French Ancestors Route

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For now, this is a 2-day self-drive guided tour that can be customized based on the details of our standard tour described below. We are happy to assist you with your overnight accommodations as well as transportation options. Let us know what you need; we are here for you!

Birding the Port au Port Peninsula

This is a two-day guided tour that takes you on a stunning panoramic journey around the Port au Port Peninsula. Admire breathtaking views while birding a remarkable diversity of habitat, in an area rich in culture and history. “The French Ancestors Route” is named for the area’s strong Francophone and Acadian Heritage and French-speaking birders can experience the tour through an interpreter (subject to availability).

Tour Starts / Ends	Stephenville, NL
Day 1 – Depart Stephenville	7:00 AM
Day 2 -Return Stephenville	5:00 PM
Tour Includes	Transportation during the tour 1 breakfast 2 picnic-style lunches 1 dinner 1 overnight accommodations in Cape St. George Field checklist of the Port au Port Peninsula (unofficial)
What you might see on this tour	The dramatic seaside cliffs at Cape St. George are some of the most impressive on the island of Newfoundland and are home to Black-legged Kittiwake, Black Guillemot, and lesser numbers of Razorbill during the breeding season. Nearby are great views of rocky perches where Great Cormorant spread their wings to dry. In the spring, thousands of Northern Gannet pierce the sea close to shore in a spectacular dive for fish. Songbirds like Boreal Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pine Grosbeak, White-throated Sparrow, Tennessee Warbler, and Blackpoll Warbler take shelter in the boreal forest and patches of tuckamore along the coast. The Winter Wren may be heard singing its lengthy tune, one of the longest and most complex of the avian world. If our timing is right, we may see American Kestrel as it hunts over a rare Limestone Barrens! We are likely to see a variety of waterfowl, and later in the season, shorebirds at staging habitats in Piccadilly. The fall is also a great time of year to encounter flocks of American Pipit as they move about the area. And there is always a chance to capture wonderful photos of whale, seal, moose, hare, and fox as we travel this historic route!

French Ancestors Route – Tour Fact Sheet
Seasons Offered	Spring, Summer
Tour Dates	May 25 through September 20
When to visit	May for a chance to see Northern Gannet, Humpback Whales diving close to shore May to July for breeding seabirds July to September for migrating shorebirds
Birds we may see	American Black Duck, Green-winged Teal, Ruddy Turnstone, White-rumped Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Greater Yellowlegs, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Black-legged Kittiwake, Caspian Tern, Common Loon, Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Northern Goshawk, American Kestrel, Bank Swallow, Boreal Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Winter Wren, American Pipit, Pine Grosbeak, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Blackpoll Warbler, woodpeckers, flycatchers
Other possible sightings	Moose, Red Fox, Seal, Humpback Whale, Snowshoe Hare, Yellow Lady’s Slipper
Bird-viewing habitats	Port au Port Peninsula: Boreal forest, seaside cliffs with patches of tuckamore, cobble beaches, salt marsh, tidal mudflats and (near) the Southern Limestone Barrens
Climate / Weather (average temperatures)	Spring (mid-May to June 20): 15°C (61°F) Summer (June 21 to September 20): 20°C (68°F) Visit our Getting Here page for more information about our climate.
Max bubble size	6 (plus your guide)
Tour pace & walking	Comfortable pace, walking is easy to moderate but mostly easy.
Accommodations	Inn at the Cape
Ease of birding	Mostly easy
Rare visitors to the area	Redwing (ABA Code 4) (2021) Summer Tanager (2019) American Avocet (2002)
Photographic opportunities	Excellent for birds, wildlife and scenery.
Currently not included	Accommodations, transportation during the tour – contact us for assistance.
What to bring	Visit our Getting Here page for a list of items to bring.
Cellular reception	Currently, there is no cellular reception on the western side of the Peninsula at Mainland and Three Rock Cove.
Additional remarks	Cape St. George is home to the only Acadian monument in the province. Nearby is an outdoor bread oven that is active from June 30 to August 30. Mi’kmaq communities along the Route contribute to the Peninsula’s unique heritage and sense of place.

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