WINGS E-mail NewsletterJanuary 2010

Bhutan

Ancient traditions still form an integral part of daily life in Bhutan. Photo: Paul Holt.

March 28 - April 15, 2010: Isolated by some of the highest mountain ranges on earth, Bhutan has preserved its fascinating culture and traditions. Tourist quotas are severe, and few travelers and even fewer birdwatchers have had first-hand experience of this unique and diverse country. Over 70 percent of the land surface is forested, only a small fraction is cultivated, and much of the remainder is above treeline. Of the more than 600 bird species recorded in Bhutan, a significant number, such as Satyr Tragopan, Blood Pheasant, Long-billed and Bar-winged Wren-Babblers, Yellow-throated Fulvetta, and Fire-tailed Myzornis, are far easier to see here than anywhere else on earth. And Bhutan is virtually the only accessible place to see Ward’s Trogon, Beautiful Nuthatch, and Blue-fronted Robin. We'll seek these birds out among incredible ecological diversity, with tropical rainforest along the country's southern border and oak, rhododendron, and conifer forests on the northerly slopes. Bhutan's beautiful monasteries and fluttering prayer flags, its people's colorful clothes and personable natures, will fire the enthusiasm of anyone so fortunate as to visit this "land of the thunder dragon."  Paul Holt leads.

Any visit to Bhutan is sure to produce more than its share of memorable moments and stupendous encounters. Read about some of the wonders of our most recent tour in Paul's exciting trip narrative.

Texas: The Edwards Plateau, Big Bend, and the Davis Mountains

April 23 - May 3, 2010: The oaks and limestone hills of the Edwards Plateau form a cool, green boundary between east and west Texas. Here amid a profusion of spring wildflowers and a varied array of eastern and western birds, we’ll look for the region’s two special summer residents, Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo. After two full days on the Edwards Plateau, we’ll travel west to Big Bend National Park and the Davis Mountains, where tall peaks rise out of the arid west Texas plains. In this scenic region, birds from Mexico and the Rocky Mountains converge and include some highly sought-after species such as Lucifer Hummingbird and Colima Warbler. This trip can be taken in conjunction with our tour of the Upper Texas Coast in Spring. Jon Dunn leads.

Verdant limestone hills and dry, sculptured canyons are just some of the diverse landscapes this tour visits. You can read about Jon's latest tour and review the impressive bird list on line. 

Jamaica

The Jamaican Tody is one of 27 endemics on Jamaica, more than on any other Caribbean island. Photo: Rich Hoyer.

April 10-18, 2010: With a host of Antillean and Neotropical specialties, among them more endemics than any other Caribbean island, Jamaica offers some of the most exciting birdwatching in the West Indies. We have a very good chance of seeing all 27 endemics in a single week. A unique part of this short tour is the opportunity to stay at delightful Marshall’s Pen, the 200-year-old working ranch, nature reserve, and home of biologist and conservationist Ann Sutton, co-author of the new Photographic Guide to the Birds of Jamaica . In these idyllic surroundings we expect to see many of the island’s endemic birds as well as abundant butterflies, anole lizards, and tink frogs. We’ll also visit the desert-like southern peninsula and spend three full days exploring the lush mountainous eastern end of the island, where any remaining endemics will await us. Delicious local foods and a look at Jamaica’s fascinating history and culture round out a very special experience. Rich Hoyer leads.

The list of birds seen on our 2009 tour includes all 27 of Jamaica's endemics. For a full account of the delights of birding a Caribbean island in spring, read Rich's tour report on line.

The Galápagos: A WINGS Charter

November 12-21, 2010 (with San Cristobal Extension to November 22):  If you've ever wondered what a cruise to the Galápagos might be like, take a couple of minutes to watch  our new video , showing not just the islands' renowned wildlife highlights but conditions aboard the comfortable--even luxurious--M/Y Integrity . Time on board is a delight itself, and our excursions should produce nearly all the endemic birds, among them a couple of gulls, 13 finches, a flycatcher, four mockingbirds, a dove, a penguin, a cormorant, a rail, and a martin. We’ll have ample opportunities to spend time with the storied seabirds, sea lions, and marine iguanas, as well as the many other endemic species, including lizards, a few small snakes, a butterfly, a dragonfly, and even a scorpion. We’ll also have almost daily opportunities for snorkeling among the abundant sea life, from schools of colorful fish to sea turtles. Rich Hoyer leads.

Minnesota and North Dakota

Minnesota and North Dakota may not be on most birders' "main circuit," but the lush June landscape teems with colorful and conspicuous birds, including the possibility of up to 30 species of breeding warbler. Birdsong issues from every bog, woodlot, prairie, and wetland--and, as Chris Wood reports, there's always the unexpected:

I can’t think of a better place to be in early June than Minnesota and North Dakota. Among this year’s highlights were 30 species of warblers, including an unprecedented late season fallout at Park Point and an apparent hybrid Northern Parula x American Redstart. We also profited from fabulous studies of sparrows, particularly those in the genus Ammodramus --Baird’s, Grasshopper, Henslow’s, LeConte’s, and Nelson’s. We watched a Black-backed Woodpecker in a spruce bog and witnessed the odd display of dancing Sharp-tailed Grouse....

Read Chris's complete narrative of his most recent tour, and be sure to admire the photographs in our online gallery. Chris's next tour to the tranquil northwoods and prairie potholes is scheduled for June 8-16.   

China: Sichuan

Sichuan Province, right in the heart of China, is a fabulously bird-rich region, home to some two thirds of China’s endemic birds. As Paul Holt's latest report makes clear, Sichuan's diversity of wild habitats and well-developed tourist infrastructure make it a supremely appealing destination for traveling birders:

The raptor fest on Emei Shan, one of China’s five sacred Buddhist mountains, produced up to five Black Bazas, a pair of tumbling Oriental Honey-buzzards, a couple of displaying Chinese Sparrowhawks, and even a Rufous-winged Buzzard—perhaps only the second ever recorded in Sichuan. Elsewhere near the base of the mountain we found Swinhoe’s Minivet, two species of forktail, both Spot-breasted and Streak-breasted Scimitar-babblers, and that fabulous songster the Hwamei. And then of course there was the Collared Scops Owl in the parking lot....

Read more about this adventure in the Middle Kingdom in Paul's complete tour report. Paul and Wang Qingyu will lead another fortunate group to sample Sichuan's cuisine, hospitality, and dramatic scenery June 13 to July 3.

California: The Southern Sierra and Kern River Valley

The Kern River Valley preserves the finest stretch of riparian habitat remaining anywhere in California. Jon Dunn 's exciting tour, combining the Kern Basin with the Mojave Desert and the southern High Sierra, is invariably an excellent introduction to birding the Golden State:

Our eight species of woodpecker this time included Williamson’s Sapsucker and White-headed Woodpecker. Other highlights included Calliope and Costa’s Hummingbirds; two Black Swifts; Willow, Hammond’s, Gray, and Dusky Flycatchers; Hutton’s, Plumbeous, and Cassin’s Vireos; Le Conte’s Thrasher; and Black-chinned Sparrow. Our evening of night birding produced outstanding views of Common Poorwill, and we had good looks at both Western Screech and Spotted Owl. A definite non-bird highlight was a scrambling Black Bear near Sherman Pass....

Find out more about this bird-filled tour to some of California's best birding sites in Jon's latest tour report . Our next tour of the region is set for June 16-22. 

Madagascar

September 10-29, 2010 (with Cap Masoala Extension to October 4): Madagascar is a place where evolution has run wild. Of the 198 nesting birds, 106 species are endemic and another 25 are limited to the Malagasy Region of Madagascar, Comoros, Mascarenes, and the Seychelles. There are also as many as eight endemic families, an endemic subfamily, and no fewer than 32 endemic genera. It’s a mind-boggling degree of endemism when one considers that the continental United States, with more than twice as many nesting birds, has no endemic families, subfamilies, or genera. Our tour concentrates on the Red Island's endemic birds and mammals, and we’ll spend most of our time in the eastern rainforest, western woodlands, and southern spiny deserts. In addition to the birds, we’ll look at everything natural in Madagascar—plants, reptiles, amphibians, and insects—while experiencing Madagascar’s friendly and hospitable people and sampling its delicious cuisine. Brian Finch leads.

Read more about Brian's most recent tour on line, and be sure to have a look at the list of astoundingly strange life forms we regularly encounter there. 

Arizona and Utah: Fall Migration in the Canyonlands

September 7-19, 2010: The spectacular canyons, rivers, and forests of northern Arizona and southwestern Utah are among the most dramatic in North America. Our tour will combine breathtaking landscapes with exciting birdwatching, especially in the desert oases. We’ll visit a variety of colorful canyons and monoliths sculpted from the massive Colorado Plateau, including the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion Canyons, Monument Valley, and the Petrified Forest. We’ll also stop at a number of historic and scenic sites in Navajo country before ending up in the boreal coolness of eastern Arizona’s White Mountains. Jake Mohlmann leads.

How better to spend the bright, warm days of early autumn than birding across some of the most glorious landscapes in the world? Jake's tour combines Rocky Mountain specialties with a good variety of western migrants and the ever-present chance of something unusual.

Mexico: The Veracruz River of Birds

October 9-16, 2010 (with Catemaco Extension to October 20): The Mexican state of Veracruz has long been a famous travel corridor, and Veracruz City still serves as one of Mexico’s principal ports. But long before the region's first human inhabitants appeared, many species of Neotropical migrant birds had already evolved strategies that cause them to flood through this coastal Mexican state every fall. The hawk migration alone is so spectacular that locals in Cardel refer to the passage as the "Río de Rapaces," the  River of Raptors. It's possible to see more raptors in a single day in Veracruz than in an entire lifetime in the US or Canada! Our tour coincides with the peak of fall migration in Veracruz, and our visits to tropical rainforest, pine-oak woodlands, fog-shrouded humid forest, coastal mangroves, and other habitats will provide us with an excellent introduction to the birds of Mexico. Chris Wood and Jake Mohlmann lead.

Veracruz abounds with birds in October, from staggering numbers of raptors and dazzling hummingbirds to a fine mix of endemics, including Hooded Yellowthroat and Red Warbler. As Chris's latest tour narrative reports, the extension can be equally impressive, producing such specialties as Black Hawk-Eagle, Tody Motmot, or Tuxtla Quail-Dove. You can see photos from our October 2009 visit to the River of Raptors on line.