From the Field
April 22:
Luke Seitz and Steve Howell report from Mexico: Oaxaca and Western Chiapas
Our Mexico: Oaxaca and Western Chiapas tour started in fine fashion near the bustling city of Tuxtla Gutierrez, where birding within an hour’s drive of the city produced many stunning Russet-crowned Motmots...
...and an incredible Bearded Screech-Owl, roosting in the highland pine-oak forests near San Cristobal! How lucky could we get?!
We spend two mornings at the gorgeous Sumidero Canyon, where a clear highlight this year was...
...this supremely cooperative Flammulated Flycatcher.
Picnics feature strongly on this tour, often surrounded by great birds such as...
...the range-restricted Giant Wren!
After several days in Chiapas, we drove across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and ended up in Oaxaca, where we birded cool montane forests...
...where specialties like Dwarf Jay performed better than ever!
The sought-after Oaxaca Sparrow was also abnormally cooperative this year.
It's difficult to choose a favorite bird in this fascinating part of the word, but surely the eye-melting Rosita’s Bunting must feature high on the list. We’re already looking forward to next time!
April 18:
Paul Holt reports from Bhutan
A fantastic encounter with four Blood Pheasants early in to the second half of our Bhutan tour stole the Bird of the Trip award although Satyr Tragopan (we saw three separate birds superbly well), a pair of Beautiful Nuthatches, a couple of gaudy Himalayan Monals, a solitary White-bellied Heron, four Ibisbills, umpteen Rufous-necked Hornbills and a flock of 20 Fire-tailed Myzornis all pushed it hard…But Bhutan’s far more than just impressive birds – there’s the spectacular mountain and forest scenery, the country’s unique culture and fascinating Buddhist heritage and of course our fabulous ground agents. Bhutan has so much to offer...
Blood Pheasant romped away with the 'Bird of the Tour' award...
but Black-tailed Crake pushed it hard...
Capped, one of three species of langur we saw.
Punakha dzong – one of the country's more spectacular fortress-monasteries
April 8:
Steve Howell and Luke Seitz report from the conclusion of their trans-equatorial odyssey on the Chile to California cruise.
This trip transits over 5000 miles through the waters of 12 countries (this year, with documented first country records for four of them!). Some 33 species of tubenoses, ranging from five albatrosses to a remarkable 12 storm-petrels, topped the pelagic bill, here the handsome Hornby’s (or Ringed) Storm-Petrel.
Although up-close Blue Whales several times...
And fancy Striped Dolphins weren’t too shabby either!
Point-blank Nazca Boobies joined us on several days...
Intent on hunting flyingfish (like this Pied-tailed Necromancer) that the ship flushed
From Humboldt Penguins...
And Olive Ridley Sea Turtles
To Guadalupe Furseals the trip was an eponymic delight!
Birds at our varied landings ranged from this curious White-throated Tapaculo
And cryptic Peruvian Thick-knees...
To the ultra-fancy Inca Tern
And the eye-burningly bright Orange-breasted Bunting.
Memories of this remarkable trip will last a lifetime—happy oceanic birding!
April 5:
Susan Myers reports from our recent India: The North tour
A happy and healthy group enjoyed an amazing three weeks in India's northwest where we took in the deserts, woodlands, foothills, and the mountains of the Himalayas. So many highlights! Including the Taj Mahal, Sloth Bears, Ibisbills, Gharials, Mount Everest, and much more. But the undoubted highlight was a remarkable 11 Tigers (yes, eleven!) seen at Ranthambore and Corbett National Parks. Nothing short of breathtaking, and a truly memorable experience.
Queen of the Jungle! This is Arrow-head, she has just seen her three cubs cross the road and she’s checking to see if they’re safe.
Sloth Bear
Brown-headed Barbet
Ibisibill
Eurasian Hoopoe
Small Niltava
March 19:
Susan Myers reports from Japan in Winter
Our winter tour in Japan this year featured the usual array of fantastic birds – the incredible numbers of cranes, wildfowl and eagles never fail to impress. And then there are some special rarities such as Japanese Murrelet and Blakiston’s Fish Owl, that can only realistically be seen in this country that counts so many of their birds as National Treasures, an official title. We were also lucky this year to have encounters with several species that we always hope for but can’t necessarily count on, of note the Japanese Waxwings, Baikal Teal, Stejneger’s Scoter, Green Pheasant, and Siberian Crane. While the birds we encounter on our winter tour are always amazing, Japan's charm extends far and wide – from its serene temples and cozy inns to the exquisite culinary delights, ensuring that our tour offered an enriching experience in every aspect.
On the far north island of Hokkaido, we spent plenty of time with the White-tailed Eagles…
that keep company with the migratory Steller’s Sea Eagles that descend on Hokkaido in winter because it’s warmer here than on their breeding grounds!
Amongst the overwintering passerines we found Hawfinches, that often come into feeders…
as well as the white-bellied race of Eurasian Nuthatch…
stunning Daurian Redstarts…
charming Chinese Penduline-tits…
and cute Japanese Tits.
Our nature cruise off the Nemuro Peninsula was super productive for Spectacled Guillemots and other alcids.
Amongst the multitudinous White-naped Cranes (and Hooded Cranes) on the southern island of Kyushu…
we were very lucky to encounter the Critically Endangered Siberian Crane.
In our spare time we took in some cultural experiences, including a brief visit to the stunning Matsumoto Castle, steeped in history…
a couple of spectacular feasts…
and wonderful scenery.
Happy Birding!
March 18:
Skye Haas reports from the recent Belize tour
Belize is a beautiful gem of a country with its extensive emerald-colored forests, pastoral farmlands and sparkling Caribbean beaches. WINGS had not been to this beautiful and birdy country since the Covid shutdowns had actually canceled our tour midstream, but as the nine participants on the spring 2024 tour quickly learned, it was worth the wait! Over the course of this twelve-day tour we traveled extensively across the country, starting out in the coastal mangrove groves on the outskirts of Belize City; onto the expansive marsh and Yuacatan savannas of the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary; up to the highlands of the Mountain Pine Reserve; and deep into the tropical jungles of La Milpa, Cockscomb Preserve, & Bocawina and Blue Hole National Parks among many other fantastic birding locals. We visited on several occasions Mayan ruins, including the uncovered fabled cities of Caracol and Chan-Chich. The overwhelming abundance and richness of avian life in this small nation is outstanding and our group consisted of participants exploring their first international trip, as well as long-time veterans of neotropics- and all got multiple lifers and incredible experiences they will treasure for years to come. We tallied in an impressive 351 species of bird, featuring 16 species of hummingbird, 33 diurnal raptors, 31 flycatchers, 24 warblers and 16 species of tanager! Some of our highlights included Orange-breasted Falcon, Lovely Cotinga, Pheasant Cuckoo, Keel-billed Motmot, Agami Heron, Yucatan Nightjar, Black-throated Bobwhite, Striped Owl, Gray-throated Chat and both Black-and-White & Ornate Hawk-Eagles at the nest!
Exploring the river for Boat-billed Heron.
Agami Heron
Orange-breasted Falcon
Rufous-tailed Jacamar
Butterflies were abundant and some of the standouts included Blue Morpho, Banded Peacock, Owl Butterfly and this Variable Cattleheart.
Pheasant Cuckoo
Black-headed Trogon
Looking for Yucatan Jays with our friendly canine escort unit.
March 11:
Gavin Bieber and Stephen Menzie report from the recent Tasman Sea and New Zealand cruise:
It was a fantastic two weeks aboard the Coral Princess, with scores of seabirds during our days at sea and a host of endemic landbirds during our onshore days in New Zealand. In contrast to previous tours, the cruise started in Brisbane this year, which gave the group opportunity to catch up with some warm-water species, such as tropicbirds and boobies – a distinctly different avifauna to the cold-water species found off New Zealand’s coasts. As expected, the pelagic birding on this trip was dominated by the tubenoses – the albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels and the like; in total, an impressive 40 species of tubenoses were logged by the group during the tour.
All photos by Stephen Menzie.
Our home for the duration of the tour: the Coral Princess.
The first days at sea saw us sailing through relatively mild seas, where we caught up with warm-water species such as this Red-footed Booby…
…and this Red-tailed Tropicbird.
As we reached colder water, albatrosses – such as this White-capped (Shy) Albatross – were a constant feature of the day’s birding.
Buller’s Albatrosses were seen in the waters off southern New Zealand, with many giving close fly-bys of the boat…
…as did squadrons of Buller’s Shearwaters.
A host of Pterodroma petrels were logged on the cruise, including Mottled Petrels…
…Black-winged Petrels…
…Cook’s Petrels…
…and the strikingly jaeger-like Kermadec Petrel. It even comes in different colour morphs and undertakes kleptoparasitism of other seabirds.
Birding the Fiordland national park by boat was as notable for the stunning scenery as it was for its birdlife.
On terra firma, we found a host of endemic landbirds. This one is a Tui.
And this one is a North Island Saddleback.
On a secluded forest river, we found a pair of New Zealand Blue Ducks.
On the coast, we enjoyed views of endemic shorebirds, such as the Critically Endangered Black Stilt and (depicted here) the Wrybill.
Famously full of character, we chuckled at the sight of a Kea stealing – and subsequently tucking into – a bag of potato chips at a café in the Southern Alps… even if the former owner of the bag of chips wasn’t so amused!
February 26:
Jon Feenstra reports from his recent trip in the Ecuadorian Amazon
We returned from Sani Lodge, deep in the Amazon rainforest of eastern Ecuador. It’s way out beyond any roads and quite an adventure just getting there.
The avian diversity is epic and we had a nice sampling of screamers, guans, puffbirds, jacamars, toucans, antbirds, woodcreepers, flycatchers, cotingas, manakins, tanagers, and more. And, parrots! No trip to the Amazon is complete without a show from big, colorful parrots. We watched up to twenty Blue-and-yellow Macaws (pictured here), as well as a few Chestnut-fronted and Red-bellied Macaws chew up a dead tree.
We also saw up to eleven Scarlet Macaws visit a mineral spring in the jungle (here with Orange-cheeked Parrot).
The canoe rides through the flooded forest were serene and beautiful.
And, within this habitat we encountered the extremely local Cocha Antshrike, here the more striking female.
The canopy tower had its own specialties, like the tiny, colorful Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatcher.
There was a lot of walking though dark, primary rainforest.
Sometimes there were some very big trees.
And, sometimes we took a lesson from the Hoatzins and just hung out, looking out over the jungle from a good sturdy branch.
February 26:
Jake Mohlmann has just finished an amazing tour full of rarities in the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas
We recently wrapped up another trip through the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. This year’s tour was truly unbelievable in not only the species diversity, but also the extreme rarity of so many of the birds we encountered. Resaca de La Palma State Park was hosting a serious suite this year. We packed our rarity list with highlights including Rose-throated and Gray-collared Becard, Roadside Hawk, Tropical Parula, and Dusky-capped Flycatcher.
This Gray-collared Becard was seen, a third record for North America
Tropical Parula picked bugs from leaves over our heads
Amazing Roadside Hawk hunting the resaca edge
The Santa Margarita Ranch has been red hot lately with rare birds. Some advanced planning acquired us access to this unique habitat abutting the meandering Rio Grande. From the bluffs here we scored a crowd pleaser when a passing illegal fishing boat flushed a Bare-throated Tiger-Heron up into a tree for us to observe in the scope. Later on, we got eye level with this 3rd North American record from the shores of the ranch directly across the waterway.
Our group on the bluffs at Santa Margarita Ranch
Bare-Throated Tiger-Heron seen well, another third record for North America.
The ranch has also become the only reliable spot north of Mexico that one can see the raucous Brown Jay. We lucked into 4 of these giant corvids coming in to the overflowing feeder array here.
BRJA-Brown Jay checking us out
We went back to Santa Margarita Ranch at nighttime to bag a huge score for any North American birder. Among the calling Eastern (McCall’s) Screech-Owls and Pauraques the deep hoots of a Mottled Owl were heard. We stood in amazement as it showed up, skillfully lit up by our local guide in the glow of the spot light.
Unbelievable looks at a Mottled Owl
The range expansion of the Limpkin made its way to Texas. We lucked into one of these colonizers in San Benito and watched it excise some huge clams from their formidable shells.
Limpkin with clam lunch
The Corpus Christi area always seems to please with its endless saltmarsh habitat, backwater bayous, and barrier beaches full of birds. In addition to a plethora of gulls and shorebirds, we boated by 25 Whooping Cranes on our trip through Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. This is the largest wintering population of this species in the world and it showed.
Whooping Cranes were well-represented
Also in Corpus we were treated to a first North American record conveniently located 2 blocks from our hotel. A long-staying Cattle Tyrant has taken up residence at the Water Street Oyster Bar. It didn’t take us long to track down the birders running, always an indication something exciting is nearby. Their actions led us right to the bird and, I must say, it was easily approachable as the hood ornament of a GMC pickup truck.
Cattle Tyrant adornment in Corpus Christi
February 14:
Jon Feenstra has just finished an excellent East Slope of the Andes tour in Ecuador
Tour completed and more than 10000 feet of elevation change later, we’re back from birding the Amazon slope of the Ecuadorian Andes. We began the tour at and above treeline in the high paramo.
One of the favorites was Tawny Antpitta, “the nice antpitta” that was readily found wandering around out in the open. 
Giant Hummingbird was truly amazing, shown here on a normal-sized hummingbird feeder for reference.
The scenery was pretty vast, as well. Here is the gang in front of the Antisana Volcano looming in the distance.
Further down the hill, the birds changed completely. Everyone liked Cinnamon Flycatcher – cute, easy to identify, and always accommodating.
Peruvian Racket-tail was also one of the favorites. Its puffy orange “boots” gave this little hummingbird an extra funny look.
We encountered Coppery-chested Jacamar on two days. It’s a local specialty in foothill rainforest (and, conveniently, often seen perched along the sides of roads).
Sometimes it was cold, wet, windy, a little short on air, and a lot of work.
But, a lot of time, it was just some good old chilling out and watching the birds that would come to us.
Check out the eBird trip report here: https://ebird.org/tripreport/203192