Dear Friends,

Welcome to the September edition of the Naturetrek e-news

We are delighted to announce that our 2005 brochure is currently being sent out and will be arriving with you shortly. We hope you will enjoy reading it and viewing our extended portfolio of destinations. If your copy does not arrive, please contact us and we will be happy to resend it to you. Furthermore, we are also pleased that our website has now been fully updated to include our dates and prices for 2005.

This Month's Newsletter Features

Naturetrek Events

Open Days at Cheriton Mill
Following the success of our previous Open Days at our Cheriton Mill premises, we have some more dates for your diary over the coming months. Our Open Days provide a good opportunity for you to not only visit our office in rural Hampshire but also to discuss future travel plans in person with our operations team. A good supply of tea and cakes will also be provided!

Friday, 10th September
Friday, 15th October
Friday, 12th November

If you would like to visit us, please call Abby on 01962 733051, or email abby@naturetrek.co.uk beforehand to make sure the relevant staff member will be available.

Annual Slide Shows
We will once again be holding Slide Show Evenings at a variety of locations around the country during the winter and would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join us. The evenings will allow you to sit back and listen to our speakers (including members of our Operations Staff, and tour leaders David Tattersfield and Peter Dunn) and get inspiration for future holidays. The shows will commence in the early evening and last for a couple of hours during which we will have a break for refreshments.

The Slide Shows are free of charge but by ticket only. Please do you join us: to register your interest please call Victoria on 01962 733051 or email victoria@naturetrek.co.uk with your address, phone number, number of tickets required and which show you would like to attend.

Guyana - New Tour for 2005

A wealth of birdlife, exciting mammals and stunning scenery, including the remarkable Kaiteur Falls, await members of our inaugural tour to Guyana next March. With a small maximum group size, places are sure to go quickly. Click here for further details and full tour dossier.

Trip Reports

THE AZORES
In July, Naturetrek’s second full group departed to the beautiful islands of the Azores, where the tour took in a huge variety of activities and locations. The group visited four different islands and enjoyed a wide range of natural history sightings from butterflies (including the endemic Azores Grayling – Faial race – and Sao Miguel Grayling) to birds and plants. One of the rarest birds in the world, the Azores Bullfinch or Priolo, showed well to most of the group and the plant list included a number of endemic species. Highlights on the water included Cory’s Shearwaters, Sperm Whale, Striped, Common, Risso’s, Bottlenose and Atlantic Spotted Dolphins. We were lucky enough to coincide with the fascinating and colourful festival of the Holy Spirit and the group also enjoyed such diverse activities as swimming, cheese and wine tasting at local factories and vineyards, descending into a spectacular lava cave and sampling some of the “best gin and tonics in the world” at the famous Peter’s Café!

To read tour leader Gerald Broddelez’s report and to view our Slide Show click here.

For those of you with an all-round interest in natural history and a love of spectacular scenery, why not join our next departure to the Azores from 8th – 17th July 2005.

THE ITALIAN DOLOMITES
In June, Su Gough escorted a small group to the spectacular Dolomites in northern Italy. Here we met with the usual warm welcome from our friends who run our hotel in Tamion. We returned with a sizeable plant list including 18 species of orchid, all three species of Snowbell, Spotted Gentian and the sought after King of the Alps. Bird highlights included Golden Eagle, Bonelli’s Warbler and Snowfinch and a good number of butterfly and moth species were also recorded.

We hope you will join us on our next tour amongst the stunning mountain scenery of the Dolomites departing on 26th June 2005.

To read Su’s excellent report from this year’s tour click here.

NORMANDY– A BUTTERFLY WEEKEND
For the second year running, the Normandy butterflies long-weekend trip in July proved a great success with a fabulous variety of butterflies (up to 43) recorded. As with last year, we visited a varied selection of superb wildlife habitats, in blissfully quiet and unspoiled surroundings.  On calcareous grassland we recorded Berger's Clouded Yellow, Dark Green Fritillary, Adonis Blue and Queen of Spain Fritillary. Wet heathland and pine forest produced Alcon Blue, Ilex Hairstreak, Silver-studded Blue and Large Chequered Skipper. On coastal dunes we had Swallowtail, Mallow Skipper and Lulworth Skipper, whilst ancient woodland produced Heath Fritillary, Pearly Heath, Wood White, Map, Silver-washed Fritillary, White Admiral and Lesser Purple Emperor. Although this was a butterfly holiday, we recorded a wealth of other wildlife too, with Black Woodpecker, Honey Buzzard, Melodious Warbler, Black Woodpecker and Fan-tailed Warbler amongst over 100 species of bird. Of the other insects, highlights included Willow Emerald, Dainty, Scarce Blue-tailed and Scarce Emerald Damselflies; the moths Oblique Stripe, Bright Wave and Zygaena carniolica, and Rufous and Blue-winged Grasshopper.  Botanists were not disappointed either with a good number of species rare/absent from the UK species such as Summer Lady's Tresses, Lizard Orchid, Mountain Germander, Wall Germander, Large Selfheal, Cyprus Spurge, Bedstraw Broomrape and Vincetoxicum.  With a visit to the Bayeux tapestry included as well, this was an action packed and wildlife-rich, yet relaxing holiday. 

To read Tom Brereton’s full trip report, click here.

WILD FLOWERS OFSICILY
In late April, botanist Paul Harmes accompanied an enthusiastic group of Naturetrek clients on an 8-day tour to the spectacular island of Sicily. During the trip the group stayed at two traditional hotels, one in Zafferana in the Mount Etna region, while the other was in Isnello in the Madonie Mountains. The group returned having a phenomenal recorded number of plant species, but was also fortunate to have sightings of a variety of birds, butterflies and moths.

To read Paul Harmes’ account of the trip click here.

Research Trip To Jamaica

In March 2004 Operations Manager Paul Dukes jetted off to research the Caribbean island of Jamaica for Naturetrek. Below is a summary of his trip.

After a comfortable Air Jamaica flight from London, we were driven to the Forres Park Hotel near Mavis Bank, situated less than one hour by road from the airport but a world apart from urban chaos in a tranquil location at the edge of forested mountains. As it was dark by the time we reached the hotel we had to wait until dawn to appreciate the views but it was clear from an inspection of the list of birds recorded from the grounds that we were assured an exciting stay ornithologically. To continue reading this article please click here.

Plans for a Bargain Birdwatching Trip to Bolivia

The Neotropic Region offers some of the best birding in the world and this is reflected by the ever increasing number of South and Central American destinations in our programme of Bargain Tours.

The latest candidate for future inclusion in the Bargain Selection is Bolivia. Described as the 'Tibet of South America', the Andean peaks, cloud forests and high airy plateaux that comprise this most picturesque country, provide habitats for over 1350 bird species including at least 18 endemics.  Recognising the constraints of budget travel we are working on two 10-12 day itineraries which will each cover different regions of the country but could be combined to give an even more comprehensive bird list.

Arrangements are still to be finalised but look out for further information in future Naturetrek newsletters. Additionally, register an interest in these tours by emailing victoria@naturetrek.co.uk and we will ensure that the relevant dossiers are sent to you as soon as they become available.

India 2004 - Last Chance to Book the following Trips

The National Parks Of Southern India
This is a 19-day wildlife holiday to the Nilgiri and Cardamon Hills, and the National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries of Nagarhole, Anaimalai and Periyar. In addition, this tour includes one night aboard a houseboat cruising Kerala’s backwaters. The optional extension to the unspoilt tropical Andaman Islands situated over 1,600 kilometres from the Indian coast is highly recommended for those with time to spare. The islands not only offer excellent snorkelling but are also home to an outstanding collection of endemic birds and mammals.

Sat, 30th Oct – Wed, 17th November 2004 Cost: £2,295
Extension: Tue, 16th Nov – Mon, 22nd Nov 2004 Cost: £1,395

Fri, 12th Nov – Sat, 20th Nov 2004 Cost: £1,250
Fri, 19th Nov – Sat, 27th Nov 2004 Cost: £1,250
Fri, 10th Dec – Sat, 18th Dec 2004 Cost: £1,399
Fri, 24th Dec – Sat, 1st Jan 2005 Cost: £1,399

Southern India’s Endemic Birds
A 12-day birdwatching tour in search of the endemic, and other, birds of the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills.

Thur, 18th Nov – Mon, 29th Nov 2004 Cost: £1,395
Thur, 23rd Dec – Mon, 3rd Jan 2005 Cost: £1,495

Just Tigers!
Our ever-popular 13-day appreciation of the mammals and birds of Kanha, India’s most rewarding Tiger Reserve, with an optional extension to Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary or Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.

Fri, 19th Nov – Wed, 1st Dec 2004 Cost: £1,795
Extensions: Tues, 30th Nov – Sun, 5th Dec 2004 Cost: £495
Fri 17th Dec – Wed 29th Dec 2004 Cost: £1,895
Extensions: Tues, 28th Dec – Sun, 2nd Jan 2005 Cost: £595

India’s Birds & Mammals
This is a 9-day wildlife holiday that visits both Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary and Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in search of both birds and mammals.

Fri, 19th Nov 2004 – Sat, 27th Nov 2004 Cost: £1,195

Wildlife Photography Tour to Panna Tiger Reserve
A 10-day photographic holiday focusing on the wildlife of Panna National Park where the mighty Bengal Tiger and a great supporting cast of mammals and birds provides a wealth of subjects, whilst picturesque riverine forest along the River Ken and rural landscapes further guarantee that much film will be expended during this tour!

Wed 22nd Dec – Fri 31st Dec 2004 Cost: £1,795
Extension to Bandhavgarh till Wed 5th Jan 2005 Cost: £635

British Birdwatching Fair

The Naturetrek team had a very successful few days up at the British Birdwatching Fair in Rutland. Birdwatchers are a hardy lot and we were pleased to see so many people had braved the rain on Friday and the generally muddy conditions! The sun shone on us for the rest of the weekend and we would like to thank all our clients who visited our stand. As always it was lovely to have the opportunity to see so many familiar faces – both clients and tour leaders – and to meet those of you who have not travelled with us before.

Our 2005 brochure was launched at the Fair with an exciting selection of new destinations and we enjoyed discussing your future travel plans. Many of you had just returned from recent Naturetrek trips and brought us invaluable feedback and stories of exciting sightings, together with some excellent photographs. A great number of you were about to depart on tours and we look forward to hearing about them on your return!

For those of you who have not visited the Birdwatching Fair before, we hope that you will join us next year. It is a great day out and you can get everything from your holiday to clothing, optical equipment and books to take with you! There are lectures, slide shows and entertainment and you can round the day off with drinks on the Friday and Saturday at the Naturetrek stand! A number of you took us up on this offer this year and we hope to see a great many more at our “happy hour” next year.

We look forward to seeing you all there in 2005, if not before at one of our Open Days!

Below is the current availability of our tours departing over the next few months for anyone thinking of jetting away – however, this does change daily, so please check with us if you are thinking of taking a last minute holiday.

Finally, as always if you require further information please do contact us. We look forward to being able to assist you with your future travel plans.

Best wishes from us all

The Naturetrek Team

If you would prefer not to hear from us in this way, please email remove@naturetrek.co.uk

For more information on any of our holidays please call us on 01962 733051