FG Sept 2016 News_FG December 2010 News 9/1/16 12:49 PM Page 1 SEPTEMBER 2016 fieldguides® B I R D I N G T O U R S W O R L D W I D E Mouth of the Amazon OUR TOURS Jan Pierson s we go to press with this issue, we’ve just wrapped up our annual Field Guides meeting in Arizona and are heading back to Kenya, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, England, and numerous locations stateside. It wasn’t a birding tour A(though of course we went out birding!), yet there were Iceland many parallels with Field Guides tours. Several folks put in a lot of quiet and detailed logistical work behind the scenes to set it all up; destinations, and, of course, a fun and carefree holiday for you. On there was the great camaraderie of being on site; someone was tour or at our annual meeting, it’s who we are. always double-checking to be sure everyone who wanted to make an Combined, our guides and office are a tight-knit community of outing or see something in particular had a chance to do so; chairs professionals who know each other well, work together seamlessly, were shifted at a table to welcome one more person; each of us and care deeply about the success of your tour—we love what we do. touched base with every other person at the meeting; and there was Our community also includes myriad long-time clients who have a steady stream of smiles and laughter. become good friends over the years. They are our best advertising For more than 30 years, our goal has been to make every Field and often enjoy introducing new clients to the “Field Guides way” as Guides tour a great individual and group adventure, a rich learning much as we do! experience about birds and much more, a chance to share Just back from our annual gathering, we look forward to the discoveries with friends old and new, an exploration of nature’s great coming year. Let’s go have a great tour experience together! Photos by guide Eric Hynes and participants David & Judy Smith, Henry Trombley & Valerie Gebert Texas Jaguar Spotting Also in this issue: 2/Upcoming Tours 3/Fresh From The Field 9/Our Guides 16_1404_FG December 2010 News 8/30/16 5:47 PM Page 2 Jewels of Ecuador: Hummers, Tanagers & Borneo I—February 28-March 17, 2017 Hawaii—March 30-April 8, 2017 with Dan Antpittas I & II—January 21-February 7, with Megan Edwards Crewe & local guide. Lane. We’ll visit three of the major islands— UPCOMING 2017 and March 21-April 7, 2017 with Willy Three prime areas in some of Earth’s richest Oahu, Kauai, and Hawaii—giving us a Perez. Survey of Andean Ecuador; diverse forests while based in comfort right in the chance to sample a great portion of the avifauna dominated by colorful hummers and wild. Hawaiian endemic birds and the seabird tanagers and more subtle and haunting specialties. TOURS antpittas. March 2017 Ghana: Window into West African For details, please contact our Northern India: Birds, Tiger & the Taj Birding—March 30-April 18, 2017 with Phil office or check our web site. Mahal—January 28-February 17, 2017 with Colombia: Santa Marta Escape— Gregory & local guide. In search of numerous Terry Stevenson. Fantastic adventure from March 4-12, 2017 with Richard Webster & West African specialties as well as White- the Ganges plains to the Himalayan foothills, local guide. An easier subset of “Bogota, the necked Rockfowl. with the Bharatpur wetlands, a good chance Magdalena Valley & Santa Marta,” reached January 2017 of Tiger, and the wondrous Taj Mahal. by a direct flight from Miami with a couple more days for a more leisurely approach. Holiday Tours Nowhere but Northeast Brazil!— January 9-27, 2017 (Southern Bahia February 2017 Southwestern Ecuador Specialties: November 2016 Extension) with Bret Whitney & Dan Lane. Jocotoco Foundation Reserves— From beautiful beaches to barren badlands, NEW/Colombia: Medellin Escape: Andes & March 4-18, 2017 with Mitch Lysinger. Holiday at San Isidro, Ecuador— Valleys—February 4-13, 2017 with Richard Focuses on the many specialties of the our tour is a quest for specialties of the November 19-28, 2016 with Mitch Lysinger. A endangered caatinga, chapada, and Atlantic Webster & local guide. Rich forests from the southwest, in particular the very local bird-rich holiday escape based primarily at the Forest habitats. The Southern Bahia foothills to treeline are accessed from good endemics of the humid foothills and very comfortable San Isidro Lodge. Extension offers an opportunity to see many country hotels and comfortable ecotourism mountains and Tumbesian specialties. additional endemic birds, some of which are lodges at some of Colombia’s best private not seen on our Spectacular Southeast Brazil reserves. Many Colombian endemics Brazil Nutshell: Intervales, Iguazu Falls & Holiday Mexico: Yucatan & Cozumel— tours. expected, but the tour is primarily an the Pantanal I & II—March 4-18, 2017 and November 19-28, 2016 with Chris Benesh & opportunity to gorge on the birds of the Andes March 25-April 8, 2017 with Marcelo Padua. local guide. A tour for the most interesting birds Guyana: Wilderness Paradise I & II— after a short flight across the Caribbean. This medium-length tour hits three of of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula amidst its January 12-23, 2017 and January Brazil’s premier birding venues, staying attractive Mayan sites and only a short flight 28-February 8, 2017 with Megan Edwards Birding Plus/Birds & Wines of Chile and several nights at each to ensure an from the US. Crewe & local guide. A survey of the Argentina—February 4-18, 2017 with unhurried pace as we rack up some 400 country’s vast untrammeled rainforest, with Marcelo Padua & John Coons. A tour species of birds. Peru’s Rarely Explored South: High Arid an emphasis on Guianan shield specialties combining an exploration of the great birds Deserts & Nazca Lines—November 19- and side trips to coastal and savanna and vineyards of these two wonderful East Africa Highlights: Kenya & Tanzania— December 1, 2016 with Jesse Fagan. A tour over regions and spectacular Kaieteur Falls. countries! March 4-24, 2017 with Terry Stevenson. the Thanksgiving break through grand Peruvian Combines the richest birding and mammal landscapes to many birding sites south of Lima, Amazonian Ecuador: Sacha Lodge I & II— Cambodia: Angkor Temples & Vanishing spots in Kenya and northern Tanzania: from Cusco and Arequipa to Lake Titicaca and January 13-22, 2017 with Willy Perez & local Birds—February 4-18, 2017 with Phil Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Great Rift Nazca. Coastal and Andean birding at its best. guide and February 3-12, 2017 with Mitch Gregory. A “last chance” destination for some Valley, Kakamega Forest, and more. An Lots of endemics and Peruvian near-endemics. Lysinger & local guide. One-site tour to one of the large, rare Asian waterbirds now impressive diversity of habitats, many with of the most comfortable lodges in western extinct in neighboring countries, plus spectacular scenery. December 2016 Amazonia with some of the birdiest canopy additional regional specialties and world- platforms anywhere. famous Angkor Wat. Puerto Rico—March 11-17, 2017 with Tom Iquitos, Peru: Canopy Walkways & Ancient Johnson. A week of respite to a very birdy Forests—December 17-28, 2016 with Dan Lane. South Texas Rarities—January 14-20, 2017 Panama’s Canopy Tower—February 5-11, and beautiful Caribbean island, a mix of Two-week immersion in one of the most species- with Chris Benesh. Escape the winter birding 2017 (Canopy Lodge Extension) with Chris North American and local culture and rich regions of Amazonia, including the doldrums on our week-long tour to the bird- Benesh & local guide. A towering introduction cuisine; 17 endemic birds and a number of white-sand forests near Iquitos. rich Rio Grande Valley, with specialties from to Neotropical birds based entirely at a other Caribbean specialties. kiskadees and Green Jays to Hook-billed unique lodge; quick access to famous Holiday Costa Rica: Pipeline Road. Spring in South Texas—March 11-19, 2017 Kites and Altamira Orioles. And the winter Rancho Naturalista I & II—December 18-26, potential for Mexican vagrants is terrific! with Chris Benesh. Magnificent Whooping 2016 with Megan Edwards Crewe & local guide Mexico: Oaxaca—February 11-18, 2017 with Cranes, lots of South Texas specialties, and and December 30, 2016-January 7, 2017 with Costa Rica: Birding the Edges—January Dan Lane. Superb birding with two dozen spring hawk migration on this exciting tour. 14-23, 2017 (Part 1) and January 22-31, Mexican endemics and fascinating ruins Jesse Fagan & local guide. One-site holiday tour 2017 (Part 2) with Tom Johnson & local while based in lovely Oaxaca City. Panama’s Canopy Tower & Lodge—March based at the comfortable Rancho Naturalista guide. A two-parted tour to this bird-rich 12-19, 2017 with John Coons & local guide. Lodge, with excursions to other habitats on country exploring sites and birds not covered Guatemala: Shade-grown Birding—February Combining the best of both worlds into a Costa Rica’s bird-rich Caribbean slope. on our March or holiday tours. 11-19, 2017 (Temples of Tikal Extension) with great week—the Canopy Tower and Pipeline Jesse Fagan. Resplendent Quetzal, a host of Road with the Canopy Lodge and the Arizona Winter Specialties—December 29, Colombia: Bogota, the Magdalena Valley & hummingbirds, and Azure-rumped Tanager montane forest of El Valle de Anton. 2016-January 4, 2017 with Chris Benesh. Santa Marta—January 14-29, 2017 with set against a dramatic volcanic landscape Exceptional winter birding on a short tour with Jesse Fagan & local guide.