Sunrise Birding LLC has fantastic year with many successful tours thanks to our enthusiastic clients, expert guides, and cooperative birds (and animals)!
Here is a quick review:

In January, it was off to Uganda on a tour with Zoothera Global Birding looking for the mythical Shoebill and the amazing Mountain Gorilla. In addition to this incredible encounter with a Mountain Gorilla caught on video, our tour found African Broadbill, African Finfoot, Black Bee-eater and countless Albertine Rift endemics. Chimpanzees at Kibale – were an added bonus! Trip highlights>

February saw Sunrise Birders enjoying the birds in Costa Rica’s wonderful tropical gardens on our Birds & Gardens tour. Others learned some of Costa Rica’s best kept birding secrets which, after 9 days, yielded 300+ species including specialties like Coppery-headed Emerald, Nicaraguan Grackle, Nicaraguan Seed-Finch, Jabiru, Lesser Ground Cuckoo, a surprise Northern Harrier, and a White-throated Crake in full open view! The great birding was complemented by the humor of the group with whom we shared many, many laughs! Trip highlights>

In March, Gina joined the “bird club talk circuit” addressing several birding organizations around southern New England including Bedford Audubon Society, New Haven Bird Club, Cape Cod Bird Club, Naugatuck Valley Audubon Society, Western Connecticut Bird Club, Hoffman Bird Club, and Mohikan Adirondack Mountain Club. In addition, we ran some early spring Birding by Ear and Spring Migration Bird walks in coastal Connecticut.

In April, Frank Mantlik headed south for our Texas Spring Migration. Again, a nice group enjoyed Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Bachman’s Sparrow, 29 species of warbler, 31 species of shorebird, Yellow and King Rails and all the joys that spring in Texas can bring. Trip highlights> After High Island, a few clients continued on to Big Bend while another group explored the unique bird life of Hawaii.

In May, Gina accompanied a Zoothera Global Birding tour in China with many highlights including no less than six Ibisbill, Little Whimbrel, Chinese Hill Warbler, Siberian (Spotted) Bush-warbler and the best ever views of Lanceolated Warbler to name a few. Trip highlights>

Later in May, Sunrise Birding visited Poland to witness the European spring migration in this impressive country. Extended time in the restricted area of Bialowieza Forest and the sprawling Biebrza Marshes were highlights and some clients even developed a new appreciation for brown with 17 species of Old World Warbler showing for us. An intrepid effort for Great Snipe, Black Woodpecker, White-tailed Eagle, elegant White-winged Terns, all of the European favorites, miles of wildflower fields, and a fun group made for a great birding trip. Trip highlights>

In August, a group went to Arizona to experience the summer “monsoon” season with our friends out there at Naturalist Journeys. Hummingbirds were the highlight but there was so much more to see!   Trip highlights>

Meanwhile, Gina was guest on the stand of Zoothera Global Birding at the British Bird Fair where we had the chance to see many birders who had accompanied us on past trips as well as our guides from all over the world.

A few days later, just after Hurricane Irene hit Connecticut, a group set off for an amazing trip to Panama with our beloved Carlos Bethancourt. Blue Cotinga, Brown-billed Scythebill, Streak-chested Antpitta, Spotted Antbird, Rufous Motmot, Orange-bellied Trogon were just a few of the favorites of this fun loving group! Trip highlights>

In September, we went to the idyllic Isles of Scilly on a Zoothera tour to see the fall migration in western Europe. To our surprise and the delight of birders there, most of the migrants were from North America including Northern Waterthrush, Solitary Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs and Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Other highlights of the week were Pallid Harrier, Wryneck, Firecrest, Short-toed Lark, and Woodchat Shrike to name a few. A few photos are posted here and the full trip report can be found here.

October allowed some time in Connecticut for Gina to help lead the Connecticut Ornithological Association’s Sparrow Workshop and attend a showing of “The Big Year” movie with 40 other birders from Connecticut. Late in the month, during a family trip back to the Isles of Scilly, Steve and Gina found the first Scarlet Tanager to appear there in 29 years! It was BIG news as described here>.

November took Gina and Steve to Kenya for an amazing Zoothera tour that netted nearly 600 species of birds and 56 mammals. A trip report will be published soon and for now, there are some photo highlights photo highlights here>.

Later in the month, Diego Calderon led our Sunrise Birding Colombia tour to Santa Marta and the Central and Western Andes for some very happy participants. The tour “exceeded expectations” as is often the case with the country with the most species in the world. Diego has written a great report that will be featured on http://www.sunrisebirding.com/tripreports.htm soon.

Our last tour of the year was to Brazil’s Atlantic Forest on a fantastic itinerary that visited Ubatuba, Itatiaia National Park, Guapi Assu Bird Lodge, and Serra dos Tucanos Lodge with Zoothera. We were blown away by amazing, prolonged views of a singing male Shrike-like Cotinga at Guapi Assu and an equally cooperative Sharpbill nearby. Russet-winged Spadebill was a surprise stunner and an elegant pair of Swallow-tailed Cotingas was seen tending a nest with two chicks at Itatiaia National Park. At our lodge in Itatiaia, Red-breasted Toucan and Saffron Toucanets were coming into the feeders! Our list of 360+ species included Black-billed Scythebill, Restinga Antwren, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Festive Coquette, Frilled Coquette, Plovercrest, and a very cooperative Giant Snipe, not to mention Tawny-browed Owl and Black-banded Owl on one of our night walks. Trip highlights>

To all our clients and fans,
Thank you so much for your support, encouragement, and participation during 2011. We've had a fantastic year with many successful tours thanks to our enthusiastic clients, expert guides, and cooperative birds! Thanks to all of our families, friends and staff for keeping us on track and helping us move forward! We are looking forward to a busy, birdy 2012. Best wishes to all for good health, prosperity and plenty of birding in 2012!

Gina & the Sunrise Birding team!