Hello ,

Looking forward to 2020. There are so many trips we are planning, and I have to deal with getting them up to the calendar myself and it takes a lot of time. I miss my buddy, Warren, who past away last August. We were such a good team starting the new 7 Wonders Birding website last year. Warren was also such a good person to throw ideas at.

For the rest of us....life goes on....with daily struggles and wonders alternating. 

I have finally figured out how to produce the tours for the website myself, and just put together and published the new 7WB trip to Rome (the Coliseum being one of the New 7 Wonders) for the end of April. It is quite exciting with a lot of culture of course, but also some quality birding such as Rock Partridge. 

 

In the next few days I shall be putting together pages for Rio/Iguazu, Egypt and Petra - and with this all of the New 7 Wonders will have a birding tour. I all goes well, this is done before January 1. 

Then I shall upload additional 7WB tours to Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. All those should be up before Space Coast Birding Festival which I am attending for the third year in a row Jan 22-26.

 

I want to appolgize for increased frequency of emails in beforehand. I want to send you the plans as the are produced. So tomorrow, I shall send you the planned tours between January and June, 2020.

And on Jan 1, you shall get the tours for the remainder of the year - and what is in the pipeline for 2021. 

Meanwhile, happy planning for 2020. What is on the bucket list for you?

 

If you are interested in any of these destinations I listed above, let me know to coordinate dates and details with you. 

Saludos

Gunnar
 

PS: Here are a couple of short news that the was sent to the Kolibri Expeditions/7 Wonders Birding Brand Ambassadors. Just reply to this message if you are interested in any of these news. (If you want to become a Brand Ambassador - let me know.) 

1. We are doing a short discounted Satipo road trip for Peruvians between Jan 9-14. We have a couple of spaces left at special price of $1200 for the 6 days. 
2. There is a confirmed complete North Peru running Feb 15-30. 
3. Hokkaido, Japan is running in the end of February. Fourth year in a row. Two-three more spots. Also check the pre tour for Cranes, albatrosses and Okinawa. 
4. I am setting up an intensive three week hard core birding trip in NE Brazil Mar19-April 8. Spots go for $4500 each. Max four people plus guide. Local guides are employed here and there. 
5. Hiking in the Andes. Planning a hiking and birding trip in the Andes in Cusco April 10-18. And yes visit to Machu Picchu and birding Abra Malaga is included within these 9 days. 
6. Guatemala Tikal and Horned Guan (easy hike) March 9-13 has a few bookings and will run. 
7. Two Pantanal departures uploaded for 2020 - july and october. Eash will have a 5 day pretrip to Rio and Iguazu for yet another of the New 7 Wonders the Christ Statue in Rio. (This trip will be uploaded the coming days).
8. Spain May 25-30 for Iberian Lynx and many of Europe's best raptors. Good food and of course Alhambra. 
9. I am preparing a checklist of the 1000 best birds in the world. It is a collection of birds. When done, you will have a new checklist for your world birding only listing the best birds and a much more feasible life list to go after than trying to reach 10000 species. 
   
   Criteria:

• At least one species from each bird family,
• Illustrated Austin/Singer "Birds of the World" (published 1961) or Perrins "Encyclopaedia of Birds" (published in 1985)
• Listed as CR or EN by Birdlife international. The final criteria is valid only if the bird is reasonably possible to see without chartering a boat or a helicopter or a month-long expeditions. Remote islands, and almost extinct birds are excluded.
  
  I will every so often ask for advice which species to include through polls on the Facebook group World Birding Tours. You may want to join this group which has 1800 members.