VENTFLASH #106 January 11, 2010
Posted by Victor Emanuel
Victor Emanuel
Victor Emanuel started birding in Texas 61 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,
On the last afternoon of the year I walked a path at Hornsby Bend, my favorite local birding area, with a friend. It was a gorgeous day under a bright blue sky with mild temperatures. There was no wind, making it seem as though time was standing still on the final day of the year. As I walked along, I found myself thinking of all the events of the year that was about to end. My thoughts were interrupted when I spotted an immature Harris's Sparrow at very close range in excellent light. The bird did not immediately fly, and I noted its finely speckled black and white crown, a feature I had not seen before. I love seeing something on a familiar bird that I have never previously observed. The Harris's Sparrow is our largest sparrow, bigger even than a Fox Sparrow. It breeds at treeline in central Canada and was one of the last North American birds to have its nest discovered by an ornithologist. In this case, it was not just any ornithologist, but the great George Sutton, who was an outstanding ornithologist, superb artist, great writer, and wonderful human being.
In his book, Fifty Common Birds of Oklahoma, Sutton wrote under his account of the Harris's sparrow:
"In the summer of 1931, almost a century after this large handsome sparrow had been formally described, I discovered its eggs. The nest was on the ground in spruce woods near the mouth of the Churchill River on the west coast of Hudson Bay. I had seen the bird there the preceding fall, so felt sure that if I could get there in early summer and work hard enough, I'd find the nest. Ours was a four-man expedition from the Carnegie Museum. We all worked hard. I shall never forget the strange effect the big black letters, HARRIS, on a box upside down along the railway right-of-way, had on me shortly before the discovery. How could those letters be anything but a good omen? Harris was the name of a meat-packing firm in Canada."
Just before returning to my car, a cold wind came up fiercely from the north. It was as though the new year was being blown in. At that moment, two Ospreys sailed by, riding on the wind.
This walk was a perfect way to end the year, out in nature with a friend and seeing birds. Few activities in life are more satisfying.
In this issue:
TANZANIA OPPORTUNITY
MEMORIES FROM NEW ZEALAND'S SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS
2010 TOUR SCHEDULE: CHANGES & ADDITIONS
UPCOMING TOURS: A FEW SPACES REMAIN!
PERU, MANU: EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS
SPITSBERGEN CRUISE: NEW DISCOUNT ANNOUNCED
CLASSIC CHINA
A NEW TOUR: NORTH CAROLINA
GRAND NEW MEXICO
CLOSING THOUGHTS
TANZANIA OPPORTUNITY
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African Lion— Photo: Victor Emanuel |
We have had a cancellation on our Northern Tanzania tour set to depart toward the end of February. As a result, we are now able to offer two spaces on this tour at a discount of $1,000 per person! This tour will operate February 23-March 11, 2010 and will be led by Peter Roberts and limited to 11 participants. The tour fee, $8,295 in double occupancy from Arusha, is now $7,295. These spaces will be sold to the first persons who contact us.
Tanzania is one of the greatest areas in the world for wildlife and birding. This destination is an amazing place to visit at any time of the year, but in February and March it hosts an astounding gathering of over one million wildebeest, a half-million gazelle, and a quarter-million zebra concentrated together to calve on the short-grass plains prior to the start of the rainy season. This trip is without question one of our greatest adventures, where participants experience incredible birding and big game viewing on a daily basis. You'll see elephant, giraffe, zebra, lion, leopard, and cheetah in the famous locations of Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Manyara, Tarangire, and Lake Victoria. The birdlife of northern Tanzania is marvelous, where participants are practically guaranteed of seeing a wonderful diversity of landbirds and waterbirds.
MEMORIES FROM NEW ZEALAND'S SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS
A few days before Christmas I returned from one of the best trips of my life—a cruise around New Zealand's subantarctic islands visiting the Chatham, Bounty, Antipodes, Campbell, Enderby, Snares, and Stewart islands. This trip totally exceeded my expectations. Each island had its own uniqueness, its own wonderful scenery, and great seabird colonies.
As a native Texan who grew up near the Gulf of Mexico, where seabirds are scarce, I came late to seabirding, but 10 trips to Antarctica and two Bering Sea cruises have given me an appreciation of these amazing birds that spend most of their lives on the open ocean. They have a beauty and majesty, especially the great albatrosses, that is captivating.
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Buller's Albatross— Photo: Gary Krosin |
This cruise afforded us the best seabirding experience in the world. We saw 14 species of albatrosses and seven species of penguins, as well as numerous petrels, shearwaters, prions, and storm-petrels. There was almost never a moment when there were not seabirds around the ship. At times we had seven species of albatrosses in the wake. One afternoon we saw 70 White-headed Petrels, one of the world's most strikingly beautiful seabirds.
This cruise, entitled Wild Edge of the Pacific, was organized by Zegrahm Expeditions. Barry Lyon and I co-led the VENT contingent. Peter Harrison, author and illustrator of the landmark volume Seabirds: An Identification Guide (1983) and one of the founders of Zegrahm, was on the trip. It was very special to be on deck with him as he pointed out the key differences between various seabirds and shared his enthusiasm for these amazing birds.
This New Zealand cruise was the perfect complement to our Antarctica, South Georgia, and Falklands trips. All the penguins and many of the seabirds we saw are not seen on our Antarctica trips. In addition to the seabirds, we saw a wonderful selection of other New Zealand birds including such endemics as Auckland Islands Teal, Paradise Shelduck, Black-billed Gull, Subantarctic Snipe, Kaka, Kea, Red-fronted Parakeet, Saddleback, New Zealand (South Island) Rock Wren, Yellowhead, and Tui.
We plan to offer this trip again in early December 2012. Let us know if you are interested so you can be assured of having the first opportunity to reserve a space once our plans are finalized.
We are pleased to announce we will operate a land-based New Zealand tour this fall for the first time in several years. Our New Zealand tour will operate November 29-December 15, 2010 and will be led by Peter Roberts and Chris Gaskin; fee to be announced in double occupancy from Auckland (ends in Invercargill).
2010 TOUR SCHEDULE: CHANGES & ADDITIONS
As we look to the year ahead, I thought you would be interested in knowing about some changes to VENT's 2010 tour schedule.
I am pleased to announce that David Bishop will co-lead our Thailand Highlights and Papua New Guinea tours with Dion Hobcroft. David and Dion are two of our most popular leaders. They possess a vast store of knowledge on both of these areas and make a terrific team.
Thailand Highlights, February 23-March 14, 2010 with Dion Hobcroft and David Bishop; $5,495 in double occupancy from Bangkok. Limit 14. 3 spaces available.
Papua New Guinea, August 5-26, 2010 with Dion Hobcroft and David Bishop; $13,595 for main tour in double occupancy from Brisbane, Australia; $15,995 for main tour with Bensbach extension. Limit 12.
Because our Platte River and Sandhill Cranes tour filled so quickly, we have scheduled a second departure which will be led by Kim Eckert and will be limited to seven participants. This short trip pays homage to one of the planet's greatest bird spectacles: the annual staging of half-a-million Sandhill Cranes on Nebraska's Platte River. Another highlight includes a million migrating waterfowl covering area lakes and ponds.
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Sandhill Cranes — Photo: Kevin Zimmer |
Nebraska: Platte River and Sandhill Cranes, March 24-28, 2010 with Kim Eckert; $1,395 in double occupancy from Lincoln. Limit 7.
Brian Gibbons will lead our Colorado Summer Week tour. This departure will be limited to seven participants and visits the Pawnee National Grasslands and Rocky Mountain National Park. These great preserves protect two marvelous ecosystems, each with great birds, mammals, and scenery. Some of the special birds we hope to see include Mountain Plover, White-tailed Ptarmigan, Burrowing Owl, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Williamson's Sapsucker, Lazuli Bunting, McCown's and Chestnut-collared longspurs, and Brown-capped Rosy-Finch.
Colorado Summer Week, June 26-July 2, 2010 with Brian Gibbons; $2,250 in double occupancy from Denver. Limit 7.
Because our Best of Borneo tour is almost full we have decided to offer a second departure to this marvelous region. Like the first tour, it will also be led by Susan Myers and will be limited to eight participants. Susan is the author of the recently published Birds of Borneo field guide, a remarkable achievement. The addition of a second tour presents an exciting opportunity for more people to travel with one of the top authorities on the birds of Borneo.
Best of Borneo, July 23-August 5, 2010 with Susan Myers; $5,995 in double occupancy from Kota Kinabalu. Limit 8. 2 spaces available.
Best of Borneo, August 6-19, 2010 with Susan Myers; $5,995 in double occupancy from Kota Kinabalu. Limit 8. 4 spaces available.
Additionally, for those looking for a more in-depth Borneo experience, we are offering a $500 discount on registrations made before April 1 for our longer tour to Borneo, September 1-20, 2010. This tour will be led by David Bishop; fee is $8,155 in double occupancy from Kota Kinabalu. Register by April 1, 2010 and pay $7,655.
UPCOMING TOURS: A FEW SPACES REMAIN!
A number of our tours in 2010 have filled up with a waiting list, however, the following tours still have one or two spaces available. All of these departures make for excellent natural history vacations.
Lesser Antilles aboard the Sea Cloud, February 15-22, 2010 with Victor Emanuel, Barry Lyon, and David Ascanio; cabins start at $8,150 in double occupancy from St. John's, Antigua. Limit 53. 1 space available in shared (female) accommodations.
The Sea Cloud is widely regarded as the world's most beautiful sailing vessel and we have chartered her for an exciting weeklong cruise of the eastern Caribbean. Our route includes five of the best-known islands of the Lesser Antilles including St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Martinique, Dominica, and Guadeloupe, and focuses on the region's unique birds and natural history. We expect over 30 regionally endemic bird species and will place special emphasis on the parrots and hummingbirds.
Short Costa Rica, February 27-March 7, 2010 with David Wolf and Mimi Wolf; $3,055 in double occupancy from San Jose. Limit 14. 1 space available.
Small in size, but jam-packed with diversity, Costa Rica has it all. Join David and Mimi on this weeklong trip designed to provide a brilliant cross section of the country's varied birdlife and landscapes. Travel from the Caribbean lowlands to the cool highlands in search of toucans, quetzals, antbirds, tanagers, and more. This trip is a great choice for those new to the Tropics, as well as for experienced birders.
Best of Vietnam, March 13-31, 2010 with Susan Myers; $6,795 in single occupancy from Ho Chi Minh City (ends Hanoi). Limit 8. 1 space available.
Vietnam is a fascinating destination for its culture, history, and wildlife. On this journey through Southeast Asia's most diverse country, we will visit a wonderful selection of national parks and reserves, with a good chance of observing many endemic birds and a number of other restricted-range species. Time will also be made to see some of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Hanoi.
Bhutan, April 9-May 4, 2010 with Dion Hobcroft; $13,795 in double occupancy from Delhi. Limit 8. 1 space available.
One of those epic destinations, Bhutan offers a spellbinding trip to a seldom visited Himalayan mountain kingdom, featuring marvelous birding, enchanting primeval forest, glorious mountain scenery, and rich Buddhist culture.
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Broad-billed Tody— Photo: David Ascanio |
Dominican Republic, April 17-24, 2010 with David Ascanio and a local leader; $2,895 in double occupancy from Santo Domingo. Limit 10. 3 spaces available.
The Dominican Republic offers a Caribbean birding adventure like no other. Home to 30 endemic birds, impressive natural beauty, and a vibrant culture, the D.R. is a great destination for those seeking rare and localized birds while getting well off the beaten path. Besides natural history, Santo Domingo is home to one of the hemisphere's finest colonial zones.
Puerto Rico Extension, April 24-28, 2010 with David Ascanio and a local leader; $1,495 in double occupancy from San Juan. Limit 10. 3 spaces available.
Our Puerto Rico extension offers an easy complement to the Dominican Republic tour. Visit some of the country's outstanding forest preserves in search of 16 endemic island bird species, highlighted by Puerto Rican Tody, Elfin-woods Warbler, and Yellow-shouldered Blackbird.
Spring Birding in Central and Northern Spain, April 22-May 8, 2010 with Peter Roberts and Alberto Bueño; $5,400 in double occupancy from Madrid. Limit 12. 3 spaces available.
This is a comprehensive tour of the Iberian Peninsula from the Extramadura south of Madrid to the central steppes near Zaragoza, up to the Pyrenees and their superb foothill Sierras, and the rich wetlands of the Ebro Delta on the Mediterranean coast. As arguably Europe's birdiest country, this trip promises memorable spectacles and such avian standouts as Lammergeier, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Great and Little bustards, Azure-winged Magpie, and White Storks commonly nesting on village rooftops.
PERU, MANU: EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS
I am pleased to announce that we are able to offer a special discount of $500 to anyone who registers for our Peru, Manu tours by March 1, 2010. This discount is offered on a per person basis and can be applied to both Parts I and II of our Manu tours. If you register for both, you will save $1,000!
Peru's Manu region encompasses one of the wildest and most pristine rainforests on the planet—a place where all the top predators from jaguars and Harpy Eagles to the smallest prey species are present. Both Manu Part I and Part II tours are wilderness adventures of the first order—trips that incorporate all the magic of unspoiled nature in a birding and wildlife experience unsurpassed in South America. An incredible highlight of Manu, Part I is visiting an Andean Cock-of-the-rock lek and watching these spectacular birds dance. On Manu, Part II we will visit a riverside cliff where macaws and other parrots gather to eat mineral-enriched dirt. This is one of the greatest birding spectacles in the world.
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Red-and-green Macaws, Manu— Photo: Robert (Spike) Baker |
Our Manu tours are two of our premier departures. We have operated trips to Manu every year for over 20 years and no organization has as much experience there as VENT. You couldn't travel to Manu with a better leadership team than Steve Hilty and David Wolf. Both men are terrific birders, leaders, and naturalists, and have co-led our tours there for many years. Simply put, there is no substitute for experience.
Having been to Manu numerous times, I can assure you this will be the trip of a lifetime. I hope you will take advantage of this exceptional offer!
Peru, Manu Part I: The Cloud Forest and Foothills, August 3-15, 2010 with Steve Hilty and David Wolf; $4,585 in double occupancy from Lima. Fee with early registration discount is $4,085.
Peru, Manu Part II: The Lowland Rainforest, August 12-21, 2010 with Steve Hilty and David Wolf ; $4,280 in double occupancy from Lima. Fee with early registration discount is $3,780.
Those participants taking Manu, Parts I & II would already receive a combined tour discount of $975 ($475 from Part I; $500 from Part II) to account for overlap of the end of Part I and the start of Part II; with this special offer you may subtract an additional $1,000 if you register by March 1 and pay a combined tour fee of $6,890 in double occupancy.
For those looking to extend their stay in Peru, an optional Machu Picchu extension visits the great archaeological site that formed the heart of the Inca Empire. Besides being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Machu Picchu offers a remarkable array of cloud forest birds, including many hummingbirds and other special birds of the treeline and high puna habitats.
Machu Picchu Extension, August 20-25, 2010 with Steve Hilty and David Wolf; $2,545 in double occupancy from Cuzco.
SPITSBERGEN CRUISE: NEW DISCOUNT ANNOUNCED
As previously announced, we have reserved an allotment aboard the National Geographic Explorer this summer for a circumnavigation of Spitsbergen (Svalbard), one of the last great Arctic wilderness areas. This departure is sponsored by Lindblad Expeditions and provides an outstanding opportunity to explore the far north from the comfort of a new expedition vessel.
We were recently informed that Lindblad is now offering a 15% discount off the published price on all cabin classes aboard the Explorer, except for suites. This offer extends to passengers who register for this departure through VENT.
Please contact Patrick Swaggerty, patrick@ventbird.com; 800-328-8368, to register for this cruise or to inquire about space availability.
Land of the Ice Bears: Spitsbergen, July 30-August 8, 2010 with David Bishop and Peter Roberts; cabins begin at $7,260 in double occupancy from Oslo. Fee is $6,171 including the 15% discount.
CLASSIC CHINA
With so much of the world's focus on China these days, particularly for economic reasons, I wanted to let you know that China is also a fabulous country for birding and natural history in addition to boasting some of Asia's finest scenery. Our Classic China tour, led by Dion Hobcroft, offers a complete China experience focusing on its capital city of Beijing and fabulous Sichuan province.
We will begin in Beijing, where we'll visit several famous cultural sites such as the Great Wall, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, Forbidden City, and Tiananmen Square, as well as birding sites like Wild Duck Lake where a variety of exciting migrating birds are possible.
The incredible mountain forests of Sichuan have lured naturalists and botanists for centuries. In visiting some of the province's great forest reserves we will focus on the diversity of pheasants for which China is so renowned; however, there will also be a wonderful mix of rosefinches, tesias, laughingthrushes, warblers, fulvettas, parrotbills, bush robins, redstarts, woodpeckers, vultures—including the awesome Lammergeier, falcons, buzzards, eagles, accentors, dippers, tits, cuckoos, grosbeaks, buntings, and a host of other wonderful birds. Seeing Black-necked Cranes nesting on remote Tibetan marshes surrounded by Citrine Wagtails and Tibetan Larks is another of the world's great birding highlights. Sichuan is also home to spectacular scenery, outstanding wildflower displays, and interesting mammals including red panda, yellow-throated marten, Chinese ferret badger, and lesser Indian civet, among others.
Since VENT first operated tours to China, the changes in the infrastructure have been astonishing. Good paved roads now provide access to just about all the sites we visit, and the quality of the accommodations has improved markedly. The birding has also improved; with increased forest protection and a ban on hunting, we are now finding a lot more of the rare and shy species.
Classic China: Beijing & Sichuan, May 10-June 2, 2010 with Dion Hobcroft; $8,155 in double occupancy from Beijing. Limit 8. 3 spaces remain.
A NEW TOUR: NORTH CAROLINA
A great part of VENT's reputation for high quality stems from the strength of our program of U.S. tours. For more than 30 years we have operated tours to all major regions of the country. This year is special in that we will operate our first-ever tour based almost entirely in the great state of North Carolina.
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White-tailed Tropicbird— Photo: Michael O'Brien |
Debuting this May, our weeklong North Carolina tour will focus on specialty landbirds and waterbirds of the southeastern United States, with special emphasis on the pelagic birds that inhabit the Gulf Stream off the Outer Banks.
In the Wilmington area, we'll search hardwood swamps and pine forests for such southeastern specialties as Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Swainson's and Prothonotary warblers, Painted Bunting, and Bachman's Sparrow.
Among the salt marshes and beautiful barrier beaches of the famed Outer Banks we should see a wide variety of herons and shorebirds, as well as coastal specialties such as Clapper Rail, Piping Plover, Sandwich and Gull-billed terns, and Seaside Sparrow. The centerpiece of this tour will be two pelagic trips into the rich Gulf Stream. The ocean off North Carolina is renowned for the best seabirding on the Atlantic Coast; both the numbers and variety are unmatched at any other East Coast site, plus the opportunity to see some very rare species is better here than anywhere else. Our daylong trips should see up to 10 species of seabirds, including Black-capped Petrel, and possibly other oceanic creatures such as dolphins, whales, sea turtles, and sharks.
Michael O'Brien, co-author of the acclaimed Shorebird Guide, is a lifelong resident of the mid-Atlantic and one of the continent's top field observers. I am confident you will enjoy exploring the birds and natural history of North Carolina with him.
North Carolina, May 29-June 5, 2010 with Michael O'Brien and a second leader to be announced; $2,795 in double occupancy from Wilmington (ends in Norfolk).
GRAND NEW MEXICO
One of VENT leader Barry Zimmer's favorite places is New Mexico. He has provided this description of our Grand New Mexico tour as he thought you might like to hear more about this superb destination.
"I can't think of a single area that is so fantastic for birding yet less known than New Mexico. Despite having the fifth highest state birdlist in the country and a dizzying array of southwestern and Rocky Mountain specialty birds, it remains largely unknown as a birding destination. Our Grand New Mexico tour has, for the first time, been split into two parts: a southern portion and a northern portion. In the south and southwestern portions of the state we have excellent chances for such elusive and sought after species as Common Black-Hawk, Flammulated Owl, Elf Owl, Whip-poor-will, Common Poorwill, Lewis's Woodpecker, Gray Vireo, Crissal and Sage thrashers, Olive Warbler, Virginia's Warbler, Red-faced Warbler, and Black-chinned Sparrow. Other gems like Snowy Plover, Mississippi Kite, Zone-tailed Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, Vermilion Flycatcher, Bridled and Juniper titmice, American Dipper, Grace's Warbler, and Black-throated Gray Warbler are also likely.
"In the north, the bird life is quite different with Williamson's (we had five last year) and Red-naped sapsuckers, Three-toed Woodpecker, Hammond's and Gray flycatchers, Pinyon Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, Lazuli Bunting, Green-tailed Towhee, and Pine and Evening grosbeaks. Dusky Grouse is a real possibility here as well.
"The scenery is superb throughout the state (White Sands National Monument, Gila Cliff Dwellings, Whitewater Canyon, Valle Caldera, and Bandelier National Monument), the weather in the mountains surprisingly cool at this season, and the mammal, reptile, and butterfly viewing is wonderful as well. Our 2009 trip list was an impressive 214 species and included virtually every bird mentioned above. Come find out why New Mexico is called The Land of Enchantment."
Grand New Mexico Part I, May 26-June 2, 2010; $2,250 in double occupancy from El Paso (ends in Albuquerque).
Grand New Mexico Part II, June 1-6, 2010; $1,630 in double occupancy from Albuquerque.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
This past year began during challenging times for VENT due to the economic downturn. Nevertheless, we were able to operate almost all our trips. By mid-year conditions began to improve and more people started registering for our tours. That trend has continued. This past December saw more sign-ups for our tours than almost any previous December. We appreciate very much all the folks who traveled with us in 2009. That support enabled VENT to have a good year when many travel companies were not doing well.
In many ways, 2009 was one of VENT's best years. In January we took a very large group to Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Falkland Islands. Our Rivers of West Africa cruise in February was sold out, as was our Seychelles Islands cruise in March. Both of these trips were marvelous and earned rave reviews from participants. In May, for the first time, we operated a trip to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It was also sold out and was a spectacularly successful trip with great birds, scenery, and cultural sites. Our Best of Brazil trip in August had the best jaguar experience any VENT group has ever had, and we ended the year with the terrific New Zealand cruise as described above.
All in all, it was an amazing year.
I hope you and your family enjoyed a good holiday season and that 2010 is a good year for you. I am looking forward to more time in nature including some great VENT tours.
Best wishes,
Victor Emanuel