Overview

This tour is offered in partnership with Ventures Birding Tours. 

The North Carolina Mountains are home to around 25 species of breeding wood warblers and several more that migrate through. Early to mid-May is the best time to view peak diversity of warblers in the habitat rich region of Western North Carolina. Please join us as we celebrate this wonderful family of birds with our Warbler Weekend.

During our two full day warbler weekend we will explore a multitude of habitats including marshes, hardwood forest, and the high elevation spruce fir forest. The lower elevations on the edge of the Blue Ridge Escarpments have been good for Swainson’s, Kentucky and Prothonotary Warblers. Moving up the escarpment into the hard wood forest we will search or numerous more species including Black-throated Green, American Redstart and Hooded Warblers. Ascending into the highest elevations in the East we will search out Canada, Black-throated Blue and Chestnut-sided Warblers.

Western North Carolina is also extremely fortunate to have a small population of Cerulean and Golden-winged Warblers in the area. These two species will be main targets for the weekend. We will encounter more than just warblers on our weekend. It is prime time for shorebird migration, and we will check out the local sod fields to see if anything has turned up. The high elevations are home to several species of flycatchers such as Alder and Least.

We will likely see and hear over 120 species for the weekend. This is a great way to study this beautiful family of birds in a gorgeous mountain setting. We hope to see you here in the mountains for an awesome warbler packed weekend!

Available spaces may be different to those advertised on our website.

Tour Facts Top Birds
Yellow-throated, Prothonotary, Kentucky, Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue, Black-and-white, Chestnut-sided, Canada, Blackburnian, Cerulean, Golden-winged, Pine & Prairie Warblers; Northern Parula; American Redstart; Ovenbird; Louisiana Waterthrush; and more, plus many more spring birds of the North Carolina Mountains.
Habitats Covered
marshes, hardwood forest, and the high elevation spruce fir forest
Expected Climate
typically mild year-round, expect temperatures between 59°F (15°C) and 71°F (22C°)
Max Group Size
10 with 1 Ventures Leader
Tour Pace & Walking
relaxed
Accommodation
comfortable
Ease of Birding
mostly easy
Number of Species Expected
120
Other Attractions
Blue Ridge Mountains
Photographic Opportunities
good
Tour Route Map Route Map Client Testimonials

I am always very pleased and comfortable with the Rockjumper and High Lonesome tours that I have been on. Stephan and Claudia are a wonderful couple! They make everything run so smoothly and are so pleasant to be around. I know it is their job, but they always take any issues or complications in stride and do their utmost to make everything run smoothly. And Stephan is as good as it gets as a birding guide... so well prepared and knowledgeable about everything. This is my third tour with him (in the US) and am always amazed (even though I shouldn't be by now) how quickly he picks up on birds in the area. Tremendous trip, even having logged 5000 miles in the vans, and am looking forward to the next one this summer.

This was my 4th tour with Stephan, and he continues to be welcoming, caring, and on-point the entire trip. He always goes the extra mile to ensure everyone has a chance to see the birds and is very informative throughout the tour, always slipping in identification characteristics, sounds, or habitats that will help us in the future. He does all this with a very easy-going manner despite his high energy level and excellent people skills to ensure comraderie within the group. Despite the varied skill levels of the group’s participants, he is able to make each of us feel special, whether it is for me as a beginner birder with limited name associations to the species and a brain that doesn’t recall the information from day to day, all the way for those who are excellent at spotting birds and already knowing the species, perhaps due to a career in the field. This tour provided more challenges with some restaurants and toilets closed due to the pandemic or limited hours which did not mesh with the tour route, but Stephan and Claudia did an excellent job of rounding up food, supplies, meals, drinks, and toilet breaks. Because of the intense nature and number of miles/hours required each day to see the target species, they arranged for one vehicle to return to lodging each night at dinner time to provide an early night for those of us who needed a bit more sleep or for those whose abilities limited nighttime walking on uneven surfaces! I really appreciated that effort and concern, even though I love to see owls, etc. They are wonderful guides and friends!!!

We enjoyed the tour. Stephan was great in every way and Claudia also terrific. The locations were interesting. The Lost Maples area was really lovely. The bat cave experience was amazing!

Forrest Rowland is a great guide with thorough knowledge of the area and avifauna. He got all members of the group to see all the species encountered, and we found many great birds. He is very professional, dedicated and with good humour. The area is beautiful and the fauna fantastic.

Stephan Lorenz is a fantastic guide. His ability to find tough birds is amazing, plus he has a great personality which makes the whole trip very enjoyable.

Dates, Leaders and Pricing
2023 DEPARTURES
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