VENTFLASH #90
Dear Friends:
I recently returned from our Grand Southern India Train Odyssey. It was everything I had hoped it would be: great birds and mammals, wonderful cultural sites, and several marvelous days traveling across the Deccan Plateau on a lovely train. One of the highlights was our time at the Nagarhole National Park where everyone saw Asian elephants and where some of the group saw wild dogs, a leopard, and two tigers. I have made six previous trips to other parts of India, but this was my first time in Southern India. Among the many birds we saw, one of my favorites was the Heart-spotted Woodpecker. Another treat was watching the display flight of the Indian Roller.
In this issue:
INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY: SCOTLAND CRUISE – 2 FOR 1 OFFER!
TOUR LEADER PROFILE: DAVID ASCANIO
SUMMER EASTERN VENEZUELA
KOJO NNAMDI SHOW
EXCITING SUMMER TOURS
FINAL THOUGHTS
INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY: SCOTLAND CRUISE – 2 FOR 1 OFFER!
We have received notice of cancellation from a couple who had booked our Scottish Islands Cruise. These folks had paid in full and are not eligible for a refund as the trip departs in late May. Unfortunately they had not purchased trip cancellation insurance. We told them we would try to fill their spaces at a discount and would use any funds paid to us to refund a portion of their tour fee. As a result we are offering their spaces on a 2 for 1 basis, i.e., you pay for one berth in a cabin and get the other free of charge. Alternatively, if you are a single traveler, you can pay for one berth and have the entire cabin without a single supplement. The fee for this cabin (2 berths) on our Scottish Islands Cruise, May 27-June 4, 2008, is $4,995 from Aberdeen, Scotland.
TOUR LEADER PROFILE: DAVID ASCANIO
I am very proud of the quality of tour leaders working for VENT. They are all excellent birders, well organized, and fun to be in the field with. Those of you who have participated on multiple VENT tours have come to know a number of our leaders. VENT leaders live all over the world, but some of them do not receive as much recognition or time in the spotlight as others. One such leader is David Ascanio, a very talented and personable Venezuelan ornithologist. David came to VENT by meeting Steve Hilty, one of our senior tour leaders, who in turn recommended him to me.
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VENT leaders David Ascanio and Steve Hilty— Photo: Peter English |
David has made tremendous contributions both to Venezuelan ornithology and conservation. As a native Venezuelan, he brings a level of knowledge and enthusiasm about Venezuela and its birdlife that is unequalled by any other tour leader. I regard him as one of the finest birding guides I have ever known. He ranks at the top in terms of knowledge of birds and other aspects of nature, enthusiasm, teaching ability, skill at finding birds and showing them to others, and handling logistics.
Among his impressive credentials, David is especially interested in bird vocalizations and has amassed a private library containing sounds of more than 70% of all the birds of Venezuela, including some which are the only ones known to science. David speaks excellent English and combines superb birding skills with an astonishing command of bird vocalizations. He has published several manuscripts about the birds of the llanos (plains) and the tepui endemics for which he has become an authority. Like Steve Hilty, David has also discovered bird species new to science. More recently, David has emerged as a key figure in promoting awareness of conservation and birding among Venezuela's young people. He is currently involved in projects to create an introductory field guide to the birds of Venezuela, and also a new website that emphasizes educating young people about the natural treasures of Venezuela.
Besides being the best known and most popular guide in his country, David is a full-time, highly valued senior member of the VENT team. Many of the tours he leads are in his own country, but he also guides tours to other parts of South America and the Caribbean, including Peru, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad, and the Dominican Republic. He consistently receives glowing evaluations from those who have taken his tours. Here is a comment about David from a participant on his recently concluded Eastern Venezuela tour:
"David has a youthful exuberance for the birds in "his" country that is educational and inspiring. His greeting to me was "welcome to my country," and throughout the trip he took pride in showing us the birds of "his" country. In addition to leading tours, David conducts ornithological research, which he described to us throughout the trip in relation to the birds and bird behavior that we observed. I have no suggestions for improvement. The trip fully met my expectations." – Dennis Buss.
I am confident that should you participate on a tour led by David Ascanio, you will be completely satisfied with your travel experience.
SUMMER EASTERN VENEZUELA
This June, David Ascanio will lead a small group of birders to Eastern Venezuela—wild, remote, and the setting for some of the most spectacular scenery and birding on the South American continent.
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Ptari Tepui, Venezuela— Photo: Steve Hilty |
The flat-topped tepuis are the most instantly recognizable landmarks in this portion of Venezuela, and the mystical lowland and highland forests cloaking them hold numbers of endemic bird species few birders ever see. Mid-June is one of the best times to bird Eastern Venezuela, and David's previous summer tours have had great success in finding virtually all the tepui endemics.
Traveling through this remarkable region of cloud forests, gallery forests, waterfalls, elevated grasslands, and mesa-like mountains; offers immersion into a world of radiant tropical birding where macaws, cotingas, cocks-of-the-rock, and tanagers abound. Among the avian delights are more than 20 tepui endemic bird species, the incomparable Crimson Topaz hummingbird, the bizarre Capuchinbird, Peacock Coquette, Red-banded Fruiteater, Tepui Goldenthroat, and an enticing pageant of jacamars, parakeets, antbirds, and tyrant-flycatchers. You will also likely see Bearded and White bellbirds, both of which are favorites on this tour. Those with an interest in botany will find the trees and plants of this region fascinating.
This tour also visits the Rio Grande Forestry Reserve, an area with the largest density of Harpy Eagles in the world. Tour participants in years past have had the privilege of visiting active nest sites. In addition to Harpy Eagles, the list of birds for this area is immense, and includes as many as 5 guans and curassows, 13 parrots, 12 woodpeckers, 10 woodcreepers, over 30 antbirds, and more than 50 flycatchers! Among the many exciting species found here are Marail Guan, Golden-winged Parakeet, Red-fan Parrot, Channel-billed Toucan, Paradise Jacamar, and White-plumed and Rufous-throated antbirds.
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Adult Harpy Eagle— Photo: Jim Brown |
The adventure concludes with a day on the Orinoco River, one of South America's greatest landmarks. The numerous tributaries, marshes, and swamp forests of this mighty river offer superb birding. A full-day boat trip, in the vicinity of the delta, accesses areas where hoatzins, macaws, and puffbirds all thrive. On previous VENT tours to this region, David and fellow leader, Steve Hilty, have found several species either poorly known, such as the Black-chested Tyrant, or even entirely new to science, including a softtail, a spinetail, and a wagtail-tyrant.
Our Summer Eastern Venezuela tour is a "must" for the tropical birder. There may be no other tour to this country offering such an incredible avifauna that is so rich, yet so little-known. I hope you will be able to join David on this wonderful trip. I know you will have a great time.
Our Summer Eastern Venezuela tour, June 18-28, with David Ascanio, will be limited to just 6 participants. We have recently negotiated summer rates for this tour that have enabled us to lower the price for this trip to $3,055 in double occupancy from Caracas.
KOJO NNAMDI SHOW
On March 20, I was a guest on the Kojo Nnamdi show which is broadcast on WAMU 88.5, the Washington, D.C. public radio station. I and another guest, Dr. Michael Braun of the Smithsonian Institution, discussed bird-oriented ecotourism for 20 minutes of the show. You can hear the interview by clicking on the link, http://wamu.org/programs/kn/08/03/20.php#19723.
EXCITING SUMMER TOURS
As spring migration is felt in all our neighborhoods and wild places across the country, it won't be long before we begin thinking of plans for the summer. If you are considering a birding vacation, these fine late spring/summer tours still have some spaces available:
Grand New Mexico, May 26-June 5, 2008, with Barry Zimmer and Steve Hilty; $3,360 from El Paso. 5 spaces remain.
Southeast Arizona is one of the most popular birding areas in the country. Less well-known is that New Mexico offers an opportunity to see many of the "Arizona specialties" plus many other great birds more closely associated with places like Montana and Colorado. Such southwestern luminaries as Red-faced, Olive, and Grace's warblers, and Painted Redstarts, Common Black-Hawks, and Flammulated Owls are complemented with sightings of Williamson's Sapsucker, Three-toed Woodpecker, Gray Jay, and Pine Grosbeak. New Mexico also has marvelous Indian ruins and great scenery. Barry Zimmer has a special feeling for this state and immensely enjoys sharing its wonderful birds and landscapes with others. I have had the pleasure of co-leading this trip with him and can attest that it is a truly wonderful experience.
Alaska Mainland, June 16-27, 2008, with Barry Zimmer and Kim Eckert; $5,245 from Anchorage. 3 spaces remain.
This outstanding trip features some of the greatest birding and panoramic landscapes in North America. Basing our activities out of Anchorage, we will experience the 50th state's unparalleled scenic grandeur with visits to Denali (Mt. McKinley) and Kenai Fjords National Parks and the Nome region. Barry regards birding around Nome as the most exciting in all of North America. Beyond seeing the "usual" tantalizing species such as Slaty-backed Gull, Rock Ptarmigan, Northern Wheatear, and Yellow Wagtail, his tours have found such coveted rarities as Whooper Swan, Spectacled Eider, Red-necked Stint, and Ivory and Ross's gulls. The birding aside, this trip also promises outstanding mammal viewing, with moose, Dall sheep, mountain goat, grizzly bear, caribou, and musk ox virtually assured.
Colorado Summer Week, June 9-15, 2008, with Brennan Mulrooney; $1,935 from Denver.
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Chestnut-collared Longspur— Photo: John H. Boyd |
On this short trip we will experience Colorado's two greatest birding areas: the Pawnee National Grassland and majestic Rocky Mountain National Park. An exciting itinerary takes us from expansive grasslands past tumbling ice-cold rivers to snow-veiled peaks in search of the breeding birds of the central Rockies. Though we'll focus our efforts on finding such regional specialty birds as Mountain Plover, White-tailed Ptarmigan, Chestnut-collared and McCown's longspurs, and Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, we'll take time to seek out as many species as we can find. Overpowering mountain scenery and excellent mammal viewing are added bonuses.
Ecuador: Amazonia at Napo Wildlife Center, July 9-17, 2008, with Paul Greenfield and Tony Nunnery; $3,100 from Quito.
The Napo Wildlife Center is a superb small lodge situated in a beautiful and wild location in the heart of Amazonian Ecuador. Featuring comfortable accommodations, excellent food, and a dramatic jungle lakeside setting, we feel this destination stands above all others in the region. And the birding is unequalled. Canoe trips on a forested tributary stream provide silent access to a glorious world of innumerable kingfishers, hawks, antbirds, toucans, oropendolas, barbets, and tanagers. A remarkable canopy tower offers commanding views of the surrounding rainforest, while the spectacle of a "parrot-lick" has to be seen to be believed. Our most recent tour sighted both Crested and Harpy eagles and countless other alluring tropical species. Furthermore, we chose this lodge over others because it is entirely owned and operated by the local indigenous community, unlike other lodges in the area. This tour may be combined with our Ecuador: The Southern Andes tour.
Ecuador: The Southern Andes, July 16-27, with Paul Greenfield and David Wolf; $3,075 from Quito. 6 spaces remain.
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Napo Wildlife Center— Photo: Peter English |
What Ecuador lacks in geographic size is more than compensated for in biological diversity. More than 1,600 species have been recorded in this little South American country straddling the equator, including all the emblematic species of the tropics. This great trip centers on the less-visited Southern Andes, where numbers of species are found that either do not occur or are much harder to find in other parts of the country. Paul Greenfield co-authored the definitive field guide to the birds of Ecuador and will be joined by David Wolf, who has led many VENT tours here and who also owns land in Ecuador. This tour may be combined with our Amazonia at Napo Wildlife Center tour. For those interested in taking both tours, a combined tour discount of $100 in double occupancy and $135 in single occupancy is available.
Papua New Guinea, July 10-August 3, with David Bishop and Dion Hobcroft; $11,695 from Brisbane (tour ends in Cairns).
As a tour leader and an expedition researcher, David Bishop has, by far, more experience birding New Guinea than any other tour leader. Join David this summer on a tour to one of the world's biologically richest and most exotic destinations. The legendary birds-of-paradise are the most extravagant of the island's remarkable avifauna, but the scope of this trip includes searching for hosts of fabulous pigeons, fruit-doves, kingfishers, parrots, bowerbirds, and many others. Outstanding tribal cultures will appeal to many.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Spring has come to Central Texas with redbuds, primrose, and bluebonnets in bloom. We have had a wonderful response to our Austin, Texas Birding & Nature Festival, with 43 participants and 7 VENT leaders expected for the event. We are looking forward to sharing our home territory, for the first time, with a fine group of participants.
The first two months of the year have been great ones for VENT tours, with many successful tours all over the world, as well as here in our own country. We are well on the way to having one of the most outstanding years in our long history.
I hope you have a chance to spend some time outdoors enjoying spring migration and the return of all our wonderful songbirds!