Latest News -

Snow Leopard Tour Report from our amazingly successful Private Feb Tour now added including some fab videos.
We still have some places for next year. Have a look at the report HERE

JULY 2024: Wow Alaska!
We have just returned from a fantastic tour to Alaska and it is certainly one that we very much look forward to running again and again! Quite simply, a huge unspoiled wilderness packed full of top quality birds and mammals that needs to be on everyone’s bucket list! Just some of the highlights included Spectacled Eider, Steller’s Eider and King Eider, Bristle-thighed Curlew, Emperor Goose, Aleutian Tern, no less than 11 species of Alcid, including Tufted and Horned Puffins, Kittlitz’s, Marbled and Ancient Murrelet, Parakeet Auklet and Brunnich’s Guillemot. Plus fabulous breeding plumaged waders including Red and Red-necked Phalaropes, Pectoral Sandpiper, American and Pacific Golden Plovers, Western Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, wonderful views of both Long-tailed and Pomarine Skuas on the breeding ground, all 5 species of Diver, Gyr Falcon feeding young on the nest, Emperor Goose, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Spruce Grouse and Boreal Chickadee, Varied Thrush, Pine Grosbeak and so the list goes on! These are literally just some of the amazing highlights on this fantastic tour.
Then of course there were the 23 species of mammals including Black, Brown and Polar Bears, Canada Lynx, Wolf, Killer Whale, Dall’s Porpoise, Moose, Muskox and more! A special thanks must go to our brilliant local guides (Aaron 1 and 2 😃) and fabulous ground agents too!

Join us in 2025 as places are filling up!
www.wisebirding.co.uk/alaska-2025-arctic-birding-in-nome-kenai-fjords-and-barrow

Tufted Puffin, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Marbled Murrelet, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Kittlitz’s Murrelet, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Parakeet Auklet, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Ancient Murrelets, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Tufted Puffins, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Horned Puffin, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Tufted Puffins, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Brunnich’s and Common Guillemots, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

“Red” Phalarope, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Red-necked Phalarope, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Drake Long-tailed Duck, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Steller’s Eider, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Spectacled Eiders, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

King Eiders, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Drake Harlequin Duck, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Greater & Lesser Scaup, Barrow’s Goldeneye and Redhead, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

American Golden Plover, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Pacific Golden Plover, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Pectoral Sandpiper, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Aleutian Tern, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Pomarine Skua, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Long-tailed Skua, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Red-necked Stint, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Semi-palmated Sandpiper, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Bristle-thighed Curlew, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Red-faced Cormorant, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Varied Thrush, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Lapland Bunting, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Lapland Bunting, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Red-necked Grebe, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Trumpeter Swans, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Emperor Goose with Black Brants, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Glaucous Gull, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Red Phalaropes and Sabine’s Gull, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Cliff Swallow, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Townsend’s Warbler, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Snow Bunting, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Orange-crowned Warbler, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Blackpoll Warbler, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Northern Hawk Owl, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

North-Western Fjord, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Orcas, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Brown Bear, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Polar Bear, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Black Bear, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Moose, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Muskox, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Brown Bear, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Brown Bear “stand-off”, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

Group enjoying views of Spruce Grouse, Alaska June 2024 by Chris Townend

MAY 2024
We have just returned from a wonderful 4 night break to Abruzzo National Park in Italy where we had fabulous views of three different bears and five different Wolves! Of course we also enjoyed plenty of birds including Collared Flycatcher, Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Eastern Subalpine Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Rock Bunting, Golden Eagle, Short-toed Eagle and many more. Just a few photo highlights below and all this great wildlife is just 3 hrs drive from Rome!   Following this tour we will be donating £300 to our friends at Save the Marsican Bear
Join us in May 2025

Fabulous Abruzzo Landscape by Chris Townend

Marsican Brown Bear 17th May 2024 by Chris Townend

Male Red-backed Shrike, Abruzzo NP by Chris Townend

Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Abruzzo NP by Chris Townend

Marsican Brown Bears, Abruzzo NP by Chris Townend

Pescasseroli, Abruzzo NP by Chris Townend

Male Collared Flycatcher, Abruzzo NP by Chris Townend

Wood Warbler, Abruzzo NP by Chris Townend

Barrea Lake, Abruzzo NP by Chris Townend

Apennine Wolves, Abruzzo NP by Chris Townend

Apennine Wolves, Abruzzo NP by Chris Townend

Gioia Vecchio Sunset by Chris Townend

Our Senegal Birding Trip Report from January 2024 is now online here: trip-reports

MARCH 2024
A few highlights from our 2nd consecutive winter tour to Mongolia to see Snow Leopards – It certainly did not disappoint!
Join us in Feb 2025- Last places!

Argali, Mongolia Feb 2024 by Chris Townend

Brown Accentor, Mongolia Feb 2024 by Chris Townend

Bearded Vulture, Mongolia Feb 2024 by Chris Townend

Golden Eagle, Mongolia Feb 2024 by Chris Townend

Bearded Vulture, Mongolia Feb 2024 by Chris Townend

Upland Buzzard, Mongolia Feb 2024 by Chris Townend

Wapiti, Mongolia Feb 2024 by Chris Townend

Mongolian Gazelle, Mongolia Feb 2024 by Chris Townend

Siberian Ibex, Mongolia Feb 2024 by Chris Townend

Snow Leopard and Brown Accentor, Mongolia Feb 2024 by Chris Townend

Bohemian Waxwing, Mongolia Feb 2024 by Chris Townend

Pine Grosbeak, Mongolia Feb 2024 by Chris Townend

Grey-headed Woodpecker, Mongolia Feb 2024 by Chris Townend

White-throated Dipper, Mongolia Feb 2024 by Chris Townend

MARCH 2024
Our Oman Birding trip report and Estonia Lynx Quest trip report, both from November 2023, have just been added to our website: www.wisebirding.co.uk/trip-reports/

Desert Owl by tour participant John Bruce

JANUARY 2024
Another successful tour to Senegal has just returned and it is a country that has become a real favourite for us! We enjoyed great views of all the Sahel specialties as well as a great selection of other West African species. Highlights were many and it was a tough call for bird of the trip between the day roosting Golden Nightjar or the incredible views of Quail-Plover and then of course there were the 5,000 roosting Scissor-tailed Kites and the White-crested Tiger Heron! The memories were special for sure and we of course enjoyed great views of many other species such as Arabian Bustard, Savile’s Bustard, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Little Grey Woodpecker, Sennar Penduline Tit, Allen’s Gallinule, Atlas Wheatear, Horus Swift and much more. We also enjoyed a good selection of mammals that included African Golden Wolf, African Wildcat, Pale Fox and Marsh Mongoose.
Come and join us in 2025 for a great short winter birding break with great hotels, great food and wonderful people.

Golden Nightjar by Chris Townend

Horus Swift by Chris Townend

Scissor-tailed Kite by Chris Townend

Savile’s Bustard by Chris Townend

Chestnut-beliied Sandgrouse by Chris Townend

White-crested Tiger Heron by Chris Townend

Quail-Plover by Chris Townend

Sahel Paradise Whydah by Chris Townend

Golden Nightjar by Chris Townend

Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture by Chris Townend

Allen’s Gallinule by Chris Townend

African Golden Wolf by Chris Townend

DECEMBER 2023
We have now uploaded our Brazil Mostly Mammals Tour to Emas National Park and South Pantanal – Visit the Trip Reports header link.

Ocelot, South Pantanal by Chris Townend

DECEMBER 2023

Our first tour to Oman was led by Wise Birding leader Dave Astins and was a great success with 226 species of bird recorded.
Highlights included Omani Owl, Desert Owl, Arabian Eagle Owl, Sociable Lapwing, Crab Plover, Hypocolius, Arabian Grosbeak, Jouanin’s Petrel, Masked Booby, Forest Wagtail, Dideric Cuckoo, Asian Desert Warbler, Yemen Serin and much more! Below are just a few of the tour highlights.

Abdim’s Stork by Dave Astins

Red-billed Tropicbird by John Bruce

Masked Booby by Dave Astins

Forest Wagtail by Dave Astins

Dideric Cuckoo by Dave Astins

Jouanin’s Petrel by Dave Astins

Desert Owl by John Bruce

Asian Desert Warbler by Dave Astins

Arabian Bee-Eater by Dave Astins

NOVEMBER 2023

Belated photo highlights from our Mostly Mammals tour of Brazil’s Emas National Park and Southern Pantanal where we recorded 28 mammals and a great selection of birds. Highlights included no less than 8 separate Maned Wolf encounters including animals during daylight hours, 2 Ocelots, 2 Jaguars, 13 Giant Anteaters, 2 Southern Tamanduas as well as Tapirs, Neotropical and Giant Otter, Yellow and Nine-banded Armadillos and many more!
Bird highlights included the range restricted White-winged Nightjar and Blaze-winged Parakeet.

We are running this tour again in July next year with an amended itinerary and price to that currently online.
Please email us for details as last places available.

Maned Wolf, Emas NP by Chris Townend

Maned Wolf, Emas NP by Chris Townend

Lowland Tapir, Emas NP by Chris Townend

Toco Toucan, Southern Pantanal by Chris Townend

Blue-and-Yellow Macaw, Emas NP by Chris Townend

Nine-banded Armadillo, Southern Pantanal by Chris Townend

Yellow Armadillo, Southern Pantanal by Chris Townend

Giant Anteater, Southern Pantanal by Chris Townend

Southern Tamandua, Southern Pantanal by Chris Townend

Giant Anteater, Southern Pantanal by Chris Townend

Southern Tamandua, Southern Pantanal by Chris Townend

Striped Owl, Southern Pantanal by Chris Townend

Black-banded Owl, Emas NP by Chris Townend

Red-legged Seriemas, Southern Pantanal by Chris Townend

Maned Wolf, Emas NP by Chris Townend

Maned Wolf, Emas NP by Chris Townend

Ocelot, Southern Pantanal by Chris Townend

Jaguar, Southern Pantanal by Chris Townend

Ocelot, Southern Pantanal by Chris Townend

Band-tailed Manakin, Southern Pantanal by Chris Townend

Blaze-winged Parakeet, Southern Pantanal by Chris Townend

Collared Peccaries, Southern Pantanal by Chris Townend

Southern Pantanal on the River Aquidauana by Chris Townend

SEPTEMBER 2023

We have been busy adding some new trip reports to the website.

Hooded Warbler by Dave Astins

UGANDA MARCH 2023: African Golden Cat Quest!
GEORGIA & ARMENIA APRIL 2023: Birding the Caucasus
CANADA MAY 2023: Point Pelee & Long Point Migration

AUGUST 2023
Photo highlights from our recent Mostly Mammals tour to Emas NP and the Southern Pantanal in Brazil will be posted in the coming days….

Maned Wolf, Emas NP Brazil July 2023

MAY 2023
We have just returned from another fabulous trip to Georgia and Armenia on our very popular “Birding the Caucasus” tour where once again we enjoyed fabulous scenery, amazing food, great accommodation and fantastic birds!
These two countries are simply packed full of birds and always in a stunning landscape!. We recorded 221 species and even managed to see three Brown Bears too! Highlights were many but included many memorable sightings in the mountains with Guldenstadt’s Redstarts, Great Rosefinch and all three Grouse/Snowcocks with great views of Caucasian and Caspian Snowcock and Caucasian Grouse. Other fabulous birds seen very well included Levant Sparrowhawk, Radde’s Accentor, White-winged Snowfinch, Red-tailed Wheatear and Finsch’s Wheatear, Grey-necked Bunting, Menetrie’s Warbler, White-throated Robin, Western and Eastern Rock Nuthatches, Calandra and Bimaculated Lark, Green Warbler, Semicollared Flycatcher and much much more! We will be running this tour again in April 2024.

Wild Tulips in the Yeghegnadzor Mountains of Armenia by Chris Townend

Male White-throated Robin by Chris Townend

Male Great Rosefinch in Kazbegi by Chris Townend

Male Guldenstadt’s Redstart in Kazbegi by Chris Townend

The Gergetti Monastery in Kazbegi by Chris Townend

A pair of Caucasian Snowcocks in the Kazbegi Mountains of Georgia by Chris Townend

Caucasian Snowcock in the Kazbegi Mountains by Chris Townend

Caspian Snowcock in the Yeghegnadzor Mountain of Armenia by Chris Townend

European Honey Buzzard by Chris Townend

Blue-cheeked Bee-Eater at Armash Fishponds IBA by Chris Townend

Savi’s Warbler at Armash Fishponds IBA by Chris Townend

Paddyfield Warbler at Armash Fishponds IBA by Chris Townend

Male Levant Sparrowhawk, Georgia by Chris Townend

Male Semicollared Flycatcher in the Dilijan Forest, Armenia by Chris Townend

Green Warbler in the Dilijan Forest, Armenia by Chris Townend

Red-fronted Serin at Noravank by Chris Townend

White-winged Snowfinch in Armenia by Chris Townend

Radde’s Accentor in Armenia by Chris Townend

Rosy Starlings in Armenia by Chris Townend

White-tailed Lapwing at Armash Fishponds IBA by Chris Townend

White-winged Terns at Lake Sevan in Armenia by Chris Townend

APRIL 2023
Since our last update, we have been away in Uganda on our Golden Cat Quest. This was our second tour focused on looking for this very difficult cat species and we came incredibly close. In fact, we sent one of our clients on a private tour with our ground agent and they saw an animal at 5 metres range for over a minute, just a few days before we arrived!!
We have no doubt that our persistence will pay off eventually. However, the beauty of this tour is that whilst being focused on the cat, we are still seeing a fabulous selection of other mammals and birds, so even without a sighting of Golden Cat this tour has so much to offer. Despite no Golden Cat, this year’s tour was greatly enjoyed by everyone for the sheer diversity of mammals seen, as well as some great birds.

Below are just some of the highlights from the tour which included great views of Serval, Lion, Spotted-necked Otter, White-bellied Pangolin, Eastern Gorilla, Chimpanzee, L’Hoest’s Monkey, Blue Monkey, Mantled Guereza, Ugandan Crested Mangabey, East African Potto, Giant Forest Hog, East African Potto, 4 species of Galago, Lord Derby’s Anomalure and much more! Of course we also saw plenty of birds including the mighty Shoebill, Great Blue Turaco, Papyrus Gonolek and White-spotted Flufftail to name just a few. We are running this tour again in 2024 and gaining invaluable knowledge from our trail cameras, but spaces are limited so please do email if interested.