Au tumn 2 010

INSIDE WINGS 2011 New Tours 2011 WINGS is proud to be beginning its 39th year of tours, with a I The Netherlands in comprehensive program visiting more than 50 countries and des - Winter tinations ranging from the tried and true to the excitingly new. I Mexico: The Lacandon Rainforest and Maya All of our tours are the product of careful planning by our lead - Ruins ers and office staff, whose passion for their favorite regions and I Tanzania: Kilimanjaro their birds is reflected in the variety and depth of our offerings. to the Serengeti WINGS leaders often spend months, even years, getting to know I Panama: Spring at the their favorite countries thoroughly, and the itineraries they create Canopy Tower show to advantage not just the area’s special birds but also the I Puerto Rico natural and cultural settings in which they occur. Our local I Ghana: The Gold ground agents and professional office staff work hard to translate Coast to the North the leaders’ field expertise into tours that are unfailingly full of birds, safe, and great fun. I Jordan: Spring Migration and a Little Archaeology In addition to our regularly scheduled tours, WINGS provides private guiding services for individuals and groups. If birding I Michigan: Migration in the Upper Peninsula where and when you want, alone or in the company of friends, is appealing, please contact us. We’ll be happy to arrange a tour I Alaska: The Pribilofs that suits your needs and circumstances. I Maryland and West Virginia: Birding the Full details of all our tours can be found at American Civil War www.wingsbirds.com. If you don’t have ready access to the inter - I Montana: The Big Loop net, or if you have any questions at all, please call or write to us here at the WINGS office in Tucson. We’ll be happy to help— WINGS Tour and look forward to birding with you soon. Calendar 2011

Leader Profiles

From Our Leaders

A Letter from Peru

Private Tours

WINGS 1643 N. Alvernon Way Suite 109 Tucson, AZ 85712 Tel: 888-293-6443 (toll free in the U.S.) 520-320-9868 Fax: 520-320-9373 A normally shy Jabiru permits close approach in Brazil. wing [email protected] www.wingsbirds.com Photo: Rich Hoyer.

For details on all WINGS tours, please visit our website at www.wingsbirds.com New Tours 2011 The Netherlands in Winter January 26-30, February 2-6, and February 9-13, 2011

As northern Europe and Siberia slumber under blankets of snow, the polders of The Netherlands are awash with wintering waterfowl. Our short and remarkably bird-rich tour begins and ends in Amsterdam, leaving participants the opportunity to combine their birding experience with visits to other European destinations.

Geese are a high - light of winter Large flocks of wintering passerines, and the world’s best apple pie and birding in The hot chocolate: it’s easy to see why wintertime birding in The Netherlands Netherlands, with is as unique as it is delightful. Geese are the main attraction, with all the even the rare Red-breasted European wintering species possible; we stand a great chance of seeing Goose a both Red-breasted and Lesser White-fronted Geese among the teeming possibility on our thousands of Eurasian White-fronted, Tundra Bean, and Barnacle Geese. tour. The open polders are also great for wintering raptors, and we should Photo: James Lidster. encounter White-tailed Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk, and Hen Harrier, among other species. Add to the list Smew, Eurasian Bittern, and Lesser Spotted and Black Woodpeckers—not to mention the possibility of a sur - prise or two—and everything’s in place for the ideal short winter tour. James Lidster leads.

Mexico: The Lacandon Rainforest and Maya Ruins February 12-20, 2011

Not that long ago, a visit to the Lacandon rainforest and the nearby Maya ruins was a major undertaking. Today, new paved roads and comfortable lodges make this bird-filled area surprisingly easy to visit.

The Lacandon rainforest lies in the watershed of the Usumacinta River, which served the Maya as a network of water highways for commerce,

page 2 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com New Tours 2011

war, and cultural exchange; sites such as Yaxchilan lie along the Usumacinta itself, while Bonampak (unknown to westerners until 1946) lies along the Lacanja River, a tributary of the Usumacinta. The forests here represent the northernmost extension of truly Amazonian fauna: puffbirds, toucans, jacamars, antbirds, leaftossers, manakins, cotingas, and The Usumacinta— “River of the woodcreepers all occur here—but all in manageable doses. One local Sacred Monkey”— community is working to protect the endangered Scarlet Macaw, and remains an from their comfortable lodge we’ll take a boat trip up beautiful limestone important water highway in the tributaries into the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve. Steve Howell and Lacandon region. Rich Hoyer lead. Photo: Rich Hoyer.

Tanzania: Kilimanjaro to the

Serengeti A Kori Bustard, one of the March 5-17, 2011 heaviest flighted birds in the The newest addition to our Africa program is an ideal introduction to the world, strides across the grass - birds and mammals of that fascinating continent’s eastern region. We’ve inten - lands of Tanzania. tionally planned for a relaxed pace, leaving time to truly savor all that this Photo: Steve Rooke. wonderful country has to offer.

Tanzania long ago recognized the importance of its natural resources, and has done much over the years to protect them. Some 25% of the country is given over to national parks and reserves. Starting on the densely wooded slopes of Mount Meru, in the shadow of Kilimanjaro, we’ll wander among the giant Baobab trees of Tarangire National Park and travel to the very edge of the Rift Valley at Lake Manyara before visiting two of the world’s most famous wildlife locations—Ngorongoro and the vast Serengeti. Steve Rooke and James Wolstencroft lead.

For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com page 3 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 New Tours 2011 Panama: Spring at the Canopy Tower March 12-19, 2011 (with Foothills Extension to March 23)

The richness of the Panamanian birding experience only increases moving east toward the Colombian border, where such truly tropical groups as antbirds, woodcreepers, and tanagers begin to dominate. Our new Panama tour takes place in the season when resident birds are joined by migrants and winterers from the north, making for a very diverse assemblage.

The acclaimed Canopy Tower serves as our delightful home base for an exploration of several remarkable birding areas including Pipeline Road, which offers arguably the best birding in Central America, with over 400 species recorded from this single locale. Following our weeklong stay at the tower, we offer an extension to Panama’s eastern foothills, where our rustic but comfortable lodge, nestled in a cooler foothill valley, gives us access to a wealth of new birds more typical of the Darien Panama’s famed and Colombia. This region, only recently opened to extensive ornitholog - Canopy Tower ical research, has already proved to be perhaps the best place in the world combines comfort with unmatched to find the extremely local Sapayoa and Speckled Antshrike. Gavin access to jungle Bieber leads. birds. Photo: Canopy Tower. Puerto Rico March 27 – April 2, 2011

We’ve redesigned this former tour extension to be an independent tour, with two days added to allow for a fuller exploration of this beautiful tropical island and additional opportunities to locate some of the harder-to-find endemics.

The old Spanish colony of Puerto Rico, now a self-governing US territory and a justly popular holiday destination, is a perfect weeklong getaway for birders. With an excellent road system providing convenient access to its many forest reserves, Puerto Rico offers some of the easiest and most enjoyable birding in the tropics. Our tour seeks out the island’s 17 endemics and more than two dozen Caribbean specialties, visiting every page 4 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com New Tours 2011 habitat from the windswept elfin woods of Maricao to the bird-rich thorn scrub of the Guanica Dry Forest. Gavin Bieber leads.

Ghana: The Gold Coast to the North March 27 – April 12, 2011

As rich in historical tradition as it is in birds, Ghana preserves the habitats of some 750 bird species, from blinding white beaches to rainforest.

Lying on the Gulf of Guinea along Africa’s tropical western coast, Ghana Representative of a very special is a country rich both in ancient tradition and in the history of Europe’s Caribbean family, early colonial presence in West Africa. Today, Ghana is a vibrant and col - the Puerto Rico orful country stretching from the Atlantic through dense rainforest to the Tody is a colorful island endemic. open savanna of the Sahel, and its vast range of habitats play host to over Photo: Gavin Bieber. 750 bird species. Our tour begins amid the lagoons of the Gold Coast, where migrant shorebirds from Europe swell the numbers of resident waterbirds. We then move inland to the primary tropical rainforests of Kakum National Park, home to a world-famous canopy walkway that places us at eye level with an array of rainforest species including numer - A spectacular male Northern Red ous hornbills, parrots, and barbets. Our tour also includes an exciting stay Bishop lights up a at Ankasa, an area seldom visited by birders. We’ll make a trip to the far reedbed. north in search of Egyptian Plover, and trek into the forest to the secret Photo: James Lidster. home of the cave-dwelling Yellow-headed Picathartes, one of Africa’s most elusive birds. Elsewhere we visit the wide-open spaces of Mole National Park, an essential part of any visit to Ghana, where Bateleurs float over golden grasslands and Red- throated Bee-eaters hawk for insects in the rich woodland. Ghana has a well-deserved reputation as one of Africa’s friendliest and safest countries, qualities still enjoyed by just a few tourists each year. James Lidster and Robert Ntakor lead.

For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com page 5 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 New Tours 2011 Jordan: Spring Migration and a Little Archaeology April 13-26, 2011

Surrounded by news-grabbing geopolitical powerhouses, Jordan hosts some of the most exciting spring birding anywhere. Long famous for such archaeological treasures as the Nabatean city of Petra, this small and peaceful nation is still new ground for bird- ing tours, and the country’s nature reserves are just waiting to be explored. It may be new to birders, but Jordan is no mystery to the birds. Migrants moving north from their African wintering grounds pass through the Great Rift Valley before dispersing to breeding areas in Europe and western Asia. Each spring, every pond, woodlot, orchard, and oasis in the desert is A hapless Marsh a magnet to passerines, and kettles of raptors wheel over the rugged Harrier is mobbed ridges. The migrants join an impressive number of regional specialties. by a Spur-winged Birds and archaeology come together as we look for rosefinches and Plover at Azrag. Blackstarts in the shadows of Petra, larks among the Roman pillars of Photo: Jon Feenstra. Jerash, and wheatears while walking in the footsteps of T.E. Lawrence in the desert of Wadi Rum. Jon Feenstra leads.

Our Michigan tour will witness the Michigan: Migration in the dawn antics of dancing Sharp- Upper Peninsula tailed Grouse. Photo: Rick Wright. April 21-27, 2011

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is one of the most beautiful and sparsely populated regions in the lower 48, with plenty of potential for rarities, irruptives, and local specialties. We’ll be visiting the peninsula’s best spots for migrants, where geography concentrates birds in sometimes dazzling numbers.

We’ll find waterfowl, loons, grebes, owls, and hawks and falcons on the move, and the Upper Peninsula is perfectly positioned to funnel these birds to concen- tration points. The passerine vanguard will also be on its way, from irruptive winter finches to the first long-distance migrants from the south. A number of resident species, including Spruce and Sharp-tailed Grouse and Black-backed and possibly American Three-toed Woodpeckers, will also be active, and

page 6 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com New Tours 2011 courting and displaying birds can be surprisingly conspicuous. We’ll spend much of our time witnessing the spectacle of migration at the famed hotspots of Whitefish Point and the Keweenaw Peninsula. We’ll also scour the boreal forest for woodpeckers, Gray Jay, and Boreal Chickadee. Wintering waterfowl and white-winged gulls are among our targets, and there will be plenty of opportunity to chase rarities and irruptive species, on both the American and the Canadian sides of the border. We’ll be applying the disciplines of geography, ecology, and mete - orology to guide our birding efforts, and you can expect to take home many new skills to apply to your own birding. Derek Lovitch leads.

Alaska: The Pribilofs May 21-26, 2011

Sea cliffs bursting with alcids, fur seals staking out territories: there’s nothing like the Pribilofs in spring!

Alaska’s Pribilof Islands lie some 300 miles off the North American mainland in the Bering Sea. We’ve scheduled our extended visit to the rocky island of St. Paul to maximize our chances at Asiatic vagrants, but even without the exciting strays for which these remote islands are famous, the sea cliffs will be bursting with thousands of breeding alcids and large The Gray- numbers of the near-endemic Red-legged Kittiwake, and the first of the crowned Rosy- Northern Fur Seals will also be staking out their shoreline territories. This Finches of the Bering Sea are tour can be taken in conjunction with our Spring Gambell tour; contact notably large and us for information about reduced prices for some tour combinations. stocky. Gavin Bieber leads. Photo: Gavin Bieber.

Maryland and West Virginia: Birding the American Civil War June 22-30, 2011

The second in our popular series Birding the American Civil War, this new tour takes us to some of the most notorious battlefields of the war—and should record as many as 25 species of wood warbler, too.

General Robert E. Lee made two forays north into Union territory, the first in September 1862 and the other in late June of the following year. The resulting battles were both tactical defeats for Lee. The first, at Antietam, Maryland, resulted in the highest number of casualties on any day of the entire war. Less than a year later, the three-day battle at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was the costliest of the war, the “highwater

For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com page 7 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 New Tours 2011 mark of the Confederacy.” The South would never again be able to mount a sustained offensive, and its eventual defeat nearly two years later was ordained here at Gettysburg. Our tour takes us to these famous battlefields and to Harpers Ferry, where John Brown’s famous October 1859 raid was soundly repulsed by US forces—under Robert E. Lee. We’ll spend some time birding around Frederick, Maryland, and around Gettysburg, but the bulk of The somber our birding will be in West Virginia. In the Appalachians, bird and song Mourning activity should still be high, and wildflowers will be at their peak. In the Warbler breeds locally as far course of the tour we can anticipate seeing 25 or more species of warbler, south as the including Cerulean, Mourning, Louisiana and Northern Waterthrushes, Appalachians of and possibly Golden-winged and Swainson’s, as well as Yellow-billed and West Virginia. Black-billed Cuckoos, Acadian and Alder Flycatchers, and Henslow’s Photo: Giff Beaton. Sparrow. Jon Dunn and Giff Beaton lead.

Montana: The Big Loop June 10-19, 2011

The Big Sky State harbors an impressive diversity of birds and an equally wide range of mammals, from pikas to grizzly bears. Our ten-day tour visits forest, prairie, mountain, and marsh in search of what could be as many as 200 species of birds.

Marbled From the Pacific-influenced cedar forests of Glacier National Park to the Godwit—here on wide-open prairies of eastern Montana’s plains, the Big Sky State is home the wintering grounds—is one to an astonishing variety of habitats—and a correspondingly diverse selec - of the splendid tion of otherwise hard-to-find birds. One day will find us scanning prairie-breeding mountain snow fields for White-tailed Ptarmigan, and the next we’ll be shorebirds Montana is watching displaying McCown’s Longspurs on the Great Plains. In Glacier, famous for. Varied Thrushes sing and buzz as Northern Hawk Owls patrol the Photo: Rick Wright. open burns, while the marshes and lakes of the Front Range are haunted by White-faced Ibis and Clark’s Grebes. Out on the grasslands, Ferruginous Hawks soar over the prairies as Baird’s Sparrows sing from the grass. We’ll cover some 1,200 magnificent miles in our ten-day “week,” tallying a fine selection of the birds and mammals for which Montana is famous. Radd Icenoggle and Jon Dunn lead.

page 8 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com To urs by Date The dates listed here are accurate at the time of writing, but tours and schedules may change occasionally. For up-to-the-minute information, visit the WINGS website at www.wingsbirds.com, or make contact with the WINGS office for the latest on itineraries and prices.

January 2011 Jan 6-16 Ecuador: La Selva Lodge Gavin Bieber Jan 8-15 Belize: The Birds of Chan Chich Rich Hoyer Jan 8-16 Mexico: San Blas - Mangroves Steve Howell and Forests Jan 12- 26 Kenya: Kakamega to the Coast David Fisher / (extension to Feb 2) Edwin Selempo Jan 14- 23 California and Arizona: Deserts in Winter Jon Feenstra Jan 15-29 South Africa: The Drakensberg to Kruger Steve Rooke Jan 16-22 Newfoundland: Winter Birds Bruce Mactavish Jan 21- 31 Brazil: The Northeast - Alagoas to Ceará Rich Hoyer

Jan 26-30 UR The Netherlands in Winter James Lidster NEW TO February 2011

Feb 2-6 UR The Netherlands in Winter James Lidster NEW TO Feb 3-10 A Winter Week in Southeastern Arizona Will Russell Feb 4-9 Minnesota in Winter Chris Wood Feb 4-12 Texas: Whooping Cranes and Gavin Bieber the Rio Grande Valley Feb 5-20 Japan in Winter Fergus Crystal (extension to Feb 22) Feb 7-24 India: Ranthambhore, Bharatpur, Paul Holt Nainital, and Corbett

Feb 9-13 UR The Netherlands in Winter James Lidster NEW TO Feb 11-27 Vietnam Richard Craik / (extension to Mar 6) Steve Rooke Feb 12-20 Ecuador: A Week in Paradise Jon Feenstra Feb 12-20 Mexico: The Lacandon Rainforest Steve Howell / and Maya Ruins Rich Hoyer Feb 13-20 The Pacific Northwest in Winter Gavin Bieber

Feb 13-Mar 4 UR Thailand: The Coast to the Highlands Jon Dunn NEW TO Spot-backed Feb 20-Mar 1 Ecuador: The Eastern Antbird. Foothills of the Andes Illustration: Jon Feenstra David Beadle. Feb 25-Mar 3 Guatemala: (extension to Mar 6) The Highlands Gavin Bieber / Hugo Enriquez Feb 26-Mar 12 Sri Lanka Deepal Warakagoda (extension to Mar 14)

March 2011 Mar 2-12 Venezuela: The Tepuis David Fisher and Imataca Forest Reserve Mar 4-12 Mexico: Colima and Jalisco Steve Howell

For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com page 9 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 Mar 4-14 Thailand: Peninsular Thailand Jon Dunn / and Gurney's Pitta Yotin Meekaeo Mar 5-17 Tanzania: Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti Steve Rooke / TOUR NEW James Wolstencroft Mar 11-26 Venezuela: The Andes, Llanos, David Fisher and Coast Range Mar 12-19 Panama: Spring at the Canopy Tower Gavin Bieber UR (extension NEW TO to Mar 23) Mar 27 – Puerto Rico Gavin Bieber TOUR Apr 2 NEW Mar 27 – Ghana: The Gold Coast to the North James Lidster / TOUR Apr 12 NEW Robert Ntakor Mar 27 – Apr 13 Bhutan Paul Holt

April 2011 Apr 1-16 Egypt: Birds and History Bryan Bland Apr 8-17 Texas: The Rio Grande Valley in Spring tba Apr 9-16 Cyprus Steve Rooke Apr 10-17 Jamaica Rich Hoyer UR Apr 13-26 NEW TO Jordan: Migration and Archaeology Jon Feenstra Apr 14-22 Texas: The Upper Coast Jon Dunn Apr 14-24 Colorado: Lekking Grouse Gavin Bieber Apr 16-26 Morocco in Spring James Lidster Apr 17-30 Taiwan Paul Holt Apr 18-24 Spain: Extremadura and Santiago Villa / the Coto Doñana James Lidster Apr 19 – May 19 Western Pacific Odyssey Cruise Steve Howell Apr 21-27 Michigan: Migration in the Derek Lovitch UR NEW TO Upper Peninsula Apr 22-30 Georgia: The High Caucasus Steve Rooke Apr 22-30 Greece: Lesvos Killian Mullarney / Ian Lewington Apr 22 – May 2 Texas: The West Jon Dunn Apr 25 – May 2 Florida: The Keys and the Dry Tortugas Gavin Bieber

Apr 28 – May 14 UR Germany: The Grand Tour Rick Wright NEW TO May 2011 May 6-14 Arizona: Owls and Warblers Gavin Bieber / Rich Hoyer May 7-8 New York City Weekend Starr Sapphir May 7-14 Estonia Antero Topp / Orange River James Lidster Francolin. May 8-28 China: Sichuan Paul Holt / Illustration: Tony Disley. Wang Qingyu May 9-22 Migration in the Midwest: Jon Dunn The Eastern Warblers May 12-30 Central Asia: Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Steve Rooke May 14-23 Bulgaria James Lidster / Nikolay Dilchev May 14-25 Oregon Rich Hoyer / Gavin Bieber May 16-24 Ukraine: Birding the Crimea Paul Goriup / Natasha Goriup May 16-26 Italy: Birds and Art in Tuscany Rick Wright / Marco Valtriani UR May 21-26 NEW TO Alaska: The Pribilofs Gavin Bieber May 22-28 Maine: Monhegan Island in Spring Will Russell

page 10 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com May 24 – Jun 2 Czech Republic: Birds and Music Bryan Bland May 25 – Jun 10 Tanzania: The Eastern Arc Mountains Brian Finch and Ngorongoro May 27 – Jun 5 Alaska: Gambell Jon Dunn / Rich Hoye r / (extensions to Jun 10) Paul Lehman May 29 – Jun 12 Mongolia James Lidster

June 2011 Jun 7-15 Minnesota and North Dakota Chris Wood Jun 10-19 Montana: The Big Loop Radd Icenoggle / TOUR NEW Jon Dunn Jun 10-22 Alaska: Majesty of the North Gavin Bieber (extensions from Jun 7 and to Jun 25) Jun 15-24 Peru: The Northeast Rich Hoyer Jun 15-29 Kenya Brian Finch / (extension to Jul 4) Edwin Selempo Jun 18-27 Maine and New Hampshire Derek Lovitch Jun 22-30 Maryland and West Virginia: TOUR NEW Birding the Civil War Jon Dunn Jun 25 – Jul 1 Peru: Machu Picchu Rich Hoyer and Abra Malaga Jun 25 – Jul 3 Iceland Yann Kolbeinsson Snowy-throated Babbler. July 2011 Illustration: Tony Disley. Jul 1-10 Peru: The North Rich Hoyer Jul 9-17 Ecuador: A Week in Paradise Steve Howell Jul 13-22 Brazil: The Southeast Atlantic Rainforest David Fisher Jul 18-31 Costa Rica: Snowcaps and Sea Turtles Rich Hoyer Jul 23 – Aug 3 Brazil: The Pantanal and David Fisher Rio Cristalino Lodge

August 2011 Aug 3-11 Arizona: Second Spring Jon Dunn Aug 6-20 China: Lhasa and the Tibetan Plateau Paul Holt / Wang Qingyu Aug 22 – Sep 7 Colombia: Andean Endemics David Fisher (extension to Sep 11) Aug 26 – Sep 4 Romania: Birds and Bryan Bland Medieval Monasteries Aug 29 – Sep 8 Alaska: Fall Migration at Gambell Paul Lehman / and the Pribilofs Gavin Bieber

September 2011 Sep 3-17 South Africa: Kalahari to the Cape Steve Rooke Sep 6-18 Arizona and Utah: Jake Mohlmann Migration in the Canyonlands Sep 6-25 Madagascar Brian Finch (extension to Sep 30) Sep 7-17 California: The South Jon Dunn Sep 7-18 Austria: Birds and Music Bryan Bland / Amanda Holden Sep 10-17 New Brunswick: Stuart Tingley A Week on Grand Manan Sep 17-24 Maine: Monhegan Island in Fall Derek Lovitch

For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com page 11 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 Sep 20 – Oct 1 Brazil: Rio Cristalino Jungle Lodge Rich Hoyer Sep 28 – Oct 5 Slovakia: Birds and Music Bryan Bland

October 2011 Oct 2-13 Australia: Tasmania, Victoria, and David Fisher Plains-wanderer Oct 11-29 Peru: Manu and Machu Picchu Rich Hoyer Oct 13-25 Australia: South Australia and David Fisher Northern Territory Oct 22 – Nov 4 Guyana Gavin Bieberr Oct 22 – Nov 5 Oman Killian Mullarney Oct 25 – Nov 5 Australia: Queensland and David Fisher New South Wales Oct 28 – Nov 13 Ethiopia: The Roof of Africa Steve Rooke / Merid Gabremichael Oct 30 – Nov 16 Chile: Tierra del Fuego to Steve Howell the Atacama Desert

November 2011 Nov 2-10 Mexico: Butterflies and Birds Rich Hoyer / Jim Brock Nov 2-12 Ghana: The Upper Guinea Forest James Lidster / Robert Ntakor Nov 5-20 India: Goa Paul Holt Nov 6-13 Morocco in Fall Bryan Bland Nov 16-30 Kenya Brian Finch / Edwin Selempo Nov 18-25 Gambia James Lidster Nov 19-26 Argentina: The High Andes David Fisher Nov 19-30 Panama: The Canopy Tower and Lodge Gavin Bieber Nov 22 – Dec 7 India: Birds and History Bryan Bland Nov 26 – Dec 4 Mexico: The Yucatán and Cozumel Rich Hoyer Nov 26 – Dec 11 Argentina: The Pampas, Patagonia, David Fisher and Tierra del Fuego

December 2011 Dec 3-9 Arizona: Winter Birds Jake Mohlmann Dec 3-10 New Mexico in Winter Gavin Bieber Dec 11-18 Argentina: A Week at Igauzú Falls David Fisher Dec 19 – Jan 2 India: The South and Paul Holt (extension to Jan 9) the Andaman Islands Dec 21-31 Mexico: Oaxaca at Christmastime Rich Hoyer

Lawrence’s Goldfinch. Illustration: Shawneen Finnegan.

page 12 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com To urs by Region The US and Canada

UR Alaska ...... N.E.W.T.O...... The Pribilofs Gambell Majesty of the North Fall Migration at Gambell and the Pribilofs Gambell Leader in Residence Arizona ...... A Winter Week in Southeast Arizona Deserts in Winter Owls and Warblers Second Spring Fall Migration in the Canyonlands Cape Petrel. Winter Birds Illustration: Tony Disley. British Columbia ...... The Pacific Northwest in Winter California ...... Deserts in Winter The Southern Coast, Santa Cruz Island, Salton Sea, and Mohave Desert Colorado ...... Lekking Grouse Florida ...... The Keys and Dry Tortugas Kentucky ...... Migration in the Midwest: The Eastern Wood Warblers Maine ...... Maine and New Hampshire Monhegan Island in Spring Monhegan Island in Fall

Maryland ...... U.R. . . . . Birding the American Civil War NEW TO

Michigan ...... U.R. . . . . Migration in the Upper Peninsula NEW TO Migration in the Midwest: The Eastern Wood Warblers Minnesota ...... Minnesota in Winter Minnesota and North Dakota

Montana ...... U.R. . . . . The Big Loop NEW TO Newfoundland ...... Winter Birds New Brunswick ...... A Week on Grand Manan New Mexico ...... New Mexico in Winter New York ...... New York City Weekend North Dakota ...... Minnesota and North Dakota Ohio ...... Migration in the Midwest: The Eastern Wood Warblers Ontario ...... Migration in the Midwest: The Eastern Wood Warblers Oregon ...... Oregon

For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com page 13 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 Texas ...... Whooping Cranes and the Rio Grande Valley The Rio Grande Valley in Spring The Upper Coast The Edwards Plateau, Big Bend, and the Davis Mountains Utah ...... Fall Migration in the Canyonlands Washington ...... The Pacific Northwest in Winter

UR West Virginia . .N.E.W. T.O...... Birding the American Civil War Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean

Belize ...... The Birds of Chan Chich Costa Rica ...... Snowcaps and Sea Turtles Guatemala ...... The Highlands Jamaica ...... Jamaica Mexico ...... San Blas: Mangroves and Forests The Lacandon Rainforest and Maya Ruins Butterflies and Birds: Gomez Fariás and El Cielo The Yucatán and Cozumel Oaxaca at Christmastime Panama ...... Spring at the Canopy Tower The Canopy Tower and Lodge

UR Puerto Rico . . .N.E.W. T.O...... Puerto Rico South America Rufous-crowned Motmot. Argentina ...... The High Andes Illustration: The Pampas, Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego Sophie Webb. A Week at Iguazú Falls Brazil ...... The Southeast Atlantic Rainforest The Pantanal and Cristalino Jungle Lodge The Northeast: Alagoas to Ceará Cristalino Jungle Lodge Chile . . . . . Tierra del Fuego to the Atacama Desert Colombia . . Andean Endemics Ecuador . . . La Selva Lodge A Week in Paradise The Eastern Foothills of the Andes Guyana . . Guyana Peru . . . . . Machu Picchu and Abra Malaga Marvelous Spatuletail and the Search for Long-whiskered Owlet The Northeast: Explornapo, Canopy Walk, and Mishana Manu and Machu Picchu Venezuela ...... The Tepuis and Imataca Forest Reserve The Andes, Llanos, and Coast Range

page 14 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com Europe and the Middle East

Austria ...... Birds and Music Bulgaria ...... Bulgaria Cyprus ...... Cyprus Egypt ...... Birds and History Estonia ...... Estonia Georgia ...... The High Caucasus

UR Germany ...... N.E.W.T.O...... The Grand Tour Greece ...... Lesvos Iceland ...... Iceland Italy ...... Birds and Art in Tuscany

Jordan ...... U.R. . . . . Migration and a Little Archaeology NEW TO

The Netherlands . . . . . U.R. . . . The Netherlands in Winter NEW TO Oman ...... Oman Romania ...... Birds and Medieval Monasteries Slovakia ...... Birds and Music Spain ...... Extremadura and the Coto Doñana Ukraine ...... Birding the Crimea

Africa

Ethiopia ...... The Roof of Africa Gambia ...... Gambia

UR Ghana ...... N.E.W. T.O...... The Gold Coast to the North The Upper Guinea Forest Kenya ...... Kakamega to the Coast Kenya Madagascar ...... Madagascar Morocco ...... Morocco in Spring Morocco in Fall Gurney’s Pitta. South Africa ...... The Drakensberg to Kruger Illustration: Kalahari to the Cape Tony Disley.

UR Tanzania ...... N.E.W.T.O...... Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti The Eastern Arc Mountains and Ngorongoro Asia

Bhutan ...... Bhutan China ...... Lhasa and the Tibetan Plateau Sichuan India ...... Rhanthambhore, Bharatpur, Nainital, and Corbett Goa The South and the Andaman Islands

For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com page 15 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 Japan ...... Japan in Winter Kazakhstan ...... Central Asia Mongolia ...... Mongolia Sri Lanka ...... Sri Lanka Taiwan ...... Taiwan Thailand ...... The Coast to the Highlands Peninsular Thailand and Gurney’s Pitta Uzbekistan ...... Central Asia Vietnam ...... Vietnam Australia and the Pacific

Australia . . . . .Tasmania, Victoria, and Plains-wanderer South Australia and Northern Territory Thicket Tinamou. Queensland and New South Wales Illustration: Sophie Webb. Cruises

The Western Pacific Odyssey

Whole Landscape Tours WINGS leaders combine their passion for birds with expertise in a sur - prising range of other fields, from butterflies to architecture, from botany to music. Our “Birds and…” tours are designed to appeal to birders with wide-ranging curiosity and to traveling partners whose interest in birds is balanced by a fascination with the cultural or natural historical dimen - sions of our destinations.

Birds and Art ...... Romania: Birds and Medieval Monasteries Italy: Birds and Art in Tuscany UR Germany: The Grand Tour NEW TO Birds and Butterflies ...... Mexico: Butterflies and Birds Birds and History ...... Egypt: Birds and History Romania: Birds and Medieval Monasteries Maryland and West Virginia: Birding the American Civil War Italy: Birds and Art in Tuscany UR NEW TO Germany: The Grand Tour R Jordan: Birds and a Little Archaeology EW TOU N India: Birds and History Birds and Music ...... Austria: Birds and Music Czech Republic: Birds and Music Slovakia: Birds and Music

page 16 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com Leader Profiles Giff Beaton

Giff Beaton has been eagerly studying nature for over 35 years. He is the author of Birding Georgia and The Birds of Kennesaw Mountain , the coauthor of Birds of Georgia , and the senior author and editor of the Annotated Checklist of Georgia Birds . Concentrating on studying and photographing odonates, robber flies, and tiger beetles, he is often found far afield searching for these curious and somewhat elusive creatures. Giff’s latest book, Dragonflies and Damselflies of Georgia and the Southeast , was published in 2007. He lives in Marietta, Georgia, and has been a Delta Air Lines pilot for 20 years.

Merid Gabremichael

Merid Nega Gabremichael was born in northern Ethiopia in 1973. He grew up and went to school in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, where his passion for natural history in general and birds in partic - ular started. Merid eventually moved to Kenya, where in 1996 he took the B.Sc. in Zoology at the University of East Africa; he spent his university breaks birding Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Sudan. After graduation he returned to Ethiopia and began to explore the birds of his home country and neighboring Djibouti and Somalia. His years of field work culminated in the recent publication of Where to Watch Birds in Ethiopia , of which Merid is co-author. When not traveling, Merid lives in Addis with his wife and three sons.

Natasha Goriup

After taking a degree in Biology from the University of Odessa, Natasha Goriup joined the staff of the Danube Nature Reserve in Vilkovo, where she worked as a plant ecologist and site manager. From 1992 to 1994 she was Deputy Director and Head of the Science Department; it was during this time that the reserve was declared a Transnational Biosphere Reserve. In 1995, Natasha joined the Nature Conservation Bureau (UK) as a Project Manager, working on biodiversity issues in Ukraine, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and Abu Dhabi (UAE). Between 1997 and 2001, Natasha developed and managed the WWF Partners for Wetlands Project in Ukraine. She is now the Director of Odessa-based Salix Ltd., our ground agent in Ukraine. Natasha brings to our tours a deep knowledge of the natural world and an eagerness to inform her tour participants about all aspects of Ukrainian culture and history.

For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com page 17 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 Leader Profiles Paul Goriup

Paul Goriup has worked in conservation for more than 30 years. He has served as Head of Birdlife International’s conservation pro - gram and Director of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, and is the founder of NatureBureau and Fieldfare International Ecological Development. Paul was also involved in the formation of the National Avian Research Center in Abu Dhabi. Since 1990, he has worked extensively in the Lower Danube and around the Black Sea for bodies such as the EU, the Black Sea Commission, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. A keen birder of long standing, Paul chaired the IUCN Bustard Specialist Group for 18 years and is currently involved with the Great Bustard reintroduction project in England.

Radd Icenoggle

Radd Icenoggle’s first lifebird was a Long-billed Curlew in the hayfields of his family’s northwest Montana ranch. Along with his passion for birds and birding, Radd has experience in backcountry travel and deep interests in other plants and ani - mals including butterflies and herps. Radd holds a degree in biology with an emphasis on habitat relationships. His thesis explored the effect of slope aspect on Clark’s Nutcracker in southwestern Montana. After col - lege, Radd worked for the US Forest Service as a botanist, bird biologist, and hydrology technician. He is the author of Birds in Place: A Habitat- based Guide to the Birds of the Northern Rockies , illustrated with his own photographs of more than 280 species. From Our Leaders Europe, Africa, and the Middle East The wild habitats of what is perhaps the least wild of the continents are full of avian surprises, as Dan Brown , James Lidster , Killian Mullarney , and Rick Wright report.

As this year’s group arrived on Cyprus , dark clouds rumbled and the weather changed for the worse—or for the better: the next morning was deluged with migrants. Not many European tours can boast Caspian Plover as virtually the first bird of the trip! Our first outing produced a stunning male Caspian Plover feeding among groups of Blue-headed, Ashy-headed, and Black-headed Wagtails, and good numbers of Red-

page 18 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com From Our Leaders throated Pipits. Further forays along the coastal plains produced a Cyprus rarity in the form of six fly-by Laughing Doves, while newly cut fields heaved with birds. One field held over a hundred blushing Red-throated Pipits peppered among glowing Yellow Wagtails. Asprokremnos can always be relied on to hold something of interest, and along with excellent views of both the endemics (Cyprus Warbler and Cyprus Pied Wheatear), we also located a fine Barred Warbler, Squacco Herons, Chukar, and Alpine Swifts. The infamous mistral welcomed us to Provence , and reeds and waters were in constant and chaotic motion on our first day. But persistence and good luck eventually gave us all five of the “French fancies”: Common Cuckoo, Eurasian Hoopoe, European Bee-eater, European Roller, and Common Kingfisher, with multiple individuals of all but the last. We Moussier’s tallied nearly all of the regular long-legged waders, including Glossy Ibis Redstart is a and a beautiful male Little Bittern. Europe is full of landscapes where handsome West Palearctic Rarity. natural history and cultural history merge, and Tuscany —the heart of Photo: James Lidster. ancient Etruria—is one of the most eloquent examples. We found European Bee-eaters nesting in the same tuff banks out of which the Etruscans carved their tombs, while breeding Peregrine Falcons flew screeching over our heads at Florence’s magnificent cathedral. And no visit to the steep Apennines of northern Tuscany is complete without a stop at the Ponte del Diavolo, where we watched European Crag Martins dart in and out of the mysterious thousand-year-old bridge. Morocco was first-class from the very start, with Levaillant’s Woodpecker, African Blue Tit, Atlas Chaffinch, and “Atlas” Long-legged Buzzard before our deli - cious lunch. A hike up one of the mountains led us to Seebohm’s Wheatear and a small group of African Crimson-winged Finches. From the fringes of the Sahara, we retraced our steps towards Ouarzazate, enjoying two Ruddy Shelducks, a Long-legged Buzzard, and Brown- necked Ravens all fighting with each other. On top of all the great birds, we enjoyed great company and a range of local delicacies. Birding in Oman is never dull. In our first days, we enjoyed great views of White- winged and Whiskered Terns, Pacific Golden Plover, Greater and Lesser Sand Plovers, Crested and Lesser Crested Terns, Terek Sandpiper, Western Reef Egret, Black-crowned Finch-lark, Purple Sunbird, Black Redstarts of the race semirufus , and Red-tailed Wheatear. An immaculate juvenile Sooty Falcon seemed oblivious to our attention as it perched just 50 yards away, while several more patrolled the precipitous cliffs of the Ras Al Sawadi islands.

Asia WINGS groups have always been at the very cutting edge of birding in Asia, exploring new localities and making unexpected discoveries at traditional sites. Paul Holt and Richard Craik report on our latest adventures in the Far East.

For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com page 19 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 From Our Leaders Our 2010 tour of Sichuan was a source of continual elation. When our first stunning male Firethroat came right out and sat still, we knew at that moment that the title of “Bird of the Tour” was already in the bag. We’d already had an excellent day, with no less than 12 Tibetan Snowcocks, seven Chestnut-throated Partridges, two White Eared Pheasants, a Wood Snipe, and Rufous-tailed Babbler and Chinese Fulvetta. This year’s Vietnam experience started at Van Long, where our encounter with a dozen or so Delacour’s Langurs probably represented 5% of this beautiful monkey’s world population. We also saw six species of heron, White-browed Crake, and White-throated and Common Kingfishers, while Pheasant-tailed Jacanas made exotic compan- ions for a flock of Garganey. Top billing at Cuc Phuong went to the Bar-bellied Pittas that played hide-and-seek on the rainforest floor. At Tam Dao, we got to know Chestnut Bulbul, Rufous- headed Parrotbill, Silver-eared Mesia, Schaeffer’s Fulvetta, and Collared Babbler. We encountered all the Dalat Plateau endemics, and the Ta Nung Valley produced Gray-crowned Crocias, Orange-breasted Laughingthrushes, and Vietnamese Cutias. Sichuan is famous for its spectacular pheasants. Photo: Paul Holt. North America WINGS continues to visit the continent’s greatest hotspots and little-known gems, adding to them our leaders’ favorite “secret” sites to make our tours as rewarding for old hands as for beginners. Rich Hoyer , Jon Dunn , Chris Wood , Gavin Bieber , and Derek Lovitch report on some of their recent tours.

The full effect of Oregon’s wide range of habitats and landforms was experienced as we explored the coast, wet coastal forests, high mountain meadows, rich coniferous woodlands, and open sagebrush desert. A stun - ning and cooperative male MacGillivray’s Warbler, an in-your-face pair of Wrentits, eye-level Vaux’s Swifts, adorable Pacific Wrens, a confiding Northern Pygmy-Owl, a male Lazuli Bunting illuminated by perfect afternoon sunlight, and a Varied Thrush in wet rainforest were some of the west-side highlights. On the drier side of the Cascades, the wood - peckers made memorable appearances, with all three gorgeous sapsuckers (and some hybrids), a pair of Pileateds, and White-headed Woodpecker at close range. Especially memorable were a Long-eared Owl hooting and seen in flight and a brave Northern Saw-whet tooting from the top of a fir bough. A blindingly blue male Mountain Bluebird in the sun just out - side the van, a Chukar making us stop in the middle of the highway, and a habitat-finessed “Slate-colored” Fox Sparrow were some more of the most memorable birds. This year’s California: Southern Sierra and Kern River tour experienced comfortable lowland temperatures and high elevations where deciduous vegetation still hadn’t leafed out. Ornithological highlights included eleven species of woodpecker, includ - ing Red-breasted and Williamson’s Sapsuckers, White-headed, and even a

page 20 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com From Our Leaders male Black-backed— probably the most southerly record ever. Other highlights included Mountain Quail and Chukar, prolonged studies of a calling Sooty Grouse, close flight views of a pair of Golden Eagles, Willow (the endangered extimus subspecies) and Brown-crested Flycatchers, Summer Tanager, Pinyon Jays including begging juveniles, multiple Le Conte’s Thrashers, hundreds of juvenile canescens Sage Sparrows, American Dipper, and four Lawrence’s Goldfinches. The mon - soon rains of Arizona’s Second Spring began about on time this year, and the searing temperatures lowered soon after our arrival. A Berylline Hummingbird, one of 13 hummingbird species (including Calliope, two White-eared, and a male Lucifer) we recorded, was probably our rarest species. We also had an adult and a juvenile Short-tailed Hawk at Barfoot Park. We found nearly all of the expected species, including Montezuma Quail; Common Black-Hawk; Zone-tailed, Gray, and Harris’s Hawks; Mississippi Kite; six species of owls, including a pair of Spotted; Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet; Gray Vireo; Mexican Chickadee; Bendire’s and Crissal Thrashers; and Five-striped Sparrow. The reptiles and amphibians put on a great show, too, with four toads, three species of rattlesnake, a Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake, and a Greater Short-horned Lizard. There’s no better time to visit Colorado than April. Barrow’s Goldeneyes lingered along the Colorado River. Brown-capped Rosy- Finches remained in spectacular numbers in Crested Butte. Boreal Owls, already paired and likely incubating eggs, still sang under a spectacular starry sky. Williamson’s Sapsuckers had recently arrived to vied for our attention with throngs of Red Crossbills, Pygmy Nuthatches, and Pine Siskins. Green- lined riparian woods sheltered migrants including Gray and Ash-throated Flycatchers, Virginia’s Warbler, and Northern Parula. Shorebird migration was nearing full swing, and a Mountain Plover delighted us with its magnificent courtship display flight. April is The stakes are also a time for the unexpected—this year a Summer Tanager in a feedlot, high on a Greater Prairie-Chicken an Osprey in a dirt field, and an early Mississippi Kite virtually side by lek. side with a Prairie Falcon and a Peregrine Falcon. But nothing about this Photo: Chris Wood. season is as rewarding as the fantastic displays of the grouse, from bizarre sage-grouse to foot-stomping sharp-taileds, from the maniacal cackles of Lesser Prairie-Chicken to a displaying Dusky Grouse. This spring’s trip to the Upper Texas Coast proved to us that the region had recovered signif - icantly from Hurricane Ike. We tallied 28 species of warbler, including Golden-winged, three Ceruleans, and Swainson’s. An “Audubon’s” Warbler in Louisiana was casual. Some thirty Worm-eating Warblers at Sabine Woods was memorable. Scarlet and Summer Tanagers, Rose- breasted Grosbeaks, and Orchard Orioles were abundant. In the fields we

For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com page 21 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 From Our Leaders found Upland and Buff-breasted Sandpipers, including a tally of 175 of the latter species. Mississippi Kites, Prairie Warblers, and Bachman’s Sparrows were in the piney woods near Jasper. This year’s West Texas tour experienced much cooler temperatures than normal. The winter rains resulted in an abundance of flowers in the desert of Big Bend National Park. In the Hill Country we had superb views of Black-capped Vireos and Golden-cheeked Warblers, while in Big Bend we had numer - ous Colima Warblers, Lucifer Hummingbird, Gray Vireo, and Common Black, Zone-tailed, and Gray Hawks. In the Davis Mountains, we had good studies of a Buff-breasted Flycatcher along with Mountain Chickadee, Grace’s Warbler, and Hepatic Tanager. A pair of Montezuma Quail visited the feeder in Davis Mountains State Park. At nearby Lake Balmorhea there were Clark’s and Western Grebes and a range of shore - birds. The Spring Florida tour took in the seemingly endless “sea of grass” of the Everglades, beautiful cypress bottomlands, upland pine-oak scrub and savanna, coastal mangroves and bays, and stretches of sparkling white beaches. Even the heavily developed metropolitan coastline main - tains protected areas sheltering much more than just the “exotics.” We had outstanding views of Glossy and White Ibis, Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, twelve species of heron, and Limpkin. Tropical South Florida supports large numbers of exotic species, and we located three species of parrot, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Common Myna, and Spot-breasted Oriole. On the Dry Tortugas we were amazed to find three dozen Yellow- billed Cuckoos, 18 species of warbler, and a smattering of buntings, vire - os, and thrushes around Fort Jefferson. We had great views of virtually all of the South Florida specialties, with standouts including a pair of Mangrove Cuckoos, a group of Shiny Cowbirds, a La Sagra’s Flycatcher, White-crowned Pigeon, Antillean Nighthawk, and Black-whiskered Vireo. Maine and New Hampshire offer some interesting juxtapositions, and we capitalized on that diversity by experiencing the range of habitats, from beach and salt marsh to alpine tundra atop Mount Washington. This year’s tour tallied 20 species of warbler, nine flycatchers, seven thrushes, five terns, five vireos, and four alcids. Highlights included a great Roseate Tern show, one of the best Upland Sandpiper performances ever, a fourth state record of Eared Grebe, Bicknell’s Thrush, Black- backed Woodpecker, a Spruce Grouse hen with chicks, and—of course— Machias Seal Island.

The Caribbean Rich Hoyer reflects on a week on a tropical island. Sounds good!

Jamaica had just experienced one of the driest winters on record but the spigot, opened with our arrival: not just the rain, but also the bird breed - ing activity. An Orangequit disappeared with a filament into a dead cecropia leaf, a Rufous-tailed Flycatcher gathered mouthsful of shredded bark, White-eyed Thrushes vanished with globs of mud—and birds were singing everywhere. By the afternoon of day one we had already had at

page 22 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com From Our Leaders least brief looks at 22 endemics. In the following days we would gradu - ally accrue perfect looks at every endemic, and still have time to mar - vel at the many endemic plants, butterflies, and snails.

A Letter from Peru The contrasts we've been experiencing in Peru these past weeks have been The acrobatic Jamaican Oriole bewildering and exciting. To go in just a couple of days from lowland is one of more rainforests to high mountain passes above treeline seems nothing short of than two dozen impossible—yet that’s just what we’ve done. And we also somehow endemics reliably squeezed in a visit to the justly famous ruins of Machu Picchu, as well as found on our tour of this beautiful an afternoon on the coast today, where we saw such amazing birds as island. Humboldt’s Penguins and Inca Terns. Photo: Rich Hoyer.

At the jungle lodges downriver from Iquitos, we saw most of those river- island specialists whose range maps are veins of squiggles along the Amazon and the lower stretches of its major tributaries, such as the Napo. But for me, the peak of anticipation came during our walks on the jungle trails, never knowing when we might run into a mixed flock, an ant swarm with its attendant antbirds, or some elusive rainforest rarity. Seeing nearly 40 species of antbirds (including the spectacular White-plumed Antbird at a small swarm of the diminutive Labidus praedator ), discover - ing a Rufous-tailed Xenops in a canopy flock by watching for its nuthatch-like creeping, spotting the glowing red of a perched Black- necked Red Cotinga, and having a Spectacled Owl fly in at the break of dawn have been just some of the highlights.

Then suddenly we found ourselves in the highlands of the department of Cusco, where Inca Wrens called from bamboo thickets and flocks of tan - agers graced the river valley forests below. We got great views of Silvery- throated Tanager, several White-capped Dippers, and Torrent Ducks, and marveled at the efficiency of a system that can deliver 3,000 people each and every day of the year up and down a tortuous mountain road. Over the pass of Abra Malaga, we did very well by actually seeing two antpittas in one morning. For the first, we crawled into the understory of the bam - boo to iPod in a Rufous Antpitta, which we barely glimpsed. But the Red-and-white Antpitta did the impossible: it chose as a singing perch a bamboo branch that was perfectly visible from just one spot on the paved road, through a small hole in the wall of vegetation; even our driver, Guillermo, got to watch it through the spotting scope. We finished this leg of the tour with an exhilarating hike to a Polylepis grove, where we teased out several species restricted to this woodland, including Ash- breasted Tit-Tyrant, White-browed Tit-Spinetail, Giant Conebill, and

For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com page 23 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 2 e 9 Z g 7 d d a A r . e t t , a D o s r I n d o o N o n s P A t s i a e . t c P r m u S S r P . T e U P . 9 d A 0 e . 1 t S s . . e e t U u S q S y 2 e a 1 R 7 W 5 e n 8 G c o i a n v n r r e o z e v i l N r S A A e . I , g N n n o 3 s a c 4 h u 6 W 1 C T From Our Leaders Stripe-headed Antpitta. The open, tundra-like vegetation and patches of bunch grass also hosted several kinds of canasteros, ground-tyrants, and various high-elevation finches.

I've absorbed a lot of information, even seen quite a few new birds myself, and have become infatuated with Peru these past few weeks. Even as we prepare to embark on the third and final leg of this summer's tours, I already look forward to showing next year's participants what an amaz - ing country this is. Rich Hoyer , July 2010 Private Tours

Each year, WINGS arranges a number of private tours for groups and individuals. Recent months have seen our Senior Leaders guiding birders in the US, Mexico, Peru, Europe, China and other sites around the world. In addition to flexible scheduling and even more personal atten - tion, birders on private tours benefit from the leader’s ability to tailor the route and itinerary to the participants’ needs, whether that involves con - centrating on a “target list” or taking the time for a complete natural his - tory experience. You can request your own private tour at any time, for yourself, your friends, or your bird club, by calling or e-mailing us here at WINGS. page 24 … WINGS News Autumn 2010 For details on all WINGS tours, visit www.wingsbirds.com