We have been birdwatching since 1983. Apart from an organised trip to Hungary with a “Birding” tour in 2000 led by Gerard Gorman (149 species) and a "Birdfinders" tour to Finland and Arctic Norway in 2009 led by Toni Eskelin (180 species) Amanda and I have always planned & organised our birding trips ourselves, finding our own birds at a leisurely pace, with the help of local guides as necessary.
We broke our unspoken rule in 2019 by joining a Tropical Birding "Birding with a Camera" tour led by Fito Downs (296 species) after spending a week on our own in Costa Rica.
Our trips have included:-
- USA - Hilton Head Island - a family holiday with 74 species in 1991.
- Cyprus - three trips between 1994 & 1997 with 165 species in all.
- New Zealand - 106 species in 1998.
- Bangladesh - mainly business but 36 species during a three day trip in November 2000.
- Gambia - 214 species in 7 days in February 2000 with the assistance of a local guide.
- Lesvos - 169 species in Spring 2001.
- Portugal - several trips to The Algarve with 155 species in Autumn 2001 and 151 species in Spring 2002.
- Texel - 2 day trip in Autumn 2002 with 84 species.
- Spain – 155 species in 2 weeks in March 2003 to The Pyrenees, Picos de Europa and Extremadura.
- Bay of Biscay - Minicruise on The Pride of Bilbao from Portsmouth in August 2003 with 28 species.
- Goa – 248 species in 14 days in February 2004.
- Madeira - 28 species on pre Christmas break December 2004.
- Texas - 221 species in 21 days in January 2005 along the Texas Gulf Coast and Lower Rio Grande Valley.
- Lesvos - 128 species in 7 days in May 2005.
- Trinidad & Tobago - 208 species in 12 days in January 2006.
- Spain - 179 species in 11 days in May 2006 to Extremadura and Coto Donana (plus few sites in Portugal).
- Namibia & the Okavango Panhandle - 379 species in 17 days in December 2006
- Mallorca - 88 species in 4 days in April 2007
- Ecuador - 625 species in 23 days in January 2008
- British Columbia - 192 species in 24 days in September 2008
- Finland - 180 species in 13 days with Birdfinders in May & June 2009
- South Africa - 448 species in 32 days in September & October 2010
- French Alps - 78 species in 7 days in June 2011
- Australia &Tasmania, with stop-overs in Hong Kong & Thailand - 451 species in 37 days in October & November 2011
- Tanzania - 385 species in 15 days in May & June 2013
- Australia & New Zealand - 282 species in 40 days in December 2015 & January 2016
- Fuerteventura - 60 species in 8 days in February & March 2018
- Shetland Islands - 70 species in 7 days in May 2018
- Costa Rica - 346 species in 20 days in March & April 2019
Our wish list during the next 2/3 years includes trips to Brazil, Madagascar & Australia again; this time to Darwin and Northern Territories.
We are interested in butterflies, dragonflies and wildlife and are both keen gardeners and enjoy wild flowers.
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