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News in Brief: Georgia, Namibia, Albania, Mongolia & Scotland
May 2025
‘Our wonderful journey began in Tbilisi with cultural immersion and culinary delights, including the iconic Khachapuri and traditional wine toasts’ writes Naturetrek staff member John Moseley. ‘Early wildlife exploration at Ponichala Reserve revealed regional specialities such as Armenian Gull, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, and European Roller. A Levant Sparrowhawk and Spur-thighed Tortoise added to the highlights, alongside dragonflies and such reptiles as Glass Lizard and Caspian Green Lizard. Though elusive, species like Golden Oriole and Krüper’s Nuthatch hinted at the area's rich biodiversity.
The group ventured east to the semi-arid Chachuna Reserve and Vashlovani National Park, where the wildlife sightings intensified, including one of our main targets here, Black Francolin. Raptors were abundant, including Eastern Imperial Eagle, Egyptian and Griffon Vultures, and the rare Short-toed Snake Eagle. A Jungle Cat, an exceptionally rare sighting, stunned even the local guide. Vashlovani also offered glimpses of a reintroduced Goitered Gazelle and reptiles like Caucasian Agama and Steppe-runner.
In the mountainous north, the group explored Truso Valley and Stepantsminda, spotting East Caucasian Tur and Caucasian Chamois – both rare mountain species. Despite missing the Bearded Vulture initially, a final-day sighting near Gudauri provided a thrilling conclusion. Cultural highlights included visits to ancient monasteries, wine cellars using traditional Qvevri vessels, and superlative historical sites including Uplistsikhe. The trip blended nature, history, and hospitality, leaving participants with lasting memories of Georgia’s unique charm and biodiversity.’
July 2025
‘This immersive journey through Namibia blended dramatic landscapes, celestial wonders, and exceptional wildlife’ writes tour leader Neil Macleod. ‘Beginning in the Namib Desert, participants enjoyed stargazing under pristine skies and explored iconic sites like Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. Early highlights included sightings of Bat-eared Foxes, Desert-adapted Elephants, and a rich array of birdlife such as Rüppell’s Korhaan and Ludwig’s Bustard. A tour near Swakopmund revealed the “Little Five”, including the elusive Peringuey’s Adder and the cartwheeling Wheel Spider, showcasing the desert’s hidden biodiversity.
The group ventured north through Damaraland and Twyfelfontein, where geological marvels and ancient rock art added depth to the experience. A standout moment was tracking and observing Desert Elephants, including a young calf, in their arid habitat. Rare bird sightings included Benguela Long-billed Lark and Burchell’s Courser. Mammal highlights featured Meerkats, Brown Hyena, and a thrilling encounter with Temminck's Ground Pangolin – one of the most elusive and endangered mammals in Africa. Night drives at Okonjima Private Reserve yielded sightings of Porcupine, Scrub Hare, and Common Genet.
Etosha National Park delivered a grand finale with vast herds of Springbok, Burchell’s Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, and Southern Giraffe. Raptors such as Verreaux’s Eagle and Lappet-faced Vulture soared overhead, while Leopard tracking provided intimate views of these majestic cats. The final days included sightings of Damara Dik-dik and White Rhino, rounding off a trip rich in both day and night wildlife encounters. With 173 bird species, 39 mammals, and 10 reptiles recorded, this tour offered an unforgettable blend of astronomy, geology, and rare wildlife in one of Africa’s most spectacular settings.’
August 2025
‘An excellent week in southern Albania started on the coast at Karavasta and Narte with fabulous sightings of Dalmatian Pelicans, Greater Flamingoes, Stone Curlews, Collared Pratincoles, Little and Gull-billed Terns, Slender-billed Gulls and lots more’ writes tour leader Andy Smith. ‘Bee-eaters, Red-backed Shrikes, Red-rumped Swallows and migrant Spotted Flycatchers seemed to be everywhere and we enjoyed encounters with Rollers, Hoopoes, Little Owls and Turtle Doves. Meanwhile Woodchat and Lesser Grey Shrikes added further spice and raptors included Short-toed Eagle, Montagu’s Harrier and lots of delightful Lesser Kestrels.
In the mountains further south we moved into a different realm. Here we travelled through breathtaking scenery and found Rock Nuthatches, Black-eared Wheatears, Blue and Common Rock Thrushes, Sombre Tits, Rock Buntings and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Egyptian Vultures, Golden Eagles and Honey Buzzards bolstered the raptor list and on one memorable occasion we had a spectacular view of a Hobby mobbing a Goshawk.
Non-avian interest included Yellow-bellied Toads, Balkan Green Lizards, a feisty Balkan Whip Snake and butterflies such as Scarce Swallowtail, Southern Sage Skipper and lots of impressive Great Banded Greylings. Meanwhile the sun shone more or less throughout (except for a couple of spectacular thunderstorms) and we enjoyed some great food and lots of points of cultural interest, including the atmospheric Ottoman citadel town of Gjirokaster, our base for the second part of the week. Here, on the last evening, we watched enthralled as over 500 Lesser Kestrels descended to their roost trees against a backdrop of thunderheads, lightning flashes and a rainbow – fantastic! All in all, it was a great tour much enjoyed by all!’
August 2025
‘Our journey started in the sprawling capital of Ulaanbaatar’ writes Operations Assistant, Rui Machin. ‘With bustling vehicles and beeping horns, we could not have felt further away from a Snow Leopard. After a day’s rest to wear off the jetlag, a short connecting flight transported us to the small city of Khovd, at the base of the Altai Mountains in the far west of the country. We then made our way to the remote Altai Ger Camp – a fantastic family-run business, where Snow Leopard ecotourism is their number one priority. Over the following seven days, we searched for our elusive quarry. We broke up the time by viewing other rare mammals, such as the unique Saiga Antelope, Black-tailed Gazelle and the iconic domestic Bactrian Camels. A great variety of birdlife was also enjoyed, from bone-dropping Lammergeiers to the regal Steppe Eagle.
After nearly a week of hard searching, we were informed by our very talented Snow Leopard spotters that a cat had been seen. We traversed our way across the mountains and got our scopes in position. Curled up at the base of a rocky outcrop was a Snow Leopard. After 20 minutes, her head rose and she stood up – revealing her thick, pale tail. She climbed along the rocks, disappearing from our view once more. In Mongolian culture, seeing a Snow Leopard is considered a blessing – and it certainly felt like one. Instantly our spirits were lifted, and laughter, jokes and tears of joy replaced the stunned silence. Once again, Naturetrek’s “Mongolia’s Snow Leopards” tour delivered in seeing one of the rarest big cats on Earth.’
August 2025
‘The wilds of Ardnamurchan were spectacular in hot weather throughout a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding holiday’ writes tour leader Steve Gater. ‘Excellent company and amazing fauna and flora made this week one to remember for a very long time. Daily visits of Pine Marten, Red Deer and Red Squirrel were astonishing and on several days we watched River Otter and also found White-tailed Sea Eagle and Golden Eagle. We enjoyed regular sightings of Common Buzzard, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Grey Heron, Eurasian Curlew, Jay, Hooded Crow, Northern Raven and others. Seals were very numerous and amusing; athletic displays by Common Dolphins were so entertaining, while Common Guillemots and Northern Gannets remained from the recent breeding season. We also found a good range of plants in flower that included Grass of Parnassus, Devil's-bit Scabious and three species of Sundew. The week disappeared far too quickly, but some wonderful memories will linger for some time to come.’
