Northern and Central Peru: July 21st
– August 20th 2000
After a very successful trip last year, I was delighted to
have the opportunity to return to northern Peru in the summer of 2000, to lead
the same tour for Kolibri Expeditions www.kolibriexpeditions.com
Gunnar Engblom’s Lima-based company, in addition to visiting a number of
little-known areas in the centre of the country. This report is a detailed account
of the month-long period during which I guided various clients for different
lengths of time. One of the reasons that I have not included detailed accounts
of distances and accommodation is that a number of the areas are very difficult
to access on one’s own without local knowledge, a sturdy 4WD vehicle, camping
equipment and a real pioneer spirit. Birding some of these sites on public transport
would be very difficult and time-consuming, if not impossible. Contact Gunnar
Engblom directly at
kolibriexp@telefonica.net.pe
for further
information.
Tour Participants: Simon Allen (leader), Juvenal Ccahuana
(driver and assistant), Fritz Muller, Heinz Remold, (both 21st –31st
July), Mike Catsis (23rd July – 15th August),
Phil Richardson (5th – 17th August), Peter Coburn
(17th – 20th August).
Itinerary
July 21st : Lima – Lake Junin – Santa Eulalia valley
July 22nd : Santa Eulalia – Marcapomacocha – Lima –
night drive
July 23rd : Rafan – Bosque Pomac – Olmos
July 24th : Quebrada Limon – El Tocto – Olmos
July 25th : Olmos – Abra Porculla – Jaen
July 26th : Jaen – Rio Tabaconas – Bagua Chica
July 27th : Bagua – El Paraiso
July 28th : Peña Blanca
July 29th : El Paraiso – Bagua Grande
July 30th : Bagua Grande – Pomacochas – Abra Patricia
July 31st : Abra Patricia – Afluentes – Nueva Cajamarca
August 1st : Nueva Cajamarca – Abra Patricia
August 2nd : Abra Patricia – Leimeibamba
August 3rd : Leimeibamba – El Limon
August 4th : El Limon – Celendin
August 5th : Celendin – Cajamarca – night drive
August 6th : El Molino – Chagual – Pataz
August 7th : Pataz – Buldibuyo
August 8th : Buldibuyo – La Montañita
August 9th : La Montañita
August 10th : La Montañita
August 11th : La Montañita – Huancaspata – night drive
August 12th : Yungay – Llanganuco
August 13th : Llanganuco – Pativilca
August 14th : Pativilca – San Damian – Puerto Huarmey
August 15th : Huarmey – Lomas de Lachay – Lima
August 16th : Lima – Bosque Zarate
August 17th: Bosque Zarate – Chosica – San Pedro de Casta
August 18th : San Pedro – upper Santa Eulalia valley
August 19th : Santa Eulalia – Marcopomacocha – Lima
August 20th : (pm) Pantanos de Villa
SITES
Lake Junin
About 5-6 hours drive from Lima via Chosica and La Oroya; this is the
only site for the endemic Junin Grebe. All the regular high Andean waterfowl
are also present, although Andean Avocet can be difficult. You need to arrive
early in the morning and arrange boat hire, plus pay for a permit at the INRENA
office in Ondores. The grebe is readily located if you manage to get out to
the reed island which borders the deeper water, but cannot be securely identified
from shore, even with a telescope. It is probably worth staying the night in
Junin (or even Ondores) where there are some basic hotels.
Santa Eulalia Valley
This is accessible from the town of Chosica, about an hour east of Lima.
There is a clearly signposted left turn in the town towards the village of Santa
Eulalia. A rough and windy road climbs up through dry scrub and then slightly
more humid shrubbery to a Polylepis woodland at about 4000m, before reaching
the Marcapomacocha area.
Lower section: beyond Huinco, good scrub above the bridge along the turn
off to San Pedro de Casta holds species typical of the dry Pacific slope, including
Black-necked Woodpecker, Canyon Canastero, Peruvian Sheartail, Oasis Hummingbird,
Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant, plus endemics such as Great Inca-Finch, Bronze-tailed
Comet, and even the rare Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch. An overnight stay in
San Pedro probably increases the chance of finding this last species.
Middle and upper sections: the Polylepis woodland below Marcapomacocha at
4000m is a good site for White-cheeked Cotinga, although camping at the site
is important as the birds are inconspicuous after about 9am. Other possibilities
include Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail, Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch, Striated Earthcreeper,
Stripe-headed Antpitta and Black Metaltail.
Marcapomacocha
This is accessible both from the Lima – La Oroya road and also
from the Polylepis woodland. The area is currently being destroyed by locals
who are collecting the cushion plants, on which a number of bird species depend,
for mushroom growing. This could seriously threaten the continued existence
of many species in the area. Possibilities in a number of different areas include
White-bellied Cinclodes, Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, Olivaceous Thornbill (all
in or near cushion bogs), Dark-winged Miner, Grey-breasted and Rufous-bellied
Seedsnipe, Giant Coot, Junin (bunch grass) and Streak-throated Canasteros, Black-breasted
Hillstar (on hillsides close to the junction with the main road), Silvery Grebe,
Puna Snipe and Puna Tinamou. Accessible in a day from Lima with an early start
but better birded on the way back from Lima after spending the night at the
Polylepis woodland. It is very difficult, to bird this site or the Santa
Eulalia valley on public transport.
Chiclayo
There are a number of sites in the area. Rafan is the most reliable
site for the key species, Peruvian Plantcutter. Rufous Flycatcher and other
species also occur. Turn right in the village of Mocupe, about a half hour drive
south of the city. Bosque Pomac also holds these two species plus a range
of other Tumbesian endemics. Black-faced Ibis may nest on the cliffs around
the mirador and Tumbes Swallow occurs along the river. The reserve is accessible
from Batan Grande, to the north-east of the city via Ferreñafe. The marshes
at Puerto Eten hold migrant shorebirds, plus potential Peruvian Thick-knee
and Least Seedsnipe, and some Humboldt Current seabirds are visible from the
beach. There is a wide variety of accommodation in the city.
Olmos
This is the best base to use to look for the White-winged Guan. Quebrada
Limon remains probably the most reliable site, although should be visited
with a guide. One may be able to be arranged from the Barbara d’Achille
Guan centre, or ask for Lino at El Limon. In the canyons themselves, other possibilities
include Red-masked Parakeet, Plumbeous-backed Thrush, Short-tailed Woodstar,
Guayaquil Woodpecker, White-tailed Jay and a number of other Tumbesian species.
Less likely are Pale-browed Tinamou, Ochre-bellied Dove (rare) and Henna-hooded
Foliage-Gleaner. Lower down in the flatter areas desert scrub, especially along
the track towards El Tocto, Tumbes Tyrant, Tumbes Hummingbrid and Tumbes
Sparrow are possible amongst others. The forest reserve at Laquipampa
a couple of hours from Chiclayo could become a good site: the guan has been
recorded there, and the area is likely to represent the southerly limits of
ranges of a number of Tumbesian species. Near Olmos itself a small marshy
area about three kilometres north of town is a regular site for Spotted
Rail, and Masked Duck has been recorded there in the past.
Abra Porculla
This is the rather low pass in the western Andes on the way to Jaen
from the coast. It is a traditional collecting site where a number of rare species
have been recorded in the past, such as Grey-headed Antbird and Ochre-bellied
Dove, although the habitat is very degraded and difficult to access. Possibilities
in the scraps of woodland left are Black-cowled Saltator, Chapman’s Antshrike,
Elegant Crescentchest, Piura Chat-Tyrant (scarce) and Three-banded Warbler.
Jaen
This is one of the nicest towns in northern Peru and is a convenient
stopping off point on the way to the forests of the east slope. Hostal Prims
is a good place to stay and is about $30 US for a double. The dry scrub and
woodland along a track north of town holds Chinchipe Spinetail, Peruvian Slaty-Antshrike
and Spot-throated Hummingbird, and Marañon Crescentchest is possible. Patches
of woodland further north towards the Ecuadorian border may yield Marañon Spinetail
and there are old reports of Slaty Becard. The Rio Tabaconas drainage
is a possible area for the former.
Bagua Chica
This is a small town not far from the Marañon, a little way off the
main highway from Jaen to Pedro Ruiz. It is the best place to stay for those
planning to visit the Urakusa area, before heading off on the very long drive
north. Hotel Wilson is recommended. The town itself lies close to some desert
scrub habitat where Little Inca-Finch is readily found, in addition to Marañon
Crescentchest (sometimes elusive) and some more widespread species.
Peña Blanca
This is the site for Orange-throated Tanager. However, getting to the
area involves a long, long drive on very poor roads (4WD necessary) and access
once there is also difficult due to the presence of an indigenous population
for whom the area is a sacred site. A number of people who have tried to go
independently have been forced to leave by the local tribes, despite the fact
that the road is a public highway. Efforts are being made to develop ecotourism
in the area on a more permanent basis but currently it is not recommended to
try and visit the area alone. Those interested should contact Gunnar Engblom
at Kolibri Expeditions or Barry Walker at Manu Expeditions. It is hoped that
some kind of arrangement can be reached as the foothill forests in this area
are very species rich and are an excellent birding area that warrants more exploration
than it has so far received. There are some quite large patches of decent forest
all the way along the road from the village of Aramango onwards but the Peña
Blanca area holds the most untouched forest as the native population give it
some degree of protection. It would still be possible to bird all the way along
the road to El Paraiso without entering a disputed area, and the tanager has
been recorded well before arriving at Peña Blanca. Although large species are
essentially absent due to hunting pressure, a wide variety of west Amazonian
species are present, including a number of rare and little-known specialities.
Species already recorded in the area include Black Bushbird, Fiery-throated
Fruiteater, Red-billed Tyrannulet, Blackish Pewee, Ecuadorian Cacique, Purple-throated
Cotinga, Gould’s Jewelfront, Golden-collared Toucanet and White-browed
Purpletuft, plus a wide variety of tanagers, flycatchers, furnariids and antbirds.
The whole length of the road really merits a week-long camping trip but tour
groups tend to go for two or three nights only.
Pomacochas
This town, next to a large lake on the eastern spur of the Andes, is
best known as the site for Marvellous Spatuletail, which can be found in the
area of the Rio Chido trail (although very rarely along the trail itself) about
4 kilometres back towards Pedro Ruiz. The habitat is very degraded, and it may
take a little exploration to find good patches, but still holds some good birds.
The spatuletail males can be very elusive, but the best spot traditionally has
been behind the café at the top of the bend above the bridge. The best thing
to do is to ask for Edilberto Bustamante, a boy who lives near the café close
to the Rio Chido trail, and who should be able to show you one if you arrive
early in the morning (and find him of course). Other possibilities in the area
include White-rumped Hawk, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Chestnut-breasted Coronet,
Emerald-bellied Puffleg, Buff-bellied Tanager, whilst less likely species, which
you may need to walk a fair distance up the Rio Chido trail to find, include
Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Rusty-tinged Antpitta
and Inca Flycatcher.
Abra Patricia
This is the birder’s name for the low pass (c.2400m) over the eastern
Andes which represents the highest point on the now fully paved road between
Pomacochas and Rioja. It takes about an hour to reach the top from Pomacochas,
which some people use as a base to bird the upper sections. There is no accommodation
close to the area, although there are a few potential camping spots and it is
also possible to spend the night on the wooden floor of the restaurant at the
pass itself. The habitat is currently largely untouched, although areas are
being steadily cleared close to the road and trails into good forest are few
and far between. Birding is good from the road, but some species can only be
seen by venturing into good habitat. The area around the pass, where
there is an indistinct trail, and down to about 2100m holds a wide variety of
Andean species, in addition to a number of endemics and specialities. Amongst
a wide range of possibilities, the more sought-after species include Rusty-tinged,
Rusty-breasted and Chestnut Antpittas, Yellow-scarfed Tanager, Black-throated
Tody-Tyrant, Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Emerald-bellied Puffleg, Tyrannine
Woodcreeper, and an undescribed race of Rufous-crowned Tody-Tyrant, whilst more
regular fare is provided by Andean Guan, White-collared Jay, Golden-headed Quetzal
and Crimson-mantled Woodpecker. The area from 2200m down to 1200m above Afluentes
is fairly reliable for Orange-breasted Falcon.
Further down the road passes by two or three ridges cloaked in stunted forest
with palms predominant. This is the Alto Nieve area, famous as the type
locality for such ornithological enigmas as Long-whiskered Owlet and Ochre-fronted
Antpitta, although no-one has ever seen these birds without using mist-nets.
There is one trail which follows the second ridge, and another very muddy one
that goes into the valley bottom, but through rather disappointing habitat.
More realistic specialities include Royal Sunangel, Cinnamon-breasted Tody-Tyrant
and Bar-winged Wood-Wren, whilst other exciting species in the area are White-capped
Tanager and Rufous-tailed Tyrant.
Afluentes
Further down the slope from Alto Nieve the forest changes and a different
set of lower subtropical and upper tropical birds can be found. The best area
is around a sharp bend in the road, where a large mixed flock can often be found,
which could contain the endemic Speckle-chested Piculet, Versicoloured Barbet,
Ecuadorian and Plumbeous-crowned Tyrannulets, Grey-mantled Wren, Equatorial
Greytail and a host of tanagers including possibly Vermilion Tanager. The little-known
Ash-throated Antwren, previously known only from the Jesus del Monte area, has
now been discovered near Afluentes but can be difficult to track down. Andean
Cock-of-the-rock and Amazonian Umbrellabird are both regularly encountered and
other possibilities include Ecuadorian Piedtail, Blackish Antbird, Crimson-bellied
Woodpecker, Black-and-white Tody-Tyrant (rare), Olivaceous Greenlet, Black-mandibled
Toucan and Blue-naped Chlorophonia.
A few kilometres further down the road passes through a gorge and crosses a
beautiful river. This is Puente Aguas Verdes, where there is a restaurant
to have lunch and where one could conceivably stay the night. The forest alongside
the road for the next couple of kilometres is worth exploring. Possibilities
include Grey-chinned Hermit, Wire-crested Thorntail, Scarlet-breasted Fruiteater
(scarce), Yellow-crested and Huallaga Tanagers, and Olive-chested Flycatcher,
whilst Torrent Duck occurs on the river. Beyond here the forest quickly gives
way to large areas cleared for agriculture.
Moyobamba area
Those visiting the Tarapoto or Afluentes areas might use this lowland
town for an overnight stay. The open country and patches of woodland
around the town support a number of species rare in Peru, including Pale-breasted
Thrush and Burnished-buff Tanager, which can be seen with luck along the road
to Jerillo. Jerillo itself is the gateway for the distant Jesus del Monte
area, type-locality for the rare Ash-throated Antwren. This village is a tough
15km hike into the foothills from Jerillo, but adventurous birders may wish
to undertake this with the help of a local guide with mule - ask around in the
village. The forest is becoming degraded but it is a very interesting area ornithologically
and a number of poor soil specialists have been recorded here, including Napo
Sabrewing and an isolated population of Purple-breasted Cotinga. Other possibilities
include Sharpbill, Blue-rumped Manakin, and the rare Spot-winged Parrotlet.
Tarapoto
This large town is situated about 3-4 hours beyond Moyobamba, in the
Amazon lowlands. We did not visit the area this time but it has a lot of potential,
and species recorded near the pass about 20km from town along the road to Yurimaguas,
include the endemic Koepcke’s Hermit, Blackish Pewee, Pavonine Quetzal,
Band-bellied Owl, Scaled Fruiteater and an isolated population of Plumbeous
Euphonia (rare).
Leimeibamba
The increasingly fragmented temperate forest patches some 45 minutes
above this town on the way towards Balsas and the Marañon valley are the most
accessible site for the rare endemic Russet-mantled Softtail, which can be found
in the larger areas of forest, and is very responsive to tape. Other specialities
include Coppery-naped Puffleg (split from Sapphire-vented), Coppery Metaltail
(scarce), the peruviana race of White-chinned Thistletail, and the grey
insignis race of Superciliaried Hemispingus. A number of typical Andean
species can also be found, the most interesting of which include Curve-billed
Tinamou, Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Moustached Flowerpiercer and Sword-billed
Hummingbird, one of several species of hummer present.
Balsas and El Limon
These two tiny settlements in a spectacular arid canyon of the Marañon
valley are home to a number of restricted-range species of the Marañon Endemic
Bird Area. The orchards and riverine woodland near Balsas in the valley
bottom support Peruvian Pigeon and Marañon Thrush, whilst the xerophytic, cactus
scrub and Bombax forest on the lower slopes of the valley hold Buff-bridled
Inca-Finch, Marañon Gnatcatcher, Black-necked Flicker and possibly the rare
Yellow-faced Parrotlet (scarce). On the Celendin side of the wide canyon, higher
up the slope brushy hedgerows and scrubby hillsides around Hacienda El Limon
support Grey-winged Inca-Finch, Chestnut-backed Thornbird and Buff-bellied Tanager,
whilst higher still humid shrubbery hold Jelski’s Chat-Tyrant and Black-crested
Tit-Tyrant.
Celendin to Cajamarca
Much of the natural vegetation along this road has been removed, although
an area of shrubbery 11km from Celendin has a record of Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch.
The semi-natural wooded area just beyond the village of Cruz Conga holds
the cajamarcae race of Rufous Antpitta, and there are records of the
sought-after White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant, for which the Cajamarca area could
be a stronghold. Open areas hold a variety of Andean species, including Shining
Sunbeam, Rufous-webbed Tyrant, Paramo Pipit and Slender-billed Miner. The rare
Grey-bellied Comet has recently been found near Cajamarca airport,
while a population of the little-known Great Spinetail has been discovered along
the road south towards Cajabamba.
El Molino and Chagual
This is an even more remote area than Balsas, and only accessible by
road via Huamachuco, although Chagual can be reached by weekly flights from
Trujillo. This is a very rough road and a sturdy 4WD (preferably not your own!)
is an absolute must. There is very basic accommodation at El Molino,
where Purple-backed Sunbeam is fairly readily found in shrubby gullies 300m
or so below town, and also in the valley bottom at Chagual, although
this is not recommended due to the heat and mosquitos. 11km below the town of
Aricapampa, below El Molino, the dry scrub holds Great Spinetail and Buff-bridled
and possibly Rufous-backed Inca-Finches, whilst Yellow-faced Parrotlet and Peruvian
Pigeon occur in the cactus scrub and woodland by the river. The town of Pataz,
an hour above Chagual, is the gateway to the ruins at Gran Pajaten in Rio Abiseo
NP. The montane scrub 5km or so along the track towards the park holds the rare
Rufous-backed Inca-Finch and a possible new species of earthcreeper.
La Montañita
This new site is a remote area adjacent to Abiseo NP which harbours many of
the rare Carpish endemics. It is accessed via a terrible road that leaves the
Buldibuyo to Pataz road about 30-45 minutes north of the former, near the top
of the pass. About an hour from the turn-off the track passes a lake and then
reaches another pass before crossing the east slope and entering an area of
elfin forest patches and boggy grassland at about 3300m. This habitat is similar
to the Bosque Unchog area in the Carpish mountains, and a section of the Tayabamba-Ongon
trail just to the south. Birds in the elfin forest include endemics such
as Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager, Bay-vented Cotinga, Coppery Metaltail and
Neblina Tapaculo. Pardusco has not yet been recorded but proabably occurs. Other
species include Undulated Antpitta, Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant and Great Sapphirewing
amongst others. Following the road down, past the ruins of a blue truck, the
habitat changes to temperate forest with bamboo prolific in the understorey.
Possibilities in this area include Rufous-browed Hemispingus, Russet-mantled
Softtail, Striped Treehunter, Large-footed Tapaculo, Plushcap and Unstreaked
Tit-Tyrant. In the temperate forest from here down to 2700m or so where
the track ceases to become driveable the large cast of possible species includes
Pale-billed and Rusty-tinged Antpittas, Swallow-tailed Nightjar, Grey-breasted
Mountain-Toucan, Drab Hemispingus, Yellow-scarfed Tanager, Sword-billed Hummingbird,
Rufous-capped Thornbill and Ochraceous-breasted Flycatcher, whilst rarities
such as Greater Scythebill might conceivably occur. Further down the valley
there is still forest, and it reaches the altitudinal range of Yellow-browed
Toucanet, although the area is currently inaccessible to all but an extremely
adventurous expedition, and this little-known species has not been seen for
many years. There is obviously no accommodation in the area and full scale camping
gear is obligatory. There are a couple of basic hotels in Buldibuyo and shops
to stock up with supplies. Two hours south of Buldibuyo the trail from Tayabamba
to Ongon holds similar species including old records of the toucanet but
the habitat is apparently becoming fragmented and the route is not currently
recommended due to the presence of bandits. Tayabamba itself has a rather unfriendly
feel to it, which is thankfully unusual in Peru in general.
Huascaran NP
This large protected area in the Cordillera Blanca is centred around
the towering peak of Huascaran, the highest peak in the world which lies within
the tropics. The Llanganuco lakes are a popular tourist area above from
the town of Yungay, where there is accommodation, and the most accessible sector
of the park. This is a beautiful area which houses the most extensive area of
Polylepis woodland anywhere in the Andes. The second lake holds a variety of
Andean wildfowl and the adjacent grassy areas hold a number of ground-tyrants.
Above the second lake the road climbs up to a high pass via a large number of
hairpin bends, through scrub and Polylepis patches. Specialities of the
area include White-cheeked Cotinga (elusive and probably seasonal), Ash-breasted
Tit-Tyrant (rare, high areas), Rufous-eared Brush-Finch, Giant Conebill, Tit-like
Dacnis (common), Baron’s Spinetail and Ancash Tapaculo. The more open areas
around the river valley hold Striated and Plain-breasted Earthcreepers, Stripe-headed
Antpitta, Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant and a variety of sierra-finches. The very
localised endemic Plain-tailed Warbling-Finch also occurs just above the second
lake but is also possible along the Maria Josefa trail which leads down to the
ranger station from the first lake through scrub and woodland. Rarities such
as Grey-bellied Comet, Purple-backed Sunbeam and Rufous-backed Inca-Finch have
all been reported but there are currently no known regular sites for these species
in the area. Several kilometres north of Yungay towards Caraz there is an area
of cactus scrub on the west side of the highway where the endemic Pale-tailed
Canastero has been seen, but this species may be better sought further to the
north on the road towards Sihuas through the spectacular Cañon del Pato.
San Damian
This tiny village in the Cordillera Negra some three hours inland from
Huarmey is the point of access for Bosque San Damian, a remnant area
of scrub and woodland that used to cover the length of the Pacific slope. It
is one of the very few known areas for the endangered Russet-bellied Spinetail,
which can be elusive even here. Other specialities include Piura Chat-Tyrant
(although the far more widespread White-browed Chat-Tyrant also occurs), Pied-crested
Tit-Tyrant, Great Inca-Finch, Bay-crowned Brush-Finch and the nomadic Raimondi’s
Yellow-Finch, whilst there are old records of Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch,
which might still occur. The forest is reached by a two hour walk up a steep
slope: ask the locals to show you the start of the trail, which is quite easy
to follow once you are in the right place. There is no accommodation but you
might be able to camp somewhere close to the village. Be sure to ask permission.
Huarmey
This coastal town some three hours north of Lima on the Panamerican
highway is the turn-off point for San Damian. It lies adjacent to Puerto Huarmey,
signposted about two kilometres south of town, where a wide variety of migrant
shorebirds can be found during much of the year in the coastal marshes, plus
Dark-faced Ground-Tyrant during the austral winter (March - September). The
rocky area around the port itself is good for Peruvian Seaside Cinclodes while
in the bay seabirds typical of the Humboldt current such as Inca Tern, Humboldt
Penguin and Red-legged Cormorant can be found alongside the regular cast of
species. Great Grebe and Blackish Oystercatcher are other possibilities whilst
Peruvian Thick-knee occurs in fields back towards the main highway.
Bosque Zarate
This is an area of woodland high on the Pacific slope above Lima, accessible
via a town east of Chosica on the central highway towards La Oroya. It is a
tough 4 hour hike up to the forest and there is no accommodation although there
is plenty of camping spots at the top above the treeline. Specialities include
Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch, hard to find at times but probably more reliable
here than anywhere, and Bronze-tailed Comet, whilst Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch
is common and Andean Tinamou and Band-winged Nightjar also occur.
Lima area
The best birding site in the city limits is Pantanos de Villa
south of town, where there are large numbers of waterbirds, including good numbers
of Great Grebe, plus Least Bittern, Many-coloured Rush-Tyrant and a small established
population of Yellow-hooded Blackbird. Peruvian Thick-knee is regular in the
open area towards the beach, where seabirds can be seen. Alternatively, Ventanillas
north of the airport supports shorebirds and the thick-knee. A better option
for seabirds is Callao harbour, although it is not altogether safe, or
alternatively taking a pelagic trip from Lima itself, which might reveal
specialities such as Peruvian Diving-Petrel and Markham’s Storm-Petrel
that are increasingly irregular in their appearance in the Paracas area. Check
with Gunnar as to the latest information on these trips.
REPORT
Day 1 – July 21st
Before dawn broke I took a taxi from Miraflores to nearby San Borja
to meet up with Goyo and Julio, and by 5.30 we were on our way up towards Chosica
and the paved central highway towards far-off Lake Junin and a projected midday
rendezvous with Gunnar and the first two clients. The road wound its way up
through the stark mountains that are a feature of Peru’s entire west slope,
with only the occasional area of fields irrigated by seasonal rivers. We made
virtually no birding stops during the morning, but made good progress and had
arrived in Junin at about midday. From there we turned off onto the rough track
around the western shore of Lake Junin towards the village of Ondores. We began
to pass through extensive areas of wet puna grassland and birds were plentiful.
Waterbirds were particularly prominent, and included such widespread Andean
species as White-tufted Grebe, Puna Ibis, Andean Goose, Speckled and
Puna Teals, Crested and Andean Ducks, Yellow-billed Pintail, Andean
Lapwing, Andean Gull and huge numbers of Slate-coloured Coots, whilst
the extensive areas of reeds held beautiful Many-coloured Rush-Tyrants.
In drier areas we found Black-winged Ground-Dove, Bar-winged Cinclodes, Common
Miner, Andean Flicker, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant and flocks of Bright-rumped
Yellow-Finches, whilst striking Mountain Caracaras passed by overhead.
By one we had arrived in the small dusty village of Ondores,
and headed for the Panorama restaurant, home to some relatives of Francisco
Tueros, the area’s most famous biologist, whose name is given to the Latin
name of the endemic Junin Rail (Laterallus tuerosi). The closest birders ever
seem to get to this elusive species is a stuffed bird on a shelf in the restaurant.
Indeed, the premises further underlined its awareness of birds with murals of
the lake’s more celebrated endemic, the elegant Junin Grebe, in addition
to serving up a rather dark and chewy version of chicken that Goyo was convinced
was coot.
Once Gunnar and Juvenal had arrived from Huánuco at about 2pm
with Fritz and Heinz, we set about sorting out plans for locating the grebe.
They are rather similar to Silvery Grebe and effectively impossible to tell
apart at a distance of over a kilometre from the mirador. The only solution
is therefore to go out on the lake in a boat. We managed to hire the services
of the owner of the Panorama and proceeded down to the lakeshore carrying a
very small and tippy metal canoe which was to be powered by means of a long
pole. We said our goodbyes to Gunnar and Goyo who retunred to Lima, and he took
Heinz out first. From the speed they were progressing it soon became clear that
there would not be time for more than one of us to go out. They disappeared
into the reeds heading towards the deeper water where the bird spends most of
its time, whilst Fritz and I consoled ourselves by watching, and in his case
photographing, the impressive waterbird spectacle in the beautiful afternoon
light. Puna Plovers, migrant Lesser Yellowlegs and spritely Andean
Negritos patrolled the muddy margins of the lake, whilst a flushed Puna
Snipe settled to give excellent views in a small creek and two Short-billed
Pipits inspected a pile of dry reeds. After almost two hours, and with a
strong wind beginning to whip across the lake, Heinz and his guide returned
reporting fairly close views of two Junin Grebes.
By now we needed to make fast progress so we said goodbye to
our guide and headed off back towards Junin town in our new vehicle, a rather
old-fashioned, but fully functioning, Dodge van. We worked our way back towards
the unpleasant mining town of La Oroya where we had dinner at about 8pm before
driving back towards Lima and turning off to the Marcapomacocha area. From there
we dropped down the other side of the pass towards a small Polylepis woodland
at about 4000m, where we arrived at about 11.30pm, and slept comfortably, apart
from the cold, on the long seats of the van.
Day 2 – July 22nd
A combination of the cold and a sense of anticipation of the exciting
day that lay ahead drove all of us except Juvenal out of the van by 6am, although
the temperature remained very low and it took a long time for the sun to emerge.
We scrambled up a steep slope to a plateau covered in shrubbery and Polylepis
trees, and waited for the birds to appear and our toes to defrost. Our main
quarry, the uncommon endemic White-cheeked Cotinga, eventually revealed
itself at some distance, as a bird perched briefly high in a tree and then fed
lower down at some berries, although views were not quite what we had hoped.
Finally, at about 7.30, the sun began to reach the upper reaches
of the valley sides and a wide variety of birds began to appear, including more
endemics such as Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail, Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch
and Striated Earthcreeper, plus Bare-faced Ground-Dove, Andean Swallow,
Black-throated Flowerpiercer, Plain-breasted Earthcreeper, D’Orbigny’s
Chat-Tyrant, Giant and Oasis Hummingbirds, the near-endemic Black
Metaltail, Yellow-rumped Siskin, Ash-breasted, Peruvian and Mourning
Sierra-Finches, and a brief appearance from the delightful Stripe-headed
Antpitta. By 8 or so we were back down at the vehicle, and enjoying a very
welcome bowl of avena (porridge), which was to become a feature of the
trip. Suddenly a pair of White-cheeked Cotingas alighted in a lone Polylepis
tree some fifteen metres or so from the van and we enjoyed magnificent scope
views of this sought-after species in the sunlight. These two were followed
by another pair that flew across the road past us into an area of rather more
sparse shrubbery next to the river, again giving good views. We worked the road
for another half hour or so, and found at least another four individuals, perching
anywhere from low shrubs to taller trees, and even once on a large boulder!
This area seems to be very reliable for the species, and more so, as we were
to discover later on, than Huascaran NP.
We climbed higher up the road enjoying increasingly spectacular
views of the mountain scenery, and steadily gaining altitude and making occasional
stops for birds such as Variable Hawk, Streak-throated Canastero, Cinereous
Ground-Tyrant and White-capped Dipper, which we found along a fast-flowing
stream. We were admiring a pair of Black Siskins on one side of the vehicle
when Juvenal drew our attention to a pair of Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe
that we had disturbed right beside the road and which were walking away quietly
down a small rocky slope. When stationary they were remarkably well camouflaged
but they eventually betrayed their whereabouts and gave excellent views.
Higher still we came firstly to an area of wet boggy grassland
and then to a couple of lakes surrounded by rocky crags. The latter held Silvery
Grebe and some nesting Giant Coots. Crossing the pass, we entered
the Marcapomacocha area, a beautiful mix of high puna grassland, cushion bogs
and rocky outcrops, with high peaks towering above them. We soon located another
target, the impressive Puna Tinamou, and then some smaller high altitude
species such as White-fronted and Ochre-naped Ground-Tyrants, Plumbeous
Sierra-Finch and White-winged Diuca-Finch. Descending into a small
valley, we quickly found a pair of the rare and spectacular White-bellied
Cinclodes adjacent to a cushion bog, and enjoyed great views of this endangered
species. Back on the road, a pair of Grey-breasted Seedsnipe was encountered
close to the road, and we proceeded to find good numbers throughout the area.
Climbing another rise, the endemic Dark-winged Miner, looking for all
the world like a female Wheatear when showing its white rump in flight, gave
good views close to the van, and we descended off the road to another cushion
bog tucked away at the base of a hill. Here we found two more rare high altitude
specialities, the superb Diademed Sandpiper-Plover and the drab but fascinating
Olivaceous Thornbill, which feeds on tiny red flowers that grow on the
ground in these cushion bogs.
Our descent took us down towards the junction with the main
Lima - La Oroya road, but not before we had successfully searched an area of
white flowers for our seventh endemic of the morning, the striking Black-breasted
Hillstar. By now it was approaching 1pm and the increasingly strong wind
scuppered our chances of finding a Junin Canastero amongst the rather numerous
Streak-throated Canasteros.
Nevertheless, we had enjoyed a wonderful morning and drove
down to San Mateo for a well-earned lunch in a roadside restaurant, before returning
to Lima by 6pm or so. Heinz and Fritz checked in to their hotel whilst Juvenal
and I prepared ourselves for the night drive to Chiclayo that lay in store.
We had ceviche with Gunnar and the clients before switching cars, packing the
Landcruiser, buying supplies and going to pick up our passengers – Victor
Raul Diaz, a biologist specialising in the conservation of cracids, and a box
containing two Pale-winged Trumpeters which he was transporting to his captive
breeding centre for gamebirds near Olmos. He had showed us the White-winged
Guan last year and would again be our guide for the following couple of days.
After sorting out a brake problem we finally got underway at about 10.30pm on
the long haul north.
Day 3 – July 23rd
After a long night’s driving, we finally arrived at Chiclayo
airport about two hours late to meet Heinz, Fritz and Mike Catsis, a British
birder who had arrived in Lima early that morning and had flown up with the
others. After changing some money in the town we headed out on the trail of
our first Tumbesian species. Foremost amongst our targets was the rare Peruvian
Plantcutter, and initially we started out on the road towards Reque to a new
site, but I decided to play safe and drive south along the Panamerican highway
to Mocupe and then on to the traditional site at Rafan.
We located the woodland area quickly and were indeed soon tracking
down the strange calls of the Peruvian Plantcutter, which led us to a
nice male perched on a low bush. The species remains relatively numerous in
this area and we saw upwards of six to eight individuals in a fairly short time.
Although the quality of habitat is not particularly good, the area was little
altered from last year despite the latent threat of an American sugar cane company
wanting to purchase the land and develop it. Other species we found in the desert
scrub and patches of acacia woodland included Croaking Ground-Dove, Amazilia
Hummingbird, Scarlet-backed Woodpecker, the endemic Coastal Miner, Pacific
Hornero, Necklaced Spinetail, Mouse-coloued Tyrannulet, Short-tailed Field-Tyrant,
Baird’s Flycatcher, the ubiquitous Long-tailed Mockingbird,
Superciliated Wren and another endemic, the chunky Cinereous Finch.
One bird we failed to find, although we were admittedly not there early
in the morning, was the endemic Rufous Flycatcher, a bird that seems potentially
as endangered as the plantcutter, as it relies on similar habitat yet seems
to occur at much lower densities.
Back in Chiclayo, we picked up Victor for the planned afternoon
excursion and then purchased some supplies for lunch. We had made a decision
to head on to Olmos that evening rather than make for the new reserve at Laquipampa,
which is another, albeit lesser-known, site for White-winged Guan. This gave
us more time to explore another relatively new reserve near Batan Grande called
Bosque Pomac. The habitat is similar to Rafan although it is much further inland
and the Acacia woodland is much more extensive. After signing in at the
rather impressive visitor centre and admiring a dainty Pearl Kite perched
in a nearby tree, we began birding along the main track through the dry forest.
In addition to some of the species recorded during the morning, we also found
Collared Antshrike, Streak-headed Woodcreeper and White-edged Oriole.
Most encouraging was our discovery of a population of Peruvian Plantcutter.
Not previously known from this area, we saw four or five without tape rather
easily in mid-afternoon, which would certainly suggest a healthy number in the
area. After more fruitless searching for Rufous Flycatcher we drove on out of
the woods towards an area of low barren hills skirted by much more sparse scrub.
Vultures were circling overhead and a rather strange bird hopping about in a
quarry turned out to be a Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant, unusually far from
the Andes.
Suddenly a coarse bugling call forced our eyes up to the skies
and we were surprised but delighted to see a flock of six of the rare coastal
race of Black-faced Ibis flying overhead. Apparently they are known to
nest on cliffs in coastal desert in this northern part of their range, and it
seems the low barren hills of Bosque Pomac harbour a colony of the species.
Continuing on towards the main road, we passed by a river where we stopped for
a scan. We scoped a Peregrine perched in silhouette against a rather
distant hill, a Ringed Kingfisher flew over, and then Mike located some
hirundines with white rumps hawking insects, which turned out to be the localised
Tumbes Swallow. After admiring these birds for a while, we reflected
on the poorly known and potentially interesting avifauna present in the vegetation
which lines these rivers that flow through the desert towards the Pacific Ocean
along the length of the Peruvian coast.
As dusk fell, Lesser Nighthawks hawked over the Panamerican
as we drove the short distance to Olmos where we headed for the Hotel Remanso.
After some hard bargaining on the price which was much inflated from last year
despite the lack of improvements in the rather basic rooms, we enjoyed a tasty
dinner and arranged to meet Victor at 5 the next morning.
Day 4 - July 24th
Victor was a little late, but he arrived at about 5.20am and we
were off soon after, driving north towards Piura for a few kilometres before
striking off into the desert, crossing a couple of wide stony river beds and
finally arriving at the tiny settlement of Limon at the head of Quebrada Limon.
From there we followed a track up into the hills whose sides were covered in
largely untouched dry forest. Tumbesian endemics were numerous and included
large flocks of Red-masked Parakeets, which perched in trees around the
settlement allowing excellent views, the diminutive Pacific Parrotlet,
Short-tailed Woodstar, Long-billed Starthroat, the local races of Black-tailed
Trogon and Tropical Pewee, both sometimes considered separate species,
Plumbeous-backed Thrush and the striking White-tailed Jay. The
characteristic drumming of the huge Guayaquil Woodpecker reverberated
round the canyons although we couldn’t locate one. Suddenly one of Victor’s
assistants had located a White-winged Guan and we were soon watching
a pair disappear quickly up through the tall trees of the canyon. Soon, we had
found two more birds, and then another three younger ones. The birds are doing
very well in this area and were more numerous than the previous year. We estimated
we found almost ten individuals in the few hours we were exploring the area.
We climbed further up into the canyon than the previous year
in pursuit of the family of guans. One individual soared a huge distance down
across the canyon, looking just like a Black Vulture, which was a very fascinating
sight. In addition to more excellent views of these spectacular cracids, we
encountered busy flocks of smaller birds that held Tropical Parula, Pacific
Elaenia, Masked Yellowthroat, Hepatic Tanager, Black-capped Sparrow, Golden-bellied
Grosbeak, White-winged and White-headed Brush-Finches and Cinereous
Conebill. Scanning across one of these flocks to the other side of a small
quebrada, I chanced upon a Henna-hooded Foliage-Gleaner seemingly appearing
from a hole in a tree. Although we waited for a good length of time it did not
return, to the frustration of Fritz and Heinz.
We returned to the car for more avena and then set about
working our way back towards the Panamerican highway. Several stops along the
largely dry riverbeds did not reveal many new species, but we did find Green
Kingfisher, more Collared Antshrikes, Grey-and-white Tyrannulet,
Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant and a female Crimson-breasted Finch.
Returning to the main road, we struck off once more into the desert scrub in
search of the remainig Tumbesian species we needed. It turned out to be a rather
disappointing afternoon in this respect, as we could not locate our principle
target, the smart Tumbes Tyrant, despite much searching in an area where I had
seen the bird the previous year. We drew a blank too on Tumbes Hummingbird,
but did add a few other desert specialities such as Tumbes Sparrow, Parrot-billed
Seedeater and Collared Warbling-Finch, plus large flocks of Saffron
Finch.
On the way back to Olmos we stopped again at a small area of
ponds which was rather altered from last year but still held surprising numbers
of waterbirds. A large herony comprised largely of Black-crowned Night-Herons
dominated the scene, but we also found Great, Snowy and Cattle Egret
and Striated Heron, plus Neotropic Cormorant, Least Grebe
and, best of all, two Spotted Rails which showed very nicely in a muddy
ditch. Several local children took an interest in us and they delighted in looking
through the telescope at some of the birds.
Day 5 – July 25th
We left at about 6am on our way towards Jaen and the Marañon valley.
We stopped a number of times on the lower slopes of Abra Porculla, trying to
find some habitat which might still hold some of the specialities of the area.
In one of the few remaining areas of woodland near the road, a flock of small
birds held Three-banded and Grey-and-gold Warblers, Slate-throated
Redstart and White-winged Brush-Finch, but our interest soon turned
to a calling Elegant Crescentchest. After a few minutes we were enjoying
good views of this beautiful tapaculo, and a trail into a small shrubby gully
yielded two more chasing each other out in the open, plus Black-capped Sparrow
and Rufous-browed Peppershrike.
Higher up we searched a more extensive area of largely native
vegetation where we found Chapman’s Antshrike, Ecuadorian Piculet, Rufous-chested
Tanager and Collared Warbling-Finch, but by the time we had located
the site for Piura Chat-Tyrant it was too windy and there was no sign of this
rare endemic. We crossed the pass by 11am and stopped for lunch one of the few
shady spots along the way, but the heat had brought a stop to all the bird activity.
Crossing the Marañon and passing through the town of Chamaya,
we arrived in the very pleasant town of Jaen at about 2pm and after checking
into the Hostal Prims we headed out of town for a few kilometres to a track
leading up into the hills through dry scrub with a few larger trees. We soon
found our first Marañon endemic, the drab Spot-throated Hummingbird,
followed quite soon after by a pair of vocal Chinchipe Spinetails which
gave good views in response to playback. More widespread species that we encountered
were White-tipped Dove, Plain-breasted Ground-Dove, Western Long-tailed Hermit,
Bran-coloued Flycatcher, Purple-throated Euphonia, Red-crested Finch, Dull-coloured
Grassquit and the more localised Drab Seedeater, plus a Zone-tailed
Hawk which glided down the valley with a long green snake hanging from its
talons. After some frustrating searching, we eventually tracked down another
of our target species, the Marañon race of the endemic Peruvian Slaty-Antshrike,
but there were no Marañon Crescentchests either calling or responding to tape.
Inhabitants of the monk school at the top of the hill were again not pleased
to see us and their enormous guard dog dissuaded us from asking for permission
to bird. We therefore returned to Jaen to enjoy a nice meal and a comfortable
bed.
Day 6 – July 26th
Following up-to-date information regarding the whereabouts of
the elusive Marañon Spinetail, we decided against a return visit to the monk
school area and instead drove north for an hour or so to where the road met
the Rio Tabaconas. We searched a variety of habitats at some length, including
river island vegetation, low woodland, and scrub, but despite much trawling
with the tape we could find no evidence whatsoever of its existence in the area,
which was rather disappointing. Birds were not particularly numerous but we
did find Ruddy Ground-Dove, Andean Emerald, Amazon Kingfisher, Little Woodpecker,
Brown-crested Flycatcher, another Peruvian Slaty-Antshrike and some
noisy Green Jays.
Cutting our losses we returned to Jaen and from there continued
on towards Bagua Chica. A lunch stop in a rather birdless area of desert scrub
did produce the endemic Little Inca-Finch, but not much else. We arrived
quite early in Bagua and therefore returned to try for the crescentchest again
in a variety of habitats close to town but again drew a blank, due in no small
part, no doubt, to the wind. A fly-by flock of Scarlet-fronted Parakeets
was of some consolation, but we returned to Bagua and the Hotel Wilson reflecting
on what had been ultimately a rather frustrating day.
Day 7 – July 27th
An early start saw us on the road towards the foothill forests
of the distant Urakusa area before dawn. We followed the wide Marañon river
for many kilometres, and the landscape shifted significantly from desert scrub
to low forested hills. After passing through Aramango we entered a promising
patch of forest on our side of the river, and made an extended breakfast stop
in order to sample our first Amazonian birding of the trip. Amongst the more
interesting species we recorded were Grey-breasted Sabrewing, Black-spotted
Barbet, Pygmy Antwren, Spot-winged and Warbling Antbirds, White-banded
Swallow, White-breasted Wood-Wren, Black-billed Thrush, a female Striped
Manakin and Yellow-bellied Dacnis.
With the sun getting quite hot we proceeded on towards Chiriaco
to get information about the current visiting arrangements as regards Peña Blanca,
which is sacred land for the Aguaruna Indians, a sensitive area and thus not
a place one can really access without local contacts. On the way we added the
uncommon Pale-rumped Swift, a soaring Short-tailed Hawk, Cobalt-winged
Parakeet and Yellow-breasted Flycatcher. Once in Chiriaco we tried
to track down our contact but could not be located either there or in Imazita,
despite Juvenal going across the river in a launch to try and locate him or
his right hand man while we had lunch. Encouraged by support from local police
officers, we passed the military checkpoint at Mesones Muro despite some rather
suspicious army officers whose checking of our passports became rather too bureaucratic
for my liking. Anyway, we were allowed through and continued on the rough road
towards the village of El Paraiso where I had stayed the previous year and which
is on the edge of, but outside Aguaruna territory. Such was the distance we
needed to travel that birding stops were rather few, but we did make one at
the site where I had found Orange-throated Tanager the previous year but there
was no sign of it this time. However, we did find White-winged Becard, Yellow-backed
Tanager, Troupial and the sought-after Ecuadorian Cacique, which
was to prove rather common throughout the area over the next couple of days.
As dusk approached we arrived at El Paraiso and I asked permission
from the school teacher to camp out in the school. The children of the village
were very curious and crowded around as we unloaded the Landcruiser. After making
arrangements with some locals for attempting to visit Peña Blanca the next morning,
Juve cooked up a tasty spaghetti while we wrote up the bird list and then all
retired for an early night.
Day 8 – July 28th
We picked up our two local contacts before dawn and tentatively
continued on towards the village of Sargento Leon, the headquarters of the Aguaruna
community. We picked up a few more passengers on the way, many of whom were
crammed onto the roof. This caused us some delay as we got stuck in one of the
increasing number of large muddy sections of the track. Nevertheless, we arrived
by 7 or so in the village and after some slightly awkward negotiation, we payed
the community a fee and a number of them accompanied us up towards Peña Blanca.
I walked with Mike, Fritz and Heinz, plus a large number of both adults and
children from the village who were both curious and keen to show us the ‘inchituch’,
the local name for the tanager, which they knew of well before it was discovered
and described by science. Juve meanwhile drove the chief’s brother and
several other luminaries up the hill towards the ridge top.
It was rather difficult to bird thoroughly with such a lot
of attention being fixed on us by the villagers, and we were also rushing to
get up to the crest of the ridge, but we did see a number of interesting species
including Brown Jacamar, Black-eared Fairy, Broad-billed Motmot, Chestnut-winged
Hookbill, Moriche Oriole, Red-stained Woodpecker, Slate-coloured Grosbeak,
Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher and Golden-headed Manakin.
We passed the car, which Juve had sensibly left this side of
a particularly large area of mud, and by 8am had caught up with the rest of
the party at the top of the hill, where there was indeed a white cliff face,
the translation of the Spanish ‘peña blanca’. It was instantly obvious
why it is considered a sacred spot by the indigenous people: breathtaking views
over undulating and largely unbroken foothill forest were to be had on almost
all sides. We began to bird near the highest point, and the locals quickly drew
our attention to the soft calls of the Orange-throated Tanager. We were
soon watching a flock of three of these spectacular birds as they fed in a fruiting
tree below eye-level. There were more birds to be seen in the mixed flock, best
of which was a very responsive male Fiery-throated Fruiteater which came
in to the tape and briefly perched close-by, but unfortunately eluded Mike.
We were informed of the border between the Aguaruna lands and
those of a neighbouring tribe, and warned not to enter, but then after enjoying
the views through our binoculars for a few minutes the locals left us to our
own devices and we slowly birded our way down towards the village. Despite the
increasing heat birdlife was fairly prolific, and a Yellow-billed Nunbird
perched in the open was followed by a magnificent Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle
which allowed perched scope views before taking to the skies. A Golden-collared
Toucanet flashed across the road, a Blackish Pewee and two Dusky-billed
Parrotlets perched beside the road and we enjoyed good looks at both Double-banded
Pygmy-Tyrant and the local Red-billed Tyrannulet, with good vocalisations
of both species recorded. Other species we encountered on the way down included
Swallow-tailed Kite, Greater Yellow-headed Vulture, Speckled Chachalaca,
Ruddy Pigeon, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, White-tailed Trogon, Crimson-crested Woodpecker,
Plain Xenops, Lemon-throated Barbet, Grey-crowned Flycatcher, Green-and-gold,
Paradise, Turquoise, Opal-rumped and Fulvous-crested Tanagers, Rufous-bellied
and White-lored Euphonia, Blue, Black-faced and Yellow-bellied
Dacnis, and more Ecuadorian Caciques. We also found another single
Orange-throated Tanager, seemingly away from a flock.
Once back at the village, we enjoyed good views of both White-browed
Purpletuft and Crowned Slaty-Flycatcher high in a bare tree, and
enjoyed a drink with the village leaders. Photos were taken of us with them
and with the Ridgely and Tudor plates open at the appropriate page for the tanager,
before we made our way back towards our base at El Paraiso. Occasional stops
revealed further additions to the list in the form of Spangled Cotinga
and Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, but in general activity was rather low
in the heat of the early afternoon. Back at base we did some limited birding
in the afternoon along the track back towards far-off Chiriaco but in general
found very few species we had not already encountered that morning. The threat
of rain forced us back to El Paraiso earlier than planned but we enjoyed a welcome
rest after a tiring couple of days, before night fell and we headed for our
sleeping bags.
Day 9 – July 29th
A relatively gentle start saw us begin to bird our way back towards
Bagua, stopping in areas of good habitat. Activity was a little subdued, and
we had one eye on the clock for much of the morning, but there were nevertheless
some interesting sightings. Firstly, we stopped to admire at some length the
fascinating feeding technique of an acrobatic Green-fronted Lancebill
as it hovered low over a river, occasionally plunging down onto the surface
of the water to snare an insect. A stop at last year’s tanager site again
failed to produce any Wetmorethraupis but we did find Blue-headed
Parrot, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Yellow-ridged Toucan, Crested Oropendola,
and Yellow-rumped and yet more Ecuadorian Caciques. This area
seems to be a real stronghold for the latter species, which is much harder to
see where it occurs in Ecuador. More open areas produced Dark-breasted Spinetail,
Glittering-throated Emerald, Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet and both Purple
and Green Honeycreepers. Our last stop just beyond the bridge over the
Marañon proved most productive, with a patch of cecropias and adjacent river
island vegetation yielding Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Chestnut-crowned Becard,
Solitary Black Cacique, Greyish Saltator, Chestnut-bellied Seed-Finch, Long-tailed
Tyrant, Black-capped Donacobius and a canopy flock which included Opal-crowned
Tanager.
After relating the details of our adventure to the police at
Chiriaco, and enjoying a late lunch, we drove straight back towards Bagua Chica.
Driving out of the forested area we once again passed through an open area where
a Cinereous Harrier was quartering a paddyfield. Given that we had to
get to Pomacochas the next morning, we continued on to Bagua Grande, where we
checked into a hotel, made enquiries about Heinz and Fritz’s bus back to
Chiclayo and then ventured out into the thronging streets of a busy Saturday
night for chicken and chips and a cold beer.
Day 10 – July 30th
We reached Pomacochas by about 7.30, and immediately set about trying
to find a spatuletail. Our first stop in a little gully full of flowering bushes
revealed firstly a very cooperative female Green-tailed Trainbearer,
and then rather unsatisfactory looks at a couple of female or immature Marvellous
Spatuletails that were feeding quietly very close to some dense bushes,
into which they would frequently disappear. We also encountered a pair of the
local race of the Rufous-capped Antshrike, a possible split in the future,
as well as Blue-capped Tanager.
We worked our way around towards the café at the top of the
next bend, and made a brief sortie up the badly degraded Rio Chido trail. This
yielded a few common Andean species such as Band-tailed Pigeon, Red-billed
Parrot, White-tailed Tyrannulet, Cinnamon and Streak-necked Flycatchers,
Brown-capped Vireo, White-crested Elaenia and Rufous-naped Brush-Finch,
but I got brief views of the near-endemic Buff-bellied Tanager, and a
Chestnut-breasted Coronet flashed by, pausing briefly to inspect us.
We did find one fairly good flock that moved through in on of the few remaining
areas of habitat near the river, which held Smoke-coloured Pewee, Rufous-crested,
Beryl-spangled, Blue-and-black, Silver-backed and Flame-faced Tanagers,
Capped Conebill and White-sided Flowerpiercer.
Up at the café, the owners confirmed that they did indeed know
of the ‘colibri con dos colas’, and allowed us to enter their property.
We spent an hour or so in the increasingly warm sunshine sitting and waiting
at a number of flowering trees for the male spatuletail to put in an appearance.
Unfortunately we were to be disappointed, although did encounter a large number
of other hummingbird species, including Green Violetear, Emerald-bellied
Puffleg, Speckled Hummingbird, Amethyst-throated and Purple-throated
Sunangels, White-bellied Woodstar and the flashy Collared Inca, in
addition to Bluish Flowerpiercer and Pearled Treerunner.
At the eleventh hour we encountered Edilberto Bustamante, the
young local who had shown us the male the previous year. Although it was rather
late and the wind was getting up, we agreed that he should accompany us to a
new spot where he had seen the bird recently, along a trail some two or three
kilometres back down towards Pedro Ruiz that led to a treeless hillside covered
in flowering bushes. Despite Edilberto’s enthusiastic efforts, we again
failed to locate the species. It seems that being there in the early morning
is important, and we were unlucky that we only encountered him too late, as
enlisting Edilberto’s help is undoubtedly the best way to find an adult
male. Note that he has now moved house, so it may be wise to ask for him at
the café at the top of the bend above the bridge.
After lunch we continued on towards Abra Patricia, and the
prospect of rather more continuous cloud forest. We made brief stops near the
pass itself where we found several of the species we had seen that morning,
in addition to Montane Woodcreeper, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Azara’s Spinetail
and Three-striped Warbler. Our priority was to head for the Alto Nieve
area, made famous by the discovery of the enigmatic Long-whiskered Owlet in
the strange stunted ridgetop forests, characterised by an unusual flora which
includes a profusion of palms. We quickly found one of the area’s specialities,
the endemic Royal Sunangel, perched in exactly the same spot as it was
a year ago before setting out along a precarious ridge. White-tipped, White-collared
and Chestnut-collared Swifts whizzed by overhead and Cliff Flycatchers
sallied out from their perches. Birding in this habitat is difficult at best
due to the incredibly dense vegetation, and despite hearing both Cinnamon-breasted
Tody-Tyrant and some probable Bar-winged Wood-Wrens, neither species
showed any willingness to respond to the tape. Consolation came in the form
of a flock of the sought-after White-capped Tanager, for which this area
is very reliable, and a small bird party which included Metallic-green Tanager.
As darkness fell, we returned to look for a camping spot, which
we found in a disused quarry next to the road, and despite the arrival of a
police car at about 9.30pm to warn us of the supposed presence of bandits in
the area, we settled down for a good night’s sleep.
Day 11 – July 31st
We returned to Alto Nieve for the early morning birding session, and were once
again frustrated in our efforts to locate the main specialities, with Cinnamon-breasted
Tody-Tyrant again calling but not responding. It turned into rather a frustrating
morning, as it got hot rather early and activity consequently died rather quickly,
but we still managed to record a number of new species for the trip list on
our way back up to the pass before heading down towards Afluentes.
An unexpected adult Slaty Finch interrupted our avena,
as did a delicate Booted Racket-tail that fed close to the vehicle. We
headed back up towards the pass, intially, also adding a group of White-collared
Jays, plus Andean Guan, Long-tailed Sylph, Plushcap, Flavescent
and Cinnamon Flycatchers, Spectacled Redstart, Sierran Elaenia,
Golden-faced Tyrannulet, Barred Becard, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Olivaceous Siskin,
Mountain Cacique and Yellow-throated and Yellow-scarfed Tanagers.
However, we could not locate the undescribed race of Rufous-crowned Tody-Tyrant
in the extensive area of bamboo where it had been quite numerous the previous
year.
With time rather limited we continued on to Afluentes and waited
for the huge mixed flock that had been a regular fixture in the area. An Ash-throated
Antwren responded to tape but frustratingly did not come in, although we
did get excellent views of a pair of Blue-naped Chlorophonias. The flock
never materialised in all its glory, but we did manage to find Grey-mantled
Wren, Equatorial Greytail, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, plus the usual cast
of colourful frugivores including Orange-eared, Blue-necked, Golden, Saffron-crowned
and Flame-faced Tanagers.
Down at the tranquil Puente Aguas Verdes, the heat prevented
much activity, although a Double-toothed Kite soared up on the thermals
while we ate lunch at a simple restaurant. The next couple of hours were spent
ferrying Heinz and Fritz to and fro trying to find them a bus to Chiclayo. We
drove down to Rioja, finding Wattled Jacanas in the wet fields beside
the road, before backtracking to Nueva Cajamarca and saying goodbyes to two
of the party. Having continued on to Moyobamba, we decided against continuing
to the Tarapoto area, thinking that we had less time than we did. Instead we
backtracked again to Nueva Cajamarca for the night, planning another assault
on Afluentes in the morning.
Day 12 – August 1st
We were back up at Afluentes by 6.30 or so but our morning was
somewhat interrupted by rain and the hoped-for flock again did not materialise
fully. However, there were some good birds to be found in amongst the raindrops,
including a small flock containing Versicoloured Barbet, Speckle-chested
Piculet, Olive-backed Woodcreeper and Rufous-rumped Antwren. An Ecuadorian
Piedtail gave excellent views as it fed low down on some flowers next to
the road, and noisy Blackish Antbirds gave brief but eventually good
views in the understorey, whilst further additions to the list appeared in the
form of Subtropical Cacique, Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant, Montane and
Buff-fronted Foliage-Gleaners, Olive-striped Flycatcher, Plain Antvireo,
Olivaceous Woodcreeper and White-winged Tanager. An additional bonus
was the sighting of both Amazonian Umbrellabird and Andean Cock-of-the-rock
in quick succession.
We continued down to Aguas Verdes where the weather had improved
and the sun was out. A number of hummingbird species were added, including a
delightful female Wire-crested Thorntail, Green and Grey-chinned Hermits,
and a fruiting tree held Lemon-browed and Streaked Flycatchers
plus a few of the regular tanagers. One of the highlights was the endemic Huallaga
Tanager, and a large flock revealed Yellow-crested, Spotted and Golden-eared
Tanagers, Deep-blue Flowerpiercer, Bronze-green Euphonia and Ecuadorian
Tyrannulet, whilst a graceful Swallow-tailed Kite passed by overhead.
After lunch we gained altitude again, stopping once more in
the Alto Nieve area and trying a long trail down into the valley below the owlet
ridge. After a nice Long-tailed Sylph, the trail proved most disappointing,
with a lot of dead bamboo and virtually no bird activity at all. A little down-hearted,
we returned to the owlet ridge trail for a final go at the remaining specialities.
I tried a different cut of Bar-winged Wood-Wren from the tape and after
an exciting game of hide-and-seek finally got brief but excellent views of a
pair of this little-known species in the dense tangled vegetation, much to our
relief. Back up near the pass a small flock held Black-capped and Oleaginous
Hemispinguses, and we retired to the restaurant at the pass for dinner and
a night on their wooden floor with our mats and sleeping bags.
Day 13 – August 2nd
Our last morning birding these east slope forests of Abra Patricia
found us working our way down from the pass to Afluentes one more time. We got
off to a good start, scoping an Orange-breasted Falcon in a treetop,
finding a beautiful Crimson-mantled Woodpecker inspecting a tree trunk
and watching some Scaly-naped Parrots fly by overhead. Yet again, however,
the presence of too much sun brought an early end to activity, although the
Royal Sunangel was still in his same perch on our way past Alto Nieve.
Down at Afluentes, an Olivaceous Greenlet foraged quietly
beside the road, whilst an indistinct trail led us into the forest a little
way where we found a female White-bearded Manakin, Spotted Barbtail and
a pair of Plain Antvireos. Generally, though, activity was disappointing
and we made a midday departure back towards Pedro Ruiz.
After stocking up on supplies we followed the river through
a dry valley towards Leimeibamba, adding Purple-collared Woodstar, Golden-rumped
Euphonia and a pair of Torrent Duck in the rapids, although there
was no sign of Fasciated Tiger-Heron. After discovering that we had somehow
managed to get a day ahead of ourselves, we resolved to make the best of this
disappointment, and to try and clean up the specialities on the way to Cajamarca,
where we were due to rendezvous with another client in a few days time. We arrived
in the rather run-down town of Leimeibamba after dark and after a basic dinner
we all needed an early night.
Day 14 – August 3rd
By sunrise we were up at the forest patches above Leimeibamba
on the way to the Marañon. One of the first birds we found was a beautiful Grey-breasted
Mountain-Toucan perched quietly in a tree crown enjoying the first rays
of sun, followed soon after by our main target, the rare Russet-mantled Softtail,
which responded instantly to the tape and came in to give good views. Hummingbirds
were much in evidence, and a fly-by Sword-billed Hummingbird was followed
up by better views of Mountain Velvetbreast, Violet-throated Starfrontlet,
Tyrian Metaltail, and Glowing Puffleg, the latter seemingly representing
a range extension. However, despite much searching we could not find any Coppery
Metaltails.
Although these forest patches are rather degraded, they still
support some good birds and we also found Speckle-faced Parrot, White-chinned
Thistletail (here of the peruviana race possibly a full species),
Red-crested Cotinga, White-collared Jay, White-banded Tyrannulet, Mountain
Cacique, Masked and White-sided Flowerpiercer and the unusual grey
insignis form of Superciliaried Hemispingus.
Higher still the forest gives way to patches of humid shrubbery
interspersed among areas of semi-natural high grassland close to the Abra Barro
Negro, or Black Mud Pass. Here we stumbled across a large Curve-billed Tinamou
in a field, raucous Andean Flickers, striking Andean Lapwings
and a host of smaller birds among the bushes, including Moustached Flowerpiercer,
Tufted Tit-Tyrant, Peruvian Sierra-Finch and Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant,
whilst Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Mountain Caracara and Brown-bellied
Swallow passed by overhead.
Later we crossed the pass and began the hair-raising descent
down into the spectacular Marañon valley towards the tiny settlement of Balsas.
Habitat is very sparse on this side of the canyon and we made one or two fruitless
stops in the humid shrubbery before reaching more arid areas by early afternoon.
Mike and I explored a dry quebrada whilst Juve prepared a late lunch, and we
quickly found a small family party of the endemic Buff-bridled Inca-Finch,
plus Marañon Gnatcatcher, Spot-throated Hummingbird, Hepatic Tanager,
Purple-throated Euphonia and Hooded Siskin. By 4pm we had arrived
at the hot valley bottom and set about finding our remaining targets. The uncommon
Peruvian Pigeon gave excellent views in a treetop and we were soon also
admiring the localised Marañon Thrush. There were no Yellow-faced Parrotlets
around, but we knew we had a better chance of finding the species at Chagual
later in the tour. As the sun beat a quick retreat up the canyon we drove up
the west side of the canyon to the tiny village of El Limon, where we set up
camp on the football pitch, and bought some rather unpalatable tamales
from a local family, before writing up the list and retiring to the tents.
Day 15 – August 4th
The plan for the morning was to locate the three specialities
of the area before heading on to Celendin and exploring the remnant habitat
around the town. Soon after dawn we climbed up a small trail onto a scrubby
hillside and quickly located the rare and local Grey-winged Inca-Finch,
and watched this little-known endemic for several minutes as it sang from the
top of a bush. We then walked back down the road towards Balsas, and found a
group of the near-endemic Buff-bellied Tanager in an acacia, in addition
to Aplomado Falcon, Lesser Goldfinch, Purple-collared Woodstar, Peruvian
Meadowlark, Stripe-headed Brush-Finch and Masked Yellowthroat. The
three-note whistle of the Chestnut-crowned Antpitta was frequently heard
but we opted not to invest time in seeking out this shy species. The final endemic
took more time, but after locating an active nest, we were finally rewarded
with views of the very localised Chestnut-backed Thornbird.
By 10am we were on our way up towards Celendin, and made a
number of rather productive stops yielded specialities such as Jelski’s
Chat-Tyrant and Black-crested Tit-Tyrant, in addition to other new
birds for the trip, including Andean Emerald, Rusty Flowerpiercer,
Andean Parakeet and the widespread Band-tailed Seedeater. Crossing
the pass, we found a pair of Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrants and some Ash-breasted
Sierra-Finches before we headed down into the attractive town of Celendin,
complete with blue church in the Plaza de Armas, for lunch and a well-earned
siesta as rain began to beat down on the roof of the hotel.
By 3pm the weather had improved sufficiently for us to explore
an area of shrubbery some 10km from town where the rare Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch
has been reported in the past. The habitat was quite poor and perhaps no longer
supports the warbling-finch, although we did find Black-throated Flowerpiercer
and White-browed Chat-Tyrant. Before dusk we returned to Celendin for
dinner of pizza in the town square.
Day 16 – August 5th
With a horrendous night drive in prospect that evening, we were
rather glad of the leisurely day we could look forward to, with a five hour
drive to Cajamarca the only distance needed to be covered by 6pm. Unfortunately
the road from Celendin is not blessed with much good habitat, but we did find
a number of new birds for the trip list.
The first stop was at the shrubby area 11km from Celendin,
where again we missed the warbling-finch, but did add Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager,
Black-crested Warbler and the endemic Baron’s Spinetail. Further
on, in higher and more open habitats, species such as Paramo Pipit, Bright-rumped
Yellow-Finch, Mourning and Plumbeous Sierra-Finches and Rufous-webbed
Tyrant were found, and in more areas of shrubbery, Golden-billed Saltator
and another endemic, Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail. We made a stop near
the village of Cruz Conga in a small patch of woodland where I had seen White-tailed
Shrike-Tyrant the previous year. Unfortunately there was no sign of this species
or of the local race of Rufous Antpitta whose call is very different to other
forms.
We continued on to Cajamarca, stopping to admire a field full
of the austral migrant White-browed Ground-Tyrant, and a nearby Slender-billed
Miner. After lunch in this attractive and historic city, we stocked up on
some much needed supplies in preparation for our trip down towards Huamachuco
and Tayabamba before heading out to nearby Baños del Inca for our rendezvous
with what we thought would be two new clients. As it was, only one turned up,
English birder Phil Richardson, and after an unsuccessful attempt to locate
the Grey-bellied Comet site near the airport in the limited time we had available,
let alone the bird itself. As dusk fell we started the long drive to far-off
El Molino, via Cajabamba. After dinner in one of the towns en route, we headed
south on terrible roads before climbing up onto the cold puna in the early hours
and descending once more onto the upper slopes of the Marañon valley as it began
to get light, with no-one really getting any sleep at all.
Day 17 – August 6th
It was an enormous relief when we arrived at the small village
of El Molino shortly after daybreak, after what had been a terrible journey
of some twelve hours. Our principal target revealed itself almost ridiculously
easily, as the first bird we saw was a Purple-backed Sunbeam perched
in an alder-lined gully close to the car that I found as I was relieving myself!
Also in the area were more Baron’s Spinetails and a superb Rainbow
Starfrontlet. The road became even worse below El Molino, which seemed scarcely
possible, and it took us an age to get down to Aricapampa and then from there
the 11km that took us to the next site. Once there, we searched the sparse dry
scrub and eventually found a responsive Great Spinetail, a rare species
which had gone unrecorded for almost 20 years until it was rediscovered in this
area in 1998. Pausing for a hard-earned breakfast, we located another pair close
to the car, along with some Buff-bridled Inca-Finches that foraged on
the ground in the same binocular field.
Down in the valley bottom at Chagual it was becoming almost
unbearably hot, although we did manage to find a couple of Yellow-faced Parrotlets
near the airport, and some Peruvian Pigeons during a baking walk through
some orchards above the river after lunch. In the early afternoon we drove up
the other side of canyon, getting good views of more Yellow-faced Parrotlets,
plus a Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant. Our destination was the small mining
town of Pataz, gateway to the ruins of Gran Pajaten, one of the few accessible
areas of the remote Rio Abiseo NP. After finding a very basic hotel, we headed
up onto the first section of the long trail up over a pass and down to the ruins,
a hike of two to three days. Darkness was falling and birds were not numerous
but we did find Giant Hummingbird, Bare-faced Ground-Dove and White-crested
Elaenia. After such an exhausting journey the previous night everyone was
asleep by 8pm.
Day 18 – August 7th
After a refreshing night’s sleep we explored the same track
as the previous evening, with our main quarry the rare Rufous-backed Inca-Finch.
The path rose steeply through a variety of habitats from dry scrub to more humid
shrubbery in a deep quebrada. We found a fairly wide range of the commoner Andean
species which we had already seen during the trip, but particularly noteworthy
was the excellent views we had of the endemic Black-necked Flicker. Flocks
in the shrubbery held Black-crested Warbler, Plain-coloured and Black-and-white
Seedeaters, Blue-and-yellow Tanager and Golden-bellied Grosbeak,
all of which were as surprised as we were by an unexpected Bicoloured Hawk.
We spent a fair amount of time scrutinizing a group of three Thlyposis
tanagers, as the localised endemic Brown-flanked Tanager has recently been reported
from the area, but despite our best attempts to turn them into this species,
they were undoubtedly Rufous-chested Tanagers.
Higher up the track passed through a denser area of humid shrubbery
where I was fortunate to see a shy Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush cross
the path, although it had retreated into cover before any of the others could
get on to it. We reached the INRENA headquarters for Abiseo NP, which was little
more than a small mud hut, by about 9, and despite the lack of inca-finches
we decided we ought to get back to Pataz with a long drive in store in the afternoon
to Buldibuyo. It seems that we would have needed to hike quite a bit higher
to find this bird, in addition to the potentially new species of earthcreeper
that Gunnar discovered during fieldwork in this area earlier in the year.
We made it back to the hotel by about 11am and retraced our
steps once more down to Chagual and the Marañon river, again finding Yellow-faced
Parrotlet and Buff-bridled Inca-Finch on the way down. From there
we followed the river for a while before climbing up a series of incredible
hairpin bends, reflecting on the extraordinary feats of engineering evident
in so many of the remarkably precarious roads we had travelled on. A couple
of Peruvian Pigeons joined us at our lunch spot, before we continued
on through the mining heartland of central Peru through some remarkably bustling
towns nestled in deep barren valleys, and past a couple of emerald green lakes,
hopelessly polluted by copper deposits. Climbing up over another high pass,
after dark we passed the turn-off that we would take the following day and descended
for a further half-hour or so to the quiet town of Buldibuyo for some dinner
and to purchase supplies for our expedition to La Montañita.
Day 19 – August 8th
We drove back up the hill from Buldibuyo and turned off towards
the east slope. Climbing still further, we passed through an area of puna with
scattered high elevation woodland, until we reached a more extensive area adjacent
to a large lake which held Black-crowned Night-Heron, Andean Gull, Speckled
Teal and Andean Duck. By this time it had started to rain and we
sheltered in the car for half an hour or so, once venturing forth to admire
a Coppery Metaltail which hid from the rain in a nearby bush. Once the
skies cleared up we found several more of this attractive endemic which often
seemed remarkably tame, allowing a very close approach as they perched on top
of bushes. In the wooded and shrubby area along the lake shore Great Thrush
was comfortably the dominant species but also in evidence were Mountain Caracara,
Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant and Moustached
Flowerpiercer. Soon after 9.30 we made our way up the appalling road up
towards the pass, having to get out of the vehicle a number of times to allow
Juve to negotiate the stony track that was dangerously slippery from the recent
dowpour.
Once over the pass we entered a wonderful mosaic of elfin forest
and adjacent boggy grassland, apparently similar to the Bosque Unchog area above
the Carpish pass in Huanuco department further to the south. Mist and cloud
were swirling around the area, but were gradually lifting to reveal great views
down a long, rather wide valley towards lower elevations, whose sides were cloaked
in almost unbroken temperate forest. This is the area known as La Montañita
by locals in Buldibuyo and neighbouring villages. We reached a good viewpoint
over one of the elfin forest patches, and incredibly, almost as soon as we had
got out of the car for a first scan of the area, I found a magnificent Golden-backed
Mountain-Tanager perched out in the open in a tall tree, which stayed for
several minutes, allowing for excellent scope views and for Phil to take a number
of photos. When it flew it was followed by two other individuals which had been
hiding in the vegetation below it. This rare and little-known species is normally
retiring and elusive, and often take days to find even in the right habitat.
It was one of the most electric experiences of my birding life. After we had
finished celebrating it was time to explore the forest further.
We walked down through one of the forest patches, which was
rather quiet, before arriving in a more open area, where we scanned the treetops
and patches of grassland, finding a female Great Sapphirewing and some
Red-crested Cotingas perched in the treetops, and a Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant
in the puna. We were soon entering an area of temperate forest with a bamboo-dominated
understorey, and for the next hour or so birds were remarkably numerous, and
barely a moment went by when we were not looking at something new or interesting.
Mixed flocks containing a wide variety of species were almost continuously being
encountered, including rare specialities such as the striking Rufous-browed
Hemispingus, the little-known Russet-mantled Softtail, which was
positively numerous and the newly-split Peruvian Wren. Other bamboo specialists
such as Striped Treehunter and Plushcap also showed well at close
range. Away from the bamboo, flocks held Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Streaked
Tuftedcheek, Pearled Treerunner, Ochraceous-breasted Flycatcher, Rufous-breasted
Chat-Tyrant, Mountain Wren, Black-capped and Drab Hemispinguses, Barred
Becard, Barred Fruiteater, Yellow-scarfed and Grass-green Tanagers, Grey-hooded
Bush-Tanager, Blue-backed Conebill, Scarlet-bellied and Lacrimose Mountain-Tanagers,
Citrine Warbler and Masked Flowerpiercer.
Away from the flocks we found Collared Inca, Amethyst-throated
Sunangel, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Andean Parakeet, Scaly-naped Parrot, Andean
Guan, White-collared Jay and Masked Trogon, before continuing on
to the picturesque spot where Juve had already prepared a very welcome lunch.
At lower elevations we went down through more largely untouched forest to our
campsite at about 2800m, which is where the road ended. The afternoon was not
as productive as the morning, although this would have been extremely difficult,
and the temperate forest seemed rather less species-rich than higher up, and
the flocks in particular were not as diverse. However, walking along the final
section of the now undriveable track we did add Slaty Brush-Finch and
the pretty Rufous-capped Thornbill before retreating to for supper and
an early night as the rain began to beat down.
Day 20 – August 9th
The rain had not stopped all night, and Mike and Phil emerged
from their tent rather wet and having had very little sleep. The plan for the
morning was for Juvenal to accompany a local farmer (perhaps the only other
person in the entire area) down towards the river in order to cut a trail into
the elevational range of the very little-known Yellow-browed Toucanet. Meanwhile
Mike, Phil and I explored the temperate forest further by walking down from
the campsite. We spent some time trying to get views of a Rusty-tinged Antpitta
that was almost close enough to reach out and touch but always remained hidden
in the dense roadside vegetation. This species was quite numerous but we also
occasionally heard the very different call of the rare Pale-billed Antpitta,
although we never managed to get anything like as close to this species.
Many of the species we found were the same as we located on
the previous day, but new birds for the list included Rufous Spinetail, Smoky
Bush-Tyrant, Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant, Buff-breasted and Hooded Mountain-Tanagers,
a shy Yellow-billed Cacique and brief views of a White-throated Quail-Dove
which crossed the road in front of us. A Golden-headed Quetzal called
quite distantly, but we did find another Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan
and Rufous-capped Thornbill. After lunch we continued up beyond the campsite
towards the elfin forest but found little else that we had not already seen.
By dusk we had all gathered back at camp to prepare dinner, with Juve filling
us in on the details of our planned hike down to the river in the morning.
Day 21 – August 10th
It was a morning of hard hiking through difficult conditions down to
the river below, and we had little opportunity to make many stops for birding.
We firstly crossed a precarious single log bridge where Phil almost came a cropper,
before passing right by a plunging waterfall with a frightening drop-off down
the cliff-face on one side of the fortunately more stable bridge. Mateo, our
local contact, assured us that he knew of the ‘tucan verde’ but despite
trawling with the tape of the closely related Blue-banded Toucanet, we had no
luck trying to locate this rare species, and the presence of Grey-breasted
Mountain-Toucan confirmed my suspicion that we had not managed to descend
low enough. On the way down we flushed a very large owl that must have been
Great Horned Owl, and on two or three occasions we encountered mouse-like
tapaculos creeping away from under our feet, which may have been the endemic
Large-footed Tapaculo. Andean Solitaire was one of the species we found
in this more mossy forest that we had not previously discovered on the other
side of the valley, but generally the birding was a little disappointing in
comparison with the previous couple of days.
After a tough slog through the mud for the 300-400 metres elevation
we had lost getting down to the river, we arrived up at camp by lunchtime where
we thanked Mateo, struck camp and began the drive back up to the elfin forest
where we planned to spend the night camping close to the wreck of the blue van
which we had passed on the way down. Remarkably, a Rufous-browed Hemispingus
flew across the road in front of us, surely the first time this species has
been seen from a moving vehicle! The weather had not been particularly good
all day, but when we reached the elfin forest, great swathes of cloud lifted
up out of the valley to reveal a brief period of bright sunshine. A number of
species made the most of this break in the weather to feed and dry themselves
out, foremost of which was the reappearance of the three Golden-backed Mountain-Tanagers
which again gave good views, and of a pair of the rare Bay-vented Cotinga
sallying forth from their treetop perch like flycatchers, behaving in a far
more active fashion than the scant literature on the species would suggest.
Coppery Metaltails were very numerous, as were Moustached Flowerpiercer,
but we could not locate the final, and normally easiest of the four principal
localised endemics of these elfin forest patches, the drab Pardusco.
Taking advantage of the bright spell, we descended a little
on foot into the bamboo-dominated forest where we found a similar range of species
to before, with the added bonus of the endemic Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant,
which turned out to be quite numerous, plus Green-and-black Fruiteater
and White-browed Spinetail. Back up at camp as the daylight faded, the
unmistakable hooting of the Undulated Antpitta started up close to our
camp, which Juve had set up brilliantly on a wooden platform. A bit of playback
quickly excited this bird and it flew out of its dense habitat to perch briefly
some two metres up in a tree on the other side of the path. After hiding once
more, it shot back to its original patch over our hides, gliding against the
sky like an owl in the gathering dusk. After a tasty dinner prepared in the
shelter of the cab of the lorry, we retired to our tents to rest our weary limbs.
Day 22 – August 11th
Another night of persistant rain left both tents pretty wet this time,
and also hampered our early morning birding. After a frustrating time waiting
for the weather to clear we decided instead to make tracks back towards Buldibuyo
as we had a long long afternoon and then night drive ahead of us. Just above
the elfin forest a Neblina Tapaculo was watched as it crossed a rock
face from one patch of shrubbery to another, and back by the lake we got excellent
views of Blue-mantled Thornbill in addition to refinding many of the
species we had seen on our way in. The trip back to Buldibuyo took about an
hour and a half, interrupted briefly by a Many-striped Canastero, and
from there we continued south towards the small town of Huancaspata over desolate
puna landscapes where we found a pair of Aplomado Falcons perched on
the ground beside the road, Streak-throated Canasteros amongst the tussock
grass and an elegant Silvery Grebe floating quietly on the waters of
a small lake. After dinner and an interesting conversation with the surprisingly
worldly-wise restaurant owner, we headed out towards Sihuas on another all night
drive.
Day 23 – August 12th
Another exhausting night saw us drive through Sihuas, Huallanca
and the Cañon del Pato, arriving in the Cordillera Blanca just before dawn.
Fortunately this journey will be done in daylight in future as the road passes
through habitat for Pale-tailed Canastero, Grey-bellied Comet and even Kalinowski’s
Tinamou. We passed Caraz before reaching Yungay and making our way up into the
mountains towards the Llanganuco sector of the stunning Huascaran NP, undoubtedly
one of the most spectacular birding backdrops in the country. We had got a little
more sleep during this night drive but everyone was beginning to run out of
steam, and we were a little too jaded to appreciate fully the beauty of the
area. The marshy area at the end of the second lake held a variety of widespread
Andean waterfowl, whilst higher up in the Gynoxys shrubbery and Polylepis
woodland we found Tit-like Dacnis, Baron’s Spinetail, Giant Conebill
and the endemic Rufous-eared Brush-Finch, but despite searching at a
variety of altitudes could not find any White-cheeked Cotingas.
We worked our way down slowly towards the lake, finding Black
Metaltail, Shining Sunbeam, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Band-tailed Sierra-Finch,
Striated and Plain-breasted Earthcreepers, Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant
and, rather incongruously, a Smoky-brown Woodpecker. The areas of grassland
next to the lakes held Plain-capped and Puna Ground-Tyrants, and
we had a brief sleep in the car before continuing on towards the first lake
where we had a light lunch in a small Polylepis woodland and watched
an Andean Condor soaring against the snow-covered lower slopes of Huascaran.
Down in Yungay again we had some decisions to make. The initial
itinerary was that we should head north again for another night drive to the
area in the far northwest of Ancash department where Gunnar had rediscovered
Kalinowski’s Tinamou in April. Fortunately, there is always a lot of flexibility
in the itineraries and we decided that it just was not feasible and opted instead
to spend the night in Yungay before another attempt at finding the cotinga up
at Llanganuco and then heading onto San Damian. The rest of the afternoon was
spent failing to locate Pale-tailed Canastero at a nearby site, before returning
to Yungay for an early night.
Day 24 – August 13th
The next morning we returned, somewhat more refreshed, to Llanganuco,
and drove straight up to higher elevations where once again we failed to locate
White-cheeked Cotinga, despite driving all the way up to the pass which was
well above the snowline following an unexpected snowfall the previous night.
We walked up towards the snowy peaks into a high patch of Polylepis,
finding Blue-mantled and Olivaceous Thornbills and Stripe-headed
Antpitta, whilst Mike stumbled across an Ancash Tapaculo. Lower down
we stopped briefly at the Maria Josefa trail where I found a Plain-tailed
Warbling-Finch but unfortunately it had gone by the time the others had
arrived. Away from the park a group of Andean Swifts circled above the
car on our descent through the arid scrub below the ranger station, as we examined
the ruins and the cementeries of the old town of Yungay, which was completely
destroyed by a devastating earthquake in the 1960s.
From Yungay we continued south down the Callejon de Huaylas,
intending to cross up over the Cordillera Negra to San Damian. Unfortunately,
the huge distances we had covered on often appalling roads had taken its toll
on the Landcruiser and a temperature problem amongst other things forced us
to rethink the route. Concerned that we might have to go back to Lima for repairs,
we luckily managed to get hold of Gunnar and he arranged for Julio and Goyo
to come and arrange a smooth change of cars somewhere along the road. Although
it made for a pretty miserable night, we were all very thankful that these problems
had happened on a major paved road through the centre of the country and not
at La Montañita. We coaxed the ailing vehicle down to the town of Pativilca,
where the road meets the coastal Panamerican highway, and settled down to sleep
and await the arrival of the Dodge van.
Day 25 – August 14th
The unexpected switch to the Dodge allowed us more sleep than we might
otherwise have got on the drive north but it was still with rather heavy legs
that we hauled our way up from the tiny village of San Damian, nestled in a
valley amongst the stark arid landscape of the Cordillera Negra, into the limited
area of dry scrubby woodland high above the town. After an hour and a half or
so of quite hard walking up through barren, birdless terrain, we reached an
area of grassy scrub where we encountered a number of Great Inca-Finches
and Collared Warbling-Finches. At a small cattle yard we found a small
oasis of more humid shrubbery and woodland where we found the first of three
or so chat-tyrants which we had assumed would be the localised endemic Piura,
although none showed any obvious rufous in the wings and therefore must have
been White-browed Chat-Tyrants, despite their seemingly more unobtrusive
habits. Other species we found were Bay-crowned Brush-Finch, Rusty-crowned
Tit-Spinetail, Scrub Blackbird, Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant, Amazilia Hummingbird
and Purple-collared Woodstar, although our main target took rather a
while to locate. Eventually we stumbled across a rather unvocal pair of Russet-bellied
Spinetails and returned to the cattle area for a rest. Three Andean Condors
circled worryingly low over us, presumably waiting for us to keel over, but
soon lost interest as we began the descent back to the village.
We returned towards the coast, planning to spend the night
in a hotel in Huarmey after the trials of the previous night, and stopped for
lunch in a dry river bed on the way back towards the coast where we were interrupted
by a small flock of Mountain Parakeets which perched in the crown of
a nearby tree. By 3.30 we had arrived in Huarmey and after finding a hotel with
a little difficulty we ventured to Puerto Huarmey, a little south of the town.
A marshy area on the way towards the sea warranted an extended stop and we added
a large number of species to the trip list. The areas of open water held large
numbers of Wilson’s Phalaropes, whilst Cinnamon Teals and
a pair of White-cheeked Pintails grazed the grassy margins. The shallow
muddy fringes harboured a number of species of migrant shorebird, including
Semipalmated, Least and Pectoral Sandpipers, Ruff, Lesser and
Greater Yellowlegs and Dark-faced Ground-Tyrants and Short-tailed
Field-Tyrants searched for insects in the grass.
Down at the beach we found even more new birds. Blackish
Oystercatchers and Whimbrels patrolled the beach and the endemic
Peruvian Seaside Cinclodes was quickly found on the rocky promontory.
A small offshore island held possible breeding colonies of a number of species,
and an hour’s seawatching produced a wide range of seabirds including Humboldt
Penguin, Peruvian Booby, Peruvian Pelican, Guanay and Red-legged Cormorants,
South American and Inca Terns, Band-tailed and Grey Gulls
and the slender Great Grebe. On the way back to town we passed an area
of grassland where we admired about 20 Peruvian Thick-knees, before a
dinner of ceviche and a comfortable bed.
Day 26 – August 15th
A fairly leisurely start saw us on our way south along the Panamerican
towards Lima by about 7am, and by 9 we had reached the turn-off to the Lomas
de Lachay. We started at the lower entrance, where we searched a dry cactus-dotted
valley for the resident endemics. On the way in Coastal Miners were relatively
common, and further into the canyon a pair of Greyish Miners were added.
The remaining target was rather elusive, but we did finally manage to locate
a Cactus Canastero, with Phil getting particularly good views.
After breakfast we moved up to the main park HQ entrance, and
the normally barren desert along the main entrance road was covered by a carpet
of green plants dotted with white flowers which attracted a number of cute Least
Seedsnipes which seemed to be feeding on the flowers themselves. There were
also large numbers of the attractive Tawny-throated Dotterel present,
and we enjoyed excellent views of this elegant wader. At park HQ we walked the
trail leading up from the car park in search of the final endemic Thick-billed
Miner, and we eventually had poor views of a rather distant pair on a rocky
outcrop. Returning to the HQ we had a very civilised lunch in the picnic area,
and remarkably an astonishingly tame miner hopped right up to our table and
picked up some scraps we left for it at our feet.
On the way back towards Lima we detoured to the Ventanilla
marshes north of the city near Callao and the airport where we found a number
of species we had seen at Puerto Huarmey, with the exception of American
Oystercatcher and Sanderling on the beach and Grey-headed
and Kelp Gulls in the large marshy area inland from the sea. A group
of Peruvian holidaymakers from Huanuco were very excited to enjoy scope views
of some sedate Peruvian Thick-knees. As darkness fell we continued to
Lima and dropped Mike off at the airport before driving back to Gunnar’s
appartment in San Borja to discuss the plans for the next few days.
Day 27 – August 16th
Phil was still keen to embark on a mission to try and locate Kalinowski’s
Tinamou, so Gunnar had planned that we go off to Bosque Zarate for the next
two days to look for Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch, so the car could be fixed,
before I would take on another client going to Santa Eulalia and Marcapomacocha
and Gunnar would take Phil north. A 5am departure saw us on the central highway
north of Chosica before we turned off for our rendezvous with our local contact.
After a quick breakfast we began the 4 hour hike up across dry slopes to the
woodland, passing through areas of scrub and more dense shrubbery. We found
a number of species typical of the Pacific slope including Black-winged Ground-Dove,
Black Metaltail, Rufous-chested Tanager, Oasis Hummingbird, Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail,
Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant and the endemic Canyon Canastero. The highlight
was the rare endemic Bronze-tailed Comet which we watched as it fed low
down on a flowering bush. We were to find this species relatively numerous at
our campsite later in the day.
The forest itself was rather unusual botanically, and not really
what I had expected. The main tree species was vaguely reminiscent of Mediterranean
cork and not a place where I would expect to find White-cheeked Cotingas, despite
the fact that this species’ monotypic genus is named Zaratornis
after this area of woodland. The cotinga is probably a seasonal visitor here
and we certainly didn’t find any. The endemic Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch
was very numerous, but in the heat of the day there were few birds present.
One of these, however, was a strange sparrow-sized bird with a little rufous
wash on the sides of the breast, which must have been a female or immature Rufous-breasted
Warbling-Finch, although the view was not conclusive. We climbed up out
of the forest into an area of short grass next to an old deserted building where
we pitched our tent and sat down to relax and enjoy some hard-earned lunch after
a tough walk.
The afternoon was spent working up and down the path through
the forest, which clings to the steep slopes. There was no further sign of the
Poospiza but we did locate Shining Sunbeam, Andean Swift, Baron’s Spinetail
and Rusty Flowerpiercer. As the sun got progressively lower in the sky
we watched some hummingbirds come to the proliferation of flowering shrubs,
which included good views of more Bronze-tailed Comets, their ruby gorgets
and bronzy tail tips diagnostic. After dark Band-winged Nightjars circled
around the camp as I cooked dinner before retiring to bed.
Day 28 – August 17th
We spent the first few hours of daylight trying to locate our main quarry,
but drew a depressing blank at first, although I did find an Andean Tinamou
feeding close to a small water tank just above camp. We relocated the majority
of the species we had found the previous day, but it was not until the eleventh
hour, in this case about 8.45am that we found a full adult male Rufous-breasted
Warbling-Finch in a small mixed flock. We enjoyed good views for a few seconds
before it disappeared as quickly as it had materialised. Relieved to have found
this endangered and little-known species after so much searching, we made good
progress down towards the road, arriving at about midday, delighted to find
Juvenal waiting for us.
We returned to Chosica where we enjoyed a leisurely lunch and
a rest at the junction with the road up into the Santa Eulalia valley whilst
awaiting the arrival of Julio, Goyo and new client Peter Coburn, who had been
in Manu for three weeks. They finally made it at about 4pm and we loaded Peter
and all the necessary supplies into the Dodge and continued up on the Santa
Eulalia road, making an unsuccesful stop for Black-necked Flicker. Climbing
up the arid mountain slopes on a rather precarious road, we turned off to the
town of San Pedro de Casta, arriving after dark where we found a basic hotel
and had a simple dinner before bed.
Day 29 – August 18th
We worked the area of scrub from San Pedro down to the bridge for the
first few hours of daylight, and caught up with a number of the endemics and
specialities of the area. Black-necked Flickers showed well in a eucalypt,
a Canyon Canastero gave good views in response to tape and the dainty
Peruvian Sheartail buzzed around the flowers alongside Purple-collared
Woodstar, Oasis Hummingbird and Bronze-tailed Comet. On the series
of switchbacks on the final descent to the bridge, we encountered a large flock
of seed-eating birds which included 1-2 male Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finches
and at least 3 other individuals, either females, immatures or alternate-plumaged
males. Other specialities such as Streaked Tit-Spinetail, Pied-crested
Tit-Tyrant and Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch were found rather easily,
although by the time we had reached the right area a little further up on the
main road, there were no Great Inca-Finches to be found because of the heat.
After stopping for lunch in a shady spot we followed the river
higher up towards Marcapomacocha, pausing to admire a rather flighty pair of
White-winged Cinclodes. We reached the Polylepis woodland in the mid-afternoon
and had time for a little birding before dark, finding a number of species including
Black Metaltail, Plain-breasted Earthcreeper, D’Orbigny’s Chat-Tyrant,
White-capped Dipper, Yellow-rumped Siskin, a Stripe-headed Antpitta
perched on a rock, and Peter’s first Andean Condor. Dinner was followed
by an early night bracing ourselves for the cold.
Day 30 – August 19th
Learning from previous experiences, we waited for the birds to wake
up before venturing forth ourselves. Light hits the Polylepis area later than
most of the rest of the valley, and it is the hour between 8-9am that the White-cheeked
Cotingas are most active. Although not quite an obtrusive as last time,
we found two pairs at least and enjoyed excellent scope views. A single Paramo
Seedeater was rather unexpected, as was the rare and enigmatic White-tailed
Shrike-Tyrant that put in an appearance. A pair of Black-billed Shrike-Tyrants
shortly afterwards confirmed that the difference between these two species in
terms of size and colouration is rather more marked than some literature might
suggest.
Climbing up once more to the Marcapomacocha area, we found
the endemic Junin Canastero in an area of bunch grass above the first
lake before the pass. Despite the presence of three truck-fulls of men plundering
the plants of the cushion bogs, which threatens to destroy the ecology of the
area completely, we still managed to find the majority of the specialities,
including good views of White-bellied Cinclodes, Diademed Sandpiper-Plover,
Dark-winged Miner, Olivaceous Thornbill, Giant Coot and Grey-breasted
Seedsnipe, although Puna Tinamou and Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe were absent,
presumably forced higher up into the hills to avoid being hunted out.
We stopped for lunch again in San Mateo before returning to
Lima, stopping en route for Peter to tick off his hoped-for Long-tailed Mockingbird.
After arranging to visit Pantanos de Villa the following day Juve, Goyo and
I headed for the cinema and then to a bar to celebrate the end of an exhausting
but very rewarding journey.
Day 31 – August 20th
A lie-in and morning of completing a few bits of admin was followed
by an afternoon visit to the marshes of the Pantanos de Villa reserve a short
way south of the city. The highlight here is the excellent views to be had of
Great Grebe, whilst Peruvian Thick-knee is also very reliable
and we eventually found a pair on the way to the beach. The regular cast of
waterbirds included Pied-billed and White-tufted Grebes, a variety
of herons, Puna Ibis and Cinnamon Teal, whilst less expected were
Savanna Hawk, Coastal Miner, Dark-faced Ground-Tyrant and a male Yellow-hooded
Blackbird. A feral population of this species was introduced to Villa in
the 1960s and were thought to have died out but they clearly persist in small
numbers. After a spot of seawatching we bumped into Victor Emmanuel and one
of his tour groups, and recounted some of our best birds and experiences from
what had been a memorable month, before returning to San Borja.
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