VENTFLASH #108 May 27, 2010
Posted by Victor Emanuel
Victor Emanuel
Victor Emanuel started birding in Texas 62 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,
For anyone who loves birds and nature every season is special, but spring is especially wonderful. During the months of March and April I was fortunate to mix time here in Austin with visits to central Nebraska, southern Utah, the Upper Texas Coast, an island off the Georgia coast, and Central Park in New York City. I had marvelous birding experiences in all these locations, but some of my favorite memories were:
Watching 100 migrating Swainson's Hawks take off from a field east of Austin to form three kettles of birds that circled a few hundred feet over my head. As I was watching, a single Franklin's Gull appeared from out of nowhere and joined one of the kettles. These hawks had wintered in central Argentina and the gull had spent the winter along the coast of Chile.
Seeing my "life bird" Gunnison Sage-Grouse displaying at a lek site in southern Utah.
Birding Sabine Woods on the Upper Texas Coast with two couples from Dallas who were high bidders on a day of birding with me at a fund-raising auction for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation. We saw 18 species of warblers including male Cerulean, Golden-winged, and Black-throated Blue warblers. At one moment, Hooded, Kentucky, and Yellow warblers, all males, were bathing in the water drip at the same time.
Having a long study of two male Cape May Warblers and a female Cape May in the live oaks in front of the lodge on Little St. Simon's Island off the coast of Georgia.
Following a winter of ample rainfall, the wildflower show in central Texas has been better than any in the last several years. I was especially pleased to see magnificent roadside displays of the tall species of winecup (a deep violet-colored mallow) near Panna Maria, Texas, and thousands of the tiny blue iris Herbertia around Brazoria and Eagle Lake, Texas. This lovely flower is found only in western Louisiana and southeast Texas. I first saw it on the grounds of my middle school in Houston when I was growing up, but didn't learn its name until 20 years later when I saw a sketch of it in the newsletter of the Armand Bayou Nature Center.
In this issue:
MORE ON THE JOYS OF SPRING BIRDING
FALL ARGENTINA TOURS DISCOUNTED
GALAPAGOS CRUISE: NOVEMBER 2010
ECUADOR: THE SOUTHERN ANDES
GREECE: BIRDS & HISTORY CRUISE – 4 CABINS REMAIN
SUMMER TOURS: SPACE STILL AVAILABLE
COMMENTS ON VENT LEADERS
FINAL THOUGHTS
MORE ON THE JOYS OF SPRING BIRDING
VENT operates trips to a number of locations where the spring birding is excellent. Among our destinations are some of North America's greatest birding areas, where one may observe marvelous wildlife shows, such as the gathering of Sandhill Cranes on Nebraska's Platte River, or experience the phenomena of spring migration in such famous "hot spots" as Cape May, New Jersey; High Island, Texas; and Crane Creek, Ohio.
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Sandhill Cranes— Photo: Kevin Zimmer |
In mid-March I finally made it to Nebraska with a few friends to witness the annual gathering of Sandhill Cranes on the Platte River. After a wonderful and inspiring visit I can now more fully appreciate why our tour here is so popular. The large number of Sandhill Cranes in one place provides one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in the country. Kim Eckert led the VENT trip again this year, after which one participant wrote to say, "I could not be happier. The entire trip was a blast. I would recommend it to anyone I could." Next year's Platte River trip will be expanded to include an excellent opportunity to see dancing Greater Prairie-Chickens and Sharp-tailed Grouse.
Our next Nebraska: Platte River and Sandhill Cranes tour will operate March 19-24, 2011 with Kim Eckert; tour fee to be announced in double occupancy from Omaha (2010 fee was $1,395). Limited to 7.
All of our Texas trips went very well this spring. Our Spring on the Central Texas Coast tour visited the Falcon Point Ranch near Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Following the tour, one participant wrote, "The first day of the tour was amazing—scores of songbirds, gulls, hawks, and herons were flying overhead. Later we saw more warblers and other songbirds and hawks than I have ever seen in one place. The rest of the trip was just as incredible, with close studies of shorebirds, waterbirds, and more hawks and songbirds. David (Wolf) found excellent places for comparison of so many shorebirds. Best overall VENT tour I've ever been part of."
Michael O'Brien led a Central Texas Coast Birding Workshop on the coast north of Corpus Christi. Tour Participant Barbara Hejduk remarked, "Michael was an extremely knowledgeable and endlessly patient leader. I really enjoyed the workshop style of comparing birds. I would travel with him again anytime."
Our Spring in South Texas tour, led by Barry Zimmer, is one of our premier North American tours. Once again this trip was a smashing success with 250 birds and 13 mammal species recorded. In addition to the birds and other wildlife, Barry reported the best wildflower show in a decade. As usual, Barry received great accolades including this post-tour comment: "Barry went above and beyond to make sure we all saw the birds, no matter how many times he had seen them. His knowledge, patience, and enthusiasm are infectious. A top-notch-plus leader."
FALL ARGENTINA TOURS DISCOUNTED
VENT is returning to the great country of Argentina again this fall. This huge country, South America's second largest, does not, in my opinion, receive nearly as much attention from birders as it deserves. Containing a marvelous array of eco-regions including the famous pampas, Andes, spectacular Iguazú Falls, wild Valdez Peninsula, and Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina features terrific visual scenery and is home to a wonderful array of birds and other wildlife. Since Argentina is so large, we will again offer three tours which may be taken separately or combined into one grand tour.
In an effort to encourage registrations before we are forced to release unsold rooms, we are offering a discount of $500/person to anyone who signs up before July 15, 2010 for any of our fall Argentina tours. Save even more by taking advantage of our combined tour discounts available to anyone who takes connecting tours.
VENT has been operating tours to Argentina for over two decades. Our trips are designed and led by Steve Hilty, one of the foremost authorities on the birds of South America. As the author of the monumental Birds of Colombia (1986) and, more recently, the Birds of Venezuela (2003), Steve brings the highest levels of knowledge and experience to any tour he leads. Working with Steve are some of the best local guides we've ever worked with anywhere. Traveling in Argentina is like traveling in Europe since the quality of accommodations, food, and infrastructure are very high.
I am confident that you will love traveling in Argentina. Whether your interest is in seeing the expansive pampas, rainforests, and Iguazú Falls of the Northeast; the desert-like Chaco and magnificent, bird-rich landscapes of the Northwest; or the vast rolling grasslands and snow-crowned mountains of Patagonia, we have the perfect Argentina trip for you.
I hope you'll consider joining us on one or more of these fine tours:
Northeast Argentina: Pampas, Ibera Wetlands, and Iguazú, November 10-21, 2010 with Steve Hilty and a local leader; $3,675 in double occupancy from Buenos Aires. Discounted fee is only $3,175 in double occupancy. Receive an additional $225 discount when combining with Northwest Argentina.
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Greater Rhea— Photo: Hernan Goni/Seriema Nature Tours |
This trip focuses on several of Argentina's most bird-rich regions including the famed pampas southwest of Buenos Aires, the endemic-rich wetlands of northern Corrientes, and the tropical forests of the Iguazú region. Best of all, it ends at Iguazú Falls, widely acknowledged as among the planet's most spectacular falls. Showcasing a wonderful avifauna that ranges from three-inch-long hummingbirds to human-sized Greater Rheas, and from pipits and tiny flycatchers to swans and a rich display of waterfowl, waders, and ponderous Southern Screamers, the pampas offers one of the continent's greatest wildlife spectacles. The Iberá region of the far northeast contains a tremendous diversity of beautiful and localized bird species including the Strange-tailed Tyrant, Saffron-cowled Blackbird, and Sharp-tailed Tyrant to name a few. The tropical Iguazú region contains the most diverse avifauna in the country, boasting an array of furnariids, antbirds, toucans, flycatchers, and tanagers.
Northwest Argentina: Chaco, Andes and Altiplano, November 20-December 3, 2010 with Steve Hilty and a local leader; $4,490 in double occupancy from Buenos Aires. Discounted fee is only $3,990 in double occupancy. Receive an additional $225 discount when combining with Northeast Argentina; receive an additional $325 discount when combining with Southern Argentina. Receive a $550 combined tour discount for taking all three tours!
This tour offers an intimate look at the special birds, habitats, and majestic landscapes of northwestern Argentina. Our adventure begins in the Chaco, a broad desert-like region home to a rich diversity of plants, trees, and seldom-seen birds. The rest of the trip is devoted to exploration of the canyons, mountains, and various Andean habitats that underpin the region's biological diversity and form its outstanding natural beauty. From Yungas forests in the foothills, to craggy canyons and the broad sweep of the altiplano, you'll experience a splendid palette of birds and other wildlife. This is a region well-stocked with spinetails, thornbirds, canasteros, earthcreepers, miners, cinclodes, and foliage-gleaners; perhaps the most dazzling hummingbird on earth (Red-tailed Comet); and a spectacular assortment of flamingos and waterfowl on high altiplano lagoons. Rare vicuñas and Puna Rheas still roam the wilder puna regions, while flocks of yellow-finches, shy Mountain Parakeets, and bold siskins add color to a landscape of golden puna grass and cyan-blue skies.
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Magellanic Woodpecker— Photo: Lars Petersen/Seriema Nature Tours |
Southern Argentina: Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, December 2-13, 2010 with Steve Hilty and a local leader; $5,095 in double occupancy from Buenos Aires. Discounted fee is only $4,595 in double occupancy. Receive an additional $325 discount when combining with Northwest Argentina.
Our Southern Argentina trip encompasses two broad areas in Patagonia and the monumentally scenic region of Tierra del Fuego. In northern Patagonia we'll visit a scrub-desert ecosystem where we'll walk among a colony of half-a-million Magellanic Penguins and view Burrowing Parrots, guanacos, and lagoons filled with flamingos and waterfowl. We'll then journey far to the southwest to a land of vast rolling grassland pushed against snowy mountains—a region holding some of the grandest and most scenic terrain anywhere on the continent. Amid high plains, grasslands, and southern beech forests, the air is cool and the birds spectacular, where Andean Condors, Magellanic Woodpeckers, and lovely Upland Geese headline anyone's list of sought-after birds. Finally, we'll journey to Tierra del Fuego, a place hardly in need of an introduction. This "Land of Fire" is a stark, cold region of beech forest and lofty peaks, but stocked with birds found nowhere else. The trip concludes with an exciting boat trip on the Beagle Channel that promises albatrosses, petrels, cormorants, diving-petrels, steamer-ducks, and penguins.
GALAPAGOS CRUISE: NOVEMBER 2010
I am excited to announce that our fall Galapagos Islands Cruise will operate November 6-15, 2010. For this departure we have reserved space aboard the 43-passenger National Geographic Islander, a handsome vessel operated by Lindblad Expeditions.
This year VENT is collaborating with Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic, two of the most respected organizations in expedition travel, on a select set of departures aboard the Lindblad-National Geographic fleet of expedition ships. We have developed this partnership with the idea of offering unmatched expedition staffs that include the top experts and naturalists from each of these fine companies. This Galapagos cruise is the first in a series of three departures.
Late November/early December is an excellent time to visit the Galapagos. Our itinerary includes visits to most of the major islands, including Santa Cruz, Española, Isabella, Fernandina, and Santiago. Participants will have a chance to see a majority of the endemic birds and other charismatic species that contribute to the islands' fame. Of the diversity of seabirds occurring here, six are endemic breeders, including Galapagos Penguin, Waved Albatross, Flightless Cormorant, and Swallow-tailed and Lava gulls.
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Waved Albatross Pair— Photo: Greg Lasley |
The comical Blue-footed Booby is one of the most abundant birds here, nesting on many of the islands and fishing the shallow nearshore waters. Nazca and Red-footed boobies, on the other hand, are more restricted in their choice of nesting areas, and fish the deeper waters farther offshore. Elegant Red-billed Tropicbirds are seen coursing across high cliff faces while exciting pelagic species like Galapagos Shearwater, Galapagos Petrel, Elliot's and Galapagos storm-petrels, and Great Frigatebird are seen at sea during inter-island cruises. Of the landbirds, the famous Darwin's finches are always high on everyone's list, but sightings of other island specialties such as Galapagos Hawk, Galapagos Flycatcher, and several species of mockingbirds are assured.
Beyond our daily birding experiences, a trip to the Galapagos should be regarded as a complete natural history trip. Landings at each of the islands on our itinerary will put us in the company of basking marine iguanas, fleet lava lizards, bright sally lightfoot crabs, and sea lion pups playing at our feet. Guided interpretive walks reveal the islands' remarkable botanical communities and fabulous geologic features.
In addition to the legendary natural history, participants will enjoy a true equatorial paradise filled with impressive sunrises and sunsets, relaxing strolls on white and black sand beaches, fascinating snorkeling, and a chance to walk in the footsteps of Darwin.
Our Galapagos Islands Cruise will be led by Paul Greenfield and Bob Sundstrom, November 6-15, 2010 and is limited to 24 participants; Cabins begin at $5,380 in double occupancy from Quito. Please contact our office for more information or to register for this trip.
ECUADOR: THE SOUTHERN ANDES
Every now and again I like to tell people about a place they might not be aware of or ever thought of visiting. One such place is southern Ecuador. Here, in the southern portion of one of the world's most bird-rich countries, is a region of high Andean peaks, cloud forests, and hundreds of tropical bird species, many of which are found nowhere else.
This August we will return to the southern Andes, a place where we have not operated a tour since 2008. Our Ecuador: The Southern Andes tour will be led by Paul Greenfield, one of the foremost authorities on the birds of Ecuador and co-author of the landmark field guide Birds of Ecuador (2001). Paul has led VENT tours to Ecuador for many years and the southern Andes region is among his favorite places.
There are many reasons why Paul feels this way: Southern Ecuador is complex, a place whose wonderful bird and botanical diversity is matched by the variety of landscapes and terrain; many widespread Andean birds are found here but, in addition, the Southern Andes are a center of endemism, meaning that there are many birds that live here and nowhere else. Some of the more alluring endemic or other range-restricted species best found in this region include Coppery-chested Jacamar, Ecuadorian Piedtail, Equatorial Graytail, and the spectacular Jocotoco Antpitta. Many rarely-seen birds seem to be more "findable" here than elsewhere, including Black-and-Chestnut Eagle, Lanceolated Monklet, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Barred Fruiteater, Red-hooded Tanager, Giant Conebill, and Plush-capped Finch. Tanagers and hummingbirds, two of the most beautiful and appealing families of tropical birds, are especially prominent and diverse here.
A concern many people have when contemplating a summer trip to the Tropics is heat. I am glad to report that the majority of this trip is spent in upper elevation cloudforests where the climate is cool and refreshing.
We hope you can join us on our trip to southern Ecuador. I am confident you will have a marvelous time.
Ecuador: The Southern Andes, August 16-27, 2010 with Paul Greenfield; $2,850 in double occupancy from Quito. 4 spaces available.
GREECE: BIRDS & HISTORY CRUISE – 4 CABINS REMAIN
With a little over three months before the start of our Greece: Birds & History cruise, September 1-10, 2010, I wanted to let you know that registrations have been strong for this trip and we now have only four cabins available.
This departure, a circumnavigation of the Peloponnesian Peninsula aboard the M/S Galileo, represents the culmination of a dream I've held for many years. As someone with a keen interest in ancient Greek history, I designed an itinerary for a trip I've always wanted to offer that includes excursions to some of the most famous and important sites in the ancient Greek world, all of which are situated in scenic natural settings and hold tantalizing birding possibilities. Significant places we'll visit are: Epidaurus, Mycenae, Olympia, and Delphi, first among all classical sites in reputation and wealth, and home of the legendary Delphic Oracle.
Among the birding possibilities are a range of resident and migrant Eurasian waterbirds and landbirds. Levantine Shearwater, Little Ringed Plover, Common Redshank, Short-toed Eagle, Audouin's Gull, Alpine Swift, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Black-eared Wheatear, Blue Rock-Thrush, Western Rock-Nuthatch, Red-backed Shrike, and Cirl Bunting are all species we have a good chance of finding.
I hope you will join us on what promises to be a very special trip. Although Greece has been in the news for much of the year, I am confident that the intensity of the situation will have subsided by September and that our trip will proceed as planned. I can assure you that we would not operate a trip if we thought economic crisis or civil unrest could jeopardize our safety or the smooth operation of this trip.
Cabins for our Greece: Birds & History cruise, September 1-10, 2010, begin at $6,995 in double occupancy from Athens. For more information or to register, please contact Shirley Anderson (shirley@ventbird.com) or Patrick Swaggerty (patrick@ventbird.com) or call the VENT office (800-328-8368/512-328-5221) soon.
SUMMER TOURS: SPACE STILL AVAILABLE
While most of the country is at the height of spring, it is never too early to consider summer plans. VENT operates many trips all over the world during the summer months, including some wonderful tours right here in the United States. A few spaces are still available on some of our fine summer departures:
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Great Gray Owl— Photo: Brian Gibbons |
Minnesota and North Dakota, June 21-29, 2010 with Kim Eckert and Brian Gibbons; $2,295 in double occupancy from Duluth. 3 spaces available.
From the vast boreal forests and remote boglands of northern Minnesota to the beautiful rolling prairie-pothole country of eastern North Dakota, this exhilarating tour produces some of North America's most special and difficult-to-find birds. In a little over a week you'll travel through a highly scenic section of the upper Midwest in pursuit of such top shelf specialties as Yellow Rail; Greater Prairie-Chicken; Northern Goshawk; Great Gray Owl; Black-billed Cuckoo; Black-backed and American Three-toed woodpeckers; Yellow-bellied Flycatcher; Golden-winged, Cape May, and Connecticut warblers; and Baird's, Nelson's, and Le Conte's sparrows.
Colombia: Bogota, The Magdalena Valley and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, June 28-July 13, 2010 with Steve Hilty and Luis Eduardo Urueña; $6,198 in double occupancy from Bogota. 3 spaces available.
With more than 1,865 species, Colombia holds the title for world's richest avifauna. Longtime VENT leader Steve Hilty authored the landmark field guide Birds of Colombia and has designed a series of trips to introduce birders to this beautiful and fascinating country. This, our pioneering Colombia tour, focuses on three areas: Bogota, the Magdalena River Valley, and the Santa Marta Mountains. In each of these areas we'll visit a number of important reserves and other sites while observing a parade of seldom-seen and localized species. A great many of the birds we'll see are endemic to Colombia while others are barely found outside the region including Velvet-fronted Euphonia, Blossomcrown, Gorgeted Wood-Quail, Santa Marta Parakeet, Indigo-capped Hummingbird, and Crested Ant-Tanager to name a select few. Hundreds of tropical birds and marvelous scenery are assured highlights of this tour.
Summer Costa Rica, July 7-20, 2010 with David Ascanio; $4,280 in double occupancy from San Jose. 5 spaces available.
This tour offers a superb transect of Costa Rica's varied ecosystems inclusive of Pacific and Caribbean lowland rainforests, mountain cloud forests, and elfin forest and cloud-drenched paramo at treeline. The summer is perhaps the best time of year to see Three-wattled Bellbird, Resplendent Quetzal, and Snowcap among several hundred other hummingbirds, flycatchers, cotingas, toucans, tanagers, and more. Among our destinations are the legendary Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, La Selva Biological Research Station, Braulio Carillo National Park, Carara, and the famous Poás and Arenal volcanoes.
Big Bend Summer, July 9-16, 2010 with Barry Zimmer; $2,445 in double occupancy from El Paso. 4 spaces available.
Late July is an excellent time to visit the scenic Big Bend country. The land is at its greenest (due to the onset of summer rains), the temperatures in the mountains are milder than in early summer, and birds are everywhere! The park specialties are all present including Colima Warbler, Lucifer Hummingbird, Gray Vireo, and Varied Bunting. This tour also includes the nearby Davis Mountains, a remarkably beautiful region encompassing higher elevation grasslands, oak-juniper woodland, and pine-clad canyons and hills. This portion of the tour typically records Montezuma Quail, Common Black-Hawk, Calliope Hummingbird, and many others.
The Pacific Northwest: An Introductory Birding Tour, July 23-27, 2010, with Bob Sundstrom; $1,425 from Seattle. 4 spaces available.
Our Pacific Northwest Introductory tour provides exposure to the remarkable birds and natural history of Washington's Olympic Peninsula. This is a region blessed with towering forests, stunning mountain scenery, wildflowers, and marine waters dotted with emerald islands and teeming with bird life—all in a succinct area. In visiting a variety of sites we'll encounter an assortment of birds that reflect the region's considerable geographic and botanical diversity. In the process, we will not only see a range of Pacific Coast specialty birds, but take time to learn the basics of birding including the use of field marks and field guides to identify birds, understanding habitats, and learning bird songs. Tufted Puffin, Marbled Murrelet, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Sooty Grouse, Varied Thrush, and Townsend's Warbler are representative of a longer list of species we may encounter.
Best of Borneo, July 23-August 5, 2010 with Susan Myers; $5,995 in double occupancy from Kota Kinabalu. 4 spaces available.
Borneo is one of the premiere birding and wildlife destinations in the world. The birds are plentiful, exotic, rare, and colorful, from the weird Bornean Bristlehead and the shy Blue-headed Pitta to the sublime Whitehead's Trogon. There is a rich, charismatic fauna of orangutans, Bornean elephants, remarkable proboscis monkeys, rare clouded leopards, and a profusion of so-called flying animals—flying squirrels, gliding frogs, geckoes, lizards, and even an airborne snake! Colorful butterflies, a collection of bizarre carnivorous pitcher plants, and many unique creatures of all hues and characteristics pique the imagination at every turn. Join Susan Myers, author of the field guide, Birds of Borneo, on this memorable birding and wildlife tour.
Jewels of Arizona: Hummingbirds, Trogons, Warblers, and More, July 25-August 1, 2010 with Brennan Mulrooney; $1,995 in double occupancy from Tucson. 4 spaces available.
Visit the famed birding hot spots of Southeast Arizona during the "second spring." We will seek out the majority of the southwestern specialty birds amid beautiful canyons, forests, and grasslands on this shorter version of our spring tour. Join Brennan Mulrooney on a weeklong trip that focuses on locating the majority of the specialty species for which Arizona is famous, including Red-faced Warbler, Elegant Trogon, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Montezuma Quail, up to a dozen hummingbird species, and Mexican vagrant species.
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Andean Cock-of-the-rock— Photo: Robert (Spike) Baker |
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.
Peru, Manu Part II: The Lowland Rainforest, August 12-21, 2010, with Steve Hilty and David Wolf; $4,280 in double occupancy from Lima.
Peru's Manu region is widely acknowledged as one of the premier birding and natural history sites in the world. Part I focuses on the Andes, Part II the lowlands. The Manu I tour is a highland wilderness experience that incorporates the beauty and majesty of the Andes, the dramatic panoramas, the clouds, and the birds and forests of this unspoiled region into a birding experience unsurpassed in South America. Manu II focuses on the lowland rainforests of Manu. More than 500 species of birds occur in the vicinity of our lodge, the famous Manu Wildlife Center, including a combination of rare, poorly-known, and spectacular species such as Rufous-headed Woodpecker, Peruvian Recurvebill, Bamboo Antshrike, Razor-billed Curassow, Pale-winged Trumpeter, Horned Screamer, and Curl-crested Aracari. Visitors usually see eight or more species of monkeys, among them the incomparable emperor tamarin, while good chances exist for seeing giant otters and jaguar.
Papua New Guinea, August 5-26, 2010, with Dion Hobcroft and David Bishop; $13,595 from Brisbane. 2 spaces available.
With the world's largest and most complex island-avifauna, mystical New Guinea, for many, represents the ultimate birding destination. The island's remarkable ability to draw birders and nature enthusiasts from all over the globe stems from the presence of the extraordinary birds-of- paradise, a group of birds found nowhere else. But New Guinea offers so much more. It is home to huge, flightless cassowaries; strange mound builders; a gorgeous array of doves, parrots, and kingfishers; exquisite fairywrens; and fascinating bowerbirds. Interesting mammals include numerous little-known marsupials, in addition to some striking and weird reptiles and amphibians, and a plethora of butterflies, including the spectacular birdwings.
COMMENTS ON VENT LEADERS
Much of VENT's success is attributable to a skilled and talented team of tour leaders. I wanted to share with you some comments from participants on recent tours about a few of our leaders:
On Kevin Zimmer:
"It was fabulous to be with the man who is writing the book on the birds of Brazil. Not only was he extremely knowledgeable and found the birds, but Kevin has a great sense of humor and lots of good stories. We had a delightful time."
– Tom and Judy Taylor, Highlights of Brazil's Atlantic Forest, November 2009
On Brennan Mulrooney:
"I'm a beginning birder. Brennan was very helpful, considerate and respectful—and lots of fun!"
- Carla Meehan, Winter Rio Grande Valley: Relaxed & Easy, February 2010
On Brian Gibbons:
"There is a certain level of competence, enthusiasm, and professionalism that I have come to expect on VENT tours. Brian took that expectation and blew it out of the water! Brian's enthusiasm for finding and observing birds is contagious. He has a great sense of humor and is a real treat to travel with."
– Paul Koker, Short West Mexico II, January 2010
On David Wolf:
"This was my second trip with David. He is fantastic, always exceptionally knowledgeable about the birds and nature, adding details after we spot it (birds), handling everyone equally, briefing us in advance, and having good humor and wonderful people skills."
- Karen Markey, Short Costa Rica, February/March 2010
On David and Mimi Wolf:
"David and Mimi are an excellent team. I like the way Dave fills us in on many details of the area we are going to see and the birds to be viewed. I am amazed at the knowledge Dave and Mimi shared with us."
- Darlene Ellis, Short Costa Rica, February/March 2010
On Bob Sundstrom:
"It was perfect—Bob is wonderful."
– Frances Cerbins, Winter Washington & British Columbia, February 2010
"Bob is one of VENT's greatest assets. We signed up for this tour because he was the leader. Exceptional knowledge on so many subjects."
- Eugenia Snyder and Guillaume Georges, Kauai & Hawaii, February/March 2010
FINAL THOUGHTS
One of our goals at VENT is encouraging young people to deepen their interest in birds and nature. This was the reason we started our youth birding camps 24 years ago. This spring, VENT was a sponsor of the Towhees, a team of four young birders that participated in the Great Texas Birding Classic on April 24, 2010. The Towhees tallied 213 species and won their division. As a result they earned the privilege of deciding where $2,200 dollars of conservation funds would be awarded. They designated the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory as the recipient of these funds for use in conservation projects along the Texas coast. The team members of the Towhees were brothers Christian and Austin Walker, Caleb Dye, and Irene Smith. Among the highlights from their time in the field were spotting a Swallow-tailed Kite and hearing a Black Rail.
I hope you have been seeing lots of spring migrants, returning summer residents, and wildflowers. As always, spring passes too quickly.
Best wishes,
Victor Emanuel