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

*****
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.