This can't wait any longer. You need a birding tour, . 🌏🦅🦉🌎

Published: Sat, 03/02/19

Planning your international birding for 2019, part 2: April-June.  

, you must have noticed a sudden flow of emails from me some weeks ago. It was both the launch of the new email list for 7 Wonders Birding, plus a last minute offer for Japan that made this overflow. 
I am sorry about that, and I will try to keep the coming emails more apart and communicate more via the blog and on Facebook. I have been working with this newsletter for the past month in order to get you an update on the birding and bird photography trips we are offering during the second quarter of the year. But it is so difficult to keep current, as there are a bunch of people who have waited to book until last minute. Therefore, there are a number of new trips and tour dates here that were not in the pipeline earlier this year. 
Additionally, we have launched a new website for our short tours around the world to see your most wanted targets - your bucket list if you like - of birds, mammals and historical sites and monuments. We call this site 7WondersBirding.com. With this launch, we have added all subscribers of this mailing list to the new mailing list which has a totally different approach.  Maybe it is superfluous, and I should go back to only one list? Let me know what you think? And while you are at it, send me your bucket list of birds, mammals, nature spectacles and cultural heritage sites you want to visit. 

Let me explain the differences between the two lists. The lists are quite different from each other. If you are relatively new to birding or don't know me particularly well, you are probably best off only subscribing to the latter. You could unsubscribe to KolibriNews (this list) at the bottom of this email.

On the other hand, if you have interest in the best and most focused Peru and South America birding tours run by Kolibri Expeditions or are curious about what I have been up to lately and where we can meet up In Real Life. Keep on reading and keep subscribing. Here you will get excerpts from Gunnar's Birding Blog, and there will also be links to the stuff I publish on the GunnarEngblom.com blog (health and training hacks, movies, books, apps, podcasts and weird things that come my way). 

Earlier this year, I posted the Kolibri Tours for January to March 2019. The plan for the rest of the year is now getting more shape, so I wanted to send you an update of confirmed Kolibri Expeditions tours for the next couple of months as well as the 7 Wonders Birding tours during this period. Are you ready? 

About Japan and 7 Wonders Birding

On Sunday March 3, I shall run Tokyo Marathon and right after the race I fly to Kushiro on Hokkaido to meet up with the birding group of just two people for another amazing week with Steller's Eagle and Red-crowned Cranes. I was there last week and as usual it was overwhelming. The origin of this Japan tour is actually what kicked off 7 Wonders Birding Tours to begin with. I always wanted to run Tokyo Marathon, since it is one of the 6 Marathon Majors (the others are Chicago, Boston, New York, London and Berlin), but there are only 25 000 spots available and over 320 000 applicants. There is a lottery. The chance of entering is very slim.

In any case, in 2015 I submitted my application, and much to my surprise I got news by late September that year that I was accepted.  As a birder, one immediately starts planning what birds one could see in late February in Japan, and of course it turned out to be the best time of year for Hokkaido. What a lucky coincidence. Maybe, I could set up a birding trip to Japan. I figured that birding wise it could not be that hard since the very low species number in the winter, and additionally there were the keybirds that every birder wanted to see. I could not be away more than a week, so I wanted a short tour that covered my main targets: Steller's Eagle, Red-crowned Crane, Blakiston's Fish-Owl and the Snow Monkeys bathing in the hot springs in the middle of the winter. It turned out it was all doable in the five full days I allocated to the birding. 

Alas, I never managed to get a group together and by the time the marathon was approaching I was in bad shape and would not make a good time anyway. Meanwhile, some people showed interest if we were going to run a trip the following year. Hence, in 2017 Kolibri Expeditions ran the first short Japan trip and I was driver, coordinator and keeping the things together. As for the bird identification, it was a cooperative experience for the group, but really quite straight forward. Birding and bird identification in Japan is easy. There was really no need for a local guide. 
Since I could not get a spot for the marathon in marathon in 2017 I offered a birding trip again in 2018. Five clients signed up, but I could still not get a spot to the marathon.  This year I got more luck. I am running the marathon and I am leading no less than two short trips. I have just completed the Hokkaido leg of the first trip with fantastic views and photos of all the targets.  On Sunday after the marathon we'll do the Hokkaido circuit all over again. 

Even though I will have no need to run Tokyo Marathon again I think our approach to Japan Winter Birding shall become very popular. You can join us next year only taking 5 days off from work. If you have more time we will offer extensions before and after. The trip is bound to sell out, so you'd want to reserve early. Let me know your preferred dates ASAP. 
Late February was very good for Steller's Eagle on the pack ice this year, but not so good for the Snow Monkeys today, as they were not in the hot pools. With +5ºC the temperature was too high to be lazing in the pools. 

Having run the Japan tour now for three years, I realized that there must be millions of people who have bucket lists of Spectacular Birds in Spectacular Places that they want to travel to. As the axiom of all goes, - "So many birds, so little time" - the solution to the dilemma is to prioritize both your time and your targets. If the trips concentrate on the most important targets, you shall have more time to go for the other targets. Also, it will be far better for your marriage, if you have a non birding partner. A five to seven day trip that also include one of the New 7 Wonders (Machu Picchu, Petra, Rio, Chinese Wall, Chichen Itza, Rome and Taj Mahal) or any other World Heritage Sites such as Angkor Wat, Tikal, Easter Island, Egypt or Alhambra, and perhaps some iconic must see mammals such as Tiger, Orangutan, Proboscis Monkey, Platypus, Koala, Gorilla, Jaguar or Puma, it will be a much easier sale, as your partner can join without feeling overwhelmed by the crazy egocentric hard core birders who only care about their Life List.  In fact many of the 7 Wonders Birding Tours are the perfect birding tour for a non birder. Why? Because it is the perfect combination of Spectacular Birds and Mammals in Spectacular Places. 

You need a bucket list approach to birding.
You need 7 Wonders Birding.
And you can bring your non-birding spouse!

Birding tours during March-April.

Birding North Peru

March-April is still the best time for displaying Marvelous Spatuletail and we have a number of tours available that cover this most spectacular species. 

Birding in Central Peru

In late March-April Central Peru is drying up, and we start offering the trips to the most endemic rich part of Peru again. Central Peru is good value as there are few expensive lodges that would increase the price. 

Two clients are doing 4 days of Central Peru between March 22-25 that include the Santa Eulalia Canyon, Marcapomacocha area with Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, a new exciting subtropical forest site in La Merced with Cerulean-capped Manakin, Creamy-bellied Antwren, Cloud-forest Screech-Owl and many more. You could combine this trip with the North Peru trip on Mar 26, or the full 16 days of North Peru. Note also that there is a Lima excursion on April 5, if you want to cut the North Peru trip short. 

Other Central Peru trips scheduled. 

Southern Peru for Easter.

April is a good time for the South East part of Peru. It is right after the rains and the birds are very active.  Kolibri Expeditions offer a series of trips back to back in this region.

Birding holidays in May-June.


May and June also brings us a couple of 7 Wonders Birding Trips. Yet, there are several things on my bucket list for Australia, and it turns out most of them can seen by making a 5 day Tasmania trip for Tasmanian Devil, Platypus, and Least Penguin, and add a day or two in Melbourne afterwards for Koala and giant Red Kangaroo.

There are of course a large number of Australian endemic birds and bird families that will be seen during this trip as well.

The only essential thing missing on that list, as far as I can see, is the Sydney Opera House and Cassowary. The latter can be seen in near Cairns. We will offer additional extensions if people want to see more of Australia. 

I'm staying on in Australia myself after the Tasmania trip, because on July 7, I will be running Gold Coast Marathon. Additionally, I have been booked to give 5 talks for Australian Birdclubs iwhile in the country. If you live in Australia we can meet up.
Here are the dates and places:
July 1. Melbourne,
July 2. Sydney,
July 4. Brisbane
July 8, Brisbane.
July 10 (tentatively). Cairns 

The birding the rest of the year.

I shall be sending a newsletter shortly with the programs for July-December, but in any case want to make a short mention of the upcoming Kolibri Expeditions and 7 Wonders Birding Tour here anyway so you can plan properly should you want to participate in any of them. Reply to this email if interested in any the following. Also check out the calendars once in a while for both Kolibri Expeditions and 7WondersBirding for updates. 

July August September October. November December The Bhutan and India programs (back to back) will most likely run in late November and early December. We also plan an extension to Corbett National Park. 
 

Interesting things I ponder over.

One Meal a Day Plant Based.

I recently came across a great idea when listening to an interview with filmmaker James Cameron and Suzy Amis Cameron. During the set when filming Avatar 2 and 3 back to back for one year, only vegan food was offered for free for lunch. Essentially One Plant-based Meal per Day. For Kolibri Expeditions Peru tour that we set up ourselves, we shall apply this same philosophy for our field lunches, to mitigate against global warming and our carbon footprint, and rainforest destruction for cattle.  It is really no big deal. If you fancy eggs and yogurt - have it for breakfast. If you want a steak, have it for dinner. But by making a conscious choice every time, and a lot of people supporting the idea, there will be a huge impact in the meat consumption and ultimately global warming. For more info check out One Meal Per Day For The Planet.

What do you think of the idea? Would you stop going with Kolibri Expeditions if we implemented this? Or would you tell your friends to travel with us because of this? Let me know. Reply to this email, please. 

Also, I love to hear about your thoughts about the 7 Wonders Birding Concept. Is this something you will tell your friends about? What is on your bucket list? Let us know, and perhaps we shall see you there. 

Saludos

Gunnar