Formerly the colony of British Guiana (with English its first language), its stability, positive attitude to wildlife tourism and friendly people make Guyana the perfect destination for an introduction to South American birdwatching. These will be Tim Earl's third and fourth trips.

This small country on the northeast shoulder of South America, just below Trinidad and Tobago, is only now being discovered by birdwatchers. Guyana offers all the avian richness of Venezuela's lowland forests with safe, accessible and relatively comfortable accommodation. Some new lodges near the coast provide delightful, relaxing accommodation in pristine forest settings while in the southern jungles the ranches we visit have comfortable quarters close to varied and interesting savannah habitats.

Our tour visits the coastal plain with rare sand-belt forest habitats, seemingly limitless pristine rainforests of the interior and the Rupununi savannah close to the Brazilian border. It includes travel on a number of small watercourses and two great rivers, the Demerara and the Essequibo. At the spectacular Kaieteur Falls, with their 800ft sheer drop putting them among the world's most imposing scenic wonders, we will search the forest for gatherings of male Guianan Cocks-of-the-Rock. Further inland we will watch birds in the tree-tops from a canopy walkway which brings us close to species normally associated with stiff necks.

Travel will be in four-wheeled drive vehicles on forest tracks when we are not sitting in motorised dug-outs spotting birds and mammals as we pass along miles of waterways. Indeed, our journey to the airport at the end of the tour will be largely in such boats, a brilliant way to leap from rainforest to modern civilisation.

Anyone wanting to start discovering the avian delights of South America or for those who have visited the Caribbean islands or Central America, this is the logical next step in your Neotropical birdwatching experience.

Itinerary
Day 1
We catch a scheduled flight to Georgetown, Guyana, arriving late afternoon. We stay in a comfortable lodge close to the Botanic Gardens.
Overnight Georgetown

Day 2
We'll have the option of an early morning walk through the nearby beautiful Botanic Gardens to look for the amazing Blood-coloured Woodpecker, found only in the narrow coastal plains of the area. We will also look for the poorly-known White-bellied Piculet which can be found here. The gardens are also home to Snail and Pearl Kites and numerous species of parrots and macaws.

Later in the morning we travel eastward from Georgetown to look for Blood-coloured Woodpecker and Rufous Crab-Hawk, the first of many range-restricted species we will be hoping to find on this tour. An area of mangrove less than 50 kilometres from Georgetown is a good place to find Rufous Crab-Hawk, a species which has been badly affected by the reduction in this habitat. On our return journey to Georgetown, we will visit some mudflats to look for a range of waders as well as Scarlet Ibis, Black Skimmer, Brown Pelican and Magnificent Frigatebird. We may also visit a heronry where Black-crowned and Yellow-crowned Night-herons, Little Blue Herons and Cattle and Snowy Egrets breed alongside Snail Kites.
Overnight Georgetown

Day 3
This morning after breakfast we will head for nearby Ogle for a scheduled flight to Karanambu Ranch. This is the home of Diane McTurk, famous for her work in rehabilitating orphaned Giant River Otters to the wild. The farm is set in area of extensive grasslands punctuated by bush islands and termite mounds. Although she is sometimes away on lecture tours, we hope the she will join us for dinner and share stories of the history of her family and the Rupununi Savannahs. Diane sometimes has resident orphaned otters on her ranch.

Our birdwatching here will be largely in woodland patches or gallery forest along the river where we'll hope to find such species as Spotted Puffbird, Striped Woodcreeper and Pale-bellied Tyrant-Manakin. When water levels are appropriate a wooded swamp near the ranch is the site of a surprisingly large colony of Boat-billed Herons and at any season the river and airstrip provide habitat for no fewer than eight species of nightjars.
Overnight Karanambu Ranch

Day 4
Birdwatching from daybreak to nightfall or later (with a siesta during the heat of the day, of course!) we explore Karanambu and its varied habitats, travelling by boat and Land Rover. Grasslands host Double- striped Thick-knees, Bi-colored Wren, and Bearded Tachuri while forest patches have Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Violaceous Trogon, Blue Ground-Dove, Plain-crowned Spinetail and Great Antshrike. The river is home to Wood Stork, White faced and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Stripe-backed Bittern and Pied Lapwing.

Birding the savanna will be a high priority here with White-tailed Hawks, Fork-tailed Flycatchers, Grassland Sparrows and Yellowish Pipits a good possibility and the chance of Sharp-tailed Ibises, Eastern Meadowlarks and Double-striped Thick-knee. A major ambition will be to see Giant Ant-eater, if we are lucky and early enough. One was seen brilliantly on our first tour thanks in part to gauchos on horse-back who turned out to help us search for this elusive mammal.
Overnight Karanambu Ranch

Day 5
We will explore the maze of lagoons along the Rupununi River with our hosts, in search of Giant River Otters, scanning the treetops for family parties of Red Howler Monkeys and the exposed riverbanks for Capybara and Black Caiman. These quiet backwaters are also home to the legendary Arapaima, the largest of all scaled freshwater fish - we were fortunate to see several on one of our previous boat trips. We shall visit lakes and ponds crammed with Jabirus, egrets, herons and other water birds, and blanketed by the enormous pads of the Victoria amazonica water lily, Guyana's national flower.

A highlight will be sipping rum-punch sundowners surrounded by giant water lilies with Bulldog Fishing Bats skimming the surface while with luck Band-tailed Nightjars, Rufescescent Tiger Herons and Black-crowned Night Herons fly over our heads.
Overnight Karanambu Ranch

Day 6
After breakfast we travel by boat on the Rupununi River to Ginep Landing, and drive to Surama. The village is set in five square miles of savannah and surrounded by the densely forested Pakaraima Mountains. Surama's inhabitants are mainly from the Macushi tribe and still observe many of the traditional practices of their forebears. Our accommodations will be in 'benabs' (thatched sleeping shelters) or a more conventional guest house recently completed by the local people. Our meals will feature excellent local produce.

Much of the surrounding land is devoted to cattle raising, though 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. With its tropical gardens and flowering trees, our lodge resembles an oasis in the savannah, and attracts many species of birds, particularly nectar feeders and frugivores. Nearby patches of light forest are home to certain antbirds and flycatchers, and of course the grasslands support an avifauna of their own.
Overnight Surama Eco-Lodge

Day 7
This morning we will rise before dawn for a walk across the savannah and through the rainforest to the Burro Burro River. With luck, we shall see both Black Curassow and Grey-winged Trumpeter before our local guides paddle us by canoe along the Burro Burro River for possible opportunities to observe Giant River Otter, Brazilian Tapir, Black Spider Monkeys, and a wealth of birds. This was voted one of the highlights of our first tour.

This afternoon we can look for Fork-tailed Flycatchers, Savannah and Black-collared Hawks as they patrol the grassland. Or you might opt to rest and relax around the cabins, with the added option of an escorted tour of the village, visiting the local school, medical centre and church along with some of the village houses At dusk as nightjars and nighthawks tumble over the grasslands we will look for the Nacunda Nighthawk and White-tailed Nightjar.
Overnight Surama Eco-Lodge

Day 8
Today we make an early start. We will be heading for the superb Iwokrama Canopy Walkway, 100ft above the forest floor. The area of forest is excellent in its own right but viewed from the walkway it becomes amazing. Here rare birds can be seen: Waved Woodpecker, Long-billed Starthroat (a hummingbird which lives entirely in the canopy) Dusky Purpletuft, Spangled Cotinga and Guianan Toucanet - what names to conjure with. Spider Monkeys are seen regularly up here as are fabulous Scarlet Macaws, but for many the highlight will be soaking up the sights, sounds and smells of life in the canopy.

The road to Iwokrama offers excellent birdwatching, including a locality known as Mori Scrub, characterized by an unusual low, sandy forest. This supports an interesting range of birds, among them Rufous-crowned Elaenia, Black Manakin and Red-shouldered Tanager.
Overnight Iwokrama River Lodge

Day 9
Making an optional early start, we will circumnavigate Indian House Island on the Essequibo River giving us a chance to see up to five species of tinamou, Marbled Wood-Quail, Band-rumped Swift, White-banded and Black-collared Swallows before returning to the field station for breakfast.

We then set out by boat to the foot of Turtle Mountain. Harpy Eagles occur here, and other raptors include Greater Yellow-headed Vulture, King Vulture, Grey-headed, Double-toothed and Plumbeous Kites and Black-faced Hawk. Here we explore the trails for a few hours first visiting Turtle Ponds where anis, herons, Green and Rufous Kingfisher hunt. We then climb to an elevation of 900 feet for a view of the forest canopy below and chances of Green Aracari, White Bellbird or passing raptors.

We visit Fairview, a nearby Amerindian village, and in the late afternoon we'll take a walk on trails around the fields. Finally, after dark, we'll set out on the river once more, watching for caiman, Capybara and night birds such as Spectacled Owl, Long tailed Potoo, Zigzag Heron or Blackish Nightjar.
Overnight Iwokrama River Lodge

Day 10
This morning we will go birdwatching along the Greenheart and Woodcreeper Trails close to the Iwokrama Field Station. Quill-rattling by Spix's Guan or Crestless Curassow may startle us as we start to get to grips with forest species, hoping always for an ant-swarm which will attract many birds. During the afternoon we take a boat trip to look for Sunbittern, Green Ibis, and Capped Heron.
Overnight Iwokrama River Lodge

Day 11
After breakfast we transfer by vehicle to Fairview and catch a flight across miles of unbroken tropical rainforest to Kaieteur, the world's highest free-falling waterfall: a single, massive, thundering cataract 100 meters wide created as the Potaro River makes a sheer drop of 247 meters - nearly five times the height of Niagara. There are no falls in the world with this magnitude of water and sheer drop. The falls were first seen by a European in 1870 and are situated in the heart of Guyana on the Potaro River, a tributary of the Essequibo. An Amerindian legend of the Patamona tribe tells of the old chief Kai sacrificing himself over the falls to save his tribe. The spectacle is the more impressive for its remoteness and it is altogether possible that we'll be the only people there.

White-chinned and White-tipped Swifts swirl over the gorge while in nearby forests we will look for gatherings of Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock, another member of the cotinga family. Success will be cause for some celebration.

After two hours at the falls, our flight then continues to land at Baganara Island Resort, 187 acres of lush green foliage and colourful tropical flowers. Five miles south of Bartica, it is the gateway to the unspoilt rainforest of Guyana and the junction where the great Essequibo and Mazaruni River meet. We take a boat trip to nearby Parrot Island to see hundreds of parrots flying in to roost.
Overnight Baganara Island Resort

Day 12
This morning you can take a kayak on a nearby creek that takes you into the rainforest. As you silently paddle you will see many bird species, and possibly monkeys.

After breakfast we depart by boat on the Essequibo River, stopping en route to visit the ruins of a Dutch fort and continuing down the river to Roed en Rust. From here we travel by road to the Arrowpoint Marina on the Demerara River. Here we board another boat and we will make our way slowly up the mighty Demerara, before following the Kamuni River and Pokerero Creek, a smaller Òblack waterÓ tributary and such a contrast after the muddy brown waters of the Demerara. Here, our journey becomes quite magical with the mirror-like surface of the tannin-stained waters reflecting the surrounding vegetation.

Overhanging jungle vegetation eventually gives way to wide open savannahs and we pass the Amerindian village of Santa Mission before journey's end at the picturesque Arrowpoint Nature Resort. After dinner we will go on a jungle walk looking for nocturnal birds and mammals.
Overnight Arrowpoint Nature Resort

Day 13
This morning we will take canoes out onto the creek to look for the amazing Crimson Topaz, a hummingbird which may be hawking insects above our kayaks - a fabulous way to start the day. Landing where we fancy we can watch birds along jungle trails. We continue birdwatching in the late afternoon, watching for flocks of Red-bellied Macaws crossing the sky en route to their roosts, and perhaps seeing an evening gathering of euphonias and other tanagers in low trees of the clearing. Sapphire-rumped Parrotlets occasionally roost in the area.

As night falls we will sip aperitifs on a balcony overlooking the creek and surrounding marshes. Our final dinner will be under the stars reminiscing about the wonders we will have seen and experienced on this amazing trip.
Overnight Arrowpoint Nature Resort

Day 14
We travel first by motorised canoe and then by vehicle to the airport for the flight home, arriving on Day 15.

Accommodation will be as outlined above with all rooms en suite.

Numbers: Max. 14 clients