and chicken dishes.
We typically spend one full day birding Gloucester and Rockport, with the second day spent in Amesbury and Newburyport. The locations we bird include Salisbury Reservation and Plum Island (Amesbury and Newburyport day) and Bass Rocks, Eastern Point Lighthouse, and Gloucester (southern day). The last half day is usually spent along the (short) New Hampshire coast. The trip normally concludes around noon on Friday, letting you be back in New Jersey by dark.
There is minimal walking on this trip, but good boots are recommended in case of snow and ice. Both days will be along the coast, so dress for wind and cold; layers are important.
The trip list can be a who's who of wintering birds along the Atlantic Coast. Hopefully, this will include all three species of scoters, two species of loons, harlequins and eider, alcids, both cormorants, grebes, owls including snowy and short-eared, and rough-legged hawks and eagles. Should any winter finches be reported, we will search them out. If you have a scope, please bring it, as many birds are at a distance on the open water.
I need to know by February 11 that you are planning on attending so I can make the dinner reservations. If you plan on arriving early enough for dinner on Tuesday and would like to join Don and me for dinner, let me know. Feel free to email me any questions at dtraylor@ptd.net.
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