Download 2014 Brochure (.pdf) - Ornitholidays

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Blue Chaffinch Canary Island Stonechat S PA I N Outline Itinerary Day 1 Fly to Tenerife Days 2-4 Tenerife Days 5-7 Fuerteventura Day 8 Depart Fuerteventura Party Size Maximum of 14 clients (two leaders with more than seven clients). Accommodation Comfortable accommodation in twin/double and single rooms with private facilities. Transport By minibus. Includes All flights, meals, accommodation, transport, entry fees, services of the leaders, airport taxes and tips. picturesque valley in the centre of the island, from where we will be able to study another endemic, the Canary Islands Chiffchaff, with its distinctive song, and search for the local race of Chaffinch which looks very different from the one we see at home. We will enjoy more of the wonderful scenery on the island before descending to San Sebastian for our return boat trip. There should be time to briefly explore the town park, with Monarch, Canary Speckled Wood, Indian Red Admiral, Cleopatra, African Grass Blue and African Migrant amongst the butterfly possibilities. On our last full day on Tenerife, we visit the north-west of the island. Along the spectacular north coast we will look for Yellow-legged Gulls of the race atlantis, whilst on the Punto del Teno peninsula we will search for a flock of Common Rock Sparrows and, if we are lucky, a Barbary Falcon might be found perching on its favourite ledge! We may drive into the hills where we have second chances to look for the species we had targeted on Gomera and will also hope to find Sardinian Warbler and the distinctive Tenerife race of European Robin, a possible future ‘split’. Days 5 to 7 We will take an early morning flight to Fuerteventura and transfer to the south of the island for a three night stay in a hotel by the sea which has proved very popular with previous groups. The scenery will provide a complete contrast to north and central Tenerife as we will immediately notice the desert-like plains and rocky gorges, known locally as ‘barrancos’. Fuerteventura is the only place in the world where the Fuerteventura Stonechat occurs; although it is not uncommon, it may take some time to locate, but we will enjoy discussing whether it reminds us more of a Stonechat or a Whinchat! The other main target on this island is Houbara Bustard; this species has been hunted to extinction in much of North Africa but remains relatively numerous on Fuerteventura. We will look for it on the plains close to our hotel and have a good chance of witnessing a male in full display, something which will live long in the memory! By making more than one visit to the same habitat we should encounter the beautiful Cream-coloured Courser as well as Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Stone Curlew, Spectacled Warbler, Lesser Short-toed Lark, Common Raven and the endemic race of Great Grey Shrike. From our hotel we will scan the beaches and tidal pools for gulls and waders, with Kentish Plover and Little Egret likely and a number of other species possible; on several previous trips we have found Eurasian Spoonbill. In the centre of Fuerteventura the hills should produce Barbary Ground Squirrel, Egyptian Vulture, Barbary Partridge, Trumpeter Finch and the eastern islands race of African Blue Tit, different from the one on Tenerife and La Gomera, whilst at Molinos Reservoir and Catalina Garcia Lake we will hope to encounter Ruddy Shelduck and perhaps Little Ringed Plover or Black-winged Stilt. Nearby we will enjoy lunch in a taverna in a rocky cove on the west coast. Spanish Sparrows will be numerous in our hotel grounds, Eurasian Hoopoe could be found anywhere whilst a short drive from our hotel we will look for the introduced Sacred Ibis and both Rose-ringed and Monk Parakeets in one of the town parks. On several previous trips we have found some interesting dragonflies including Vagrant Emperor, a wanderer from the African mainland. Day 8 Depending on the flight time we may have time for some local birwatching prior to flying back to London, or Manchester. Gradings Good 80 Mild/Warm Low/Medium Normal Relaxed Good Easy Scheduled Houbara Bustard To make a booking please call Ornitholidays on 01794 519445 101
S PA I N Spain – Coto Doñana & Extremadura Spring Tour Sunday 06 April – Sunday 13 April 2014 Principal Leader: Steve West 2014 Cost: £1,599 single room supplement £140 SPAIN his tour allows us to explore these two rich and contrasting areas. The Coto Doñana is justifiably T famous as one of the major wetlands in Europe. The area around Matalascañas, El Rocío and Almonte is a superb complex of open water, reed bed, sand dune and mixed woodland which allows a highly diverse range of species to survive here. Spanish Imperial Eagle, Purple Swamphen, Marbled Duck (now scarce), Azure-winged Magpie and Red-necked Nightjar all breed in this area, and the whole region acts as a staging post for an enormous number of migrant waders and passerines on their journey northwards at this time of year. Extremadura holds one of Spain's most interesting national parks – Monfragüe. It is one of the best sites for seeing Eurasian Black Vulture and Black Stork. The grasslands of this region are threatened by modern agricultural methods, but large areas still remain untouched and we shall be able to enjoy views of both Great and Little Bustards and with luck both Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse. Ornitholidays possesses unrivalled experience in these areas of Spain and we have been running tours here since the 1960s. Torrejón el Rubio Seville Villamanrique de la Condesa ITINERARY Madrid Days 1 to 4 In the morning we fly from London to Madrid. We pick up our minibuses and drive to our hotel on the edge of the National Park of Monfragüe, where we stay for four nights. Uppermost on our list of priorities will be a visit to the Monfragüe National Park, where the rocky, scrub-covered slopes and steep river valleys allow rich hunting for a few pairs of Spanish Imperial as well as Golden Eagles, and the cliffs hold nests of Black Stork. The rocky crag of Penfalcón will allow us to watch squadrons of Eurasian Griffon Vultures (interspersed with the smaller Egyptian and the larger Eurasian Black) patrolling the skies. Further on, El Portillo del Tiétar is a well known spot for the powerful Eurasian Eagle Owl, nesting pairs of Black Stork, and rock-loving birds such as Blue Rock Thrush and Rock Bunting. The whole park is a superlative site for raptors and, if the weather conditions are right, it is possible to see all five Spanish eagles in a single day – Spanish Imperial, Golden, Booted, Short-toed and Bonelli's! The beautiful town square of Trujillo still looks much as it must have done when the Conquistadors built their palaces here. Lesser Kestrel soar overhead and White Storks attend their rooftop nests and small numbers of Pallid Swift mingle with the more abundant Common Swift. Trujillo is also well located for exploring the surrounding grasslands and mountain ridges, as well as the Cork Oak dehesa, which is lightly wooded, savannah-like country. This is the habitat where we should find Great Spotted Cuckoo, Spanish Sparrow, Woodchat Shrike, Azure-winged Magpie and Orphean Warbler, among others. Purple Swamphen To the east and west of Trujillo lies the more open steppe, where we hope to see Great Bustard displaying, looking not unlike a pile of snow on sticks! Little Bustard will also be in breeding plumage and in addition there are Pintailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Stone Curlew and European Roller. Montagu's Harrier patrol the cultivated fields, Red-rumped Swallow hawk the insects, and White Stork are everywhere - feeding on the steppe, following ploughs, nesting on trees, farmhouses and pylons. 102 For a previous tour report or further information please call: 01794 519445
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ORNITHOLIDAYS 2014 49 Our Forty-Nin
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49 Our Forty-Ninth Year ORNITHOLIDA
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I S O R N I T H O L I D AY S R I G
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L AT E 2 0 1 3 T O U R S Summary of
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T O U R G R A D I N G Tour Grading
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G R E E N TA X E S A N D C A R B O
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Bryce Canyon, Utah, USA
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U S A - U TA H & A R I Z O N A USA
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U S A - U TA H & W YO M I N G USA -
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U S A - N E W E N G L A N D USA - N
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U S A - F LO R I D A USA - Florida
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U S A - H A W A I I USA - Hawaii Ii
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M E X I C O Mexico Western Mexican
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C O S TA R I C A Costa Rica Classic
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C U B A Cuba Endemic Birds & Winter
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T R I N I D A D & T O B A G O Trini
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S T LU C I A St Lucia at Leisure Pi
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G U YA N A Guyana Rainforests, Wate
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C O LO M B I A Colombia Birding’s
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B R A Z I L Brazil Atlantic Forest
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B R A Z I L Brazil - Photographic T
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E C U A D O R Ecuador Tumbesian & A
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Waterhole at Etosha, Namibia
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S O U T H A F R I C A South Africa
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S O U T H A F R I C A & B O T S W A
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TA N Z A N I A Tanzania - Photograp
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Page 57 and 58: U G A N D A Uganda Birds & Primates
Page 59 and 60: N A M I B I A Namibia Etosha & the
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Page 63 and 64: E GY P T Egypt Birds & History Frid
Page 65 and 66: M O R O C C O Morocco High Atlas &
Page 67 and 68: M O R O C C O Morocco Atlantic Coas
Page 69 and 70: Sing-sing with Huli, Papua New Guin
Page 71 and 72: J O R D A N Jordan Birds & History
Page 73 and 74: K U W A I T Kuwait Birding in the G
Page 75 and 76: I N D I A India - Goa Birds, Beache
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Page 87 and 88: V I E T N A M Vietnam Land of the D
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Page 95 and 96: Boating on the Danube Delta, Romani
Page 97 and 98: G R E E C E Greece - The Island of
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Page 123 and 124: I TA LY - S I C I LY Italy - Sicily
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Page 127 and 128: I TA LY Italy at Leisure Birds & Wi
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Page 131 and 132: F R A N C E France - The Camargue,
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Page 149 and 150: R O M A N I A Romania Danube Delta
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O U R T E A M O F L E A D E R S Blu
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C A L E N D A R Calendar 2014 JANUA
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C O N D I T I O N S O F B O O K I N
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C O N D I T I O N S O F B O O K I N
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ORNITHOLIDAYS 29 Straight Mile Roms
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