Bird Sanctuary & Medicine Walk

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Birding Kutapsku’j (Stephenville Crossing) and Nujio’qon (St. George’s)

For 2021, this tour is a self-drive guided tour (your guides will be in a separate car)

Tour Dates:

2021 tour dates are flexible and can be booked for any date between May 25 and December 20.

2022 scheduled tour dates are listed in the Tour Fact Sheet below, advance booking is required.

This one-day guided birding tour begins near a small seaside town on the eastern shore of beautiful Nujio’qonik (St. George’s Bay). We’ll take an Indigenous view of the land as we explore a migratory bird sanctuary in search of waterfowl, seabirds, and a variety of shorebirds. Later, we’ll turn our attention to the healing power of plants on our medicine walk through land rich in Mi’kmaq culture and history.

Tour Starts / Ends	Stephenville, NL
Departure time	7:00 AM
Return time	5:00 PM
2022 Tour Includes	Pick up and drop off service Transportation during the tour Packed lunch
What you might see on this tour	Positioned southeast of the community of Stephenville Crossing are the St. George’s River Estuary and a migratory bird sanctuary that together contribute to extensive wetlands managed for conservation under a Municipal Habitat Steward Agreement. We’ll discover the spiritual values that define Indigenous relationships with nature, while exploring rich habitat and the wildlife it supports. Within the stewardship area, we’ll look for Willet (Eastern), Arctic Tern, Caspian Tern and Spotted Sandpiper. American Black Duck, American Wigeon, and Northern Pintail are some of the waterfowl we are likely to see. We’ll discover the significance of raptors to the Mi’kmaq people, like Osprey and Bald Eagle, and watch for these birds of prey in a variety of coastal habitats. The area is also home to the only known colony of breeding Black-headed Gull in North America. We’ll visit nearby beaches with sculpted sand dunes and look with a scope for the endangered Piping Plover. In the fall, the wetlands become an important stopover and staging area for a diversity of migrating birds like Eurasian Wigeon, White-rumped Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plover, Hudsonian Godwit and Red Knot. Late in the fall season, we watch for Barrow’s Goldeneye, Bufflehead, and large flocks of Greater Scaup that mark nearby ponds. Flocks of Horned Lark, American Pipit, and Snow Bunting are seasonal species we may encounter as we tour the landscape to discover the natural medicines used by the Mi’kmaq people for millennia.

Bird Sanctuary & Medicine Walk – Tour Fact Sheet
Seasons Offered	Spring, Summer, Fall
Tour Dates	2021 Flexible: Book for any date between May 25 to December 20 2022 Scheduled Tours: June 28 July 7 July 11 August 18 August 22 September 11 September 18 October 7 October 14 November 4 November 14
When to visit	June for breeding waterfowl, raptors, gulls, songbirds August to October for Arctic migrants, fall vagrants November to December for winter waterfowl
Birds we may see	Canada Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, American Black Duck, Northern Pintail, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Black-bellied Plover, Piping Plover, Hudsonian Godwit, Red Knot, White-rumped Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Willet, Black-headed Gull, Caspian Tern, Arctic Tern, Common Loon, Great Blue Heron, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Horned Lark, American Pipit, Snow Bunting, waterfowl, shorebirds, sparrows, warblers
Other possible sightings	Moose, Woodland Caribou, Red Fox, River Otter, Seal, American Eel
Bird-viewing habitats	Boreal forest, sandy beaches, estuary wetlands, tidal mudflats, meadows, coastal areas
Climate / Weather (average temperatures)	Spring (mid-May to June 20): 15°C (61°F) Summer (June 21 to September 20): 20°C (68°F) Fall (September 21 to December 20) 11°C (59°F) Visit our Getting Here page for more information about our climate.
Maximum group size	4 to 8 (plus your guide)
Tour pace & walking	Comfortable pace, easy walking over flat terrain.
Ease of birding	Mostly easy, with some unexpected sighting opportunities
Rare visitors to the area	Dickcissel (2021) Marbled Godwit (2019) Pacific Golden Plover (2017) Western Reef Heron (ABA Code 5) (2005 )
Photographic opportunities	Excellent for birds and scenery
Not included 2021	Pick up and drop off service, transportation during the tour. For 2021, this tour is a self-drive guided tour (your guide will be in a separate car). Contact us for assistance.
What to bring	Visit our Getting Here page for a list of items to bring.
Cellular reception	Yes
Additional remarks	The community of Nujio’qon (St. George’s) has a long and rich Mi’kmaq history that predates the historical record. Mi’kmaq oral traditions tell the story of a way of life and how Mi’kmaq people came to occupy the area. KTaqmkuk Mi’kmaq Historical Museum in Nujio’qon (St. George’s) captures their remarkable journey through art and storytelling and can be experienced by visitors from June 24 to August 30.

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