Gourmet Birds Destinations, Dates and Details, 2009

CYPRUS in April 21 to 28 April - £875.
One of our favourite holidays which we repeat each year, staying in Episkopi at Antony's Garden House. We plan to fly with Easy Jet from Gatwick, but at the time of writing Easy Jet hasn't published its April schedule. There are, of course, plenty of alternative carriers on this popular route. Expect lots of spring migrants, warm sunshine and Eleonora's falcons. Butterflies will include black-veined whites and the Paphos blue.

Notes

Booking flights
None of these holidays include flights: where possible, the best thing is to book them yourself over the Internet. (Check with me beforehand to get the precise details you need). When to book is debatable. Many flights get more expensive as the departure date gets closer, but sometimes (if the flight is still quite empty) the price drops. British Airways invariably has a sale in January, so this can be a good time to book BA flights; while I'm sure that next year's market will be very competitive, with some good deals available, even at the last minute.

Single rooms
No one hates single-room supplements more than me. In recent years I have tried to absorb them into the price of the holiday and not charged extra for them, but the flexibility to do this does depend on the destination. I always charge the minimum amount possible for the SRS; for Cyprus there is no SRS.

What the price does include
As is usual with GB trips, wine is included with both lunch and dinner. Lunch is usually a picnic with local produce.

Travel
We normally travel in self-drive minibuses that give us the flexibility needed for a good birdwatching holiday. In Cyprus it's impossible to hire minibuses, so we use two large 4x4s.

Insurance
Is not included: we expect you to have your own.

If you would like a detailed programme for any of these holidays, plus a more extensive species list, then please ask.