Download 2014 Brochure (.pdf) - Ornitholidays

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F R A N C E White-throated Dipper Gull, Little Tern, Pied Avocet and Kentish Plover. Careful searching might also give us a rarer gull, tern or wader, whilst Spectacled Warbler can be found in the Salicornia scrub. As we drive slowly on the quiet lanes, we should find the exotic European Bee-eater which nests in sandy banks, whilst Crested Lark and Black Kite are common throughout the area. To the east of the Camargue lies the stony plain of La Crau. The former delta of the Durance River, it provides a habitat found nowhere else in France. Special birds include Lesser Kestrel, Little Bustard, Stone Curlew, Pintailed Sandgrouse, Iberian Grey Shrike, Eurasian Hoopoe, Greater Short-toed Lark and Tawny Pipit. On a calm day a stroll on the reserve of Peau de Meau provides an unforgettable experience, with the flora and avifauna complemented by a range of butterflies including Swallowtail and Western Marbled White. The adjacent canal is the top dragonfly spot in Provence and we hope to find Copper Demoiselle, Norfolk Hawker and Mediterranean Damselfly. There is much to see in the Camargue, and the Crau, but there should also be time for a short visit to the nearby range of hills, Les Alpilles. We can stop to admire the historic village and castle of Les Baux, whilst nearby Subalpine and Dartford Warblers breed in the scrub and both Bonelli’s and Short-toed Eagles can be found soaring along the cliffs. Days 5 to 7 As we transfer to the Cévennes, our route takes us via Pont du Gard. The renowned Roman aqueduct is worth seeing in its own right, but it also provides the opportunity of seeing numerous Alpine Swifts and perhaps the unobtrusive Common Rock Sparrows or the local pair of European Honey Buzzards. From there, we head northwards to Alès before beginning the climb into the hills through floralrich pastures and fine deciduous woodlands. Our base for the next three nights is Le Pont de Montvert, located in the upper reaches of the River Tarn. White-throated Dipper, Grey Wagtail European Bee-eater and Eurasian Crag Martin can all be seen from the balconies of our rooms in Aux Sources du Tarn, another hotel noted for its fine cooking, whilst within walking distance the woods contain Firecrest, Short-toed Treecreeper and Western Bonelli’s Warbler. A short drive north of our hotel lies Mont Lozère where the open pines support Citril Finch, Crested Tit, Tree Pipit and Woodlark. Nearby, driving the splendidly deserted side roads will give us our first opportunity to see orchids and other flowering plants such as Wild Daffodils and Tulips. We search meadows in the adjacent valleys for butterflies, including numerous coppers, blues and fritillaries: exactly which species we see will depend on the weather and how advanced the season is. Red Kite, Rock Bunting and Black Woodpecker are amongst other birds within just a few miles of our base. West of Florac lies the Causse Méjean, bordered by the Gorge du Tarn and the Gorge de la Jonte. This rolling limestone upland plateau, surrounded by steep cliffs, is unique in France, and is noteworthy for its raptors including Montagu’s and Hen Harriers. Amongst the numerous Eurasian Griffon Vultures drifting up from the gorges we hope to find the much rarer Eurasian Black Vulture. Flocks of Red-billed Chough and pairs of Common Raven patrol the skies, whilst we have further chances of finding the colourful Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush. A stop for coffee at a well-positioned auberge will put us close to territories of Red-backed Shrike, Common Quail, Western Orphean Warbler and Eurasian Wryneck. Local knowledge should help us locate further interesting orchids, as well as yet more butterflies. Indeed, the eye may be so drawn to the flora and butterflies that, for a while in the middle of the day, the birds may be relegated to a back seat! Day 8 We leave the hotel after breakfast and drive to Montpellier for our return flight to London. Outline Itinerary Day 1 Fly to Montpellier and transfer to Beaucaire Days 2-4 Beaucaire Days 5-7 Le Pont de Montvert Day 8 Depart Montpellier 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 minibuses driven by the leaders. Includes All flights, meals, accommodation, transport, entry fees, services of the leaders, VAT, airport taxes and tips. Gradings Good 140 Warm Low Normal Swallowtail Relaxed Good Easy Scheduled To make a booking please call Ornitholidays on 01794 519445 129
N E T H E R L A N D S Netherlands Winter Birding Break Thursday 27 November – Monday 01 December 2014 Leaders: Jacob Garvelink and Nigel Jones 2014 Cost: £1,099 single room supplement £160 Amsterdam NETHERLANDS Harderwijk rnitholidays first visited the Netherlands over 30 years ago so we have been slow in bringing back O such a great birding destination that is right on our doorstep. This tours aims to see some of the multitudes of geese, ducks and raptors that winter in the Netherlands. Due to climate change and better feeding conditions, many of our wintering geese no longer make the trek across the North Sea, preferring to make the shorter journey and stay in the lowlands of the Netherlands. The country is not large and is very flat (70% of the country lies only one metre above sea level), so road journeys do not take long from our base at Harderwijk. The country hosts vast numbers of Dark-bellied Brent, White-fronted, Barnacle, Pink-footed and Tundra Bean Geese. Amongst them are small numbers of Red-breasted, Pale-bellied Brent, Black Brant and Lesser White-fronted Geese. Wintering duck species include Smew, Long-tailed Duck and Velvet Scoter, while wintering raptors include White-tailed Eagle, Rough-legged Buzzard and Hen Harrier. Besides the wintering species mentioned above we will try to find some Dutch resident specialities that are scarce or even unknown in this country, such as Short-toed Treecreeper, Crested Tit and Black Woodpecker. Throughout the tour we shall be using the services of the Dutch birding company Birding Breaks and will have Jacob Garvelink with us, an expert birder from the Netherlands. We shall also make sure we take breaks for warming drinks (koffie verkeerd or hot chocolate) and to try some of the local snacks during our daily excursions. We have designed the tour so that you can also join the group in Amsterdam by taking a train or making a ferry crossing. If you prefer this routing we can give you a cost without flights. White-fronted and Barnacle Geese ITINERARY Days 1-4 We catch a flight from London (or regional airports) to Amsterdam where we meet out local guide and transfer in minibuses to our hotel near Harderwijk, where we stay for the next four nights. Depending on the time of arrival we can have one or two birding stops along the way where we have our first looks at the vast numbers of Barnacle and White-fronted Geese and possibly a wintering White-tailed Eagle. There will also be other species such as Great White Egret and Bewick’s Swan. Harderwijk is ideally situated between the main birding area’s we visit during this tour, allowing us to explore provinces such as Flevoland, Friesland and Zeeland. It stands at the edge of the Zuiderzee, 130 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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G H A N A Ghana In search of Picath
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E T H I O P I A Ethiopia Undiscover
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U G A N D A Uganda Birds & Primates
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N A M I B I A Namibia Etosha & the
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T H E G A M B I A The Gambia A Tast
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E GY P T Egypt Birds & History Frid
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M O R O C C O Morocco High Atlas &
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M O R O C C O Morocco Atlantic Coas
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Sing-sing with Huli, Papua New Guin
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J O R D A N Jordan Birds & History
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K U W A I T Kuwait Birding in the G
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I N D I A India - Goa Birds, Beache
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S R I L A N K A Sri Lanka Teardrop
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M O N G O L I A Mongolia Eastern St
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Page 95 and 96: Boating on the Danube Delta, Romani
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Page 101 and 102: S PA I N Spain - Coto Doñana & Sie
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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
Page 129 and 130: F R A N C E France - Wallcreeper To
Page 131: F R A N C E France - The Camargue,
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Page 137 and 138: I C E L A N D Iceland Land of Ice &
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Page 143 and 144: F I N L A N D Finland Owls, Woodpec
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Page 149 and 150: R O M A N I A Romania Danube Delta
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Page 153 and 154: O U R T E A M O F L E A D E R S Our
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Page 157 and 158: C A L E N D A R Calendar 2014 JANUA
Page 159 and 160: C O N D I T I O N S O F B O O K I N
Page 161 and 162: C O N D I T I O N S O F B O O K I N
Page 164: ORNITHOLIDAYS 29 Straight Mile Roms
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