A warm welcome to our 2009 brochure of birdwatching holidays, this being our twenty-second year of operation.

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On the other side of the world we have introduced what is probably the most comprehensive tour of New Zealand available. This takes in North, South and Stewart Islands and an optional extension to the rarely visited Chatham Islands. Expect over fifty endemic species and a wealth of seabirds.

Japan is usually a winter destination but a spring inspection tour to the Izu Islands and the migration hot-spot of Hegurajima has revealed a wealth of migrants. The tour also visits Hokkaido with its beautiful landscapes and wealth of breeding birds.

We also have a comprehensive tour to Oman. The country offers species from both Asia and Africa plus desert birds in the vast expanses of the Arabian Desert. We are pleased to offer this unique country after a thorough inspection tour in 2008.

In the Caribbean region we have a one-week tour to Jamaica, the third largest island in the Greater Antilles. The varied habitats of Jamaica offer you twenty-eight endemic species in beautiful surroundings. We also stay at Marshall’s Pen, one of Jamaica’s premier birding sites.

Closer to home we have a one week departure to Poland which is extremely rich for breeding birds especially woodpeckers and owls. In contrast, the Canary Islands offer several endemic birds and seabirds in abundance with an option to visit the Portuguese outpost of Madeira.

Our tour to Thailand in south-east Asia sold out within days so we have another departure in late 2009.

Japan continues to be a popular destination and we have modified the tour slightly to visit an area for Japanese Murrelet.

During March, we revisit Bhutan the ‘land of the thunder dragon’, a truly spectacular country steeped in tradition.

In January 2010 another tour to Vietnam is planned which is still relatively unknown to birders from Europe. Vietnam offers you the chance to encounter species which were recently rediscovered during the 1990s.

In the Americas, we have reintroduced our tour to Southern Argentina with an optional extension to the Falkland Islands. Chile departs in January 2009, another beautiful country with a wide-range of habitats and birdlife. Further north, we have reintroduced our winter tour to Texas and Washington State for wintering birds.

In Africa, we have departures to Ethiopia, Ghana, Namibia and Uganda. To complement our Ghana trip, we have added a special one week tour for White-necked Rockfowl.

2009 sees the fourth year of Black Isle Birding which covers all our holidays operating in Scotland. This sector has grown significantly over the last year and we are pleased to say that we have a growing reputation as one of Scotland’s premier birding companies. Jo and I operate our popular “holiday at home” programme based at Cygnus House. Its location, overlooking the Cromarty Firth and set in two acres of wildlife habitat, makes it is an ideal base for visiting northern Scotland. We have therefore extended our Scottish programme in 2009 at Cygnus House and other destinations around Scotland including the Shetland Islands and Western Isles. In addition to the Scottish Highlands, we have added an autumn tour to Northern Ireland and Donegal in search of vagrants and spectacular numbers of wildfowl from further north.

We firmly believe we offer you the best birding packages in Scotland with the country’s top birding guides along with a friendly and welcoming service with no hidden extras.

We look forward to welcoming you on one of our tours whether in Europe or further afield.