Few places in Europe combine scenery, wildlife and geology quite so spectacularly as the Carnic Alps. A century of depopulation and abandonment has created unprecedented space for nature to thrive here, while the mountains’ dramatic rock formations bear record to hundreds of millions of years of natural and geological history.
Atlantic Puffins are one of those characterful birds that many people love to watch, and we are often asked which of our UK tours they can be seen on. Nicknamed ‘Sea Parrots’ or ‘Clowns of the Sea’ due to their colourful face markings, these small seabirds are only around 25cm (9.5 inches) high and the smallest of the four puffin species.
The Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Parks comprise the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a land of jagged peaks, deep canyons, thundering waterfalls, geothermal geysers and pools of spectral colours.
In some parts of the world, mammals teem over plains and grassland, or adorn the forest canopy in remarkable density and variety. Europe, however, offers a somewhat different prospect. Rarely does it provide easy viewing, but it more than makes up for this by the thrill and intensity of searching for and seeing exciting and iconic characters.