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WildWings, 577 Fishponds Road, Fishponds, Bristol. BS16 3AF.UK
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We created travel and ornithological history again earlier this year with our hugely successful inaugural Western Pacific Odyssey voyage from New Zealand to Japan. The pioneering group saw most of the seabirds that we planned to see, along with a number of species we had only dreamt of seeing, and an excellent supporting cast of island endemics, crowned by the amazing Kagu. Some ‘mystery’ seabird and cetacean sightings will add years of exciting discoveries for future participants. A full report, systematic species list, photo CD and movie DVD are all available from us, with bookings being currently taken up until 2010.
The Pacific Ocean covers a third of the Earth’s surface and we hope to devise and operate other new exciting itineraries over the coming years in this region. In the Atlantic, this year’s Atlantic Odyssey again landed on Inaccessible Island, and enjoyed the diminutive endemic flightless rail. In 2009 we will offer two departures for the first time, one slightly shorter, terminating in South Africa. A number of our preferred ship operators to Antarctica and the Arctic have joined forces this year, and will come under one flag, continuing to allow us to offer the best voyages on the best ships for the independent traveller. Our experienced advice comes free with some of the UK’s lowest prices for Wildlife Cruises. We are also delighted to offer a new voyage sailing from Scotland to Iceland next spring, which offers an ideal introduction to this ultimate form of travel for those who wish to sample it, and from only £729 per person. An exciting potential selection of seabirds and cetaceans are on offer for the beginner, and the more experienced observer alike including, with luck, the UK’s current semi-resident Black-browed Albatross on the remote island of Sula Sgeir. Our North Atlantic Adventure can be found on page 25. Our choice of Spitsbergen and Greenland voyages continue to be second to none.
We have plenty of other exciting new bird-watching holidays in 2008, including the superb value Hungarian Bird Festival in May, a week from only £499 including return flights! Both Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Nordmann’s Greenshank are now sadly declining severely, join Mark Andrews on our new short break to Thailand to try and see these enigmatic waders, plus an optional extension to Southern Thailand for Gurney’s Pittas and other dry forest specialities. In the autumn Mark will also lead our first group to visit Beidaihe for the spectacular crane migration, (with seven species seen during the 2006 recce), plus many other Asian goodies. Tom Gullick has added a new variation of his Pyrenees trips with a day’s birding on the Ebro Delta and late in 2008, Dominic Mitchell co-leads our first tour to bird-rich Panama in Central America including a stay at the world-famous Canopy Tower.
All our favourites are on offer again for 2008, now including the second Eilat Spring Migration Festival, after the success of the first event in 2007. Our Kamchatka Expedition (June) and our Colorado Grouse Leks Tour (April) will both next operate in 2009 however, but bookings are already being taken now.
Demand for Keith and Linda’s Wild Insights tours remains intense, a summary of their UK programme is also shown in our brochure.
Richard Webb’s exploratory group to Chile in March came home with multiple views of Pumas (including kittens and adults watched hunting and catching hares), along with a long list of birds, marine mammals and other mammals. Our first full departure is on offer in March 2008, alongside our annual Brazil Jaguar tours later in the year.
WildOceans moves into it’s second decade with the addition of our new West Coast Cetaceans and Seabirds Extravaganza, a week of pelagics from Northern California in search of whales, dolphins , sea otters and Pacific seabirds. Our Bay of Biscay programme offers an ideal introduction to whale and dolphin watching, our leaders especially welcome beginners on these budget trips sailing directly from Portsmouth. If you prefer more warmth with your whales and dolphins join one of our magical Maldives cruises exploring the turquoise-sea atolls with Chas or join the ultimate whale and dolphin watching holiday, Baja California and The Sea of Cortez, pioneered by us back in 1997.
In amongst the excitement of all our new holidays and programmes, is the sadness of two long-serving staff members leaving us in recent months. Wendy Coe has gone into semi-retirement and is travelling the world, whilst Hilary Bond is retiring. We are sure our many customers who have been looking after by these special ladies in the past will join us in wishing them both the very best for the future.
We hope you will join us soon to explore our amazing natural world.
John Brodie-Good
