Viamigo

The variety of landscapes in the Dominican Republic, from mountains at 10, 000 feet to a below sea-level salt lake, creates habitats for an interesting numbedr of birds. There are 31 endemic birds, mostof which can be seen in the southwest on a tour of about a week. Meeting in Santo Domingo, the oldest European city in the western hemisphere, we travel to the Sierra de Bahoruco. Our base for exploration is a newly opened camping area, with 6 enramadas for tents, a bath house, a dining pavilion and kitchen. This is a community based tourism development and local residents prepare our dinners. The trail from the campsite offers an opportunity to see many of the native birds. Then we spend a day exploring the higher elevations to seek the more elusive endemics. Another day we will travel to Pedernales on the southern edge of the national park. Lists of the birds, details of logistics are available on my web site.