JAMAICA: Nature, Birds and Beach

• ITINERARY

The Islands of the Caribbean support unique flora and fauna as distinctive as that of the Galapagos or Hawaiian islands. Millions of years of isolation have given rise to a multitude of endemic Caribbean species, including thousands of plants (like magnificent palms, orchids and cacti) and hundreds of birds, reptiles and butterflies.

Jamaica is biologically one of the richest islands in all the Indies and presents a relaxed intro-duction to the diverse natural and cultural history of the Indies. In addition to rainforest walks and visits to colonial towns, this tour includes time to snorkel over corals and laze on the beach.

The lush island of Jamaica was a British colony until 1962. In recent years, with the aid of inter-national conservation groups, Jamaica has expanded her preserves, especially the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, a key area for wintering North American migrant birds and for Jamaica's hundreds of endemic plants and animals. The area also provides drinking water to most Jamaicans and is famous for its fine coffee. Luxuriant rainforest with treeferns, palms and orchids cloaks these rugged mountains, where many peaks rise over 5,000 feet. Here, and in the remote Cockpit country to the west, we will search Jamaica's 27 endemic birds, including the Jamaican becard, two parrot species, and the gorgeous streamertail and Jamaican mango hummingbirds, among many others. We spend two nights in a "Great House," one of the old plantation houses set in a na-ture preserve, seven nights at beach hotels in the west, southwest, and northeast, from where we swim, snorkel and visit nearby natural areas, and two nights in a chalet overlooking the coffee plantations and National Park of the Blue Mountains. Join us as we explore Jamaica's finest natural areas, while learning about her unique history and culture, including delicious local foods.

Leadership

Mark Smith has led numerous field trips for The Nature Conservancy, Audubon and the Oregon Museum. Since his studies at Oregon State University, he has been working as a researcher and educator for a variety of organizations including the National Science Foundation, Portland Public Schools and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Mark leads tours all over the world for his own tour company. In recent years he has led 10 tours to the Caribbean, with special emphasis on Jamaica.

Ann Sutton is one of Jamaica's foremost experts in ecology, conservation and natural history and is owner/manager of Marshall's Pen, a private nature reserve and cattle property. Her Ph.D. focused on seabird conservation in Jamaica. She has been leading bird tours in Jamaica for more than 20 years and is currently working on a new photographic Field Guide to the Birds of Jamaica, which will be published in 2009.

If the group size is seven or less, Mark will lead the whole tour with Ann co-leading for three days.

Accommodations and Transport

Our comfortable hotels, guest houses, and villas are chosen for their proximity to good natural areas and all have attached bathrooms. All meals are included. Transport is by 25-passenger coaster bus, unless the group is seven or less, in which case we will have a 15-passenger van.

Activities, Lodgings and Expectations

Drives will be four hours or less, with frequent stops. The high mountains at 5000 ft. may be cool (50°F) in the morning, and rain and mud may be encountered, although usually not. Walks will be relaxed and not over three miles. High temperatures may range to the mid-80's, but we typically have a mid-day break.

Cost and Reservations

A deposit of $500 is required to reserve one of the 12 available spaces.

Pam Davis of Willamette International Travel is the tour air-ticket agent; Mark has worked with Pam for over 15 years. Participants are encouraged to make bookings through Pam, which helps to coordinate our flights and keep leaders informed.

Pam Davis of Willamette International Travel
1314 NW Irving St. #101
Portland, OR 97209-2721
Email: pamd@wittravel.com
Phone: 503-224-0180 or 1-800-821-0401

Questions, Deposit and final payment can be addressed to:

Mark Smith
PO Box 3831
Portland, OR 97208-3831

phone: 360-566-0458
email, in care of: pamd@wittravel.com

Cancellations

Any cancellation for which a suitable replacement is found receives a full refund. Other cancellations are subject to the following: forfeit of $600 of ground costs if cancellation is received between 90 and 30 days prior to departure and forfeit of 60% of ground costs for cancellation received within 29 days of departure. Participants are encouraged to consider trip cancellation insurance available through Willamette International Travel.

ITINERARY

Day 1 & 2	Dec. 5 (Sunday) & 6	Montego Bay to Negril
We arrive at Montego Bay in northwestern Jamaica in early afternoon and proceed by van half an hour to a lush estate where feeders host red-billed streamertail, Jamaican mango, Jamaican euphonia, orangequit, Ja-maican oriole and many others. Chestnut-bellied cuckoo, strip-headed tanager and Jamaican tody are often found on the grounds. We continue to the west coast and settle into our beach hotel at Negril, where we stay for two nights. Here we can unwind on the beach, snorkel, and enjoy some good seafood. Just inland is the Royal Palm Preserve in The Great Morass, with a network of boardwalks that access ponds and wetlands with West Indian whistling ducks, clapper rail, purple gallinule, and Antillean palm swift. By the beach are peli-cans, magnificent frigatebirds, and several terns.
Day 3	December 7	Negril to Treasure Beach
We continue southwest to Treasure Beach where we stay two nights in two large beach houses. En route we'll visit Parottee Pond, Jamaica's richest habitat for wintering shorebirds. Nearby, a small lake may reveal least bittern, least grebe, northern jacana, the rare West Indian whistling duck and even masked duck.
Day 4	December 8	Alligator Hole and Pond
We depart early for Alligator Hole, where a stream springs from the limestone escarpment nurturing wet-lands and mangroves hosting manatees, and perhaps American crocodiles ("alligators"). The surrounding forests are a good area to find endemic chestnut-bellied and lizard cuckoos, and migrant warblers. We return to Treasure Beach via the fishing village of Alligator Pond, where we have a seafood lunch on the beach and observe and photograph the colorful boats and fish sellers. Next we stop at Lover's Leap, a grand vista over the Caribbean. In the evening we scan Great Pedro Pond, where northern shorebirds and waterfowl winter.
Day 5	December 9	Black River Morass and Marshall's Pen
We depart early for wetlands of the Black River Morass, where limpkins and other waterbirds may be found. We reach Marshall's Pen, a private reserve, by lunch time and settle into rooms for two nights in the 200-year-old coffee plantation house (Great House). Meals are sumptuous and traditional, and the tropical gardens and native forest host many of Jamaica's endemics, including Jamaican owl, becard and woodpecker, as well as North American wintering warblers. Owner of the house is our co-leader, naturalist Ann Sutton, who has conducted numerous studies on Jamaican biology, often for the government, and has consulted on films and books.
Day 6	December 10	The Cockpit Country
We rise early for a drive up to the wet limestone forest of the rugged Cockpit Country, where we hope to see the endemic yellow-billed and black-billed parrots, Jamaican crow and Jamaican lizard cuckoo. The flora of palms, cacti and orchids is largely endemic, as are many of the butterflies. Due to the extreme natural erosion and collapse of the limestone, the area appears as a mosaic of deep bowls like the cockfighting pits of old. We return to Marshall's Pen.
Day 7	December 11	Portland Ridge to the Blue Mountains
Early departure for the arid limestone scrub of Portland Ridge, the cactus-studded southernmost peninsula of Jamaica, where we hope to see the Bahama mockingbird, Jamaican vireo and stolid flycatcher. Then we continue east through Kingston, viewing some historic neighborhoods, and up into the cool Blue Mountains for two nights in a quiet guest house. We'll enjoy an evening walk with grand views over the coffee plantation of the rugged Blue Mountains.
Day 8	December 12	The Blue Mountains
Up early to search out the difficult high-mountain specialties, like Jamaican blackbird, Blue Mountain vireo, crested quail dove, arrow-headed warbler and rufous-throated solitaire. The weather is unpredictable, and clouds often cling to the 5000 foot slopes of montane forest. Ferns, orchids and bromeliads festoon the branches, and there are many waterfalls. Worm-eating and Swainson's warblers and Louisiana waterthrush winter here.
Day 9, 10 & 11	December 13, 14 & 15	The Blue Mountains to the Port of Antonio area
A final morning of cool walks before we descend an hour down to the rugged northeast coast, the Port Antonio area, where for three days we settle into beautiful villas overlooking the beach and Caribbean at Frenchman's Cove. These are relaxed days with swimming and snorkeling, and options to explore the nearby Rio Grande Valley and the John Crow Mountains National Park in search of scenery and species we may have missed. One day we have the option to drive east to Hector's River and scan for white-tailed tropic birds that nest on the headland.
Day 12	December 16	Port Antonio, fly Montego Bay, then to the U.S.
We depart mid-morning to take a short domestic flight to Montego Bay, where we connect with mid-day flights to the U.S., arriving on the east and west coasts this same evening.