We make it easy (and fun!) to experience birding outside our local area.

Bedford Audubon offers extended birding weekends throughout the year. Whether your an experienced or novice birder, these flexible and friendly adventures are a great way to make new friends and find species you might not otherwise see.

Menu of Birding Trips

Email info@bedfordaudubon.org for information and updates on specific trips or to register.

Fall Migration 2024

Cape May

Friday, October 4 – Monday, October 7

Fall migration is the perfect time to visit this first-class birding hot spot on the Jersey Shore. Our Naturalist-in-Residence, Tait Johansson, will maximize your experience by leading you to a variety of habitats across Cape May in search of migrating raptors, migratory and resident passerines and waterbirds. On this trip, we can expect to encounter over a hundred different bird species and explore a range of habitat locations.

This trip is timed to coincide with peak migration for some raptors (including Peregrine, American Kestrel, Osprey and more), and many, many species of landbirds are possible including 15+ different warblers and a big, spectacular flock of thousands of Tree Swallows is likely. Other species include interesting waterbirds such as: Black Scoter, Caspian Tern, Parasitic Jaeger, and many others.

The exact itinerary for the weekend will be crafted closer to the departure date in order to optimize specific birding locations based on the most updated migration information. Possible locations include Cape May Point, Higbee Beach, Cox Hall Creek Wildlife Management area, the Hawkwatch platform in West Cape May, South Cape May Meadows, and/or several others.

The program fee for this trip is $150 (members); $185 (non-members and we’ll credit $35 toward an annual membership). The fee does not include hotel, transportation, or meals, but does include:

• Tait’s expertise for full days of birding
• A jam-packed itinerary with all logistics worked out so you can focus on the main attraction – birds!
• A Welcome Reception on Friday evening that will include wine, cheese, and other refreshments
• Bonding over daily recaps and bird counts every evening
• Optional group dinner on Saturday evening.

Want to join the trip or have questions? Please email Susan for more details including hotel recommendations, payment options, trip cancellation policy, and more.

*Note that registration is limited and our trips often fill up. Your registration is not confirmed until payment is received.

Birding Panama 2025

Central Panama and the Darién Lowlands

Monday, February 17 – Thursday, February 27

Bedford Audubon is once again partnering with Holbrook Travel to embark another international excursion, this time guided by our own John Hannan! Panama boasts the highest diversity of bird species in Central America, so the country’s advantageous location at the convergence of two continents makes it the prime respite for migratory birds from both North and South America. Join us on this unforgettable 11-day birding journey across several fascinating regions of Panama, including the country’s easternmost province of Darién. Visit well-known birding trails, tropical rainforests, wetlands, mudflats, and much more. Enjoy the chance to explore not only noteworthy public and private reserves, but also witness the Panama Canal’s Miraflores Locks in action, and learn about Panama’s role as an international trade center and its many historical sites.

• Discover two of Panama City’s stunning natural areas, the Metropolitan Natural Park and the Panama Bay Mudflats, for encounters with fascinating wildlife, especially shorebirds.
• Venture into the Darién Province’s many birding hotspots, including the San Francisco Reserve, Chucunaque River, El Salto Road, and the Yaviza wetland, to see some of the country’s hundreds of bird species like the Crimson-bellied Woodpecker, Black Oropendola, Red-throated Caracara, and Harpy Eagle.
• Meet members of the Indigenous Wounaan community and learn about their traditions, culture, and botanical culture.
• Hike the world-famous Pipeline Road, where target species include Black Hawk-Eagle, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Masked Tityra, the coveted Blue Cotinga, and hundreds of others.
• Explore Soberanía National Park, one of the country’s most accessible tropical rainforests and home to an impressive list of 525 bird species.
• Visit a sloth rescue center, meet animal ambassadors and learn about wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and release during canal expansion.

The fee is $3565 per person in double occupany (based on 10 participants); Land cost only. Does not include round-trip airfare to and from destination. Single room supplement is $540.

CLICK HERE for more info or to book your trip.