Watching wildlife across Europe and Africa in 2016

I have had another hectic year leading tours for Naturetrek, sometimes revisiting previous locations but also going to some new countries. I have already written blog posts about the first half of this year, including on The Gambia,  Tanzania, Jamaica, Romania and Iceland. More recently, I have returned to Ardnamurchan, in  the Scottish Highlands (August and October), been back to Iceland for the Autumn tours (September), made my first visit to Hungary (October) and returned to The Gambia for the third time this very month!

Sadly, the state of emergency in Ethiopia led to the cancellation of the "Best of Ethiopia" tour in November. These are very hard times and I feel desperately sorry for the local guides and drivers with whom we work. Ethiopia is an extraordinary country and the people deserve a much better future than that which currently confronts them.

I must once again express my appreciation to everyone who joined me on tour in 2016 - best wishes for your travels in 2017. And finally, a huge thank you to all the local leaders, drivers and staff who work so hard to make us welcome and to ensure that every tour is a success.

THE GAMBIA DECEMBER 2016

Pied Kingfisher

Variable Sunbird

Little Bee-eaters