We're planning another trip to Rancho Los Ebanos, Tamaulipas, Mexico, where bird watching is awesome! Los Ebanos is a private ranch, five thousand acres on the Gulf of Mexico, just north of Tampico. There are three sympatric Amazon species, Amazona oratrix (Yellow-headed), Amazona autumnalis (Red-lored) and Amazona viridigenalis (Red-headed or Green-cheeked). Red-heads are endemic to a very small area and are highly endangered though fortunately, they are still doing well at this site. We will make two or three daily field tours to see amazons and other amazing flora and fauna of the Gulf Coast lowland forest including kingfishers, herons, cormorants, spoonbills and osprey on the lake and channel and many shorebirds on the coast. High on the list of many birders's 'desired to see' list are the Elegant trogon, Blue-crowned motmot, the Ferruginous pygmy owl, and Squirrel cuckoo, and we have gotten good views of several of them on most visits...
Raptors and other migratory species funnel through this site and are in great abundance in the spring and fall. There's a wonderful variety of habitat and an abundance of species!
The Los Ebanos cooks treat us very well with tasty local cuisine (accommodating vegetarian diets), and there's plenty of time for relaxing in the palapa hammocks sipping a cool cerveza or reading a book! The cabanas are clean and comfortable and feature local artesania.
We have visited this area on our tours for the last ten years, and have never been disappointed!
The tour begins in Harlingen, Texas on March 1st. We'll spend the first two days there, staying at Vieh's Bed and Breakfast <http://www.vieh.com/>www.vieh.com and exploring the wonderful wildlife preserves of the Lower Rio Grand Valley. On Friday morning, March 3, we'll head south to Los Ebanos and be there for four days. After our tour, we'll arrive back at the Harlingen, Texas airport in time for 4:30 PM or later departures on March 7. The trip is an excellent value at $1199 including incredible, guided bird viewing, room and board (breakfast in Texas, all meals at Los Ebanos) but not airfare, tips, or food on the road.
This tour is limited to a maximum of seven people.
SPECIAL OFFER: Groups of three to seven will receive a discount of $50 each.
For more information or to make a deposit, please contact Marie Digatono 763.315.1749. Visit <http://www.vistadepajaro.com/>www.vistadepajaro.com to read logs of recent trips.
Having the fortunate opportunity to see amazons in nature will contribute to your understanding of their behaviors and needs in captivity. Eco-tourism is an excellent way to contribute to conservation. Your dollars and enthusiasm encourage the preservation of critical habitat! Also, our groups have participated in repair of trees that have been ruined as nesting sites by poachers of the illegal bird trade, so we have made other contributions to the future of Amazons in the wild!
What a thrill to watch them "en el monte," in the wild! Join us for a trip that you'll never forget!
Marie, Vista de Pájaro Eco-tours
Vista de Pájaro Eco-tours
And Unique Custom Stainless Steel Cages
Make a difference by your travel choices!
Join us for an unforgettable trip,
Tamaulipas, Mexico Spring 2006
www.vistadepajaro.com
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