
Snow
Monkey, Japan,
2020.
Photo
by Gina Nichol. See
Snow Monkeys
in Japan
in 2022>
The
Year Ahead
As
the rollout of the
covid vaccines offer
a light at the end
of
this long and difficult
tunnel, we are
working
to add new tours
for
our
travel deprived
clients. Please
check our calendar> or list
of tours> for
new additions.
Messages
of
kindness,
support
and
encouragement
from
our
clients,
guides,
operators,
and
colleagues
around
the
world
have
kept
us moving
forward.
I
am grateful
for
our extended
Sunrise
Birding
family
and
we
are ready
to
travel
and
share
exciting
adventures
with
you again
in
the
near
future.
We
are
monitoring
the
situation in
each destination
and
making
decisions
on
tours 60 days
in advance of
the departure
date. We
will contact
registered
clients
directly.
As
we gear
up for post
pandemic
travel, please
remember that
we do arrange
private tours> for
small groups
of friends,
bird clubs,
etc. And,
we are giving
several online
presentations> to
Audubon
groups
and bird
clubs in
the
coming
months.
If you
belong to
a group
and want
an online
presentation,
please
have your
program
person contact
us.
Stay
safe and let's get
through
this!
Gina
& the
Sunrise
Birding
Team
Above:
Gina
Nichol.
Photo
by Steve
Broker.
2020
RECAP
The
year
began
like most
others
with
a full
schedule
of
tours
and a few
scouting
trips
to
new
destinations.
Early
in January,
Gina & Steve
traveled
to
BELIZE to
visit lodges
and
birding
areas
and
plan some
new
itineraries.
Highlights>> included
271 Species
in
9 days! Ocellated
Turkey,
Agami
Heron,
Striped
Owl, Stygian
Owl, Bat
Falcon,
Rufous
Woodcreeper,
Keel-billed
Toucan,
Yellow-tailed
Oriole,
Chestnut-colored
Woodpecker,
Fork-tailed
Flycatcher,
Red-capped
Manakin,
Morelet's
Seedeater,
Jabiru,
King Vulture,
and Green
Shrike
Vireo
were among
the avian
treats
we
enjoyed.
Special
thanks
to
our hosts
and
guides.
We look
forward
to
bringing
groups
to this
tropical,
bird-filled
country.
If you
are
interested
in Belize, let
us know
and we'll
keep
you
informed about
upcoming
tours>>

Photos
from Belize,
2020: Bat
Falcon by
Steve Bird,
Yellow-tailed
Oriole by
Gina Nichol,
Stygian
Owl by Steve
Bird.
In
February,
the
winter
specialties
of JAPAN
were
in our sights
with
Gina
and
Steve
taking
a
group to
this
magical
destination
that
offers
wildlife,
nature,
and
cultural
experiences
like
no
other. Highlights
and
the
full
trip
report
can
be
seen
here>> We
saw
upwards
of
15,000
Cranes,
the
famous “Snow
Monkeys”,
a
stunning
Ural
Owl
catching
the
morning
rays,
and
the
impressive
Blakiston’s
Fish
Owl.
A
short
boat
trip
into
Hyuga
Harbor
allowed
super
close
views
of
the
much
desired
Japanese
Murrelet.
And
to
top
it
off,
the “dancing” Red-crowned
Cranes
in
a
snowy
setting
gave
an
amazing
show.
The
trip
concluded
at
Rausu,
where
we
sailed
for
20
minutes
to
the
edge
of
the
sea
ice
and
spent
the
morning
with
300
Steller’s
Sea
and
White-tailed
Eagles!
We
enjoyed
many
wonderful
meals,
stayed
in
some
very
unique
places,
and
saw
incredible
wildlife.
Needless
to
say, we're
going
back
in
2022>>

Photos
from Japan:
Blakiston's
Fish Owl
by Keith
Langman,
Red-crowned
Cranes
by Gina
Nichol.
Meanwhile
that same month,
Frank Mantlik
took a group
to COSTA
RICA for
another
very successful
Hummingbird & Quetzal
Special.
Among
the top
sightings
were many
views of
Resplendent
Quetzal,
Spectacled
Owl, Bare-shanked
Screech
Owl,
Black-and-white
Owl, Sunbittern,
and 20 species
of hummingbirds.
A
pdf of the
trip report
can be found
here>>. Our
next Costa
Rica
trip
is set for late
March 2021>>
if
it's safe and
we have another
tour set for
March
2022>>. Inquire
about Costa
Rica tours
here>>
Photo:
Fiery-throated
Hummingbird,
Costa Rica
by Frank Mantlik.
Also
in February,
Frank Gallo
led a tour
to TEXAS looking
for winter
specialties.
With the
help
of Phil
Rusch
and our
friend
Clay Taylor
in Corpus
Christi,
some of
the
memorable
sightings
of the tour
included
Whooping
Crane, Aplomado
Falcon,
Hook-billed
Kite, “Mangrove” Yellow
Warbler,
Red-billed
Pigeon,
Morelet’s
Seedeater,
Rose-throated
Becard,
Green
Jay, Buff-bellied
Hummingbird,
Ferruginous
Pygmy
Owl,
great
views
of a slew
of raptors,
Audubon’s,
Altamira,
and
Hooded
Orioles
and so
much
more. A
pdf
of
the
trip
report
can
be
found
here>>
Of
course, with
these results,
we'll
be heading
back in 2022>>. Inquire
here>>

Texas
photos: Greater
Roadrunner
and Black-throated
Sparrow by
Frank Gallo.
In
March, Gina
and Steve
led
a private
group
to COSTA
RICA.
This was
a
two week
trip
with time
birding
the Pacific
coast,
the
Caribbean
lowlands,
and the
central
mountains.
The photos
below
offer a
glimpse
of this
successful,
private
adventure. Inquire
about
private
Costa
Rica tours
here>>


Costa
Rica photos:
Collared
Aracari, Brown-throated
Three-toed
Sloths
& Ornate
Hawk
Eagle by
Gina Nichol.
Just
before the
pandemic
shutdown,
Sara Zagorski
and Frank
Mantlik
represented
Sunrise Birding
at the Massachusetts
Birders meeting. Thanks
to Sara
and Frank
and everyone
who stopped
by to say
hello.

Photo:
Mass Birders
Meeting, March
2020 by
Frank Mantlik.
At
the end of
March, Sunrise
Birding went
on "pandemic
pause"
for the
next
several
months. During
the pandemic,
Steve
Bird has been
painting
again>> and
doing
art commissions. Sunrise
Birding
was featured
in the September
issue of Connecticut
Magazine in
an article
by Todd
McLeish
(pdf download)>>.
And,
in
November,
our
fantastic
guides
Frank
Mantlik
and
Frank
Gallo
were
featured
in this
NATURE'S
HEROES article
in
a
local
Connecticut
newspaper>>.
Jocotoco
Antpitta.
Watercolor
by Steve
Bird.
These
months have
been
a time
of
reflection
and
looking
back
on past trips,
rescheduling
trips,
and
developing
some
new
itineraries
which will
feature short
trips to
Maine>> and
longer
tours
in new
destinations
like the Lesser
Antilles>>.
We're
continuing
to
offer private
group
birding
tours>>, local
birding
tours
in
southern
New
England>>, online
presentations>>,
and
hope
to
receive
funding
for
a
new
and
exciting
project
in
early
2021.
We
want to thank
our guides,
drivers, operators,
colleagues
in the industry,
and especially
our clients
for their continuing
support through
this most unusual
time. We look
forward to
traveling with
you again soon!
Gina & the
Sunrise
Birding
Team

Photo
by Gina Nichol,
Japan, Steller's
Sea Eagle
ready to
go (so are
we!)
WE'RE
TAKING NAMES!
Put
your name on a tour. Let us know
what tours you are interested
in so we can contact you when
it's time to commit. Contact [email protected]
or complete our
online inquiry
form>
STEVE
BIRD ORIGINALS
Steve
is continuing to illustrate
and paint again and he
is
willing
to do commissions,
especially
of species seen with
us
on past trips. See
more of Steve's original
art
here> Contact
Steve to discuss
options
at [email protected]

Green-headed
Tanager, watercolor
by Steve Bird
PRIVATE
BIRDING
TOURS
Plan
your own
private
birding
tour, including
domestic, international
and private
local birding
tours in
southern New
England.
If you have
questions, want
to arrange
a private tour,
we'd love
to hear
from you. Contact [email protected]
or complete our
online inquiry form>

Pied-billed
Grebe,
November 9, 2020.
Photo by Gina Nichol.
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to top>
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OUR
GOAL:
Sunrise
Birding's ethos is to provide
the best possible birding experience
for the best value. We maintain
high standards and have gained
a reputation for using the best
local guides in combination with
our expert leaders and
finding the target species and
seeing them well—all
at a reasonable pace and for a
value price. See what the buzz
is about! The photo
galleries, trip reports, and clients speak
for themselves! A
complete schedule of Sunrise Birding
LLC events is online
at this link>
Gina
Nichol
Sunrise
Birding, LLC
203.453.6724
Email:
[email protected]
Web
site: http://www.sunrisebirding.com
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to top>>