St. John's Tour

ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND

1 - 6 Jan 2009

Please take a look at the St. John's photo galleries.

Early January. Time to relax after the pressures of the holiday season. A great time for a winter vacation...to Canada. Well, maybe it's not most people's idea of a great winter vacation, but it is for birders. St. John's hosts impressive numbers of gulls every winter. Among the thousands of Iceland and hundreds of Herring, Greater Black-backed and Glaucous Gulls, there are also some European species mixed in (which isn't all that surprising considering that St. John's is the easternmost city in North America): Black-headed, Lesser Black-backed, and usually one or two "Common" (the European subspecies of Mew Gull), plus the gull for which this city has become known: Yellow-legged. A couple of Slaty-backed Gulls have made an appearance during the past couple of winter. Old World ducks (Tufted Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, and "Eurasian" Green-winged Teal) are commonly seen within the city. Other attractions include boreal species such as Bohemian Waxwings and seabirds like Dovekie and Black Guillemot.

Day 1 (Jan 1): Arrive during the evening at St. John's.

Day 2-5 (Jan 2-5): Most days will be spent exploring areas within the city. Most of our target species are found in the ponds, parks, and harbor of St. John's. Quidi Vidi Lake is a truly impressive birding spot. Many of the gulls and ducks are tolerant of people, so the photographic opportunities are great (take a look at the photo galleries). On at least one day, we will travel to nearby Cape Spear to look for seabirds, and as long as conditions permit, we'll go further afield. If a rarity such as Redwing or another European vagrant is reported nearby, we'll definitely try for it, too.

Day 6 (Jan 6): After breakfast, we'll return to the airport for flights home.

TOUR FEE: $1750 per person based on double occupancy (single accommodations may be available for an additional charge of approximately $635). The tour fee includes lodging for five nights, all meals from breakfast on Jan 2 to breakfast on Jan 6, ground transportation during the tour, and guide services. It does not include transportation to and from St. John's, NL before and after the tour, phone calls, laundry, room service charges, alcoholic beverages, or any items of a personal nature.

LEADER: John Puschock, owner of Zugunruhe Birding Tours, will be your leader for this tour.

GROUP SIZE: This tour is limited 6 participants. A minimum of 3 is required to confirm the tour.

PHYSICAL CONSIDERATIONS/WEATHER: Temperatures will be cold. High temperatures in mid-January are often less than 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Snow and ice may interfere with travel and birding at times. Please notify us if you have any medical conditions that may affect your participation.

REGISTRATION and DEPOSIT: A deposit of $600 and a signed registration and release form will reserve your spot on this tour. Please e-mail for more information on the registration procedure and forms (contact info below). The balance of the fee is due by 60 days prior to the tour.

CANCELLATION POLICY: All fees received will be refunded with more than 90 days notice of cancellation. With 60-90 days notice of cancellation, all fees except the deposit will be refunded. No refund is possible with less than 60 days notification.

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 at info@zbirdtours.com.

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