GUYANA: Land of the Endless Forest

November 19-28, 2010

Day 1 (Nov 19): Arrive in Guyana and transfer by van to Georgetown. Overnight at the comfortable Cara Lodge, where your dinner is included.

Day 2 (Nov 20): This morning 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. Even there it is almost wholly limited to the narrow coastal plain. The gardens host Snail Kite, Gray Hawk, Pearl Kite, Carib Grackle, Red-bellied Macaw, Red-shouldered Macaw, and a host of parrots including Orange-winged, Yellow-crowned, and Festive. We will walk trails in the back on the gardens where we may see Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Black-crested Antshrike, Short-tailed Swift, Ruddy Ground-Dove, Grayish Saltator, Silver-beaked Tanager, Buff-breasted Wren, and Piratic and Ashy-headed Greenlets. You may also see Golden-spangled and White-bellied Piculets, Great Horned Owl, Spotted Tody-Flycatcher, Pinnated Bittern,Wing-barred Seedeater, and Brown-throated Parakeet. Later in the morning we travel along the coast to the Mahaica River. We will take a boat on the river to see Guyana’s national bird, the Hoatzin, found in abundance along this riparian area. On the return trip we will bird as opportunities arise for Black-capped Donacobius, Point-tailed Palmcreeper, Moriche Oriole, and Rufous Crab Hawk. Our second night at Cara Lodge.

Day 3 (Nov 21): After breakfast we transfer to nearby Ogle Airport, where Red-breasted Blackbirds sing and Snail Kites patrol. We’ll fly over the Demerara and Essequibo Rivers and hundreds of miles of unbroken tropical rainforest to land at Kaieteur, the world’s highest free-falling waterfall. Though Venezuela’s Angel Falls are greater in total height, their filamentous drop occurs by stages. Kaieteur is a single, massive, thundering cataract 330 feet wide, created as the Potaro River makes a sheer drop of more than 750 feet, nearly five times the height of Niagara. This spectacle is all the more impressive for its remoteness. It is altogether possible that we’ll be the only persons viewing it. Here we will hope to find White-chinned and White-tipped Swifts swirling over the gorge, and perhaps we shall be lucky enough to see the astonishingly colorful Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, fancy White-tailed Goldenthroat, or Musician Wren. Orange-breasted Falcon may be seen over the gorge as it hunts for swifts. In the afternoon we will travel through the Iwokrama forest to the Atta Rainforest Lodge. Here we can bird watch from the vantage of 35 meters up in the canopy. Caica Parrots, Painted Parakeets, Guianan Toucanet, Pompadour Cotinga, Plumbeous Pigeon, Red-and-green Macaw, Screaming Piha, and a host of canopy specialists come within our view. You can spend the afternoon birding from the mid and upper canopy on the walkway as flocks travel past, searching for Paradise Jacamar, White-necked Puffbird, Yellow-throated Woodpecker, Todd’s Antwren, Black-tailed and Black-crowned Tityras, and Dusky Purpletuft. Or you may choose to bird along the jungle trails, where antbird flocks include White-plumed Antbird, Ferruginous-backed Antbird, Ashwinged Antwren, McConnell’s Flycatcher, Plain Xenops, and Wedge-billed Woodcreeper. Overnight at Atta Rainforest Lodge.

Day 4 (Nov 22): Although the forest around Atta Lodge is excellent for birds, the major attraction here is the 500-foot long canopy walkway that is an easy from the lodge. The walkway has four platforms, the highest of which is nearly 100 feet above the ground. These will allow us to get great looks at a range of canopy species, many of which we would struggle to see from the forest floor. Amongst the likely highlights are Painted, Brown-throated, and Golden-winged Parakeets, Caica Parrot, Guianan Puffbird, Waved and Golden-collared Woodpeckers, and Spot-tailed, Todd’s, and Ash-winged Antwrens. The walkway is also an excellent place to look for various species of cotinga, including the poorly known and range-restricted Dusky Purpletuft. If there are any suitable fruiting trees nearby, we stand a good chance of seeing this bird, as well as the more widespread Purple-breasted Cotinga. Another area where we will want to spend some time is the clearing around the lodge, as this is one of the best places to see another of Guyana’s spectacular birds, the Crimson Fruitcrow. This species is seen here on a reasonably regular basis, as it often comes to feed in some of the nearby trees. The clearing is also a reliable site for Black Curassow, as there is a family party that has become habituated to people and regularly passes through the clearing. With reasonable luck, we should be able to add this bird to the impressive list of species we hope to see around the lodge and walkway. Other species we may encounter during our stay include Spix’s and Marail Guans, Grey-winged Trumpeter, Red-fan Parrot, Eastern Long-tailed Hermit, Crimson Topaz, Great and Paradise Jacamars, Guianan and Pied Puffbirds, Guianan Toucanet, Red-billed Woodcreeper, Black-throated Antshrike, Guianan Streaked Antwren, Guianan Warbling Antbird, Pompadour Cotinga, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Tiny Tyrant-Manakin, Helmeted Pygmy-Tyrant, Golden-sided Euphonia, and both Red-and-Black and Yellow-green Grosbeaks. During our stay, another of our major targets will be the poorly known White-winged Potoo. It can be found after dark both around the lodge and at the walkway. Locating this bird will be one of our major priorities, but we will need a bright moonlit night to stand a reasonable chance of seeing it. Our second night at Atta Rainforest Lodge.

Day 5 (Nov 23): At dawn you can be birding from the mid and upper canopy on the walkway as flocks travel past you. Search 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 Antbird, Spot-winged Antbird, Ferruginous-backed Antbird, Ash-winged Antwren, Long-billed Antwren, McConnell’s Flycatcher, Gray-crowned Flycatcher, Plain Xenops, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, the recently split Guianan Puffbird, or even the rare Crimson Fruitcrow. Last year our entire group heard a Jaguar before dawn, right on the edge of our camp! After breakfast we depart for the Iwokrama River Lodge. Upon arrival we will bird along the Screaming Piha Trail near the Field Station, home to Bronzy Jacamar, Chestnut and Waved Woodpeckers, Amazonian Antshrike, Gray Antbird, and Strong-billed Woodcreeper. We may also see Gray-winged Trumpeter, Black-tailed, White-tailed, Violaceous, and Collared Trogons, and Plain-brown, Wedge-billed, White-chinned, Buffthroated, Chestnut-rumped, and Barred Woodcreepers. As the day ends we will look for Ladder-tailed Nightjar, Great and Common Potoos, and the rare Rufous Potoo and White-winged Potoo. Overnight at the Iwokrama River Lodge.

Day 6 (Nov 24): Enjoy coffee, tea, and fruit before departing at 5:30 AM with a packed breakfast. We will embark on the Essequibo and circum-navigate 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. Continue by boat to the foot of Turtle Mountain. Along the way Harpy Eagle have been seen. We may also find Greater Yellow-headed Vulture, King Vulture, Gray-headed, Doubletoothed, and Plumbeous Kites, and Black-faced Hawk. At Turtle Mountain we explore the trails for a few hours, first visiting Turtle Ponds where anis, herons, and Green and Rufous Kingfisher hunt. We then climb to an elevation of 1000 feet for a view of the forest canopy below and chances of 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. On the return trip we will bird as we go and hopefully spot Caica, Blue-headed, Blue-cheeked, and Mealy Parrots, Cocoi Heron, Bat Falcon, Lined Forest-Falcon, and Pied Lapwing. We’ll visit Fair View, a nearby Amerindian village, and in late afternoon we’ll take a walk on trails around the River Lodge to look for Swallow-winged Puffbird, Black-spotted Barbet, Golden-collared, Yellow-throated, Crimson-crested and Red-necked Woodpeckers, Guianan Toucanet, Black-headed, White-browed, Ferruginous-backed, Warbling, Scale-backed, White-plumed, and Rufous-throated Antbirds, Ringed Antpipit, Black-tailed Tityra, and Thrush-like Schiffornis. After dinner we’ll set out on the river once more, in hopes of finding one or another of its four species of caiman, and listen for night birds such as Spectacled Owl, Long-tailed Potoo, Zigzag Heron, or Blackish Nightjar. Our second night at the Iwokrama River Lodge at Kurupukari.

Day 7 (Nov 25): Transfer before dawn 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 folks have been lucky! The road also offers excellent birding, including a habitat 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 Tanager, White-winged Potoo, Olive-green Tyrannulet, Rufous-winged Ground-Cuckoo, and Marail Guan. After which we continue down the road to the Cock-of-the-rock Trail, an easy 20- minute walk, to hopefully have our first view of the Guianan Cock-of-the-rock. Eventually we reach the Rupununi 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 and riparian woodlands. It differs in that much of it is devoted to cattle ranching, 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 and 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.

Day 8 (Nov 26): Today we will devote the morning hours to a location known as Moura Bridge for the opportunity to view the Amethyst Woodstar, White-chinned Sapphire, Long-billed Starthroat, and several Hermits as they patrol around the grounds. Nearby forest patches are home to Amazonian Scrub Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, and a variety of antbirds. Afternoon lunch and a break we set out on the road to Camundi Bach, looking for Cinereous Mourner, Reddish Hermit, Rufous-bellied Antwren, and Yellow-billed Jacamar. At dusk we may be able to find a Barn Owl, as the nightjars call in the background. Second night at Rock View Lodge.

Day 9 (Nov 27): This morning you can bird around the resort or in the foothills of the Pakaraima Mountains on the Panorama Trail for Cinereous Mourner, Reddish Hermit, Rufous-bellied Antwren, Troupial, and Yellow-billed Jacamar. After lunch we will take a flight to Georgetown. Overnight at Cara Lodge.

Day 10 (Nov 28): Transfer to the airport for your departing flight, after an incredible adventure in Guyana!

TOUR FEE: $4455 per person based upon double occupancy. Single accommodations are available at an extra charge of $335. Includes expert guide service with both the local guide and Bob, transfers to and from the airport, all transportation between lodges, entrance fees, all meals except for the day that you depart, and lodging for each night of the tour. All tips are also included in the tour fee, except for anything that you may wish to give to your driver, boat captains, and leaders. Does not include the cost of alcoholic beverages, items of a personal nature, airport departure tax, or international airfare to and from Guyana.

LEADERS: This tour will be led by a highly trained and competent local guide provided by Wilderness Explorers, a top notch Guianan outfitting company. Bob Schutsky, owner of Bird Treks, will co-lead the tour. Bob was part of two tours in the past several years, and found the country and its people absolutely enchanting.

GROUP SIZE: This tour is limited to 12 participants.  A minimum of 4 is required to confirm the tour.

PHYSICAL CONSIDERATIONS/WEATHER: Participants should be able to sit in a vehicle for up to 2 to 3 hours and be able to walk at a slow to moderate pace on uneven terrain for up to 2 hours.  Please notify us if you have any medical conditions that may affect your participation.  Temperatures will be cold.  High temperatures in mid-January are often less than 30 degrees Fahrenheit.  Snow and fog at times may interfere with travel and birding. 

REGISTRATION and DEPOSIT: A $1000 deposit and signed registration and release forms will assure your reservation on the tour. A $300 deposit will hold your spot on the extension. The balance is due 19 August 2010.

CANCELLATION POLICY: With written notice more than 90 days prior to the first day of the tour, 100% of your deposit will be refunded, minus a $100 service fee. With 30-90 days notice, you will receive a 50% refund of the full cost of the tour. No refund can be made with less than 30 days notice. You will receive a full refund if you provide a replacement for your spot on the tour. No partial refund can be given once a tour begins.

TRIP INSURANCE: We strongly recommend that you purchase trip insurance to protect yourself in case you need to cancel, luggage is lost, stolen, or damaged, a medical emergency occurs, or other unforeseen circumstances.  Note that many insurance policies require that you purchase it at the time you make the initial deposit for the tour and terms and coverage differ among policies.

For more information and registration forms, please us.

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