BIRDING IN GUYANA October 1 10, 2010 With Elissa Landre, Mass Audubon Naturalist & Ron Allilock, Local guide and Naturalist

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1 BIRDING IN GUYANA October 1 10, 2010 With Elissa Landre, Mass Audubon Naturalist & Ron Allilock, Local guide and Naturalist Kaieteur Falls,by E. Landre Where the Caribbean meets South America on its North Atlantic coast, Guyana, Land of Many Waters, is home to Jaguars, Harpy Eagles, Giant Armadillo, and Arapaima, the largest freshwater fish in the world. More than 800 species of birds inhabit the virgin rainforests, the gallery forests and the tepui plateaus including Guianan Cock-ofthe-Rock, Toco Toucans, and the endemic Blood-colored Woodpecker. The only English-speaking country in South America is rich in nature and culture, a mix of Amerindian, East Indian, Caribbean and European, with a colorful mélange of foods and customs combining them all. Our tour will give you a wonderful sampling of ornithological treasures as we travel from the coastal plain, to the sandbelt forest, then on to the seemingly limitless forests of the interior and the Rupununi Savannah along the Brazilian border. It includes travel on a number of small watercourses and two great rivers, the Demerara and the Essequibo, as well as a visit to Kaieteur Falls, surely among the world s most imposing scenic wonders. Mass Audubon s naturalist, Elissa Landre, toured the natural hotspots with Ron Allicock, our local guide, in Ron interned with MassAudubon in the summer of Both are eager to share their knowledge and love of Guyana with our travelers. This trip is for birders who have experience and enthusiasm for exploring new and undeveloped places.

2 Guyana Tour ~ Terms and Conditions PRICE: $4,500 per person, double occupancy, Single Supplement: $ 500 Singles are limited. Notes on Accommodation : Single supplement is subject to availability. Single supplement covers Cara Lodge, Iwokrama River Lodge, Karanambu Ranch and Rock View Lodge. Surama does not charge a single supplement but will give a single room if available. Price Includes: All accommodations and meals, as listed All transportation within Guyana, including in-country flights All excursions, park fees, VAT and activities described Tips for Local guides Trip preparation notes and Bird checklists Medical Evacuation coverage Price Excludes: International airfare Passport and visa fees; Trip cancellation insurance; Airport taxes; departure taxes; excess baggage charges; Items of a personal nature, including alcoholic beverages, laundry and telephone calls; other items not specifically mentioned as included. ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: A valid U.S. passport is required for U.S. citizens to enter and depart Guyana. On arrival, Guyanese Immigration normally grants U.S. visitors a stay of thirty days. U.S. citizens traveling to Guyana should ensure that their passports have at least six months of remaining validity. RESERVATIONS, APPLICATIONS, DEPOSITS: Early reservations are required to ensure your place on this trip. All reservations must be accompanied by a completed reservation form and a $500 deposit. In the case of questionable health, we reserve the right to require a physician s certification to affirm you are capable of the activities. You will receive a final invoice prior to departure with final payment due on June 25, 2010, 95 days prior to departure. Final Payment must be by check. RATES: All forms and fares are accurate at the time of publication September 2009, but are subject to change at any time prior to departure. It is our policy to only pass on the actual amount of any increases in airfares or land costs such as those increases due to the devaluation of the dollar. A price increase may be called for if the group falls below the minimum of 6. The maximum number of participants is approximately 10. FLIGHTS: Travelers are responsible for arranging their own international flights to Georgetown, Guyana. There are direct flights (on Delta) from New York City. We will send you suggested flights, including the flight details of our Mass Audubon leader, once we have reached our minimum group size of 6. You may book your flights on-line, with a travel agent, or directly with an airline. Please be aware that most tickets are non-refundable, therefore you should not book your flight arrangements until you have checked with us to be sure the tour has the minimum number of travelers. CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS: All cancellations must be done in writing and are effective upon receipt in the Massachusetts Audubon Travel Office. Cancellations received up to 91 days prior to departure will be refunded all money less a $250 per person service fee. For cancellations between 90 and 61 days prior to departure, all deposits will not be refunded. There are no refunds for cancellations 60 days or less from departure. We strongly urge all travelers to purchase trip cancellation insurance. You will be sent information from the Massachusetts Audubon Society upon receipt of your deposit.

3 DAY-TO-DAY ITINERARY Birding in Guyana ~ Oct. 1 10, 2010 Oct 1 Arrive in Guyana and transfer to Georgetown. Lunch at a local restaurant. Welcome dinner at Cara Lodge. Overnight at Cara Lodge. LD Oct 2 This morning, after an early breakfast, we will see dawn rise over the extensive and beautiful Botanic Garden, where, if we are lucky, the trip s first ornithological highlight will be the Blood-colored Woodpecker, an astonishingly colorful Veniliornis found only in the Guianas and even there almost wholly limited to the narrow coastal plain. The gardens host Snail Kite, Gray Hawk, Pearl Kite, Carib Grackle, Red-bellied Macaw, Redshouldered Macaw, Orange-winged and Yellow-crowned Parrot and the Festive Parrot. We will walk on trails in the back of the gardens and may see Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Black-crested Antshrike, Shorttailed Swift, Ruddy Ground Dove, Grayish Saltator, Silver-beaked Tanager, Buff-breasted Wren, Piratic and Ashyheaded Greenlet. After we have our fill of the garden, we will fly to Kaieteur Falls which was first seen by a European on April 29, 1870 and is situated in the heart of Guyana on the Potaro River, a tributary of the Essequibo. The water of Kaieteur, one of the world s natural wonders, flows over a sandstone conglomerate tableland into a deep gorge - a drop of 822 feet or 5 times the height of Niagara Falls. There are no other falls in the world with the magnitude of the sheer drop at Kaieteur. Amerindian legend of the Patamona tribe has it that Kai, one of the tribe s chiefs (after whom the falls is named), committed self sacrifice by canoeing himself over the falls. It was believed this would encourage the Great Spirit Makonaima to save the tribe from being destroyed by the savage Caribishi. Kaieteur supports a unique micro environment with Tank Bromeliads, the largest in the world, in which the tiny Golden frog spends its entire life and the rarely seen Guiana Cock- of-therock nesting close by. The lucky visitor may also see the famous flights of the Kaieteur Swifts or Makonaima Birds which nest under the vast shelf of rock carved by the centuries of water, hidden behind the eternal curtain of falling water. Our flight then continues across the rainforest and savannah to the airstrip at Fairview Village. We will have a short trip by road and then by boat along the Essequibo River to the Iwokrama River Lodge. After we check in we will bird along the Screaming Piha Trail near the Field Station, home to Bronzy Jacamar, Chestnut & Waved Woodpecker, Amazonian Antshrike, Gray Antbird, and Strong-billed Woodcreeper. We may also see Gray-winged Trumpeter, Black-tailed, White-tailed, Violaceous and Collared Trogons, Plain-brown, Wedge-billed, Whitechinned, Buff-throated, Chestnut-rumped and Barred Woodcreepers. As the day ends we will look for Ladder-tailed Nightjar; Great and Common Potoo and the rarer Rufous Potoo and White-winged Potoo. Overnight at the Iwokrama River Lodge. BLD Oct. 3 We will have another early start and, before breakfast, embark on the Essequibo and circumnavigate Indian House Island giving us a chance for dawn song on the river including five species of Tinamou, Marbled Wood-Quail, Band-rumped Swift, White-banded and Black-collared Swallows, and Guianan Streaked-Antwren before returning to the Field Station for breakfast. After breakfast, we set out by boat for half an hour or less to the foot of Turtle Mountain. Along the way, we will look for Harpy Eagle, Greater Yellow-headed Vulture, King Vulture, Gray-headed, Double-toothed and Plumbeous Kites and Black-faced Hawk. Here we explore the trails for a few hours first visiting Turtle Ponds where anis, herons and Green and Rufous Kingfisher hunt.

4 We continue our hike to an elevation of 900 feet for a view of the forest canopy below, looking for Green Aracari, White Bellbird or a fly-by of one of five types of Eagles. The trails may reveal Little Chachalaca, Marail Guan, Black Curassow, Squirrel and Black-bellied Cuckoos, Eastern Long-tailed and Reddish Hermits, Blue-crowned Motmot, Guianan White-necked Puffbird, Collared Puffbird, Pygmy, Todd s, Spot-tailed, White-flanked, Gray, Long-winged, Rufous-bellied, and Brown-bellied Antwrens, White-lored Tyrannulet and Helmeted Pygmy-Tyrant. As we return to the lodge, we will hopefully spot Caica, Blue-headed, Blue-cheeked and Mealy Parrots, Cocoi Heron, Bat Falcon, Lined Forest-Falcon and Pied Lapwing. This afternoon we travel along the road through the heart of the Iwokrama Forest, where there is a good chance to see the elusive Jaguar. The Iwokrama forest is rapidly gaining an international reputation for its healthy jaguar populations that seem not to be troubled by the appearance of curious humans. No promises, but many have been lucky! The road also offers excellent birding, including a locality known as Mori Scrub, characterized by an unusual low, sandy forest. This supports an interesting assemblage of bird species, among them Rufous-crowned Elaenia, Black Manakin and Red-shouldered Tanager. We will stop along the road at numerous locations and look for species such as Guianan Red-Cotinga, Pompadour Cotinga, Blue-backed Tanagers, White-winged Potoo, Olive-green Tyrannulet, Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo and Marail Guan. After dinner, and after dark, for those who wish, we will set out on the river once more, in hopes of finding one or another of its four species of caiman, and to listen for night birds such as Spectacled Owl, Long tailed Potoo, Zigzag Heron or Blackish Nightjar. Overnight at the Iwokrama Field Station. BLD Oct 4 Before dawn we travel by truck to the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway. Here we will look for Caica Parrots, Painted Parakeets, Guianan Toucanet, Pompadour Cotinga, Plumbeous Pigeon, Red-and-green Macaw, Screaming Piha and a host of crown specialists. Short-tailed Nighthawks settle in for the day, swifts take to the sky, White throated and Channel-billed Toucans yodel, and Barred Forest Falcons call. You can spend the day birdwatching from the mid and upper canopy on the walkway as flocks travel past and look for Paradise Jacamar, White-necked Puffbird, Yellow-throated Woodpecker, Todd s Antwren, Black-tailed and Black-crowned Tityras and Dusky Purpletuft. Or you can bird along the jungle trails where antbird flocks include White-plumed, Spot-winged, and Ferruginous-backed Antbird, Ash-winged, and Long-billed Antwren, McConnell s Flycatcher, Gray-crowned Flycatcher, Plain Xenops and Wedge-billed Woodcreeper. There is an opportunity for birding on jungle trails in the hope of seeing Mealy, Orange-winged and Blue-cheeked Parrot, Flame-crested Tanager; Slate-colored and Yellowgreen grosbeak, Slender-footed Tyrannulet, Black-capped Becard, Gray-fronted Dove, Ruddy Pigeon, Buff-cheeked Greenlet, Purple-breasted Cotinga, Golden-winged Parakeet, Black-throated Antshrike, Red-and-black Grosbeak, Rufous-throated Sapphire, the recently split Guianan Puffbird or even the rare Crimson Fruitcrow. In the afternoon we depart for the Cock-of-the-rock Trail, an easy 20 minute walk, for another view of the Guianan Cock-of-the-rock. We continue along the road passing through some excellent forest where we are likely to find species such as Grey-winged Trumpeter, Green Aracari, Guianan Toucanet, Spotted Puffbird, Black-spotted Barbet and Black Nunbird, as well as a variety of parrots including Black-headed and Caica. Eventually we will arrive at the Amerindian community of Surama. Overnight at Surama Eco-Lodge in traditional benab cottages. BLD Oct 5 We will have a day to explore the rainforest around Surama and during our stay will visit a nearby Harpy Eagle nest assuming this is active. The nest itself is located in a huge emergent tree only a couple of miles from the village and if we are extremely fortunate, we may see one of the adult birds bringing a sloth or monkey to the nest to feed their chick. Another of the special birds which can be found around Surama is the Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo. While Neomorphus ground-cuckoos are undoubtedly among the toughest family of birds to locate anywhere in the Neotropics, Surama offers one of the best-known chances for seeing Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo and to maximize the odds of us finding one, we will use expert local guides to assist us. We will, however, still count ourselves as extremely fortunate if we succeed in getting good looks at this elusive species. Although the Harpy Eagle and Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo may be the two star attractions at Surama, there are plenty of other species to look for and during our stay we will hope to encounter Red-legged Tinamou, Painted

5 Parakeet, Dusky Parrot, Lilac-tailed Parrotlet, Pale-throated Barbthroat, Rufous-throated Sapphire, Great and Paradise Jacamars, Guianan Puffbird, Black-spotted Barbet, Golden-spangled Piculet, Chestnut-rumped Woodcreeper, Northern Slaty-Antshrike, Rufous-bellied, Spot-tailed and Todd s Antwrens, Dusky, White-browed, White-bellied, Ferruginous-backed, Rufous-throated and Guianan Warbling Antbirds, Helmeted Pygmy-Tyrant, Lemon-chested and Ashy-headed Greenlets and Finsch s Euphonia. We also plan to do some night birding and will hope to locate the recently split Northern Tawny-bellied Screech- Owl, as well as Tropical Screech-Owl, Lesser Nighthawk, White-tailed Nightjar and both Great and Common Potoos. Late in the afternoon we travel again by 4x4 Bedford Truck and eventually we reach the Rupununi Savannah and Annai, its northernmost community. The Rupununi Savannah is to Guyana what the Gran Sabana is to Venezuela, an extensive area of grassland with termite mounds and scattered or riparian woodland. It differs in that much of it is devoted to cattle raising, though the large ranches are not very productive. Indeed, one can travel for hours without seeing a domestic animal of any sort. Needless to say, the birdlife here is markedly different from that of the rainforest. Fork-tailed Flycatchers, Savannah and Black Collared Hawks patrol the grassland. At dusk as nightjars and nighthawks tumble over the grasslands we will look for the Nacunda Nighthawk and White-tailed Nightjar. Overnight at Rock View Lodge. BLD Oct 6 With its tropical gardens and flowering trees, our lodge resembles an oasis in the savannah, and attracts many species of birds, particularly nectar feeders and frugivores. Amethyst Woodstar, White-chinned Sapphire, Longbilled Starthroat and several Hermits patrol around the grounds. Nearby forest patches are home to Amazonian Scrub Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike and a variety of antbirds including the White-bellied. We may also see Spotted Sandpiper, Cayenne Jay and Green Aracari. This morning we bird in the foothills of the Pakaraima Mountains on the Panorama Trail for Cinereous Mourner, Finsch s Euphonia, Reddish Hermit, Rufous-bellied Antwren, Green-tailed and Yellow-billed Jacamar. Overnight at Rock View Lodge. BLD Oct 7 After breakfast we travel to Ginep Landing and then travel slowly on the Rupununi River to Karanambu Ranch keeping an eye out for Jabirus nesting along the river, Bat Falcons, King Vulture, Crestless Curassow, Whitenecked Jacobin and Drab Water Tyrant. Karanambu is the home of Diane McTurk, widely known for her work rehabilitating orphaned Giant River Otters. Our birdwatching here will be largely in woodland patches or gallery forest along the river where we ll hope to find such species as Spotted Puffbird, Striped Woodcreeper, Palebellied Tyrant-Manakin, Golden-spangled Piculet and Capuchinbird. When water levels are appropriate a wooded swamp near the ranch is the site of a surprisingly large colony of Boat-billed Herons. While out in the boat you may see Capped and Little Blue Herons, Great and Snowy Egrets, Purple Gallinule and Pied Lapwing. And at any season the river and airstrip provide habitat for no fewer than eight species of nightjars, including Least Nighthawk and White-tailed Nightjar. Overnight at Karanambu Ranch. BLD Oct 8 Birdwatching from daybreak to nightfall or later, we ll devote the day to exploring Karanambu and its varied habitats, traveling by boat to certain localities up and downstream, and by Land Rover to one or another forest patch. Grasslands host Double Striped Thick-knees, Bi-colored Wren, and Bearded Tachuri while Forest patches host Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Violaceous Trogon, Blue Ground-Dove, Plain-crowned Spinetail and Great Antshrike. The river is home to Wood Stork, White faced and Black-bellied Whistling Doves, Stripe-backed Bittern and Pied Lapwing. As we move around we may see Least Grebe, South American Snipe, Rufous-throated Sapphire, Yellow Tyrannulet, Cliff Flycatcher and Ruddy-breasted Seedeater. Overnight at Karanambu Ranch. BLD

6 Oct 9 Early morning birding around Karanambu Ranch. For those interested there is also the opportunity to travel out onto the savannah to look for a Giant Anteater. After lunch, we will take a flight to Georgetown, where we will have a tour of the city. The tour will include walking with an experienced guide who will give insights into the city of Georgetown and its citizens. The group will be accompanied at all times by a vehicle, which will be used for travel between areas of interest. Along the way visitors will sample local exotic fruits, snacks and refreshments. During the tour there is always the opportunity to purchase that unusual gift or unique Guyanese handicrafts. Georgetown the chief port, capital and largest city of Guyana is situated on the Demerara River Estuary. It was chosen as a site for a fort to guard the early Dutch settlements of the Demerara River. Most of the buildings in the city are wooden with unique architecture dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Main Street Georgetown provides several excellent examples of old colonial homes. During your visit to Georgetown there are a number of interesting sights including St. George s Cathedral (one of the world s tallest free standing wooden buildings), the Famous Stabroek Market, once described as a bizarre bazaar, contains every conceivable item from household goods and gold jewelry to fresh meat and vegetables brought to town on the river daily, and the Botanical Gardens and zoo. Farewell dinner at Guyana Pegasus. Overnight at Guyana Pegasus. BLD Oct 10 Transfer to the airport for the flight home. B About Your Mass Audubon Guide: Elissa Landre Elissa Landre is the Director of Mass Audubon s Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary. She has led tours in Belize, Hawaii, Trinidad, and Tobago, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Ecuador, and Mexico. She has consulted on interpretation, guide training, and marketing for ecotourism at national parks in Bolivia and Poland, holds a master s degree in biology, runs a bird-banding station at Broadmoor, and is a past president of the Association of Field Ornithologists. She has traveled and birded extensively around the world, including a 2007 trip to Guyana. On tours she likes to explore how protected conservation land is managed for birds and native plants.

7 TERMS & CONDITIONS OF TRAVEL CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS: If you need to change your booking, you must inform us immediately. All cancellations must be done in writing and are effective upon receipt in the Massachusetts Audubon Travel Office. Cancellations received up to 121 days prior to departure will be refunded deposits less a $300 per person fee. For cancellations between 120 and 90 days prior to departure, all deposits will not be refunded. There are no refunds for cancellations 90 days or less from departure. We strongly urge all travelers to purchase trip cancellation insurance. You will be sent information from the Massachusetts Audubon Society upon receipt of your deposit. Your Responsibility: Although every precaution is taken to safeguard you and your belongings, group travel trips by their nature involve a certain amount of risk. Trip participants should understand that the domestic and international trips sponsored/operated by Massachusetts Audubon Society (Mass Audubon Tours) - hereafter collectively M.A.S. - involve known and unknown risks. M.A.S. assumes no responsibility for injuries, death, financial losses or damage to clients property caused by or occurring during participation in any of the travel trips sponsored/operated by M.A.S. Trip participants must assume responsibility for having sufficient skill and fitness to participate in the trips and activities offered or sponsored by M.A.S. Trip participants must also certify that they have no medical, mental or physical conditions which could interfere with their abilities to participate in the activities and/or trips they are participating in and they must assume and bear the cost of all risks that may be created, directly or indirectly, by any such condition. It is the responsibility of trip participants to have in place adequate insurance to cover any injury, damage or emergency transportation costs related to their travel and/or participation in trip activities and/or to bear the costs of such injury, damage or emergency transportation costs. Because of the risks associated with the travel trips sponsored by M.A.S. we urge all trip participants to supplement their own insurance with travel or vacation or emergency response types of insurance. M.A.S. requires that all trip participants acknowledge and assume these risks by reading and signing an M.A.S. Release and Waiver and Assumption of Risk contract prior to departure. CONDITIONS OF TRAVEL: Travelers will be provided with an itinerary and trip preparation information. It is expected that travelers will read this information prior to trip departure. Travelers will be responsible for completing an application reservation form, a personal information form, and a release of liability form. Travelers will be expected to abide by the terms set for in the invoice. During the tour, travelers are asked to respect and follow the directions of their guide and leader.

8 Reservation for Birding in Guyana Mr./Mrs./Ms. Passenger Name (1) as shown as passport Mr./Mrs./Ms. Passenger Name (2) as shown as passport Address City State Zip Phone: Day Evening address Accommodations: I/We are non-smoker(s) smoker(s) (smoking is limited to outdoors in non-group spaces) I request single accommodations where available and will pay the single supplement. I would like to be assigned a roommate. If one is not available, I will pay the single supplement. Deposit: Please find my enclosed deposit of ($500 per person) check or please charge my credit card: VISA MC Card # Exp. Checks should be made payable to Massachusetts Audubon Society Signature