Maritimes Nature Travel Club

MNTC birding in El Valle, Panama
El Valle, Panama - photo © 2005 by Richard Stern

Who Are We?

The Maritimes Nature Travel Club is a loose affiliation
of congenial people who enjoy traveling together. 

The word “club” is a bit of a misnomer, however.  
There is no actual organisation, hence no membership fees,
meetings, or other obligations. 

Our Previous Trips

Our Future Trips

About Us

Contact Us




Our Previous Trips:

Cuba 2000
Portugal 2002
Cuba 2003
Panama 2005
Mexico 2006
Turkey 2007
Brazil 2008
Cuba 2009
India 2010
Panama 2011
Turkey, Central & Eastern 2011
Yucatan, Mexico 2012
Ghana 2013
Peru 2013




1) - Cuba (east), April 2000  

(Click on the button to read the report).

Click Here for the Cuba Trip Report


Birding the hills above El Saltón; photo © Ken McKenna, 2000        Flowers at Pinares; photo © Blake Maybank, 2000
Birding the hills above El Saltón; photo © Ken McKenna, 2000                Flowers at Pinares; photo © Blake Maybank, 2000               


2) - Portugal (Évora & the Algarve), April 2002.

There is no trip report, but photos of the trip are available here.

The trip bird species list, in PDF format, is here.


Portuguese Castle. Photo copyright by Blake Maybank.         Red-legged Partridge. Photo copyright by Ian McLaren.  

Portuguese Castle,  photo © Blake Maybank, 2002                                                  Red-legged Partridge,  photo © Ian McLaren, 2002


3) - Cuba (east), April 2003

There is no trip report, but the itinerary was similar to the Cuba 2000 trip above.  

       
The trip bird species list, in PDF format, is here.


Mangrove Cuckoo. Photo copyright by Blake Maybank            Loggerhead Kingbird. Photo copyright by Ken McKenna.
     Mangrove Cuckoo.  photo © Blake Maybank, 2003                     Loggerhead Kingbird. photo © 2003 by Ken McKenna.


4) - Panama, March 2005.  

For our report, click on the following button.

Click Here for the Panama Trip Report


Birding in Playa Blanca, Panama,  photo © Richard Stern, 2005            Amazon Kingfisher.  Photo copyright by Richard Stern.
Birding in Playa Blanca, Panama,  photo © Richard Stern, 2005                     Amazon Kingfisher.  photo © Richard Stern, 2005       



 
5) - Western Mexico, January 2006.  

For our report, click on the following button.
 

Mexico Trip Report

An extensive collection of photos from the trip is located here.

San Sebastian del Oeste. photo © Blake Maybank, 2006                Heermann's Gull.  photo © Blake Maybank, 2006
San Sebastian del Oeste. photo © Blake Maybank, 2006                             Heermann's Gull.  photo © Blake Maybank, 2006                   




6) - Turkey (west), April-May 2007

The full list of bird species seen is available here, as a PDF file.

A collection of photos from the trip is viewable here.





White Stork making delivery.  Photo copyright Blake Maybank            Common Blue Butterfly (Polyommatus icarus). Photo copyright by Blake Maybank
White Stork after making a delivery.                                        Common Blue Butterfly (Polyommatus icarus)
photos 
© Blake Maybank 2007




7) - Brazil, mid-March through end of April 2008. 

For our report, click on the following button.

 Click Here for the Brazil Trip Report

An extensive collection of photos from the trip is located here.


Cedae Trail, Rio State, Brazil.  Photo copyright by Blake Maybank.               Three-toed Jacamar. Photo copyright by Blake Maybank
Birding on the Cedae Trail, Rio State, Brazil.                                               Three-toed Jacamar, Rio State, Brazil              
Photos © Blake Maybank, 2008




8) - Cuba (central and west), February 2009.  

For our report, click on the following button. 


Click Here for the Cuba Trip Report

An extensive collection of photos from the trip is located here.


Cuban Pygmy-Owl, Maria la Gorda, Cuba.  photo © Blake Maybank, 2009            Bee Hummingbird, photo copyright by Richard Stern
Cuban Pygmy-Owl.  photo © Blake Maybank, 2009                                         Bee Hummingbird.  photo © Richard Stern, 2009



9) - India, January-February 2010.  

For our report, click on the following button. 


Click Here for the India Trip Report



Plum-headed Parakeet. Photo copyright by Blake Maybank         Birding in Desert National Park, India.  Photo copyright by Richard Stern.
Plum-headed Parakeet  Photo © Blake Maybank, 2010.                  Desert National Park, India.  photo © Richard Stern, 2010




10) -
Panama, January 2011. 

For our report, click on the following button.

Click Here for the Panama Trip Report


Keel-billed Toucan. Photo copyright by Blake Maybank     Travelling on the Rainfomobile.  photo © Blake Maybank, 2011
Keel-billed Toucan  Photo © Blake Maybank, 2011.                             Travelling on the Rainfomobile.  photo © Blake Maybank, 2011




11) -
Eastern Turkey, June-July 2011
.

 
Click Here for the Eastern Turkey Trip Report

This report, written for a bird-related publication, focuses on the birding aspects of the trip.


To view a Google map highlighting all of our cultural and history itinerary stops, click here.




Black Sea Mountains. Photo copyright by Blake Maybank     Greater Flamingos.  photo © Blake Maybank, 2011
Black Sea Mountains. Photo copyright by Blake Maybank.                        Greater Flamingosphoto © Blake Maybank, 2011




12) - Yucatan, Mexico - January 2012. 

For our report, click on the following button.

Click Here for the Yucatan Trip Report


Mayan Temple at Chichen Itza, Yucatan  Photo © Blake Maybank, 2012.     Wedge-tailed Sabrewing - photo © Blake Maybank, 2012
Mayan Temple at Chichen Itza, Yucatan  Photo © Blake Maybank, 2012.                     Wedge-tailed Sabrewing.  photo © Blake Maybank, 2012




13) - Ghana, Africa - January 2013. 

For our (in-progress) report, click on the following button.

Click Here for the Ghana Trip Report

For the complete PDF concise list of the birds we saw click here.

For the complete PDF list of the birds we saw day-by-day click here.



African Pied Wagtail, Ghana.  Photo © Blake Maybank, 2013.     Soldier Pansy, Ghana.  Photo © Blake Maybank, 2013.
African Pied Wagtail, Ghana.  Photo © Blake Maybank, 2013..                        Soldier Pansy, Ghana.  Photo © Blake Maybank, 2013.




14) - Peru - November 2013. 

The full trip report is pending. 

For the complete PDF concise list of the birds we saw click here.

For the complete PDF list of the birds we saw day-by-day click here.



Isla Taquile, Peru.  Photo © Blake Maybank, 2013.     Titicaca Flightless Grebe - photo © Blake Maybank, 2013
Isla Taquile, Peru.  Photo © Blake Maybank, 2013.                       Titicaca Flightless Grebe - photo © Blake Maybank, 2013





UPCOMING TRIPS

Cuba (Guardalavaca) - April 2015
Iceland -- May-June 2015 (fully booked)
Turkey -- November 2015 - 2 weeks - itinerary near completion
Crete -- April 2016 or April 2017 -- in planning
Panama (Darien & El Valle) -- postponed


South Africa (no date) -- in planning
Malaysia (no date)
Yukon (no date)
Saskatchewan, Canada (no date)



If you wish to be kept informed of our future travel plans contact
Blake Maybank, organiser, Maritime Nature Travel Club

(902) 852-2077 or e-mail




How Do We Operate?

We select destinations offering interesting natural and cultural experiences,
in relatively comfortable and secure surroundings. 

While there are no rules that govern our wanderings, we have preferences. 

Who May Join Our Trips?

The group started in Nova Scotia, but through word of mouth interest is spreading, across Canada and into the United States and Europe.  If you believe that our style of travel is compatible with your own, and you enjoy exploring nature and culture with a group of like-minded people, then please contact us.

Blake Maybank, organiser, Maritime Nature Travel Club
(902) 852-2077 or e-mail