VENTflash #102 September 22, 2009
Posted by Victor Emanuel
Victor Emanuel
Victor Emanuel started birding in Texas 63 years ago at the age of eight. His travels have taken him to all the continents, with his areas of concentration being Texas, Ari...Dear Friends,
I have just returned from a wonderful scouting trip to Greece in advance of our second-ever Greece: History, Culture & Nature cruise, September 1-10, 2010. The focus of this exciting trip will be on the history and culture of ancient Greece combined with birding. Of the many highlights of this scouting trip, a visit to the ruins at Olympia was the most remarkable. This is the site of the ancient stadium where the Olympic games originated and were played every four years from 776 B.C. onward for the next 1,000 years! I also visited several other ancient sites and found that, in addition to their historical significance, most of them also offered good birding. Some of the species I saw included Blue Rock-Thrush; Western Rock Nuthatch; Northern and Black-eared wheatears; Blue, Great, Sombre, Long-tailed, and Coal tits; European Bee-eater; Short-toed Eagle; and the localized Audouin's Gull.
I've been interested in ancient Greece since I was a teenager, and I've been a birder since I was 8 years old. Thus the combination of history and culture and some neat European birds was a treat. Our cruise, a circumnavigation of the Peloponnesian Peninsula, will be aboard the 49-passenger M/S Galileo. Dr. Paul Woodruff, a professor of philosophy and Greek mythology at the University of Texas, will co-lead this trip with me and Barry Lyon.
In this issue:
2010 TOUR CATALOGS NOW AVAILABLE
ALASKA 2010: EXCITING EARLY SIGN-UP OFFER
JAGUAR!
FOCUS ON A VENT LEADER: STEVE HILTY
UPCOMING TOURS TO BRAZIL
FALL AND WINTER TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES
FINAL THOUGHTS
2010 TOUR CATALOGS NOW AVAILABLE
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2010 Main Catalog |
The late summer period is always one of great anticipation at VENT, as this is typically when we release our annual tour catalogs. Our 2010 main catalog features the cover art of Lars Jonsson, one of the world's premier bird artists. This year's cover presents a white Gyrfalcon perched atop a lichen-festooned rock tower in the remote Russian Arctic. The falcon, striking white with black markings on the back and wings, commands attention. The brown appearance of the tundra backdrop suggests the end of summer is near, while the vast delta sweeping away to the horizon further accentuates the power and beauty of the bird, as well as its undisturbed surroundings. This occasion represents the second time that we have featured Lars's superb artwork on the cover of the VENT catalog.
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2010 Cruises & Special Departures Catalog |
VENT continues to offer the finest birding tours available anywhere, as well as cruises and other trips offering a multi-thematic emphasis on birds, nature, human history, geology, and culture. For the second consecutive year, our main catalog is divided into five sections to make it easier for you to find the type of tour that is best for you: the first part of our catalog lists our Birding & Wildlife tours, followed by Natural History, Relaxed & Easy, Introductory Tours & Workshops, and Wilderness Birding tours. Inside the catalog you will discover 108 pages filled with outstanding images by some of the world's finest wildlife photographers.
The 2010 tour year is the third year in which we are promoting our Cruises and Special Departures in a separate catalog. This year's cover displays a photograph of the peerless Sea Cloud, heralding our cruise of the Lesser Antilles in February 2010. This departure, as well as others to destinations such as Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands, the Amazon River, Spitsbergen, Greece, and other world-class locations, is described in detail within the pages of the catalog. The majority of these departures offer all-inclusive natural history themes that extend beyond birding, while some place equal emphasis on human history and culture. Most of these trips are ideal for those who desire a vacation with a broader focus, including those who travel with a non-birding spouse or companion.
Even though our new catalogs debuted only a couple of weeks ago, we have already received glowing reviews from many of our clients.
ALASKA 2010: EXCITING EARLY SIGN-UP OFFER
Alaska is perhaps the premier birding and natural history destination in North America. Many bird species occurring on this continent, including such specialties as Red-faced Cormorant, Bristle-thighed Curlew, Aleutian Tern, Kittlitz's Murrelet, Parakeet and Least auklets, Horned Puffin, Bluethroat, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Arctic Warbler, and Northern Wheatear, can be seen only in our farthest north state. Alaska is equally renowned for spectacular scenery, as well as opportunities to see such iconic mammals as grizzly bear, moose, caribou, musk ox, and even an occasional wolf or lynx.
As we prepare our 2010 Alaska tour program, we are excited to extend this unprecedented offer:
If you register for our Alaska Mainland tour or for BOTH parts of our Grand Alaska tour prior to November 1, 2009, you will pay the 2009 tour fee—with an additional discount of $500!
As an added incentive, if you bring someone along who has never traveled with VENT, we will provide you a voucher worth $500 towards a future VENT tour.
• Grand Alaska, Part I: Nome and the Pribilofs, June 9-17, 2010
• Grand Alaska, Part II: Anchorage, Denali Highway & Kenai Peninsula, June 17-24, 2010
Both parts will be co-led by Kevin Zimmer and David Wolf.
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Trail River Lake, Alaska — Photo: Barry Zimmer |
Our 2009 Grand Alaska tour fee was $8,195. With the $500 discount, your fee, for parts I and II combined, will be $7,695 in double occupancy from Anchorage.
• Alaska Mainland, June 13-24, 2010, co-led by Barry Zimmer and Brennan Mulrooney
Our 2009 Alaska Mainland tour fee was $5995. With the $500 discount, your fee will be $5495 in double occupancy from Anchorage.
In addition to these fine tours, we will again offer our popular pre/post Alaska tours (2010 fee to be announced, in double occupancy from Anchorage):
Gambell/Nome, June 2-10, with Kevin Zimmer and David Wolf
Barrow Extension, June 24-26, with Kevin Zimmer and Barry Zimmer
VENT has operated tours to Alaska for over thirty years. Kevin Zimmer and Barry Zimmer lived in Alaska when they were youngsters, and have led our Alaska tours since 1986. They possess a tremendous fund of knowledge about and a deep affection for this spectacular state. They are also incredibly skilled at finding the local breeding birds, the hard-to-locate specialty species, and the wandering vagrants that you want to see. Their co-leaders, David Wolf and Brennan Mulrooney, are also very skilled and knowledgeable, resulting in a superb team of tour leaders.
Here are some comments we have received from our clients about these leaders:
"Kevin Zimmer is an outstanding leader. His use of the English language is exceptional in describing bird locations in the field, and his story-telling skills are exceptional."
"I can't say enough about David Wolf, who is the world's greatest tour leader and my particular favorite. His knowledge and enthusiasm added so much to the trip."
"Barry Zimmer is the best VENT leader I have ever traveled with. He is an excellent spotter, excellent at describing quickly the location of a bird, knows where to see target birds, and has a pleasant, easy-going personality."
"Brennan Mulrooney is a gem. I can hardly imagine someone doing a better job. The birding was fabulous—we saw everything. If the first look was less than satisfying, Brennan found us a better one later!"
We encourage you to read Barry Zimmer's 2009 Alaska Mainland tour report on our website:
www.ventbird.com/news/2009/07/17/alaska-mainland.
If you would like to take advantage of this remarkable offer, please contact the VENT office by phone: 800-328-VENT (8368), or email: info@ventbird.com.
JAGUAR!
For anyone interested in birds and wildlife, two of the most "wanted" sightings are the Harpy Eagle, the world's most powerful raptor, and the jaguar, the largest and most powerful cat in the New World. This summer, participants on our Brazil: Alta Floresta's Cristalino Jungle Lodge and Summer Eastern Venezuela tours had marvelous Harpy Eagle sightings. Jaguars, however, are much harder to find than Harpy Eagles. Over much of their range, their numbers have been drastically reduced by hunting and habitat loss. Only a relatively few VENT tours have ever encountered this powerful predator. Tours on which jaguars have been seen include some of our Manu tours in Peru, Chan Chich tours in Belize, and a few of our trips to the Amazonian area of Ecuador.
In recent years, the Pantanal of southwestern Brazil has become the place where one has the best chance to see a jaguar. In recent years, a few of our tours to this wonderful wildlife-rich region have encountered them. This August, Kevin Zimmer and Andy Whittaker had the best jaguar experience on any VENT tour ever while leading our Best of Brazil tour. One morning, while birding by boat on the Rio Cuiaba, the group had an extraordinary 45-minute sighting of a huge male jaguar crossing the river at close range and then lingering on the riverbank afterward.
I encourage you to visit our website, www.ventbird.com/news/2009/09/02/best-of-brazil-iguacu-falls-extension, to read Kevin's tour report, and view the photo gallery, www.ventbird.com/galleries/2009/08/28/jaguar-on-the-rio-cuiaba-brazil, featuring his photographs from this amazing encounter.
FOCUS ON A VENT LEADER: STEVE HILTY
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Steve Hilty |
Steve Hilty has had a busy summer. On June 25, 2009, he was featured in a front-page article in the Wall Street Journal, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124588082038850031.html, about birders returning to Colombia. Steve's own experiences in this incredibly biodiverse country date to the early 1970s when he conducted graduate research in ornithology there. His study of flowering and fruiting plants and foraging strategies of fruit-eating birds culminated in his PhD dissertation. Later, he wrote the monumentally important, A Guide to the Birds of Colombia. The publication of this field guide in 1986 was a major event in world birding. Prior to its release, there were no first-class books on the birds of any South American country, a continent where over one-third of the world's birds occur. A Guide to the Birds of Colombia changed all that. It is a superb book; in fact, one of the finest field guides ever published for any region of the world. The excellent plates were painted by Guy Tudor, one of the finest illustrators of South American birds. The text is also excellent, containing a wealth of information in a concise form. What is most remarkable is that Steve was able to write so succinctly that he described all the species of Colombia in one volume. This is all the more impressive given that Colombia's bird list is the largest of any country in the world.
For years, VENT did not offer tours to Colombia because of political problems and security issues. In the past few years Colombia has become much more stable, and Steve felt that after a 23-year absence, the time was right for VENT to return. This year VENT operated four Colombia tours, and four more are scheduled for 2010, all led by Steve Hilty and Luis Eduardo Urueña, an outstanding young Colombian birder. Only a few spaces remain on these tours:
Colombia: Bogotá, the Magdalena Valley & Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, February 10-25, 2010; $6,198 in double occupancy from Bogotá. 1 space remains.
Colombia: Bogotá, the Magdalena Valley & the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, June 28-July 13, 2010; $6,198 in double occupancy from Bogotá. 3 spaces remain.
Our pioneering itinerary, this trip presents an opportunity to search for many exciting endemic and threatened bird species while providing a look at a fascinating country almost unknown to birders. Highlights include visiting a wonderful range of habitats and preserves including the high country above Bogotá, the Magdalena River Valley, a cloud forest at the north end of the Eastern Andes, the lofty Santa Marta Mountains, and Colombia's spectacular coastal desert. A sampling of the many special and rarely seen birds possible on this tour include Blue-billed Curassow, Bogota Rail, Santa Marta Parakeet, Santa Marta Antpitta, Black Inca, Recurve-billed Bushbird, Velvet-fronted Euphonia, and Yellow-headed Brush-Finch.
Colombia: The Central Andes, February 27-March 14, 2010; $5,550 in double occupancy from Bogotá. 3 spaces remain.
Colombia: The Central Andes, June 11-26, 2010; $5,550 in double occupancy from Bogotá. Sold Out! Waitlist available.
New for 2010, this itinerary complements our original tour by offering a second exciting route, based largely at mid-elevations in Colombia's Central Andean cordillera. The trip will visit the Eastern Andean foothills and adjacent plains or llanos. Among the sites included are the Chestnut-capped Piha reserve and Yellow-eared Parrot reserve, both operated by the ProAves conservation group. This trip focuses on the exceptional diversity of Colombia's hummingbirds and tanagers. Species we'll likely see include Cauca Guan, Chestnut Wood-Quail, Bearded Helmetcrest, Black-and-gold Tanager, Crested Ant-Tanager, and Red-bellied Grackle. These and many others are largely unknown outside Colombia.
Steve has also led many tours for VENT in Venezuela, another extraordinarily rich country for birds and biodiversity, and another country for which Steve has written the definitive field guide! Published in 2003, Birds of Venezuela, with its abundance of information and beautiful plates, serves as the standard for birders traveling to that country.
While leading a VENT tour in Venezuela in January 1998, Steve observed a spinetail (genus Synallaxis) on an island in the Orinoco River that was unlike any spinetail he had ever seen. This sighting revealed a bird not previously known to science. Steve, with David Ascanio, another VENT leader and Venezuela's leading ornithologist, coauthored the article describing the new species. The article was published in the July 2009 issue of The Auk, the journal of the American Ornithologists' Union. Steve named the new species the Rio Orinoco Spinetail (Synallaxis beverlyae); the Latin name is in honor of Steve's wife, Beverly.
Steve recently offered his recollection of the event:
"The discovery occurred as briefly described in The Auk, however, it may be of interest to point out that what drew our tour group's attention to the island in the first place was an enormous roost of about 5,000–10,000 Fork-tailed Flycatchers (austral migrants on winter roost) that exploded up off the island at dawn as our boat passed nearby. We stopped mid-stream to view the flycatcher extravaganza, and it was at that point that I heard both a Lesser Wagtail-Tyrant (which turned out to be a 1,000 km range extension) and an unknown vocalization, which ultimately proved to be the new species of Synallaxis. I can tell you that once we had gone ashore and I had tape-recorded the vocalization of one of these birds, and saw that it was a Synallaxis spinetail, I was virtually positive, at that moment, that it was something new to science because the voice was unlike any other Synallaxis I had ever heard."
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Rio Orinoco Spinetail— Photo: Jim Brown |
The Rio Orinoco Spinetail inhabits river island scrub and adjacent river edges in the lower and middle sections of the main channel of the Orinoco River in Venezuela and adjacent Colombia, where it is presently known only from two well-separated areas.
Steve added:
"This is the first time (as far as I am aware) that a species of bird new to science has ever been found during the course of a commercial birding tour—some splits have been noted, but never a species new to science.
"Even more remarkable is that it happened a second time. On this occasion I was with David Ascanio. We were part of a team co-leading VENT's Jungle Rivers Cruise in October 2004 when we found a new species of softtail (genus Thripophaga) in Venezuela's Orinoco River Delta. We are just now describing this new species. Thus, VENT has the distinction of having two new species of birds new to science discovered during the operation of regularly scheduled tours—the only tour company to claim such a distinction. In the case of the Thripophaga (softtail), David Ascanio and I made the discovery together while standing in a swamp in predawn darkness and waiting for trip participants to arrive aboard Zodiacs. Swatting mosquitoes and listening to the dawn chorus, we both heard a vocalization we could not identify. After the initial discovery, this bird was also seen a few hours later by VENT leader Andy Whittaker and, ultimately, by all the other VENT guides and almost 90 trip participants before the day ended! It was a little frustrating because, at the time, we couldn't put a name on this bird."
Both species were seen on our last Jungle Rivers Cruise (November 2006) and our Summer Eastern Venezuela tour (June 2009).
UPCOMING TOURS TO BRAZIL
The largest country in South America, Brazil is home to a marvelous diversity of birds and other wildlife. It is also one of the most stable and economically successful countries in Latin America. Brazilian people are very friendly, and welcome visitors to their country. All these qualities make for a delightful travel experience.
When I was in graduate school, my favorite professor was a Brazilian man named Helio Jaguaribe. Since those times, I looked forward to a time when I could visit his home country. In the 1980s, I was fortunate to co-lead two tours to Brazil with the legendary Neotropical bird expert, Ted Parker, and one with ornithologist and conservationist, Bob Ridgely, author of A Guide to the Birds of Panama and co-author of The Birds of Ecuador and The Birds of South America. Ted and Bob co-led our first Brazil tour in l980. VENT has been offering Brazil tours for over 25 years.
I can't recommend Brazil highly enough as a birding and nature destination. VENT is fortunate in having Kevin Zimmer and Andrew Whittaker as the leaders of our Brazil tours. They have been chosen by Princeton University Press to write a field guide to the birds of Brazil, a country with over 1,500 species recorded. No one knows Brazilian birds better than Kevin and Andy. Additionally, they are great leaders and skilled at finding birds and showing them to others. They are also delightful travel companions and great story-tellers.
This fall and winter, VENT is offering a series of wonderful Brazil tours. Space is still available on all of them.
Brazil: Emas National Park, October 29-November 8, 2009 with Andrew Whittaker; $2,595 in double occupancy from Brasilia.
This short tour to one of the finest preserved examples of campo/cerrado habitats in central Brazil focuses on birds and mammals of savanna and gallery forest habitats. Expect easy birding with excellent chances for Cone-billed Tanager, White-winged Nightjar, Yellow-faced Parrot, Giant Snipe, Cock-tailed Tyrant, and an array of fancy migrant seedeaters. This is also an excellent trip for mammal viewing, with a good chance for maned wolf, giant anteater, Brazilian tapir, white-lipped peccary, and others.
Highlights of Brazil's Atlantic Forest, November 6-15, 2009 with Kevin Zimmer and Andrew Whittaker; $2,595 in double occupancy from Sao Paulo.
A short, single-site tour focusing on the highly endemic avifauna of Brazil's endangered Atlantic Forest. Enjoy a lodge situated in rich foothill forest with an extensive trail system offering a spectacular array of typical Atlantic Forest birds, as well as many of the rarer and most sought-after endemics, including good chances for Black-fronted Piping-Guan, Long-trained Nightjar, Blue-bellied Parrot, and the nearly mythical Helmeted Woodpecker.
Northeastern Brazil Part I, January 9-23, 2010 with Andrew Whittaker; $4,975 in double occupancy from Fortaleza (ends in Maceio). 4 spaces remain.
Northeastern Brazil is a land of stark contrasts. Its immense, arid interior is dominated by a unique habitat known as caatinga, an association of thorn-scrub, columnar cacti, and huge terrestrial bromeliads, reminiscent of Baja or southeastern Arizona. The caatinga teems with birdlife, in a manner similar to the bush country of eastern Africa. Birds are everywhere—from flocks of Comb Ducks flying in formation to a distant marsh at dawn, to immaculate White Monjitas perched atop bare acacias, to Least Nighthawks quartering over the desert at dusk. Foremost among the birds, however, is the spectacular Lear's (or Indigo) Macaw, rediscovered in 1978, and numbering fewer than 250 birds remaining in the wild. Other specialties include White-browed Guan, Caatinga Parakeet, Pygmy Nightjar, Stripe-breasted Starthroat, Broad-tipped Hermit, Spot-backed Puffbird, Spotted and Ochraceous piculets, Ochre-cheeked and Gray-headed spinetails, Silvery-cheeked Antshrike, and many others.
Northeastern Brazil Part II, January 21-February 1, 2010 with Andrew Whittaker; $2,595 in double occupancy from Salvador (ends in Ilheus). 4 spaces remain.
Part II of our Northeast Brazil tour provides an intimate exploration of the avian riches of the fascinating state of Bahia, from the caatinga and cerrado of the interior badlands or sertão, to the humid foothill and lowland forests and white sand beaches of the litoral. Chapada de Diamantina embraces landscapes of spectacularly eroded mesas, sheer cliffs, and plunging waterfalls, and, in its upper elevations, a beautiful and highly endemic plant community that harbors such specialties as the stunning Hooded Visorbearer, Gray-backed Tachuri, Yellow-billed Blue Finch, and Pale-throated Serra-Finch, as well as the recently described (2007) Sincora Antwren (a bird that was independently discovered by our 1997 tour group!) and Diamantina Tapaculo. The Serra da Ouricana near Boa Nova is perhaps even less well-known, and recent surveys there have also yielded two new species to science (Bahia Spinetail and Bahia Tyrannulet) since 1990! This tour is a perfect complement to our Northeast Brazil Part I (Ceará, Pernambuco & Alagoas) tour, as well as a wonderful, stand-alone introduction to the birds and habitats of Northeast Brazil for those desiring a shorter tour experience.
Brazil: Amazonia on the Rio Roosevelt, March 17-27, 2010 with Andrew Whittaker; $6,195 in double occupancy from Brasilia (ends in Porto Velho).
Brazil's Rio Roosevelt region is an unspoiled Amazonian wilderness—as wild, rugged, and beautiful a destination as when Theodore Roosevelt first laid eyes on it, but with one huge difference. A plush, new wilderness lodge now offers the unique opportunity to visit and explore this exciting Amazonian destination in great style. The lodge is situated on the banks of the spectacular Rio Roosevelt, where several recent scientific discoveries have been made, including the Rondonia Bushbird, several new primates, and even a new dwarf manatee. The complete lack of hunting in the area means that the fauna of larger birds, primates, and other mammals is still intact, allowing us the rare opportunity to experience Amazonia at its best. We will explore this Amazonian wilderness both on foot and by boat, and our efforts could yield the newly described Cryptic Forest-Falcon; Zigzag and Agami herons; Chestnut-fronted, Scarlet, and Red-and-green macaws; the newly described and poorly known Kawall's Parrot; the spectacular Crimson-bellied Parakeet; Gould's Toucanet; Red-necked Aracari; Green-and-rufous Kingfisher; Pavonine Quetzal and others. With luck we may even find the rarely seen Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo or a jaguar.
FALL AND WINTER TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES
With the fall season upon us, I encourage you to consider some of our outstanding opportunities for travel during the December/January period. All these trips still have space available, while many of these destinations rank among my favorite places.
South Florida Winter Weekend, December 9-13, 2009 with Brennan Mulrooney; $1,695 in double occupancy from Ft. Lauderdale.
Join Brennan Mulrooney on this short getaway to tropical South Florida at the mildest time of year. Search for many South Florida specialty birds and visit such renowned locations as Everglades National Park, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, and the Wakodahatchee Wetlands.
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Red Warbler— Photo: Brian Gibbons |
Oaxaca Christmas, December 20-29, 2009 with Héctor Gómez and Mónica Pérez-Villafaña; $3,565 in double occupancy from Oaxaca City. Register before October 1, 2009 and receive a 10% discount per person in double occupancy. Fee with discount: $3,209.
Explore enchanting Oaxaca at the most festive time of year and delve into the cultural and biological riches of far southwestern Mexico. The attractive Oaxaca valley is renowned for its splendid scenery, colorful festivities, imposing colonial architecture, pre-Columbian ruins, vibrant indigenous culture, and world-class cuisine. Oaxaca's avifauna is a fascinating mix of northern migrants, tropical residents, and numerous local specialties found nowhere else.
New Year at Panama's Canopy Tower, December 27-January 3, 2010 with Tony Nunnery and a local leader; $2,975 in double occupancy from Panama City. Register before October 1, 2009 and receive a 10% discount per person in double occupancy. Fee with discount: $2,678.
Celebrate the New Year at Panama's famed Canopy Tower. A weeklong stay at a unique jungle lodge promises nearly 300 species of colorful tropical birds, close proximity to the historic Panama Canal, and immersion in a rainforest ecosystem.
Venezuela: Hato Piñero New Year, December 27-January 4, 2010 with Jeri Langham and David Ascanio; $3,395 in double occupancy from Caracas. Register before October 1, 2009 and receive a 10% discount per person in double occupancy. Fee with discount: $3,056.
Join Jeri and native Venezuelan, David Ascanio, for a holiday birding extravaganza that showcases spectacular open country birding at one of Venezuela's largest private ranches. Grasslands, waterbird spectacles, and excellent mammal viewing opportunities are all aspects of a trip to Hato Piñero.
Belize: Chan Chich New Year, December 28, 2009-January 3, 2010 with David Wolf and Brennan Mulrooney; $3,565 in double occupancy from Belize City. Register before October 1, 2009 and receive a 10% discount per person in double occupancy. Fee with discount: $3,209.
VENT has been taking travelers to Belize's Chan Chich Lodge for twenty years. The combination of birds, mammals, a wonderful lodge, and a vast area of pristine lowland forest makes this a "must see" destination. Whether you are an experienced tropical birder or visiting the Tropics for the first time, you will instantly fall under the spell of what we consider one of the finest jungle lodges in the world. Parrots, toucans, trogons, and a variety of other colorful tropical birds mix with hundreds of wintering Neotropical migrants.
Winter New Mexico, January 6-12, 2010 with Barry Zimmer and Kevin Zimmer; $1,935 in double occupancy from El Paso. 5 spaces remain.
This delightful weeklong trip offers a highly scenic and bird-filled traipse from the high desert of the El Paso, Texas region to the mountain-ringed basin of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Enjoy a wonderful cross section of Chihuahuan Desert specialty birds; loads of wintering waterfowl, raptors, and sparrows; and birds of the Rocky Mountains. Among the tremendous variety typically encountered on this tour are Ross's Goose, Ferruginous Hawk, Mountain Bluebird, Crissal Thrasher, Sage Sparrow, and many others. Highlights include a visit to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge to witness thousands of Sandhill Cranes and vast flocks of waterfowl, and a visit to the Sandia Crest outside Albuquerque for three species of rosy-finches. Traveling with the Zimmer brothers promises lots of great birds and lots of fun!
Panama's Canopy Tower and El Valle, January 9-21, 2010 with Jeri Langham; $4,695 in double occupancy from Panama City.
Panama's Canopy Tower and its sister property, the Canopy Lodge at El Valle, are the best nature lodges in Central Panama. Visited together, they form an unbeatable combination in terms of quality of experience, comfort, and proximity to great birding. This tour, led by Jeri Langham, is the only tour VENT offers that combines both of these outstanding lodges. In nearly two weeks you will see well over 300 species of birds, spend time in the famous Canal Zone, visit the cooler middle elevations at El Valle, and experience two of the more unique lodges in the American Tropics.
Ecuador: Amazonia at Napo Wildlife Center, January 10-19, 2010 with David Wolf and Paul Greenfield; $3,595 in double occupancy from Quito. Combine this trip with Ecuador: Eastern Slope of the Andes and receive a $100 discount per person in double occupancy and a $125 discount per person in single occupancy.
A visit to Ecuador's Napo Wildlife Center offers an extraordinary Amazonian wilderness experience. A lovely lodge in a stunningly beautiful setting provides a gateway to amazing birding, indigenous culture, and a true "get away from it all" kind of experience. Highlights include a soaring canopy tower, miles of undisturbed habitat, quiet canoe rides up a gorgeous jungle river, visits to boisterous parrot licks, and, of course, outstanding birding. Four species of macaws, outrageously colored tanagers, many species of hawks, and flocks of forest birds are not to be forgotten. We have recorded Harpy and Crested eagles on past trips in addition to giant river otters. We simply cannot say enough about the Napo Wildlife Center.
Ecuador: Eastern Slope of the Andes, January 18-26, 2010 with David Wolf and Paul Greenfield; $3,075 in double occupancy from Quito. Combine this trip with Ecuador: Amazonia at Napo Wildlife Center and receive a $100 discount per person in double occupancy and a $125 discount per person in single occupancy.
Join David and Paul for a spectacular survey of the cloud forest and foothill forests of Ecuador's eastern slope of the Andes. An amazing collection of trogons, tanagers, hummingbirds, mountain-toucans, and flycatchers is guaranteed among many other species. David and Paul know Ecuador as well as anybody. Paul Greenfield coauthored the landmark field guide, The Birds of Ecuador.
Panama's Canopy Tower, January 30-February 6, 2010 with Kevin Zimmer and a local leader; $2,975 in double occupancy from Panama City.
Kevin Zimmer leads this exciting weeklong trip to the always popular Canopy Tower. A stay at one of the most unique lodges that we know of promises a wealth of outstanding birds, mammals, and history. Highlights include birding the forest canopy from the top of the tower, walking in pristine jungle on Pipeline Road, and a visit to the engineering marvel that is the Panama Canal.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As summer ends and autumn begins, we enter one of the most pleasant times of the year in most of the country. VENT is offering a number of great fall trips and a marvelous selection of winter trips. I am looking forward to co-leading some of them, and hope you will be on a VENT trip in the next few months.
Best wishes,
Victor Emanuel