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. Mar 2-18 Vietnam Susan Myers / Illustration: (extension to Mar 25) Le Quy Minh David Beadle.

www.wingsbirds.com page 5 Mar 7-18 Mexico: Oaxaca and Western Chiapas Steve Howell Mar 8-16 The Dominican Republic Gavin Bieber Mar 8-23 Venezuela: The Andes, Llanos, David Fisher and Coast Range Mar 15-24 Israel Paul French Mar 20-27 Panama: Spring at the Canopy Tower Gavin Bieber (extension to Mar 31) Mar 23-28 Nebraska: The Platte River Rick Wright Mar 24 – Apr 2 Sri Lanka: Leopards, Whales, Lester Perera and Dolphins Mar 24 – Apr 10 Bhutan Paul Holt

April 2013 Apr 3-13 Morocco James Lidster Apr 4-14 Colorado: Lekking Grouse Gavin Bieber Apr 5-13 Mexico: The Lacandon Rainforest Rich Hoyer and Maya Ruins Apr 10-23 Jordan: Spring Migration Jon Feenstra and a Little Archaeology Apr 12-20 Texas: The Upper Coast Jon Dunn Apr 13-20 Jamaica Rich Hoyer Apr 14-27 Taiwan Paul Holt Apr 14-28 Egypt: Birds and History Bryan Bland Apr 19-28 Greece: Lesvos Killian Mullarney Apr 20-27 Texas: The Edwards Plateau Jon Dunn and Big Bend Apr 25 – May 3 Georgia: The High Caucasus Paul French / Giorgi Darchiashvili Apr 27 – May 4 Florida: The South, the Keys, and Gavin Bieber the Dry Tortugas

May 2013 May 4-16 Spain: The Grand Tour James Lidster May 4-19 China: Beidaihe and Happy Island Paul Holt / UR NEW TO Wang Qingyu May 6-16 Poland Stuart Elsom May 7-18 Migration in the Midwest: Jon Dunn Eastern Wood Warblers May 8-16 Ukraine Paul Goriup May 9-27 Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Steve Rooke / Victoria Kovshar May 10-18 Arizona: Gavin Bieber Owls and Warblers May 11-18 New Jersey: Birding Rick Wright UR the American Revolution NEW TO May 15-26 Oregon Rich Hoyer UR May 17-31 Japan in Spring NEW TO Susan Myers May 19 – Jun 8 China: Sichuan Paul Holt / Wang Qingyu May 19-28 Bulgaria James Lidster May 20-29 Czech Republic: Bryan Bland Birds and Music May 20-31 Italy: Birds and Art in Tuscany Rick Wright / Marco Valtriani May 26 – Jun 9 Mongolia James Lidster White-throated Rock Thrush. May 29 – Jun 7 Alaska: Gambell Jon Dunn / (extensions to Jun 10 Paul Lehman / Illustration: and Jun 12) Rich Hoyer Ian Lewington. page 6 www.wingsbirds.com June 2013 Jun 4-12 Minnesota and North Dakota Chris Wood Jun 12-24 Alaska: Majesty of the North Gavin Bieber (extensions from Jun 9 and to Jun 27) Jun 15-22 Maryland and West Virginia: Birding the American Civil War Jon Dunn Jun 15-23 Maine and New Hampshire Derek Lovitch Jun 24 – Jul 14 Kenya Brian Finch / Edwin Selempo Jun 29 – Jul 7 Iceland Yann Kolbeinsson Steller’s Eider. Illustration: July 2013 Jan Wilczur. Jul 6-14 British Columbia Gavin Bieber

August 2013

Aug 2-17 UR Borneo Susan Myers NEW TO Aug 3-17 China: Lhasa and the Tibetan Plateau Paul Holt Aug 22-31 Romania: Bryan Bland Birds and Medieval Monasteries Aug 24 – Sep 13 Colombia David Fisher UR Aug 26 – Sep 18 NEW TO Indonesia: The Lesser Sunda Islands Susan Myers Aug 31 – Sep 15 South Africa Steve Rooke

September 2013 Sep 3-15 Arizona and Utah Jake Mohlmann Sep 4-14 California: The South, Jon Dunn Santa Cruz Island, Salton Sea Sep 6-22 Madagascar Brian Finch (extension to Sep 26) Sep 15 – Oct 3 Bolivia Rich Hoyer Sep 20 – Oct 3 Brazil: The Pantanal and Rich Hoyer Rio Cristalino Jungle Lodge Sep 24 – Oct 1 Slovakia: Birds and Music Bryan Bland UR Sep 27 – Oct 1 NEW TO Portugal João Jara Sep 29 – Oct 10 Australia: Tasmania, Victoria, and David Fisher the Plains-wanderer

October 2013 Oct 10-21 Australia: South Australia and David Fisher Northern Territory Oct 2013 Guyana Gavin Bieber Oct 18-25 Gambia James Lidster Oct 21 – Nov 1 Australia: David Fisher Queensland and New South Wales Oct 24 – Nov 10 Ethiopia Steve Rooke Oct 29 – Nov 14 Chile: Tierra del Fuego Steve Howell to the Atacama Desert

November 2013 Nov 2-9 Morocco in Winter Bryan Bland Nov 2-11 Sri Lanka: Leopards, Whales, Lester Perera and Dolphins

www.wingsbirds.com page 7 Nov 2-16 Ghana James Lidster Nov 2-17 India: Goa Paul Holt Nov 4-25 New Zealand: Endemics and Seabirds Brent Stephenson Nov 6-20 Kenya Brian Finch / Edwin Selempo Nov 15-24 Argentina: The High Andes David Fisher Nov 16-22 Panama: Fall at the Canopy Tower Gavin Bieber (extension to Nov 27) Nov 20 – Dec 6 India: Birds and History Bryan Bland Nov 22 – Dec 9 Argentina: The Pampas, Patagonia, David Fisher and Tierra del Fuego Nov 23 – Dec 8 Myanmar Paul Holt Nov 24 – Dec 2 Mexico: The Yucatan and Cozumel Rich Hoyer

Nov 29 – Dec 20 UR India: Assam and Sikkim Susan Myers NEW TO December 2013 Dec 7-16 Argentina: A Week at Iguazú Falls David Fisher Dec 8-22 China: The Southeast in Winter Paul Holt Dec 21-31 Mexico: Oaxaca at Christmastime Rich Hoyer

Hooded Cranes. Illustration: Jan Wilczur.

Whole Landscape Tours Are you a birder with wide-ranging interests? Do you enjoy traveling with a non- birding partner or companion? WINGS leaders and staff combine their own pas - sion for birds with expertise in a surprising range of other fields, from butterflies to architecture, from music to botany. Our series of “Birds and…” tours is designed to appeal to travelers whose interest in birds is balanced by a fascination with the cultural and natural historical dimensions of our destinations.

Birds and Art ...... Italy: From Venice to Florence Italy: Birds and Art in Tuscany Jordan: Birds and a Little Archaeology Romania: Birds and Medieval Monasteries Birds and History ...... Egypt: Birds and History India: Birds and History Maryland and West Virginia: Birding the American Civil War UR NEW TO New Jersey: Birding the American Revolution Birds and Music ...... Czech Republic: Birds and Music Slovakia: Birds and Music

page 8 www.wingsbirds.com To urs by Region The US and Canada

Alaska ...... Gambell Majesty of the North Arizona ...... A Winter Week in Southeast Arizona Arizona and Utah: Fall Migration in the Canyonlands Owls and Warblers British Columbia ...... British Columbia California ...... The South Coast, Santa Cruz Island, the Salton Sea, and the Mojave Desert Southern California in Winter Colorado ...... Lekking Grouse Florida ...... The South, the Keys, and the Dry Tortugas Kentucky ...... Migration in the Midwest

Maine ...... Maine and New Hampshire Red-necked Phalarope. Maryland ...... Maryland and West Virginia: Birding the Illustration: American Civil War Ian Lewington. Michigan ...... Migration in the Midwest Minnesota ...... Minnesota in Winter Minnesota and North Dakota Nebraska ...... The Platte River: Cranes and Prairie Grouse New Hampshire ...... Maine and New Hampshire UR New Jersey . . . .N.E.W.T.O...... Birding the American Revolution New Mexico ...... New Mexico in Winter Newfoundland ...... Winter Birds North Dakota ...... Minnesota and North Dakota Ohio ...... Migration in the Midwest Oregon ...... Oregon in Spring Puerto Rico ...... Puerto Rico Texas ...... The Edwards Plateau and Big Bend The Rio Grande Valley The Upper Coast Utah ...... Arizona and Utah: Fall Migration in the Canyonlands West Virginia ...... Maryland and West Virginia: Birding the American Civil War Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean

Costa Rica ...... Costa Rica in March Dominican Republic ...... The Dominican Republic

www.wingsbirds.com page 9 Jamaica ...... Jamaica Mexico ...... Baja California’s Cape Region Colima and Jalisco Oaxaca and Western Chiapas Oaxaca at Christmastime San Blas: Mangroves and Forests The Lacandon Rainforest and Maya Ruins The Yucatan and Cozumel Panama ...... Fall at the Canopy Tower Spring at the Canopy Tower Puerto Rico ...... Puerto Rico South America

Argentina ...... The High Andes The Pampas, Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego A Week at Iguazú Falls Bolivia ...... The Peak of Diversity Brazil ...... The Pantanal and Rio Cristalino Jungle Lodge Chile ...... Tierra del Fuego to the Atacama Desert Colombia ...... Colombia Ecuador ...... A Week in Paradise A Week in the Clouds La Selva Lodge Guyana ...... Guyana Venezuela ...... The Andes, Llanos, and Coast Range The Tepuis and Imataca Forest Reserve Europe and the Middle East

Bulgaria ...... Bulgaria Czech Republic ...... Birds and Music Egypt ...... Birds and History Georgia ...... The High Caucasus

White Wagtail. Greece ...... Lesvos Illustration: Iceland ...... Iceland Killian Mullarney. Israel ...... Israel Italy ...... From Venice to Florence Birds and Art in Tuscany Jordan ...... Spring Migration and a Little Archaeology Morocco ...... Morocco in Spring Morocco in Winter The Netherlands ...... The Netherlands in Winter The Netherlands in Late Summer Poland ...... Poland Portugal ...... Portugal Romania ...... Birds and Medieval Monasteries page 10 www.wingsbirds.com Slovakia ...... Birds and Music Spain ...... The Grand Tour Ukraine ...... Ukraine Asia

Bhutan ...... Bhutan Cambodia ...... Cambodia

UR China ...... N.EW. .TO...... Yunnan Province

UR Beidaihe and Happy Island NEW TO Sichuan OUR NEW T Lhasa and the Tibetan Plateau The Southeast in Winter India ...... Assam and Sikkim Ranthambore, Bharatpur, Nainital, and Corbett Bharatpur and Ranthambore for Photographers Goa UR NEW TO Southern India and the Andamans Birds and History Indonesia ...... The Lesser Sunda Islands

UR Japan ...... N.EW. .TO...... Japan in Winter

UR Japan in Spring NEW TO UR Kazakhstan . . .N.E.W.T.O...... Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Malaysia ...... Borneo

Mongolia ...... UR...... Mongolia NEW TO Myanmar ...... Myanmar Sri Lanka ...... Sri

UR Lanka: NEW TO Leopards, Whales, and Dolphins Taiwan ...... Taiwan Thailand ...... The South The North White-crowned Forktail. Uzbekistan ...... Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Illustration: Vietnam ...... Vietnam Ian Lewington. Africa

Egypt ...... Birds and History Ethiopia ...... Ethiopia Gambia ...... Gambia Ghana ...... Ghana Kenya ...... Kenya Kakamega to the Coast Madagascar ...... Madagascar Morocco ...... Morocco in Spring Morocco in Winter South Africa ...... South Africa

www.wingsbirds.com page 11 Tanzania ...... Kiliminjaro to the Serengeti Australia

Australia ...... Queensland and New South Wales South Australia and Northern Territory Tasmania, Victoria, and the Plains-wanderer Cruises UR Pacific and Alaska Pelagic Cruises NEW TO

King Vulture. Illustration: Ian Lewington.

New Tours Cambodia February 12 to 25, 2013

Around the temples of ancient Angkor, we have the chance to see some of the world’s rarest birds and mammals amid some if its most celebrated cultural artifacts.

Cambodia has been the site in recent years of some hugely exciting discoveries, including a population of the near-mythical Giant Ibis, the newly described Mekong Wagtail, and a breeding population of Sarus Crane. Tonle Sap Lake’s colonies of waterbirds are one of the continent’s finest birding spectacles. And this small country’s extensive grasslands are home to the splendid Bengal Florican and the scarce Manchurian Reed- Warbler. At Angkor we’ll take plenty of time to explore architectural masterpieces dating back to the eighth century—many of which also offer excellent birding. Susan Myers leads.

The temples of Angkor are still watched over by their ancient guardians. Photo: Susan Myers.

page 12 www.wingsbirds.com New Tours Pacific and Alaska Pelagic Cruises Dates to be Announced

What could be better than watching petrels, albatrosses, and storm-petrels from the comfort of a large, steady, food-filled cruise ship? Our new cruises are ideal for pelagic birders and non-birding companions alike.

Our 2013 spring cruise from California to British Columbia gives us two days at the edge of the continental shelf, where we’ll be looking for Murphy’s and Cook’s Petrels, Black-footed Albatross, Sabine’s Gull, Scripps’s (Xantus’s) Murrelet, Tufted Puffin, and Fork-tailed, Leach’s, and Ashy Storm-Petrels. Our summer round-trip from San Francisco to southeast Alaska offers chances for Hawaiian and Mottled Petrels and many alcids; spectacular inshore cruising at Glacier Bay can produce The handsome Kittlitz’s and Marbled Murrelets. Paul Lehman leads. Yellow-throated Bunting is among the Asian specialties that have wandered China: as vagrants to North America. Beidaihe and Happy Island Photo: Paul Holt. May 4 to 19, 2013

Happy Island and the seaside resort of Beidaihe are the destinations for watching Asian migrants, including many Siberian species that occur as vagrants in North America. Our two- week tour coincides with the peak of spring migration, when we can expect to see over 200 species.

All spring long, woodlands, rocky out - crops, mudflats, and estuaries attract hundreds of thousands of northbound birds. We’ll hope to witness at least one large fallout, but even a merely “typical” day produces thrushes, flycatchers, warblers, pipits, and buntings in profusion. Accommodations and food are good, and we’ll even find time for some sightseeing on the Great Wall. Paul Holt and Wang Qingyu lead.

New Jersey: Birding the American Revolution May 11-18, 2013

More of the American Revolution was fought on the fields of New Jersey than

www.wingsbirds.com page 13 New Tours anywhere else in the thirteen colonies. Nearly two and a half centuries later, houses, battlefields, and military installations still stand as witnesses to the bloody past—and preserve an impressive array of natural habitats.

Parks and memorials across New Jersey provide welcome oases for New Jersey’s wealth of breeding and migrant birds. From Fort Lee, where Washington’s The American light infantry spent the fall of 1780 at Great Notch, where today’s birders gather to watch migrant passerines stream north. Continental Army suffered one of Photo: Rick Wright. its most crushing defeats, to Trenton and Princeton, we’ll visit historic sites and natural habitats at the very peak of the northward migration, when large numbers of flycatchers, vireos, thrushes, and warblers move north. Rick Wright leads. Leader News

Tour Manager Kris LaFleur has left our office to join Technicians for Sustainability, a Tucson firm specializing in alternative energy solutions. We’ll miss Kris, and wish him all the best as he puts his signature good humor and intelligence to use in a field that matters so much to all of us.

WINGS welcomes Susan Myers , our newest Senior Leader. Susan has long been fascinat - ed by Asia’s combination of incredible wildlife, ancient cultures, and the best food in the world, and she has been birding and leading tours across the continent for more than fifteen years. After university study in biology, she lived in Japan for four years, learning the language and studying the country’s fascinating culture. Susan has published many articles on ornithology and ecology, and she is the author of Birds of Borneo , published by Princeton UP in 2009. Susan’s deep appreciation of Asia and its wildlife, her language skills, and her understanding of the region’s many cultures add a much appreciated extra dimension to her tours. We’re happy to have her.

The new voice in our Tucson office belongs to Matt Brooks , a life- long naturalist and native of New Mexico. After several years in Alaska doing bird work, Matt moved to Tucson in 2006, where he spent the next several great years working for Tucson Audubon and birding in over 40 countries (and counting).

page 14 www.wingsbirds.com New Tours Steve Howell has kept busy with tours to Chile, Ecuador, and of course Mexico—where birding remains great (including the country’s first Marsh Sandpiper last fall) and the people friendly. He has continued his pelagic trips off California, featuring the northern hemisphere’s sixth White-chinned Petrel, and North Carolina, including a Trindade Petrel. Steve’s ground-breaking (wave-breaking?) Petrels, Albatrosses, and Storm-Petrels of North America was published by Princeton UP, and articles appeared in the UK magazine Birdwatch and Neotropical Birding; the latter journal also published his paper pointing out the existence of two distinct species of “Nutting’s Flycatcher.” Steve is also helping Will Russell finish Rare Birds of North America , illustrated by Ian Lewington .

Rich Hoyer has been traveling almost nonstop: besides his tours, there have been scouting trips to Peru, a month in Africa, and a month in Europe to visit friends and connect with the Sunbird folks. After a well-received presentation at the recent meeting of Oregon Field Ornithologists and the Western Bird Banding Association, Rich is home, busy planning tours to Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and the Galapagos.

The past year has found James Lidster traveling in Africa, where he fulfilled such dreams as seeing his first lions, leopards, cheetahs, and great white sharks, along with nearly 500 species of birds. The time since his return has been punctuated by two great Morocco tours and his bachelor party in Spain—highlighted by Iberian Lynx and a huge migration of honey-buzzards. Preparations are in full swing for the wedding, which will be followed by a three-week camping honeymoon. Congratulations to Remke and James!

Derek Lovitch ’s big news is the appearance of his first book, How to Be a Better Birder , published by Princeton UP in April. Derek has also lectured to the Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club and Maine’s York County Audubon Society on birding the Antarctic. His upcoming presentations include Freeport and Bar Harbor in Maine, Sturbridge, New York, and Philadelphia.

Recent highlights for Narca Moore-Craig include a scouting trip to Midway Atoll in preparation for a future WINGS tour; a full report and photos are at her blog (just search for “Narca blog”). Her latest watercolors have as their subject herons in their breeding plumages. Narca and Dale Zimmerman are making progress on preparing for publication a memoir of his work in Kenya’s Kakamega Forest some fifty years ago.

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Leader News Alongside his tour program, Rick Wright has maintained his customary full schedule of lectures, workshops, and field trips. His articles, essays, and book reviews have been published in a variety of journals, and he is hard at work on a field guide to New Jersey birds and on the sparrow volume in the Peterson Reference Guide series. Fall and winter will find him speaking up and down the Atlantic coast on topics as diverse as sparrow names, the importance of mistakes, and the ornithological conquest of the Wild West. Private Tours

Every year WINGS arranges custom private tours for groups and individuals. This past year has found our Senior Leaders birding famous destinations and little-known hot spots from Cape May to Tajikistan, from Jamaica to Alaska. In addition to flexible scheduling and even more personal attention, our private tours benefit from the ability to tailor the route and itinerary to the participants’ needs, whether that means concentrating on a target list or taking the time for a complete natural history experience. Request your own private tour for yourself, your friends, or your bird club by calling or writing us here at WINGS. page 16 www.wingsbirds.com