2016 Thursday 13th - Monday 17th October (5 days) Single-centre, small group tour with Stephen Daly

Transcription

1 Germany BERLIN & BRANDENBURG Great Bustards may look impressive on the ground, but just wait until these magnificent heavyweights get up into the air! This impressive squadron of 21 birds was photographed on our October tour Stephen Daly/Daly Wildlife 2016 Thursday 13th - Monday 17th October (5 days) Single-centre, small group tour with Stephen Daly In birding terms, the old East Germany is a yet to be discovered area of northern Europe. Our autumn tour visits at a time when the birding there is at its best, with peak numbers of migrating Cranes and wild geese, and excellent chances of seeing Great Bustards, woodpeckers and many birds of prey - including White-tailed Eagle will be our fourth year for this super short trip, which was designed exclusively for us by Roger White, author of A Birdwatching Guide to Brandenburg and Berlin. Outstanding autumn birding in fascinating former East Germany Brandenburg - home to the last remaining Great Bustards in northern Europe In October, spectacular flocks of migrating Common Cranes Arrivals of wild geese too, including Taiga and Tundra Bean White-tailed Eagle and up to 5 woodpeckers, including Middle Spotted and Black Small group tour expertly led by Limosa s Stephen Daly, now living in Germany What's Included? Limosa Tour Leader Flights London to Berlin 4 nights at a comfortable lakeside village hotel in Brandenburg All main meals included All local travel, entry fees, tour based tips and taxes LIMOSA HOLIDAYS, West End Farmhouse, Chapelfield, Stalham, Norfolk NR12 9EJ (UK) TEL: +44 (0) info@limosaholidays.co.uk WEB: limosaholidays.co.uk

2 Big numbers of Common Cranes pass through Brandenburg every October, on their way to Spain Stephen Daly/Daly Wildlife Outline Itinerary Day 1: Fly London-Berlin. Transfer west to the village of Semlin (4 nts) Days 2-4: Birding the wetlands, forests, fields and heathland of Brandenburg Day 5: Return to Berlin, fly London Tour Overview The State of Brandenburg lies within the old German Democratic Republic (DDR), with Berlin at its heart. The terrain is mainly flat, but in many ways unique: wetlands abound, with lakes, rivers, polders, reed-fringed fishponds and marshes, interspersed with forests and meadows, while swathes of heathland still remain from previous Russian Army occupation. Life behind the old 'Iron Curtain' did much to preserve the original character and integrity of the unspoiled countryside here, and makes this a fascinating place to visit. The state of Brandenburg holds the last remaining population of Great Bustards in northern Europe, with just over a hundred birds. In autumn and winter through into early spring, there are also impressive numbers of geese (sometimes numbering more than 50,000 birds): mostly Russian White-fronts, and Tundra and Taiga Bean Geese, but often a few Barnacle Geese too. The odd Lesser White-front and the occasional Red-breasted Goose also turn up most years. Duck are numerous and flocks of Golden Plover and Lapwings haunt the fields. All this concentration of birdlife attracts a good population of raptors. Visiting White-tailed Eagles augment the local breeding birds and can be seen most days in autumn; Rough-legged Buzzards patrol the rough grassland areas from October through into March; and Hen Harriers and Merlins are usually about, too. Goshawks are surprisingly numerous - in fact, they're more common here than Sparrowhawks! Common Cranes breed here and a few stay behind for the winter. But spectacular numbers also pass through Brandenburg every October on their migration south to Extremadura in Spain (returning again in March on the way back to their breeding grounds across Scandinavia and northern Europe). Brandenburg's woodlands hold Black, Middle Spotted and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, and Hawfinches too. We will check the open fields for flocks of finches, sparrows and buntings - and there s generally a predatory Great Grey Shrike or two around info@limosaholidays.co.uk

3 There are excellent facilities for birdwatching in the area around our hotel, with a number of wellconstructed bird hides and observation towers at key locations. This groundbreaking birdwatching tour to Germany - which was designed exclusively for us by Roger White, author of the excellent book, A Birdwatching Guide to Brandenburg and Berlin - is led by Limosa's Stephen Daly, who lives in Germany and whose fluency speaking German will be essential for us in an area littlevisited by foreign tourists. Although some of the old intrigue may have been lost with the lifting of the Iron Curtain in 1990, the fascination with its birds and wildlife remains. Join us in October 2016 for our fourth visit here - and some terrific autumn birding in the countryside around Berlin and Brandenburg! Daily Itinerary Day 1 TO BERLIN & BRANDENBURG Our autumn birdwatching tour to Germany begins with a morning flight from London to Berlin, where Stephen will be waiting to welcome us. We drive west from the German capital (via Brandenburg and Rathenow) to our hotel in the village of Semlin, where we spend all four nights. Set beside a large lake, around the village we expect to find Tree Sparrows and Siskins, and feeding geese might well be seen from the bedroom windows. Night Semlin Days 2-4 BRANDENBURG - GEESE, BUSTARDS, CRANES, RAPTORS & WOODPECKERS We have three full days to explore the varied countryside from our base at Semlin. As we drive the area, we can expect to come across flocks of geese as they fly over or feed in the fields almost anywhere. Great Bustards have been lost to everywhere in northern Europe but Brandenburg. East of Semlin is one of their few remaining areas. We will visit two tower hides as well as searching the local fields, looking not only for bustards but expecting to see both Common and Roughlegged Buzzards, and Hen Harriers too. This is also a good site for Great Grey Shrike and flocks of Golden Plover. Nearby is some mature woodland, where we have chances to find Black and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers. Further east, the fishponds at Linum hold a good variety of waterfowl including Red-crested Pochard. The Common Crane roost here is the largest in northern Europe and we will time our walk around the periphery of the ponds - pausing to look from some of the hides - and along a grass path for about a mile to coincide with the cranes coming in to roost in the early evening. West of Semlin is a large area of damp and sometimes flooded meadows, where there is a good tower hide beside a water channel. Whooper Swans, geese and large numbers of dabbling ducks such as Pintail and Wigeon winter here. In autumn, there may be flocks of Cranes and White-tailed Eagles are often seen. Nearby Gülper See is a large lake and one of the best birding sites in Brandenburg. We expect to find large numbers of wildfowl here, and the air can be filled with the calls of flying Bean Geese (both Tundra and Taiga Bean occur), Russian White-fronted and Greylag Geese. A short walk through a pinewood leads to a large hide overlooking the water and southern shore. Great White Egrets are resident and the woodland can be productive for woodpeckers. Depending on the water level, a walk along the edge of the lake may reveal some waders, with finches and buntings to look for in the surrounding fields. The north side of lake is more difficult to view, but the surrounding fields can hold numbers of geese and duck. A White-tailed Eagle may be perched on a post or tree in the middle of the lake. We should see signs of European Beaver activity and several beaver lodges, but sightings of these fascinating mammals, which are largely crepuscular, are unlikely. A short journey from here carries us into the neighbouring German state of Saxony-Anhalt, and on towards the old Hanseatic hill town of Havelberg. Along the way, we'll stop at a hide overlooking the Havel River and surrounding meadows, which may reveal dabbling ducks, info@limosaholidays.co.uk

4 raptors and perhaps a Great Grey Shrike. There will be the opportunity of walking around historic Havelburg itself and along the river, before we return to our hotel in Semlin. Three further nights at Semlin. Day 5 RETURN TO BERLIN, FLY LONDON We leave our hotel in Semlin after breakfast today. Depending on flight schedules, there may be time to stop to view some more lakes and woodland on the way back to Berlin. Afternoon flight to London, where our autumn birding tour to Germany concludes. Trip Information Group Limit Birds species 8 participants & 1 leader Accommodation 4 nights accommodation in Germany, where we stay at the comfortable hotel Semliner Hof, in the village of Semlin. All rooms are en suite. Meals All main meals are included in the tour price, commencing with dinner in Semlin on Day 1 and concluding with breakfast there on Day 5. Breakfasts will be at the hotel. Picnic lunches. Evening meals are taken at a nearby restaurant, a short walk from the hotel. Walking Easy walks, mostly on level ground. Weather Berlin is situated in the lowlands of Northern Germany, at an elevation of just 50m (164ft) above sea level. In October, daytime temperatures are in the range of 5-13C/41-55F, (averaging around 8C/46F). In mid-october, the sun rises here at around 07.45am and sets again at 6.00pm. October is one of driest months of the year in this part of Europe and rainfall is low (averaging 33mm/1.3 inches). Flights Scheduled flights from London to Berlin with British Airways, Lufthansa, Easyjet or similar (varies according to airline schedules). Tour Cost 2016 (5 days): 995 (inc flights from London) Land only cost: 725 Deposit: 300 Single Supp: 55 Cost includes Services of our expert guide; flights London- Berlin; 4 nights hotel accommodation in Germany; all main meals (with water provided); all local transport, entry fees, tour-based tips and airport taxes; map and checklist of birds for tour. Cost excludes Insurance, drinks and other items of a personal nature. This trip will be operated in conjunction with The Travelling Naturalist About Your Guide Stephen Daly Stephen is a principal Limosa guide, who lives in southern Germany with his German wife Patty and their young family. A birdwatcher since the age of eight, his first birding memories are of Aberlady Bay on Scotland s Firth of Forth. Having subsequently lived and worked in the UK, Germany, France and latterly southern Spain, he has recently returned to live in Germany. Stephen s hobbies include walking, painting, music, reading and single malt whiskies. This year, we will again be putting his linguistic skills and wide-ranging local knowledge to good use on a range of Limosa tours, from Romania and Spain through to Gambia and the Canary Islands. A fluent German speaker, Stephen leads all of Limosa's tours to Germany and our 2016 trip to 'Berlin and Brandenburg' will be his fourth visit there. A second Limosa guide (tba) will be added as tour size warrants.] Ground Transport By minibus info@limosaholidays.co.uk

5 Financial Security Limosa Holidays is a fully bonded Tour Operator and a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO). We hold an ATOL (Air Tour Operators Licence) granted by the CAA, providing for your protection in the event of Limosa Holidays' insolvency. Our licence number is ATOL For tours not including the cost of a flight from the UK or for holidays booked by you as Land Only, all payments made to us are fully bonded through the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT). Our ABTOT membership number is For details please see our brochure or website: Limosa Loyalty Discount We are proud of the number of loyal customers who travel regularly with us. As our way of saying thank you, we offer a Frequent Travel Discount. Under the scheme, everyone who takes four trips with us is entitled to claim a 5% discount on their 5th trip *1. Remember to request your discount at time of booking! *1 Please note: This offer applies to the basic tour cost only and excludes certain commissionbased trips, extras such as additional flights, private extensions and cancellations. Discounts cannot be given in lieu of tour deposits or off the cost of single room supplements. How To Book Check availability on our website or with our office. We are happy to hold Provisional Reservations for up to 7 days. After this, we do require a Booking Form and deposit to confirm your place on tour. Any unconfirmed space will be released. Book Online, by Phone or by Post You can book and pay the deposit simply and securely Online via our website, using the Book This Tour button on the relevant tour page or the Booking tab at the top of the page. Telephone bookings must be confirmed in writing by completion of a Booking Form (there's one tucked inside every brochure or as a PDF download from our website), which can be mailed to us in the time honoured way. Be sure to read our Booking Conditions and General Information (found at the back of our brochure, on our website or available from our office on request) prior to booking. When to Book Early booking is advised since flights and accommodation are much more easily secured well in advance. To encourage early booking, we are pleased to offer an Early Bird Discount - see our current brochure or website for details. Our tours are limited to small group sizes. So they can fill up quickly - sometimes even before our new brochure comes out! Single rooms in particular can often be in short supply and among the first to go, so do try to plan well ahead if you definitely require one of these. Last-minute Bookings: We inevitably receive a few unexpected cancellations over the course of a season so it is always worth enquiring about vacancies on any tour - even for those departing in just a few weeks! Payments The amount of booking deposit per person is shown alongside every tour. We accept deposit payments by debit card, cheque (payable to Limosa Holidays and drawn on a UK bank in GB Pounds Sterling) and BACS (please ask for our bank details). We also accept Visa and MasterCard credit cards, with no transaction charge on payment of tour deposits. Full payment of the balance is due not later than 12 weeks prior to departure (20 weeks in the case of certain tours such as cruises or those involving rail travel). We will send you an invoice before the balance is due. We accept payment for balances (and interim payments) by cheque, BACS or UK debit card info@limosaholidays.co.uk

6 We also accept balances (and interim payments) by credit card or overseas debit card but with a charge of 2% of the transaction amount to help offset card company charges. [Note that we do not retain your card details, which are destroyed once used. This means we may need to phone you again for details for subsequent payments.] Payment by overseas customers must be in GB Pounds Sterling and may be made by transfer to our bank (please ask for our bank details), or by overseas debit or credit card with a 2% transaction charge. Please note we do not accept cheques on US Banks in US Dollars, or cheques in Euros or Eurocheques. Late Booking Payments: In order for us to guarantee your airline seats, hotels etc., full payment is required at time of booking for all late bookings (i.e. bookings made within 12 weeks of departure). Other Things You Need To Know Passports & Visas For UK passport holders, your passport must be valid for the proposed duration of your stay. Although no additional period of validity beyond this is required, when travelling anywhere overseas we always recommend that your passport has a minimum of 6 months left to run after your intended date of return home in case of unforeseen delay. VISA NOT REQUIRED by British Citizen passport holders to enter Germany. Holders of non-uk passports should contact the nearest German embassy or consulate to enquire whether or not they require a visa. If a visa is required, you need to apply locally. If the embassy or consulate requires you to provide a letter confirming that you are booked on an allinclusive tour, please contact our office and we will be happy to provide one. Health & Vaccinations Compulsory vaccinations: None. Recommended vaccinations: For travel everywhere (even within the UK), we recommend you check you are up-to-date with protection against tetanus, polio and hepatitis A. Ticks occur in grassy, forested and wetland areas below 1400m during the summer months across most of continental Europe, including Germany. October is generally outside the season for ticks, but if you are at all concerned by this you may wish to seek advice about inoculations and other measures to prevent tick-related problems (such as tick-borne encephalitis) prior to travel. The above information, together with that contained within our Travel Information sheets (sent to everyone who books), outlines health requirements for this tour. Please note that these details are given for guidance only - and are only for certain diseases - and you must consult your doctor in good time prior to travel as to what immunisations (if any) are needed for your chosen holiday. For full and up-to-date health information we urge everyone to consult The National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website prior to booking any overseas holiday. NaTHNaC is funded by the UK Government s Health Protection Agency and provides health information for both health professionals and travellers, with information compiled by its own clinical and scientific team. You can search for individual country requirements, which are updated regularly. Your Safety & Travel Advice An unavoidable aspect of travelling abroad nowadays is the risk it may pose to your safety and security. The best advice on current risks is provided by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). In order to assess and protect against any risks in your chosen destination we strongly recommended that you refer to the relevant FCO Travel Advice - both prior to booking and regularly before you travel. See info@limosaholidays.co.uk

7 It is standard Limosa policy for our office to send a copy of the relevant FCO Travel Advice about the tour to all participants along with their Final Letter (ca. 2-3 weeks prior to the trip). Know Before You Go - staying safe and healthy abroad - is a travel safety campaign run by the FCO, and another useful resource. Go to: Further useful information on visas, health, etc., can be found at the World Travel Guide website: Travel Insurance Good travel insurance is essential before setting off on any overseas trip. In common with all responsible tour operators, it is a condition of booking that all clients are fully and adequately insured before travelling overseas with us. Your travel insurance should cover against cancellation, curtailment, missed departure, delay, personal accident, death, loss of baggage and valuables (see note below), personal liability and legal expenses. Most importantly, your insurance must cover you fully in respect of medical care and repatriation should you become too ill to continue with the tour, including the cost of emergency evacuation by helicopter or air ambulance should this be necessary. Note that passenger liability insurance covering the transportation that we hire, particularly in Third World countries, may be inadequate; it is therefore important that your insurance cover includes sufficient provision for your dependents in the event of an accident. We recommend that you obtain travel insurance as soon as possible after booking your holiday to ensure you are protected right from the word go in the event of unexpected cancellation prior to departure due to accident or illness. You must inform your insurers of any pre-existing medical conditions (including those of persons not necessarily travelling but upon whom your holiday may depend) that may require treatment during a period of overseas travel or might cause you to cancel the trip. Once you have arranged your insurance, please be sure to send us the following essential details: name and contact details of your insurance provider, your policy number, expiry date and your insurers 24hr Emergency Assistance number. Important Things to Note about Insurance Travel Insurance does not normally provide sufficient cover for valuable optical equipment, which is often best protected under your own household insurance policy. If in doubt ask your insurers for advice prior to travel. Most travel insurance policies limit the amount of cover, typically up to a maximum tour cost of 5000 per person. If the tour you are booking exceeds this amount, additional cover can usually be provided upon payment of additional premium. We recommend all travellers check their individual policy limit to ensure the full cost of their holiday is covered. Arranging Your Insurance: due to UK Government legislation, under Financial Services Authority (FSA) regulations, we are not allowed to offer or recommend travel related insurance to customers. Premiums can vary widely according to your age, needs, health, choice of destination and other factors, while many people nowadays have Annual Travel Insurance cover. For these reasons, we leave you free to shop around and pick your own policy, one best suited to your own individual needs. General Information Our website gives easy access to detailed tour itineraries (Tour Info Packs), trip reports, trip photos and the latest Limosa News. Special Diets & Other Requests We pass on all such requests to the airlines, hotels and other suppliers, and do our best to ensure (but of course cannot guarantee) that your needs will be met. Please be sure to tell us about these (in as much detail as possible) at the time of booking, to allow good time to make the necessary arrangements info@limosaholidays.co.uk

8 Smoking Almost all of our clients prefer a smoke-free environment. For the enjoyment and comfort of all, we ask that smokers refrain from smoking in proximity to the group and respect our NO SMOKING policy in the vehicle, at meal times and when watching wildlife. Any Questions? If you have any questions at any time, you ll find our office staff friendly, efficient, approachable - and just a phone call away, eager to assist you in every way. Our office is open hrs Mon-Fri, and can also be reached by fax and . In the event we are unable to take your call, please leave a message on our answerphone (24 hrs) and our office will contact you as soon as we can. Thank you for your interest in our tours. We do hope that you will be able to join us - and we look forward to hearing from you again! CK info@limosaholidays.co.uk