Birdquest Evaluations (1 Viewer)

Gordon · Apr 7, 2018

"I can deduce who the tour guide was on this tour. (He does not post on this forum by the way). I have been on a tour with him as well. Of all the guides I have toured with, I would rank him last in terms of enthusiasm. I felt he really made the tour a grind rather than a joy..."
I think I too can deduce the leader in question and couldn't disagree more. Brilliant birder, great attitude..... Goes to show....it takes all sorts!!.

simmojunior · Apr 8, 2018

This thread rather sums up why I do things independently or with friends rather than go on scheduled tours. This is not to criticise any company but if I had spent loads of money on a tour, I'd want to be birding dawn until dusk. I would not mind being left alone in the forest as this would be a great opportunity to find my own birds. I would rather cheaper hotels to save money and would not appreciate lengthy lunch breaks.

My priorities are therefore very different from Ann's so if we both booked on the same tour, it is very difficult to see how we could both get the trip we wanted out of it. I think the risk one or more participants' differing priorities could ruin the trip for me is too great given the costs involved. I appreciate different companies aim for different places on the scale of "hardcoreness" but you can never tell who is going to book on.

etudiant · Apr 9, 2018

simmojunior said:
This thread rather sums up why I do things independently or with friends rather than go on scheduled tours. This is not to criticise any company but if I had spent loads of money on a tour, I'd want to be birding dawn until dusk. I would not mind being left alone in the forest as this would be a great opportunity to find my own birds. I would rather cheaper hotels to save money and would not appreciate lengthy lunch breaks.

My priorities are therefore very different from Ann's so if we both booked on the same tour, it is very difficult to see how we could both get the trip we wanted out of it. I think the risk one or more participants' differing priorities could ruin the trip for me is too great given the costs involved. I appreciate different companies aim for different places on the scale of "hardcoreness" but you can never tell who is going to book on.

Would it help if the industry agreed on a 'hardcoreness' rating scheme?

Group travel is often the only option, as driving alone in a foreign language jurisdiction can easily get complicated. However, not everyone is a hard core birder, many just enjoy nature and are quite happy to smell the flowers along the way. So group dynamics matter a lot, setting the tone and the pace. This is where the group leader really earns his keep, because a multi week trip with incompatible people is no fun unless there is an effective leader to ensure all voices are heard.

Andy Adcock · Apr 9, 2018

etudiant said:
Would it help if the industry agreed on a 'hardcoreness' rating scheme?

Group travel is often the only option, as driving alone in a foreign language jurisdiction can easily get complicated. However, not everyone is a hard core birder, many just enjoy nature and are quite happy to smell the flowers along the way. So group dynamics matter a lot, setting the tone and the pace. This is where the group leader really earns his keep, because a multi week trip with incompatible people is no fun unless there is an effective leader to ensure all voices are heard.

Regular birders, are aware of the schedule and time dedicated to birding, provided by the likes of Birdquest, the ratings they give relate only to difficulty of terrain. People should know that they will be in for long days.

Regardless of the quality of the guide, if seven people have paid £5K to see as many birds as possible on a fairly demanding schedule and one person is unhappy, what can the leader do? The others, will certainly not want to compromise on time spent birding so that one person who didn't understand the nature of the tour, can have a sleep or a cultural diversion.

Most regular contributors will know that I can be a bit fractious and I completely admire the guides who have to treat demanding, fussy and yes, unreasonable customers, like royalty, I for one, could not do it!

A

Jim M. · Apr 9, 2018

simmojunior said:
My priorities are therefore very different from Ann's so if we both booked on the same tour, it is very difficult to see how we could both get the trip we wanted out of it.

[FONT=&quot] I think this thread is overstating the difficulties in this respect. On most well-run tours, it will be feasible for the less gung ho participants to opt out of portions of the days schedule, or choose less strenuous activities. E.g., rather than going on a pre-breakfast walk for nocturnal birds, they can sleep in; or rather than a strenuous afternoon walk in hot weather, they can relax at the lodge. However, logistics may make this difficult in some circumstances, which likely created the problems for the original poster. Personally, I have only found the conflict between gung ho and the more leisure-oriented birders to create difficulties on one of the tours I have participated in[/FONT]

Warixenjalka · Apr 10, 2018

I haven't been in CR or even any Birdquest trips so I can't give any comment about those. But if you say like you say this:

Big_Blue said:
And with that, I think I've had it with this discussion group! You people are enough to kill anyone's interest in birdwatching!

You have to ask yourself are you really interested of birds at all? Why birdwatching is your hobby? Because it's so "hip & pop" (Is it?)? Because other people are do in it? Do you do it for other birders?
If other birders doesn't share your opinion in some thing it's not a good reason to stop birdwatching. But what do I know about on the social side of birdwatchin? - I'm a Finn. |>|

kb57 · Apr 10, 2018

Warixenjalka said:
If other birders doesn't share your opinion in some thing it's not a good reason to stop birdwatching. |>|

Agree - I can see why the OP might abandon Bird Forum, which on balance hasn't validated her experiences, but not birding itself.

I don't really see birding as a social activity either - although I'm not antisocial, I haven't built up the birding related social network I had as a birding teenager, when I attended club meetings and organised group outings. Of course we didn't call it a 'social network' then, as knowing people in 'real life' and talking to them was more normal in those days...

I've never been to CR either, or anywhere in the Neotropics for that matter. I prefer to bird alone or with my wife, we like to organise our own travel, and we generally aren't fond of organised group activities. I could however see the attraction in a place like CR where I had zero experience of its avifauna, or where independent travel was very difficult or dangerous. But the OP stated she has travelled their several times already, even offering advice on another thread. In this context, the choice of a packed itinerary with what would most likely be a bunch of Brits prone to excitement over wintering Parulid warblers does seem unfortunate.

Andy Adcock · Apr 10, 2018

kb57 said:
Agree - I can see why the OP might abandon Bird Forum, which on balance hasn't validated her experiences, but not birding itself.

I don't really see birding as a social activity either - although I'm not antisocial, I haven't built up the birding related social network I had as a birding teenager, when I attended club meetings and organised group outings. Of course we didn't call it a 'social network' then, as knowing people in 'real life' and talking to them was more normal in those days...

I've never been to CR either, or anywhere in the Neotropics for that matter. I prefer to bird alone or with my wife, we like to organise our own travel, and we generally aren't fond of organised group activities. I could however see the attraction in a place like CR where I had zero experience of its avifauna, or where independent travel was very difficult or dangerous. But the OP stated she has travelled their several times already, even offering advice on another thread. In this context, the choice of a packed itinerary with what would most likely be a bunch of Brits prone to excitement over wintering Parulid warblers does seem unfortunate.

The option for any individual so inclined, is to hire a driver and local guides on a daily basis for the duration of a trip. This way, you can tailor the trip to your precise requirements with no concerns about clashing with others - easy.

A

etudiant · Apr 11, 2018

All considered, I think the OP and the subsequent discussion have firmly cemented the public image of BirdQuest as 'hardcore'.
Perhaps the firm should consider using the OP in their next marketing campaign to make it 'official'. o

Warixenjalka · Apr 11, 2018

etudiant said:
All considered, I think the OP and the subsequent discussion have firmly cemented the public image of BirdQuest as 'hardcore'.
Perhaps the firm should consider using the OP in their next marketing campaign to make it 'official'. o

:t:

kb57 · Apr 11, 2018

andyadcock said:
The option for any individual so inclined, is to hire a driver and local guides on a daily basis for the duration of a trip. This way, you can tailor the trip to your precise requirements with no concerns about clashing with others - easy.

A

I was trying to be polite to the OP in using the word 'unfortunate'...feel free to substitute alternative terms

etudiant said:
All considered, I think the OP and the subsequent discussion have firmly cemented the public image of BirdQuest as 'hardcore'.
Perhaps the firm should consider using the OP in their next marketing campaign to make it 'official'. o

It certainly hasn't done them any harm! Knowing where you stand in the market is important for any business, then communicating that clearly to those prospective customers who will value the type of service you offer.

jurek · Apr 11, 2018

etudiant said:
I think the OP and the subsequent discussion have firmly cemented the public image of BirdQuest as 'hardcore'.
Perhaps the firm should consider using the OP in their next marketing campaign to make it 'official'. o

Ask Jos or Rgallardy what is hardcore...

Gordon · Apr 11, 2018

jurek said:
Ask Jos or Rgallardy what is hardcore...

Agreed.

The BirdQuest Costa Rica tour in question is not "hardcore".

Jos Stratford · Apr 11, 2018

jurek said:
Ask Jos or Rgallardy what is hardcore...

THIS?

lewis20126 · Apr 11, 2018

No direspect to Jos, but the most hardcore birding trip Ive read recently was Ros Galardy's Snow Mountain Robin hike. Makes me scared, just reading it. I'm not sure Big Blue will be following in his footsteps anytime soon..

Cheers,a

Andy Adcock · Apr 11, 2018

Gordon said:
Agreed.

The BirdQuest Costa Rica tour in question is not "hardcore".

Nowhere near

Even I have done some pretty tough stuff in the last ten years, CR is almost like watching a birdfeeder! Try some of the Philippine sites or Cambodian Laughingthrush trek or 300K, on foot, in the Himalayas.............

The only challenge in CR is the hours, not enough in a day!!!!

A

temmie · Apr 11, 2018

Ask Shackleton, von Humbold, Wallace, Vladimir Dinets, ... what is hardcore. Heck, most stuff mammal watchers do is much more hardcore than 99% of birdwatchers. I must admit I didn't do much night birding on my latest trips as I now enjoy sleeping more on birding trips than at home with two young kids (now that is hardcore! Try birdwatching with a shouting and crying toddler after some nights with no sleep!).
The problem with Costa Rica is that some of the most-wanted birds are seen at night like Unspotted Saw-whet Owl.
What still bothers me is that big blue has gone now because this forum doesn't seem like a place where feedback and opinions about tour companies is received well. I feel this kind of feedback is maybe sometimes one-sided and unfounded, but the more opinions, the more balanced it could be.

Andy Adcock · Apr 11, 2018

temmie said:
Ask Shackleton, von Humbold, Wallace, Vladimir Dinets, ... what is hardcore. Heck, most stuff mammal watchers do is much more hardcore than 99% of birdwatchers. I must admit I didn't do much night birding on my latest trips as I now enjoy sleeping more on birding trips than at home with two young kids (now that is hardcore! Try birdwatching with a shouting and crying toddler after some nights with no sleep!).
The problem with Costa Rica is that some of the most-wanted birds are seen at night like Unspotted Saw-whet Owl.
What still bothers me is that big blue has gone now because this forum doesn't seem like a place where feedback and opinions about tour companies is received well. I feel this kind of feedback is maybe sometimes one-sided and unfounded, but the more opinions, the more balanced it could be.

Sorry Temmie, don't agree.

Nobody is more anti tour company than me for so many reasons, I don't generally defend them but I just found the OP to be completely out of touch.

Mr Dinets, the naked Russian, seriously, this was his tip for success in the forest, walk naked.....anyone else tried it?

A

temmie · Apr 12, 2018

I am not anti anything, and I feel that everybody has the right to share his opinion, respectfully. The discussion here sadly went in offensive and personal mode and while I realize it's hard to avoid this because this is about a personal experience, we should still strive for respectful discussions.
Vladimir is a nice guy and shares a lot of info. Inspirational guy for sure.

Andy Adcock · Apr 12, 2018

temmie said:
I am not anti anything, and I feel that everybody has the right to share his opinion, respectfully. The discussion here sadly went in offensive and personal mode and while I realize it's hard to avoid this because this is about a personal experience, we should still strive for respectful discussions.
Vladimir is a nice guy and shares a lot of info. Inspirational guy for sure.

I haven't heard anything from him for ten years or more?

A

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