AA Bird Photography/Alan & Ann Tate/Bird photography worldwide

TRIP REPORTS For some time I have produced reports on expedition cruises to allow people to get a flavour of the trip. Now I am organising more trips myself I have added most of our recent travels, and even a couple of organised tours that I've been on recently. The reports are intended to make interesting reading and to see what others can experience, and hopefully will be readable even if you have no intention of visiting the countries. I have not included lists of birds seen, since my target species will invariably differ from yours and we all have a different focus when travelling. If you want a trip list please feel free to e-mail, similarly if you want to know anything about the logistics of visiting a particular area.
	SRI LANKA NOVEMBER 2023 COMING SOON A trip with Rockjumper which got us all the endemics, plus three wader ticks and good views of no less than six owls at daytime roosts. A really well organised tour ensuring that everyone got to see everything they wanted, plus the co-leader was an old friend of mine which made it all the more enjoyable. It's great to occasionally not have to worry about anything at all.	KAZAKHSTAN JUNE 2023 Since Mike can no longer accompany me, and Ann is restricted by her arthritis, I have started to join more organised tours. I don't normally do reports for these, but I had visited Kazakhstan thirty years ago so the comparisons were interesting. Numbers were down, but we still recorded the same species in the areas that I revisited.
	ARIZONA, COLORADO, & CALIFORNIA APRIL 2022 A trip with Mike primarily to Arizona, incorporating visits to California and Colorado for specific target species. Delayed several times because of Covid, Arizona in spring was the main focus, like Texas there are a number of specialities not seen elsewhere in the USA.	BERMUDA NOVEMBER 2022 Another trip, another petrel. I joined one of Bob Flood's trips to see Bermuda Petrels, and visit Nonsuch Island to observe and understand the efforts to boost the population. An unexpected bonus was wintering North American species, resulting in a bird I had always wanted to see.
	ARMENIA MAY 2019 A fortnight in Armenia to see some Western Palearctic specialities, and photograph several which are difficult to see in other countries. We saw everything we expected, but a bonus was a site where we observed twelve species of raptor in just over an hour, some less than forty feet above us!	MAURITIUS & REUNION SEPTEMBER 2018 I had long wanted to see and photograph Barau's Petrel, and the availability of package holidays to Mauritius provided the opportunity, together with several island endemics.
	MAGEE, PELEE and TAWAS MAY 2018 A trip to the Lake Erie area, including Point Pelee, Magee Marsh and Tawas Point. Using the numerous organised tours routes, we added a little in terms of time and sites visited. A superb area, it's not just about American warblers, although thirty plus species provide the greatest interest.	CALIFORNIA, ARIZONA & TEXAS MARCH 2018 Using up some holiday, we decided on a trip to three states in the USA to target certain species, although Texas was the main objective. Due to the time of year it wasn't the most succesful of trips, but the prime objective was Texas and we did see all the Texas specialities as well as a rarity from over the border.
	NORTH CAROLINA & GULF STREAM PELAGIC MAY 2017 A trip to an otherwise little-visited state of the USA, made famous by Brian Patterson's pelagic trips into the Gulf Stream, where Black-capped Petrel and Audubon's Shearwater are almost guaranteed.	EXTREMADURA & HECHO VALLEY MARCH 2017 A short break in March, not to "clean up" but to spend a relaxing trip seeking out specialities such as Bustards and Spanish Imperial Eagle, plus several other raptors.
	UGANDA SEPTEMBER 2016 A recent trip to Uganda in search of shoebill and several wader species, our own itinerary using the services of a guide who booked accomodation and accompanied us throughout. A very succesful trip with a good range of both birds and mammals.	DUBAI OCTOBER 2016 A day spent in Dubai as a stopover on the way home from Uganda, primarily to finally see Crab-plover. Using the services of an English guide living locally we not only saw the Crab-plovers but several other interesting species.
	MADEIRA MAY 2016 A recent set of three back-to-back pelagics in search of the two rare Pterodromas that breed in the Madeiran archipelago, and more besides. Long thought to be indistinguishable in the field, Fea's and Zino's Petrels can now be viewed at close range (if you're lucky), when many birds can be identified to species. If you're thinking of doing a short trip in the Western Palearctic, then read on.	A CRUISE ROUND SOUTH AMERICA FEBRUARY 2015 The Humboldt Current is one of the best areas for seabirds in the world, but difficult to access. We decided to try a commercial cruise ship, this was successful far beyond our expectations, and we recorded over one hundred species of seabird if you include gulls and terns.
	BAJA CALIFORNIA WHALEWATCHING APRIL 2008 A primarily cetacean trip, although numbers of seabirds may be seen, and landbirds also, including a few endemics. Not really for hardcore birders since most species can be seen elsewhere, but the best area in the world for close sightings and variety of cetaceans.	SOUTH WEST PACIFIC ODYSSEY APRIL 2007 A Wildwings trip launched in 2007, the itinerary has changed slightly over the years. A bit specialised, but many seabirds otherwise difficult to catch up with, many island endemics, and the famous Kagu. Visited Norfolk Island, New Caledonia, part of the Solomons and Carolines, plus a circumnavigation of Torishima for Short-tailed Albatross before docking in Southern Japan.
	THE ATLANTIC ODYSSEY MARCH 2005 The famous Wildwings inspired trip from Tierra del Fuego, via the Antarctic Peninsular back to the North Atlantic. Visits South Georgia, Gough, Tristan da Cunha, St. Helena and Ascension Island, plus Cape Verde as an option. A wealth of seabirds and endemics, probably the biggest seabird list obtainable on one voyage.	SUBANTARTIC ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2003 From the tip of South Island, covering Snares, Bounties, Auckland, Campbell, and Macquarie, returning via the Chatham Islands. Endemic Penguins, Shags, and many Albatrosses and other tubenoses, plus a couple of endemic waders.

TRIP REPORTS