Cygnus Birding Holidays 2008

January 10^th – January 24^th ~ Birding in the South American Gateway – Trinidad & Tobago

This is the perfect trip to banish those winter blues and soak up some wonderful birds in beautiful tropical surroundings.  Scarlet Ibis, Potoo, Oilbird and a whole range of forest and swamp birds can be seen alongside a variety of parrots, humming birds and honeycreepers.  This trip is a wonderful introduction to the birds of South America or a great opportunity to escape the winter weather with fantastic birds in tropical surroundings.

Price £1495 (excluding flights)

March 14^th – March 24^th ~ Birding in Cuba

This is an amazing country for bird watching with a rich blend of endemic Cuban and West Indian specialities such as the beautiful Cuban Parrot and the Bee Hummingbird (the world’s smallest bird), as well as Cuban Trogan and Cuban Todo.  Our hotel is situated on the Bay of Pigs which allows us to explore the tidal areas, the Zapata swamp and limestone forests.  This is a superb destination both for bird species and stunning scenery and, as Cuba is also a wintering area for New World species such as American Redstart, Ovenbird and many warblers, who knows what may turn up?

Price £1250 (excluding flights)

April 7^th – April 15^th ~ Early Spring in Extremadura, Spain

Spring in Extremadura offers a truly wonderful experience whatever your level of interest.  Watching Great Bustards at their leks doing their ‘pom-pom’ display really is a special and unique experience.  Bee-eaters, Rollers, Azure-winged Magpie and several species of Lark are a few of the spectacular birds that attract a wide range of bird watchers.  As Europe comes alive, this area of Spain is a great place to watch birds at this time of year.

Price £750

April 16^th – April 25^th ~ Spring in Extremadura, Spain

Most of the migrants have returned to their breeding grounds here and territorial song is at its peak.  Up to 12 species of raptor can be seen, including Spanish Imperial Eagle and Black Vulture, whilst the plains, dehesa and rice fields all offer speciality species including Purple Swamphen, Collared Pratincole and Black-bellied Sandgrouse.  Add to this that many of Northern Europe’s birds are now passing through and literally anything could turn up.  This trip is our most popular in springtime producing species lists of 130+

Price £850

April 27^th – May 3^rd ~ Scottish Highland birding at its best

Our most popular UK destination and well worthy of the title.  Visiting the Scottish Highlands is special at anytime however spring gives us the opportunity to see Capercaillie lekking, breeding Ospreys, divers and Scottish Crossbill.  There is also a chance to visit the Cairngorms where we hope to find Ring Ouzel, Ptarmigan and even Dotterel.

Price £495

May 6^th – May 10^th ~ Norfolk – England’s premier bird watching site

Norfolk is renowned for being a superb location for both breeding and migrating birds.  Golden Oriole, Stone Curlew, Montague’s Harrier and Bearded Tit all breed in the area and there is a chance of rare migrants such as warblers, wheatears and waders from Northern and Central Europe.  This holiday includes visits to some of the famous major reserves in this area.

Price £395

May 10^th – May 20^th ~ Montfrague, the Gredos Mountains and Southern Extremadura, Spain

Based initially north of Montfrague, this is the perfect place to get to the mountains and the National Park, two superb sites both noted for their excellent birding.  Montfrague is raptor heaven and the Gredos Mountains are the only place in Extremadura to catch up with higher altitude birds such as Citril Finch and Alpine Accentor.  Moving our base to south of Trujillo, offers the chance to catch up with Bustards, Sandgrouse, White-rumped Swift and other iconic Spanish species.  This is a truly excellent holiday combination.

Price £1100

May 16th -18th ~ Birds of Heath, Wood and Water.

Based  at Castle Head, in the North-West of England.

The aim of this short course is to enhance the birdwatching skills of the participant, whether beginner or more experienced, there will be something for everyone.

The course centres on two different habitats, heath land, waterways  and marshes in the local area.  The varied habitats will allow us to see the maximum number of birds in those areas over the course period.  Peregrine, birds of prey,  Avocet and waders will be our targets.

May 24^th – June 1^st ~ Poland – a woodpecker spectacular

This birding holiday offers the chance to see an excellent range of woodpeckers around the Bialowieza Forest, including Three-toed, Middle-spotted, White-backed and Black Woodpeckers.  We will also visit the Biebrza marshes for a wide range of birds including White-winged Tern, River Warbler, Penduline Tit and Bluethroat.  If you add to this list Great and Lesser Spotted Eagle, Thrush Nightingale, Red-breasted and Collared Flycatchers, you can see why Poland is the popular choice for those wanting to see excellent birds in superb surroundings. Flights are NOT included.

Price £695

June 3^rd – June 14^th ~ Birding in Berdun & Belchite, Northern Spain

As summer reaches the Pyrenees, the birds are actively feeding their young and Wallcreeper, Alpine Chough, Lammergier and Dupont’s Lark are all target species on this fantastic trip.  The mix of habitat increases the number of birds recorded and gives us the chance to see some of Spain’s most iconic species in one trip.  River walks, mountain scenery and traditional Spanish villages give this holiday a magical feel, seeing the birds here just adds to the magic.

Price £900

June 20^th – June 24^th ~ Birds of Southern Finland

This break offers you the chance to visit this wild and wonderful country to see Scandinavian species such as White-backed Woodpecker, Siberian Jay, Nutcracker and Icterine Warbler.  Finland is also a great location for many owl species including Eagle Owl, Great Grey Owl and Hawk Owl.  We will visit the coast and the Central Lakes of Finland and also the vast woodland areas to increase the variety of species.

Price £550

June 24^th – June 29^th ~ Birds of Northern Finland

A range of owls and raptors complement the many waders and specialities such as Grosbeak and Nutcrackers around Olou and the Arctic Circle.  Waders will include Temmink’s Stint and summer plumaged birds that we would usually only expect to see in the UK during winter.  Woodland birds would include Common Rosefinch and Brambling as well as Waxwings, Fieldfare and Redwings.  This trip gives an opportunity to bird watch for extended periods due to the almost 24hour daylight availability at this time of year.

Price £550

Or why not combine both of these trips to Finland for the discounted price of £999

September 5th- 7th. ~ Estuary Birds of Morecambe Bay.    Based at Castle Head Centre, North-West England.

Waders returning from Northern breeding grounds can be fascinating to watch, they can also be problematical too. This is a chance to watch birds and behaviour and be more confident in identifying the many birds in the area. Morecombe Bay offers the birdwatcher a chance to see birds in close proximity which helps to see the sometimes subtle differences in plumage. 

We will visit Walney Island to see high tide roosts and the possibility of some early arrivals of divers off shore. The area around Silverdale is excellent for looking at marsh waders such as Black Tailed Godwits and Redshank. Wildfowl is evident at both sites and we will be taking the chance to look at them in closer detail. As with all aspects of birding you never know what else will turn up in autumn.

September 5^th – September 11^th ~ Return migration in Southern Spain

This is an opportunity to see migrating birds on their return to their wintering grounds in Africa.  As the birds are so numerous over the narrow stretch of water that separates Europe from Africa, the best way to see them is by lying down!  This is a superb chance to see raptor migration and improve your identification skills.  White and Black Storks are also numerous and add to the spectacle whilst other birds can be easily observed as they feed up on seeds and insects before continuing their southerly journey.

Price £695

September 12^th – September 16^th ~ Waders and Seabirds of Hartlepool and Tees Bay

Based close to the coast, this holiday offers an excellent opportunity to find migrant waders on the east coast as they stop off on their journey south along the eastern seaboard.  Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper and the chance of a rarity or two, along with Skuas, Shearwaters and vagrant gulls which have all been recorded on this trip previously.  The holiday includes a half day boat trip with a great opportunity to get close-up views of the seabirds in this area.

Price £395

September 19^th – September 23^rd ~ Migration time in Norfolk

Norfolk is noted for its attraction for tired migrant birds and the regular occurrence of the scarce and rare birds during the autumn migration period.  September is when the main influx of birds arrive and we will be there to witness the spectacle.  As with any migrant holiday, it can be ‘hit or miss’ however there is rarely a miss in Norfolk! Such birds as Desert Wheatear, Pallas’s, Greenish and Arctic Warblers have all been recorded in recent years during this time.

Price £415

October 17^th – 22^nd Cornwall Migrants

October is a time of strong winds and with them come migrants from Central and Southern Europe and possibly even North America.  As a result, literally anything can turn up, from Red-flanked Bluetail to Bonelli’s Warbler, and from Amarican Black Duck to Great Shearwater.  We have extensive local knowledge of this area including some of the lesser known hot-spots which allows us to increase the number of species for this trip.

Price £395

October 24^th – October 30^th More Cornwall Migrants

The later in the month, the rarer the migrants tend to be which is why we have added a second week in Cornwall.  We do not have a set itinerary for this trip allowing us to respond to any news of rarities in the area.  This week tends to be the best for turning up American birds such as Vireos, thrushes and warblers.

Price £425

Why not combine both of the above trips giving you an even greater opportunity of catching the rarities for £749

December 29^th – January 3^rd, 2009 ~ New Year in the Scottish Highlands

A chance to catch up on those missing birds for your year list and get the 1^st on your list for 2009 as well as enjoying Scottish hospitality as only the Highlanders can offer.  Ptarmigan, Capercaillie, Golden Eagle, three species of Crossbill and Crested Tit are our target birds and Rough-legged Buzzard has also been recorded in the local valley on a previous trip.

Price £595 (including 5 course dinner on New Year’s Eve)