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Welcome to our January emailing!


Greetings, birding friends. We hope 2025 has gotten off to a healthy and productive start for you. We're off to a great start ourselves, having already completed seven tours, with another six underway as you read this.


Here at Field Guides were are also reminiscing as we've hit a big milestone: our 40th anniversary! Some of our staff have put together a slide show of the folks who make Field Guides, well, Field Guides! Jan Pierson, one of our founders, and Jesse Fagan have outdone themselves with this fun trip down memory lane. You can read a bit about our early history (and find a link to the slide show) by clicking here.


In this month's emailing we'll try to lure to you Arizona for one of our fantastic tours to arguably the best birding state in the U.S. We also have a bit about two tours in our European program that still have space available. And we have a special piece contributed by another of our founders—Rose Ann Rowlett—about some success and optimism of a conservation effort that is near and dear to all of us at Field Guides.


You'll also find our regular sections, such as a roster of our upcoming tours with space, links to two short videos from tours last fall, 18 recent triplists, and nine fresh itineraries. There's a link to our Field Guides store, and of course we also have our Recent Photos Gallery, with more than 100 images from tours spanning the globe. We've also added a second gallery, a selection of our favorite images from all of the 2024 galleries (scroll down for more).


Our thanks to participant Dick Stilwell for the photo below of a Montezuma Quail from our Arizona's Second Spring tour. We have four spring and summer Arizona tours to Southeast Arizona (listed below) that offer you a chance to see this fabulous species.


As always, we appreciate you opening and reading through this emailing, and if a tour seems interesting and you'd like to find out more, just contact our office and we'll help you get on your way.

Best of 2024

Head this way to find a fun gallery of the top* photos to appear in our Recent Photos Galleries of 2024.


*These are completely subjective and the whim of Todd Day, the curator of the monthly photo galleries. Todd's preferences are sometimes a little off kilter; he has a fondness for Hoatzins, head shots, low-light images, and the unusual.

Arizona in May and July

It seems that every birder is asked at some point, "Have you birded Arizona?" Indeed, Arizona is one of the most exciting destinations in North America—especially true for folks who take pride in their U.S. bird list. Field Guides offers a handful of different Arizona tours to take advantage of the fantastic birding The Grand Canyon State has to offer. With so many specialty birds to find, any partial list leaves off some real headliners. Our tours will take you to places where we can see Elegant Trogon, Montezuma Quail, Red-faced Warbler, Painted Redstart, Crissal and Bendire's thrashers, Varied Bunting, Five-striped Sparrow, Yellow-eyed Junco, about a dozen hummingbirds, up to 11 species of owls, raptors, tanagers, and many, many more. We visit those places that birders have heard of, such as Ramsay, Miller, and Madera canyons; mountain ranges such as the Huachucas and the Chiricahuas; and of course Patagonia, namesake of birding's "picnic table effect." Upcoming in May and July we have:


Arizona: Birding the Border, May 7-16 with Chris Benesh. Our flagship tour to southeastern Arizona, home to more species than any other similarly sized region in the U.S. There's no better way to visit here than with a guide like Chris, who knows where to find everything you want to see and take all the work out of it for you.


JUST ADDED! Arizona Nightbirds & More II, May 17-21 with Micah Riegner. Our April departure is sold out, so we've added a second. This short tour has a focus on owls, nightjars, and other things we might bump into at night. Eleven owl and four nightjar species are possible, including Flammulated and Elf owls, Whiskered Screech-Owl, and the rare Buff-collared Nightjar. And while this is a night-birding tour, we will see plenty of birds in daylight. We expect more than 150 species, with goodies like Elegant Trogon, Montezuma Quail, Red-faced Warbler, and Painted Redstart all possible.


Arizona's Second Spring I & II, Jul 19-28 with Chris Benesh and Jul 26-Aug 4 with Cory Gregory. In a typical year, the prevailing late-summer winds bring moisture and rains to Arizona's thirsty desert and grasslands. Some of the local birds take advantage of this phenomenon and begin their nesting season. This includes Montezuma Quail and Botteri's and Cassin's sparrows—all of which are at the peak of their singing. This has also proven to be a great time of year for Mexican vagrants, such as Eared Quetzal, White-eared Hummingbird, Rufous-capped Warbler, Flame-colored Tanager, and Streak-backed Oriole—all found in recent years.


Northern Arizona's Canyons & Condor, May 17-23. This tour is a bit different from the two above. We explore Northern Arizona with our Flagstaff-based expert, John Coons, who'll be joined by Sam Wilson High-desert and mountain specialties are our quarry here, as well as some southern species that reach this far north, and northern birds that breed no farther south. We'll look for Red-faced Warbler, Painted Redstart, Common Black Hawk, Clark's Nutcracker, Dusky Flycatcher, MacGillivray's Warbler, Pinyon Jay, and many other western species. We'll view and explore Arizona's tallest mountains in the San Francisco Peaks, and of course we'll see the iconic California Condor at the Grand Canyon.


To inquire about any of these tours, or to book a space, please contact our office.

Old World tours in April and June

We still have spaces available on a couple of our European destinations. One tour offers the best of Eastern Europe, and the other is part of our Birds & Wine series.


Hungary & Romania: The Best of Eastern Europe. Many travelers are aware of Eastern Europe's stunning architecture, rich history, and vibrant cultural tapestry. It is also bursting with beautiful landscapes and great birding. Terry Stevenson is joined by his friend, local expert Lajos Nemeth-Boka (not only a great birder but one of Europe's finest guides for butterflies, amphibians, and reptiles!). The birding starts at the Danube Delta for a myriad of waterbirds, including Pygmy Cormorant and Dalmatian Pelican, and we'll enjoy flocks of European Bee-eaters and Rollers, as well as the splendid little Bearded Reedling. We'll also bird the Black Sea and the spectacular Carpathian Mountains, where we'll target Wallcreeper, White-throated Dipper, Ring Ouzel, and many other birds. We'll cross into Hungary and visit Hortobagy National Park—a vital stopover for migrants—with a good chance of Red-footed and Saker falcons. We'll visit Kiskunsag National Park and its plains and farmlands, too. This is the European stronghold for Great Bustard, as well as a good place to see Imperial Eagle, Black Woodpecker, and Lesser Gray Shrike.



France's Loire Valley: Birds, Chateaux & Wine. The Loire is Europe's only river with no human-made obstacles along its path. No dams or locks means the Loire Valley has retained much of its natural, unaltered beauty—and wildlife flocks to the region as a result. Of course this valley is also famous for its wine. This tour combines the best of lowland birding and French wines, with famous vineyards and several chateaux along the way (including Chateau de Chambord, the largest of the chateaux that we’ll visit, pictured above). Your guide, Marcelo Padua, is our in-house wine specialist, and he has a penchant for French wines. And the birds? In the scattered grasslands we'll seek out Corn Bunting, Eurasian Skylark, European Stonechat, Eurasian Thick-knee, Montagu's Harrier and, with luck, Little Bustard. We'll sample some of the hundreds of small lakes in this region for Great Crested and Little grebes, Tufted Duck, Common Pochard, and Whiskered Terns. The wooded areas are home to Great Spotted, Middle Spotted, and Eurasian Green woodpeckers, Song and Mistle thrushes, and a variety of tits, among many other birds. We'll spend our mornings in the field and our afternoons in the abbeys, chateaux, and vineyards. We stay in two comfortable hotels, and most of the drives are short, making for a relaxing birding vacation.



For more information or to book a space, please contact our office.

In case you missed it...Galapagos III

A couple of months ago, we added a third departure for our Galapagos tour, with guide Willy Perez. We'd really love for this departure to run, and we need a couple more signups to keep our spots on the vessel. The tour dates are August 9-19. The Galapagos are well known to everyone with an interest in the natural world, and our tour is designed to find as many endemic birds as possible, as well as many of the other creatures that call these islands home. Our small group will be aboard a comfortable vessel with excellent food, naturalists, and crew. Join us for what will surely be an unforgettable adventure!


Galapagos: An Intimate Look at Darwin's Islands, Aug 9-19, with Willy Perez


For more information or to book a space, please contact our office.

A special note from Rose Ann Rowlett

When I first stumbled into perched Red-faced Parrots, in 2003 at Huashapamba, Ecuador, I was absolutely delighted. Here was an accessible forest reserve, established and protected by local people of the Saraguro area, where we could search for this extreme rarity on our tours—with some hope of seeing it well! (And sometimes we did... ) But the parrot was extremely rare in this 9500-foot cloud forest. So much of its habitat had been cleared for firewood through the years that this little population seemed isolated and scarce. In fact, the species was classified as endangered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES II).


Fast forward to the present. There is some good news! Researchers have located what seems to be the largest remaining population of Red-faced Parrots—still classified as vulnerable—in an upper-montane cloud forest adjacent to páramo at 8200-11,500 feet, well southwest of Huashapamba. Appropriately, the place is known as "Selva Alegre," (though much of the surrounding forest has already been cleared).


Now, thanks to the Jocotoco Foundation, Rainforest Trust, and American Bird Conservancy, we have a good chance to preserve at least 1235 acres in Selva Alegre, protecting the forests that remain and restoring forests that have been lost. Already, they have raised $850,000—more than half the money needed. But they need our help to raise the rest, if we hope to save the Red-faced Parrot from extinction.


It seems especially appropriate that this new Jocotoco reserve be named for Bob Ridgely, who not only discovered the Jocotoco Antpitta and helped to establish the Jocotoco Foundation but has spent most of his life working to establish and maintain the numerous bird reserves our tours (and many others) visit throughout Ecuador. Bob's always had a particular fascination with psittacids—going back to his PhD subject and continuing throughout his life. I was standing next to him in August 1980 when the first flock of what would eventually be described as El Oro Parakeets flew in and landed in front of us. I've never seen him so excited. Let's excite him again!



You can give online HERE or by sending a check to: Jocotoco Conservation Foundation, PO Box 38274, Baltimore, MD 21231.


--Rose Ann Rowlett

Field Guides swag is available! We've got shirts, hats, hoodies, mugs, stickers, tote bags, even pajama pants—all a click away at our Field Guides Store. Fashionable and functional—sure to keep you comfortable and looking spiffy—check it all out at the store.

Short videos from recent tours

Many of our triplists contain highlight videos from the tour that might showcase the birds, the scenery, the culture, other wildlife, or any combination thereof.


Our first video is from this past fall's Spectacular Southeast Brazil tour, guided by Bret Whitney & Marcelo Barreiros (and recorded by Bret). The video has some wonderful footage of birds, birders, and more. Click here or on the Pin-tailed Manakin below to watch the video.


The second video has some funs shots of seabird colonies, Humpback Whales, and Northern Gannets doing their thing—all courtesy of guide Chris Benesh, who along with Jay VanderGaast guided last summer's Newfoundland & Nova Scotia tour. You can view this video by clicking here or on the gannets below.

A highlights video from our most recent Spectacular Southeast Brazil tour

A highlights video from last year's Newfoundland & Nova Scotia tour
Triplists from recent tours

We have triplists from past tours linked below, each with some lovely images and some with video clips, and all with great texts by our guides. Enjoy!

CLASSICAL GREECE

with Megan Edwards Crewe

ARIZONA'S SECOND SPRING I

with Chris Benesh

AUSTRALIA (Part 1)

with Chris Benesh

COLOMBIA'S CLOUDFOREST: THE WESTERN & CENTRAL ANDES

with Jesse Fagan

ALASKA: THE GREAT LAND I

with Chris Benesh

NEWFOUNDLAND & NOVA SCOTIA

with Chris Benesh & Jay VanderGaast

GULF OF CALIFORNIA: MEXICO'S RICH DESERT COAST

with Micah Riegner

RIO NEGRO PARADISE: MANAUS, BRAZIL

with Bret Whitney & Marcelo Barreiros

MOUNTAINS OF MANU, PERU

with Dan Lane

SPECTACULAR SOUTHEAST BRAZIL: NORTH OF THE TROPIC

with Bret Whitney & Marcelo Barreiros

PANAMA'S CANOPY LODGE: EL VALLE DE ANTON

with John Coons

SPECTACULAR SOUTHEAST BRAZIL: SOUTH OF THE CAPRICORN

with Bret Whitney & Marcelo Barreiros

JAMAICA III

with Cory Gregory

MACHU PICCHU & ABRA MALAGA, PERU (Private Tour)

with Jesse Fagan

ARIZONA WINTER SPECIALTIES

with Cory Gregory

CHILE: THE CLASSIC TOUR

with Willy Perez

BOLIVIA'S AVIAN RICHES

with Dan Lane

NEW ZEALAND

with Dan Lane
Comments from participants
We carefully read each post-tour evaluation we receive from our participants, so that we can continue to offer the best possible birding experiences and service on Field Guides birding tours. Here are two representative recent comments. From all of us at Field Guides, our thanks for all your valuable feedback.

“This was our 31st tour with Field Guides. As always, our experience was wonderful. The desert and gulf scenery was spectacular. The lodging was comfortable. The food was very good. No complaints whatsoever! Micah Riegner is an exceptionally talented guide. His extensive knowledge of the ecology of the area as well as the birds was obvious, and he shared his knowledge effectively. His ability to put us on the birds was impressive. He was able to strike a balance between a pace that we older clients could maintain and keeping us informed on what to expect and how to prepare for the day's activities. We would have no reservations whatsoever in signing on with Micah again. Our tour manager was Caroline Lewis, and we appreciate the service provided. We have been treated with professionalism, competence, and pleasantness leading up to and during every tour. This tour was no exception.” D.C., Gulf of California: Mexico's Rich Desert Coast, 2024


“My uniformly excellent experience with FG tours—this one was my 15th—was a primary reason I chose Field Guides for this tour. Also, I wanted to bird in Bolivia and was glad I chose this tour, as our guide Dan Lane showed us 500 bird species—and 169 of those were life birds. My overall tour experience was outstanding. Dan is a kind, broad-minded guide who makes certain that everyone sees each bird to their own satisfaction, and he is willing to wait a bit while pictures are taken. He is very easy to get along with and has a great sense of humor. I also particularly appreciated the efforts of our two drivers/local guides, Carlos and Victor. This and my other fourteen Field Guides tours are among the best of my 54 guided tours taken since 2012.” C.H., Bolivia's Avian Riches, 2024

Tours with openings through July
Each month we list in this section the Field Guides departures over the next six months that still have at least two spaces available (unless otherwise noted).

Our flagship Alaska: The Great Land

departures are just a little over four months away. This is the tour that visits Nome, Seward, the Pribilofs, and Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow), and all the scenery and excitement that comes with such visits to "The Last Frontier." We have plenty of space on one of our two departures this year (the other is fully booked), guided by Micah Riegner & Sam Wilson (May 31-Jun 16), which means there is still plenty of time for you to jump aboard. Maybe bring a friend along, too. We promise it will be a fantastic adventure!


For more information or to book a space, please contact our office.


SOUTH AMERICA


NORTH AMERICA


MIDDLE AMERICA & WEST INDIES


AFRICA


EUROPE


ASIA & AUSTRALASIA


To learn more about any of these tours or to hold a space, please contact our office.
Recently posted upcoming itineraries
Click on any image or link below to see the detailed itinerary for the following tours. All of these itineraries are packed with information (and have a few nice photos as well).

MAINE IN FALL: SEABIRDS & COASTAL MIGRANTS

September • Sam Wilson

BRAZIL'S MADEIRA & TAPAJOS: BETWEEN TWO GREAT RIVERS

July • Bret Whitney & Micah Riegner

SOUTH AFRICA

October • Tarry Butcher & Jesse Fagan

IQUITOS, PERU: CANOPY WALKWAYS & ANCIENT FORESTS

August • Micah Riegner

FALL FOR CAPE MAY I & II

September • Doug Gochfeld

Sep-Oct • Sam Wilson

BRAZIL: PARROTS & COTINGAS: THE MOUTH OF THE MIGHTY AMAZON

August • Marcelo Padua

SOUTH AFRICA: BIRDS, WINES & WILDFLOWERS

Aug-Sep • Marcelo Padua & Tarry Butcher

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Jul-Aug • Doug Gochfeld & Jesse Fagan

MOROCCO

September • Jay VanderGaast
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