BIRDING TOURS WORLDWIDE ITINERARY. COLIMA & JALISCO January 13-21, 2012

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1 field guides BIRDING TOURS WORLDWIDE ITINERARY COLIMA & JALISCO January 13-21, 2012 We include here information for those interested in the 2012 Field Guides Colima & Jalisco tour: a general introduction to the tour a description of the birding areas to be visited on the tour an abbreviated daily itinerary with some indication of the nature of each dayʼs birding outings Those who register for the tour will be sent this additional material: an annotated list of the birds recorded on a previous yearʼs Field Guides trip to the area, with comments by guide(s) on notable species or sightings a detailed information bulletin with important logistical information and answers to questions regarding accommodations, air arrangements, clothing, currency, customs and immigration, documents, health precautions, and personal items a reference list a Field Guides checklist for preparing for and keeping track of the birds we see on the tour after the conclusion of the tour, a list of birds seen on the tour The states of Colima and Jalisco lie about halfway down the Pacific coast of Mexico. Although not quite twice the size of Rhode Island, Colima harbors a remarkably rich bird life and some of the finest scenery in Mexico. Neighboring Jalisco, which wraps around much of Colima, is larger and equally full of birds. During our week, weʼll stay in just two lodgings: one on the Jalisco coast west of Manzanillo and the other inside Colimaʼs capital city. These locations afford easy access to a complete range of habitats typical of western Mexico, from the arid coastal plain to cool fir forests high in the Sierra Madre. The regionʼs major mountain ranges are dominated by the massif of twin volcanoes known as Volcan de Colima (Fuego) and snow-mantled Nevado de Colima (Nieve), which surge to 12,500 and 14,235 feet respectively. The oftensmoking summit of the Fire Volcano provides a picturesque backdrop for our trip, and weʼll ascend the lush, forested slopes of both volcanoes on two of the best birding roads in Mexico. For those who have not birded south of the US, this tour offers an excellent introduction to the tropics. Many groups of birds typical of latitudes far to the south are represented, including parrots, trogons, motmots, attilas, tityras, shrikevireos, flowerpiercers, euphonias, caciques, and brush-finches. Birders new to the tropics can expect to see an exciting but manageable number of new species (around 80), all of which are illustrated in field guides. Birds of widespread tropical distribution, as well as a variety of winter residents from northern climes, occur together with several species of very restricted range. In fact, thirty-four of Mexicoʼs approximately seventy-five endemic species occur regularly in Colima and Jalisco. Most of these endemics are concentrated in two important vegetation zones: lowland thorn forest and pine/oak woodland. We will bird these habitats at several different localities in search of such specialties as Long-tailed Wood-Partridge, Banded Quail, Balsas Screech-Owl, Bumblebee Hummingbird, Slaty Vireo, Red-breasted Chat, Orange-breasted Bunting, and Black-chested Sparrow. Field Guides Incorporated 9433 Bee Cave Road #1-150 Austin TX fax

2 About the Physical Requirements & Pace: When birding in potentially hot places, it can really pay off to be in the field at first light, and so we will be up for breakfast on most mornings at 5:45 a.m. while on the coast, and between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. inland; weʼll stay in the field until lunch time. By midday in the lowlands, itʼs generally too hot for people and birds, so weʼll take a break until the temperatures begin to drop in the afternoon. While on the volcano, we will be birding all day and will be away from any washroom facilities (though there are plenty of trees). Most of the walking on the trip is done on roadways or good trails that, aside from dust and loose gravel, are easy going but steep in places. While we try to bird downhill as much as possible, there are a few times when we must walk uphill; however, there are no extremely steep trails and we will take our time during any climb. Road conditions on the volcano will determine how high we will go, but itʼs unlikely that weʼll exceed 9000 feet of elevation. This tour may be combined with our OAXACA tour, January 22-29, Thereʼs nothing like an Orange-breasted Buntingʼs blast of color to chase away the winter blues! Photo by guide Chris Benesh. About the Birding Areas Coastal habitats and thorn forest near Manzanillo Our hotel, right on the coast, is an ideal base from which to explore the areaʼs deciduous forest and coastal lagoons. Manzanillo itself is flanked by steep foothills covered with thorn forest. Although many of the trees and shrubs will have dropped their leaves, several common genera (Tabebuia, Cochlospermum, Cassia) display a brief but intense flowering period at this time. The forest can be a blaze of color, and the flowers are particularly attractive to orioles and hummingbirds. Among the most abundant birds of arid coastal habitats are wintering flycatchers, warblers, vireos, and finches. Resident species characteristic of the thorn forest are Gray and Short-tailed hawks, Crested Caracara, White-tipped Dove, Ruddy Ground-Dove, Squirrel Cuckoo, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Broad-billed and Cinnamon hummingbirds, Citreoline Trogon, Ladder-backed and Golden-cheeked woodpeckers, Thick-billed Kingbird, Vermilion, Nuttingʼs and Ash-throated flycatchers, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Sinaloa Wren, Yellow-winged Cacique, Hooded and Streakbacked orioles, Scrub Euphonia, Grayish Saltator, and Stripe-headed Sparrow. Less common thorn-forest birds include Laughing Falcon, West Mexican Chachalaca, Mexican Parrotlet, Lilaccrowned Parrot, Lesser Ground-Cuckoo, Golden-crowned Emerald, Plain-capped Starthroat, Masked Tityra, Whitebellied Wren, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Red-breasted Chat, Rosy Thrush-Tanager, Yellow Grosbeak, Blue and Orange-breasted buntings, and Black-vented Oriole. We will see most of these species over the course of the tour. Near Manzanillo are mangrove-lined lagoons, and at low tide the flats teem with shorebirds and waterbirds, rarely including Collared Plover. Species we will seek in and around the lagoons and marshes are Least Grebe, Neotropic Cormorant, Common Black-Hawk, a variety of egrets, ibises, and waterfowl, Ringed and Green kingfishers, Whitethroated and Social flycatchers, Rufous-backed Robin, White-collared and Ruddy-breasted seedeaters, Spot-breasted Oriole (rare), and Mangrove Swallow. The area is also home to two recent colonists, Snail Kite and Limpkin.

3 Near the village of Lazaro Cardenas, a short drive from our hotel, is a remnant patch of semideciduous forest very different from the thorn forest of the immediate coast. Known as Barranca el Choncho, this habitat shelters such species as Bright-rumped Attila, Rose-throated Becard, San Blas Jay, White-throated Robin, Golden Vireo, and Redcrowned Ant-Tanager. Some of the less common species weʼll seek include Collared Forest-Falcon, Mexican Western Long-tailed Hermit, Lineated and Pale-billed woodpeckers, Flammulated Flycatcher, Black-capped Vireo, Fan-tailed Warbler, Red-breasted Chat, Rosy Thrush-Tanager, and Yellow Grosbeak. In 2008, we discovered Pileated Flycatcher in this area, well west of their previous known distribution; it was found again in two of the past three years, including The forested flanks of Volcán de Colima and Nevado de Colima loom above the surrounding countryside. Photo by guide Chris Benesh. The Volcanoes Reaching 12,500 feet and 14,235 feet respectively, the Volcano of Fire and the Volcano of Snow in Jaliscoʼs highlands offer ready access to a cross section of montane habitats that harbor a great assortment of birds. At several different elevations, we will encounter active mixed-species flocks containing resident and wintering birds such as Arizona Woodpecker, White-striped Woodcreeper, Pine and Buff-breasted flycatchers, Mexican Jay, Mexican Chickadee, Bridled Titmouse, Gray-barred Wren, Brown-backed Solitaire (a wonderful singer!), Gray Silky-flycatcher, Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo, Huttonʼs Vireo, a host of warblers (including Black-and-white, Crescent-chested, Olive, Yellow-rumped, Hermit, Townsendʼs, Red-faced, Rufous-capped, Red, and Golden-browed, as well as Painted and Slate-throated redstarts), Audubonʼs ( Dickeyʼs ) and Scottʼs orioles, Red-headed Tanager, Rufous-capped Brush-Finch, Collared Towhee, Yellow-eyed Junco, and Black-headed Siskin. The Colima Warbler is also a possibility; although the first specimen of the species was taken on the volcanoes here, it is one of the less common wintering warblers. Patches of flowers (especially red Salvia sp.) often attract the nectar-feeding Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer and an impressive variety of hummingbirds, including White-eared, Berylline, Amethyst-throated, Bumblebee (rare), and Green Violet-ear (scarce at this season). Other scarce species that weʼll concentrate on include Long-tailed Wood-Partridge, Northern Mountain Pygmy-Owl, Mountain Trogon, Gray-breasted Wood-Wren, Blue Mockingbird, Aztec Thrush, Russet Nightingale-Thrush, Elegant Euphonia, Green-striped Brush-Finch, and Rusty Sparrow. San Antonio (El Jacal and Laguna La Maria) San Antonio is a small coffee-growing community at the foot of Volcan de Fuego. The remnant, evergreen cloud forest around San Antonio supports a variety of birds we may not encounter elsewhere on the tour or which are most common here. Among these are Elegant Trogon, Gray-crowned and Smokybrown woodpeckers, Ivory-billed Woodcreeper, Gray-collared Becard, Spotted and Happy wrens, Green Jay, Whitethroated Robin, Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Dwarf Vireo, Fan-tailed Warbler, and Red-headed and Flame-colored tanagers. The rare Slaty Vireo also occurs in the area, and Lesser Roadrunner is sometimes seen on the drive to and from San Antonio. Itinerary for Colima & Jalisco Please see the appropriate listing in the About the Birding Areas section above to determine which birds weʼre likely to see each day.

4 4 Day 1, Fri, 13 Jan. Arrival in Manzanillo. Please plan to arrive in Manzanillo by 5:00 p.m. in order to meet for dinner at 7:30 p.m. After arriving and collecting baggage, please plan to take a taxi to the Hotel Cabo Blanco in Barra de Navidad, a twenty-five-minute ride from the airport. Weʼll meet this evening at 7:30 p.m. in the hotel lobby; after a brief introduction, weʼll head to dinner, where weʼll discuss our plans for tomorrow. Night in Barra de Navidad. Days 2-3, Sat-Sun, Jan. Coastal habitats and thorn forest near Manzanillo. Weʼll have two full days to explore the rich habitats of the Manzanillo area. One morning, weʼll work our way up an unpaved road through a small creek-carved gully near the town of Lazaro Cardenas. The semi-deciduous forest here is quite different from the arid thorn forest cloaking the hillsides weʼll explore on our other morning. Weʼll also make a visit or two to coastal mudflats and mangrove swamps (typically scattered with shorebirds), and to the vast freshwater marshes surrounding the Manzanillo airport. Cool mornings will be short-lived, so we will retreat to our hotel for siestas once things really heat up. Nights in Barra de Navidad. Day 4, Mon, 16 Jan. To Colima. After early-morning birding near the airport, weʼll depart Manzanillo with a restaurant lunch along the way on the scenic Santiago Bay (where weʼll keep an eye out for surf-diving Brown Boobies and pelicanraiding Heermannʼs Gulls). As we drive to Colima City, weʼll watch for Zone-tailed and White-tailed hawks and Whitethroated Magpie-Jay. After we check in to our Colima hotel, weʼll head off for a picnic dinner at a nearby hilltop shrine. At dusk, weʼll make a special effort to see the distinctive Balsas Screech-Owl along with Buff-collared Nightjar. Night in Colima. Day 5, Tue, 17 Jan. Volcan de Colima. A rough logging/microwave tower road climbs the impressive flank of Volcan de Colima (Fuego), providing an ideal transect of its montane vegetation zones. Weʼll plan to reach the lower slopes shortly after dawn for a full and exciting day. Birds in these montane habitats often travel in big, swirling mixed flocks a delight of sound and color in the pine-scented forest. Weʼll spend part of the day afoot, walking along the wide dirt track, with all significant elevation changes being done in the vehicles. Night in Colima. Cloud forest around Laguna La Maria with Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow, Elegant Trogon, and Red-headed Tanager by guide Chris Benesh. Day 6, Wed, 18 Jan. San Antonio. Weʼll spend the morning birding the remnant evergreen cloud forest around San Antonio. After a picnic lunch in the field, weʼll have the rest of the day to relax. Night in Colima. Day 7, Thu, 19 Jan. Nevado de Colima. Today weʼll visit Nevado de Colima (Nieve), the older and taller volcano that dominates the landscape here. The road is in generally pretty good shape, and weʼll spend the day birding the beautiful upper elevation slopes of this dormant volcano, concentrating on those species that would still be new. Night in Colima. Day 8, Fri, 20 Jan. Colima. Today weʼll have one last day of birding around Colima, first stopping to bird the dry thornforest hills surrounding the Tepames Valley southwest of Colima City. Here we will be searching for such specialties as

5 Colima Pygmy-Owl, Lesser Ground-Cuckoo, Lesser Roadrunner, Orange-fronted Parakeet, White-throated Magpie-Jay, Rufous-naped Wren, Red-breasted Chat, Orange-breasted Bunting, and Black-chested Sparrow. After lunch, we will decide where best to spend our afternoon in order to pick up any species we might be missing. Weʼll have a farewell dinner back at the hotel. Night in Colima. 5 The handsome Black-chested Sparrow is one of 34 Mexican endemics regularly occurring in Colima or Jalisco. Photo by guide Chris Benesh. Day 9, Sat, 21 Jan. To Manzanillo; departure for home. We will depart early for the two-hour transfer to the Manzanillo airport in order for folks to catch flights home (or on to Oaxaca). Please plan to depart Manzanillo no earlier than 11:00 a.m. Depending on flight schedules, we may do some birding near the airport for those on later flights. Vayan bien! About Your Guides Megan Crewe has been birding since childhood, when she discovered she could have her father all to herself (rather than sharing him with her brothers and sisters) if she was willing to get up very early on Saturdays and tromp around the woods in search of birds. After graduating from Purdue University (where the veterinary school probably did her a great favor by not accepting her into their class of 1983), she sampled an impressive variety of jobs before discovering Field Guides. Since joining the company more than a decade ago, Megan who brims with information and enthusiasm has delighted in sharing the wonders and adventures of birding and the natural world with participants. She has led more than 20 trips to Mexico. One unexpected bonus of the job has been meeting her British husband, Mike, with whom she co-led a trip to France in They recently bought an old farmhouse in Cape May, NJ, and will be kept busy bringing it (and its one-acre garden) up to snuff. Megan also serves as a council member and the US rep for the Neotropical Bird Club. For her complete tour schedule, visit just click on her photo. A second guide will be added as tour size warrants. Financial Information FEE: $2375 from Manzanillo DEPOSIT: $240 per person FINAL PAYMENT DUE: September 15, 2011 SINGLE SUPPLEMENT (Optional): $390 LIMIT: 14

6 Other Things You Need to Know 6 TOUR MANAGER: The manager for this tour is Sharon Mackie. Sharon will be happy to assist you in preparing for the tour. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call her! DOCUMENTS: For US citizens traveling to Mexico, a current passport is necessary to reenter the United States. If you are not a US citizen, please check with the Mexican consulate nearest you for entry requirements. Information about consulates and entry requirements is generally available online or you can contact us and we will be happy to look this up for you. Passports should have an adequate number of blank pages for the entire journey. Some countries require a blank page for their stamp and as a precaution it is best to have one blank page per country you will visit or transit. AIR ARRANGEMENTS: On Day 1 of the tour please plan to arrive in Manzanillo by 5:00 p.m. in order to meet for dinner at 7:30 p.m.; on Day 9 please plan to depart Manzanillo no earlier than 11:00 a.m. Field Guides is a full service travel agency and your tour manager will be happy to assist you with flights to join this tour. Field Guides does not charge a service fee for these services to clients booking a tour. However, we understand that tech-savvy clients often prefer to shop online or that you may wish to use mileage to purchase tickets. Regardless of which method you choose, your tour manager will be happy to provide assistance regarding ticket prices and schedules, along with rental cars and extra hotel nights as needed. Please be sure to check with your tour manager prior to purchasing your ticket to make sure the flights you have chosen will work well with the tour itinerary and that the tour is sufficiently subscribed to operate. Once purchased, most airline tickets are non-refundable and carry a penalty to change. Field Guides cannot be responsible for these fees. Also, it is imperative that we receive a copy of your comprehensive flight itinerary including any and all flights not covered in the tour fee so that we may track you in the event of missed connections, delays, or other mishaps. LUGGAGE: Please be aware that many airlines have recently modified their luggage policies and are charging additional fees for checked bags. Updates could easily occur before your departure, so you may wish to contact your airline to verify the policy. Additional charges for bags on any flights, whether these are covered by the tour fee or not, will be the clientʼs responsibility. TOUR INCLUSIONS/EXCLUSIONS: The tour fee is $2375 for one person in double occupancy from Manzanillo. It includes all lodging from Day 1 through Day 8, all meals from dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on Day 9, all ground transportation (except for transfer from the Manzanillo airport to our hotel on Day 1), entrance fees, tips for baggage handling and meal service, and the guide services of the tour leader(s). The above fee does not include your airfare to and from Manzanillo, airport taxes, transfer from the Manzanillo airport to our first hotel, visa fees, any checked or carry-on baggage charges imposed by the airlines, any alcoholic beverages, tips to maids, phone calls, laundry, or other items of a personal nature. The single supplement for the tour is $390. If you do not have a roommate but wish to share, we will try to pair you with a roommate from the tour; but if none is available, you will be billed for the single supplement. Our tour fees are based on double occupancy; one-half the cost of a double room is priced into the tour fee. The single supplement is calculated by taking the actual cost of a single room and subtracting one-half the cost of a double room (plus any applicable taxes). TOUR REGISTRATION: To register for this tour, complete the enclosed Registration/Release and Indemnity form and return it with a deposit of $240 per person. If registering by phone, a deposit must be received within fourteen days, or the space will be released. Full payment of the tour fee is due 120 days prior to departure, or by September 15, We will bill you for the final payment at either 120 days or when the tour has reached sufficient subscription to operate, whichever date comes later. Since the cost of your trip insurance and airline tickets is generally nonrefundable, please do not finalize these purchases until you have received final billing for the tour or have been advised that the tour is sufficiently subscribed to operate by your tour manager. SMOKING: Almost all of our clients prefer a smoke-free environment. If you smoke, please be sensitive to the group and refrain from smoking at meals, in vehicles, and in proximity to the group on trails and elsewhere.

7 7 CANCELLATION POLICY: Refund of deposit and payment, less $100 handling fee, will be made if cancellation is received up to 120 days before departure. If cancellation occurs between 119 and 70 days before the departure date, 50% of the tour fee is refundable. Thereafter, all deposits and payments are not refundable. This policy only applies to payments made to Field Guides for tour (and any services included in those fees). Airline tickets not included in the tour fee and purchased separately often carry penalties for cancellation or change, or are sometimes totally non-refundable. Additionally, if you take out trip insurance the cost of the insurance is not refundable so it is best to purchase the policy just prior to making full payment for the tour or at the time you purchase airline tickets, depending upon the airlines restrictions. The right is reserved to cancel any tour prior to departure, in which case full refund will constitute full settlement to the passenger. The right is reserved to substitute another guide for the original one. Where this is necessary, notification will be given to tour members, and they will have the right to cancel their participation and receive a full refund. TRIP CANCELLATION & MEDICAL EMERGENCY INSURANCE: We strongly recommend you consider purchasing trip cancellation (including medical emergency) insurance to cover your investment in case of injury or illness to you or your family prior to or during a trip. Because we must remit early (and substantial) tour deposits to our suppliers, we cannot offer any refund when cancellation occurs within 70 days of departure, and only a partial refund from 70 to 119 days prior to departure (see CANCELLATION POLICY). In addition, the Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and if it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation. US medical insurance plans seldom cover health costs incurred outside the United States unless supplemental coverage is purchased. Furthermore, US Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide payment for medical services outside the United States. When making a decision regarding health insurance, Americans should consider that many foreign doctors and hospitals require payment in cash prior to providing service and that a medical evacuation to the United States may cost well in excess of $50,000. Uninsured travelers who require medical care overseas often face extreme difficulties. When consulting with your insurer prior to your trip, please ascertain whether payment will be made to the overseas healthcare provider or whether you will be reimbursed later for expenses that you incur. US and Canadian citizens will receive from us a brochure regarding optional tour cancellation/emergency medical insurance. Our agent, CSA, will insure for trip cancellation and interruption, medical coverage, travel delay, baggage loss and delay, 24-hour accident protection, and emergency medical transportation. If you purchase the insurance when making final payment for the tour, pre-existing conditions are covered. The CSA brochure includes a contact number; you may also purchase your CSA policy on-line by visiting our website at and clicking the link to CSA. Please note, once the insurance is purchased it is non-refundable, so please check with your tour manager prior to making the purchase to assure the tour will operate as scheduled. Citizens of other countries are urged to consult their insurance broker. RESPONSIBILITY: For and in consideration of the opportunity to participate in the tour, each tour participant and each parent or legal guardian of a tour participant who is under 18 agrees to release, indemnify, and hold harmless Field Guides Incorporated, its agents, servants, employees, shareholders, officers, directors, attorneys, and contractors as more fully set forth in the Release and Indemnity Agreement on the reverse side of the registration form. Field Guides Incorporated acts only as an agent for the passenger in regard to travel, whether by railroad, motorcar, motorcoach, boat, airplane, or other means, and assumes no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity caused by defect in such vehicles or for any reason whatsoever, including the acts, defaults, or bankruptcies of any company or person engaged in conveying the passenger or in carrying out the arrangements of the tour. Field Guides Incorporated accepts no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other causes. The tour participant shall bear all such losses and expenses. Field Guides Incorporated reserves the right to substitute hotels of similar category for those indicated and to make any changes in the itinerary where deemed necessary or caused by changes in air schedules. Field Guides Incorporated reserves the right to decline to accept or to retain any person as a member of any tour. Baggage is at ownerʼs risk entirely. Participants should be in good health and should consult a physician before undertaking a tour. If you have questions about the physical requirements of a tour, please contact our office for further information. Participants should prepare for the tour by reading the detailed itinerary, the information bulletin, and other pertinent matter provided by Field

8 Guides. Each participant is responsible for bringing appropriate clothing and equipment as recommended in our bulletins. THE RECEIPT OF YOUR TOUR DEPOSIT SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE CONSENT TO THE ABOVE CONDITIONS. EACH TOUR PARTICIPANT AND EACH PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN OF A TOUR PARTICIPANT WHO IS UNDER 18 SHALL SIGN AND DELIVER THE RELEASE AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION. 5/11MEC 5/11ADR 8