Day 2     Dadanawa Ranch. Depart on a morning flight across the lush rainforest and extensive Rupununi Savannah, landing at Lethem in Southern Guyana.  Here you will meet your guide, Duane DeFreitas, an experienced adventurer and naturalist.  You will travel southward by 4x4, breaking the journey at several places to look for birds including some marshy ponds near a Makusi Village and Mountain Point, a private residence in the vastness of the Rupununi Savannahs.  This little oasis is surrounded by the tawny grasses of the gently rolling savannah and the twisted, fire-blackened trunks of Curatella or "sandpaper" trees.  To the north, the view is dominated by the low peaks of the Kanuku Mountains and to the south by the steep peaks of two outlying mountains, Dukban and Shiriri. 

Afterwards, we will continue onwards to Dadanawa Ranch.  Near the ranch we will explore Towa Towan, a high, rounded outcrop of blackened granite with a Jabiru nest near the summit and a small pond at the base with dense mucca mucca, a giant Arum.  We will look for variety of species in the surrounding Curatella glades and in the late afternoon can expect to see an impressive number of Yellow-crowned Parrots coming in to roost.  As dusk turns to night, we are likely to find various species of nighthawks which could include Least, Lesser and Nacunda. Covering 1,700 square miles, Dadanawa Ranch is the largest ranch in Guyana.  It consists of a cluster of raised wooden buildings which are dominated by a towering Brazil nut tree and more or less surrounded by low gallery forest along the Rupununi River.  Overnight at Dadanawa Ranch. (B, L, D)

Day 3     Rupununi Savannah/Red Siskin. Leaving early morning, we will explore some of the ranch's outstations and several extraordinarily beautiful sites, with lightly forested mountainsides and high black domes.  We are likely to see a variety of raptors and other open-country birds which could include Savannah Hawk, Plumbeous Kite, Northern (Crested) Caracara, Brown-throated Parakeet, Yellow-breasted Flycatcher, Plain-crested Elaenia and Finsch’s Euphonia.

Our main objective, however, will be to locate the Red Siskin which has only recently been found in this area.  This stunningly beautiful bird was discovered in Guyana as recently as 2000 and the populations here are now regarded as some of the most important known of this highly endangered species. Depending on how long our search for the siskin takes, we may also have time to visit a "bush island," or isolated patch of heavier forest.  These forest patches are home to a different range of species and we may see Spotted Puffbird, Lineated Woodpecker, Black-crested Antshrike and White-bellied Antbird amongst others.  Overnight in hammock camp.  (B, L, D)

Day 4     Rupununi Savannah/Rupununi River. During the morning we will continue birding in the savannah before traveling back to the ranch for a well earned break. 

In the late afternoon, we will be birding in the low gallery forest along the Rupununi River where we will look for White-fringed Antwren, Bicoloured Wren, Tropical Gnatcatcher and Ashy-headed Greenlet, whilst along the river we should find various herons, hirundines and kingfishers.  Overnight at Dadanawa Ranch.  (B, L, D)

Day 5     Sand Creek/Crabwood Creek. We will leave early for the Amerindian village of Sand Creek and then embark on a 10-mile hike through the jungle to Crabwood Creek, birdwatching as we go.  Bullocks and staff will travel ahead of us with our gear and have a hammock camp prepared in the rainforest. Overnight in hammock camp.  (B, L, D)

Day 6     Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock Lek. This morning we hike through the jungle to a Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock lek.  We should see the males and, with luck, may even see them displaying. Overnight in hammock camp.  (B, L, D)

Day 7     Rupununi River/ Maparri River. Today we travel down the Rupununi River in small boats through the centre of the Kanuku Mountains.  Travelling this way gives us an excellent platform to look for birds and species we could encounter include Cocoi Heron, Green Ibis, Laughing Falcon, Drab Water-tyrant and Brown Jacamar.  Apart from the birds, there is the opportunity to look for Black Caiman, Giant River Otters as well as several species of monkeys.  Eventually we turn into the Maparri River, a tributary of the Rupununi that flows out of the Kanuku Mountains.  Maparri Wilderness Camp is set at the foot of a small waterfall and the area is rich in birdlife including Grey-winged Trumpeter, Collared Puffbird, Chestnut-rumped Woodcreeper, Wing-banded Antbird and Red-billed Pied Tanager.  Overnight at Maparri Wilderness Camp.  (B, L, D)

Day 8     Harpy Eagle Nest. We plan to drift along the river shortly after dawn listening to the birds awakening, which can be a very rewarding experience.  Additional species we could encounter include Cocoa Thrush, Chestnut Woodpecker and Purple-throated Fruitcrow. Later in the morning, we will trek through the forest to the site of an active Harpy Eagle nest.  An active nest almost ensures visitors see both the chick and an adult bird and over the years we have had a 100% success rate in seeing Harpy Eagle when we have an active nest.  Overnight at Maparri Wilderness Camp.  (B, L, D)

Day 9     Karanambu Ranch. This morning we break camp early and travel back down the Maparri River into the Rupununi River and continue on downstream.  The river abruptly leaves the rainforest of the Kanuku Mountains and enters the open savannah of the North Rupununi, where we may see birds such as Capped Heron, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Black-collared Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Jabiru, Green Kingfisher and Swallow-wing.  Black Caiman are quite common here and there is also the chance of Giant River Otters.

Our destination will be Karanambu Ranch which is the home of Diane McTurk, widely known for her work rehabilitating orphaned Giant River Otters back into the wild.  Diane and her otters have appeared on National Geographic, the Jeff Corwin Experience, the Really Wild Show (BBC) and the Calgary's "Zoo World".  Karanambu has a long history of visiting naturalists and Diane's father, Tiny McTurk, has welcomed David Attenborough and Gerald Durrell (Three Singles to Adventure) amongst others. 

There may be time for some birding late in the afternoon at the ranch where we could find Tropical Screech Owl, Dusky Antbird and Burnished-buff Tanager.  An evening walk along the nearby airstrip offers the chance of seeing at least six species of nightjar including Nacunda, Lesser and Least Nighthawks and among the grasslands, the Double-striped Thick-knee. Overnight at Karanambu Ranch.  (B ,L, D)

Day 10   Karanambu Ranch/Georgetown. This morning we will explore the Rupununi River close to Karanambu where there are a number of interesting species including what is surely the oddest-looking member of the cotinga family, the Capuchinbird.  There are at least two leks of this coffee-coloured bird relatively close to the lodge and we may well be able to visit one of these display areas, where it is possible to get great looks as the males seek to attract females with their weird, almost cow-like, song. Other species we might find include Rufescent Tiger-heron, Aplomado Falcon, Green-tailed Jacamar, Black-chinned Antbird, White-headed Marsh-tyrant and Finsch’s Euphonia.

After lunch we will take a flight back to Georgetown and enjoy an afternoon tour of Georgetown to see its beautiful wooden architecture and to shop in its exciting markets and craft shops.  We will conclude our birding at the extensive and beautiful Botanical Gardens, where the trip's ornithological finale will hopefully be the Blood-coloured Woodpecker, an astonishingly colourful Veniliornis found only in the Guianas and even there almost wholly limited to the narrow coastal plain.  Overnight at Cara Lodge.  (B, L, D)

Day 11   Depart Guyana. Transfer by vehicle to Guyana's international airport for your departing flight. (B)