Greetings, birding friends. We hope you are finding ways to stay cool during what has been an oppressive spell of hot weather for many of us in recent days. A quick look at a weather map for the U.S. and it looks like late July or August—not June. It is almost time to fire up the grill for those burgers, hot dogs, grilled veggies, and yummy side dishes.

All the northbound migrants have finished up their journeys and are on to the business of making more birds, with a couple species even already heading south!

We have a group of tours wrapping up or in full swing about now—Alaska, Alberta, Borneo, Brazil, and Peru; and in a few days we'll see an additional Peru departure as well as others to Newfoundland & Nova Scotia and the Norwegian Arctic. Are you booked to head anywhere with us this year? If not, we've got a whole bunch of tours featured below that might interest you.

Starting off this email in the spirit of Independence Day is a section about our U.S. tours operating between now and year's end that have space available. We also have a short section featuring three wonderful South America tours in September. You'll find a couple bits about a few different types of island tours that offer something for every type of birder. Lastly, there's an exciting opportunity to build your own private tour to Namibia & Botswana this fall with native Namibian Tarry Butcher.

You'll once again find a couple new videos from recent tours to enjoy. And as always we have our regular sections: there are a dozen new triplists to check out, plus a dozen fresh itineraries for tours late this year and in 2025; we have a listing of all our tours with space through the end of the year; and our monthly Recent Photos Gallery with images from 11 countries on four continents.

The beautiful, sprawling landscape in the image above was captured by guide Jorge Montejo-Diaz in Veracruz, Mexico. Our Mexico: Veracruz River of Raptors tour spends ample time visiting a variety of habitats when not taking in the overhead spectacle of masses of migrating birds. You can join guides Doug Gochfeld and Jorge this year from October 7-17 and witness this truly phenomenal spectacle yourself.

Enjoy clicking your way through this emailing. We hope there's something that grabs your attention and also works with your schedule. If so, contact our office and we'll help you get on your way.

Our thanks to group member Hanna Zhao for this great shot below of a Golden-capped Parakeet, a Brazil endemic that we saw during our most recent Brazil: Bahia Birding Bonanza trip last February; you can join Marcelo Barreiros on our next departure coming up February 2-17.

With Independence Day just around the corner, we thought it might be a good time to have a look at our tours that are right here, in the good ol' US of A. Certainly many of you are familiar with our flagship tours—many of you have taken several of them! But aside from the heavyweights like Alaska, Arizona, and Texas, we have quite a few others that visit different corners of our magnificent country. We have tours to about a dozen states at various times of year, seeking specific experiences in each one. Also, we get to some spots in those "heavyweight" states that are a bit off the beaten path. Below is a list of our remaining domestic departures for 2024, each with at least two spaces available unless otherwise noted.

Arizona's unique geography and topography combine to create a mid-summer "season" that mimics spring. Moisture flows in from Mexico's west coast on prevailing winds, bringing afternoon rains that refresh a thirsty desert. The result is a beautiful wildflower bloom and the start of breeding season for some birds, such as Montezuma Quail and Botteri's and Cassin's sparrows. This time of year has also proven to be better than "normal" spring for Mexican vagrants. The photo above of birders looking toward the Chiricahuas is from one of our recent visits.

This is currently our only tour to California, from sea level to over 9000 feet. We start in the San Francisco Bay area—with a pelagic trip to the rich Pacific waters. We then bird our way across the Central Valley, working toward the Sierra. We finish in the sage desert of the Mono Valley. Triplists average more than 200 species, with California specialties like Yellow-billed Magpie, Tricolored Blackbird, Nuttall's Woodpecker, California Thrasher, and Mountain Quail, along with a whole bunch of seabirds and shorebirds.

Maine's shoreline is over 3500 miles long—yes, you read that right! The combination of peninsulas and islands gives Maine an abundance of coastal birding, all during a beautiful time of year to visit. We begin along the southern coast near Portland, then work our way to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. We schedule a pelagic on a large, fast, comfortable boat. Then it's all the way "down east" for a second boat trip into Passamaquoddy Bay, where beneath the wildlife we'll see the largest whirlpool in this hemisphere, known as the "Old Sow." We also spend a few days on fabled Monhegan Island (pictured), one of the best migrant hotspots in the Northeast. Aside from the fantastic wildlife, the cuisine is fresh, local, and fantastic!

Alaska's fall birding is legendary, from the Asian waifs seeking refuge on St. Paul Island to the Ross's Gulls at Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow). We've divided this adventure into two parts that can optionally combine for the whole package. Part One has us on St. Paul in the Pribilofs for six nights, where by day we will comb all of the migrant hotspots and spend time seawatching. We'll finish with a day around Anchorage, rounding up a few other Alaskan specialties. Part Two is focused on a few birds in the far north of Alaska, with the elegant Ross's Gull as the top target. A majority of the global population of these pinkish gulls flies past this remote outpost each fall, and we'll be there to try to see them. Other birds we look for include Spectacled, King, and Common eiders, Yellow-billed Loons, and Snowy Owl, and we always hope for Polar Bear.

Louisiana is home to Cajun country, one of the largest rice-growing regions in the country. The farms offer stopping points for many southbound and wintering birds, including rails. We time this long-weekend tour to coincide with the late rice harvest. As the combines collect the rice, the skulking birds flush, giving us opportunity to see them. Aside from the tour's marquee species—Yellow Rail—special denizens of the southeast, such as Bachman's Sparrow, Brown-headed Nuthatch, and Red-cockaded Woodpecker, are on the docket, plus other rails, shorebirds, and ducks.

Southern Arizona is a birdy place, no matter the season. Winter is an opportunity to scare up scarce residents, track down skulky wintering birds, and take in the spectacle of Sandhill Cranes. There is also the unexpected, such as unpredictable irruptions, Mexican vagrants, or lingering summer birds. This short trip takes a swing at all of Arizona's winter specialties.

Our U.S. tours are not confined to just fall and winter, of course. In the new year we set off to New Mexico in February, Hawaii in March, chase chickens in Colorado in April, and visit the Texas coast during migration, among several other destinations.

To sign up or for answers to any questions, please contact our office.

We know that some of you are able to travel on short notice. We've got three tours to wonderful destinations in South America in September—yep, less than three months away—for those of you who can swing it. Have a look, each has at least two spaces available:

Rio Negro Paradise: Manaus, Brazil — Brazil maestros Bret Whitney and Marcelo Barreiros (born and based in Brazil) join forces on for this primarily river-based cruise in Amazonia. Manaus is our hub for a two-week trip that treks through some of the world's finest forests, exploring from the canopy to the understory to the ant swarms. We'll be ready to see and hear everything we can. The Rio Negro is the one of the most under-appreciated jewels of Brazil, and of course we'll spend time on the mighty Amazon, too. Did we mention the boat? The Dorhina is known for its birding comfort: air-conditioned cabins, private bathrooms, and fine meals served on our schedule. September 10-25

Bolivia's Avian Riches — Come birding with Dan Lane, who knows Bolivia's birds about as well as anyone. As Dan notes: "If you’re interested in nature, (and birding in particular), you may be surprised to learn that Bolivia has a lot to offer! Field Guides has been guiding tours to Bolivia since the 1990s. While it may be overshadowed by its neighbors, Bolivia can handily hold its own in epic scenery and birdlife—and our Bolivia tour offers you both, as well as comfortable lodging and first-class service from our ground crew. Despite being landlocked, Bolivia has an impressive country list of over 1400 species." Dan has guided more than a dozen tours here, and any tour with Dan is one with an ornithologist at the forefront of the field. Dan is known for his remarkable ear, his knowledge of taxonomy, distribution, and natural history. He's also great at finding scarce birds like the Chestnut-crested Cotinga above. September 11-27

Safari Brazil: The Pantanal & More — Whenever our guide Marcelo Padua is asked to compare his native Brazil to other worldwide birding destinations, he always offers a thoughtful response but invariably ends with, "...but we have the Pantanal." That's what is known as having the deck stacked in your favor. This is the perfect tour for an introduction to birding in Brazil—including the fabulous and showy Toco Toucan below. We visit the Central Plateau, the magnificent Serra do Cipo and Serra do Caraça (two isolated mountain ranges), the Atlantic Forest, and, of course, the Pantanal, that vast ecoregion consisting of the world's largest tropical wetland area, and the world's largest flooded grasslands, among many other habitat types. Even if you've been to Brazil, this sampler tour is likely to produce many new birds that are restricted to the southwest or the Central Plateau. September 22-October 7

Please contact our office if you have any questions or would like to sign up!

What do Madagascar and Antarctica have in common? Well, at least one thing: we are going to both before year's end, and we'd love to entice you to join us. These two destinations occupy space on every world birder's bucket list, but they're easy to put off—far away, a bit tricky to get to, and let's face it, they're not cheap. But the reward is high, and the experience is once-in-a-lifetime.

Phil Gregory has been leading our Madagascar tours since 2010, and he'll be at the helm again on our departure this year, October 26-November 18. We extensively explore the accessible parts of Madagascar during our extended visit. Madagascar is known for its host of arresting lemurs (we include a special trip to see the bizarre and amazing Aye-aye), unique flora, lots of chameleons (and other odd herps), and many endemic birds, all amid a vibrant, fascinating, and colorful culture (as depicted in the photo above of a market taken on last year's tour). Take a look at our tour page and see what else Madagascar has to offer.

Chris Benesh is leading our Antarctica, South Georgia & The Falklands trip, which runs from December 3-26 this year. It's the preeminent seabird and wildlife adventure to a continent that seems otherworldly. No place on earth is similar, nor is any other birding experience. Our itinerary is ideal for birding, with planned landings at the endemic-rich Falklands, the South Orkneys, the Antarctic Peninsula, and spectacular South Georgia. We'll see penguins, albatrosses, petrels, prions, and many other seabirds, as well as a host of whales, seals, and dolphins.

Please contact our office if you have any questions or would like to sign up!

If an island getaway a little closer to home is more appealing, let us tempt you with these two beautiful, relaxing destinations, each departing before year's end.

We visit vibrant Jamaica a few times a year to take in its warm, laid back hospitality—as well as its 28 endemic species! There's Jamaican Tody, Jamaican Oriole, parrots, and others with great local names like "Doctor Bird" and "Mountain Witch." There's also plenty of sunshine and a unique cuisine packed with flavor. Our next departure is November 16-23, guided by Cory Gregory.

Trinidad & Tobago offer fewer endemics (there are only two), but these islands are a fantastic introductory sampling of some of South America's avian delights. The unforgettable sounds of bellbirds, the nearly magical antics of manakins, the bizarre Oilbird, and plenty of other species such as motmots, toucans, jacamars (such as the Rufous-tailed Jacamar pictured here), and antbirds...the list just keeps going! Aside from the birds, the newly (and beautifully!) renovated Asa Wright Nature Centre again offers some of the best lodging in the tropics, while preserving its status as a birdwatching paradise. You can join us on our next departure December 5-14, guided by Marcelo Barreiros.

Please contact our office if you have any questions or would like to sign up!

Every once in a while the stars align and we have a wide-open tour that is just a handful of months away. Such is the case with our late-October departure for Namibia & Botswana, with our guide and Namibia native Tarry Butcher. We travel from the Atlantic coast in Namibia to the riverine woodlands of Botswana, and finally to the expansive Okavango Delta itself. Namibia is home to many regionally endemic bird species shared only with southern Angola, as well as to other iconic African species. In Botswana, we’ll be able to enjoy the classic safari experience in the Okavango as we travel by 4X4 vehicles and a variety of watercraft. Birds such as Secretarybird, Hamerkop, Goliath Heron, Bateleur, hornbills, bustards, bee-eaters, oxpeckers, rollers, and many others await. And the big game? It's excellent, featuring Leopard, Lion, Hippo, African Elephant, Black Rhino, African Buffalo, and a couple of zebras.

If you’ve contemplated taking the whole family or friends on a once-in-a-lifetime African birding jaunt—guided by one of the region's best birding and nature guides—contact Sharon Mackie in our office to get the full details of this trip of a lifetime.

Our first video here is a five-minute highlights clip from our most recent Mexico: Enchanted Chiapas tour, guided by Micah Riegner & Jorge Montejo (and filmed by Micah). Our next departure is in November 2025, guided by Micah & Jorge. Click here or on the American Pygmy Kingfisher below to watch the video.

The second video is a super short clip taken by guide Phil Gregory of some bugling Red-crowned Cranes in the snow during our most recent Winter Japan: Dancing Cranes & Spectacular Sea-Eagles tour, (viewed by clicking here or on the cranes). This is an annual tour for us and, as the name suggests, it is rather spectacular! Our next departures are in January 2025, and then again in 2026. To learn more about either of the above tours, or to hold a space, please contact our office.

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

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.

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 Chile: The Classic Tour travels from the Peruvian border to the southern tip of South America, and from the Andes to the sea. The scenery is unparalleled, the birding chock full of South American specialties and a smattering of Chilean endemics, and the country itself is comfortable, safe, and clean. The capital, Santiago, has been called the most attractive city in South America. There's a very birdy pelagic trip included, too. Willy Perez will again be at the reins—as he has been since 2015. The tour dates are November 15-December 5. Thanks to participant Don Burlett for the great photo of an Inca Tern from a recent tour. For more information or to book a space, please contact our office.

NORTH AMERICA

To learn more about any of these tours or to claim a space, please contact our office.