Lightweight clothing—especially light weight slacks—with neutral or earth tone colors (no bright colors or whites please, as they may alert the area’s shy, sharp-eyed birds to our presence, who they may fly away prematurely without giving us reasonably close or prolonged looks, which would be a shame).  Short sleeve shirts are fine.

Please also don a hat or cap with a visor or brim (again, no bright colors or whites), to avoid glare, water reflections and sunburn.

We discourage your wearing of shorts, skirts, bathing attire, or cutoff shirts that expose the mid-rift while on hikes or other outings due to the possible presence of biting insects and to avoid injuries if you stumble.

Weather—especially during the summer Monsoon season—is variable according to altitude. We may visit varying habitats and elevations on this excursion, ranging form Sea Level to 373 m / 1225’ at VBG and 617 m / 2025’ at Rancho Sanctuario.

Tropical weather is unpredictable at best, so be prepared for any contingency, knowing that at any time of year the weather can turn surprisingly wicked.  Please carry a light duty windbreaker and a fleece to provide comfort during a sudden downpour, and warmth during our mornings at altitude, especially during the summer monsoon season.  Cold fog may occur at the Military Macaw Sanctuary, as well, which is another reason to bring a light weight fleece with you on this excursion.  Better safe than sorry!

Sun Protection?

YES. Puerto Vallarta, its beaches and surrounding highlands are famous for their clear skies and sunny conditions. This is the “tropical sun” however, so those unaccustomed, beware! We will often be exposed to direct sunlight throughout most of the trip, except while riding in the vehicle, viewing the macaws from a special blind / viewing station in addition we will have cover while watching birds coming to the bird feeding station at VBG, and eating at Restaurants La Hacienda de Oro (VBG) or nearby Cafe Cañada Restaurant.

We recommended using sun screen with a minimum Sun Protection Factor of 30 (preferably 50 SPF or higher for lighter complexions) on your face and other exposed skin surfaces to avoiding sunburns, especially in the coastal environments we will be visiting by foot or vehicle.

Insect Repellent?

YES. Jejenes or “no-see-ums” are a possibility during still mornings, especially during the wet season, but mosquitos are not too much of a problem during the dry season (November-May).

Insect repellents containing DEET will vastly improve your outdoor comfort on this expedition.

Biting insects can seem almost absent on most of our regional expeditions, and for most of the daylight hours, but can appear unexpectedly, so be prepared by arming yourself with both knowledge and technology.

To be sure to avoid being bitten by black flies (i.e., “Jejenes” or “No-See-Ums”) or Mosquitoes, we recommended that you carry repellent with DEET as its active ingredient, applying it liberally on an impromptu basis to counter these blood suckers, while spraying your pant cuffs and socks for chiggers before every outing, regardless of the season.

You’ll be glad you did, especially during the wet season (June-October)!

Where chiggers are concerned—chiggers like and are spread by livestock—and livestock may be present in our area of coverage (but not at VBG). You may not even realize you’ve been bitten until 12-24 hours after exposure if you do not preempt by spraying your socks, shoes and pant cuffs; if you don’t and you are bitten (painless and unseen at first) it will be too late and the resultant delayed itching can be formidable.

Thankfully, chiggers are harmless and it’s easy to avoid chigger bites by applying repellents containing DEET, and spraying them liberally, as suggested, onto your pant cuffs, socks and shoes before every outing, regardless of the season.

We recommend a repellent that is sprayable via a non-aerosol propellent, since the pump style repellents may leak inside your daypack, potentially ruining your food, camera gear, or other often expensive equipment carried. Roll-on-style repellents do not efficiently cover your skin’s surface, nor your pant cuffs or socks, so you are discouraged from using them in favor of a propelled spray.

Bring your Camera Gear and Binoculars

It is assumed you have your own binoculars, as this is requisite to fully enjoy our outings!

If you are also an avid bird and / or wildlife photographer, BIM offers select Bird Photography Expeditions with world renowned photographer, writer, lecturer and bird tour leader Greg R. Homel, throughout Mexico… and the world, for that matter.

Please inquire if you are interested in learning more about our bird and wildlife photography-oriented expeditions, or take a look at our website.

Our day trips—unless otherwise specified as bird photography-centric—are focused on birding specifically, and photography as an exciting sidebar.

It goes without saying that where this excursion is concerned, once in a lifetime opportunities exist to photograph wild Military Macaws—in flight and perched or at their nest sites—sometimes at remarkably close range!  So bring your camera if you have one!

Vallarta Botanic Garden has scheduled feeding times for its bird feeder site, which provides equally excellent opportunities for bird photographers to photograph many normally furtive or canopy species with ease and below eye-level at its feeders.

Regardless of the venue, all tour participants should consider themselves encouraged to bring their cameras and practice this enjoyable pastime during any excursion.

Recommended equipment should include digital cameras with telephoto lenses equal to the equivalent of at least 400 mm or greater (in 35 mm terms) for your bird photography efforts to be worthwhile in the first place.  Bird photography tours aside, tripods are not recommended, since it’s reasonable to assume they may interfere with other participants’ freedom of mobility and our general logistics.

Most modern lenses and many of today’s cameras are equipped with motion countering technology, anyway, making a tripod unnecessary under the conditions we will be operating within.

Please don’t forget to bring extra batteries and memory cards specific to your camera brand, as well.

Lens tissue should also be considered requisite to keep your lenses clean or to wipe incidental water or sea spray off of their (and your binoculars’) objective elements, as environmental conditions are unpredictable in the often wild regions we will be visiting.  If you do not have “lens cleaning tissues,” don’t fret—in a pinch normal, one ply, unscented, napkins or toilet paper will work just as well as expensive lens tissue.

*Please inquire about loaner binoculars if you or one of your party does not have binoculars but would like to partake in this excursion.  We may have one or two available, free of charge, to lend you.  Apologies in advance if the loan binoculars are already claimed or unavailable for this tour.

What is this Expedition’s Level of Physical Difficulty?

Walking conditions here range from EASY (primarily) to MODERATE throughout the excursion.

Visitors on this lovely excursion will generally encounter easily negotiable trails and foot paths at both The Military Macaw Sanctuary and VBG (some, steep with ruts, gravel or rocky stretches, wet or muddy conditions, depending on recent weather).

You should be prepared for any contingency with good cheer and a spirit of adventure, while being aware that if you have to answer the call of nature when we are far from facilities, you may be relegated to using what we affectionately call the “green latrine.”

There is up to a 600 m / 1968’ potential altitudinal gain on this excursion so you should be prepared for this, though our vehicle will be doing most or all of the “climbing” and overland travel for you.

Trails in the core section of Vallarta Botanic Garden are partially Wheelchair Accessible.  They are not at the Military Macaw Sanctuary or other areas visited on this excursion.

*Please inquire with us as to the potentialities for handicapped participants.

If possible, we tend to adjust our walking pace to match the physical capabilities of each group.

In the event that two leaders will accompany your group (which is not guaranteed), it is possible that we will split the group to accommodate clients of varying physical capabilities.

If you have specific concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us in advance of your trip and we will do our best to provide you with accurate information pertinent to your specific needs, while advising you whether or not you would gain commensurately from the excursion you are contemplating.

What is Included on my Tour?

• • All Birding in Mexico excursions include one or more specialized, Government-certified (applicable to Alejandro Martinez, a Mexican Citizen, or other Mexican guides), bilingual guide(s)
• • Your guide(s) will carry their own private binoculars at all times during the tour, and where productive, a high quality spotting scope, as well
• • Complimentary Birding in Mexico checklists specific to the region will be handed out at your pickup point and an excellent regional field guide authored by Greg R. Homel will be offered for sale
• • Breakfast-snacks are included
• • Throughout this tour, all Rancho Sanctuario and Vallarta Botanic Garden and other entrance fees, complimentary snacks, fruit, purified water, and soft drinks are provided with pleasure, as is lunch, if specified in the itinerary
• • Private ground transportation with pickup and drop-off between Puerto Vallarta and all birding destinations is also included
• • For your safety and wellbeing a First aid kit is carried on all Birding in Mexico excursions
• • If you are not a Mexican Citizen, please carry a valid copy of or your actual Passport (or Passport Card) on all Birding in Mexico excursions, since occasional government or military  “Puestos” (road checks) may be encountered and require this.
• Mexican Citizens should have a valid government-issued identification with them, as well
• Also it is wise to bring sufficient cash and your ATM card (please know your PIN), to cover unexpected expenses in the event of an emergency