FALKLAND ISLANDS AND CHILE 15–31 January 2009 Leaders: Alan Henry (Falklands) and Enrique Couve (Chile)

This innovative new tour combines the possibility of seeing the endemic Ascension Frigatebird during a refueling stop on Ascension Island with the chance to explore the best wildlife sites on the Falkland Islands, and the opportunity to enjoy the coast and Andes of Chile, seeing some of the endemics. All this for less than some companies charge for just the Falkland Islands! Alan Henry has worked and lived on the islands for over 20 years so you'll have the benefit of his excellent local knowledge.

Day 1 We meet at RAF Brize Norton in the early evening (currently free parking!) and, after clearing security, check in for our 23.00 flight to Ascension Island, which takes about 8 hours. After an overnight flight, we will arrive at Ascension Island early in the morning and spend two hours in a fenced compound whilst the plane is refuelled. During this time, there is a good chance that one of the endemic and highly-endangered Ascension Island Frigatebirds will fly over! Boarding the plane again, we continue to the Falklands, landing at Mount Pleasant military airport at about 14.00. For the last 30 minutes of the flight, it is possible that we may be escorted by two Tornado fighter-jets, a unique experience! We will be met by Alan Henry at the airport and transported the short distance to the wonderfully sited Darwin House, close to Goose Green on the main island of East Falkland. For those not too tired, Alan will take you on an introductory walk or you can simply sit in the lounge enjoying the superb views over the tidal bay and tucking in to 'smoko' (afternoon tea and delicious cakes!), or take a short stroll to the famous Goose Green. Those who choose the bird walk will undoubtedly see one of the two island endemics – Falkland Steamer-duck, a large primeval-looking duck that has lost the power of flight. Other birds you have a good chance of seeing include all three species of goose – numerous Upland Geese together with Ruddy-headed and Kelp Geese to test your identification skills! A mixed pair of Red-backed Hawks (dark male and pale female) often nest nearby, and it is likely that they will find you as you walk along the cliff footpath! Passerines may include Correndera Pipit and Austral Thrush. Overnight at Darwin House.

Day 3 As the light is good by 5am, you may wish to make a pre-breakfast walk to enjoy the Rock Cormorants breeding on the jetty, or maybe one of the local race of Black-crowned Night-heron, falklandicus. Depending on flight times, there may be time for an official post-breakfast walk before catching the 9-seater Islander aircraft for the short journey to Pebble Island. All of the internal flights are spectacular because you fly at heights varying from 300 to 3000 feet, so you can enjoy the fantastic scenery and maybe spot a Black-browed Albatross or two gliding effortlessly over the waves. Although Pebble Island is quite large, the airstrip is close to the lodge, so we will be in time for lunch. After lunch we may head to one end of the island, travelling off-road on tracks – known locally as driving on 'camp'. Eventually, we will arrive at a busy Rockhopper Penguin colony and experience the pleasure of being within a few yards of these endearing creatures. By checking the colony carefully, we may find one or two of the much rarer Macaroni Penguins and, if we are really lucky, we may even find the vagrant Erect-crested Penguin from New Zealand waters, which has been present for 10 years. Two nights on Pebble Island.

Day 4 We will spend all day exploring Pebble Island, taking a packed lunch with us. Birds may include the ubiquitous Long-tailed Meadowlark (known locally as the military starling), Kelp Gull and the beautiful Dolphin Gull, Black and Magellanic Oystercatchers, huge and fierce-looking Southern Giant-petrels, tiny White-tufted Grebes within a few yards and several species of duck, including Speckled Teal, Chiloe Wigeon and Yellow-billed Pintail. On the largest 'pond', good numbers of Black-necked Swans can be found, but they are a lot shyer than the other wildlife. Both Two-banded Plover and Rufous-chested Dotterel breed in good numbers on the 'moorland' (the plants are called diddledee but look remarkably like heather!).

Day 5 After breakfast, and again dependent on flight timings, we will leave Pebble Island and make the slightly longer flight to Carcass Island (named after HMS Carcass, which visited the island in the 19th century). It is a rough drive from the airstrip at the opposite end of the island, but worth it, because as you arrive at the lodge you will see how well-situated it is. You will probably be greeted by your first Striated Caracara (known locally as Johnny Rook and now virtually endemic to the Falklands) and it is important to watch your belongings as they are very inquisitive! Black-chinned Siskins will be singing everywhere whilst Blackish Cinclodes (Tussockbirds) scurry around your feet looking for any insects you disturb. What an introduction! After lunch we will walk to the beach (it takes about 30 seconds!) where you will be able to enjoy not only numerous birds but also stunning scenery. Although the gorse was introduced many years ago, it doesn't really look out of place here and doesn't seem to be causing problems for the wildlife (unlike the cats and rats on other islands). Luckily, both Carcass and Sea Lion Islands (which we will visit later) are free of cats and rats, and this is in no small way thanks to the owners of Carcass Lodge, who were previously at Sea Lion Island Lodge. We probably won't need to walk far, as much of the wildlife can be found within a few hundred yards of the lodge. Everything is incredibly confiding and we should be able to enjoy close-up views of the other endemic Falkland bird, Cobb's Wren. Other birds may include Crested Ducks patrolling the water's edge, Dark-faced Ground-tyrants flycatching on the beach, stunning male Black-throated Finches singing from the rocks and, later in the evening, Magellanic Snipe calling from cover. Magellanic Penguins breed aplenty here and you have to be careful not to put your foot into one of their holes. Sometimes you will stumble on one behind Tussockgrass and it is debatable as to who will be the most surprised! Two nights at Carcass Island Lodge.

Day 6 This morning we may drive to a colony of Gentoo Penguins, probably seeing Southern Caracara en route. The colony is high up on a ridge and may represent our fourth or fifth species of penguin in only two days! We will then return to the jetty by the lodge to board our boat to West Point Island. As we cruise out of the sheltered bay we may start to see our first Black-browed Albatrosses and, if we are very fortunate, other seabirds such as Sooty Shearwaters or even a Fairy Prion. First we will enjoy the sight of the large colony of breeding Black-browed Albatrosses from the sea before landing the other side of the island for 'smoko'. We will then be transported across land to enjoy 'close up and personal' views of the albatrosses on their nests. Returning to Carcass Island, we have another chance for seabirds. The rest of the afternoon and after dinner can be spent at leisure, enjoying the superb scenery and simply sitting on the grass around the lodge whilst birds come to check you out!

Day 7 Today we make the longest internal flight of the tour to Sea Lion Island. This may take us an hour or more, depending on winds, but this time the airstrip is adjacent to the lodge, so we can walk to our rooms! Sea Lion Lodge is extremely comfortable, with all rooms enjoying wonderful views. A colony of Gentoo Penguins can even be seen from the lounge! After lunch we may be driven to the far end of the island (only about 1.5 miles!) to enjoy the spectacle of Rockhopper Penguins scrabbling out of the sea and climbing near-vertical cliffs to their colony. Nearby is a colony of King Cormorants and a memorial to HMS Sheffield. We will take the rest of the afternoon to walk back to the lodge, enjoying further looks at Rufous-chested Dotterel and close-up views of Silvery Grebes. We will look down on Southern Sea Lions basking on a beach (it is too dangerous to go on the beach). Two nights at Sea Lion Lodge.

Day 8 If you decide to put your head outside before breakfast, you will hear Magellanic Snipes drumming! After breakfast we will head for one of the Gentoo Penguin colonies, where every year a handful of non-breeding King Penguins can be found. There is a large lagoon here and large numbers of wintering White-rumped Sandpipers can be found as well as even larger numbers of Two-banded Plovers. We must be careful where we tread, however, as, although Southern Elephant Seals are very docile, they don't appreciate being trodden on! Further along the beach are some spectacular sand dunes covered by Tussockgrass, and a hide has been situated here to allow you to watch the Southern Giant-petrel colony. Both Cobb's and Grass Wrens can be found in the Tussockgrass and, if we are lucky, Short-eared Owls and Peregrine Falcons. On the subject of raptors, it is strange to see Turkey Vultures here waiting to scavenge from the penguin and seal colonies. As we wander through the dunes we will have to be alert for South American Terns as, like their cousins in the northern hemisphere, they won't hesitate to dive-bomb us! All the time we are on Sea Lion Island we will keep our eyes open for Orca (Killer Whales), as they regularly patrol these waters looking for young Southern Elephant Seals, Southern Sea Lions or even penguins.

Day 9 We will probably stay on Sea Lion Island until after lunch, so the morning will be free to do as you wish. Our final internal flight will be to Stanley Airport, where we will make the short transfer to Malvina Hotel. In the afternoon you will have a guided walking tour of the town. Three nights in Port Stanley.

Day 10 Today we will make an approximately-three-hour drive to the famous King Penguin colony at Volunteer Point, taking a packed lunch with us. If we have had good views of King Penguin on Sea Lion Island, however, there is the option to visit Kelp Point instead, in which case there is a good chance of adding several new species that are quite rare on the Falklands – Northern Giant-petrel, Coscoroba Swan and Hudsonian Godwit. There is even the possibility of a rarity like Baird's Sandpiper. Whatever option you take, there is also a strong likelihood of seeing Flying Steamer-duck.

Day 11 This morning we will take our second boat trip of the tour, to Kidney Island. The main purpose of this trip will be to look for some of the rarer seabirds, and we will be 'chumming' over the side to try to attract birds in. Possibilities include Antarctic and Cape Petrels, Fairy Prion, Southern Fulmar and Grey-backed and Wilson's Storm-petrels.

Day 12 Depending on flight timings, you may have the morning at leisure or watching the Falkland Steamer-ducks, Southern Giant-petrels and South American Terns along the front before transferring back to the airport for the LAN Chile flight via Punta Arenas to Santiago. Here we transfer to a hotel in the coastal village of Quintero for a two-night stay.

Day 13 This morning we will transfer down to the village pier, where we will board a boat to head out into the famous Humboldt Current. This is widely acknowledged to be one of the world's very best seabirding trips, and amongst an array of birds we may see Salvin's, Chatham, Shy and Northern Royal Albatrosses, with Juan Fernandez Petrels, Pink-footed Shearwaters, Peruvian Diving-petrels, Inca Terns, and Chilean and South Polar Skuas harassing them! In the afternoon we will drive to Laguna El Peral, a noted site for past rarities including Stripe-backed Bittern, Black-headed Duck, Wren-like Rushbird and the gorgeous Many-coloured Rush-tyrant. We will also visit Cachagua, famous for its colony of Humboldt Penguins, Red-legged Cormorants, Surfbirds and another endemic, Chilean Seaside Cinclodes.

Day 14 After an early trip to Mantagua for Plumbeous Rail, Great Shrike-tyrant and Common Diuca-finch, we'll visit the mouth of the Aconcagua River. This is a good spot to search for waders such as Willet and Hudsonian Whimbrel, along with Black Skimmer and Band-tailed, Brown-hooded, Franklin's and Kelp Gulls. From here, we head inland to La Campana National Park, amid the beautiful coastal mountains. Two more Chilean endemics – Dusky-tailed Canastero and the noisy but elusive White-throated Tapaculo – make their home here, and we may well see the amazing Giant Hummingbird! Moustached Turca is another endemic to look forward to as we continue back to Santiago, where we stay for two nights.

Day 15 Today we make an early start to head up into the Andes. On the way, we'll scan the ravines for Mountain Caracara and Crag Chilia, a Chilean Andes endemic. The grasslands and streams around El Yeso make a fantastic setting in which to seek one of the world's most incredible waders, the Diademed Sandpiper-plover. As we search the upland meadows, we will also keep a sharp eye open for the elusive Grey-breasted Seedsnipe as well as Cinereous, Black-fronted and Rufous-naped Ground-tyrants, Band-tailed and Creamy-rumped Miners, Thick-billed and Yellow-rumped Siskins and many other Andean specialities.

Day 16 Depending on the flight timing, we will either make a local excursion or return to the airport for our overnight flight home via Madrid.

Day 17 Arrival back in the UK at London Heathrow, where transport will be arranged back to Brize Norton.

General Information The climate on the Falklands can be highly variable, from very cold and wet to pleasantly warm. Wind is a constant feature. In Chile it can be equally variable, both on the coast and in the mountains, but Santiago can be quite hot. The tour pace is generally relaxed with some moderate walks on the Falklands and Chile, so only a basic degree of fitness is required.

Group size Minimum number for tour to go ahead: 6; maximum group size: 8 with 1 leader.

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