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Discover Guyana, South America

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Discover Guyana, South America Discover Guyana, South America November 12 – 22, 2013 With Elissa Landre Guyana is not well known to birders. The only English-speaking country in South America, once known as British Guiana, extends from the Caribbean coast to the Amazon, bordered on the east by Suriname, to the south and southwest by Brazil, and to the west by Venezuela. The topography is unique: sheer sandstone mesas rising abruptly above the ancient Guiana Shield rock are famous for spectacular waterfalls, landscapes, and abundance of birds and mammals. You may not know that Guyana’s Kaieteur Falls is the world’s highest free-falling waterfall; a single massive, thundering cataract nearly five times the height of Niagara Falls. Guyana is a fascinating mix of British, Caribbean, East Indian, and Amerindian cultures. The food is a delicious blend of all of these and the markets are a rich mélange of people and products. Like Belize, another former British colony which achieved its independence, Guyana is trying to define itself. This adventure is a little off the beaten path, but definitely worth it— Not only for the great bird list you will bring home, but because you can support the growing movement of Guyanans who care about preserving the diversity of their nature within the diversity of their culture. Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 800-289-9504 DAY-TO-DAY ITINERARY th November 12 , 2013 – ARRIVE GEORGETOWN, GUYANA Arrive in the morning at Cheddi Jagan International Airport where we will meet our local guide. There will be time to rest and check into our hotel, then visit the Georgetown Botanical Gardens, a parkland with grassy areas, scattered trees, shrubs, and several ponds and wet areas. Here, we will target several special including Blood-coloured Woodpecker, White-bellied Piculet, Spotted Tody-Flycatchers, Rusty-margined Flycatchers, Southern Beardless and Yellow Tyrannulets, Lesser Kiskadee, Black-capped Donacobius, Yellow Oriole, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Wing-barred Seedeater, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Black-collared Hawk, Snail Kites, and, in the tree tops, Red-shouldered Macaws, Orange- winged, Yellow-crowned, Mealy Amazons, and, with luck, the Festive Amazon, a species in serious decline due to the illegal pet trade in parrots. If the trees are flowering, we will search for hummingbirds such as Black-throated Mango and Glittering and White-bellied Emeralds. What a fitting way to start our tour and without even leaving Georgetown! Overnight in Georgetown (Cara Lodge). Dinner provided at the lodge. th November 13 , 2013 – GEORGETOWN / KARANAMBU LODGE After an early breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to Ogle International Airport for a scheduled flight heading south to Karanambu Lodge arriving around noon. Once off the ground, you will see many hectares of sugar cane before flying over uninterrupted tropical rainforest, making up about 80 percent of Guyana’s landmass. This rainforest is one of the largest still intact in the world. Once you have settled into your cabins, your hosts, the legendary Diane McTurk, Andrea and Salvador DeCaries, will welcome you to the Karanambu family. Following a delicious lunch, there will be enough time for a quick siesta before heading out on the Rupununi River by boat where you will spend the rest of the afternoon among water lilies (Victoria amazonica), other tropical aquatic plants, and, no doubt, some wildlife. As night steps in, we will scan the river banks for rare birds such as Lesser Razor-billed Curassow, Agami Heron, Sunbittern, Boat-billed Heron, and Undulated Tinamou. During this time, we will also listen for night birds such as Tropical and Northern Tawny-bellied Screech Owls, Band-tailed Nighthawk, and Great Potoo. Tonight’s dinner will be around the family dining table with Diane’s storytelling, accompanied by the delicious ranch menu and a seemingly endless supply of Karanambu’s special Passion Fruit Rum Eldorado Punch. Overnight at Karanambu Ranch (B, L, D). http://www.karanambulodge.com/ November 14th, 2013 – KARANAMBU LODGE This morning we will start with a cup of Brazilian-style coffee before heading out into the Rupununi Savannah. As we move across the savannah, we will scan the vast wetland areas for Bearded Tachuri, Sharp-tailed Ibis, Yellowish Pipit, Pinnate Bittern, Brazilian Teal, White- tailed Goldenthroat, Vermillion Flycatcher, Bicoloured Wren, Double- striped Thick-knee, and Maguari Storks. This is also our best chance to see the remarkable Giant Anteater. Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society Giant Anteater 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 800-289-9504 In the afternoon, we will have another opportunity to travel on the Rupununi River. This time we will head down river to Simony Lake where we are likely to find Green-and-rufous and Amazon Kingfishers, Sungrebe, Bare-necked Fruitcrow, and Spot-breasted Woodpecker. In addition, we have a good chance of seeing Black and Spectacled Caimans, Giant River Otter, many species of monkeys, and perhaps the occasional Arapaima and River Stingray. Our sunset boat expedition wraps up with a delicious and hearty dinner back at the ranch, with the best selection of vegetarian dishes. Overnight at Karanambu Ranch (B, L, D). November 15th, 2013 – KARANAMBU / SURAMA Before dawn, and after coffee or tea and a typically generous ranch breakfast, we hop aboard our 4X4s for an early morning departure. Today, our journey takes us eastward across the Northern Rupununi Savannah lands. The road we follow skirts numerous gallery forests and wetland areas offering great views of a variety of herons and ducks including, Jabiru, Grey Seedeater, Vermillion Flycatcher, Bicoloured Wren, Grassland Yellow Finch, Yellowish Pipit, Crested Bobwhite, and Aplomado Falcon. After a rewarding morning on the savannah, the road leads us to what must be Guyana’s best-equipped ‘truck stop’ (although you’ll be lucky to actually spot a truck at this outland oasis) for a quick pit stop and a snack before moving on to the Amerindian village of Surama. Lying amidst a rich rainforest punctuated by the rugged Pakaraima Mountains, Surama has become a model for Amerindian ecotourism by creating an innovative system of locally designed natural and cultural conservation. Upon arrival we will be greeted by the lodge staff who will invite us to relax, freshen up, enjoy the beautifully landscaped grounds, relax in a hammock, and dine together in the central Benab. Accommodations at Surama are comfortably rustic, with a mix of traditional en suite Benab-style huts and a newer, also en suite, brick guest building. Overnight at Surama Eco-Lodge (B, L, D). http://suramaecolodge.com November 16th, 2013 – HARPY EAGLE AND GUIANAN COCK-OF-THE-ROCK SURAMA AREA –Today, we again make an early start in our 4x4 vehicles for a 30-minute drive to the Harpy Eagle trail. We will walk for 45 minutes through beautiful pristine rainforest before arriving at the nesting site where the morning will be dedicated to observing Harpy Eagle activity, taking photos, and, if we are lucky, we may witness the male bringing in prey for the female. After we have seen the bird well, we will continue to the lek of the Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock where we will have our first chance to see this beautiful bird. Following a satisfying sighting, we will return to Surama for lunch and a well- deserved cold beer or cold drink of your choice. Afternoon birding will include forest edges and a nearby Great Potoo and Mottled Owl roost. At dusk we will look for White-tailed Nightjar, Least and Lesser Nighthawks, and Tropical and Northern Tawny-bellied Screech Owls. Overnight at Surama Eco-Lodge (B, L, D). Harpy Eagle Harpy Eagle Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 800-289-9504 November 17th, 2013 – SURAMA / ATTA RAINFOREST LODGE / CANOPY WALKWAY We will enjoy a pre-dawn breakfast before leaving Surama Eco-Lodge and driving to the Atta Rainforest Lodge. This morning, our birding activities will occur along the roadside between Surama and the Canopy Walkway. In the afternoon, we will bird from our vantage point in the canopy, 30 meters (100 feet) above the forest floor. From the platforms of the Canopy Walkway we may see White Bellbird, Purple-breasted and Spangled Cotingas, Dusky Purpletuft, Guianan Puffbird, and Red-necked Woodpecker. At dusk, our local guide will call in the White-winged Potoo with a traditional whistle. Overnight at Atta Rainforest Lodge (B, L, D). November 18th, 2013 – ATTA RAINFOREST LODGE At dawn, we will again visit the Canopy Walkway to look for passing flocks of canopy-dwelling species. Some possibilities include Todd’s Antwren, Spot-tailed Antwren, Guianan Toucanet, Guianan Puffbird, Dusky Purpletuft, Paradise Tanager, Opal-rumped Tanager, Golden-sided Euphonia, Green Honeycreeper, and Black-faced Dacnis. This entire morning will involve birding on the Canopy Walkway and the trails around the lodge. After lunch, we will spend the afternoon birding on the main road through the Iwokrama Forest, visiting a habitat called Mori Scrub. Black Manakin and Rufous-crowned Elaenia are two key species that occur in this type of vegetation. Along this road are some of the best opportunities for seeing White Bellbird, Pompadour and Purple-breasted Cotingas, Blue-cheeked Amazon, and Blue-backed Tanager. While birding along the road, we must keep our eyes open for the elusive Jaguar, which is often seen at dawn and dusk. Late evening, as we make our way back to Atta Lodge, we will use a spotlight to do some night birding, mainly looking for owls and potoos, while at the same time staying alert for a possible encounter with a Tapir. Overnight at Atta Rainforest Lodge (B, L, D). November 19th, 2013 – ATTA RAINFOREST LODGE / ROCK VIEW LODGE After breakfast and early morning birding at the environs of Atta Lodge, we will travel back through the forest towards the Village of Annai, dedicating the morning hours to birding along the road in search of the many species of cotingas that arepresent here.
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