2024 was a blast! See you in 2025? Hope you can join us next time.
Santo Domingo is the site of the oldest European city in the New World, and the capital city of the Dominican Republic. The country occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, the second largest island in the Greater Antilles. Dominated by the highest mountains in the Caribbean and ringed by a startlingly beautiful coastline, this varied landscape is home to no fewer than thirty-two endemic bird species, including Palmchat, the single representative of the monotypic family Dulidae and two species of Todies. Our search for the endemics and regional specialties will take us to the cloud forest, pine savannahs, and thorn scrub of the rugged Sierra de Bahoruco, as well as to the bizarre cactus forest of the Lago Enriquillo basin, which is home to Palm and White-necked Crows, American Flamingos, and various species of herons, shorebirds, and waterfowl. A side trip to the very different north shore of the island will allow us to look for the extremely rare Ridgway’s Hawk in lush limestone karst forest. Our visit to the Dominican Republic will be enriched by the gracious hospitality of its people and their excellent Caribbean-style cuisine.