Birding Tours to Europe, Africa, Asia, The Americas & Beyond!

ISLES OF SCILLY MIGRATION SPECIAL
14th October - 21st October 2022

IT'S ANOTHER HOUSE PARTY!
For British birders the Autumn brings with it the excitement of finding and seeing rarities from both the west and the east, and nowhere provides the opportunity to observe this phenomenon more than the magical Isles of Scilly. Indeed, during the middle of October something happens to us birders where the desire to add species to our British and world lists grips us and it is so easy to see what's around on social media. The lure to travel grows and it always seems that the best birds are on offshore islands and traditionally those six small islands situated just 28 miles off the Cornish coast have provided some of the most memorable rarities and experiences you can possibly get in the UK. Imagine watching Wilson's Snipe and Northern Waterthrush on the same small pool on Lower Moors, or Siberian and White's Thrushes within an hour of each other on Gugh and St Agnes. Many of the most-wanted birds for UK twitchers have turned up on these fabled islands and the list is very long indeed! From the west species such as both Solitary Sandpiper, Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos, Common Nightjawk, Red-eyed Vireo, Swainson's and Grey-cheeked Thrushes, American Robin, Black-and-white Warbler, Bobolink and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Whilst from the east, Red-flanked Bluetail, Eye-browed Thrush, Olive-backed, Blyth's and Red-throated Pipits, Blyth's Reed, Radde's, Dusky and Pallas's Warblers, Rustic and Yellow-browed Buntings and more! And from Western Palearctic species such as Cream-coloured Courser, Jack Snipe, Spotted Crake, Isabelline Wheatear, Barred, Icterine and Melodious Warblers, Tawny Pipit etc.

We will be based on the main island of St Mary's staying in a large house at the edge of Hugh Town during our time on the Scillies, which we think will only enhance the overall experience as we try to recreate the 'observatory experience'.  And all of our meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner) being freshly prepared by our 'in-house' cook and having our own space to relax and unwind after a day of rarity hunting - and that includes unlimited beer, wine and gin in the evenings to help us toast our latest find or lifer before popping over to the Scillonian Club for the daily bird log.    See tour info here - ISLES OF SCILLY INFO

CAPE HORN CRUISE 2023
19th Feb - 5th March 2023
The southern oceans are home to an incredible variety of seabirds with many mouth-watering species inhabiting this wild and apparently inhospitable region and the thought of taking one of the small boat pelagics out into these often rough seas is not that appealing to many people. Indeed, the very names such as Cape Horn, Straits of Magellan, Beagle Channel and the Falkland Islands conjure up a longing in many birders but it's always been just out of reach. Not any more! In partnership with Princess Cruises we offer the ultimate pelagic experience! By utilising the services of a full working cruise ship with all the onboard amenities one associates with such a venture we can sail the southern ocean in search of numerous much-wanted seabirds, with 10+ albatrosses, penguins, diving-petrels, prions, and numerous petrels this promises to be a trip of a lifetime. We will be on deck every day and the ship is stable enough to support our scopes as we search for some iconic seabirds such as both Northern and Southern Royal Albatross, at least 3 species of Wandering Albatross, Yellow-nosed Albatross, Black-browed Albatross, Grey-headed Albatross, Buller's Albatross, Salvin's Albatross, Cape Verde Shearwater, Soft-plumaged Petrel, Stejneger's Petrel, Juan Fernandez Petrel, Black-bellied Storm-Petrel, Fuegian Storm-Petrel (a potential split from Wilson's Storm-Petrel), Pincoya Storm-Petrel, Grey-backed Storm-Petrel and more! Add to this several land-based excursions to see King Penguins in the Falkland Islands, a visit to the wetlands near Montevideo, Uruguay, Alerce Andino National Park at Puerto-Montt and the Patagonian-steppe near Punta Arenas in Chile, the forests of Patagonia National park near Ushuaia, the spectacular Valdes Peninsula and Costanera Sur Reserve in Argentina. More great species should be seen such as Lesser Rhea, Elegant Crested Tinamou, Falkland, Flying and Flightless Steamer-Ducks, Snowy Sheathbill,  Imperial Cormorant, Giant Wood-Rail, Magellanic Plover, Rufous-chested Dotterel, South American Painted Snipe, Austral Pygmy Owl, Magellanic Woodpecker, Magellanic Tapaculo, Black-throated Huet-Huet, White-bridled Finch and so much more! We have added both pre and post-tour extensions as well.

So often we birders leave our loved ones or 'significant other' behind whilst we fly off to chase our dream birds and we get to experience many different countries our partners would tell us they would love to visit also but without the early mornings or strains of keeping up with us and our group whilst birding. This tour is the perfect excuse for all  non-birding partners to join us on our travels whilst we enjoy our birding and they can take advantage of the amenities of this fabulous cruise ship. There is no charge for non-birding partners to join this tour only the cost of the cabin which can be arranged through our dedicated group contact at Princess Cruises. A non-birding Zoothera representative will also be onboard to assist with any non-birding activities and enquiries.   TOUR INFO HERE