East West Birding Tours

06/09/2026

Why Michigan? Is it the Warblers? Yes! The Woodpecker diversity? Yes! Awesome wetland birds? Also yes! These beautiful images by tour participant Jim Watrud are just a handful of the *117 Species* we saw in only 4 days!
Join us in June 2027 and “Meander the Mitten” for a full week of primetime Breeding Season birding!
Dates, pricing, itinerary, and SIGN-UP here:
https://www.eastwestbirdingtours.com/michigan-27
Email:
kenblankenshipbirding @ gmail . com

06/05/2026

🇲🇽🏝️🦜 Nayarit, Mexico • March 2027! 🌳🐦🥘
Famous for its beaches, you’ll experience much more, all from your comfortable base hotel in San Blas. From mangroves and wetlands, to subtropical dry forest, to pine-oak woodlands of the high Sierra Madre — each day brings new ecological settings and a steadily evolving Species Trip List. Legendary San Blas Guide Mark Stackhouse brings decades of local knowledge and contacts to his leadership on this adventure!
West Mexican Endemics abound, including Rufous-bellied Chachalaca, Elegant Quail, Mexican Squirrel-Cuckoo, Mexican Hermit, Mexican Woodnymph, Aztec Rail, Citreoline Trogon, Gray-crowned Woodpecker, Lilac-crowned Amazon, Mexican Parrotlet, Flammulated Flycatcher, Golden Vireo, Black-throated Magpie-Jay, San Blas Jay, Sinaloa Crow, Purplish-backed Jay, Happy Wren, Sinaloa Wren, West Mexican Euphonia, Orange-breasted Bunting, Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater and much more.
With 4 out of 8 spaces already claimed, we do expect this all-inclusive tour to sell out. Get all the details you need: dates, itinerary, pricing, target species, and SIGN UP NOW at this link:
https://www.eastwestbirdingtours.com/nayarit-27
Email:
kenblankenshipbirding @ gmail . com

05/25/2026

05/25/2026

Crisp, bright, beautiful! ⚪️⚫️🔴 A pair of RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS was flycatching and tending to a cavity today in SE Michigan, USA. ☺️ Interested in seeing this and many other nesting species of the Great Lakes? Check out our relaxed, all-Michigan “Meander the Mitten” birding and culture tour in June 2027! (Oh yes — Kirtland’s Warblers are a major target!)
https://www.eastwestbirdingtours.com/michigan-27
Email:
kenblankenshipbirding @ gmail . com

05/20/2026

Miami is known for its established populations of non-native (“exotic”) bird species, most of which trace their origins to escaped pets or accidental releases. We spent a day with legendary South Florida guide Larry Manfredi to maximize our success!
Highlights among native birds included the croaky calls of a MANGROVE CUCKOO, and a LIMPKIN in a city park… looking so odd, perched in an oak!
Email if you’d be interested in a future spring “Florida Coast to Keys” birding adventure!
kenblankenshipbirding @ gmail . com

05/19/2026

The adorable squeaky-toy, BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH is endemic to pinewoods of the southeastern United States. When I visit my dad and sis, I get to enjoy their squeaky-buzzy banter from the old loblolly pines towering over my childhood home in Marietta, Georgia.
Unbeknownst to most, I was actually born in Florida. The state missed a huge opportunity recently when they changed the state bird to the flamingo! 🤦🏻‍♂️ Endemic to the peninsula, the aptly-names FLORIDA SCRUB-JAY will always be their state bird in my book.
Photos ©️ Robert Speckels, participant on our “South Florida: Coast to Keys” tour.
Interested in a spring Florida tour? 😁
kenblankenshipbirding @ gmail . com

05/17/2026

We enjoyed at least 3 ANTILLEAN NIGHTHAWKS at the Marathon airport in the Florida Keys on 13 May 2026. Perhaps the most interesting aspect was seeing (and hearing!) both this species and a Common Nighthawk, including the latter chasing his slightly smaller Caribbean cousin!
www.eastwestbirdingtours.com

05/14/2026

Key deer are unique because they are the smallest subspecies of North American white-tailed deer and are found nowhere else in the world except the Florida Keys. ❤️🦌
www.eastwestbirdingtours.com

05/10/2026

Yassss!!! We were entertained by many ISLAND SCRUB-JAYS on our adventure to Santa Cruz Island in Channel Island National Park off the coast of California. We saved some of the best for last, as we also saw SCRIPPS’S MURRELETS, PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER, SOOTY SHEARWATERS, COMMON MURRES, PACIFIC & RED-THROATED LOONS, PELAGIC CORMORANT, and much more on the boat ride out and back! 😁🙌🏻⛴️
Will you join our 2028 SoCal Specialties Birding Tour?☺️
Email:
kenblankenshipbirding @ gmail . com
www.eastwestbirdingtours.com

05/07/2026

A California endemic YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE pops out of its nest to have a look around. At least 3 families were tending to young of various ages and development. So cool!
Email:
kenblankenshipbirding @ gmail . com