Loading search...
News in Brief: Iceland, Indonesia, USA & Hampshire
September 2024
‘The two back-to-back tours in mid-September brought a mix of mostly pleasant weather with occasional fierce winds, but the clear skies provided the perfect backdrop for some of Iceland's most awe-inspiring spectacles’ writes tour leader Dave Jackson. ‘Both groups were fortunate enough to witness nature at its finest, with spectacular displays of the Northern Lights dancing across the night sky, vibrant rainbows arching over cascading waterfalls, and the stunningly vivid blues of the Jökulsárlón Lagoon and Vatnajökull Glacier. The beauty of Iceland truly reveals itself in the changing light and weather conditions, and we experienced this first-hand on our journey through southern Iceland.
The tours began with a visit to the iconic Golden Circle, where we explored three of Iceland’s most famous landmarks: Gullfoss Waterfall, the geothermal wonder of Geysir, and Þingvellir National Park. Walking between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates at Þingvellir was a surreal experience, knowing we were straddling two continents at once. Some members of the group joined a guided walk with a local expert, who brought the history and geology of this UNESCO World Heritage Site to life.
Both groups were treated to unforgettable whale-watching excursions. The serene beauty of Iceland’s waters was punctuated by the appearance of marine giants. Minke Whales and White-beaked Dolphins graced us with their presence during the first week, while the second group experienced prolonged, close-up views of a Humpback Whale known locally as Davy Jones, recognised by its distinctive dorsal fin.
It had been a cold breeding season in Iceland, and birdlife was scarcer than usual, but we were able to observe flocks of geese migrating from their northern breeding grounds, accompanied by waders like Purple Sandpiper, Golden Plover, and Dunlin. At our final hotel, located by a tranquil lake, we awoke to the calls of Whooper Swans and the eerie and haunting calls of Great Northern Divers echoing across the lake as the sun rose.
Iceland’s natural beauty is both humbling and exhilarating, from the awe-inspiring glaciers and lagoons to the rich wildlife that inhabits its shores. Despite the wind and chill, the landscape, wildlife, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences made this a holiday to remember.’
September 2024
‘Coming face to face with over 3 metres of large, muscled lizard walking towards you, tongue flicking, was a dream come true for many of the group on our Bali to Komodo tour, as we found Komodo Dragons on both Rinca and Komodo Islands’ writes tour leader Alison Steel. ‘Starting from Bali, we travelled north through the Lombok Strait, cruised along the north shores of Lombok, Sumbawa and into Komodo National Park, stopping off for snorkelling excursions, including a morning snorkel with Whale Sharks, and finding many reef fish and creatures, such as turtles and sharks. On several occasions we encountered large groups of dolphins, including Spinner, Pan-tropical Spotted, Indo-pacific Bottlenose and Frasers, along with Melon-headed Whale and some unidentified beaked whale species. There was also a supporting cast of birds, from seabirds to island endemics. One morning we had three White-bellied Sea Eagles swooping down to grab fish that had been chased to the surface by some dolphins.
Following on from the main cruise, some of the group visited Bali Barat National Park, in the north-west of the island, for a combination of birdwatching, snorkelling and relaxation. We were able to track down Bali and Black-winged Mynas, Javan Banded Pitta, Small Minivet, and not forgetting the families of Long-tailed Macaques and endearing Black Giant Squirrels.’
September 2024
‘With outstanding wildlife and scenery for as far as the eye could see, what more could you wish for from a trip to Yellowstone?’ writes Operations Consultant, George Nicholson, who joined the group this September. ‘With warm, dry weather throughout much of our time in the world’s first national park, we achieved fantastic sightings of all the park’s top mammals, including Bison, Black and Brown Bears, Moose, Elk, Coyote, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Pika, Pronghorn and Wolf!
The trip commenced in Jackson, where the southernmost expanse of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is preserved through the Grand Teton National Park – a wilderness area encompassing sagebrush flats and woody marsh, nestled between the peaks of the spectacular Grand Teton range. Here would present our best chances of Shiras Moose, also known as ‘Yellowstone Moose’, and luckily for us, five different individuals were enjoyed on our very first day! Mountain Bluebird, Ruffed Grouse, Downy Woodpecker, and Sandhill Crane were also enjoyed, plus unexpected highlights of close-feeding Osprey, American Kestrel and our first Bald Eagle! From West Yellowstone, aspens gave way to mixed coniferous woodlands of pine, spruce and fir, and the smell of sulphur began to impede our noses – we had entered the geyser basin! Bubbling mud pots, steaming hot springs and gaseous fumaroles seemingly dotted the landscape, broken up by grazing Bison. It was here we found our first predators of the tour, as we watched Coyotes feeding at dawn and Grizzly Bear mothers, with cubs in tow! Further north in the Lamar Valley, the superb knowledge of local naturalists, Jesse and Jen, shone, and thorough exploration of the landscape rewarded us with fantastic sightings of Grey Wolf, bugling Rocky Mountain Elk, herds of Pronghorn, and a sleeping Black Bear!’
September 2024
‘Our season of “A Day with Small Mammals” trips from Old Basing in Hampshire was a great success despite September’s inclement weather’ writes tour leader Jim Andrews. Across the three day trips, a total of 45 small mammals were studied which is a phenomenal total, with the best day seeing 22 small mammals monitored! Four Hazel Dormice were seen across the three days and plenty of nests were located too. Another fantastic small mammal species we were fortunate to observe on one of the days was the rare Water Shrew.
We also monitor other wildlife on the site and across the day trips; highlights included Yellow-browed Warbler (a scarce autumn migrant), Wasp Spider and Peregrine Falcon.’
