VENTflash #129 October 13, 2011
Posted by Victor Emanuel
Victor Emanuel
Victor Emanuel started birding in Texas 64 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,
One year ago I was deeply honored when my local Audubon chapter, Travis Audubon Society, created the Victor Emanuel Conservation Award. This award honors a "conservation hero" of Texas, an individual who has been a strong advocate for conservation-minded stewardship of the natural world. To have this award named after me, and to be its first recipient, was an honor I will never forget.
This year, October was ushered in with the second annual Victor Emanuel Conservation Award luncheon, held at a downtown Austin hotel. This year's award winner was my longtime friend and noted conservationist Andrew "Andy" Sansom.
 |
Victor Emanuel with Andy Sansom — Photo: BrendaLaddPhoto.com |
My acquaintance with Andy dates to the early 1970s when we were both starting our careers in the Houston area. My path led me first into politics before I changed course and launched Victor Emanuel Nature Tours. Andy, meanwhile, made a name for himself as a forceful advocate for the protection of our state's natural resources. Over a career that spans decades, Andy's many accomplishments include founding the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, serving as Executive Director of both the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Nature Conservancy, and Environmental Coordinator for the White House Conference on Youth. Andy has also served on the Board of Trustees of Bat Conservation International, the National Audubon Society, and the Texas Historical Foundation.
In his career, Andy has added over 500,000 acres to Texas state parks and wildlife management areas, created two nationally-recognized aquatic facilities, and initiated an aggressive program to introduce urban children to nature and the outdoors.
Among more than 250 people in attendance were a great many friends and luminaries from the Texas environmental, educational, and conservation arenas. As someone who places such high importance on the preservation of the natural world, I feel that Andy is richly deserving of this award.
In this issue:
2011/2012 HOLIDAY TOURS
CALIFORNIA CENTRAL COAST: A NEW INTRODUCTORY TOUR
WINTER PANAMA TOURS DISCOUNTED
NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL: LAST CALL
REWARDS FOR NEW CUSTOMER REFERRALS
AMAZING ECUADOR: ANDES & AMAZON
WINTER BIRDING SOUTHWESTERN STYLE: NEW MEXICO & ARIZONA
GALAPAGOS & AMAZON RIVER CRUISES ALMOST SOLD OUT!
A NEW TOUR WITH VICTOR EMANUEL: NORTHWEST WINTER WONDERS
CLOSING THOUGHTS
2011/2012 HOLIDAY TOURS
The Christmas and New Year holidays are, for many of us, a time to be at home with family and friends. For others, the holidays are a time for travel, when our priorities consist of avoiding nasty winter weather and crowded stores. This winter VENT will again offer a slate of year-end tours that beckon travelers from home at a time when temperatures are dropping and the shopping malls are filling up.
Mexico: Oaxaca Christmas, December 20-29, 2011 with Héctor Gómez de Silva and Mónica Pérez-Villafaña; $3,745 in double occupancy from Oaxaca City.
 |
Oaxaca Valley from Monte Alban — Photo: Brad & Alice Boyle |
Explore enchanting Oaxaca at the most festive time of year and delve into the cultural and biological riches of southwestern Mexico. The attractive Oaxaca Valley is renowned for its splendid scenery, colorful Christmas 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. Héctor is an outstanding Mexican ornithologist who has led VENT tours to that country for years. His easygoing style and knowledge of Mexican birds make traveling with him a joy.
Panama: Christmas at El Valle's Canopy Lodge, December 22-27, 2011 with Tony Nunnery and a local leader; $1,775 in double occupancy from Panama City.
Panama is a perfect destination for those looking to get away for the holidays. A stay at El Valle combines a gorgeous lodge and superb birding for what has to be one of the most enchanting experiences in all of Central America. See Rufous Motmots and lots of colorful hummingbirds, tanagers, toucans, trogons, and parrots in a compact area. The feeder show at the Canopy Lodge is one of the best I have ever seen. This tour may be combined with our New Year at Panama's Canopy Tower tour.
Panama: New Year at Panama's Canopy Tower, December 27, 2011-January 3, 2012 with Tony Nunnery and a local leader; $2,975 in double occupancy from Panama City.
A week at Panama's Canopy Tower is an ideal way to ring in the New Year. A one-of-a-kind lodge, nearly 300 species of birds, and a visit to the Panama Canal are tour highlights. Whether watching for toucans and tanagers from atop the tower, birding the cloud forest at Cerro Azul, or experiencing the deep forest along famous Pipeline Road, your trip to Panama will present excitement and diversity throughout. With little overlap or repetition, each day will provide opportunities for viewing an array of new tropical birds and mammals. This tour may be combined with our Christmas at El Valle's Canopy Lodge tour.
 |
Jabiru family at nest — Photo: John Barkla |
Venezuela: New Year in the Llanos, December 27, 2011-January 4, 2012 with Jeri Langham; $3,495 in double occupancy from Caracas.
The llanos (llanos means plains in Spanish), a lightly populated area of central Venezuela, are home to some of the greatest birding and natural history areas in the world. The first time I visited the llanos I fell head over heels in love with them for one simple reason: birds are both everywhere and incredibly easy to see. Many of the birds of the llanos are big and colorful. That is especially true of the Scarlet Ibis, a species whose intense coloration is truly breathtaking. But the Scarlet Ibis is only one of seven species of ibis you will see in the llanos. Other marvelous birds that occur here include Jabiru, Gray-necked Wood-Rail, Whistling Heron, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Ruby-topaz Hummingbird and many others. The llanos offer an opportunity to be immersed in the sights and sounds of nature in a unique way. This tour will be led by Jeri Langham, who has years of experience birding Venezuela.
Belize: Chan Chich New Year, December 28, 2011-January 3, 2012 with Bob Sundstrom and Brian Gibbons; $3,740 in double occupancy from Belize City. Sold Out! Waitlist available.
CALIFORNIA CENTRAL COAST: A NEW INTRODUCTORY TOUR
This year, as autumn grades into winter, veteran tour leader Kevin Zimmer will lead our first-ever California Central Coast introductory tour. On this short trip, you will explore the region's multitude of habitats while experiencing the diversity of landscapes and wildlife for which the Golden State is so well-known. While we expect an impressive assortment of birds, this tour is not necessarily designed to log as many species as possible, but rather to take our time to learn about the special birds that call California home during the winter months. Our time in the field will include observation of many species of birds in addition to discussions on topics such as bird identification, habitats, and behavior. We'll encounter a variety of bird families while delving into separation of confusing look-alike species.
Among the many birds possible are those of the coast and interior including Pacific and Red-throated loons, Clark's and Western grebes, Brant, Ferruginous Hawk, Marbled Godwit, American Avocet, Peregrine Falcon, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Brandt's and Pelagic cormorants, California Quail, Band-tailed Pigeon, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Yellow-billed Magpie, Wrentit, Oak Titmouse, California Thrasher, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and Tricolored Blackbird.
This tour will be led by Kevin Zimmer, who lives on the central coast. I have led many trips with Kevin and consider him one of the best bird-finders I have known. He possesses a wealth of knowledge about birds, is a patient teacher, and is also great fun to be with. His travel stories alone are almost worth the trip!
California Central Coast: An Introductory Birding Tour, December 2-7, 2011 with Kevin Zimmer; $2,075 in double occupancy from Morro Bay. Limit 7; only 3 spaces available!
WINTER PANAMA TOURS DISCOUNTED
For the upcoming January/February period, we are offering significant discounts on a selection of Panama tours. Anyone who registers for either our Panama's Canopy Tower & El Valle tour, January 5-17, 2012 or Panama's Canopy Tower tour, January 28-February 4, 2012 before December 1 will receive a discount of $500. Anyone who registers for the extension to El Valle's Canopy Lodge, February 4-9, 2012 will receive a discount of $250.
Our Panama tours promise excellent birding and other wildlife viewing opportunities, are short- to-moderate in length, and are led by a team of highly experienced leaders. Many of the birds we see are some of the most iconic symbols of the Tropics including spectacular trogons, motmots, cotingas, kingfishers, toucans, and tanagers.
I have been traveling to Panama for over 30 years. It is, without question, one of my very favorite places. I hope you will join us on one of these fine upcoming departures:
 |
Black-breasted Puffbird— Photo: Barry Zimmer |
Panama's Canopy Tower & El Valle, January 5-17, 2012, with Jeri Langham and a local leader; $4,695 in double occupancy from Panama City. $4,195 with $500 discount.
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 a single trip. 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.
Panama: Chiriquí Highlands, January 21-29, 2012 with Kevin Zimmer and a local leader; $2,845 in double occupancy from Panama City. Combine with Panama's Canopy Tower and receive a discount of $145 per person in double occupancy or $195 per person in single occupancy.
The Chiriquí region of far western Panama is truly a little bit of heaven—a place of lofty, volcanic peaks, cloud forest, and marvelous highland birds. Our Chiriquí Highlands tour offers a pleasantly cool mountain climate, attractive lodging, and plethora of distinctive bird species including Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Flame-throated Warbler, and Resplendent Quetzal (one of the world's most beautiful birds). This tour serves as an excellent choice either as a stand-alone trip or as a complement to our ensuing Canopy Tower tour, which offers an entirely different suite of birds, habitats, and scenic wonders. In combination, these trips make for the perfect winter getaway. I can't recommend them highly enough.
Panama's Canopy Tower, January 28-February 4, 2012 with Kevin Zimmer and a local leader; $2,975 in double occupancy from Panama City. $2,475 with $500 discount. Combine with Panama: Chiriquí Highlands and receive an additional discount of $145 per person in double occupancy or $195 per person in single occupancy.
Kevin Zimmer also leads our 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.
 |
Canopy Lodge — Photo: David Tipling/Canopy Tower |
Panama: El Valle's Canopy Lodge Extension, February 4-9, 2012 with Kevin Zimmer and a local leader; $1,775 in double occupancy from Panama City. $1,525 with $250 discount.
A visit to the Canopy Lodge at El Valle, sister property to the Canopy Tower, provides a superior option for concluding your adventure in Panama. Lying west of Panama City in the cooler middle elevation, this part of the country is strikingly different from the region around the Canal Zone. A luxurious lodge, misty forests, and a range of beautiful tropical birds offer a lovely complement to a stay at the Canopy Tower.
A few spaces remain available on all these trips and I encourage you to register for one or more of them. From your first morning in Panama until your last day, you will be glad you took my advice!
NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL: LAST CALL
I am announcing a "last call" for our upcoming two-part January tour to Northeastern Brazil since we must release all unsold space on November 1. Each part may be taken independently or in combination for a complete Northeastern Brazil experience.
Northeastern Brazil is one of the most exciting birding areas in Brazil as it is home to a large number of endemics, including several species that were discovered new to science in the last decade. Among the many special birds this trip promises, perhaps none is more spectacular than the Lear's Macaw, which was rediscovered in l978. Fewer than 250 of this highly endangered species survive in the wild, but our chances for seeing the bird are good.
Both of these trips will be led by Andrew Whittaker and will be limited to just 6 participants. In my opinion, no one is better qualified to show you the birds of northeastern Brazil than Andy. He is superb at finding birds and showing them to others, and possesses a tremendous knowledge of the birds of that country. Andy and Kevin Zimmer were chosen by Princeton University Press to write the definitive book on the birds of Brazil.
Northeastern Brazil Part I, January 7-21, 2012 with Andrew Whittaker; $5,845 in double occupancy from Fortaleza (ends in Maceio).
 |
Araripe Manakin— Photo: Ciro Albano |
Part I of this tour focuses on the caatinga, a unique habitat of thorn-scrub, columnar cacti, and huge terrestrial bromeliads. Here we'll seek Comb Duck, Least Nighthawk, Lear's Macaw, immaculate White Monjitas, and other specialty birds including White-browed Guan, Pygmy Nightjar, Spot-backed Puffbird, Silvery-cheeked Antshrike, and Araripe Manakin.
Northeastern Brazil Part II, January 19-30, 2012 with Andrew Whittaker; $3,195 in double occupancy from Salvador (ends in Ilheus).
Part II explores 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. Spectacularly eroded landscapes feature mesas, sheer cliffs, and plunging waterfalls while a beautiful plant community harbors such specialties as Hooded Visorbearer and Blue Finch, in addition to many other widespread species.
REWARDS FOR NEW CUSTOMER REFERRALS
I wanted to re-emphasize that we operate a reward program for VENT travelers who bring us new participants. Here's how it works: If based upon your referral, someone who has never traveled with us before registers for and takes their first VENT tour, you will receive a voucher for $500 which may be used toward the purchase of any future VENT tour, cruise, or special departure!
To demonstrate the program's potential, in 2010 one of our travelers earned $1,500 in discounts on future VENT tours when she encouraged three people who had never traveled with us before to take their first VENT tours.
Some restrictions do apply, and I encourage you to check the VENT website for a more detailed explanation of our New Customer Referral program.
AMAZING ECUADOR: ANDES & AMAZON
On a continent replete with outstanding birding and natural history locations, only Ecuador can offer such amazing variety in so small an area. I have been to Ecuador on a number of occasions and have always loved every minute of time I've spent there. In a country about the size of Nevada, one may travel from the Andean cloud forest down to the Amazon region in a short amount of time and experience tremendous diversity with very little overlap. This January, VENT will operate a tour to the Napo Wildlife Center in the Amazon region of eastern Ecuador, followed by an entirely different tour that explores the avian riches of the eastern slope of the famed Andes. Either tour may be taken independently or together for the complete Ecuador trip. I hope you will consider joining one or both of these fine departures:
Ecuador: Amazonia at Napo Wildlife Center, January 6-15, 2012 with David Wolf and Paul Greenfield; $3,635 in double occupancy from Quito. Register by November 15, 2011 and receive a $300 discount. Combine this tour with Ecuador: Eastern Slope of the Andes and receive an additional discount of $500 per person in double occupancy or $565 in single occupancy.
Many visitors to the Napo Wildlife Center regard it as the finest place they have ever birded. Nestled near the Napo River in the lowlands of eastern Ecuador, the Napo Wildlife Center has everything one could ask for in a jungle lodge: remarkable birding, a terrific canopy tower, great wildlife, lovely accommodations, excellent food, a very competent and friendly staff, and the intimate feeling that only a small lodge can provide. I watched the Napo Wildlife Center develop from the ground up, and I am certain that no other lodge on the Napo River possesses all of these attributes.
 |
Napo Wildlife Center— Photo: Peter English |
I first heard about the Napo Wildlife Center from a local guide named Giovanni Rivadeneira, who played a vital role in the lodge's construction. Prior to Napo, all the area lodges were situated on the north bank of the river, and the idea of a lodge on the south bank was only a dream. With intimate familiarity of the region, Giovanni recognized that a new lodge on the south bank would offer a better experience than is offered by the lodges on the north side. If you stay in the other lodges, you need to get up very early so you can travel to the south bank, which is essential. When you stay at the Napo Wildlife Center you are already on the south bank. Giovanni's opinion meant a lot to me because of his reputation as the best bird guide in the region. Fortunately, his dream became a reality with the completion of the lodge in 2003. Now, not only does the lodge offer birders the best possible experience in Amazonian Ecuador, it also transformed the lives of Giovanni and his neighbors in the nearby indigenous Añangu community, many of whom now work at the lodge.
A rich assortment of experiences is possible every day while at the Napo Wildlife Center. Imagine: You have had a truly magical first full day at the lodge. After an early breakfast, you went to the canopy tower were you saw macaws, toucans, monkeys, tanagers, cotingas, and many other species in amazing succession. After two hours of non-stop action, you then descended the tower and birded nearby forest trails. Among an array of sightings, the highlight was an antswarm attended by several species of antbirds including the striking White-plumed Antbird. After a delicious lunch you enjoyed a midday break. In the afternoon you went out again and stayed out until dusk in hopes of seeing the Zigzag Heron. After gaining good looks at the heron, the boatman paddled the group back to the dock where one of the staff greeted you with a refreshing glass of fruit juice. After dinner you turned in with marvelous memories from the day and the knowledge that the days ahead would bring more wonderful experiences.
Ecuador: Eastern Slope of the Andes, January 13-23, 2012 with David Wolf and Paul Greenfield; $3,485 in double occupancy from Quito. Register by November 15, 2011 and receive a $300 discount. Combine this tour with Ecuador: Amazonia at Napo Wildlife Center and receive an additional discount of $500 per person in double occupancy or $565 in single occupancy.
Forming the spine of the world's most bird-rich continent, it follows that the Andes offer the world's most spectacular mountain birding. San Isidro Labrador, our base for most of this tour, is in the heart of the Ecuadorian Andes in the fantastically diverse subtropical zone. Within easy reach is an incredible transect of habitats, from lush upper tropical forest in the foothills to temperate cloud forests, stunted alpine scrub, and treeless páramo. This region of the Tropics harbors some of the greatest diversity of tanagers found anywhere, along with hundreds of other exciting trogons, quetzals, parrots, hummingbirds, antbirds, ovenbirds, flycatchers, and cotingas. Without question, this tour offers a premier Ecuador birding experience.
WINTER BIRDING SOUTHWESTERN STYLE: NEW MEXICO & ARIZONA
If you are interested in visiting areas of our country in January and February that offer lots of birds and generally mild temperatures, we have the perfect trips for you! Our winter tours to New Mexico and Arizona present superb options for a short birding vacation. Each of these destinations promises an abundance of wintertime resident and local specialty birds, and each has a long history of producing rare and out of range species. Veteran tour leader Barry Zimmer will lead both tours.
Winter New Mexico, January 5-11, 2012 with Barry Zimmer and a second leader; $2,285 in double occupancy from El Paso (ends in Albuquerque).
 |
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, Sandia Crest.— Photo: Kevin Zimmer |
This tour takes advantage of the delightful winter birding offered in the El Paso area and nearby New Mexico. A wonderful combination of desert, riparian, grassland, and mountain birding is a theme of this trip, but the geese and crane spectacles and rich diversity of waterfowl, raptors, and sparrows are perhaps of greatest appeal. Over the years we have recorded some great rarities including Yellow-billed Loon, Eurasian Wigeon, and Gray Silky-flycatcher, in addition to a host of vagrant Eastern and Pacific Coast species. This trip is also the premier VENT tour for seeing all three rosy-finch species.
Winter Southern Arizona, January 17-22, 2012 with Barry Zimmer and Brennan Mulrooney; $2,035 in double occupancy from Tucson.
Southeast Arizona is justly famous as one of the best birding areas in the country. Most people visit during the spring and summer, but Arizona also offers marvelous winter birding. A superb collection of birds from the prairies, Rockies, and Pacific Coast fill the desert, grasslands, and canyons in January, while a surprising number of Arizona "specialty species" are also readily found. A sampling of the many species we'll seek on this trip includes Sandhill Crane, Ferruginous Hawk, Mountain Plover, Burrowing Owl, Arizona Woodpecker, Mexican Jay, Sage Thrasher, Mountain Bluebird, and Painted Redstart. Due to its close proximity to Mexico, many vagrant species have been recorded through the years on this tour as well.
GALAPAGOS & AMAZON RIVER CRUISES ALMOST SOLD OUT!
Our next two birding and natural history cruises—Galapagos Islands and Amazon River—have proven popular draws again this year and both trips are almost sold out! Only 1 full cabin is available on our Galapagos Islands Cruise, November 28-December 7, 2011 and only 1 full cabin remains available for our Amazon River Cruise, January 12-22, 2012. For both departures we will travel aboard ships offering comfort, privacy, and security while exploring regions widely regarded as among the world's top natural history destinations. If you have ever wanted to visit either of these remarkable places, I encourage you to reserve your spot right away as both of these trips will sell out.
Galapagos Islands Cruise, November 28-December 7, 2011 with Paul Greenfield and Bob Sundstrom; cabins start at $5,750 in double occupancy from Quito (ends in Guayaquil). 2 cabins available.
Amazon River Cruise, January 12-22, 2012 with Steve Hilty and David Ascanio; cabins start at $5,715 in double occupancy from Lima. 1 cabin available.
A NEW TOUR WITH VICTOR EMANUEL: NORTHWEST WINTER WONDERS
For many years I've heard from our travelers and leaders alike about the joys of wintertime birding in the Pacific Northwest. While I have wanted to experience the natural history of that region in the winter season firsthand, other commitments have inevitably taken priority. Now, after waiting so long for the right opportunity, I am delighted to announce that I will co-lead our new Northwest Winter Wonders tour, February 10-15, 2012.
I have always been enamored with wildlife spectacles, and this trip, with its great concentrations of birds, offers a succession of spectacles. Among the many attractions are bays, shorelines, and freshwater ponds filled with tens of thousands of waterfowl, fields whitened by flocks of swans, and a legion of wintering raptors occurring in every habitat imaginable—all this in addition to a wonderful mix of sparrows, shrikes, owls, and a wealth of other West Coast specialty birds.
 |
Harlequin Duck— Photo: Brennan Mulrooney |
I will lead this trip with longtime Washington resident and VENT leader Bob Sundstrom. Bob's intimate knowledge of the region is reflected in a tour route that provides exposure to the tremendous number and variety of birds that populate the coast and nearby lowlands in the winter months. Ranging from Seattle to the Vancouver area, we anticipate finding a menagerie of species that any birder would find appealing: Harlequin Duck and Barrow's Goldeneye at close range; Surfbird; Tundra and Trumpeter swans in side by side comparison; scores of Bald Eagles; a collection of raptors including Rough-legged Hawk; up to 5 species of falcons including Gyrfalcon; Short-eared Owl; Varied Thrush; and Northern Shrike.
This tour is one of our Relaxed & Easy departures, which means we'll emphasize a comfortable and easy-paced trip. Moreover, this trip will operate in February, a time of winter given to surprisingly mild and precipitation-free conditions, which is contrary to the stereotypical impression of the Pacific Northwest as perpetually gloomy and rain-soaked.
Having spent my life living in Texas, I very much look forward to a long weekend pursuing a range of birds I seldom get to see, and in a beautiful part of the country. I would be delighted to have you join us.
Northwest Winter Wonders: A Relaxed & Easy Tour, Feburary 10-15, 2012 with Bob Sundstrom and Victor Emanuel; $2,295 in double occupancy from Seattle.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
The autumn is among my favorite times of the year. Weather fronts and cooler temperatures from the north arrive with October and November while most of our continent's birds are on the move. This is the time when I keep an eye on the sky in hope of spotting a migrating group of Sandhill Cranes arranged in the classic "V" formation, or a magnificent flock of White Pelicans wheeling in a giant kettle. Both phenomena are truly uplifting sights guaranteed to brighten my day.
Like many birders and naturalists, I have a special affection for cranes. My friend Peter Matthiessen wrote a wonderful book on cranes entitled The Birds of Heaven (2001), while the great naturalist Aldo Leopold wrote the following about his feelings for cranes in his seminal book, A Sand County Almanac (1949):
"Our appreciation of the crane grows with the slow unraveling of earthly history. His tribe, we now know, stems out of the remote Eocene. The other members of the fauna in which he originated are long since entombed within the hills. When we hear his call we hear no mere bird. We hear the trumpet in the orchestra of evolution. He is the symbol of our untamable past, of that incredible sweep of millennia which underlies and conditions the daily affairs of birds and men."
If you do not live in an area where flocks of cranes can be observed, I highly recommend you join either our Winter New Mexico tour, featuring the famous Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, or our Nebraska: Platte River, Sandhill Cranes, and Prairie Grouse trip, where half a million cranes stage each March on their northward migration.
I hope you enjoy the fall season as much as I do.
Best wishes,
Victor Emanuel