Travel Schedule2013

About Eagle-Eye Tours

With over 15 years of leading, we offer great experiences worldwide, exceptional leaders, small groups, carbon-neutral travel, and support for conservation from every tour.

Your next great adventure lies just ahead, whether around the next bend in the trail or beyond the next iceberg. Join us for something extraordinary!

Visit us onlineFor the latest updates on tour offerings and prices, itineraries, maps and more, look no further than our website (www.eagle-eye.com).

Tranquillo tours T Are you looking for tours that offer great birding while minimizing how often you change locations? Our Tranquillo tours are a perfect choice. We have designed each tour to stay at only one or two great locations. That means less packing and travel, more birding, and more opportunity to relax on the veranda watching feeders if you need a little down time. Look for classics like Trinidad & Tobago and Brazil: Atlantic Rainforest as well as new tours such as Panama: Canal Zone & Burbayar Lodge, Peru: Abra Patricia & the Marvelous Spatuletail, and Dominica & St. Lucia: Endemics of the Lesser Antilles.

New and returning toursGhana: great West African birding. Bhutan: marvelous magical country with fabulous birding.Cambodia & South Vietnam: rich diverse birdlife, many endemics, spectacular ruins!Taiwan: the “Beautiful Island”, surprisingly birdy with lots of endemics.China’s Sichuan: the very best of China!Borneo: Bristleheads and Orang-utans and a plethora of exotic wildlife!Baffin Island Floe Edge: Narwhal, Polar Bears and exceptional arctic birds.

Support for conservation BSC ABC We are making an extra effort on several of our tours to support conservation organizations and bird reserves. We are supporting Bird Studies Canada (www.birdscanada.org) with our tour to Hawaii led by BSC’s Jody Allair. In the Neotropics, we visit a number of spectacular reserves established by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC, abcbirds.org) and their partners. Visiting these reserves supports their long-term viability and we’ll make a donation to ABC and their partners to support their continued work. Look for the ABC to identify these tours.

Join us on FacebookVisit www.facebook.com/eagleeyetours for photos from recent tours, discussions, news and our latest promotions. You can also share your photos or videos, ask a question, connect with other travelers, or check on last minute offers.

We look forward to welcoming you on an Eagle-Eye Tours adventure in 2013!

Richard Knapton and Cam Gillies

Greenland icebergs © Cam GilliesCover image: Secretary Bird

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Arctic Voyages 10

Baffin Island Floe Edge: Narwhals & Polar Bears 2

British Columbia 4

Colorado Grouse & Utah Canyons 7

Greenland & Labrador 11

Hawaii Three Islands 5

High Arctic & Northwest Territories 10

Manitoba Owls 3

Newfoundland Circumnavigation 11

Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula 6

New Brunswick & Grand Manan 6

Point Pelee, Algonquin Park & the Kirtland’s Warbler 7

Queen Charlottes Sailing 11

Quebec in Fall: Birds & Whales 5

Western Mexico 21

Belize & Tikal 18

Costa Rica 21

Honduras: Ocellated Quail & Honduran Emerald 19

Dominica & St. Lucia: Endemics of the Lesser Antilles 16

Panama: Canal Zone & Burbayar Lodge 13

Brazil: Atlantic Rainforest 13

Chile 19

Ecuador: Birding the Andes 17

Galapagos: the Enchanted Isles 12

Guyana: Neotropical Wilderness Birding 20

Peru: Abra Patricia & the Marvelous Spatuletail 14

Southern Peru: Machu Picchu, Andes & the Amazon 14

Trinidad & Tobago 15

Trinidad Photo Workshop 15

England Birds & Gardens 22

Scotland Voyages 9

Bhutan 23

Borneo: Bristleheads & Orang-Utans 25

Cambodia & South Vietnam 23

Sichuan: The very best of China 24

Peninsular Malaysia: Fraser’s Hill & Kuala Selangor 25

Russian Far East Voyage: Spoon-billed Sandpiper Quest 12

Taiwan 24

Ghana 26

South Africa: the Cape & Subtropics 26

Tanzania 26

Australia 27

New Zealand Birds & Flora 27

Call for a detailed itinerary 1-800-373-5678 3

Rugged mountains, stunning glaciers, fl ocks of northern seabirds, the wonderful Narwhal, and traditional Inuit culture — this is what awaits us on a truly amazing tour to the wilderness of northern Baffi n Island. We experience this dramatic Arctic landscape at a time of year when the sun never sets and wildlife is returning to this very rich area of the Arctic. There are northern birds in abundance, including Thick-billed Murre, Black-legged Kittiwake, and King and Common Eiders. Other highlights include Sabine’s and Thayer’s Gulls, Red-throated Loon and with much luck, we may see the much sought-after Ivory Gull! In addition, the mixing of ocean currents from Baffi n Bay and Lancaster Sound results in very rich marine life! At this time of year, sea ice is melting back and marine mammals are traveling north along the ice fl oe edge where food is concentrated. We hope to see several species of seals and the amazing spiral-tusked Narwhal. With luck we will also see Polar Bear or the endangered Bowhead Whale. Remote wilderness, striking Arctic landscapes, rich northern wildlife, and fascinating culture — this promises to be the experience of a lifetime!

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This very special tour takes in three different areas; the exquisite high Arctic tundra above the Arctic Circle and far north of the tree line, the boreal forest and lakes around Yellowknife, NWT, and the aspen parkland and potholes of Central Alberta. We encounter a diverse array of birds and mammals, from King Eiders to Pacifi c Loons, Snowy Owls to Northern Saw-whet and Great Gray Owls, Long-tailed Jaegers to Sabine’s Gulls, and Musk Oxen to Arctic Foxes. At Cambridge Bay on Victoria Island, Yellow-billed Loons nest on remote lakes, Red-necked and Red Phalaropes in resplendent summer plumage inhabit ponds, Tundra Swans and Sandhill Cranes enliven the tundra, and a scarce nesting species such as Buff-breasted or Purple Sandpiper may show up. The area is steeped in history and culture, from explorers searching for the Northwest Passage to the Inuit of the western Arctic. The high quality and exciting wildlife viewing make for a long-remembered tour!

Southeastern Manitoba is one of the premier location on the continent for fi nding northern boreal forest owls. The list of owls present during most winters is very impressive; Great Gray, Barred, Great Horned, Snowy and Northern Hawk-owl, with always a possibility of Eastern Screech-owl and Northern Saw-whet Owls. Although numbers fl uctuate from year to year, mid-March is a very good time to search for several of these owls as courtship is beginning and pairs can be vocal on still nights. Rudolf is a local naturalist who will have a very good handle on where each species can be found. Other species that could be present include Rough-legged Hawk, Sharp-tailed and Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, Pine Grosbeak, and Gray Partridge.

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The Hawaiian Islands are quite simply enchanting! Spectacular scenery, mild climate and unique cultures are the backdrop for our tour of three islands — Hawaii, Kauai and Oahu. Each island has its own special geology, fl ora and fauna, with birds such as Amakihi and Elepaio noticeably different from one island to the next. We search for the special endemics of each island, especially the bizarre honeycreepers with intriguing names like I’iwi, Akepa, Amakihi, Apapane and the amazing Akiapola’au. Laysan Albatrosses and Red-footed Boobies nest at Kilauea Point, Bristle-thighed Curlews will be getting ready to migrate, and Common Fairy-Terns will be nesting. Humpback Whales and Spinner Dolphins are just offshore in the incredible blue waters, and the Kilauea Crater is just simply a must-see! A superb tour to a special place.

Birding in BC is an exciting experience among spectacular mountain scenery and seascapes. We encounter a wide range of species, including Barrow’s Goldeneye, Spruce (Franklin’s) Grouse, Canyon Wren, Harlequin Duck, Bald Eagle, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Flammulated Owl and Pigeon Guillemot, all amidst marvelous scenery! We have a good chance at seeing several species of mammals, from Yellow-bellied Marmot, California Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goats to Elk and Pika. Our tour takes us to the shorebird habitats of the Fraser River delta, through the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley and the Coastal Mountain range, and into the arid Okanagan Valley, an area of coniferous mountains and dry valleys. A leisurely yet exciting and rewarding tour.

Deep in the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia lies one of North America’s most stunning groups of mountains, the Bugaboos. Steep granite spires are the backdrop to this exciting adventure. Based at the charming and very comfortable Bugaboo Lodge, our daily excursions take us into the alpine for beautiful walks in rolling tundra, along sinuous ridges, and past bright blue glacial lakes. This provides an opportunity to search for birds that are otherwise very diffi cult to fi nd, including White-tailed Ptarmigan, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Golden Eagle, Townsend’s Solitaire, Horned Lark, American Pipit and Clark’s Nutcracker. Other species of the mountain forests include Varied Thrush, Pine Grosbeak, Townsend’s Warblers and many more. After hiking in this spectacular landscape, we fl y back to the lodge and relax over delicious cuisine and wine. Join us for this amazing summer adventure!

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The Hawaiian Islands are quite simply enchanting!

Good birding and whale-watching at a fi ne time of the year, the fall, when autumnal colours cover the countryside, in la Belle Province, Quebec! Starting in historic Quebec City, we visit Jacques-Cartier Provincial Park, an area of outstanding beauty, even more so at this season because of the brilliant fall foliage, a photographer’s dream! Boreal Chickadee, Gray Jay, crossbills, Ruffed and Spruce Grouse and several species of woodpeckers are here, along with Moose and Black Bear. We head down along the mighty St. Lawrence River to Cap-Tourmente where thousands of Greater Snow Geese and other waterfowl have gathered at the national wildlife area, and then on to Tadoussac and the mouth of the Saguenay River for shorebirds and whale-watching, especially Belugas. The ferry across the St. Lawrence could produce Razorbill, shearwaters and kittiwakes. We make our way back along the St. Lawrence, taking in several choice spots, and end with a look around unique Quebec City.

Call for a detailed itinerary 1-800-373-5678 7

Newfoundland offers a unique blend of marvelous birding amidst spectacular scenery in a land steeped in history and culture, and with excellent seafood! Nature abounds. Fabulous seabird colonies dot the Avalon Peninsula — thousands of Northern Gannets, Atlantic Puffi ns, Black-legged Kittiwakes and both murres, with lesser numbers of Razorbills and Black Guillemots, are nesting at this time and we take a boat trip to admire the seabird colonies at leisure. Caribou and moose are sometimes photographable along the roadsides. Landbirds include such interesting species as Gray-cheeked Thrush, Boreal Chickadee, Blackpoll Warbler, crossbills, and Pine Grosbeak.

Our tour combines diverse bird life with beautiful panoramas of wildfl owers, picturesque fi shing villages and fabulous views of whales, including endangered Northern Right Whales and always interesting Humpback Whales. We visit Grand Manan when fall migration is beginning to peak for several groups of birds, and we could see well over 25 species of warblers, including Prairie Warbler. Interior forests support breeding populations of Ruffed Grouse, White-winged Crossbill and Boreal Chickadee. Seabirds are diverse; along with Black-legged Kittiwakes and Common Murres we are quite likely to fi nd Razorbills, Atlantic Puffi ns, Common and Arctic Terns, Black Guillemots, Northern Gannets and Northern Fulmars, and there is always a good chance of seeing shearwaters, jaegers and storm-petrels. We also take in the spectacular shorebird concentrations of the Bay of Fundy, renowned for the highest tides on earth, amazing Flower Pot structures, and the sand dunes of Kouchibouguac.

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April in Colorado and Utah is a wonderful time of year. Snow-capped peaks straddling the Continental Divide, immense prairies and plains, wildlife-rich riparian corridors, and magnifi cent canyons and remarkable rock formations. April is when lekking grouse — Greater and Gunnison Sage-Grouse, and Lesser and Greater Prairie-Chickens — are foot-stomping, cooing and cackling, as males try to impress females and dominate rivals — just an amazing wildlife spectacle! We travel through superlative and photogenic scenery. Mesas along the Colorado River, extensive grasslands and sagebrush, many snow-capped peaks over 4000 metres, magnifi cent canyons and wonderful vistas at Arches, Natural Bridges and Capitol Reef, alkaline lakes, and beautiful montane spruce-fi r forests. Target species include Mountain Plover, all three rosy-fi nches, Dusky Grouse, Pinyon Jay, McCown’s Longspur, and a host of mammals: Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn, Elk, Mule Deer, Coyote and Red Fox.

Our tour takes in the best of Ontario at a time when migration peaks and migrants are fl ooding back into the province. We fi rst visit the alvars of Carden Plain, for Sedge Wren, Grasshopper Sparrow and Loggerhead Shrike, then head to marvelous Algonquin Park, one of Canada’s premier wildlife viewing parks, for Boreal Chickadee, Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker and many other northern specialties while keeping an eye out for Moose, Otter, maybe even Wolf! We then visit the exciting migration birding hotspots along Lake Erie — Point Pelee, Rondeau and Long Point, where we search for southern species such as Red-bellied Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, and Kentucky, Cerulean, Hooded and Prothonotary Warblers; sometimes during spring migration, up to 35 species of warblers can be observed at Point Pelee alone! Finally we venture into central Michigan for the endangered Kirtland’s Warbler, a young jack-pine specialist, as well as Sandhill Crane and Upland Sandpiper.

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Join us in the land of the Midnight sun! Arriving just after the Summer solstice, with 24 hours of daylight, we explore some of the richest areas of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic. Ice is breaking up, birds are well into their breeding season and marine mammals are returning. We cruise Greenland’s picturesque fjords, enjoy a hike on the tundra north of the Arctic Circle, and then spend two glorious days in the iceberg capital of the North Atlantic — Ilulissat. We sail among icebergs and hike out to one of the world’s most spectacular views as we watch the Sermeq Kujaleq Glacier produce city-block sized chunks of ice. Crossing Davis strait we sail into Nunavut’s capital city, Iqaluit. We travel to the Savage Islands, known for polar bear, whales and bird life. No Heart of the Arctic voyage would be complete

without visiting an artistic community, and the beautiful town of Kimmirut will not disappoint. Here are carvings, tapestries and prints that the community has worked the long winter months to prepare for us, the fi rst ship of the season. Crossing Hudson Strait, we enter Nunavik and stop at Kangiqsujuaq (Wakeham Bay), with a population of just 500. A ship’s arrival is a major event and we’ll be entertained by local throat singers and drum dancers. Moving onto Diana Island, we hike on the tundra, maybe to spot muskox. Heading south into Ungava Bay, we stop by Akpatok island, historically a great place to fi nd polar bear, and its crowded bird cliffs are sure to provide for excellent Zodiac cruising.

Scotland’s western and northern isles offer a rich supply of culture, heritage and natural history. In Medieval Times an already archaic society in the Hebrides evolved into the Lordship of the Isles, a sea-kingdom blending Gael and Viking under the powerful domination of Clan Donald. In the north, Orkney and Shetland were welded into a formidable Scandinavian earldom. Both island groups preserve some of the oldest monuments in Europe, dating back to the Stone Age, As we wind our way through the western isles and the Pentland Firth to Orkney and Shetland, history illuminates the present while tradition enhances our understanding of the past. Abundant bird and mammal populations will surely be enjoyed. June is an ideal month to visit Scotland in search of birds, with puffi ns, guillemots, kittiwakes, shags, fulmars, razorbills and possibly Golden Eagle on Mingulay, gannets on St. Kilda, Great Skuas on Fair Isle, and Red-throated Loons, Arctic Terns and Peregrines on Foula. There will be lots of photographic opportunities, and we’ll experience a bit of island life too with music and laughter in community halls and local pubs.

From the rolling hills of Scotland to remote island shores of the Faroe Islands, geothermal wonders of Iceland, and dynamic glaciers of Greenland. Our journey takes us from the North Sea, through the North Atlantic, touching into the Norwegian Sea and on to the Arctic Ocean. A voyage of variety and contrasts, with Celtic, Norse and Inuit cultures represented as we explore language, culture, bird life and history. From Aberdeen, we call in at beautiful Fair Isle where Great Skuas greet visitors, and then on to the Faroes and Mykines, where we fi nd Faroese subspecies of Common Eider, European Starling, Winter Wren, Puffi n, Gannet and Black Guillemot. It is an Important Bird Area, supporting 2 million breeding birds. Iceland is next — new language, culture, volcanic landscapes, and bird and marine life — and the lively city of Reykjavik. From Iceland we sail to the remote eastern side of Greenland, sparsely populated, rich in glaciers, looming mountain ranges, marine life and icebergs. Emerging on the west side of Greenland, we head North, to the small, colourful Greenland village of Ivigtut, the world’s smallest capital city — Nuuk, and then into the Arctic Circle and one of Greenland’s longest and most picturesque fjords.

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Our expedition cruises are an opportunity to explore some of the world’s most intriguing and beautiful places in the intimate setting of a small and very comfortable ship. With 120 or fewer passengers, these voyages of discovery mix shore visits by zodiac with engaging presentations and a good helping of fun and music back onboard. The resource staff provide the opportunity to learn about diverse interests, typically including natural history, culture, geology, history, archaeology, art, photography, and more.

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Our expeditions to the beauty and solitude of the Arctic traverses Northern Greenland and the Canadian High Arctic. Throughout these voyages we have ample opportunities to view and photograph the unique wildlife that calls the Arctic home. Narwhal, beluga, polar bear, and the immaculately white Ivory Gull are all found here. We travel between Resolute Bay, Arctic Canada, and Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Nesting colonies on Prince Leopold Islands host tens of thousands of Thick-billed Murres and Black-legged Kittiwakes. We are likely to encounter Dovekie, Northern Fulmar, and, with luck, Gyrfalcon. The graves of the Franklin expedition are just one of our many windows into the exploration history of the famed Northwest Passage. The people of Pond Inlet will welcome us with a cultural presentation in spectacular settings. Spectacular fjords of the Greenland coast hold more majesty, including the enormous icebergs of Ilulissat! At each stop, we board zodiacs to go ashore, or position ourselves for the best views or photographs of the wildlife, fl owers, icebergs and landscapes.

Long the quest of many explorers, our expeditions through the Northwest Passage travel between the western Arctic and Greenland. Highlights are numerous, including the high latitudes of Smith Sound, the enormous icebergs of Ilulissat, Inuit and Greenlandic communities and their people, and the unique wildlife of the Arctic. Throughout the Canadian Arctic waterways, history manifests in physical geography as we pass straits, islands and peninsulas bearing the names of the men who charted this forbidden coastline — Franklin Strait, M’Clintock Channel, Gjoa Haven and Kent Peninsula conjures century old tales of tragedy, hardship and determination, extraordinary feats of the human mind and body, and the explorers who made them. The graves of the Franklin expedition at Beechey Island will be one of our many stops. We search for Polar Bear, Beluga and Ivory Gull and enjoy good views of Dovekie, Thick-billed Murre and Northern Fulmar. We go ashore in zodiacs for our own exploration of this beautiful landscape. Join us and trace the infamous passage that engulfed the imagination of millions.

Sailing Haida Gwaii, the Queen Charlotte Islands, and touring the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve are marvelous and unforgettable experiences! The majestic coast, wilderness, people and wildlife of coastal British Columbia are stunning; this coast has some of the most magnifi cent tracts of temperate rainforest remaining on the planet. We land in otherwise inaccessible areas, explore wonderful coastal forests and shorelines, appreciate rich history, and become aware of social and environmental issues with residents. Along the way, we can expect to see and learn about wildlife still so abundant on this coast. Killer Whales, seals and sea-lions, maybe Humpback and Gray Whales, Black Bears, as well as dozens of Bald Eagles, puffi ns, murres, guillemots, and murrelets occur here. Sabine’s Gull, shearwaters, petrels and even Black-footed Albatross are possible, as are other surprises! The naturalist onboard will be a wealth of knowledge about birds, ethnobotany, whales and other cetaceans, and Haida culture. Join us for an engaging and exciting voyage of discovery!

We begin in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, and cross the Arctic circle and enjoy a Zodiac cruise through icebergs at Evighshedfjord before visiting the tiny Greenlandic town of Kangamiut, with its colourful houses. We visit Nuuk, capital of Greenland, where we can see famous mummies, explore markets, and sample local cuisine. We cross Davis Strait into Canada, watching for whales, and explore the town of Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik, along the George River, learning about the land and community from local residents. Next we enter Nunatsiavut, home of the Labrador Inuit, for three days enjoying awe-inspiring scenery of Torngat Mountains National Park, and towering peaks, immense fjords, fall foliage and grand skies. Polar and Black Bears, Caribou, Wolves, whales and a dozen bird species occur here. We visit abandoned Hebron and Okak, founded by the Moravian Church in 1776, as well as the lively community of Hopedale. We call in at Labrador’s proposed second national park, the Mealy Mountains, home to threatened Woodland Caribou and eastern Harlequin Ducks. We stop at L’Anse-aux-Meadows, earliest known European settlement in the New World, and end in St. John’s, North America’s oldest city! A remarkable trip.

We embark on a voyage that features coastlines steeped in history, with ancient archaeological sites and UNESCO World Heritage sites set against stunning landscapes and soundtracks of the east’s lively music. We are welcomed in outports by Canada’s friendliest people, and keep watch for marine life that inhabits these magical waters. Cape St. Mary’s and the Straits of Belle Isle are particularly rich with seabirds and whales. We visit L’Anse aux Meadows, the only authenticated Viking settlement in North America, Gros Morne with its spectacular scenery of Precambrian cliffs, deep inland fjords and volcanic “pillow” rocks, Terra Nova National Park and Notre Dame Bay with its breathtaking natural coves, Red Bay — site of Basque whaling stations occupied in the 1500s, and L’Anse-Amour — occupied between 5500 and 2000 BC by Maritime Archaic people. Here also is the great iceberg theatre known as Iceberg Alley.

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The Galapagos, lying about 1000 km west of Ecuador, are volcanic islands with a unique and historically important fauna and flora. Amazing examples of spectacular plantlife, reptiles and landbirds are found only here, and many are found only on a single island. There are remarkable illustrations of species filling unoccupied niches — the tool-using Woodpecker Finch is just one of such astonishing adaptations — no wonder the young Charles Darwin was so impressed 160 years ago. We begin our tour with a visit to cultural highlights near Quito before heading to the Galapagos. We travel by ship among the islands and search for several species of Darwin’s finches, mockingbirds, Flightless Cormorant and Galapagos Penguin. We also enjoy snorkeling opportunities in these rich waters, and look for special reptiles including amazing Galapagos Tortoises and bizarre Marine Iguana. Throughout our tour, our resource staff will explain the history, flora and fauna of these unique islands through guided walks, zodiac tours and onboard lectures. Join us onboard our very comfortable vessel as we experience the remarkably tame wildlife of the Galapagos!

A co-operative venture with BirdLife International, this unique expedition follows in the footsteps of the Danish Explorer Commander Vitus Bering whose instructions from Tsar Peter the Great were to “sail north by north-east... chart the coast and collect information”. Our journey starts in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, named after two of Bering’s ships, and we travel north by north-east, along what is still one of the remotest coastlines on earth. Our voyage is dedicated to looking for birds and wildlife and we can expect to have some truly spectacular experiences. However, there is one bird which makes this trip very special — the Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Classified as ‘critically endangered’, there are now fewer than 200 pairs breeding in Northern Kamchatka and Chukotka. Very few people have visited this region to see this species and we hope to repeat the success of our previous expeditions when we not only saw birds at Meinypil’gyno, the only monitored breeding site, but also made ornithological history by finding a new population further south. There will be plenty of other highlights — Steller’s Sea Eagle, Emperor Goose and Pechora Pipit, as well as a Walrus haul-out at the entrance to a scenic fjord, Brown Bear, Kamchatka Marmot and Arctic Fox on land, and the seas support Blue, Gray, Humpback, Sperm and Baird’s Beaked Whales, along with 13 species of auks and other regional specialties such as Red-faced Cormorant and Red-legged Kittiwake.

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Wonderful introduction to birds of southeastern Brazil, a region of high diversity and major endemism. This relaxed and easy-paced tour stays at only two locations, two excellent lodges in the Atlantic Rainforest, both of which cater to needs of birders — Guapi Assu Bird Lodge and Vale das Taquaras Lodge. Guapi Assu Bird Lodge is located at the base of the Serra dos Órgãos mountains in a large 18,500 acre (7400 ha) nature reserve, encompassing rich lowland forest, Atlantic Coastal scrub, salt lagoons and exceptional restored wetlands teeming with birds. Vale das Taquaras Lodge lies in mountain foothills, with easy access to montane and upper altitude forests, plus time spent relaxing at the lodge and admiring the parade of hummingbirds, tanagers and other goodies passing through the grounds. Possibilities abound: White Woodpecker, Giant Snipe, Scissor-tailed Nightjar, Plovercrest, Sharpbill, Bare-throated Bellbird, Restinga Antwren, Red-legged Seriema, Streamer-tailed Tyrant, Black-and-gold Cotinga, Hooded Berryeater, Gray-winged Cotinga, Itatiaia Thistletail, and the incredible Swallow-tailed Cotinga.

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Panama with its very rich avifauna has quickly emerged as a top birding destination. Our tour focuses on two area, the Canal zone and east to Nusagandi. Burbayar Lodge at Nusagandi is in a world-class birding zone and many endemic species occur here, including the enigmatic Sapayoa. This is preceded by several days investigating the superb and rich birdlife of the Canal Zone forests, while based at the Gamboa Rainforest Lodge, including marvelous Pipeline Road which runs through wet forests in Soberanía National Park. Panama City’s Metropolitan Park supports Lance-tailed Manakin, Rosy Thrush-Tanager, even Red-naped Tamarin monkeys. With its short distances, excellent infrastructure and outstanding wildlife, Panama is superb, and our visit will be a truly unforgettable experience.

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Wonderful introduction to birds of South American, the most diverse and exciting birdlife on earth. This relaxed and easy-paced tour stays at only two locations. On Trinidad, we stay at internationally famous Asa Wright Nature Centre, among the world’s fi nest wildlife lodges. The Centre is in the mountains of the Northern Range, at about 1200 feet. We explore rainforests around the centre, and make day trips to montane forests, Caroni and Nariva Swamps, savanna and drier bush habitats in the vicinity of the Aripo Agricultural Research station, and perhaps other localities as time permits. Highlights are numerous: the glorious spectacle of wave upon wave of Scarlet Ibis at twilight, amazing Oilbirds in caves on the nature centre’s property, motmots, hummingbirds, honeycreepers and oropendolas from our balcony, nightjars and potoos and owls by fl ashlight, antbirds, jacamars and woodcreepers along nature trails, not to mention agoutis and tropical butterfl ies and fl owering plants. Tobago has a fauna more characteristic of Caribbean Islands, hosting several species not found on neighboring Trinidad. Here we search for Rufous-vented Chachalaca, White-fringed Antwren, exquisite Blue-backed Manakins and the highly localized White-tailed Sabrewing. A visit to Little Tobago is always a highlight, with its spectacular scenery and nesting seabirds including Red-billed Tropicbirds, reached by glass-bottomed boat over a superb coral reef. We also have the opportunity to snorkel in front of our hotel! A perennial favorite with birders and naturalists everywhere!

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Join award-winning wildlife photographer Brad Hill on our inaugural tour dedicated to digital bird photography! This tour will combine the great photo opportunities on Trinidad with expert photographic guidance and instruction. Imagine brilliant tanagers, honeycreepers, and hummingbirds at close range plus chances to photograph toucans, motmots, woodpeckers, and much more. Add in professional instruction in both image capture and image processing techniques and you have a dream trip for a bird photographer of any level!

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Northern Peru is home to some of the world’s most sought-after species, especially a spectacular hummingbird, the astonishing Marvelous Spatuletail. The remote mountain pass at Abra Patricia ranks as one of the most exciting and rewarding birding locations along the entire Andean mountain chain. The construction of an eco-lodge at Abra Patricia now allows birders to spend several days in comfort right at Abra Patricia and thereby access this incredibly bird-rich area; we organize this tour around several days at Abra Patricia, where we should be treated to a plethora of superb birds — tanagers including the impressive White-capped Tanager, Johnson’s Tody-Tyrant, Royal Sunangel, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, the much sought-after Long-whiskered Owlet. At Tarapoto, we look for Orange-breasted Falcon, Curl-crested Aracari, Pheasant Cuckoo, Rusty-backed Antwren, Rufous Cassiornis and Dotted Tanager, as well as Comb Duck, Pied Lapwing and Sand-colored Nighthawk. Join us for a tour of this amazingly diverse area of deciduous forest, montane cloud forest and inter-mountain scrub.

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Come experience diverse habitats and birds of the Andes. Our tour includes the lush subtropical forests of the western slope of the Andes in the Tandayapa Valley and the legendary Nono–Mindo area, the temperate forests at Yanacocha, the 4000 meter high paramo in Papallacta Pass, in the shadow of the immense, snow-capped peak of the volcanic Antisana and its glacier, and the superb eastern slope to San Isidro and marvelous Guango Lodge. We encounter a wealth of fascinating species — lots of hummingbirds with evocative names such as Gorgeted Sunangel, Mountain Avocetbill and Sword-billed Hummingbird, trogons and quetzals, barbets and mountain-toucans, gaudily-plumaged tanagers, and maybe the superb Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. Soaring over Papallacta Pass may be the very impressive Andean Condor. The unique “polylepis” forest groves at these high altitudes have their own special wildlife, and the clear mountain rivers support the “torrent trio” of Torrent Duck, Torrent Tyrannulet and the superb White-capped Dipper. A sampling of the amazingly diverse South American birdlife amidst superb scenery!

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The Lesser Antilles form a chain of small intriguing islands of the West Indes, geographically separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Caribbean Sea. We concentrate on two of the best, Dominica and St. Lucia; each island has its own unique character and charm, and each has its own special complement of wildlife. Dominica, discovered by Columbus on a Sunday in 1493 (hence its name), is renowned as the nature island of the Antilles, as it is still covered in large tracts of native forest on mountainsides that rise to almost 5000 feet. Here we target the island endemics — the two species of parrots, Red-necked and Imperial, as well as Forest and Red-legged Thrushes, Lesser Antillean Swift, Blue-headed Hummingbird, Lesser Antillean Pewee, Lesser Antillean Flycatcher, Rufous-throated Solitaire, Dominica Wren (subspecifi cally distinct from Southern House Wren and a Dominican endemic), Scaly-breasted Thrasher, Southern Brown Trembler, Antillean Euphonia (green-backed form), and Plumbeous Warbler. Overhead might be Black Swifts, and along the coast we look for Roseate, Bridled and Sooty Terns, Brown Noddy and Caribbean Martin. St. Lucia is an idyllic tourist location, all the more scenic owing to spectacular conical volcanic peaks rising from the sea (Gros Piton and Petit Piton); it also supports a rich avifauna, including several endemic species and many Lesser Antillean endemics. In the Edmund Forest Reserve, we look for St. Lucia Parrot, St. Lucia Pewee, St. Lucia Warbler, St. Lucia Black Finch and St. Lucia Oriole. A further endemic is the St. Lucia Wren (split from Southern House Wren) and one evening we attempt to fi nd the St. Lucia Nightjar (specifi cally distinct from Rufous Nightjar). Other goodies include Gray Trembler, Ruddy and Bridled Quail-Doves, and the very rare White-breasted Thrasher.

Call for a detailed itinerary 1-800-373-5678 1918

Chile is South America’s hidden gem, a place few people have discovered but is a tourist and naturalist’s dream come true. Infrastructure is modern, with good roads, comfortable hotels and all the amenities one fi nds in North America and Europe. It is a stunningly beautiful country, with crystal clear lakes, gorgeous conical volcanoes, dense temperate forests festooned with waterfalls, and the dramatic spires of Torres del Paine. Our tour samples this incredibly diverse nation, from dry Mediterranean countryside, to ‘Monkey Puzzle’ forests, the Valdivian forest of the south, one of the wettest places in the world, and on to the Patagonian Steppe! Put it all together and we have one wonderful destination to explore for penguins, rayaditos, fi recrowns, miners, earthcreepers, huet-huets, and wiretails, and lots more with unfamiliar names — plus spectacular species such as Andean Condor and Magellanic Woodpecker! Our pelagic into the nutrient-rich Humboldt Current will be a major highlight, as we have chances at numerous shearwaters, petrels, albatrosses and more. Join Richard on our tour to Chile, a rather un-South American part of South America — it will remind you of New Zealand, California and the Mediterranean! A world of amazing discoveries awaits you!

Honduras, land of ancient Mayan temples and pyramids set in pristine rainforests, of scenic mountains including the marvelous Pico Bonito Mountain, and of extensive marshes and mangroves. It is a land of richly varied and abundant wildlife in a wide array of habitats — including unique acacia and cactus thorn forest where the endemic Honduran Emerald lives, and the lush mid-elevation mix of pine-oak forest and submontane rainforest where Lovely Cotinga, Keel-billed Motmot, Pheasant Cuckoo, Nightingale Wren, Resplendent Quetzal and the very special and rarely seen Ocellated Quail occur. We have an excellent chance of Ocellated Quail as our guide Robert Gallardo recently located a population in the remote Department of Olancho. We spend a couple of days at Copan, in a kingdom anciently named Xukpi (Corner-Bundle) which fl ourished from the 5th to the 9th centuries AD. Copan is perhaps best known for its remarkable series of portrait stelae, placed along processional ways in the central plaza, and a large complex of step-pyramids and palaces, some of the fi nest surviving art of the Mayans. Birding amongst such marvelous ruins is always an awesome experience. Cloud forests at Pico Bonito and the superb luxury lodge nearby will be a highlight; the avifauna of this area is still relatively unknown, and therefore there is the exciting potential of adding much to the current knowledge of the birdlife on the mountain! A fi ne tour to a surprisingly diverse country.

Our tour takes in four outstanding birding locations: Chan Chich Lodge, Crooked Tree, Hidden Valley and Tikal. Chan Chich offers splendid birding amidst superb rainforest in the comfort of excellent lodge facilities, situated in a clearing beside Mayan ruins. Birding can be spectacular, from toucans and aracaris to hawk-eagles, trogons, motmots (including Tody Motmot), puffbirds, jacamars, parrots and manakins. Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary is renowned for water birds, from nesting Jabirus to Bare-throated Tiger-heron, Boat-billed and Agami Herons, Black-collared Hawk, Sungrebe, and American Pygmy Kingfi sher. Nearby pine savanna supports a good assortment of specialties, such as Yucatan Woodpecker, Yucatan Parrot and Yucatan Jay. Hidden Valley nestles in cool pine forests of Mountain Pine Ridge; this tranquil retreat is near Central America’s highest waterfall — Thousand Foot Falls — a regular site for Orange-breasted Falcon and King Vulture. Tikal is surely one of the most amazing birding experiences anywhere, combining rich, diverse rainforest birding amidst magnifi cent Mayan ruins. Mixed-species fl ocks and ant swarms are a feature of Tikal’s forests, and we should tally a stellar list of woodcreepers, tanagers, fl ycatchers, trogons and motmots, whilst forest trails and clearings are frequented by Ocellated Turkeys and Great Curassows.

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Imagine a country with 1800 species of birds, more than found in North America and Europe combined, and home to an astonishing 116 endemic species! Imagine seeing a beautiful male Andean Cock-of-the-Rock in the backdrop of the Inca fortress of Machu Picchu. Imagine traveling through the land of the Incas, among locals dressed in colorful woven fabrics, the ancient culture still alive. Our tour takes us to the arid desert scrub and rocky coastlines south of Lima for the delightful Inca Tern, Canyon Canastero, Grayish and Thick-billed Miner, and Least Seedsnipe. Then onto the high Andes where we visit Puna and Paramo grasslands, dry montane scrub, endangered and unique Polylepis groves, and elfi n, humid montane and subtropical forests, each with its different set of birds. The Eastern slopes of the Andes are very bird-rich and we sample this richness at two renowned lodges, the well-named Cock-of-the Rock and Amazonia Lodges — mountain-tanagers, hemispinguses, umbrellabirds, antpittas, gnateaters, lots of antbirds, the astonishing Sword-billed Hummongbird, the list seems endless! Finally, we visit a great variety of Amazonian ecosystems: Terra Firme and Varzea forests, oxbows lakes, river islands and succession growth. They all have unique birds and animals associated with them. We make special efforts to visit ecological niches such as Sandy-belt and Gaudua Bamboo Forests. Hoatzin, screamers, and hopefully Harpy Eagle; antpittas, antthrushes and tapaculos; sound effects are courtesy of monkeys and parrots — a wealth of wildlife!

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The coastal states of Colima, Jalisco and Nayarit offer a rich and diverse introduction to tropical birding. In Nayarit, the area around San Blas is a mix of lowland habitats of palm and thorn forests, oak woods, mangroves, freshwater marshes and coastal lagoons, and bird diversity refl ects this mix, ranging from Blue-footed Booby and Collared Plover to Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Boat-billed Heron and Rufous-necked Wood-Rail, and to chachalacas, parrots and parrotlets, trogons and motmots, the spectacular Red-breasted Chat and much sought-after Rosy Thrush-Tanager. Colima and Jalisco are equally diverse, offering habitats from beaches to mountain forests on the two peaks of the Volcanes de Colima. We are sure to fi nd an impressive tally of species, from shrike-vireos and silky-fl ycatchers to such possibilities as Long-tailed Wood-Partridge and Balsas Screech-owl. This promises to be a rewarding and successful tour.

Costa Rica — the Rich Coast! Over 870 species of birds have been recorded from this small country, renowned for relatively easy birding, good accommodation, comfortable and pleasurable infrastructure, and peaceful policies. Costa Rica with western Panama is a major centre of avian endemism, with nearly 70 species found nowhere else! We visit all major habitats, sampling an astonishing variety of birds. We start on the slopes of Volcan Tenorio, which offers some of the best birding in the whole country, and we spend time birding lush Caribbean foothill forests around Las Brisas Reserve with an impressive list of birds and other forms of wildlife. We bird amazing Carara and Rio Tarcoles, the incredibly bird-rich foothills of Braulio Carillo, and La Selva which has some of the best Caribbean lowland forest remaining in Costa Rica with many unique birds. We visit cloud forests at Tapanti Reserve and high elevation forests and paramo of Cerro de la Muerte in search of Resplendent Quetzal, Silver-throated Jay and many others. Finally, we explore dry forest regions of Guanacaste and the Pacifi c Northwest, for a whole new suite of birds. As many participants comment, each day just keeps getting better and better!

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Guyana, an English-speaking country in northern South America, has a small human population concentrated along the coast and the rest of the country is a marvelous stretch of unbroken, mostly untouched rainforest blending into savanna on the Brazilian border. It is home to Kaieteur Falls, where the Potaro River plunges 741 feet in the single longest drop of any waterfall, and is a site for Guyanan Cock-of-the-Rock. Vast Iwokrama Forest Reserve offers miles of forest roads and trails and the exceptionally productive canopy walkway at Atta. We take in the Amerindian village of Surama — a fascinating experience, travel along local rivers for Hoatzin and Rufous Crab-Hawk, and visit Karanambu Ranch along the Rupununi River, world famous for Diane’s McTurk’s rehabilitation of orphaned Giant Otters. Large expanses of untouched forest are a welcome sight, offering hope for the continued survival of those species that require large unfragmented habitats — eagles including the legendary Harpy, big cats, tapirs, macaws, parrots, cotingas and much more. Finally, we visit the rivers on the border with Brazil for some very local and scarce endemics. Our tour has a sense of adventure — we travel by boat along rivers through miles of forests, fl y over large expanses of forests to land beside huge waterfalls or on vast savannas, and stay in lodges far removed from other habitation. Our extension offers an opportunity to search for the endangered Red Siskin at the amazing Dadanawa Ranch, and for the highly endangered Sun Parakeet on the western border with Venezuela.

Call for a detailed itinerary 1-800-373-5678 23

This very special tour combines birding with the great British tradition of gardens! We take in gardens that deservedly have international reputations — the incomparable Kew Gardens, Sissinghurst, Great Dixter, Hever Castle, Beth Chatto’s Garden, Wisley and many more not on regular tourist routes and with attractions all their own. Our birding is at nature reserves and national parks, although naturally there is a suite of birds in the gardens themselves. We target some choice species — Pied Avocet, Dartford Warbler, Bearded Reedling, Cetti’s Warbler, Western Marsh Harrier and European Dipper. Starting in London, we head to Kent, the county referred to as the garden of England, and then head west through Sussex and Surrey before turning northeast to East Anglia, arguably the best birding area in England, where we visit Minsmere, Titchwell and Cley among several RSPB nature reserves.

Vietnam has a rich and diverse birdlife incorporating avifaunas of the Himalayas, Malaysia and China, with 850 species of birds and more endemics than any other country in south-east Asia. Habitats range from the enormous deltas, to fi ne beaches, extensive paddy-fi elds, lowland and highland lush rainforests, and rhododendron-covered peaks rising to over 3000 metres. Our tour covers the south of this fascinating country, taking in the superb National Parks of Cat Tien and its lowland forests and wetlands, as well as Di Linh and the still extensive forests of the Da Lat plateau at 2000 metres on the Southern Annam Highlands where many regional specialties and Vietnamese endemics occur. March fi nds the country at its best, the climate mostly cool, dry and enjoyable, winter birds still present and resident ones gearing up for breeding. Cambodia is covered with deciduous dipterocarp forests that once were more widespread across much of Indochina and Thailand; currently, the Northern and Eastern Plains of Cambodia form the largest remaining contiguous block of this unique and critically important habitat. Visiting several sites in Cambodia, we have several chances to see White-shouldered and Giant Ibis, as well as Bengal Florican, Painted Stork, Greater Adjutant, Mekong Wagtail and critically endangered Irriwaddy Dolphin, plus Angkor Wat! An amazing adventure!

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Nestled in the magnifi cent Himalayas, between India and Tibet, lies the seemingly timeless Kingdom of Bhutan. A marvelous magical country steeped in tradition, folklore and deep-seated Buddhist beliefs, Bhutan has in recent years opened her borders to travelers and naturalists, who can now enjoy the huge tracts of Himalayan forest covering the foothills of snow-capped ranges and the often approachable and exceptional wildlife, the fi nest birding in the Himalayas, and a wonderful cultural and travel experience with seemingly endless highlights. We will likely see over 250 species as we search for Satyr Tragopan, Ward’s Trogon, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Himalayan Monal, Ibisbill, Wallcreeper and Beautiful Nuthatch — in mountain forests covered with fl owering rhododendrons, plus lots of mammals and exquisite fl owers! An outstanding tour to an outstanding birding destination that still maintains fascinating traditional practices and beliefs.

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Peninsular Malaysia — a pleasant, trouble-free country with a modern infrastructure, a flourishing economy, and home to amazingly rich Dipterocarp forests, among the world’s oldest, most fascinating and most diverse. We concentrate on an exquisite area, the attractive hill station of Frazer’s Hill. From comfortable accommodations, we should be treated to a wealth of wildlife — stunning pheasants, pittas — aptly named “jewel-thrushes”, raptors, bee-eaters, malcohas, trogons, broadbills, barbets, hornbills and woodpeckers, and challenging flycatchers, babblers and bulbuls. Gibbons should delight us as they greet the dawn. We walk along forest trails among towering rainforest trees and relax in cool montane surroundings. We also take in the coastal lowlands and mangroves of Kuala Selangor, for herons, kingfishers, barbets, whistlers and specialties such as Mangrove Pitta and Mangrove Blue Flycatcher. Silvered Leaf Monkeys and Long-tailed Macaques are quite common here, Smooth Otters are a specialty, and Monitor Lizards are frequent. And — there should be fabulous food, interesting cultures, friendly people, and a generally exotic atmosphere.

Borneo, once a land of the mythical and mystical, has rapidly become one of the most exciting and richest destinations for wildlife. Vast tracts of forest still remain, in spite of widespread logging and clearings, supporting wonderful and exotic animals and plants. Broadbills and barbets, hornbills and trogons, bee-eaters and the amazing Bristlehead, as well as flying foxes, tree shrews, tarsiers, monkeys including the bizarre Proboscis Monkey, and, of course, Orang-utan. Rising out of the lowland rainforests is the superb and spectacular Mount Kinabalu, over 4000 m to its bare granite summit and an area of high endemism — wren-babblers, stubtails, blackeyes and the Friendly Bush Warbler. In the modern city of Kota Kinabalu, we encounter lowland coastal species, and then travel to Tabin Wildlife Refuge, an extremely rich and diverse area. We then move to Sukau for boatrides along the Kinabatangan River for kingfishers, darters, storks and Proboscis Monkeys. A trip to Sepilok for Orang-utans and a surprisingly rich avifauna is followed by several days at Mount Kinabalu, with its unique and exciting fauna and flora. Join Richard as he revisits a very fine wildlife area!

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To Portuguese sailors in the 16th century, Taiwan was Ilha Formosa,”Beautiful Island”, because of its lush forests and the jagged peaks of its mountainous spine. Taiwan lies 175 km (110 miles) off the coast of China, and still has beautiful forested mountains as well as rich tidal estuaries, wetlands, lowland mixed forests, and montane deciduous broadleaf and coniferous forests. Our main focus will be on the endemics, from 15 to 29, depending upon source: Taiwan Partridge, Swinhoe’s and Mikado Pheasants, Styan’s Bulbul, the delightful Flamecrest, Formosan Whistling-Thrush, Taiwan Bush-Warbler, Collared Bush-Robin, White-whiskered Laughingthrush. Steere’s Liocichla, Taiwan Barwing, White-eared Sibia, Taiwan Yuhina, Yellow Tit, and Formosan Magpie. We will be alert for the fairly common Black-browed (Muller’s) Barbet and uncommon (Taiwan) Hwamei, probably the next Taiwan endemics, as well as the Fairy Pitta, a beautiful and uncommon migrant. Lanyu Island is very different from Taiwan, and hosts some very special birds: Philippine (Brown) Cuckoo-Dove, Japanese (Black) Paradise-Flycatcher, Lowland White-eye and Lanyu Scops-Owl. Taiwan is a safe, welcoming country, with good infrastructure, a growing conservation movement, classic mountain scenery, friendly people and wonderful food.

A tour to the rapidly developing yet mystical land of China! We visit Sichuan — arguably the best wildlife area in China; this fabulous area lies at the eastern edge of the dramatic and spectacular Tibetan plateau, and contains some very special and exciting birds. Indeed, Sichuan hosts two-thirds of China’s endemics. We bird a diverse range of habitats: lush foothill forests, alpine meadows, superb mountain slopes, Jiuzhaigou National Park with its turquoise lakes and waterfalls, and extensive rolling grasslands. Wildlife names here are wonderfully evocative, many with historical references to early pioneering naturalists — Russian General Przhevalsky, Basque missionary Pere David, Governer-general’s wife Lady Amherst, Blandford, Hume, Pallas, Henderson. We should find exciting species such as Black-necked Crane, Firethroat, Hume’s Groundpecker, Lammergeier, White Eared Pheasant, Emei Shan Liocichla, maybe the impressive Monal, along with a plethora of parrotbills, fulvettas, leaf warblers, redstarts, laughingthrushes, snowfinches, plus Takin and Blue Sheep. Add in the wonderful culture, cuisine and hospitality of the Tibetans, and we have a superb tour! We also offer an extension to Beijing, where we visit the Great Wall, Tian’anmen Square, Summer Palace, Forbidden City and Lama Temple.

Call for a detailed itinerary 1-800-373-5678 2726

Ghana is among the easiest of West African countries in which to travel, thus giving relatively easy access to a very large number of West African endemics — as well as good access to some star North African birds. Ghana has 180 of the Guinea-Congo Forests biome birds, including 12 out of the 15 Upper Guinea Forest endemics, 11 of which are of global conservation concern. These 180 species are West and Central African rainforest birds, some of them reaching as far east as Uganda, but most of them found with difficulty outside West Africa, making Ghana a very convenient country for finding them. This little country also boasts 37 Sudan-Guinea Savannah biome birds — this biome is a strip of savannah just south of the Sahel of North Africa. It is also possible to access the edge of the Sahel itself within Ghana for sought-after species such as Egyptian Plover. Ghana supports several populations of the stunning Yellow-headed Picathartes, a fine representative of a completely West African family. The people of Ghana are superbly welcoming and friendly, and fluent in English, enhancing the overall experience.

Australia is a naturalist’s dream come true. Home to extraordinary birds and strange mammals, confiding wildlife, excellent infrastructure and a pleasant climate, Australia harbors enormous diversity of habitats, including the world’s longest coral reef. Our pre-tour takes in Tropical Australia around Darwin — humid, lush and green with wonderfully rich and colorful birdlife — and the arid hot central Australian desert at Alice Springs and world-renowned Uluru (Ayer’s Rock) for amazing geological features, cultural significance to local aboriginal people, and maybe a sight of a Crimson Chat or White-fronted Honeyeater. Our main tour focuses on Eastern Australia. From northeast, where we have a chance for cassowary, bowerbirds and platypus, to the southeast’s lyrebirds, fairy wrens, wallabies, albatrosses and penguins, our tour samples a good portion of Australia’s scenery, avifauna and other wildlife. Endemism is extraordinary; 5 non-passerine families and 15 passerine families are endemic to Australasia. We begin in Cairns, in Queensland, where there is a strong tropical element, such as flying foxes, Lesser Frigatebird, Frogmouths, and nearby wetlands with Black-necked Stork, Straw-necked Ibis, Magpie Goose, Green Pygmy-Goose, two species of cranes and superb shorebirds, and the brush, rainforests and woodland of the Atherton Tableland. We explore Kingfisher Park, Lamington National Park, Stanthorpe, an all-day pelagic trip off Wollongong, and Barren Grounds Nature Reserve before heading to Sydney and the Blue Mountains and Capertee Valley. Superb and exciting tour with mostly easy birding in comfortable surroundings — truly unforgettable! We then offer a post-tour to Tasmania, Victoria, and southern New South Wales, encompassing a wide variety of habitats and climates. Large flocks of exotic parrots feed on highway verges and multicolored fairy-wrens and honeyeaters fill the woods, while kangaroos graze in paddocks and Koalas look down from giant eucalyptus trees. Tasmania holds many endemic fascinating birds, even flightless ones such as the Tasmanian Native Hen.

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New Zealand — land of remarkable and spectacular landscapes, from volcanoes and hotsprings to steep, deep fjords, snow-capped mountains and huge glaciers. Our tour takes us to North, South and Stewart Islands, each with special attractions and natural wonders, from Fjordland National Park, Milford Sound and Mount Cook National Park in the south to geothermal pools at Rotorua, Tiri Tiri Matangi Island and its rare endemics, Trounson and Kauri forests, and Auckland’s parks in the north. New Zealand is famous for those odd flightless, wingless, long-beaked ground-dwellers, the Kiwis, after which New Zealanders are named. There are amazing birds here — New Zealand wrens and wattlebirds, flightless Takahes, Yellow-eyed Penguin — the world’s rarest, the inquisitive parrot the Kea, the remarkable Wrybill — among the strangest of shorebirds, and numerous other endemics. Pelagic trips off Kaikoura rank among the world’s finest — albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels and skuas. New Zealand is a land of ancient conifers, magnificent Kauri Pines, Southern Beech forests, rainforests of huge podocarps, splendid Tree Fern forests, and fields of endemic sub-alpine shrubs and alpine flowers.

Our tour starts in the Western Cape, a spectacularly scenic area, with rugged Cape Fold Mountains, white sand beaches, sea cliffs and beautiful vineyards. Here we seek the many Cape endemics — Cape Rockjumper, Cape Sugarbird, and range-restricted warblers, sunbirds, raptors, francolins, as well as Southern Right Whales. Pelagic trips off Cape Town rank amongst the world’s finest. From the Cape, we visit subtropical South Africa for a huge number of species, about 400, many endemic, and impressive wildlife — lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant, rhino, crocodile, hippo, giraffe, antelope and more. From Durban, we head to the spectacular Drakensberg Mountains and kingdom of Lesotho, which harbor a host of localized endemics, and to fascinating temperate forests of the Natal midlands for Spotted and Orange Ground Thrushes, Cape Parrot, Narina Trogon, Green Twinspot and Green Malkoha. The mosaic of subtropical forest, savanna, moist grassland and wetlands of northern Zululand is world-famous for its bird diversity. Grassy hills of Wakkerstroom support Blue and Barrow’s Korhaans, Rudd’s and Botha’s Larks, Yellow-breasted Pipit, Bush Blackcap, Bald Ibis and a plethora of other endemics. Finally we sample birds typical of the Kalahari semi-desert including such gems as Southern Pied Babbler and Crimson-breasted Shrike.

Call for a detailed itinerary 1-800-373-5678 29

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Chile 19

Trinidad & Tobago 15

2013

Guyana 20Panama 13Western Mexico 21

Belize & Tikal 18Costa Rica 21Dominica & St. Lucia 16

Honduras 19Hawaii Three Islands 5Ghana 26Cambodia & Vietnam 23Manitoba Owls 3Bhutan 23

Ecuador 17Galapagos 12Colorado 7Taiwan 24

England Birds & Gardens 22China: Sichuan 24Point Pelee 7

British Columbia 4Newfoundland 6High Arctic & NWT 8Baffi n Island Floe Edge 2Scotland Slowly 9Scotland to Greenland 9Heart of the Arctic 8Queen Charlottes 11Russian Far East 12Tanzania 26

Arctic Explorer 10British Columbia Heli-Hiking 4

Into the Northwest Passage 10Out of the Northwest Passage 10New Brunswick & Grand Manan 6

Greenland & Wild Labrador voyage 11Newfoundland Circumnavigation 11Peninsular Malaysia 25Borneo 25Brazil: Atlantic Rainforest 13Southern Peru 14Quebec 5

Australia 27South Africa 26Southern Peru 18

Peru: Abra Patricia 14New Zealand Birds & Flora 27

Trinidad & Tobago 15Trinidad Photo Workshop 15

About our toursOur tours are diverse! We offer tours that range from being focused on birds to those of a more general nature that include gardens, fl ora or photography, and lots of local cultural interest. All our guides are expert birders that are appreciative of all nature. Many of our tours spend considerable time looking closely at plants, mammals, butterfl ies and other wildlife. It is not necessary for you to be an experienced birder; all you need is enthusiasm and our guides will be happy to help you along!

A typical day with Eagle-Eye ToursTypically we start early, after an early breakfast at our hotel or lodge, to be out when birding is best. Sometimes we are out before breakfast for a quick search for a target bird or mammal. We head out by foot, car or boat to a choice area, maybe forest or wetland, taking in the sights and sounds of the morning. We move along as a small group, making every effort to ensure that everyone obtains decent looks at whatever we are concentrating upon, from that beautiful tanager to a majestic grizzly bear through the spotting scope. We might stop for that important cup of locally grown coffee before heading further down the road to where we saw that great bird last year. Our fi eld lunches are usually at a good birding spot, where we have a chance to share stories and refl ect on the morning’s adventure. After lunch we carry on, maybe returning to the hotel in mid-afternoon for a rest, then a shorter excursion to explore another area. Over our evening meal we meet as a group to record and discuss what we saw and review the plans for the coming day. Some evenings we may head back out for a night tour to experience the nocturnal world of owls, potoos, frogs and other denizens of the night.

Reserving your space on a tourTo reserve your space on one of our tours, please download a registration form, complete it and mail it to us along with a deposit of $300 USD/CAD per person for most of our land tours. Most cruises require a deposit of $1000 USD. We accept payment by check, money order, or credit card. Our prices are cash/cheque discounted. Please email or call to inquire about payment by credit card.

About our accommodation and transportationAccommodations vary according to the tour. Where available, we stay in beautiful lodges in a natural environment with trails out the back door. These amazing settings are often a highlight of the tour. In urban areas, generally, we stay in modern, comfortable hotels. Sometimes, in order to reach the best locations for birding or wildlife viewing, we may be far away from a modern hotel and the ‘best available room in town’ may be more basic. For each tour, we identify the level of accommodation in the tour summary. If you have any questions about accommodations on a tour, please feel free to ask and we can give you more specifi cs.

We usually travel in comfortable vans or buses, often with local drivers who are familiar with the roads and destinations. Most often there is only one vehicle as the size of our group is typically small, but occasionally there will be two vehicles that keep in contact with each other.

On some tours, we use airplane fl ights to cover large distances and in a few cases we travel by boat, often with fantastic scenery and wildlife watching along the way!

About our pricesWe make every effort to charge the prices quoted in our catalog or detailed itineraries; fl uctuations in major currencies may force us to change tour prices at any time before departure. Current prices are listed on our website. Wherever possible, fees are quoted in US and Canadian dollars and can usually be paid in either currency. Most cruises are priced in USD only. Single rooms, as available, will be provided upon request for an additional fee. For participants traveling alone but wishing to share a room, Eagle-Eye Tours will arrange for a roommate, if possible. If a roommate is not available, the single supplement will be charged.

Group discountsGroup discounts are available on most of our land tours for groups of 4 or more booking together. The group size and applicable discount are: 4 or 5 people, 5% discount; 6 or 7 people, 7% discount; 8 or 9 people, 9% discount; and 10 or more people, 10% discount. These group discounts cannot be used in conjunction with any other Eagle-Eye Tours promotion.

What is included in the tour priceThe tour price includes all lodging, ground transportation, in-country air transportation, guide services, park and special entrance fees, ferry costs, boat charter fees, gratuities and baggage handling for those requiring assistance, unless otherwise stated. Outside Canada and the USA, the tour price includes all meals. Land tours in Canada and the USA include breakfasts and lunches, but usually do not include the cost of evening meals. This allows participants maximum fl exibility to choose the foods and portion size from familiar menus. Tour fees do not include any alcoholic beverages, transportation to or from the tour departure or conclusion points, passport and visa fees, airport taxes, phone calls, laundry, or other items of a personal nature.

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