Egypt
Nov/Dec 25
A comprehensive cultural tour of Egypt (Pyramids, Abu Simbel, Luxor, Valley of the Kings), with some great birding along the way (Crimson-rumped Waxbill, Reed Cormorant, African Pied Wagtail, Senegal Thick-knee and Coucal, numerous migrants and exciting resident passerines). We also visited Wadi Hitan: The Valley of the Whales.
Tanzania
Apr 25
A truly stupendous bird and mammal tour in East Africa, and a return to her childhood home for Julia! Highlights too many to mention, but included multiple Servals, Black Rhino, numerous Cheetahs and Lions, Bat-eared Fox, Secretarybird, multiple owls and bustards, several stunning longclaws, plus weavers and whydahs in breeding plumage, and endemics like Ashy Starling, Grey-breasted Spurfowl, Maasai Apalis, Broad-ringed (or Kilimanjaro) White-eye, Yellow-collared Lovebird, Grey-crowned Helmetshrike and Beesley's Lark.
Fuerteventura
Dec 24
Another dead easy Canarian winter trip: the endemic Canary Islands Chat seen at close range, plus a vagrant Eastern Yellow Wagtail, African Houbara, degener African Blue Tit, Egyptian Vulture, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, stacks of great endemic plants and insects, and migrant swarms of Plain Tiger butterflies and Striped Hawk-moths.
Tenerife
Dec 23
An easy return trip to the Canaries for some winter sun: all the endemics seen, including Tenerife Blue Chaffinch, Bolle's and Laurel Pigeons, plus exploration of Mt Teide and an exciting boat trip with turtles and pilot whales.
Türkiye
May 23
A brilliant week of archaeology, birds and other wildlife in south-west Türkiye: White-throated Robin, Black-headed Bunting, Finsch's Wheatear, Krüper's and Western Rock Nuthatches, a stack of amazing migrants and resident birds at Acigöl, and various endemic subspecies. Add in spectacular Greek ruins at Ephesus, Laodicea, Hierapolis and elsewhere, and this was a very memorable week.
Florida
Feb 22
A quick hit of winter sun in the States West Indian Manatee, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Florida Scrub-jay, Burrowing Owl, Wilson's and Piping Plovers, Wild Turkey, Least Bittern, Prothonotary Warbler and many other wintering passerines, and masses of waterbirds and raptors in the Everglades.
Estonia
May 19
A short Euro break to the Baltic: Great Snipe, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Citrine Wagtail, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Arctic migration and lots more.
Canada
Jul 18
High mountains, pine forests, lakes and glaciers. Orcas! Plus lots more mammals, & both migrant and resident montane birds. Also badlands & dinosaurs!
Romania
Aug 17
An action-packed and hot 11-dayer in SE Europe, with mountain and wetland birds, loads of insect life, and the much-desired highlight of European Brown Bear.
Pantanal & Iguazu
Jun 16
Two weeks back in Brazil (and Argentina!) 14 years after our original visit there. Pantanal was just as amazing, with the added bonus of Jaguar and Ocelot, plus the stunning Iguazu Falls into the bargain.
Oaxaca
Dec 14
A superb endemic- and migrant-filled trip to the "thin bit" of Mexico - big highlights included Rosita's Bunting, Sumichrast's Sparrow, Nava's Wren, Giant Wren and Lesser Ground Cuckoo - plus a top pelagic!
Islay
Feb 14
A short trip with the school NHS to the Inner Hebrides: Golden Eagle, Otter, Chough, Greenland White-fronted Geese and more besides - including the Bowmore, Laphroaig and Bruichladdich distilleries!"
Thailand
Dec 13
Two wonderful weeks back in the tropics - Giant Nuthatch, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, Great Hornbill, Siberian Blue Robin and field full of Palearctic British vagrants. Plus Gibbons!
Mallorca
Jul 13
A three-day mini-Euro-twitch for Eleonora's Falcon, but also featured Balearic Warbler, Balearic Shearwater, Scopoli's Shearwater, Cinereous Vulture, Audouin's Gull and barely tickable Red-knobbed Coots.
Crete
Apr 13
A fairly low-key (and windy!) trip to the largest of the Greek islands - lots of migrant birds (including Thrush Nightingale and Collared Flycatcher, plus lots of Red-footed Falcons), butterflies and endemic plants - plus masses of orchids.
Iceland
Sep 12
A mainly non-birding Geo field trip, but some good quality birds nonetheless - including Harlequin Duck, various Arctic migrants and residents, and the Aurora Borealis.
Taiwan & HK
Apr 12
An endemic-packed trip to Taiwan (both rare pheasants - Mikado Pheasant and Swinhoe's Pheasant, all available endemic species and most of the endemic forms, plus Black-faced Spoonbill), followed by a four-day whistle-stop tour of Hong Kong - featuring Mai Po - 36 waders in a morning, including the holy trinity: Nordmann's Greenshank, Asian Dowitcher and Spoon-billed Sandpiper!
NBZ NHS
Aug 11
Our fourth overseas trip with the boys in as many years, this time we visited a trio of stunning southern African countries with good ol' Rainer and Rockjumper Birding Tours. Stacks of superb species and experiences - Black Rhino, Sable Antelope and Roan Antelope, Rockrunner, Herero Chat, Hartlaub's Spurfowl, three MORE Puff Adders to add to the three in South Africa in 2009, and a national bird "first" for Namibia - see the report to find out more....!
Pyrenees
Apr 11
A two week meander around the steppes of Aragon and the Spanish Pyrenees. More frustration and finally partial satisfaction with Dupont's Lark, plus Bearded Vulture, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush and all the Spanish specials.
Finland
May 10
A very brief five day trip in northern Finland, including a Finnature owling trip with Great Grey Owl, Northern Hawk-Owl, Eurasian Pygmy Owl and Black Woodpecker. Other highlights were Siberian Jay, lots of Black-throated Divers, Western Capercaillie, Black Grouse, and at last, after missing it ten years ago, a Western Palearctic tick for Julia in the form of singing Red-flanked Bluetail!
Morocco NHS
Mar 10
Another fabulous overseas Natural History trip, with thirteen of our students and the ever excellent Rainer Summers, our "exclusive" Rockjumper guide. First and foremost, we succeeded in seeing the ultra-rare Northern Bald Ibis, but also enjoyed a near-complete set of desert specialities (including two ticks for Julia - African Desert Warbler and Maghreb Wheatear), plenty of mini-beasts (including scorpions and ant species), fossils and even a meteorite!
Ecuador
Dec 09
Three hectic (and sometimes wet!) weeks in the Andes, rainforests and Galapagos Islands - the usual Neotropical overload, but particular highlights had to be 45+ species of hummingbirds, including Tourmaline Sunangel, Velvet-purple Coronet, Empress Brilliant, Great Sapphirewing and Ecuadorian Hillstar. Galapagos highlights were numerous - Galapagos Petrel, bustling seabird colonies, Galapagos Penguin, Darwin's finches and more besides.
Papua New Guinea
Jun/Jul 09
An unbelievable four-week jaunt around the fabled island of New Guinea - 354 species (94% of them lifers!), including 21 birds of paradise, 29 pigeons (including Southern Crowned Pigeon & Nicobar Pigeon), 25 parrots (including Pesquet's Parrot and Eclectus Parrot), Palm Cockatoo, 15 kingfishers (including 2 kookaburras and 4 paradise-kingfishers), both painted-berrypeckers, over half of New Guinea's (and thus the world's) berrypeckers, Wattled Ploughbill, Papuan Treecreeper, four bowerbirds and Black Sittella.
Scotland
May 09
A short break in the Highlands of Scotland (not strictly overseas...). Star species included European Otter, European Pine Marten, Western Capercaillie, Black Grouse, Scottish Crossbill, White-tailed Eagle, Corn Crake and stacks of seabirds - amongst others!
South Africa NHS
Mar/Apr 09
A follow-up to last year's India school trip - this time we took 14 boys from our school NHS to see Southern Right Whale, Great White Shark, Cape Rockjumper (and many, many more endemic birds), plus the "Big Five" and loads more in Kruger NP. Ably led by our friend Rainer Summers of Rockjumper Birding Tours, we saw a total of 350 bird species!
The Isles of Scilly
Oct 08
Well, it's sort of overseas.... A fab rarity-packed week on the magical Isles of Scilly - the top highlight was undoubtedly a highly unexpected Snowy Owl, ably backed up by Red-flanked Bluetail, two Grey-cheeked Thrushes, White-rumped Sandpiper and a good few other scarce bits and pieces.
Uganda and Rwanda
Jul 08
A comprehensive three-week Rockjumper trip around western Uganda, with a side-trip to Rwanda in search of the mythical Mountain Gorilla. Over 500 species of birds recorded, including 19 Albertine Rift endemics, and such megas as Shoebill, African Finfoot, Great Blue Turaco, Uganda Woodland Warbler, White-spotted Flufftail and Ituri Batis.
Southern Morocco
Apr 08
A brisk ten-day tour of the mountains and deserts of southern Morocco, with a couple of days on our own at the end. Highlights included Levaillant's Woodpecker, Red-necked Nightjar, Northern Bald Ibis, Atlas Wheatear, Moussier's Redstart, Desert Sparrow, Greater Hoopoe-Lark, Pharaoh Eagle-Owl, Lanner Falcon at the nest and more.
Northern India NHS
Feb 08
A great ten-day trip to Delhi, Bandhavgarh and Agra with fourteen keen and excited Winchester College students. Megas included eight Bengal Tigers, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, White-capped Bunting, Ultramarine Flycatcher, Blue-capped Rock Thrush and 190+ others.
Ethiopia
Dec 07
A quick-fire visit to this wonderful country in the Horn of Africa - several Abyssinian endemics, including Wattled Ibis, Banded Barbet, White-collared Pigeon and Ethiopian Oriole, plus an excellent range of east African savannah, mountain and lake birds. And mammals too - Lesser Kudu, Beisa Oryx and the regionally endemic Soemmerring's Gazelle.
Madagascar
Oct 07
An absolutely awesome visit to the "eighth continent" - we found ourselves overwhelmed by 120+ endemic birds (including at least five endemic families: couas, ground-rollers, Cuckoo-roller, mesites and asities!), and heaven knows how many endemic plants, insects, and chameleons - and don't forget the lemurs, too!
Mauritius
Oct 07
The mythical island of the Dodo (RIP) and the Pink Pigeon (OOL - on our lists!) was a very pleasant stopover on our way to and from Madagascar (see above). Most endemics nailed including the stunning Mauritius Olive White-eye, Mauritius Cuckoo-shrike and Mauritius Bulbul, plus megas such as Mascarene Swiftlet and White-tailed Tropicbird, the latter completing our world list of these pelagic aeromeisters.
Peninsular Malaysia
Jul 07
Our first trip to SE Asia, and a hill- and forest-birding spectacular, with stacks of amazing birds, from trogons and broadbills, to Crested Fireback, Bat Hawk, Malayan Whistling Thrush, Malayan Partridge, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Blyth's Hawk-Eagle and Slaty-backed Forktail.
Biebrza Marshes
May 07
A stunning five-day break: the highlight was unquestionably Great Snipe for a life tick, but also Aquatic Warbler, White-winged Tern in abundance, Savi's Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Marsh Warbler and Barred Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Montagu's Harrier, White-tailed Eagle, Common Crane, Whiskered Tern, Great White Egret, and several Elk.
Mexico: the Yucatan
Dec 06
A tremendous mix of endemic, Neotropical and Nearctic birds against a backdrop of Mayan ruins. Ocellated Turkey, Rose-throated Tanager, Black Catbird, Cozumel Vireo and Cozumel Emerald, Yucatan Wren, Mexican Sheartail and numerous "Yank" migrants, including many wood warblers, such as Black-and-white, Magnolia, Yellow-throated, Kentucky, Hooded and Chestnut-sided.
Trinidad & Tobago
Mar/Apr 06
The Neotropical birding was absurdly easy and luxurious, with stacks of superb birds - Red-billed Tropicbird, Masked Booby, Scarlet Ibis, Pinnated Bittern, Striped Owl, White-tailed Sabrewing, Oilbird, Bearded Bellbird, White-throated Spadebill, Grey-throated Leaftosser, Moriche Oriole - and a self-found first for T&T: Lesser Goldfinch.
The Canaries
Dec/Jan 05/06
This was a great little endemic-fest - Fuerteventura Stonechat, Bolle's and Laurel Pigeons, Tenerife Blue Chaffinch, Tenerife Robin, Canary Islands Chiffchaff and Canary Islands Goldcrest, Atlantic Canary, Plain Swift, Berthelot's Pipit, African Blue Tit, African Houbara, Cream-coloured Courser and Black-bellied Sandgrouse - plus a Blue-winged Teal!
Sri Lanka
Dec/Jan 04/05
What an amazing island endemic special! Highlights included Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush, Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon, Green-billed Coucal, White-faced Starling, Blue-faced Malkoha, Kashmir Flycatcher, Sri Lanka Frogmouth and Pied Thrush. The whole trip, however, was signifcantly overshadowed by horror of the Great Asian Tsunami on our day of arrival.
Central Europe
Jul 04
This was a fantastic and highly successful journey in central and eastern Europe - we saw 202 species in July. White-backed Woodpecker, Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker and all the other available European woodpeckers, Saker Falcon, Long-legged Buzzard, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Spotted Nutcracker, Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Great Bustard, Greenish Warbler, Aquatic Warbler, Moustached Warbler and River Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Common Rock Thrush, Alpine Accentor and Lesser Grey Shrike, plus Wild Boar, Elk, Alpine Marmot and European Bison!
Lesbos
Apr 04
Despite this being an 'easy' Mediterranean trip, it nevertheless produced three lifers for Simon and eight for Julia: highlights included Krüper's Nuthatch and Western Rock Nuthatch, Sombre Tit, Rüppell's Warbler, Cinereous Bunting and Cretzschmar's Bunting, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Pallid Harrier and Red-footed Falcon.
Peru
Jul/Aug 03
More mega-diversity in the Neotropics - 533 species were seen. Pelagic, desert, Andes, Amazon. Big highlights included Humboldt Penguin, Andean Condor, Inca Tern, Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Sword-billed Hummingbird and Giant Hummingbird, Pavonine Quetzal, Lyre-tailed Nightjar, Giant Conebill and White-bellied Cinclodes.
Spain
Apr 03
This was a near rerun of our 1999 trip, but this time we focused on just two areas - Extremadura and the Coto Doñana. We added in the Sierra de Gredos as an extra, and with distinctly variable weather, the differences were striking! Star birds: Red-knobbed Coot, Marbled Duck, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Western Orphean Warbler and Bonelli's Warbler, Western Reef Heron and the best-looking raptor of all time!
Brasil
Aug 02
Was this the ultimate birding trip? This trip was a simply incredible three-weeker to the south-eastern Atlantic rainforests, the Pantanal, Chapada dos Guimarães, Alta Floresta and Serra das Araras. Birds? Only 630 species, including cripplers like Hyacinth Macaw, 11 toucans, 28 hummers, 6 trogons, 17 woodcreepers, 16 antshrikes, 29 antbirds/wrens, 11 manakins, 9 owls, 11 nightjars, Black-and-gold Cotinga, Buff-throated Purpletuft, Zigzag Heron, and an undescribed species of forest falcon. There were 47 endemics too...
Northern India
Dec/Jan 02/03
A superb two weeks in the northern hotspots of one of our favourite countries. The Ranthambore / Bharatpur / Nainital / Corbett loop produced stunning species like Ibisbill, Wallcreeper, Great Thick-knee, Spotted Forktail, Great Hornbill, Siberian Crane, Tickell's Thrush, Brown Fish Owl and Dusky Eagle-Owl, Red-billed Blue Magpie and Common Green Magpie, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Scaly-breasted Cupwing, White-crested Laughingthrush, Siberian Rubythroat, and three high-altitude accentor species.
Arizona & California
Jul/Aug 01
A fantastic two-centre trip in the Nearctic realm - the searing deserts of Arizona contrasted with the cool offshore waters of northern California. There were some real stunners in Arizona, such as 9 species of hummingbird, including Berylline Hummingbird, Green Kingfisher, Mexican Chickadee, Olive Warbler and Red-faced Warbler, Elegant Trogon, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Greater Roadrunner, Least Bittern and Five-striped Sparrow. California was just as good, with Wandering Tattler, Surfbird, Yellow-billed Magpie, Laysan Albatross and Black-footed Albatross, Scripps's Murrelet, South Polar Skua, Tricolored Blackbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and an all-time California Long-tailed Skua day count. All that before we mentioned Grey Whale, Blue Whale and Humpback Whale!
Sweden
Apr 01
This one was a short Euro-break to the (very) frozen north for a few much-needed Western Palearctic birds. We had considerable success: Eurasian Eagle-Owl, Ural Owl and Eurasian Pygmy Owl, White-tailed Eagle, Black and Grey-headed Woodpeckers and Western Capercaillie.
Gambia
Dec 00
This trip marked a return to Africa after Kenya 1997. We had a near clear-up of the classic West African package destination - including megas like White-crested Tiger Heron, African Crake, Little Gull, Yellowbill, Greyish Eagle-Owl, Green-headed Sunbird and Sudan Golden Sparrow.
Northern Fennoscandia
May/Jun 00
We much enjoyed a long dreamt-of trip to the boreal forest and the Arctic north. Highlights included Great Grey, Ural, Tengmalm's and Northern Hawk Owls, Siberian Jay, Siberian Tit, White-billed Diver, King and Steller's Eiders, Gyrfalcon, Brünnich's Guillemot, Hazel Grouse, Long-tailed Skua, masses of breeding waders, plus Arctic Redpoll, Bohemian Waxwing, Little Bunting, Rustic Bunting, Lapland Longspur and Snow Bunting, and many more. It was unreal.
Corsica
Apr 00
We had just a week on one of the Mediterranean's 'endemic islands', enough to see Corsican Finch and Corsican Nuthatch, plus Yelkouan Shearwater, Marmora's Warbler, Italian Sparrow and endemic forms of Dartford Warbler and various others, plus excellent plants.
Southern Spain
Apr 99
This was an excellent ten-day 'clear-up' of southern and south-central Spain. Spanish Imperial Eagle, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, Spectacled Warbler, Great and Little Bustards, Lesser Kestrel, Cinereous Vulture and Black-winged Kite were among the many star birds seen.
Goa, India
Dec 98
This was a great trip to this 'easy' Oriental hotspot, along with our good friends Chris Mills and Jacky Harris. Highlights included three days at the (then) newly-established Backwoods Camp, with Indian Pitta around the tents, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Orange-headed Thrush, Grey-necked Bunting, Jungle Owlet, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Banded Bay Cuckoo and Blue-faced Malkoha.
Israel
Apr 98
A hot and migrant-packed trip to the south-east of the Western Palearctic: lots of exciting birds passing through, notably huge numbers of raptors, but also numerous passerines (including such extreme rarities as Grey Hypocolius and Basra Reed Warbler) and waders. Resident birds also featured heavily, including Egyptian and Nubian Nightjars, and the very hard-to-see Desert Owl (formerly Hume's Tawny Owl), shown to us by the man whose name it bears in its scientific name, Hadoram Shirihai!
Kenya
Aug 97
The trip that started the whole thing, where we met each other and began a lifetime of wildlife adventure. Three weeks in East Africa brought us all the big mammals (Elephants, Giraffes, White Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Ratel and more), plus almost 350 spectacular birds, most of them new to us both, and incredible landscapes and huge African skies. This was a trip that will live forever in our memories, for so many reasons!