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Apapane U S A – H A W A I I Outline Itinerary Day 1 Fly to Hawaii (the ‘Big Island’) Days 2-4 Hawaii Days 5-6 Maui Days 7-8 Oahu Days 9-12 Kauai Day 13 Depart Kauai Day 14 Arrive London Party Size Maximum of 10 clients (two leaders with more than five clients). Accommodation Comfortable accommodation in twin/double and single rooms, with private facilities. encircles the summit caldera, passing through desert and lush tropical rainforest, and provides access to well-marked scenic stops, Kilauea Caldera, Thurston Lava Tubes, Halemaumau Crater, and possibly flowing lava from the Puu Oo Vent. If time and birding success allows, we may drive up Mauna Kea, an enormous dormant peak which rises to over 4,200 metres (over 13,000ft) above sea level and is the world’s highest mountain as measured from its base on the sea floor. Days 5 & 6 We leave the Island of Hawaii in the morning, and fly to Maui, where we stay for two nights. We spend most of our time on the island’s most prominent topographic feature, the extinct volcano Haleakala, meaning “House of the Sun”. Dressed for possible cold winds at the 3,050 metres (10,000 ft) summit, we can enjoy a most spectacular sunset. Our one full day on Maui is to be spent in The Nature Conservancy’s Waikamoi Preserve, at 1,900 metres (6,000 ft) just inside Haleakala National Park. Our most-wanted species here are the Alauahio (Maui Creeper), plus the endangered Drepanids, Akohekohe (Crested Honeycreeper) and Kikekoa (Maui Parrotbill), two birds that require our keenest birding skills! We also visit Kealia Refuge, one of Hawaii's best open-water wetlands, where Hawaiian Coot, Hawaiian Stilt (the endemic subspecies of Black-necked Stilt), and various migrant shorebirds will be of interest. Days 7 & 8 Taking an early flight out of Maui, we soon arrive in Oahu, where we have a two-night stay. On our descent into Honolulu Airport, we are likely to fly over Pearl Harbour. Oahu is the most populous of the islands. The important avian attractions here are the Oahu Amakihi, Oahu Elepaio, White (or Fairy) Tern, and Bristle-thighed Curlew. We look offshore for seabirds including Sooty and Greybacked Terns and Christmas Shearwater, which nest on offshore islets. We may have close looks at Red-tailed Tropicbirds which nest on Oahu’s rocky Waipoo sea-cliffs. En route to various birding sites we may encounter many of the introduced bird species such as Red-vented and Red-whiskered Bulbuls and Common Mynas. Of more interest are wintering Pacific Golden Plover and, when we visit the coast, the chance to find the rare Hawaiian Monk Seal or perhaps a Humpback Whale. Days 9 to 12 We take a flight to Kauai, the Garden Island, and the last island on our tour which reveals some of the most memorable scenery - historic Kilauea Point Lighthouse for observing spectacular seabirds such as Laysan Albatross, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Red-footed Booby and Red-tailed Tropicbird; Hanalei Wetland Refuge and Taro ponds for such endangered species as Koloa (Hawaiian Duck); the beautiful tropical white-sand beaches of the windward North Shore, backed by lush waterfall-laced vertiginous mountains; Waimea Canyon on the leeward side, with distant views of Mt. Waialeale, referred to as the wettest spot on earth; and the Alakai Wilderness, which harbour the rare forest endemic birds that we will be seeking including Iiwi, Akekee, Apapane, Kauai Elepaio, Anianiau and Kauai Amakihi amongst others. The Nene (Hawaiian Goose) flourishes most on Kauai as there is no introduced mongoose. A pelagic birding trip from the south side of Kauai affords our best chance of the endangered Newell’s Shearwater and Hawaiian Petrel, Christmas Shearwater, Mottled Petrel, Black-footed Albatross, and some exciting and unpredictable trans-Pacific migrants. Also possible are some of the several whale species that inhabit the deep waters around the Islands, as well as the migratory giant Humpback Whales. We may also find Spinner and Rough-toothed Dolphins. We stay on Kauai for four nights. Days 13 to 14 We catch a midday flight back direct to Los Angeles, where we connect with our evening flight to London, arriving the next day. Transport By minibuses driven by the leaders. Includes All flights, meals, accommodation, transport, entry fees, services of the leaders, airport taxes and tips. Gradings Good 90 Warm Low Normal Moderate Good Moderate Scheduled Kauai Amakihi To make a booking please call Ornitholidays on 01794 519445 21
M E X I C O Mexico Western Mexican Endemics Friday 17 January – Monday 27 January 2014 Leaders: Colin Bushell and local guides 2014 Cost: £3,499 single room supplement £240 Puerto Vallarta MEXICO San Blas Friday 23 January – Monday 02 February 2015 Leaders: Colin Bushell and local guides 2015 Cost: £3,599 single room supplement £250 Mexico City he small Mexican west coast fishing town of San Blas, once the scene of almost total devastation after Hurricane Kenna in 2002, is rightly famous T as a top class birding destination. Recovery from one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the Pacific coast of Mexico has been both swift and impressive (the entire town was virtually in ruins) and thankfully the local bird populations, apart from a few species, remain intact too. With a variety of Mexican habitats close at hand, ranging from open ocean, mangrove swamps, tropical dry and semi-deciduous forests to pine-oak woodlands in the nearby mountains, San Blas is a perfect base for a birding tour to Western Mexico. Within this suite of habitats we can hope to find many interesting species such as Collared Forest-Falcon, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Northern Potoo, Russet-crowned Motmot and White-striped Woodcreeper. Around thirty Mexican endemic bird species can be found in the environs of San Blas, some within walking distance of our hotel which, by the way, is accustomed to birding groups and of a very comfortable standard. Whilst many of the tropical birds (at their northernmost limit here in San Blas) will be of utmost importance, we will not be ignoring the plethora of migrants that spend their winter in the dry thorn forests, coffee fincas, coastal lagoons and beaches in the area. The beauty of all this is that most birding sites are only a short distance from San Blas that holds records for number of species seen for Christmas Bird Counts and "Big Day" totals. We have also included a short pelagic to see whales and dolphins. Travel with Colin, on our second and third tours to San Blas, and see why this tour to this small area of Mexico is such a great addition to the Ornitholidays’ suite of holidays. ITINERARY Day 1 We leave London in the morning on a flight to Mexico City, arriving later the same day. We transfer to a hotel near the airport where we stay overnight. Days 2 to 9 We return to the airport for our early morning flight to Puerto Vallarta, where we enjoy a three hour boat trip in Banderas Bay looking for Humpback Whales, plus Bottle-nosed, Spinner and Spotted Dolphins. Our agents here have been studying the whales since 1996 and are founder members of a conservation group dedicated to research, conservation and protection of these Humpbacks. Our guide will explain the behaviour of these magnificent creatures as we watch them breach, slap their tails, travel or play or fight. We return to Puerto Vallarta for lunch before travelling to our hotel in San Blas where we stay for the remainder of the tour. During our stay in the state of Nayarit at San Blas we will have many birding options available to us, mostly within a short distance of San Blas. Typical birds close at hand include Common Black-Hawk, Mexican Parrotlet, Citreoline Trogon, Golden-cheeked Woodpecker, Sinaloa Crow, Black-throated Magpie-Jay, San Blas Jay, Happy Wren, Yellow-winged Cacique and Rufous-backed Thrush. The San Blas area is dotted with lagoons and pools allowing us to take a break from birding the forest and arid scrub. At this time of year we should see a variety of shorebirds having arrived from the north and spending the winter on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Great Blue and Tricolored Herons, Reddish Egret, Limpkin, Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, Northern Jacana, Semipalmated Plover, Black-necked Stilt, Marbled Godwit, Western and Least Sandpipers and Long-billed Dowitcher can all be expected at this time of year. Blue-winged Teal loaf around on islands in the lagoons while Ringnecked Duck and Lesser Scaup can be found in the deeper channels. Weedy fields and scrubby woodland patches are worthy of inspection around town (especially if there are any fruiting trees) with Rufous-bellied Chachalaca, Elegant Quail, Russet-crowned Motmot, Lineated Woodpecker, Purplish-backed Jay, Happy Wren, Yellow-breasted Chat, Rosy Thrush-Tanager and Painted Buntings all possible. Russet-crowned Motmot By way of a change we have the opportunity to explore the nearby mangrove forests by boat. Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Boat-billed Heron, Muscovy Duck and two species of whistlingducks should be seen as we coast quietly along the channels watching out for crocodiles as we go. Raptors here include Great and Common Black-Hawks as well as Crane Hawk and Laughing Falcon. Collared Forest-Falcons can even be seen here as well. By mooring in a likely spot we may be able to lure Mangrove (Yellow) Warblers into view by imitating the rather monotonous call of a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (a species that may also appear of course). Patience and diligence will be required to find the "San Blas Mangrove Specialities" - the Rufous-necked Wood-Rail or Mangrove Cuckoo however. We will make sure that one of our mangrove trips is in the evening so that we may do a bit of spotlighting as Northern Potoo appears at dusk. This strange nocturnal species can often be found on a stump in the middle of the mangroves, easily located by its "eye shine" in the beam of the lamp. Pauraque and maybe Mottled Owl can be seen on an evening trip too. Another boat trip takes us offshore with Brown Pelicans and many Magnificent Frigatebirds for company as we make our way out of the mouth of the Estero in search of Brown and Blue-footed Boobies. The rocky shores are a good place to find Yellow-crowned Night-Herons and the handsome Heermann's Gull should be located with Ring-billed Gulls on the beaches. A couple of short excursions take us to the wellknown birding sites of Singayta and La Bajada. Scrub with marshland and tropical palm and semi-deciduous forest-covered hillsides dominates, with coffee plantations providing extra cover lower down. The marsh at Singayta is a good site for White-throated Flycatcher that winters here in some numbers, but Willow and Least Flycatchers are also present so prepare for an identification headache! Open fields should be checked for Stripe-headed Sparrows and the sky checked for raptors such as Hook-billed Kite and Crane and Zone-tailed Hawks before 22 For a previous tour report or further information please call: 01794 519445
Page 1 and 2: ORNITHOLIDAYS 2014 49 Our Forty-Nin
Page 3 and 4: 49 Our Forty-Ninth Year ORNITHOLIDA
Page 5 and 6: I S O R N I T H O L I D AY S R I G
Page 7 and 8: L AT E 2 0 1 3 T O U R S Summary of
Page 9 and 10: T O U R G R A D I N G Tour Grading
Page 11 and 12: G R E E N TA X E S A N D C A R B O
Page 13 and 14: Bryce Canyon, Utah, USA
Page 15 and 16: U S A - U TA H & A R I Z O N A USA
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Page 19 and 20: U S A - N E W E N G L A N D USA - N
Page 21 and 22: U S A - F LO R I D A USA - Florida
Page 23: U S A - H A W A I I USA - Hawaii Ii
Page 27 and 28: C O S TA R I C A Costa Rica Classic
Page 29 and 30: C U B A Cuba Endemic Birds & Winter
Page 31 and 32: T R I N I D A D & T O B A G O Trini
Page 33 and 34: S T LU C I A St Lucia at Leisure Pi
Page 35 and 36: G U YA N A Guyana Rainforests, Wate
Page 37 and 38: C O LO M B I A Colombia Birding’s
Page 39 and 40: B R A Z I L Brazil Atlantic Forest
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Page 43 and 44: E C U A D O R Ecuador Tumbesian & A
Page 45 and 46: Waterhole at Etosha, Namibia
Page 47 and 48: S O U T H A F R I C A South Africa
Page 49 and 50: S O U T H A F R I C A & B O T S W A
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Page 53 and 54: G H A N A Ghana In search of Picath
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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
Page 61 and 62: T H E G A M B I A The Gambia A Tast
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
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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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TA I W A N Taiwan Island Endemics S
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B H U TA N Bhutan Birds & Buddhism
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N E PA L Nepal Chitwan, Koshi & Phu
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V I E T N A M Vietnam Land of the D
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B O R N E O Borneo Island in the Cl
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PA P U A N E W G U I N E A Papua Ne
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N E W Z E A L A N D New Zealand Kiw
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Boating on the Danube Delta, Romani
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G R E E C E Greece - The Island of
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G R E E C E Greece - The Island of
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S PA I N Spain - Coto Doñana & Sie
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S PA I N Spain - The Canary Islands
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S PA I N Spain - Coto Doñana & Ext
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S PA I N Spain - The Island of Meno
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S PA I N Spain - Southern Catalonia
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S PA I N Spain - Catalonia - Photog
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S PA I N Spain - The Pyrenees Monta
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S PA I N Spain - Tarifa & Coto Doñ
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S PA I N Spain - Aragon Cranes, Lam
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P O R T U G A L Portugal at Leisure
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P O R T U G A L Portugal at Leisure
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I TA LY - S I C I LY Italy - Sicily
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I TA LY Italy Po Delta Po Delta Pal
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I TA LY Italy at Leisure Birds & Wi
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F R A N C E France - Wallcreeper To
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F R A N C E France - The Camargue,
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N E T H E R L A N D S Netherlands W
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I C E L A N D Iceland Winter Wonder
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I C E L A N D Iceland Land of Ice &
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T U R K E Y Turkey Turkish Delight
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B E L A R U S Belarus Europe’s La
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F I N L A N D Finland Owls, Woodpec
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H U N G A R Y Hungary Spring Tour S
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H U N G A R Y Hungary at Leisure Cr
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R O M A N I A Romania Danube Delta
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B U L G A R I A Bulgaria at Leisure
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O U R T E A M O F L E A D E R S Our
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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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