MOS Sponsored Birding Trips
The MOS launched a member benefit that has received enthusiastic response: birding trips to some of the great hotspots in the world. We’re concentrating on the Americas right now, but we can expand to anywhere members might wish. And your wishes are important. If there is a spot you’ve always wanted to visit, let us know (contact Maryanne Dolan). We’ll do our best to gather enough like-minded birders to make the trip viable. With Covid coming under control, it’s time to spread our wings a bit and look for birding spots outside the mid-Atlantic region.
2023 & 2024 TRIPS
Several great trips are on the calendar for 2023 and 2024
Pack up those bags and binoculars, MOS’ers, it’s time to set out for new and exciting adventures. There are some great birds out there just waiting to be seen!
Ecuador
First up is a trip to Ecuador October 13-22, 2023. Amid cloud forest, rainforest, páramo, and the eastern and western slopes of the Andes Mountains, MOS’ers will seek out as many of the country’s 1,640-plus species as possible with assistance from an expert guide on this 10-day adventure. Much of the avifauna encountered is endemic to the Chocó region. Participants will view the snow-capped Antisana Volcano, attend a lecture by a leading ornithologist, and straddle the equator at the Middle of the World Monument.
Highlights include exploring the Chocó ecoregion across a variety of protected areas, including Yanacocha Biological Reserve, Alambi Cloud Forest Reserve, Milpe Bird Sanctuary, Antisana Ecological Reserve, and others. MOS’ers will visit the famed Refugio Paz de las Aves, known as a haven for antpittas and Andean Cocks-of-the-rock. Target species include the Rose-faced Parrot, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Chocó Vireo, Moss-backed Tanager, and Indigo Flowerpiercer. Click here for a detailed itinerary. This is a relaxed trip allowing participants to drop for a morning or afternoon to catch up on bird lists and/or just rest. Cost is $2750 per person with a single supplement of $330. This trip is limited to 8 participants. You must place a deposit ($350) to reserve a space.
Contact Maryanne.dolan@gmail.com with questions.
Costa Rica
Next up is Costa Rica from March 24-April 4, 2024. We’ll bird southern Costa Rica in comfortable lodges often staying two nights per lodge to allow participants a chance to relax. Costa Rica is chock-full of great birds and we’ll do our best to get a good view of as many as possible. Click here for a detailed itinerary. Trip is limited to 10 participants. Cost is $3700 per person with a single supplement of $600. A $200 deposit is required to confirm a slot. Contact Maryanne.dolan@gmail.com for additional details.
Rafting the Marsh Fork and Canning River
And finally, an adventure to end all adventures. In searching for possible MOS trips, I came across https://www.wildernessbirding.com/trips/arcticrefuge/rafting-the-marsh-forkcanning-river/
While not suitable for an MOS-wide trip (our demographics skew upward!), I offer it to those of you nimble enough to endure both rugged camping and white-water rafting. Contact them directly; I don’t want the responsibility. If I were 20 years younger, I’d give it a try. Well, okay, make that 30 years!
As always, any suggestions, comments and/or recommendations are welcome. Just drop me a note at maryanne.dolan@gmail.com
