Guyana
Rainforests, savannahs and wetlands
Saturday 15 - Saturday 29 November 2008 (15 days)
Guyana is a tiny country containing pristine rainforest, wonderful waterfalls, freshwater marshes teeming with birds and mammals, and lekking sites for the spectacular Cock-of-the-Rock. It makes a perfect introduction to birdwatching on the South American continent.
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. Tim Earl visited the country in 2006 to learn about and help develop the countrys birdwatching holiday potential, giving a presentation on his findings to the Ministry of Tourism. This 'Trailblazer' tour is based on his trip.
This small country on the northeast shoulder of South America, just below Trinidad and Tobago, is just being discovered by birdwatchers as it offers all the avian richness of Venezuelas 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 offer comfortable quarters close to varied and interesting savannah habitats.
Our tour visits the coastal plain, rare sand-belt forest habitats, seemingly limitless 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 700ft 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. Later in the trip 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 pristine 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. This will be Tim Earl's fifth tour to the region. He will be helped by local guides throughout.
Price: £ 2,995
Single supp.*: £ 355
Deposit: £ 400 per person
The price is per person and includes scheduled return flights London /Georgetown, internal flights as described, airport taxes, ground and boat transportation as described, accommodation on a full-board basis, local taxes, incidental tips, and the services of the leaders.
The price excludes holiday insurance, optional tips to local drivers/guides, drinks and other personal expenses.
*Single rooms may not be available throughout in Guyana. If we can't get a single, we'll refund a proportion of the supplement.
Leaders: Tim Earl and local guides
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-colored Woodpecker, found only in the narrow coastal plains of the area. The gardens are also home to Snail and Pearl Kites and numerous species of parrots and macaws.
Later in the morning we travel by boat to the delightful Shanklands Rainforest Resort for a magical two-night stay. Shanklands is carved from the tropical rainforest on a majestic cliff overlooking the silver water of Guyana's largest river, the Essequibo. White colonial-style 'gingerbread' houses are set amidst twenty-five acres of rolling lawns with views of the Essequibo and Mazaruni Rivers. We will walk along a fairly extensive network of roads and trails birdwatching in mature tropical forest looking for Red-fan Parrot, Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, Racket-tailed Coquette and more than twenty species of antbirds. Shanklands is a most pleasant place to stay and will be a great introduction to our Guyana tour.
Overnight Shanklands Rainforest Resort
Day 3
This morning we take a trip on the Makoura Creek, a haunt of the lovely Agami Heron. Harpy Eagle is occasionally seen from this creek.
Walking a fairly extensive network of roads and trails we'll devote the day to birdwatching in mature tropical forest looking for Buff-throated Woodcreeper, Olive-backed Foliage-Gleaner, Black-headed Antbird, White-bearded and Golden-headed Manakins plus Spangled Cotinga and Purple-throated Fruitcrow (our first representatives of the amazing cotinga family). During the evening we will look for Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, Mottled Owl and Grey Potoo.
Overnight Shanklands Rainforest Resort
Day 4
We tear ourselves away from the delights of Shanklands, and travel by boat to Baganara Island where we 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 228 meters - nearly five times the height of Niagara. 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.
The flight continues, landing at Iwokrama airstrip from where we transfer a short distance by boat to the Iwokrama Field Station. Later in the afternoon we birdwatch along the Screaming Piha Trail (where we still have to keep quiet…) near the field station, home to Bronzy Jacamar, Chestnut and Waved Woodpeckers, Amazonian Antshrike, and Strong-billed Woodcreeper. We may also see Grey-winged Trumpeter, Black-tailed, White-tailed, Violaceous and Collared Trogons. As the day ends we will look for Ladder-tailed Nightjar, and a number of potoo species.
Overnight Iwokrama Field Station
Day 5
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, 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 Fair View, 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 Field Station
Day 6
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 Stanley Lake for birdwatching along the banks: a site for Sunbittern, Green Ibis, and Capped Heron.
Overnight Iwokrama Field Station
Day 7
Today we drive through the heart of the Iwokrama Forest, making an early start. This forest is rapidly gaining an international reputation for its healthy Jaguar population, and although the chance of actually seeing one is very slim, the early mornings offer the best chance. The road also 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.
We will be heading for the Atta Rainforest Lodge, home to 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.
A small lodge has been opened 500m from the walkway and we will spend a night here in fairly basic en-suite accommodation [with great local food] to be in the canopy at first light.
Overnight Atta Rainforest Lodge
Day 8
We will welcome the dawn from the canopy walkway. This is a breathtaking way to observe canopy species and we can hope for specialities such as Black Curassow, Black-eared Fairy, Rufous-throated Sapphire and Chestnut Woodpecker. Weeping Capuchin is also possible.
After breakfast transfer by vehicle to Surama Village, surrounded by the densely forested Pakaraima Mountains, with birdwatching along the road as we travel. The village is set in five square miles of savannah. Surama's inhabitants are mainly from the Macushi tribe who still observe many of the traditional practices of their forebears. Our accommodations will be in thatched en-suite sleeping shelters called benabs and our meals will feature excellent local produce. We will walk across the savannah and then climb up Surama Mountain in the late afternoon to look for Pearl Kite, White-tailed and Savannah Hawk.
Overnight Surama Eco-lodge
Day 9
During our full day at Surama we shall explore the full range of habitats this delightful locality has to offer, walking across the savannah and through the rainforest to the Burro Burro River. We look for both Black Curassow and Grey-winged Trumpeter before our local guides paddle us by canoe along the river watching out for Giant River Otter, Brazilian Tapir, Black Spider Monkeys, and a wealth of birds. There will be the option of an escorted tour of the village, visiting the local school, medical centre and church along with some of the village houses
Overnight Surama Eco-lodge
Day 10
We travel by vehicle to Ginep Landing and then by boat on the Rupununi River to Karanambu Ranch, yet another highlight of this fabulous trip. This is the home of Diane McTurk, famous for her work in rehabilitating orphaned Giant River Otters to the wild. This is an area of extensive grasslands punctuated by bush islands and termite mounds. Dinner with Diane will include stories on the history of her family and the Rupununi Savannahs. Diane often 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 11
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 host 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 Doves, Stripe-backed Bittern and Pied Lapwing.
Overnight Karanambu Ranch
Day 12
We have a final morning of birdwatching around the ranch. After an early lunch we take a flight back to Georgetown where we travel by road and then by boat on the Demerara River into the back waters of the meandering Kamuni Creek. 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.
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
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-colored Woodpecker, found only in the narrow coastal plains of the area. The gardens are also home to Snail and Pearl Kites and numerous species of parrots and macaws.
Later in the morning we travel by boat to the delightful Shanklands Rainforest Resort for a magical two-night stay. Shanklands is carved from the tropical rainforest on a majestic cliff overlooking the silver water of Guyana's largest river, the Essequibo. White colonial-style 'gingerbread' houses are set amidst twenty-five acres of rolling lawns with views of the Essequibo and Mazaruni Rivers. We will walk along a fairly extensive network of roads and trails birdwatching in mature tropical forest looking for Red-fan Parrot, Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, Racket-tailed Coquette and more than twenty species of antbirds. Shanklands is a most pleasant place to stay and will be a great introduction to our Guyana tour.
Overnight Shanklands Rainforest Resort
Day 3
This morning we take a trip on the Makoura Creek, a haunt of the lovely Agami Heron. Harpy Eagle is occasionally seen from this creek.
Walking a fairly extensive network of roads and trails we'll devote the day to birdwatching in mature tropical forest looking for Buff-throated Woodcreeper, Olive-backed Foliage-Gleaner, Black-headed Antbird, White-bearded and Golden-headed Manakins plus Spangled Cotinga and Purple-throated Fruitcrow (our first representatives of the amazing cotinga family). During the evening we will look for Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, Mottled Owl and Grey Potoo.
Overnight Shanklands Rainforest Resort
Day 4
We tear ourselves away from the delights of Shanklands, and travel by boat to Baganara Island where we 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 228 meters - nearly five times the height of Niagara. 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.
The flight continues, landing at Iwokrama airstrip from where we transfer a short distance by boat to the Iwokrama Field Station. Later in the afternoon we birdwatch along the Screaming Piha Trail (where we still have to keep quiet…) near the field station, home to Bronzy Jacamar, Chestnut and Waved Woodpeckers, Amazonian Antshrike, and Strong-billed Woodcreeper. We may also see Grey-winged Trumpeter, Black-tailed, White-tailed, Violaceous and Collared Trogons. As the day ends we will look for Ladder-tailed Nightjar, and a number of potoo species.
Overnight Iwokrama Field Station
Day 5
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, 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 Fair View, 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 Field Station
Day 6
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 Stanley Lake for birdwatching along the banks: a site for Sunbittern, Green Ibis, and Capped Heron.
Overnight Iwokrama Field Station
Day 7
Today we drive through the heart of the Iwokrama Forest, making an early start. This forest is rapidly gaining an international reputation for its healthy Jaguar population, and although the chance of actually seeing one is very slim, the early mornings offer the best chance. The road also 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.
We will be heading for the Atta Rainforest Lodge, home to 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.
A small lodge has been opened 500m from the walkway and we will spend a night here in fairly basic en-suite accommodation [with great local food] to be in the canopy at first light.
Overnight Atta Rainforest Lodge
Day 8
We will welcome the dawn from the canopy walkway. This is a breathtaking way to observe canopy species and we can hope for specialities such as Black Curassow, Black-eared Fairy, Rufous-throated Sapphire and Chestnut Woodpecker. Weeping Capuchin is also possible.
After breakfast transfer by vehicle to Surama Village, surrounded by the densely forested Pakaraima Mountains, with birdwatching along the road as we travel. The village is set in five square miles of savannah. Surama's inhabitants are mainly from the Macushi tribe who still observe many of the traditional practices of their forebears. Our accommodations will be in thatched en-suite sleeping shelters called benabs and our meals will feature excellent local produce. We will walk across the savannah and then climb up Surama Mountain in the late afternoon to look for Pearl Kite, White-tailed and Savannah Hawk.
Overnight Surama Eco-lodge
Day 9
During our full day at Surama we shall explore the full range of habitats this delightful locality has to offer, walking across the savannah and through the rainforest to the Burro Burro River. We look for both Black Curassow and Grey-winged Trumpeter before our local guides paddle us by canoe along the river watching out for Giant River Otter, Brazilian Tapir, Black Spider Monkeys, and a wealth of birds. There will be the option of an escorted tour of the village, visiting the local school, medical centre and church along with some of the village houses
Overnight Surama Eco-lodge
Day 10
We travel by vehicle to Ginep Landing and then by boat on the Rupununi River to Karanambu Ranch, yet another highlight of this fabulous trip. This is the home of Diane McTurk, famous for her work in rehabilitating orphaned Giant River Otters to the wild. This is an area of extensive grasslands punctuated by bush islands and termite mounds. Dinner with Diane will include stories on the history of her family and the Rupununi Savannahs. Diane often 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 11
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 host 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 Doves, Stripe-backed Bittern and Pied Lapwing.
Overnight Karanambu Ranch
Day 12
We have a final morning of birdwatching around the ranch. After an early lunch we take a flight back to Georgetown where we travel by road and then by boat on the Demerara River into the back waters of the meandering Kamuni Creek. 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.
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