Northern Peru: July 22nd
– August 10th 1999
addendum by Gunnar Engblom
Peru has always been considered as one of the great countries
in which to go birding. The combination of the coast, the complex range of habitats
in the Andes and the incredible biodiversity of the Amazon rainforests make
Peru second only to Colombia in terms of the numbers of bird species recorded
within its boundaries. Having previously spent several months at Explorer’s
Inn and visiting the Cuzco, Lima and Arequipa areas, last summer I was fortunate
enough to have the opportunity to guide a trip to northern Peru, one of the
least-known regions on the continent in terms of sustained ornithological study,
for Gunnar Engblom’s Lima-based tour company Kolibri Expeditions. This
geographically and ecologically diverse area, bisected by the mighty Marañon
River, is home to some of the most localised and sought-after birds in South
America, but until relatively recently birders and ornithologists alike have
been largely deterred from venturing into northern Peru due to the threat of
terrorist activity. Whilst it may remain dangerous to visit a few of Peru’s
more remote sites, especially those that lie in the coca growing regions beyond
Tingo Maria area in the centre of the country, many superb birding areas are
safe to visit, allowing birders to search once again for such wonderful species
as White-winged Guan, Marvellous Spatuletail and Peruvian Plantcutter. Although
many of the roads are poor, and the concept of a tourist infrastructure remains
virtually non-existent outside the larger towns, I found the people remarkably
helpful and friendly, and was pleasantly surprised at the very adequate standard
of much of the accommodation. Nevertheless, I must admit that it was with some
trepidation that I agreed to take the trip on, my thoughts alternating between
the fantastic birds and experiences that would doubtless lie ahead, and the
potential pitfalls that might be waiting for a young guide on what was essentially
his first full-scale trip as a leader.
Tour Participants: Simon Allen (leader), Teofilo Vega (driver),
Luc Fazio, Lou Marsh, Dan Salisbury, Roberta McKenzie.
Kolibri Expeditions run a wide range of tours all over South
America, taking birders to see more remote areas and more localised species
than any other bird tour company. The director, Gunnar Engblom, can be contacted
by e-mail at kolibri@telefonica.net.pe,
or the website visited at www.www.kolibriexpeditions.com.
Itinerary:
July 22nd: Lima – Lomas de Lachay – Huaraz
July 23rd: Huaraz- Llanganuco area – Huallanca
July 24th: Huallanca – Corongo – Santa
July 25th: Santa – Rafan – Cajamarca
July 26th: Cajamaarca – Celendin – Balsas
July 27th: Balsas – Leimeibamba – Chachapoyas
July 28th: Chachapoyas – Pomacochas –
Abra Patricia – Pomacochas
July 29th: Pomacochas – Abra Patricia –
Afluentes – Moyobamba
July 30th: Moyobamba – Jerillo – Jesus
del Monte
July 31st: Jesus del Monte – Jerillo –
Moyobamba
August 1st: Moyobamba – Afluentes – Abra
Patricia – Pomacochas
August 2nd: Pomacochas –Abra Patricia –
Bagua Chica
August 3rd: Bagua – Urakusa area (El Paraiso)
August 4th: El Paraiso – Bagua
August 5th: Bagua – Jaen
August 6th: Jaen – Abra Porculla – Olmos
August 7th: Olmos – Quebrada Limon – El
Tocto – Olmos
August 8th: Olmos – Abra Porculla – Chiclayo
– Puerto Eten
August 9th: Chiclayo – Trujillo – Huarmey
August 10th: Huarmey – Lomas de Lachay –
Ventanilla – Lima
Day 1 – July 22nd
I made my way to a hotel in downtown Miraflores at about 8am
to rendezvous with Gunnar Engblom, Kolibri Expeditions’ founder and owner,
and Lou Marsh, one of the tour participants, who had arrived in Lima late the
previous evening. From there we headed across Lima’s sprawling metropolis
in the slightly creaking Land Cruiser that would be our means of transport for
the next three weeks, towards the poor suburb of Callao, home to the Jorge Chavez
International Airport. The plan was to pick up the other three Canadians and
from there head north towards Lomas de Lachay. Dan, Luc and Roberta had already
been in Peru for ten days or so, working their way down the Manu road to Amazonia
Lodge and also visiting the Marcapomacocha area off the central highway high
above Lima. The Canadians had brought Gunnar a number of items of equipment
including speakers, a Mini-Disc player and a microphone, and an hour or so was
spent sorting out the details and packing the car whilst I went to change some
money. By 10.30 we were off on the Panamerican highway north towards Lomas de
Lachay, an area of low coastal hills almost devoid of vegetation most of the
year, where a number of plants cling to an existence thanks to the moisture
provided by the dense fog that enshrouds the Peruvian coast for nine months
or so of the year. In the barren coastal plain leading into the reserve, the
endemic Coastal Miner was fairly numerous, and once we had driven up
a short distance into one of the canyons and begun exploring the rocky slopes,
another endemic furnariid, Greyish Miner, revealed itself. We initially
spent some time searching the numerous small patches of cactus for Cactus Canastero,
but despite the remarkably eerie silence that is a feature of this desolate
landscape, there was no sign of its distinctive call note, and even Gunnar’s
tape playback failed to produce a response. A few of us scrambled up higher
into an area with large boulders and some low trees, where we had excellent
views of yet another endemic furnariid, the striking Thick-billed Miner,
as it stood rather confidingly on a rock. There were few signs of any life,
but we did find a pair of Vermilion Flycatchers, and an immature Black-chested
Buzzard-Eagle soared against the hills while we enjoyed a tasty lunch of
ham and cheese sandwiches back at the car. We also walked along the road for
a while, where we failed to turn a flock of Grassland Yellow-Finches
into the endemic Raimondi’s Yellow-Finch. The original plan had been to
leave Lomas de Lachay no later than noon, as a very long drive up to the Cordillera
Blanca lay ahead, but it was decided to stay on for a while to try and locate
the canastero in another canyon. However, despite splitting up and keeping in
radio contact, there was no sign of the bird. By 4.30 the afternoon sun had
burned through the fog and we headed back to the road, where we said goodbye
to Gunnar who was heading back to Lima to link up with a British film crew a
couple of days later. After having to retrace our steps for a couple of kilometres
towards Lima to find a petrol station, we were finally on the road north at
about 5pm. Although the road was in fairly good condition for most of the way,
it was not until about 1.15am that we crawled into the Andean town of Huaraz,
and managed to check in to seemingly the best hotel in town. With a 4.45am start
on the cards for the morning to get us up into Huascaran NP, we wasted no time
in heading for bed.
Day 2 – July 23rd
After an all-too-brief three hours sleep, Teofilo retrieved
the car from the nearby garage and by 5 we were off once more, heading towards
Yungay, the gateway to the Llanganuco area of the breathtaking Huascaran NP.
The imposing peak from which the park gets its name was visible once dawn had
broken, and by 7 we were at the ranger station, set at the base of a spectacular
valley, with vast snow-capped mountains towering over steep rock faces flanked
at their base by one of the most extensive Polylepis woodlands remaining
in the Andes. The main features of the valley bottom are the Llanganuco lakes,
two bodies of water characterised by their different colours – one a deep
sapphire blue, the other a paler, more turquoise colour. We had the area almost
to ourselves for most of the day, and birding in this truly spectacular setting
was a delight. Our first stop produced a number of typical high-Andean species,
as well as some less familiar birds. Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetails and
a Canyon Canastero lurked in the low shrubbery, in mixed flocks that
also contained Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch, Paramo Seedeater and
Cinereous Conebill. A real feature of the day was remarkable diversity
of flowering plants that attracted a wide variety of hummingbirds, including
the endemics Black-breasted Hillstar (for some) and Black Metaltail,
plus the impressive Giant Hummingbird, Shining Sunbeam and the
diminutive Peruvian Sheartail, the latter at a much higher altitude than
that at which it is normally encountered. At the edge of the first lake, a pair
of Olive-backed Sierra-Finches foraged on the ground at the base of a
Polylepis stand, whilst typical high-Andean waterfowl such as Crested
and Andean Ducks, Puna Teal and Slate-coloured Coot floated
on the shimmering waters of the lakes. In the muddy margins, pairs of Andean
Geese and small groups of Puna Ibis fed, whilst noisy Andean Gulls
circled overhead. The flat grassy areas adjacent to the lakes harboured Andean
Lapwings and Rufous-naped, Ochre-naped, Plain-capped, White-fronted
and White-browed Ground-Tyrants, and the occasional Puna Hawk
drifted by against the blue sky. We drove higher up above the lakes into an
impressive-looking stand of Polylepis where we were soon watching the
nuthatch-like Giant Conebill and the smart Baron’s Spinetail,
whilst in the adjacent Gynoxys shrubbery, Tit-like Dacnis was
remarkably numerous, and Andean Hillstars showed well. A Many-striped
Canastero in the grass added to our growing furnariid list and vocal Chiguanco
Thrushes were frequently encountered.
The morning’s successes were somewhat soured by Teo’s
announcement that we had a slow leak in one of the tyres, and given that we
had unbelievably been allowed to leave Lima without a functional spare tyre,
Teo felt that the only option was for him to return to Yungay to purchase a
new tyre and have the old one fixed as a spare. Aware that this setback might
jeopardise our chances of finding the day’s main quarry, the rare endemic
White-cheeked Cotinga, which is more regular at higher elevations, I agreed
that we could not risk the tyre and that he should indeed go back and ensure
that the car was fully functional. So, he took us as high up as we thought might
be necessary, and possible, and then left us to walk back down towards the ranger
station (a hike of several kilometres), arranging to drive back and pick us
up as soon as he could. We diligently searched the high Polylepis, particularly
a dense patch that formed something of a natural tunnel over the road, but there
was sadly no sign of the much hoped-for cotinga. We had to content ourselves
initially with more widespread Andean species such as White-browed Chat-Tyrant,
Rufous-webbed Tyrant and fleeting looks at Black-crested Warbler,
whilst the recently-split endemic Ancash Tapaculo called regularly from
the dense undergrowth.
Winding our way down the series of hairpin bends we came to
a mirador with a stunning view back down the valley, with an extensive area
of flowering shrubs below us. The area was alive with birds, and mixed flocks
contained Black-throated Flowerpiercer, Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant
and small groups of the endemic Plain-tailed Warbling-Finch. Hummingbirds
such as Andean Hillstar and Black Metaltail were once again numerous,
but the undoubted highlight was the fully-plumaged male of the rare and little-known
Grey-bellied Comet that alighted on a bush with yellow flowers from which
it proceeded to feed. This endangered hummer, with its longish, bronzy forked
tail, pale grey underparts and blue-flecked throat, was previously known principally
from Cajamarca department further north, and as far as I know this is the first
time it has ever been recorded within a protected area. As such it ranks as
probably the most significant observation of the whole trip. I suspect that
its appearance was due in part to the remarkable proliferation of flowering
plants all along the valley, and that this individual, along with the small
number of Peruvian Sheartails, had ascended from its normal home in dry
valleys at lower elevations to take advantage of the abundant food supply. Lou
and Roberta had unfortunately missed the first bird, so we waited for some minutes
to see if it would return to the same bush. After a while Luc, Dan and I scrambled
down the slope towards the river that feeds the lakes to see if we could relocate
it. Lou and Roberta remained up on the road and had more success than us, not
only re-finding the first comet, but also reporting to have seen at least one
other probable individual of the species.
Down by the river, meanwhile, our fruitless search for the
White-cheeked Cotinga continued. There were still plenty of birds to look at,
and the list were further augmented by D’Orbigny’s Chat-Tyrant
and the endemic Rufous-eared Brush-Finch, whilst I caught a number of
brief glimpses of a furtive Stripe-headed Antpitta by chasing it through
an area of open shrubbery littered with boulders. Meanwhile a Blue-mantled
Thornbill bathing in the river itself became the eighth hummingbird species
of the day. Back on the valley floor, after a brief rest we walked slowly back
towards the ranger station, waiting for news from Teofilo by radio. We played
hide-and-seek with Plain-breasted and Striated Earthcreepers,
and the sprightly Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant gave good views.
Finally, Teo returned at about 3pm, with a new tyre and a working
spare, and we reluctantly decided to admit defeat with the cotinga and return
to Yungay. The planned itinerary was to continue north through the Cañon del
Pato towards the remote Mollepata area, the type locality of the enigmatic Kalinowski’s
Tinamou, known only from two specimens taken about 100 years before. I admit
that I was decidedly uneasy about the prospect of pioneering this area with
a group, due to the uncertainty of road conditions, habitat condition and the
time constraints that were already decidedly pressurised. Nevertheless, after
consulting with the group over a late lunch and some cool drinks, the decision
was taken to continue on as planned. This was partly as the trip over the puna
at Mollepata was to lead us down into the Marañon Valley at Chagual, where we
would look for Yellow-faced Parrotlet, and then up towards Cajamarca to join
up with the regular circuit, via sites for Great Spinetail, Purple-backed Sunbeam
and Rufous-backed Inca-Finch, species we would be very unlikely to find elsewhere.
Unsurprisingly I failed to locate a speaker that would allow us to play the
mini-disc I had prepared, after a misunderstanding had led to Gunnar having
taken the only functioning one back to Lima. This left us with only a playback
facility with microphone and basic tape recorder, and was more than a little
frustrating for all concerned.
By 5pm we were continuing north, through the neighbouring town
of Caraz, into the spectacular Cañon del Pato, where a remarkable series of
tunnels cut out of the rock face guided us on a poor road through the sheer
walls of the canyon with their imposing and unusual rock formations. As darkness
fell we became more and more nervous of vehicles coming in the other direction,
and it was with some relief that at about 7.30pm we emerged from the other side
of the canyon and dropped down into the little town of Huallanca, nestled at
the bottom of a steep-sided bowl which must see the sun for only a few brief
hours per day. We found a very basic hostel and after a dinner of fried chicken
and cold beer it was time for bed.
Day 3 - July 24th
Everyone was keen to leave our dingy lodgings in Huallanca
as soon as possible, but as it happened, we didn’t manage to get underway
until 7am or so. We drove north through a series of dramatic parched landscapes
on narrow, windy mountain roads cut precariously into vertical rock faces. Birds
were not particularly plentiful, and we didn’t really have time to stop
for them, but we did pick up a few new birds for the trip at the brief stops
we made. An Oasis Hummingbird entertained us at breakfast by diving pelican-like
into a small stream that crossed the road, whilst after passing by the town
of Yuracmarca we happened upon a small group of Great Inca-Finches, which
we firstly hoped might have been the rarer Rufous-backed Inca-Finch until we
got good looks at them. Dropping down into a relatively fertile valley, we came
upon the town of La Pampa, which rather oddly seemed to have a fairly smart
tourist hotel. Of more interest for us were the flowering Inga trees
right next to the road that yielded a number of Purple-collared Woodstars
and the endemic Spot-throated Hummingbird. Climbing up the northern slopes
of the valley, a flock of Mountain Parakeets, brilliant green against
the stark sand-coloured rocks, prompted another quick stop that also yielded
Andean Swift and a Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant. Eventually we
reached the Corongo turn-off and climbed further up to this normally sleepy
Andean backwater, stopping once to admire a graceful Red-backed Hawk.
As it turned out, on this particular occasion Corongo was thronging
with people: some kind of celebration was going on in the Plaza de Armas, and
large numbers of schoolchildren in uniform were parading around in front of
the town’s authorities. Luc got some video footage as I reflected that
we were probably amongst the first group of gringos to have witnessed this fiesta.
On a somewhat sourer note, it was at this point that we discovered that Corongo
was, much to our dismay, the end of the road. The ‘road’ leading north
from the town on the map of Ancash department that I had was nothing more than
a mule track, and there was no way we could continue on to Mollepata by this
route. After confirming this with several locals we reluctantly decided to retrace
our steps back towards La Pampa and Yuracmarca, where the road to Mollepata
began. There was an executive decision to be made, and whilst I recognised the
desire of the group not to miss any of the possible species at Chagual and environs,
in the end everyone had to agree with my assertion that to continue on with
the Mollepata plan would not be a viable option, as it would leave us with insufficient
time to complete the regular North Peru circuit. The added risk of not knowing
where we were going or staying was an influential factor, and we decided to
return to the coast and try and get up to Cajamarca via paved highways the following
day in order to remain on schedule.
Having made this decision, we worked our way back to Yuramarca
and then on to Chuquicara, where the road down to the coast and the one north
towards Mollepata meet. In retrospect, the itinerary planned by Gunnar for this
section of the trip was not at all realistic, and even had we tried to get up
to Cajamarca via Chuquicara before mistakenly heading for Corongo, I feel sure
that we would have lost a lot of time, and would have certainly spent far too
long travelling, for the sake of only two or three species. Despite the disappointment
(shared by everyone) at having to write off Great Spinetail and Purple-backed
Sunbeam, I would be lying if I said that I didn’t feel a certain relief
that we had abandoned the difficult itinerary and were getting back onto the
main route.
We followed the Río Santa down towards the coast, stopping
once or twice as the light faded in spots that looked like they might have some
potential. In one such area, a small marsh adjacent to the river, we flushed
an unidentified rail, and despite several comical attempts to put the bird up
again, the constant barrage of bloodthirsty sand flies forced us to give up.
After dark, we did flush several Pauraques and one or two Peruvian
Thick-knees from the centre of the track, but neither species gave satisfactory
views. After a very welcome dinner in Santa’s lively town square, we finally
pulled into the Hotel Garza on the Panamerican highway, just after 9.30pm.
Day 4 – July 25th
A misty dawn saw us heading north up the coast along the Panamerican.
Our destination was the tiny settlement of Rafan, just south of Chiclayo, one
of the few known sites for the critically endangered Peruvian Plantcutter, where
the acacia woodland is being threatened by development by an American sugar
cane company. According to the original itinerary, we were due to visit this
site at the end of the trip on our way back towards Lima. However, after the
gruelling and frustrating time we had had on the previous day, everyone was
keen to do some proper birding again. It was a luxury to be on a paved road
after the dusty dirt tracks of the previous day, and the three-hour drive north
went by relatively quickly despite the monotony of the bleak desert scenery.
By 10 am we had located the turn-off to Rafan, along sandy
track towards the coast, and began to make birding stops in the sparsely vegetated
landscape. Birds were surprisingly plentiful, and in a small scrap of acacia
woodland adjacent to a house we located our first Tumbesian endemics. Cinereous
Finches, with their chunky yellow bills, were admired as they perched in
the open, whilst a Baird’s Flycatcher, looking-like a washed-out
kiskadee, was also obliging. A Pacific Hornero pecked at the ground in
search of food, noisy Fasciated Wrens hopped through the branches, and
Long-tailed Mockingbirds were everywhere. More widespread species included
flocks of bright Saffron Finches that illuminated the stark desert, and
a Golden-olive Woodpecker inspecting the trunk of a bare tree.
Using a GPS, we followed the sandy track down to a more extensive
area of woodland and dense scrub where we had a coordinate reading for previous
sightings of the bird we most wanted to see. We explored the area on foot and
I soon located a female or immature Peruvian Plantcutter perched amongst
the ubiquitous mockingbirds, its streaky breast, stubby bill and punk crest
distinguishing it from the similarly coloured mockingbirds. Soon we heard the
distinctive call of the male, and had good views of one in a low shrub. With
the main target bird under our birds we split up somewhat to search for some
other desert species. Amongst the other birds we found among the sparse bushes
were Pacific Dove, the shy Necklaced Spinetail, garrulous Superciliated
Wrens, White-faced Gnatcatcher, Mouse-coloured Tyrannulet
and the coastal race of White-crested Elaenia, probably a distinct species.
In the dusty, run-down settlement of Rafan itself, an unexpected
bonus was finding a single Peruvian Martin, perched on a TV antenna amongst
the ubiquitous Blue-and-white Swallows. This species has recently been
split from Southern Martin and rather little known. Continuing to the coast
at Lagunas, a couple of Kelp Gulls passed by offshore but there was little
else of note in the area. Another stop back in the acacia woodland failed to
produce the endemic Rufous Flycatcher, but we did find a Peruvian Pygmy-Owl.
We were all encouraged by our chance meeting with a man who claimed to be the
mayor of the area, who demonstrated impressive knowledge of the plantuctter,
its plight, and the significance of Rafan for its continued existence.
Backtracking south for 30 or so kilometres, we stopped for
lunch at the Cajamarca turn-off before following another good tarmac road up
into the mountains. Birds were few and far between but the drive was punctuated
by interesting and unexpected scenery such as a huge, birdless artificial lake
that we passed by. At 7 the bright lights of Cajamarca, site of Atahualpa’s
surrender to the conquistadors, came into view and soon we were down amongst
the busy streets. The town was packed with people who had congregated for a
festival, and we had some trouble getting a hotel before finally finding one
in the main plaza and settling down for dinner and an early night.
Day 5 – July 26th
A pre-dawn start saw us leave the hotel shortly after 5am.
We experienced some difficulty firstly in navigating our way out of the city,
given that there was an impending ‘paro’ (roadblock), but mercifully
we reached the nearby town of Baños del Inca unscathed, and with a bit of local
guidance managed to locate the road to Celendin, just over 100 kilometres away,
and our final port of call before descending the legendary Marañon valley. By
the time it was light the rough road had levelled out at about 3000m and we
found ourselves passing through a patchwork of rather degraded habitats ranging
from shrubby areas to open pasture, where we encountered some typical Andean
species such as Andean Lapwing and Bar-winged Cinclodes, in addition
to the smart Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant.
Continuing on into a rather more vegetated area, we were rather
surprised to encounter another group of birders. I was even more surprised to
discover that one of them was Alfredo Begazo, whom I had met and become friends
with almost two years earlier in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, but with whom I had not
corresponded since. It turned out that he was on a two-month trip with the renowned
Peruvian ornithologist Tomas Valqui, plus two American birders, Mark Sokol and
his wife Elaine. We exchanged information on our respective journeys, and were
delighted to discover that they had happened upon a White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant
the previous day in that same area, which had been carrying food and therefore
possibly feeding young in the area.
Whilst we were discussing this bird, and the cajamarcae
race of Rufous Antpitta that they had also encountered in the small area of
woodland, an attractive Black-crested Tit-Tyrant popped into view in
a nearby shrub, before Alfredo and the others continued on towards Celendin
and we waited to see if the Shrike-Tyrant, one of the most sought-after and
mysterious species on the continent, would put in an appearance. Some of us
ventured up a rather boggy slope and were soon rewarded with good views of an
adult White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant as it perched high in an introduced
pine. Lou meanwhile had stayed close to the road and had had an encounter with
the Rufous Antpitta, but by the time the rest of us tried playback it
was clearly fed up with it and we couldn’t locate it. Back at the road,
we added Andean Flicker, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, Rufous-webbed Tyrant,
Chiguanco Thrush and Golden-billed Saltator, but the real treat was
yet to come. In due course we saw the shrike-tyrant again, this time carrying
food and plunging into a bush, before emerging and perching in full sunlight
close to us, allowing for superb comparisons with a couple of Black-billed Shrike-Tyrants
that were also present in the area. Firstly, the White-tailed was HUGE. It comfortably
dwarfed the ubiquitous Chiguanco Thrushes, and its bill was much heavier, with
a pale lower mandible (although this is apparently not always a safe field mark).
The plumage of our bird was rather more uniform sandy brown, and interestingly,
the tail is rather more cream-coloured than the bright white shown in flight
by the Black-billed. Seeing the thin upper branches of a pine tree bending under
the weight of this near-mythical creature was certainly one of the highlights
of the trip.
Flushed with success, not even a fruitless search for the equally
rare Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch in the increasing heat could dampen the
spirits, and we did add a Red-crested Cotinga and a pair of Scarlet-bellied
Mountain-Tanagers to the list. We continued on to the quiet town of Celendin,
complete with its striking blue fountain and church in the plaza, where we enjoyed
a spot of lunch before heading on towards the Marañon. We stopped in another
area of sparse vegetation just after the pass to photograph the superb views
down into the Marañon canyon, as well as to search once more for the warbling-finch.
Alfredo, Tomas, Mark and Elaine were doing the same, and none of us were having
much luck. However, we did encounter White-winged Black-Tyrant, White-browed
Chat-Tyrant, Long-tailed Mockingbird, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, Cinereous Conebill,
Golden-bellied Grosbeak, Streaked Saltator, Olive-backed Sierra-Finch, Black-and-white
and Yellow-bellied Seedeaters, and the distinctive pale-naped race of
Rufous-naped Brush-Finch. Only Dan was lucky enough to get looks at the
shy Grey-winged Inca-Finch, a species we were later unable to find lower
down around Hacienda Limon. Bidding farewell to Alfredo and the others, who
were to return to Celendin and have another shot at the warbling-finch the next
morning, we continued down towards our final destination of Balsas, making some
other stops in the dry scrub adjacent to Hacienda Limon. Some judicious use
of playback near a distinctive stick-nest allowed us to get good views of the
skulking but striking endemic Chestnut-backed Thornbird, amongst other
species such as White-tipped Dove, Croaking Ground-Dove, the recently
split Marañon Gnatcatcher, and Lesser Goldfinch. The heat made
for little activity, and we couldn’t find any more Inca-finches, or indeed
any Buff-bellied Tanagers in the small orchard around the hacienda, a bird we
were frustratingly to miss wherever we looked for it.
The shadows rapidly moved their way across the steep slopes
and this transformation from heat to cool shade prompted an even quicker end
to the bird activity. Further down towards the river we passed through an extensive
area of Bombax forest, where the only birds we saw was a garrulous flock
of Green Jays, a rather incongruous sight in this dry habitat. As dusk
fell we crossed the Marañon river and entered the grubby little town of Balsas.
We headed beyond the initial village, past the turn-off towards Leimeibamba,
and left through some more orchards to Balsas. We shunned the opportunity to
rent rooms from a woman in town, preferring instead to go for the option of
sleeping out on the floor of the school yard on mattresses and with sleeping
bags that was kindly offered to us by the staff. Luc, Teo and I went back to
the main town for a rather unappetising meal and a slightly warm beer at a small
and dingy eatery, whilst the others sensibly stayed behind and filled up with
biscuits. Back at the school, I bedded down under the starry sky, and thanks
in part to the pleasant temperature, fell into a rather more comfortable sleep
than I might have expected.
Day 6 – July 27th
For once we were on-site to start birding as soon as we got
up, so no one was out of bed before about 5.45am. On the agenda for the morning
was a walk along the Marañon to try and locate some more endemics, with the
added excitement that Dan only needed another three species to reach 6000 for
his life list. First up was Peruvian Pigeon, which gave brief fly-by
views before we finally encountered a small group perched on some cacti. We
were very fortunate, and somewhat surprised, to encounter a large flock (perhaps
50+) of the rare Yellow-faced Parrotlet, and we all enjoyed watching
these beautiful little psittacids at close range. The 6000th species,
when it came, completed the set of three specialities we were hoping for –
the strikingly patterned Marañon Thrush. Yellow-tailed Oriole
and Blue-Grey Tanager provided further splashes of colour, but with the
three key birds under the belt by 7.15am, we left the riverine woodland behind
and headed back across the river in search of some of the specialities of the
Bombax forest and dry scrub. I got brief views of a pair of Buff-bridled
Inca-Finches, but no one else managed to get on them in time, and this would
be a bird that would detain our progress later on that morning. Everybody got
good looks at another endemic, Black-necked Woodpecker, and noisy Scarlet-fronted
Parakeets passed by overhead. Excellent views of a couple more Yellow-faced
Parrotlets lifted the morale, but it was a rather fruitless couple of hours
bird-wise, and breakfast was a distinct highlight.
Crossing back over the river, we took the Leimeibamba road,
and encountered both Great Black-Hawk and an immature Bicoloured Hawk
in quick succession, followed by Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, Andean
Emerald, Spot-throated Hummingbird and Fasciated Wren. Soon
afterwards the car refused to start, and Teo spent a couple of hours trying
to resuscitate it, whilst also attempting to combat a strange problem with the
back door that stopped us from being able to close it properly. Fortunately,
this did give us enough time to locate a small group of attractive Buff-bridled
Inca-Finches, whose appearance coincided with the car’s return to life.
As it was, it was not far from midday when we eventually managed to get back
on the road towards Leimeibamba and Chachapoyas. Much of the rest of the day
was taken up with the need to get kilometres on the clock, but we did make a
number of stops for certain species. Higher up the Marañon valley, White-collared
and Chestnut-collared Swifts zoomed by, and a Striped Cuckoo
revealed itself. We made several attempts with the tape recorder to get a response
out of the enigmatic Great Spinetail, which was reputedly recorded by Parker
in this area in the 1970s. Perhaps unsurprisingly, we had no luck.
Higher still we climbed out of the Marañon valley, crossed
the Black Mud Pass, which was mercifully pretty dry, and entered an area of
very patchy temperate forest. The main goal here was Coppery Metaltail, but
in the short time allowed us by the problems with the car and the Inca-finches,
which meant it was by now about 1pm, we couldn’t locate one. There were
other hummingbirds present, however, and we had a good look at Tyrian Metaltails
and a Sapphire-vented Puffleg, plus a soaring Mountain Caracara.
By 4 we had finally descended into Leimeibamba, where we had a meal before heading
out along the Utcubamba River towards our base for the night at Chachapoyas.
It was not until 7pm or so that we finally arrived, and once again, we experienced
difficulty in finding lodging before getting lucky with the smartest place in
town, seemingly the site of the only beds in Chachapoyas.
Day 7 – July 28th
Another drive of an hour or two, this time largely on good
paved roads, led us to the town of Pedro Ruiz and then through lush but depressingly
degraded habitat towards Pomacochas. Initially, we went too far and had to retrace
our steps to the Rio Chido bridge in order to look for our main goal, the spectacular
and endangered Marvellous Spatuletail. Surprised to discover that the remaining
patches of forest were restricted to higher up the slope, we decided to head
up the Rio Chido trail before we were approached by a boy of about twelve called
Edilberto Bustamente, whose family live in the small house on the other side
of the small valley. I asked whether he knew of the ‘colibri cola espatula’
and he informed me that he knew where to find the bird, and had showed it to
some gringos the previous week. He led us on a short but steep hike through
some cattle pasture into a patch of forest. A Rusty-tinged Antpitta was
calling from high up the slope, but bird activity was limited by the onset of
rain, which lasted about half an hour and forced us to shelter in the forest.
We were entertained briefly by a Long-tailed Sylph that fed on a red
flower in the sub-canopy, before striking out on a muddy path that contoured
the hillside through a patchwork of pastures and forest edge. Birds were not
much in evidence, but we did add Cinnamon Flycatcher and a tiny White-bellied
Woodstar before a cry of ‘spatuletail’ from Dan brought us all to
a halt. Sure enough, before long we heard the distinctive faint buzzing of the
Marvellous Spatuletail, and a full male worked some blue flowers before
alighting on a branch too close for us to focus our binoculars on it. Seconds
later this shy creature had retreated into its dark forest habitat and we were
left congratulating each other and giving Edilberto a well-deserved pat on the
back.
Back at the road, we began to explore the Rio Chido trail for
a few hundred metres, and Lou, who had missed the first spatuletail, found an
immature male by the river. Slightly further up we found White-rumped Hawk,
Green Violetear, the uncommon Emerald-bellied Puffleg, White-tailed Tyrannulet
and Smoke-coloured Pewee. After a while we decided that it was probably
lunchtime and continued to the town of Pomacochas, situated next to a large
lake, for some food. Later we continued for another hour to Abra Patricia. Once
over the pass, we were astonished to see forest-clad mountain ridges far into
the distance, but wondered how long the region would remain so untouched, given
the quality of the road that leads through it. Stops near the top of the pass
yielded a couple of flocks containing some relatively widespread Andean species
such as Montane Woodcreeper, Common Bush-Tanager, Blue-capped, Saffron-crowned
and Beryl-spangled Tanagers and Citrine and Russet-crowned
Warblers. Further down an extended stop near the type-locality for the mythical
Long-whiskered Owlet yielded a more exciting cast of species, including Crimson-mantled
Woodpecker, White-tipped Swift, Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet, Cliff Flycatcher,
White-capped Dipper, Capped Conebill, White-sided Flowerpiercer, Hooded Mountain-Tanager,
and Rufous-crested, Metallic-green, Flame-faced and Silver-backed
Tanagers. The best sightings were undoubtedly the large, noisy flock of
White-capped Tanagers that entertained us for several minutes, and the
elegant male Royal Sunangel that consistently returned to the same perch
in a stunted ridge-top tree. We descended to about 2000m, and having decided
against staying in a very uninviting shed/restaurant near the mirador down towards
the lowlands, we worked our way back up looking for Bar-winged Wood-Wren amongst
the numerous Grey-breasted Wood-Wrens we encountered, with no success.
As dusk fell we drove for an hour or so back to Pomacochas where we stayed in
a very basic pension on the main road.
Day 8 – July 29th
We were up early in anticipation of what was to be an excellent
day’s birding. The plan was to get from Pomacochas down through Rioja to
Moyobamba, birding the forest at various elevations on the way. We made our
first stops again in the lower temperate forests at about 2400m on the other
side of the pass. Andean Guan, Bar-bellied Woodpecker and Pearled
Treerunner were added to the list, but activity was once again higher slightly
lower down. In a steep-sided forested canyon, at about 2200m, an impressive
flock yielded the rare and little known Russet-mantled Softtail, Slaty-backed
Chat-Tyrant, Barred Becard, Barred Fruiteater (heard only), Mountain
Wren and Blue-and-black and Yellow-scarfed Tanagers. The area
around the owlet type locality and back along the road once more proved to be
particular productive, and birds encountered here included Greenish Puffleg,
Collared Inca, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, the male Royal Sunangel
on the same perch as the previous night, Sierran Elaenia, Rufous-tailed Tyrant,
Pale-edged Flycatcher, Spectacled Redstart, Drab and Black-capped Hemispinguses,
Yellow-throated Tanager, Blue-winged and Hooded Mountain-Tanagers,
and Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager.
Continuing down beyond where we had reached on the previous
evening, we stopped in upper subtropical forest at about 1800m where we encountered
another flock that included many of the species mentioned above, in addition
to two sluggish Vermilion Tanagers and the dainty Grey-mantled Wren.
Further still, we entered the Afluentes area and stopped at about 1300m at a
place called ‘Km 104’ where an excellent flock held Versicolored
Barbet, the endemic Speckle-chested Piculet, Olive-backed Woodcreeper,
Streaked Xenops, Rufous-rumped Antwren, Long-tailed Tyrant, Slaty-capped Flycatcher,
Ecuadorian and Golden-faced Tyrannulets, Golden-winged Manakin, Andean
Slaty and Pale-eyed Thrushes, Slate-throated Redstart, and Orange-eared,
Golden, Golden-eared, Blue-necked and Flame-faced Tanagers.
We stopped for lunch at the restaurant at the Aguas Verdes
bridge, attractively positioned high above a beautiful clear green river. As
we waited for the meal we found a pair of Torrent Ducks bombing down
the river and a striking Masked Tityra in a nearby tree, whilst the presence
of both Social Flycatcher and Great Kiskadee was evidence of how
much elevation we had lost. Shortly after the restaurant, the forest gave way
to more cleared areas before we reached the fairly large town of Rioja. Beyond
there the quality of the road deteriorated markedly, but there were still birds
to be seen, and once Dan had spotted a fly-by Huallaga Tanager, we were
soon watching this attractive endemic in an area of dense bushes that also held
the skulking Dark-breasted Spinetail and the localised Napo Sabrewing.
In the afternoon heat, a stop in an area of seemingly productive tall secondary
forest gave us nothing more than a White-fronted Nunbird. We pulled into
the surprisingly large town of Moyobamba at about 4pm, adding a number of Amazonian
species in the process, including Fork-tailed Palm-Swift, Brown-chested Martin,
Buff-throated Saltator, Chestnut-bellied Seedeater, Yellow-rumped Cacique
and Giant Cowbird. After checking into a hotel we enjoyed an excellent
Chinese meal before I went to do some shopping for our two-day camping trip
to Jesus del Monte on the following day.
Day 9 – July 30th
A relatively gentle start saw us off on the road to Jerillo
well after sunrise, and we stopped off in some second growth with a few taller
trees to add some open country species such as Squirrel Cuckoo, Little Woodpecker,
Great Antshrike, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Black-billed and Pale-breasted
Thrushes, and Swallow Tanager. We arrived in Jerillo at about 9 and
set about locating someone with horses and/or mules who would take us up to
Jesus del Monte. We were lucky enough to find don Lucho, who had taken Barry
Walker and a group of ornithologists up there the previous September and we
agreed a price for the two days. We had a simple breakfast and watched a Piratic
Flycatcher and Blue and Yellow-bellied Dacnises in a tree
behind his house while Lucho went to organise the horse and mules. By 11 we
were had saddled everything up and were ready to go, leaving Teo and Lou, who
had decided against the 15km hike, behind.
It was already very hot and there were few birds about, but
a Black Caracara, plus Blue-headed Parrots, Cobalt-winged Parakeets
and White-banded Swallows were much in evidence as we crossed the river
and began to ascend the extremely muddy trail on the other side. We passed through
areas of forest where we added White-chinned Sapphire, Blue-tailed Emerald,
Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Chestnut-tailed (heard only) and Warbling Antbirds,
White-winged Becard, Yellow-crested Tanager, and Russet-backed and
Crested Oropendolas, whilst more open areas held Plumbeous Kite, Blue
Ground-Dove, White-eyed Parakeet, Streaked Flycatcher, Magpie Tanager and
Yellow-browed Sparrow. The trail was very hard going, especially in the
steep uphill sections, and birding stops were few. However, we enjoyed watching
a pair of Black-spotted Barbets and Lettered and Brown-mandibled
Aracaris in a fruiting Cecropia where we paused for a drinks break,
and later a number of invisible Screaming Pihas entertained us with their
loud calls.
After a somewhat gruelling slog through the mud, the track
eventually became flatter and drier, and we arrived at Jesus del Monte at about
3pm, before setting up camp at the back of the tiny settlement on a small grassy
hill on the way to the best forested area, and enjoying a bit of lunch. Around
camp we had soon found Black-faced Tanager and Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch,
whilst a short walk up into a more forested area that we would be exploring
further the next day revealed Swallow-wing, Golden-headed and
Blue-rumped Manakins, and Paradise Tanager. Back at camp, Luc
and I got soaked trying to work out how to turn off our water supply that consisted
of a geyser-like jet coming up from the ground and kept in place by a stick.
This was much to the amusement of Lucho and his young assistant. As dusk fell
we sat out to watch the sunset and reflected on the remoteness of the place,
as Rufous Nightjars and Common Potoos began to call around camp,
and we all welcomed an early night following a basic dinner.
Day 10 – July 31st
We were up shortly before dawn to the sound of the distinctive
call of the Ash-throated Antwren in the shrubbery around camp. We decided to
carry on towards the more forested area further up the trail, and had initial
success in the form of a male Spangled Cotinga perched in a treetop.
The habitat was somewhat fragmented, but very interesting, with areas of sandy
soil and rather stunted forest growing up out of it. In the first forest patch,
we had fleeting glimpses of a Bar-winged Wood-Wren, but only Lou got
a satisfactory look. However, we all enjoyed good views of a responsive Buff-throated
Tody-Tyrant, an uncommon foothill speciality, and White-tailed and
Collared Trogons. In an extensive clearing with scattered trees we were
very interested to find a stunning male Purple-breasted Cotinga. Barry
Walker and his team had found this species for the first time in Peru in September
1998 in the same area, a record that at the time represented a range extension
of over 1200 km! We worked up and down the trail for two or three hours before
finally encountering our principal quarry, the rare Ash-throated Antwren,
only known from the Jesus del Monte area. I heard one calling and with some
playback managed to coax one into view. Returning to camp, we actually found
several more in more degraded shrubbery, surprisingly away from the forest.
Other species of interest we located included a female Napo Sabrewing, White-necked
Jacobin, Rufous-fronted Thornbird, Chestnut-winged Hookbill, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher,
Bronze-green Euphonia, and Spotted and Yellow-throated Tanagers.
Golden-headed and Blue-rumped Manakins were once again sighted and
the often-elusive Rufous-tailed Tyrant was common.
We returned to camp at about midday for some lunch and to strike
camp, and by 1pm we had started the long hike back through the mud. Once again,
heat and exhaustion prevented much effective birding, but we did manage to add
a number of interesting species during stops to draw breath and recharge the
batteries. These included Bluish-fronted Jacamar, Booted Racket-tail, Chestnut-tailed
Antbird, Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher, Blue-naped Chlorophonia and Black-faced
Dacnis, whilst Dan found a Moriche Oriole by the river at the end
of the hike.
We were happy to discover that Teo and Lou when we got back,
and I was glad to hear that Teo had managed to fix the problem with one of the
springs that the car had developed. With limbs aching from the trudge through
the mud, we made a swift return to the same hotel in Moyobamba for a wonderful
hot shower and some hot food before falling into a very satisfying sleep.
Day 11 – August 1st
We drove for about an hour and a half back to Puntas Aguas
Verdes with a view to spending the day working our way back up to Pomacochas,
concentrating on some species we had missed. In the roadside stretch of forest
before the bridge, Lou’s continued pygmy-owl imitation brought in a remarkable
flurry of interesting species including Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner, Ash-browed
Spinetail, Golden-eyed Flowerpiercer, Black-faced Dacnis, and Orange-eared,
Guira, Paradise, Blue-necked, Spotted, Golden, White-winged and Yellow-crested
Tanagers. A little further on a flowering tree produced a number of hummingbirds
including Grey-chinned Hermit, Ecuadorian Piedtail and Rufous-crested
Coquette, whilst a Chestnut-breasted Wren called from the undergrowth,
although we couldn’t coax it into view. Walking further up we encountered
a Violet-headed Hummingbird, some fly-by Red-billed Parrots, and
a solitary Bat Falcon, before we continuing on to Km 104 where we found
Andean Cock-of-the-rock and Amazonian Umbrellabird in quick succession
before encountering a superb flock that we followed for about half an hour,
and which included a similar cast of species that we had found on the way down,
including Grey-mantled Wren and Speckle-chested Piculet. However,
foremost amongst those that had not been present beforehand was the sought-after
Equatorial Greytail, as well as Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant. Once
the flock had passed, Dan finding a magnificent male Crimson-bellied Woodpecker
caused much excitement, and we watched it for several minutes inspected a tree
hole.
Back up at Abra Patricia, we bumped into Alfredo, Tomas, Mark
and Elaine again, and after showing them the male Royal Sunangel that
was still in its same tree, arranged to meet them for dinner in Pomacochas that
evening. The cast of species in the area was similar to those that we had found
beforehand, but we did add Grass-green Tanager near the owlet site, and,
higher up, Speckled Hummingbird, Olive-striped Flycatcher, Green-and-black
Fruiteater and Grey-headed Bush-Tanager. At the pass itself, later
in the afternoon, we found Golden-headed Quetzal, Emerald Toucanet, Andean
Solitaire and excellent eye-level views of Blue-naped Chlorophonia.
By nightfall we were back in the same simple hotel in Pomacochas and enjoyed
swapping stories with Mark and Elaine over some food before heading for bed.
Day 12 – August 2nd
The plan for the day was to spend one last morning at Abra
Patricia before going northwards to Bagua Chica. Species we added included Band-tailed
Pigeon, Azara’s Spinetail, Flavescent Flycatcher, Black-and-white Becard,
Bluish Flowerpiercer and Oleaginous Hemispingus, whilst we also found
another Emerald-bellied Puffleg and some Yellow-scarfed Tanagers.
A Rusty-breasted Antpitta called from up a slope but we opted not to
spend time trying to tape it out, instead preferring to look for Chestnut-crested
Cotinga that had been recorded with some frequency in the area in the past.
Unfortunately, we dipped, and were further disappointed by not being able to
tape in a calling Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan.
The highlight of the morning came when a flat tyre allowed
us more time to work a promising patch of bamboo adjacent to an open area that
eventually yielded excellent views of the diminutive undescribed race of Rufous-crowned
Tody-Tyrant, which may represent a new species.
Once Teo had repaired the tyre we backtracked over the pass,
through Pomacochas and back to the Rio Chido trail, which decided to work for
an hour or so in search of the cotinga. Unfortunately we failed once again,
but did find an Inca Flycatcher, as well as a depressing amount of degradation.
From there we continued on towards Bagua Chica through a very contrasting landscape
to that to which had become accustomed. Along the rushing Utcubamba river we
found an adult Fasciated Tiger-Heron, and further on, extensive areas
of rice paddies held four species of herons including Little Blue Heron,
plus Pectoral Sandpiper, and Chestnut-throated Seedeater in the
drier areas. In the adjacent scrub, Rufous-browed Peppershrike and Yellow-tailed
Oriole were found, and as dusk fell, several Lesser Nighthawks hunted
over the dry landscape. We pulled into Bagua Chica at about 8, and checked in
to the nice Hotel Wilson, and enjoyed an excellent meal in the adjoining restaurant.
Day 13th –
August 3rd
This was essentially a driving day, with the plan to get from
Bagua Chica to the Urakusa area. The journey took us initially through dry desert
scrub where we added Pacific Parrotlet and found more flocks of Scarlet-fronted
Parakeet. We followed the wide Marañon for the first part of the way where
dainty Yellow-billed Terns were fishing, before continuing on an increasingly
poor dirt road to the village of Aramango where we purchased bread and bananas
for breakfast. By then the river had become somewhat more narrow and fast flowing,
and on the other bank, dry scrub became replace with untouched forest. Unfortunately
the habitat on the road side of the river had been somewhat more degraded, but
we did pass through some areas of good habitat where we made occasional stops
in the heat, and found species such as Plumbeous Kite, White Hawk, Black
Caracara, Cuvier’s Toucan, Yellow-tufted and Crimson-crested Woodpeckers,
Yellow-bellied Dacnis and Silver-beaked Tanager. We stopped for lunch
in Chiriaco and enquired about the current situation with the Aguaruna Indians
who inhabit the Urakusa area and who have been somewhat hostile in the past.
We were assured that there would be no problem and continued on towards the
military base at Mesones Muro.
After telling the very youthful soldier at the checkpoint that
we were looking at birds, he let us through and we continued on towards far-off
Urakusa, unsure of exactly where we were going to stay and how far we were likely
to get given the atrocious condition of certain sections of the road. After
taking a left turn where Urakusa was signposted, we came into an open area where
we were almost on one side of a small, forested valley, and I spotted some bird
activity. After stopping the Landcruiser and getting out, Dan and I simultaneously
got our binoculars on the back of a large, dark tanager. After a moment or two
it turned round and its underparts were clearly visible – it was an Orange-throated
Tanager! The flock also held two other individuals of this rare bird, all
uttering the species’ distinctive call. The birds swiftly moved on to the
other side of the ravine, but remarkably the three Wetmorethraupis returned
and we spent about fifteen minutes getting staggering scope views at close range
of this beautiful bird in the afternoon sunlight as they perched in a roadside
Cecropia. It seemed to be quite closely tied to these trees, and was
certainly one of the birds of the trip.
Surprised and delighted to have located our main quarry well
before we had expected, the pressure was very much off, and we concentrated
on locating a place for the night, but not before finding more colourful species
such as Spangled Cotinga, Green and Purple Honeycreepers, Paradise
Tanager and Blue and Black-faced Dacnises. After passing through
a number of small villages we eventually stopped in one called El Paraíso, where
I spoke to the local schoolteacher about the possibility of us camping out on
the floor of the school. He was very friendly and helpful, and we were soon
established in the relatively new and clean school building, a much better outcome
than we might have feared. There was even running water next to it, courtesy
of a pipe with a tap, and we were permitted to use the old school building,
which was effectively a mud hut with a table and some benches, to cook our dinner.
We were keen to explore further that evening, and drove further on towards Peña
Blanca. The road became even worse so we did as much walking as possible, through
what was largely good forest. New birds added to the list included Yellow-billed
Nunbird, Mouse-coloured Antshrike, Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet and Thick-billed
Euphonia. We were back at El Paraíso by dusk, and after dinner, lay down
to sleep with a Spectacled Owl calling somewhere in the distance.
Day 14 – August 4th
With the main target bird under the belt, we had all day to
get back to Bagua Chica for the next stage of the trip, so decided to explore
a little further up the road that we had begun to bird the previous afternoon.
After just making it through a very muddy patch in the road and encountering
another, we decided to leave the car and walk on through the forested area.
Birding was generally excellent, and we encountered a wide variety of species,
many of which were typical of lowland Amazon forests. These included King
and Greater Yellow-headed Vultures, Zone-tailed Hawk, Ruddy Pigeon, Grey-rumped
Swift, Pale-tailed Barbthroat, Gould’s Jewelfront, Great Jacamar, Chestnut-capped
Puffbird, White-browed Purpletuft, Crowned Slaty Flycatcher, Tropical Gnatcatcher,
Dusky-capped Greenlet, Violaceous Jay and Green and Crested Oropendolas.
At one point we found what seemed to be a fruiting tree that held a large variety
of frugivorous species including Lemon-throated Barbet, White-lored and
Rufous-bellied Euphonias and Turquoise and White-shouldered
Tanagers amongst a host of species already listed.
We were back at the car by 11 or so, and no sooner had we turned
around than we got stuck in a large muddy section that had been worsened by
a large military truck that had passed by whilst we were birding. It was decided
that I should go and ask at one of the few nearby farms if we could borrow a
shovel, so I embarked on a fairly long walk back towards El Paraíso, hoping
that no Aguarunas would show up. It turned up to be quite a fruitful walk bird-wise,
and I added Black-eared Fairy, Yellow-breasted Flycatcher, Yellow-browed
Tody-Tyrant, Fulvous-crested Tanager and Yellow-bellied Tanager.
I was almost back to the village and had had no luck when I was relieved to
see the Landcruiser coming along the road, Teo having managed to haul the vehicle
out of the mud. The others had also found a group of the uncommon Ecuadorian
Cacique.
Deciding to cut our losses and leave, we stopped briefly in
El Paraíso to stock up with drinks before heading for far-off Bagua Chica. We
spent much of the day on the road and were fairly pleased with the relative
speed with which we got back. We made very few stops and made it back by 8.30pm,
where we once again ate in the excellent restaurant adjacent to our base for
the night, the Hotel Wilson.
NOTE: I feel it is very important to stress
the delicate issues that continue to exist with regards visiting this bird-rich
region. Peña Blanca, the most reliable site for the Orange-throated Tanager,
is a sacred area for the Aguarunas, and they do not take kindly to visitors
turning up unannounced. I discovered after the trip that Alfredo and the others
had arrived there and been asked to leave by the Aguarunas. They ended up missing
the tanager as a result. In hindsight, we were very lucky to have found the
bird when we did, and took something of a risk travelling there without prior
permission and contacts. Land rights issues still complicate the situation there,
and in line with the recent exchange of comments about this on the Worldtwitch
Discussion Board, I do urge anyone to contact either Gunnar Engblom at Kolibri
Expeditions or Barry Walker at Manu Expeditions for up-to-date information,
and NOT to attempt a visit to the area on their own.
Day 15 – August 5th
A day of mercifully little driving began at a civilised hour,
and we set off from Bagua at about 7. We stopped in an area of desert scrub
just outside the town where we encountered quite a few Little Inca-Finches
that proved rather responsive to pishing, and perched obligingly. Also in the
area we found Bran-coloured Flycatcher and Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant.
We were in Jaen by midday and had the luxury of a leisurely lunch and a
siesta after checking in to the excellent Hostal Pims, before setting off shortly
after 2pm for a track that took us up into some nearby scrub. Birds were not
particularly plentiful, and we were disappointed to miss out on the Marañon
Crescentchest, but a Chinchipe Spinetail was glimpsed, and we also found
Spot-throated Hummingbird, Rufous-fronted Thornbird, Red-crested Finch
and Purple-throated Euphonia. A few kilometres up the track we drove
into the private grounds of a Spanish monastery, where the monks seemed rather
unhappy to see us, and where the presence of a very large dog deterred us from
a planned search for the crescentchest. Returning to the main road, we drove
north for a few kilometres in search of Buff-bellied Tanager in some orchards,
but were unsuccessful and so returned to Jaen for a dinner served at a snail’s
pace, and eventually a comfortable bed.
Day 16 – August 6th
We returned to the monastery track once more for a couple of
hours or so, and did manage to find some different species to the previous day,
including a mixed flock of Drab Seedeaters and Dull-coloured Grassquits,
plus, for some, a calling Marañon Slaty Antshrike. Unfortunately the
crescentchest was decidedly unvocal and we once more drew a blank. Further additions
to the list included Pearl Kite, Plain-breasted Ground-Dove and Speckle-breasted
Wren.
Later we left the Marañon valley for the last time as we reached
the Porculla pass and began our descent into the Pacific lowlands. We made several
stops in the extremely spares areas of vegetation on the far side of the pass,
where we found Three-banded Warbler, Black-cowled Saltator, and Bay-crowned
and White-winged Brush-Finches, but failed to locate the secretive endemic
Piura Chat-Tyrant. By mid-afternoon we had arrived in the dusty town of Olmos,
and checked in at the rather quaint but strange Hotel Remanso, which was nevertheless
the best place in town. After confirming a meeting with Victor Raúl Diaz that
evening, who was to be our guide to look for the White-winged Guan, we relaxed
for the rest of the day. Dan and I went on a short walk in the hour or so before
sunset and found a few species typical of the northwest lowlands, including
Scarlet-backed Woodpecker and Streak-headed Woodcreeper. Victor
arrived at about 8 and we were delighted to discover that the guans had been
found recently in an area that could be reached in under two hours from the
hotel, thus removing the need to camp out and thus giving us some more time
to get back to Lima. We arranged a 5.30am departure the next morning and enjoyed
an excellent dinner before retiring.
Day 17 – August 7th
A very exciting morning began at 5.30am when we piled Victor
and his assistant into the Landcruiser (that had been an uncomfortable squeeze
for six of us at times throughout the trip) and we headed off northwards out
of Olmos. After several kilometres we headed off into the bush and the outlines
of the dry Andean foothills came into view as the sky lightened. We flushed
a couple of Scrub Nightjars from the road, and shortly after dawn arrived
at a small village at the base of the mountains. Having negotiated out way across
a stream, and accompanied by a small boy and his even smaller puppy, we hiked
along dry riverbeds into canyons cloaked in impressive stands of dry forest.
A White-edged Oriole sang from a treetop, flocks of Red-masked Parakeets
screeched by overhead and a smart Plumbeous-backed Thrush alighted
in a tree next to the trail.
At about 7.45 there was suddenly a loud shout from Dan and
we looked up to see five White-winged Guans moving through the trees
less than a hundred metres away. They were very dark when at rest, but when
they flew from tree to tree, the extensive white in their primaries showed beautifully.
We all enjoyed good scope views of the birds for several minutes before they
disappeared up into the canyon as quickly as they had materialised. Buoyed by
this success, we began to make our way back down towards the Landcruiser, whilst
looking out for more species. Amongst those we encountered were Short-tailed
Woodstar, Black-tailed Trogon, Lineated Woodpecker, Necklaced Spinetail, Collared
Antshrike, Elegant Crescentchest (heard only), Tropical Pewee, White-tailed
Jay, White-headed Brush-Finch, and Hepatic Tanager.
Back at the car, we drove back onto the flat desert plain we
had traversed to reach the guan canyon. A stop in an area of trees and scrub
proved very productive, with Grey-and-white Tyrannulet, Tumbes Sparrow, Collared
Warbling-Finch, Parrot-billed Seedeater and Crimson Finch-Tanager
all showing well. With the heat of the midday sun forcing birds to seek shade,
we did the same and returned to Olmos for lunch in the main square before once
again allowing ourselves the luxury of a rest and deciding to go out at about
2.30pm.
First stop of the afternoon was at a productive body of water
next to the road just a couple of kilometres north of town. It clearly acted
as something of an oasis for water birds in the surrounding desert landscape,
and attracted a wide variety of species including Least and Pied-billed
Grebes, Olivaceous Cormorant, Black-crowned Night-Heron and Masked Duck.
The highlight was a superb Spotted Rail that briefly emerged from the
reeds at the back of the pond and was much admired by all. Meanwhile a Snowy-throated
Kingbird perched in an acacia overhanging the water and a Harris’
Hawk passed by against the blue sky.
We took another track to the east that took us once more in
the direction of the forested canyons, towards the settlement of El Tocto. We
concentrated our efforts on the scrub and sparse acacias where we found a number
of species that we had encountered that morning, plus Tumbes Hummingbird,
the charming Tumbes Tyrant, Short-tailed Field-Tyrant and Peruvian
Meadowlark. We returned to Olmos for a celebratory dinner and a game of
table football on the ancient table that seemed to be a relic of more prosperous
days for the Remanso.
Day 18 – August 8th
Having virtually cleaned up on the northwestern specialities,
we spent the morning back up in the forest fragments at Abra Porculla. We clambered
up a steep stony path into an area of bamboo and denser forest, but mainly encountered
species we had found two days beforehand, with no sign of Rufous-necked Foliage-Gleaner
or the rare Grey-headed Antbird, both of which might still occur in the area.
Nor was there any sign of Piura Chat-Tyrant despite much searching, but a single
Rufous-chested Tanager made our long tanager list even longer.
Later we continued to Chiclayo and checked into a fairly smart
hotel, before having some lunch and continuing towards the Eten marshes in the
afternoon for some shorebird watching. The wind was quite strong and reduced
passerine activity, although a few hardy Yellowish Pipits braved the
conditions and could be seen in grassy areas. In some inland pools we found
White-tufted Grebe, Black-necked Stilt, Killdeer, Semipalmated Plover, Baird’s,
Least, Spotted and Pectoral Sandpipers and the dainty Wilson’s
Phalarope, whilst Great Grebe, Grey Plover and Whimbrel frequented
some coastal lagoons. The town of Puerto Eten itself was utterly forgettable,
and it was a great surprise when we flushed a Least Bittern from some
reed beds in the adjacent to the town rubbish dump, and found a Wren-like
Rushbird in the reeds themselves. After some difficulty negotiating our
way round some basic road works in town, we briefly dismantled them ourselves
before continuing back to Chiclayo for a meal in the lively town centre and
a look around the cathedral before bed.
Day 19 – August 9th
With almost two full days to get from Chiclayo to Lima, we
could take it fairly easy in terms of driving, and had enough time to look for
some of the specialities we had missed on the way, as well as finding some seabirds.
First port of call was Rafan, where Peruvian Plantcutters were again
much in evidence, and where we soon found a pair of the endemic Rufous Flycatcher,
undoubtedly the most attractive and distinctive member of the Myiarchus
group.
We stopped for lunch in Trujillo before making more progress
southwards through the bleak coastal desert, and looking for seabirds when we
came near enough to the coast. Along the way we found a small colony of South
American Terns, and one town where the waterfront revealed good views of
Inca Tern, Peruvian Booby and Grey-headed, Kelp and Band-tailed
Gulls. By mid-afternoon we had reached the coastal town of Huarmey, to discover
that the Hotel de Turistas just off the Panamerican highway had closed down.
Fortunately the Hotel Maria further back from the road proved an adequate alternative,
and once we had checked in there, we made for a nearby headland for a spot of
sea watching. A constant stream of thousands of Sooty Shearwaters passed
by offshore, but we couldn’t string any Pink-footeds amongst them. Inshore,
the occasional Peruvian Tern fished, whilst a couple of Red-legged
Cormorants flew across the bay. Onshore, an American Oystercatcher braved
the surf on a rocky headland and an obliging Peruvian Seaside Cinclodes
hopped about on a rock outcrop next to the beach. We returned to the hotel for
a meal in town and then a fairly early night.
Day 20 – August 10th
With the whole day to complete a four-hour drive, we had time
to return to the nearby headland, and were rewarded by Blackish Oystercatcher,
Peruvian Pelican, Grey Gull, Guanay Cormorant and a Peruvian Diving-Petrel
at rest on the sea. North of Lima a Peregrine circled against a hillside
whilst we were filling up with petrol, and a couple of Least Seedsnipes
provided brief fly-by views. We turned off to Lomas de Lachay and after hiking
up a steep hillside into an extensive stand of cacti, we managed to locate Cactus
Canastero without too much difficulty this time around. Luc and I stayed
up there a little longer than the others and were treated to a young and incredibly
inquisitive fox that came to within a few metres of us, a surreal experience
amongst the eerie silence that pervades the stark desert hills. It was a lovely
way to bring to an end an arduous but ultimately successful trip.
We still had time to pass via the Ventanilla marshes some 20kms
north of Lima, where six Peruvian Thick-knees standing in a field were
much appreciated, and Lesser Yellowlegs and Black Skimmer were
found in the few remaining areas of water. We had reached Callao by about 5,
and after an hour or so to clean up in a hotel, we headed to the airport where
a light meal preceded the customary farewells, and Teo and I made our way back
towards Miraflores through the bustling traffic and bright lights of a Lima
evening.
Addendum by Gunnar Engblom
Peru is rapidly becoming the birding Mekka that it always had
potential to be. Now most areas are safe to visit, but many areas where endemics
can be found are yet poorly explored, and even within Peru it is obnoxiously
difficult to retrieve information about road conditions and routes until you
actually try them out yourself. Kolibri Expeditions are greatful to the Canadians
who wanted to do some of this exploration into lesser known areas. It was clear
on beforehand that all areas had not been sessed out. We regret that the Marañon
could not be reached from Cordillera Blanca and support Simon in his decission
to not venture into unknown territory. Looking at the end result, Simon and
the Canadians managed to get a very impressive list of birds.
If anyone uses this report for reference to make a similar
circuit to what was intended ,I would like to share some newly discovered routes
and some tips for species missed by Simon´s group.
Firstly, the White-cheeked Cotinga, the only bird missed in
Cordillerra Blanca, is never easy on a one-day visit to Llanganuco. To be sure
to see this species two days are recommended. For most birding groups it is
a time trade-off. Are you really willing to spend another day, when you have
cleaned up on the all the other birds in just one morning? You should be at
the top, above both the lakes in the zone where there are plenty Gynoxys trees
intermingled with the Polylepis and there are plenty of red-flowered Mistletoes,
very early in the morning . It will then be easier to scan the area for the
cotingas that will sit peerched on top only during the early morning. If you
get to the top around ten o´clock, birding your way up, you will be extremely
lucky to find one.
If you have spare time, do a trekk to Laguna 47 above the Llanganuco
lakes. It is a haven for Ground Tyrants, a nice hike and I saw a pair of the
Cotingas here in April 1998.
The safest area for the White-cheeked Cotinga must be the Polylpeis
woodland above Oyon in Lima department. Take a left turn passed Oyon towards
the mines. Fjeldså describes this are as the best stronghold for the species.
This site should be taken into account as a possibility if White-cheeeked Cotinga
is missed at Llanganuco. If anyone goes there, please write me.
Regarding the connection over the Andes over Mollepata, this
planned together with Simon. Clearly, the Corongo route was mistakedly taken,
as on all maps the actual turnoff towards Mollepata is much lower down in the
Santa Valley, at Chuquicara where Santa River meets the Tablachaca River.
I took this road in December 1999 and arrived eventually to
Huamchuco. We wanted originally avoid Huamcuco and go straight for El Molino
(the place for Purple-backed Sunbeam), but driving at night at in heavy rain,
made us want to reach more civilised areas and more frequently driven roads.
I would not advice anyone driving on unknown roads during December-March in
the Peruvian Andes. Landslides are frequent during this time. Eventually we
got to El Molino, Chagual and Abiseo National Park, which was the goal of our
visit in during this trip.
In retrospect the connection was possible as planned, but time
had already been lost at the wrong turn, and the decission to not go on over
the Andes was the most sensible one at the time.
Abiseo National Park: Unfortunately this park with goodies
such as Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager and Yellow-browed Toucanet, can not be
visited by birding parties. One may apply for a permit through INRENA in Lima,
but it is a rather burocratic process and your presence in the park need to
have a some scientific recognition.
After our field work within the park we checked out a logging
road going east just north of Buldibuyo. This is just south of the park and
the habitat is virtually identical. This road is depicted on the departemental
map of La Libertad. (Note that the road also depicted going to Chiclayo is not
drivable and is within the park, and thus out of reach.). The road demands 4WD
or high clearance. We only had a afternoon and morning to our disposal so what
follows are some strategies for exploration. When you get to a dam high on the
Puna take a left turn and soon enough you will have some elfin forest patches
on both sides of the road. Especially the patches bordering a lake on your left
looks interesting and could be checked for Bay-vented Cotinga. I found Ash-breasted
Tit-Tyrant with the park and this species could maybe occur here as well. A
little further down the road becomes lined with low forest on both sides. It
is good here for Drab Hemispingus and Large-footed Tapaculo, and Golden-backed
Mountain Tanager, Pardusco and Rufous-browed Hemispingus could turn up here.
Continueing, you will eventually get to a road fork at ca 3050m.
The road to the right willtake you to an abandoned logging camp. The road ends
here. We camped here. Birding was excellent with Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan,
Barred Fruiteater and three or four calling Pale-billed Antpittas - a very seldom
encountered antpitta.
Back at the fork the left takes you down to a river cross,
where the car will have to be left. The stream can be crossed and on the other
side the old road now seemed to be an overgrown trail to lower areas. My interpretation
is that it is in use during the dry season only, so any birder coming here in
July may well encounter that the trail is open and can bring one down 800 meters
to the narrow distribution belt of Yellow-browed Toucanet. Search for Clusia
flowers, Miconia fruits and Cecropias in fruit. Play tape of closely related
Blue-banded Toucanet.
Yellow-browed Toucanet have only been found previously within
the park and on the Ongon trail. The first site is out of reach and the second
is very time consuming, and potentially somewhat dangerous as Todd Mark was
robbed here at gun point. This new site may be a good alternative. In any case
visitors going here should be careful, and speak good Spanish and never leave
the car unattended.. The logging seems to have stopped. Appearantly there is
some conflcit as to whom the land belongs, and therefor extraction has been
stopped.
New Bridge over the Marañon connects Cordillera Blanca:
If one continues south through Tayabamba and through Huancaspata,
there is a new rad and a bridge crossing over the Marañon. Don´t take the first
bridge, as this road leads to Huacraspata - end of the road. A road is being
build from Huacraspata to Uchize. This road should also go through Toucanet
territory. It may be worthwhile to go to Huacrapata and check how far the road
has come. Uchize is in the upper Huallaga valley, a region feared for its coca
industry. Lots of care should be taken here once the road is completed. Hopefully
by then, law and order has been restored also in this part of Peru.
Avoiding the Huacraspata turnoff and continuing along the Marañon
river, you will soon be northbound again, and shortly finds the new bridge crossing
the might river and takes you to Sihuas, from where you will drop into the Santa
Valley. The dirt road is in very good condition.
So returning to the original scoop of the trip that Simon made,
the best bet would be to drive to Sihuas after Llanganuco. Take the same turnoff
at Yuramarca, but keep right so you don´t end up in Corongo. Ask for directions
to Sihuas. The driving down to the Marañon should be interesting. We drove this
stretch at night. Keep an eye out for alder forest and search for Purple-backed
Sunbeam. Look out for habitat for Greater Thornbird and Gray-bellied Comet.
They could well occur. Other possibilities are Rufous-backed and Buff-bridled
Inca-Finch .The area is virtually unexplored ornthologically. Once on the other
side of the Marañon river you could easily connect with Cajamarca after checking
out the Buldibuyo logging road, Chagual and El Molino on the way.
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