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Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival in Québec City
Québec City, a World Heritage City, is the beautiful capital of the province of Québec, situated on the St. Lawrence River. It will be our base for the start of our adventure, and if time permits we’ll visit the historic walled Old City, first founded almost 400 years ago. Night in Quebec City.

Day 2 - Jacques-Cartier Provincial Park
We take a day-trip to Jacques-Cartier Provincial Park, a region of steep-sided valleys and forested Laurentide uplands. The autumn foliage should be peaking at this time. We’ll explore several of the park’s wooded trails, both the deciduous forests of the valley floor and the coniferous forests of the uplands, searching for late migrants and resident birds, including White-winged Crossbill, Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, and Black-backed Woodpecker. With luck we may encounter a moose. Night in Quebec City.

Day 3 - Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area
We spend the day exploring the varied habitats of this important refuge; mixed-wood forests, ponds, fields, marshes (fresh and saltwater), and the St. Lawrence River. The highlight should be the southbound concentration of Greater Snow Geese, with daily counts exceeding 50,000 birds, although many other waterfowl are also expected. It’s a spectacle not to be missed. Depending on the winds there is also the chance for songbird and raptor migration as well.

We then continue NE along the scenic shoreline of the St. Lawrence River to Baie-Saint-Paul, stopping wherever seems appropriate. Night in Baie-Saint-Paul.

Day 4 - Baie-Saint-Paul to Tadoussac
We’ll spend the day exploring the shoreline between Baie-Saint-Paul and the Saguenay Fjord, with stops at Cap-aux-Corbeaux, Cap aux Oies, and La Malbaie. We should encounter flocks of migrant shorebirds and passerines, and we’ll look for Common Eider and Great Cormorant along the river. Night in Tadoussac.

Days 5 to 7 - Tadoussac area
We’ll spend several days in the Tadoussac area. The core of our visit will be two boat trips (weather permitting) to the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord, one of Canada’s premier whale-watching sites. Beluga Whales are the main feature, but other regular cetaceans include Minke and Fin Whales, and Blue Whale is possible. The conditions that attract whales are also good for pelagic birds, and there should be numerous Black-legged Kittiwakes, and we’ll watch for harassing jaegers. Razorbills are also a strong possibility. On land we’ll explore trails in different sections of Saguenay Provincial Park, which borders Saguenay Fjord, the longest in eastern Canada, and itself a Marine Park. Boreal forest predominates here, with migrant landbirds scattered among the residents. Species lists change each day, but we’ll hope for Gray-cheeked Thrush, Fox Sparrow, Gray Jay, American Pipit, and boreal finches. Nights in Tadoussac.

Day 8 - Cross the St. Lawrence River by ferry - Les Escoumins to Trois Pistoles
We’ll cross the St. Lawrence on one of several commercial ferries, a distance of more than 40 kms this far out. Pelagic birds are possible on the crossing, and once on the south side we’ll explore the extensive salt marshes at Cacouna, where there will be a mix of migrant waterfowl and shorebirds, as well as Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrows. Night in Rivière-du-Loup.

Day 9 - Travel Rivière-du-Loup to Quebec
We’ll spend the day investigating the south shoreline of the St. Lawrence River, with a key stop being Pointe-au-Père, a rich area of mudflats and salt marshes. We’ll look for White-rumped Sandpiper and American Golden-Plover among the shorebirds, and Horned Larks among the landbirds. Night in Quebec City.

Day 10 - Departure
Our tour ends after breakfast. You may have a chance to experience a little more of Québec City before reluctantly heading home.

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What to Expect

Most days begin with breakfast at 6:30 - 7:00 a.m., followed at mid-day by a picnic lunch. Our schedule is flexible as it depends on driving times involved each day. Our longest drive will be from Riviere-du-Loup to Quebec City, a distance of 190 km; other daily distances will be much shorter.

Weather in late September and early October is usually pleasant, with warm days and cool nights. It is a good idea to bring footwear that is waterproof. The whale-watching boat trips will be quite cool, so appropriate layered clothing, gloves and hat are recommended. The ferry is comfortable, with shelter and lots of seating space.

Most trails and paths that we follow are moderately easy to navigate. Participants in good health should experience no problems with the terrain, as our pace will be leisurely. We should not encounter significant numbers of mosquitos; however, you may wish to bring mosquito repellent in case of an exceptionally warm day—mosquitoes are not usually a problem anywhere except perhaps in sheltered trails. Each evening, the list of birds and other wildlife will be reviewed during dinner, and plans for the next day will be discussed.