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North Peru 4: MEGADIVERSITY TRIP. Tarapoto-Cajamarca (Chiclayo) 9-10 days

 
 INTRODUCTION

Birds, Orchids, Butterflies and Endemic Primates. 

Golden-headed Quetzal, Pharomachrus auriceps. Abra Patricia,Perú.Photo:Juan Chalco

STOP PRESS: DEC 25, 2015-JAN 3, 2016. Chrristmas and New Year North Peru.

This is a one time opportunity to participate in a North Peru trip over Christmas and New Year for 9 or 10 days. There are two pre-trips of Iquitos (10 days) and Scarlet-banded Barbet (3.5 days). The Iquitos trips can be cut in modules, where the last 3 days could be over the weekend, allowing for  a two week trip if doing 3 days Iquitos, 3 days Scarlet-banded Barbet and the current trip of 10 days. The current trip runs over the holidays, which in 2015 falls so well that you ONLY NEED TO TAKE 3 DAYS OFF FROM WORK!

If you need to be back at work early on Monday Jan 4, and the flight to get home is long, you could end with birding in Cajamarca and fly back to Lima to connect with your international flight either Saturday late afternoon at 17.10, or at 12:25 pm from Cajamarca the following day. The flight takes about 1 hour.  If you have more time you can continue to Chiclayo and catch an evening flight to Lima at 21.55 (flight time 1h20min).  

Continuing beyond Chiclayo there is a one week trip further north through Piura and Tumbes, which will give many additional Tumbes endemics during the best time of year to look for them. Also, included in the post tour extension is a pelagic. 

Focus for the trip Dec 25-Jan 3 is on birds, but of course we shall watch for other lifeforms as well.  This time the route shall include also Jaen, to sample the birds there succ as Marañon Crescentchest, Marañon Slaty-Antshrike and Little Inca-Finch.

The upper Marañon is also home of several Marañon endemics that  are difficult elsewhere, such as Yellow-faced Parrotlet, Peruvian Pigeon, Marañon Thrush, Gray-winged Inca-Finch, Chestnut-backed Thornbird and Buff-bellied Tanager. In Cajamarca the star bird is the Gray-bellied Comet which will looked for in the afternoon of Jan 2 - and if not found again on Jan 3.

Cost is $2310. For the additional night in Tarapoto on Dec 24, add $65.
Single suplement $100.
All food included. Drinks to meals in restaurants are not included. 
Internal Flights (aprox $300) not included. 

 

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Regular Tour Description

Reversing the North Peru tour we introduce additional facets to nature apart from the birding. This route can have a different focus apart from birds if the clients request so, such as Orchids, Butterflies, and primates - or specifically keen bird photographers. Focus can change according to your demand. On this trip we can make additional effort to find three endemic primate species, as well as looking for orchids or butterflies. We shall stay away from roads as much as possible. 

The 9 day itinerary is often added to the 7 day North Peru 2 program from Piura to Tarapoto.


 DEPARTURES
No Departures for this Tour


If the departure dates don't fit you, please suggest another date.
 
 THE TOUR

Extra ordinary program over Christmas and New Year.

Please refer to the more detailed text in the program below. Here is only an outline.

Day 0. Thursday. Dec 24. Tarapoto.

Flight  20.10 (LAN). Hotel Cumbaza. Dinner not included. If you can, we recommend to you try to make the flight already on Dec 24, so you also can do some birding on the morning of Christmas day at the dry scrub of Juan Guerra.

Day 1. Fri Dec 25. Tarapoto-Moyobamba. 

Those staying in Tarapoto the previous night will start birding at Juan Guerra. When the rest arrive with the 8.45 AM flight to Tarapoto (Peruvian) arriving 10 AM we shall look for Kopecke's Hermit and Gould's Jewelfront  and others on the other side of the tunnel until 1 pm or so before we travel to Moyobamba. Night at Wakanqi.

Day 2. Sat. Dec 26.  Moyobamba-Nueva Cajamarca

At Waqanki we shall encounter many hummingbirds including Rufous-crested Coquette. Later we bird the Moyobamba-Rioja plain. Night Hotel Continental, Nueva Cajamarca. 

Day 3. Sun. Dec 27. Aguas Verdes-Abra Patricia.

In the mornign at Aguas Verdes  will check the feeding station of  Cinereous and  Little Tinamou, Rufous-breasted Wood-Quail y and Orange-billed Sparrow , as well as the feeders with hmmingbirds such as  Green-fronted and  Blue-fronted Lancebill and Black-breasted Brilliant. In the evening we shall make our first try for Long-wiskered Owlet. Night at the Owlet Lodge

Day 4. Mon Dec 28. Abra Patrica. Owlet Lodge

All day at Owlet Lodge and surroundings searching for Royal Sunangel, Bar-winged Wood-Wren, Lulu´s Tody-Tyrant, Cinnamon-breasted Toty-Tyrant, Ochre-fronted Antpitta and many more.  At night we shall search for the Owlet again or Cinnamon Screech.Owl. 

Day 5. Tue Dec 29. Abra Patricia-Pomacochas.

We continue to Pomacochas for a session with Marvelous Spatuletail and perhaps a trek for Pale-billed Antpitta. Hotel: Puerto Pumas 

Day 6. Wed Dec 30. Pomacochas-Jaen.

Adding a detour to Jaen hopefully will bring, Marañon Crescentchest, Marañon Spinetail, Marañon Slaty-Antshrike, Chinchipe Spinetail, and perhaps the Marañon subspecies of the Peruvian Screech-Owl. Night Hotel Prims, Jaen.

Day 7. Thu Dec 31. Jaen-Leimebamba

Additional birding in Jaen in the morning and then travel along Utcubamba river to Leimebamba checking for birds on the way such as Peruvian Pigeon, Speckle-chested Piculet, Buff-breasted Tanager. Night in Leimebamba.  

Day 8. Fri. Jan 1. Leimebamba.

Hummingbirds such as Purple-throated Sunangel and Rainbow Starfrontlet at Kenticafe. Night in, Leimebamba. 

Day 9. Sat Jan 2. Leimebamba-Cajamarca  

Very early start and drive over Abra Barro Negro to Cajamarca making several stops on the way for birds such as Yellow-faced Parroltet, Chestnut-backed Thornbird, Buff-bridled Inca-FInch and Gray-winged Inca-Finch. Hotel in Cajamarca.

Day 10. Sun Jan 3. Cajamarca-Chiclayo. (Possible to fly to Lima midday from Cajamarca or late from Chiclayo)

Search for Great Spinetail in the morning - or Gray-bellied Comet. Continue to Chclayo, via Unicolored Tapaculo and Peruvian Plantcutter.  Stay in Chiclayo, to continue with our special Piura-Tumbes combo for a week, or fly to Lima. 

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Regular program north Peru birdwatching program 

Day 0. Evening arrival to Tarapoto.

Some arriving from North Peru 2 others flying in from Lima 20.10 arriving 21.30. Night in Hotel Cumbaza.

Day 1. BirdingTarapoto-Yurimaguas road. Purplish Euphonia and Dotted Tanager.

Birding the road to Yurimaguas gives many birds from the upper tropical zone. Here are special birds such as Dotted Tanager, Purplish Euphonia, Koepckes Hermit and Blackish Pewee.

In the afternoon we shall transfer to Moyobamba via a deep ravine en route that apart from a roosting colony of White-eyed Parakeet, holds cave dwelling Oilbirds and White-collared Swift.  The arrival of 100s of Swifts in the late afternoon is impressive, as is the buildup by the oilbirds to do an evening fly-out. Night in Moyobamba.

Day 2. Quebrada Mishkyacu and Yacumama

This is an exiting new site near Moyobamba. Birds here include: Northern Chestnut-tailed (Zimmer's) Antbird, Mishana Tyrannulet, Roraiman Flycatcher, Short-tailed Antthrush, Black-and-White Tody-Flycatcher, Chestnut-throated Spinetail, Red-shouldered Tanager, Cinereous-breasted spinetail, Milky-rumped Manakin, possibly Black Manakin, Fiery-throated and Scarlet-breasted Fruiteaters.

In the afternoon we shall bird the savanna and gallery forest near Rioja at Yacumama with possible birds such as Russet-crowned Crake, Point-tailed Palmcreeper, YellowTyrannulet, Buckley's Forest-Falcon, Dark-breasted Spinetail, Roraiman Flycatcher and many more.  Night in Gran Bombonaje, Rioja. 

Day 3 Aguas Verdes-Afluentes and Abra Patricia Lodge.

In spite  that we birded this area on the Piura-Tarapoto section (North Peru 2), there are still many birds to be seen. This time we shall concentrate to work trails to try to get some the rarer birds in the Abra Patricia area. There is also an other endemic monkey that occurs here: the Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey  - which we shall pay special attention to. 
We shall make additional effort to find Long-whiskered Owlet on this section. Here follows a list of birds mentioned in the Tumbes-Tarapoto program that are possible again. At Afluentes-Aguas Verdes there are Ecuadorian Piedtail, Napo Sabrewing, Black-mandibled Toucan, Versicolored Barbet, Golden-headed and Crested Quetzal, Speckle-chested Piculet, Equatorial Graytail, Foothill and Ash-throated Antwren, Ecuadorian Tyrannulet, Cock of the Rock, Umbrellabird, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Gray-mantled Wren and Vermilion Tanager. At the stunted forests over 2000m we find Long-whiskered Owlet (with lots of luck) Royal Sunangel, Ochre-fronted Antpitta, Rusty-tinged and Rusty-breasted Antpittas, Peruvian Rufous-vented Tapaculo, Rufous-headed Pygmy Tyrant, Lulu's Tody-Tyrant, Cinnamon-breasted Tody-Tyrant, Yellow-scarfed, White-capped Tanager, Metallic-green Tanagers, White-collared Jay, Bar-winged Wood-Wren and many more. All nights at Abra Patricia Lodge. 

Day 4-5. Abra Patricia

We shall make additional effort to find Long-whiskered Owlet on this section. Night at Abra Patricia Lodge.

Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Andigena hypoglauca Leymebamba, Per? Photo:Gunnar Engblom

Day 6. Abra Patricia-Pomacochas

Another morning at birding around Abra Patricia before leaving for Pomacochas. Those that have still not seen Marvelous Spatuletail and those that want to have a second chance photographing it will try at private reserve for the species commenced by Kolibri Expeditions. Those that did the Tumbes-Tarapoto program as well may want to continue birding a trail at Abra Patricia Lodge and have the vehicle pick them up at mid-morning.

Day7. Pomacochas-Leimebamba.

Great temperate forest birding can be done near Leimebamba. Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan and Northern Mountain Cacique are common and there are good chances to spot Andean Condors. There are some excellent feeders than can be visited near Leimebamba. NIght birding for Koepcke's Screech-Owl

Night in Leimebamba.

Gray-winged Inca-Finch, Incaspiza ortizi Hacienda El Lim?n, Per? Photo:Juan Chalco

Day 8. Leimebamba- Celendin

Note that it is possible to do a 6 day horse supported trek from Leimebamba into fantastic temperate forest to sample birds like Yellow-browed Toucanet, Pale-billed Antpitta, Large-footed Tapaculo, Pardusco, Rufous-browed Hemispingus, Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager and many more. Let us know if this is a something which you would like us to set up. The trek is also very good for orchids. 

Near the Abra Barro Negro pass we will look for Russet-mantled Softtail, Peruvian Thistletail (likely split from White-chinned Thistletail), Coppery Metaltail, intermedius form of Blackish Tapaculo (probably also a good species) are possible.
Travelling through Balsas we shall look out for flocks of Yellow-faced Parrotlet and Peruvian Pigeon. If time permits we shall stop El Limon on the way to Celendin, where we have the chance to clear up on the endemics of the region, such as Buff-bellied Tanager, Grey-winged Inca-Finch, Greater Spinetail, Chestnut-backed Thornbird, Marañon Thrush. Night in Celendin. 

Day 9. Celendin-Cajamarca.

If needed be, we shall return to El Limon the next morning. In the slopes above Celendin Jelski's Chat-Tyrant is often seen. On the way to Cajamarca we shall look out for "Cajamarca" Rufous Antpitta and White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant, Plain-tailed Warbling-Finch, Rufous-eared Brush-Finch and Black-crested Tit-Tyrant. In the afternoon we shall look for for Gray-bellied Comet in the Sangal valley. Other birds in this area include White-winged Cinclodes, the cajabambae race of Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail, Giant Hummingbird and Black-tailed Trainbearer. Flight to Lima leaves in the late afternoon.

Some people will continue with Huamachuco for the Purple-backed Sunbeam extension.

 


 PRICES :


Option: NORTH PERU MEGADIVERSITY TRIP. 9 days Days: 9
Price: US$ 2835 (Minimun 5 people).
 
Less than 5 people: (see pricing)
 
Single supplement: 200 US$
 

Include hotel, guide(s), food,

 


 CLIENT'S COMMENTS:
 
 


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