I received this email yesterday. It was forwarded from a woman in Russia. She describes an extraordinary birding trip. In more ways than one. Her name is Martha Madsen. Let her know if you're interested.

====

Working with a Kamchatkan ornithologist, I am planning two expeditions
to Kamchatka's west coast to monitor, count, and band migrating
shorebirds and other waterbirds May 16-28 and May 22-June 1, 2010. (Kamchatka is a peninsula south of Japan, on the northern edge of the Bering Sea.) This uninhabited and remote area is an ideal resting stop for hundreds of thousands of shorebirds and waterbirds during the spring migration and for over a million birds during the autumn
migration. Over the last 20 years, Dr. Yuri Gerasimov has gathered data about
birds of Kamchatka, especially of the shorebirds and waterfowl of the
West Coast and Kamchatka River basin. Because the Moroshechnaya River
Estuary is only accessible by helicopter, conducting field work has
become too expensive for Dr. Gerasimov working alone. I (have)
approached him with the idea of putting together expeditions where
birder volunteers would pay for the expedition costs and help him in
data gathering.

If it is possible for you to participate, we would be happy to have
you along. If you know an avid birder who might like to join us, feel
free to send me their name and contact info or to pass this on.
Warm wishes from Kamchatka,

Martha Madsen
Explore Kamchatka
41 Bolshakova Street
Yelizovo, Kamchatka Region
Russia 684007
Tel. +7 (41531) 6 66 01
Mobile 8 962 280 7840

íÁÒÔÁ íÜÄÓÅÎ
üËÓÐÌÏÒ ëÁÍÞÁÔËÁ

And how do you get there? Minneapolis to Houston, Texas, then on to Moscow non-stop on Singapore Air, and Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on either Aeroflot or Domodedova airlines. I don't believe the Russian airlines make you pay for your bags.