Hosts: Sergio Corbet When: Anytime Length of stay: A 15-day itinerary is proposed but customized stays of any length can be considered Minimum number of guests: Four Fee: The Peso bounces around so much that it is simply impossible to say how much the final fee will be. However, as of January, 2003, a typical 15-day tour in a group of four with all included would be about US$195 daily per person. This includes having a bilingual guide. The following is the schedule of a Bird Watching, Nature and Botanical Tour to Argentina covering the sightings of birds, nature and characteristic vegetation in the Pampas grassland, Southern Chaco dry-forest (Cordoba Hills) and north-eastern Rainforest (Misiones). This Tour is meant for individuals or better small groups not exceeding 10 to 12 people and covers all expenses during a stay of 15 days including air fares in the country. Nature observers and Birders should arrive preferably into Buenos Aires on a Sunday. Accommodations are in 3 and 4 stars hotels and in good backcountry hotels. Road travelling is provided in a top class full group air-conditioned van. ITINERARY DAY ONE: Nature observers and Birders are met at Ezeiza International Airport and transferred to a 4 stars Buenos Aires city hotel. After checking in and a welcome snack, all the afternoon is spent at the local Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, a wildlife sanctuary. The typical vegetation of the River Plate coastline and the Paraná River Delta was recovered there: Alder forest, Brush-wood, willows, coral trees (the National Flower) and Pampa Grass surrounding wetlands and lagoons. Some easily found birds can be seen here such as the Rufous Hornero, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Eared Dove, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Shiny Cowbird and many others. Some animals to be seen are Iguana lizards, "Cuis" a native rodent similar to a Guinea pig and "Coipo" a marsh rodent also called nutria. Dinner will be held in a good restaurant with a large choice of food and argentine beef. DAY TWO: After an early breakfast, a short trip will be undertaken to Entre Ríos and Otamendi for a whole day birding and watching the vegetation of marshes, lowland grassland and thorny forest. Here some easily spotted birds are Roadside Hawk, Caracaras, Limpkin, Neotropical Cormorant, Brown and Yellow Marshbird, Bay-winged Blackbird, Double-collared Seedeater, Kingfishers, different Ibises and Picazuro Pigeon. A new animal can be seen here, namely the "Capibara". Lunch will be served at a local restaurant as well as dinner before going back to the hotel. DAY THREE: After breakfast, a whole day birding and watching plants will be spent in a new area at the Costanera Sure ER. More easily seen birds will be found such as the Spectacled Tyrant, Saffron Finch, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Black and Rufous Warbling Finch, Great Kiskadee, Coots and Herons as well as White-faced Whistling Ducks. Lunch will be held at a nearby restaurant. In the evening a dinner and Tango Show will be attended. DAY FOUR: After breakfast, a City Tour will be arranged. Lunch will be held at a very good local restaurant. Nature observers and Birders will have the rest of the day free so as to do some souvenir shopping or do whatever they like. DAY FIVE: After and early breakfast and checking out of the city hotel, a flight to Córdoba is undertaken. After the transfer to a 2000 acres Hotel-Estancia in the Córdoba Hills, lunch will be held. Later, the whole afternoon is spent birding and touring the hill dry forest of Molles, Algarrobos and White Quebrachos. By the end of November and early December, terrestrial Orchids in full bloom can be found. Here the most commonly seen birds are Spot-winged Pigeon, Monk Parakeet, White Monjita, Golden-billed Saltator and others. By sunset we come back to the hotel and later have dinner. DAY SIX: After breakfast, birding and plant watching are undertaken in a new area. Some of the birds that can be seen are the Red-legged Seriema, Crested Hornero, Slaty Thrush, Red-tailed Comet, Yellow Cardinal and many others. Wild hares, "Cuis", Grey Foxes and lizards are very common. Lunch and dinner will be served at the hotel. DAY SEVEN: After breakfast, again birding is done in a new area. More birds can be seen such as the White Woodpecker, Ultramarine Grosbeak, Red-crested Cardinal, White-tailed Kite and the Cóndor. The same afore mentioned animals can also be seen. Lunch and dinner will be held at the hotel. DAY EIGHT: After an early breakfast, check out of the hotel and transfer to the Córdoba airport. Fly to Buenos Aires and from local city airport transfer 220 miles west into the "Pampas". After lunch, the whole afternoon will be spent birding and touring at a large country estate (over 4000 acres) in the fertile grassland, increasing the previous birds list seeing Rheas, Tinamou, Southern Screamer, Field Flicker, birds of prey like Caracaras and other birds. Birders will be staying at a nearby backcountry hotel and dinner will be held a good local restaurant. DAY NINE: After breakfast, the whole day will be spent birding and watching plants at the "estancia". Some more easily seen birds might be the Pampas Meadowlark, Grassland Sparrow, White-banded Mockingbird, Ducks and Flamingos, Field Flicker, Burrowing Owl and Grass Finches. Lunch will be held at a local restaurant and dinner will be held back in town at a good local restaurant. DAY TEN: After an early breakfast and checking out of the hotel, a trip back to Buenos Aires is made to board a flight to the Rainforest in Misiones. Before the departing flight, a mid-day snack will be had. After arrival into Misiones and checking in at the local hotel, a short birding at the place can be done. Dinner will be served at the hotel´s restaurant. DAY ELEVEN: After breakfast, a whole day birding and enjoying the wonders of the rainforest is provided. Giant trees form a green canopy over other three strata of arboreous species, shrubs, bamboo and ferns; they support vines and an incredible variety of epiphytes such as bromeliads, mosses, little ferns, thorn-less cacti and of course, the Plant Kingdom queens: the Orchids. New birds can be seen such as the Smooth-billed Ani, different Parrots and Parakeets, Black Vultures, Swallow-tailed Kite, Surucua Trogon and many others. Rabbits, Small woods Grey Foxes and even mokeys sometimes can be seen. At noon a lunch will be held at a nearby restaurant and dinner will be served back at the hotel. DAY TWELVE: After breakfast, a whole day birding and plant watching is provided at different places in the nearby Rainforest. More birds to be easily seen are the Guira Cuckoo, White-eared Puffbird, Yellow-fronted Woodpecker, several Tanagers, Piculets, Plumbus Kite, Plush-crested Jay and many others. DAY THIRTEEN: After breakfast and checking out of the hotel, a visit to the nearby "open sky" gemstone mine will be done. Some birding at the place can also be done as well as purchasing some souvenirs. After having lunch at a nearby restaurant, a birding and plant-watching afternoon shall be spent at the rainforest bordering the lake of a local dam. After checking in at the hotel in Foz do Iguaçú on the Brazilian side, dinner will be held at the hotel´s restaurant. DAY FOURTEEN: After breakfast, a whole day birding and watching plants is spent in the Rainforest on the Brazilian side, including a visit to a rare birds Zoo. Lunch will be served at a nearby restaurant. In the afternoon a visit to the nearby world famous falls, the Iguazú Falls on the argentine side will be undertaken. Many Orchids, Bromeliads and other epiphytes will be easily seen covering the branches of the trees near the pathways. Some of the most commonly seen birds are the Toucan, Swallow-tailed Kite, Black Ani, Red-rumped Cacique and a myriad of Hummingbirds. Animals such as the Coatí and Yaguarundi can be seen. In some waterholes and marshes also native alligators called "Yacaré" can be seen. Back to the brazilian side in the evening, a dinner with Tropical Music and a Dancing Show will be attended. DAY FIFTEEN: After breakfast and checking out, a visit to the brazilian side of the Iguazú Falls shall be done together with some birding. A Swift to be seen all over the place is the Ashy-tailed Swift. After lunch, a flight back to Buenos Aires airport shall be undertaken and from there a transfer to Ezeiza International Airport will be provided. This marks the end of the Tour and of our services.