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Autumn2012 Newsletter.Qxd Autumn 2012 INSIDE WINGS 2013 New Tours The New Year will once again find WINGS conducting tours to the most exciting birding destinations in the world. I Portugal I Sri Lanka: Leopards, In addition to our well-established trips to tried and true sites in Whales, and Dolphins more than 50 countries, our 2013 program includes a wide selection of revised and new tours, all of them the product of I India: Bharatpur careful planning and research by our leaders and office staff. and Ranthambore The depth of our offerings reflects the passion with which we for Photographers have always approached our favorite regions and our favorite I China: Yunnan Province I Japan in Winter I Ecuador: A Week in the Clouds I Cambodia I Pacific and Alaska Pelagic Cruises I China: Beidaihe and Happy Island I New Jersey: What better way to explore India’s Corbett National Park? Birding the Revolution Photo: WINGS / Sunbird. Tour Calendar birds: WINGS leaders spend months, sometimes even years, Leader News getting to know the landscapes they love, and the itineraries we create show to advantage not just an area’s special birds but also Private Tours the natural and cultural settings they inhabit. Our local ground agents and professional office staff work hard to translate the leaders’ field expertise into tours that are safe, comfortable, and always full of birds. WINGS In addition to our regular scheduled tours, WINGS also offers 1643 N. Alvernon Way private guiding services anywhere in the world for groups and Suite 109 individuals. If you enjoy birding where, when, and how you Tucson, AZ 85712 Tel: 866-547-9868 want, alone or in the company of friends, give us a call: we’ll be (toll-free USA & more than happy to arrange a tour to fit your circumstances. Canada) 520-320-9868 And if you’re visiting Arizona on your own, be sure to visit our Fax: 520-320-9373 AZ-Birding.com website, where you can get the latest about rar - wing [email protected] ities and hotspots or book an expert guide for a day or a week. www.wingsbirds.com New Tours Details for all of our offerings are available at our newly redesigned website, wingsbirds.com. If you have any questions at all, call or write to us at the WINGS office in Tucson. The bizarrely lovely Greater Flamingo is a highlight of visits to Portugal’s Portugal extensive Tagus Estuary. September 28 to October 2, 2012 Photo: Rick Wright. This short tour visits rice fields, mudflats, reed beds, and lush cork oak woodlands before moving inland to the vast steppe-like habitat around Castro Verde, home of the Great Bustard. The Tagus Estuary should turn up such highlights as Greater Flamingo, Pied Avocet, Mediterranean Gull, and Cetti’s Warbler; the surrounding cork oak woodland should produce our first encounters with such specialties Famous for its Sri as Black-shouldered Kite, Azure-winged Magpie, and Spotless Starling. Lankan Leopards, Yala National The plains of Castro Verde harbor a healthy Great Bustard population, Park is one of the along with the secretive Black-bellied Sandgrouse and a wide variety of shining jewels in raptors. As migrants move south across the Iberian Peninsula, we’ll be on the island’s conservation the lookout for just about anything. James Lidster leads. crown. Photo: Uditha Hettige. Sri Lanka Mammals: Leopards, Whales, and Dolphins November 4 to 12, 2012, and March 24 to April 2, 2013 The island paradise of Sri Lanka is as well known for its many mammals as for its stunning birds. Our tour visits two of the island’s national parks for mammals, then heads to the coast for a series of pelagic trips. page 2 www.wingsbirds.com New Tours Udawalawe National Park harbors a large number of Asian Elephants, and our exploration in open jeeps is also likely to turn up Chital, Wild Boar, Indian Hare, and a wide array of birds; we might even see the secretive Jungle Cat. We’ll visit Yala National Park several times, celebrated as the place for the amazing Sri Lankan Leopard. The last four days will find us in Mirissa, where seas are placid and the weather conducive to whale watching. Our main target will be the magnificent Blue Whale, with very good possibilities of another half dozen cetaceans, along with storm- petrels and terns. Lester Perera leads. India: Bharatpur and Ranthambore for Photographers India offers the photographer the perfect combina - November 24 to December 5, 2012 tion of natural beauty and India is a photographer’s paradise. Wherever you go and whatever your inter - cultural wealth. ests, there’s always a colorful and memorable sight to catch the camera’s eye. Photo: David Tipling. Our tour concentrates on two of India’s most famous and most rewarding sites. We’ll start at the renowned reserve at Bharatpur with its amazingly A genuine tame wildlife. Next we’ll travel to Ranthambore National Park. Though rarity and China endemic, the there will be plenty of birds, mammals, and historic places to grab our atten - aptly named tion, the park’s majestic Tigers will always be uppermost in our thoughts. White-speckled We’ll also visit the Taj Mahal and the deserted city of Fatepur Sikri, and a Laughingthrush was rediscovered local village to photograph scenes of rural life. David Tipling leads. just five years ago. Photo: Alister Benn. China: Yunnan Province January 12 to 27, 2013 The southwestern province of Yunnan offers some of the most alluring species in Asia, with well- maintained roads, superb food, and otherwise good infrastructure. Much of our route is on the ancient Southern Silk Road, and we visit such fine sites as Lijiang, Gaoligongshan, and Ruili, all with excellent access to woodlands harboring specialties like Gould’s Shortwing, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, and White-speckled Laughingthrush. Among www.wingsbirds.com page 3 New Tours our many other targets are Brown-winged and the recently split White- breasted Parrotbills, Silver and Mrs. Hume’s Pheasants, and the endemic Yunnan Nuthatch. Paul Holt and Wang Qingyu lead. Japanese Japan in Winter Macaques take January 25 to February 5, 2013, with Snow Monkey a break in the thermal springs Extension to February 8 of Jigokudani. Photo: Susan Myers. A visit to Japan is a complete cultural experience. Fascinating food, insights into traditional lifeways, and some of the world’s most sought-after birds make Japan a destination for every birder. Our wintertime tour features concentra - tions of up to five species of crane, impressive gatherings of sea-eagles and seabirds, and such resident endemics as Blakiston’s Fish-Owl. Our extension puts us aboard the famous Bullet Train to Nagano, where we’ll watch Japanese Macaques playing in the hot springs; the photographic opportunities are first-class. Susan Myers and Will Russell lead. Ecuador: A Week in the Clouds February 10 to 17, 2013 We’ll take an The eastern slope of the Andes, from the tundra-like high páramo to the cloud entire day to forests of the foothills, is as rich in birds as anywhere else on the planet. We’ll explore the explore sites at multiple elevations, all from the comfort of some of the region’s extraordinarily birdy grounds of best eco-lodges. our lodge at San Isidro. The Andean highlands are home to such iconic species as Andean Photo: Jon Feenstra. Condor and Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe. As we move through the lush temperate forests and the sub - tropical zone into the foothills, we survey habitats that are alive with spectacular tanagers and fancy hummingbirds. Our lodges are among the most famous in South America, offering comfortable accommodation, delicious meals—and excellent birding right on the grounds. Jon Feenstra leads. page 4 www.wingsbirds.com To urs by Date The dates given here are accurate as of press time, but tours and schedules can change. For the latest information, visit the WINGS website at wingsbirds.com, or call the WINGS office for up-to-the-minute itineraries and prices. January 2013 Jan 8-23 Kenya: Kakamega to the Coast David Fisher / (extension to Jan 30) Edwin Selempo Jan 12-19 New Mexico in Winter Gavin Bieber Jan 12-27 China: Yunnan Province Paul Holt / UR NEW TO Wang Qingyu Jan 13-19 Newfoundland: Winter Birds Bruce Mactavish Jan 13-26 Italy: From Venice to Florence Rick Wright / Marco Valtriani Jan 14-20 Southern California in Winter Jon Feenstra Jan 23-31 Mexico: San Blas Steve Howell Jan 24 – Feb 2 Ecuador: La Selva Lodge Gavin Bieber Jan 25 – Feb 5 Japan in Winter Susan Myers / UR (extension NEW TO Will Russell to Feb 8) Jan 26-30 The Netherlands in Winter James Lidster February 2013 Feb 1-6 Minnesota in Winter Chris Wood Feb 2-9 A Winter Week in Southeastern Arizona Jake Mohlmann Feb 2-10 Ecuador: A Week in Paradise Jon Feenstra Feb 2-10 Mexico: Baja California’s Cape Region Rich Hoyer Feb 3-13 Thailand: The South Jon Dunn / Yotin Meekaeo Feb 4-21 India: Ranthambore, Bharatpur, Paul Holt Nainital, and Corbett Feb 10-17 Ecuador: A Week in the Clouds TOUR NEW Jon Feenstra UR Feb 12-25 NEW TO Cambodia Susan Myers Feb 13 – Mar 2 Thailand: The North (extension to Mar 5) Jon Dunn Feb 16-22 Texas: The Rio (extension to Feb 24) Grande Valley Gavin Bieber Feb 16-24 Mexico: Colima and Jalisco Steve Howell Feb 23 – Mar 9 Sri Lanka Deepal Warakagoda Feb 27 – Mar 9 Venezuela: Tepuis and David Fisher Imataca Forest Reserve March 2013 Mar 1-13 Tanzania: Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti Steve Rooke / James Wolstencroft Mar 2-8 Puerto Rico Gavin Bieber Yellow-eared Mar 2-16 Costa Rica Rich Hoyer Toucanet.
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