Quebec in Spring: Gaspé Peninsula

Québec City—a UNESCO World Heritage treasure and the charming capital of the province—rests gracefully along the St. Lawrence River. This picturesque city will serve as the starting point for our spring birding adventure through eastern Québec and the Gaspé Peninsula.
We’ll gather this evening for a welcome dinner, get acquainted and discuss the exciting birding days ahead.

For those who wish to explore more, we recommend arriving a day early to enjoy the cobblestone streets, historic architecture and lively atmosphere of Old Québec City at your own pace. Night in Québec City near the airport.

We’ll leave Québec City this morning and follow the St. Lawrence northeast to Cap-Tourmente National Wildlife Area, one of southern Québec’s premier spring birding destinations.

Situated where extensive marshes, agricultural fields and forests meet the St. Lawrence, Cap-Tourmente provides an important stopover for migrating birds. We’ll explore several habitats in search of newly arrived warblers, sparrows and other songbirds, while the wetlands can hold an excellent variety of waterfowl. Bobolinks may already be displaying over the fields, and favorable conditions can produce movements of migrating hawks overhead.
After a picnic lunch, we’ll continue northeast toward Tadoussac. Near the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord, we’ll make a stop to scan the water for the famous Beluga Whales that inhabit this region year-round, with Minke Whales also possible.

A short ferry crossing brings us into the historic village of Tadoussac, spectacularly situated where the Saguenay Fjord meets the St. Lawrence. Night at Hôtel Tadoussac

Today we begin exploring one of the most exciting spring migration areas in Québec. Our exact plans will depend heavily on weather and migration conditions, allowing us to be in the best locations when birds are moving.

When conditions align, the famous Tadoussac dunes can produce spectacular morning flights, with some of the world’s biggest concentrations of boreal warblers. We’ll watch for waves of warblers and other songbirds, along with finches and migrating raptors. On mornings when birds are settling into the surrounding habitat instead, we’ll explore spruce forests, coastal areas and other migrant traps along the Upper North Shore.

Later in the day, we may visit coastal sites such as Pointe à Émile, where beaches and saltmarshes can attract migrating shorebirds, waterfowl, gulls, American Pipits and other open-country species. Depending on conditions, we may instead explore the Saguenay Fjord or some of the region’s productive boreal forests. Night at Hôtel Tadoussac

We’ll begin with another early morning of migration birding around Tadoussac. If conditions are favorable for a major morning flight, we’ll return to the dunes; otherwise, we’ll explore nearby forests and coastal habitats for newly arrived migrants.

Later in the morning, we’ll take to the water for a whale-watching cruise on the St. Lawrence. Although late May is still early in the whale-watching season, these rich waters offer opportunities for Beluga and Minke Whales. For birders, the cruise also gives us an exciting chance to search farther offshore for species such as jaegers, Arctic Terns, phalaropes, Atlantic Puffins and other pelagic birds.

After the cruise, we’ll continue exploring the Upper North Shore. Depending on conditions, we may visit coastal habitats for shorebirds and waterfowl or venture toward the Saguenay Fjord, where extensive tidal flats and boreal forests provide another completely different birding experience. Night at Hôtel Tadoussac.

We have one final morning to take advantage of the migration around Tadoussac before beginning our journey across the St. Lawrence.

On our way to Les Escoumins, we’ll explore coastal areas where concentrations of gulls and waterfowl can gather. This is also one of our better opportunities to find Barrow’s Goldeneye.
We’ll then board the ferry from Les Escoumins to Trois-Pistoles. Far more than simply transportation, this crossing offers some of the best pelagic birding opportunities on the St. Lawrence. We’ll watch from the upper deck for jaegers, phalaropes, Atlantic Puffins, gulls and migrating sea ducks while keeping an eye out for marine mammals.

Once ashore, we’ll continue to Rimouski. In the evening, there may be an opportunity to watch large flocks of Brant gathering along the waterfront. Night in Rimouski.

Before heading east, we’ll spend the morning birding around Rimouski and Bic National Park.
Bic National Park is one of the province’s most sought after destinations, with native archeological sites dating back 9000 years and rich coastal boreal habitat. Weather permitting, we’ll visit the spectacular Raoul-Roy Lookout, where migrating raptors follow the St. Lawrence coastline. On favorable days, the lookout can provide excellent opportunities to watch and learn about spring raptor migration.

Alternatively, we may explore the forests and coastline of Bic National Park or visit birding areas around Rimouski, where another spring migration monitoring station may give us an additional opportunity to experience bird banding.

After lunch, we’ll turn inland and east toward Gaspésie National Park and the rugged Chic-Choc Mountains. Our journey takes us through the highest mountains of the province situated at the very northern end of the Appalachians. We’ll then settle at the sumptuous Gîte du Mont Albert. This luxurious forest lodge is one of the best rated in the province. Night at Gîte du Mont-Albert.

Today is devoted to the magnificent mountains and boreal forests of Gaspésie National Park.
We’ll choose our trails according to weather and the abilities of the group, with possibilities including Lac aux Américains, Chute Sainte-Anne and Mont Ernest-Laforce. These forests provide some of our best opportunities for classic northern birds such as Spruce Grouse, Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Pine Grosbeak and Black-backed Woodpecker.

Mont Ernest-Laforce offers particularly impressive views over the surrounding Chic-Chocs and is also an excellent area for Moose, one of the park’s most conspicuous large mammals.
Later in the day, we’ll explore the river valley, where Harlequin Ducks breed along fast-flowing mountain rivers, before enjoying another evening surrounded by the spectacular scenery of the park. Night at Gîte du Mont-Albert.

We have one final morning to explore the mountains, giving us another opportunity to search for Spruce Grouse, Canada Jay, Pine Grosbeak and other high-elevation specialties. Depending on conditions and our previous sightings, we may also search suitable habitat for Bicknell’s Thrush.

We’ll then begin the spectacular journey east along the northern coast of the Gaspé Peninsula. This is one of the most scenic drives of the tour, with the Chic-Choc Mountains meeting the Gulf of St. Lawrence around a succession of small coastal villages.
Along the way, we’ll make stops to scan the Gulf for seabirds and sea ducks. Large gatherings of Common Eiders occur along this coast, and we’ll carefully check the flocks for the possibility of a King Eider.

We arrive in Gaspé this afternoon, where we’ll settle in for the final part of our tour. Night in Gaspé.

Our first full day around Gaspé takes us into the varied habitats of Forillon National Park.
Migration conditions will once again help shape our morning. When weather produces a major movement, the tip of the peninsula can concentrate impressive numbers of migrating songbirds. We hope to experience some of this visible migration around the southern portion of Forillon, where spring migration monitoring and bird banding also take place.

We’ll then explore Penouille, a long sandy peninsula extending into Gaspé Bay. Its boardwalks pass through wetlands, coastal forest and shoreline habitats that can hold an excellent variety of migrants. Nearby forest trails give us opportunities for Black-backed Woodpecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, American Three-toed Woodpecker and mixed groups of migrating warblers.

Later, we may visit coastal wetlands around Gaspé, where quiet evenings can bring possibilities such as Nelson’s Sparrow, Common Nighthawk and, later in the season, Yellow Rail. Night in Gaspé.

Today we travel south to one of Québec’s most famous landscapes: Percé.

Weather and sea conditions permitting, we’ll take a boat around legendary Percé Rock and continue to Bonaventure Island. The island supports one of the world’s great colonies of Northern Gannets, and we’ll walk approximately six kilometres round-trip to experience this extraordinary spectacle just steps from the colony.

The surrounding waters and cliffs support an equally exciting collection of seabirds, including 15 000 pairs of Common Murres, Razorbills, Black Guillemots, Black-legged Kittiwakes and Atlantic Puffins.

After returning to the mainland, we’ll continue our coastal birding at Cap-d’Espoir, an outstanding seawatching location where Great Cormorants, alcids and scoters can pass close to shore.

We’ll finish around the Malbay saltmarsh and Barachois, searching for migrating shorebirds, gulls, Nelson’s Sparrows, Cliff Swallows and large flocks of Common Eiders. Night in Gaspé.

Today we explore the northern side of Forillon National Park, where forest, marsh, rocky shoreline and the open Gulf come together.

We’ll begin along the Castor and Banc trails, searching the wetlands for American Bittern and other marsh birds while the surrounding forests and thickets can hold groups of migrating songbirds. The exposed shoreline gives us excellent opportunities to scan for Surf, Black and White-winged Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, Harlequin Ducks and other sea ducks.

After lunch at the beautiful harbour of Le Havre de Forillon, we’ll continue exploring the park. Depending on conditions, we may visit the short trail to La Chute or continue toward spectacular Cap Bon-Ami, where Black-legged Kittiwakes nest on the towering cliffs.
As throughout our time in Gaspé, we’ll remain flexible enough to respond to exceptional migration conditions or reports of unusual birds. Night in Gaspé.

Our final morning gives us one last opportunity to experience spring migration around the Gaspé Peninsula. If conditions are favorable, we may return to the migration hotspots of Forillon for another morning flight.

Our Quebec in Spring birding tour will end after lunch. We will transfer you to the airport for your flight home.