The fast, jumbled song of a Marmora s Warbler often alerts you to its presence a speciality of Corsica Brian Small, Limosa

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1 Corsica THE SCENTED ISLE The fast, jumbled song of a Marmora s Warbler often alerts you to its presence a speciality of Corsica Brian Small, Limosa 2017 Sunday 14th - Sunday 21st May (8 days) Small group tour with Brian Small Discover the bird-rich mountains and coasts of this magnificently scenic Mediterranean island - at the loveliest time of the year. Specialities include the endemic Corsican Nuthatch and Corsican Finch, Lammergeier, and Marmora s and Moltoni s Warblers. In May, Corsica can be a hotspot for bird migration too, while its wild and unspoilt landscapes also harbour many orchids - and endemic butterflies on the wing include Corsican Dappled White and Corsican Swallowtail. Beautiful and spectacularly scenic Mediterranean island, rich in wildlife The endemic Corsican Nuthatch and Corsican Finch Lammergeier, Audouin s Gull, Scops Owl, Marmora s and Moltoni s Warblers Mountains, coastal wetlands and rugged Cap Corse - a hotspot for bird migration Seabirds, raptors, waders and passerine migrants on the move In May, Corsican Swallowtail, Corsican Heath, Corsican Red Underwing Skipper 4 nights at a mountain hotel in the stunning Restonica valley 3 nights at a good hotel on the coast near Bastia, on the Cap Corse peninsula Small group tour expertly led by Limosa's Brian Small, making his fifth visit to Corsica What's Included? Limosa Tour Leader Flights - direct from London Gatwick to Bastia (Corsica) 7 nights accommodation in Corsica, at comfortable hotels near Corte and Bastia All main meals included - with water provided during the day All local travel, entry fees, airport taxes and tour based tips LIMOSA HOLIDAYS, West End Farmhouse, Chapelfield, Stalham, Norfolk NR12 9EJ (UK) TEL: +44 (0) info@limosaholidays.co.uk WEB: limosaholidays.co.uk

2 Outline Itinerary Day 1: Days 2-4: Days 5-7: Day 8: Tour Overview Fly London Gatwick-Bastia. Transfer to our first hotel, in the beautiful Restonica Valley near Corte (4 nts) We explore the mountains and forests of central Corsica We change hotels to explore the east coast and northern Cap Corse Peninsula. Bastia (3 nts) Fly Bastia-London Gatwick Corsica - the Scented Isle - is one of the most rugged and mountainous of all Mediterranean islands, and still largely untouched by tourist development. From the clear, deep blue seas of the coast, up through the lush green forests of the lower slopes to the white snow-capped peaks of its 3000-metre mountains, the island offers a superb variety of scenery and wildlife. Much of the northern half of Corsica has been declared a National Park - just recognition for its stunning scenery, amazing birdlife and rich natural history. The island s long isolation from mainland Europe has resulted in a high incidence of endemism in its flora and fauna. Our May tour is carefully timed both to maximise the variety of birds and other wildlife we should see - and to take advantage of the season's first direct flights from London to Bastia. Possible butterflies include Corsican Swallowtail and Corsican Red Underwing Skipper, and wildflowers can also be superb at this season with more than 15 species of orchid to look for. We begin our tour in the central mountains, seeking the endemic Corsican Nuthatch and Corsican Finch the former is restricted to Corsica's ancient pine forests; the latter rather more widespread on the island. Our base for the first four nights is a family-run hotel at the start of the enchanting Restonica Gorge, in the heart of the picturesque Corsica National Park. Scops Owls call from the trees around our hotel, which makes the perfect base from which to search for high-level specialities such as Lammergeier, Golden Eagle, Alpine Swift, Blue Rock Thrush and Alpine Chough. Red Kites are everywhere and we will also enjoy the recently split Italian Sparrow. Descending to Corsica's northeast coast for the second part of our holiday, we will search for Audouin s Gull and Scopoli s Shearwater around the shore, plus an excellent range of other Mediterranean birds - from exotic Beeeaters to Moltoni s Warbler (another recent taxonomic split from Subalpine Warbler) and Woodchat Shrike with its badius form that is unique to the region. Included in our itinerary is a visit to the island s most important wetland, the Étang de Biguglia, which can hold numbers of herons, waders, gulls and warblers in May. May is also a prime time for migrants passing through Corsica. Most choose to avoid the mountainous interior and instead skirt along the island s spectacular coast - so at Bastia, we shall be ideally placed to encounter some of these. Cap Corse to the north happens to be one of the best migration watchpoints in the western Mediterranean. Our previous visits here have turned up a superb array of grounded migrants, as well as the resident Marmora s Warbler - another warbler split, with those occurring on Corsica now being recognised as a distinct species to that found in the Balearic Islands. Join us in May and let us introduce you to the breathtakingly beautiful island of Corsica, on a two-centre tour that s designed to show you the very best of island's birds and wildlife - at the loveliest time of year! Daily Itinerary Day 1 FLY BASTIA, TRANSFER TO CORTE Our spring birdwatching tour to Corsica begins with a morning flight from London Gatwick direct to Bastia, on the island's northeast coast. We make the scenic 90-minute drive to Corte, Corsica s ancient capital, where we spend our first four nights info@limosaholidays.co.uk

3 Our hotel is ideally situated, being close to some of the best mountain habitats and right at the heart of the beautiful Corsica National Park. Night Corte Days 2-4 CENTRAL MOUNTAINS: RESTONICA, PONT DE VECCHIO & ASCO VALLEYS Awaking to our first full day in the lovely mountains, a stroll along the road first thing should reveal plenty of bird song from a suite of exciting birds. Amongst the more familiar avian voices, Wren, Spotted Flycatcher (of a special race tyrrhenica that again is likely to be treated as a new species in the near future) and Great Spotted Woodpecker all have distinctive local forms (with its buff underparts, the latter being particularly attractive), whilst the likes of Serin, Cirl Bunting and Firecrest add to the enjoyment. Our first few days on this most rugged of Mediterranean islands will be spent exploring Restonica Gorge and other river-carved valleys and gorges. But don t worry - walking is easy and our vehicles take the strain of getting us to the heads of the valleys, where we search for upland specialities such as the scarce Lammergeier, Golden Eagle and Alpine Chough. We ll also be keeping a keen ear out for the chorus of bird calls which can herald the approach of mixed flocks of warblers, tits and crests, as such parties often hold the endemic Corsican Nuthatch. This engaging little bird often announces its appearance with a bubbling call and is closely associated with ancient forests of Corsican Pine. The endemic Corsican Finch is also found here and is now recognised as a full species (having been split from the Citril Finch of mainland Europe). This brown-backed finch is not uncommon in Corsica's open woodlands and scrubby hillsides, and we should enjoy some good close views during our stay. Red Kites patrol the skies and these gorges are also home to fizzing Black Redstarts, stunning Blue Rock Thrushes, Raven and the ever-elusive Corsican form of Common Crossbill. In the evenings, Scops Owls call from the trees around our hotel. Roadside verges in the mountains are often home to orchids and a host of other plants and butterflies, including a number of endemics. Another prime area for birds is the lovely Asco Valley, with its beautiful alpine meadows. Ironically, the forests of Corsican Pine may seem strangely familiar, as this form of the widespread Black Pine is the one most frequently planted in Britain. Except here, the pines rise sentinel-like to towering heights. We have another chance to find Corsican Nuthatch and other of Corsica s higher altitude species, and we ll be careful not to dismiss the 'buzzards' in this area as Honey Buzzards may be seen as well as Common Buzzards. Dippers frequent the mountain streams, Alpine Swifts are common and the attractive Red-rumped Swallow is occasionally seen. We should find Peregrine and Crag Martin too, along with the local Corsican races of Treecreeper and Coal, Blue and Great Tits. Three nights Corte Days 5-7 BASTIA (EAST COAST), ETANG DE BIGUGLIA & CAP CORSE After an enjoyable four-night stay at Corte, we leave the mountains and travel down to Bastia, on the island s east coast. Our journey will take in some of the coastal wetlands further south. These marshes and lagoons often hold a few waders in spring and we ll watch for Redcrested Pochard, Purple Heron and Marsh Harrier as well as passing migrants. Located on the island's northeast coast, the Étang de Biguglia is Corsica s premier wetland site, a coastal lagoon that holds good numbers of Zitting Cisticolas (or Fan-tailed Warbler in 'old money') as well as Cetti s, Great Reed and Reed Warblers. Other birds we should see in this area include egrets and herons, grebes, Bee-eaters and Stone-curlew. Marsh Harriers float overhead and, if we are lucky, we might find Night Heron or Little Bittern. In spring, passage waders can include Grey Plover, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper and Ruff, pausing on their annual migration between Africa and northern Eurasia. The attractive Audouin s Gull is increasing in the Mediterranean and regularly recorded, while migrant Gull-billed Terns and the scarce but rosy Slender-billed Gull are also possible. Drier coastal areas may produce Cirl Buntings, with their dry rattling song so characteristic of the region, as well as Hoopoe, Spotless Starling info@limosaholidays.co.uk

4 and Corsican Woodchat Shrike (subspecies badius). Inland of the coast, the abundant and heavily-scented maquis that covers much of the island s lower slopes gives rise to Corsica's nickname - 'the Scented Isle' - and is home to a quartet of furtive Mediterranean warblers: Marmora s, Dartford, Sardinian and Moltoni s, with the first and last of these having very restricted ranges in the Mediterranean. On one day, we ll drive out to Cap Corse, the northernmost tip of the island, in search of migrants and passing seabirds. This is one of the best migration watchpoints in France and, if conditions are right, impressive numbers of birds can be held up here on their journey across the Mediterranean. Past tour highlights here have included Montagu s Harrier, Red-footed Falcon, Wryneck and hundreds of Whinchats and other passerines. If we haven t managed to see one before, Cap Corse is also a good spot to find the skulking Marmora s Warbler. With patience, we should eventually be rewarded with fine views as the local pair pop-up to check out the latest Limosa group! While for those with a wider interest in natural history, there are several species of orchids to look for, too. Three nights Bastia Day 8 FLY LONDON We catch the morning flight from Bastia direct to London Gatwick, where our spring birding tour to Corsica concludes. Accommodation 7 nights accommodation at two good hotels on Corsica, commencing with 4 nights at a beautifully located hotel in the stunning Restonica Valley near Corte, followed by 3 nights at a hotel near the coast south of Bastia - within a short distance of the Réserve Naturelle de l'étang de Biguglia. All rooms are en suite. Meals All main meals included in the price, commencing with lunch in Corsica on Day 1 and concluding with breakfast at the hotel on Day 8. The hotel at Corte doesn't do evening meals so we take our dinners there at a local restaurant (just 100m away), where the traditional Corsican cuisine is excellent. Picnic lunches are made with fresh local produce purchased daily from a local store. Walking Easy. Gentle walks over easymoderate terrain. Comfy walking shoes or lightweight boots. Weather Mediterranean climate. Expect a mix of sunshine and showers in spring, averaging warmer and drier at the coast, cooler and wetter in the mountains. In May, temperatures are typically in the range 15-25C (59-77F); occasional cold spells in the mountains are normally short-lived at this time of year. Flights Our tour is timed to take advantage of the direct scheduled flights from London Gatwick-Bastia, which run once a week with Easyjet from mid-may. Ground Transport By minibus. Trip Information Group Limit 7 participants & 1 leader Birds species Butterflies species, including Cleopatra and several Corsican endemics. Previously we have seen Corsican Dappled White, Corsican Heath, Corsican Swallowtail, Corsican Wall Brown (common) and Corsican Red Underwing Skipper info@limosaholidays.co.uk

5 Tour Cost 2017 (8 days): 1795 (inc flights from London) Land only: 1645 Deposit: 300 Single Supp: 195 Cost includes Services of expert Limosa guide; scheduled return flights London Gatwick-Bastia (Corsica); 7 nights accommodation on Corsica; all main meals (with water provided); minibus transport; all entry fees, tour based tips and airport taxes; map and Limosa checklist of birds & butterflies. Cost excludes Insurance, drinks, airport meals/snacks & other items of a personal nature. Financial Security Limosa Holidays is a fully bonded Tour Operator and a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO). We hold an ATOL (Air Tour Operators Licence) granted by the CAA, providing for your protection in the event of Limosa Holidays' insolvency. Our licence number is ATOL For tours not including the cost of a flight from the UK or for holidays booked by you as Land Only, all payments made to us are fully bonded through the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT). Our ABTOT membership number is For details please see our brochure or website: About Your Guides Brian Small Brian lives in Suffolk with his wife and their teenage son. A teacher for 11 years, since 2013 he has worked full time for Limosa, guiding tours and as operations and media manager in the Limosa office. Brian has travelled widely around the globe and is the inspiration behind a growing number of Limosa tours, including Switzerland, Portugal and Madeira, Kuwait, India for Tigers, and Brazil. He regularly guides our BirdWalks in Norfolk and Suffolk, too. Brian is an accomplished bird artist and his current projects include work on major new guides to birds in Brazil and various parts of Africa. Happily, he has lately recovered from a previous affliction that saw him sifting through gull flocks on the local pig fields (something of a solitary occupation we re told, though in 2016 he found a Thayer s Gull!) and he now concentrates on working his local patch at Southwold and Walberswick, on the Suffolk coast, searching especially for migrants. Brimming with infectious enthusiasm, Brian has been guiding our tours since 2002 and soon acquired his own Limosa fan club. The lure of unspoilt Corsica with its special birds and butterflies takes Brian back there for his fifth visit in 2017! Limosa Loyalty Discount We are proud of the number of loyal customers who travel regularly with us. As our way of saying thank you, we offer a Frequent Travel Discount. Under the scheme, everyone who takes four trips with us is entitled to claim a 5% discount on their 5th trip *1. Remember to request your discount at time of booking! *1 Please note: This offer applies to the basic tour cost only and excludes certain commissionbased trips, extras such as additional flights, private extensions and cancellations. Discounts cannot be given in lieu of tour deposits or off the cost of single room supplements. How To Book Check availability on our website or with our office. We are happy to hold Provisional Reservations for up to 7 days. After this, we do require a Booking Form and deposit to confirm your place on tour. Any unconfirmed space will be released. Book Online, by Phone or by Post You can book and pay the deposit simply and securely Online via our website, using the Book This Tour button on the relevant tour page or the Booking tab at the top of the page info@limosaholidays.co.uk

6 Telephone bookings must be confirmed in writing by completion of a Booking Form (there's one tucked inside every brochure or as a PDF download from our website), which can be mailed to us in the time honoured way. Be sure to read our Booking Conditions and General Information (found at the back of our brochure, on our website or available from our office on request) prior to booking. When to Book Early booking is advised since flights and accommodation are much more easily secured well in advance. To encourage early booking, we are pleased to offer an Early Bird Discount - see our current brochure or website for details. Our tours are limited to small group sizes. So they can fill up quickly - sometimes even before our new brochure comes out! Single rooms in particular can often be in short supply and among the first to go, so do try to plan well ahead if you definitely require one of these. Last-minute Bookings: We inevitably receive a few unexpected cancellations over the course of a season so it is always worth enquiring about vacancies on any tour - even for those departing in just a few weeks! Payments The amount of booking deposit per person is shown alongside every tour. We accept deposit payments by debit card, cheque (payable to Limosa Holidays and drawn on a UK bank in GB Pounds Sterling) and BACS (please ask for our bank details). We also accept Visa and MasterCard credit cards, with no transaction charge on payment of tour deposits. Full payment of the balance is due not later than 12 weeks prior to departure (20 weeks in the case of certain tours such as cruises or those involving rail travel). We will send you an invoice before the balance is due. We accept payment for balances (and interim payments) by cheque, BACS or UK debit card. We also accept balances (and interim payments) by credit card or overseas debit card but with a charge of 2.5% of the transaction amount to help offset card company charges. [Note that we do not retain your card details, which are destroyed once used. This means we may need to phone you again for details for subsequent payments.] Payment by overseas customers must be in GB Pounds Sterling and may be made by transfer to our bank (please ask for our bank details), or by overseas debit or credit card with a 2.5% transaction charge. Please note we do not accept cheques on US Banks in US Dollars, or cheques in Euros or Eurocheques. Late Booking Payments: In order for us to guarantee your airline seats, hotels etc., full payment is required at time of booking for all late bookings (i.e. bookings made within 12 weeks of departure). Other Things You Need To Know Passports & Visas All participants must be in possession of a valid passport. For UK passport holders, your passport must be valid for the proposed duration of your stay. Although no additional period of validity beyond this is required, when travelling anywhere overseas we always recommend that your passport has a minimum of 6 months left to run after your intended date of return home in case of unforeseen delay. VISA NOT REQUIRED by UK passport holders for Corsica (France). Holders of non-uk passports should contact the nearest French embassy or consulate to enquire whether or not they require a visa. If a visa is required, you need to apply locally. If the embassy or consulate requires you to provide a letter confirming that you are booked on an allinclusive tour, please contact our office and we will be happy to provide one. Health & Vaccinations info@limosaholidays.co.uk

7 Compulsory vaccinations: None. Recommended vaccinations: For travel everywhere (even within the UK) however, we recommend you check you are up-to-date with protection against tetanus, polio and hepatitis A. The above information, together with that contained within our Travel Information sheets (sent to everyone who books), outlines health requirements for this tour. Please note that these details are given for guidance only - and are only for certain diseases - and you must consult your doctor in good time prior to travel as to what immunisations (if any) are needed for your chosen holiday. For full and up-to-date health information we urge everyone to consult The National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website prior to booking any overseas holiday. NaTHNaC is funded by the UK Government s Health Protection Agency and provides health information for both health professionals and travellers, with information compiled by its own clinical and scientific team. You can search for individual country requirements, which are updated regularly. Your Safety & Travel Advice An unavoidable aspect of travelling abroad nowadays is the risk it may pose to your safety and security. The best advice on current risks is provided by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). In order to assess and protect against any risks in your chosen destination we strongly recommended that you refer to the relevant FCO Travel Advice - both prior to booking and regularly before you travel. See It is standard Limosa policy for our office to send a copy of the relevant FCO Travel Advice about the tour to all participants along with their Final Letter (ca. 2-3 weeks prior to the trip). Travel Aware - staying safe and healthy abroad - is a travel safety campaign run by the FCO, and another useful resource. Go to: Travel Insurance Good travel insurance is essential before setting off on any overseas trip. In common with all responsible tour operators, it is a condition of booking that all clients are fully and adequately insured before travelling overseas with us. Your travel insurance should cover against cancellation, curtailment, missed departure, delay, personal accident, death, loss of baggage and valuables (see note below), personal liability and legal expenses. Most importantly, your insurance must cover you fully in respect of medical care and repatriation should you become too ill to continue with the tour, including the cost of emergency evacuation by helicopter or air ambulance should this be necessary. Note that passenger liability insurance covering the transportation that we hire may be inadequate; it is therefore important that your insurance cover includes sufficient provision for your dependents in the event of an accident. We recommend that you obtain travel insurance as soon as possible after booking your holiday to ensure you are protected right from the word go in the event of unexpected cancellation prior to departure due to accident or illness. You must inform your insurers of any pre-existing medical conditions (including those of persons not necessarily travelling but upon whom your holiday may depend) that may require treatment during a period of overseas travel or might cause you to cancel the trip. Once you have arranged your insurance, please be sure to send us the following essential details: name and contact details of your insurance provider, your policy number, expiry date and your insurers 24hr Emergency Assistance number. Important Things to Note about Insurance Travel Insurance does not normally provide sufficient cover for valuable optical equipment, which is often best protected under your own household insurance policy. If in doubt ask your insurers for advice prior to travel. Most travel insurance policies limit the amount of cover, typically up to a maximum tour cost of info@limosaholidays.co.uk

8 5000 per person. If the tour you are booking exceeds this amount, additional cover can usually be provided upon payment of additional premium. We recommend all travellers check their individual policy limit to ensure the full cost of their holiday is covered. Arranging Your Insurance: due to UK Government legislation, under Financial Services Authority (FSA) regulations, we are not allowed to offer or recommend travel related insurance to customers. Premiums can vary widely according to your age, needs, health, choice of destination and other factors, while many people nowadays have Annual Travel Insurance cover. For these reasons, we leave you free to shop around and pick your own policy, one best suited to your own individual needs. reached by fax and . In the event we are unable to take your call, please leave a message on our answerphone (24 hrs) and our office will contact you as soon as we can. Thank you for your interest in our tours. We do hope that you will be able to join us - and we look forward to hearing from you again! CK General Information Our website gives easy access to detailed tour itineraries (Tour Info Packs), trip reports, trip photos and the latest Limosa News. Special Diets & Other Requests We pass on all such requests to the airlines, hotels and other suppliers, and do our best to ensure (but of course cannot guarantee) that your needs will be met. Please be sure to tell us about these (in as much detail as possible) at the time of booking, to allow good time to make the necessary arrangements. Smoking Almost all of our clients prefer a smoke-free environment. For the enjoyment and comfort of all, we ask that smokers refrain from smoking in proximity to the group and respect our NO SMOKING policy in the vehicle, at meal times and when watching wildlife. Any Questions? If you have any questions at any time, you ll find our office staff friendly, efficient, approachable - and just a phone call away, eager to assist you in every way. Our office is open hrs Mon-Fri, and can also be info@limosaholidays.co.uk