9 day program.
Day 1. Easy day in Lima birding Pantanos de Villa and Puerto Viejo for Peruvian Thickknee, Inca Tern, Humboldt Penguin, Peruvian Seaside Cinclodes and many more. in PM. Very comfortable night bus to Huanuco leaving Lima at 10 PM .
Day 2. Birding at the Carpish Tunnel in the morning for Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant, Tchudis Tapaculo , Stripe-headed Brush-Finch, Rufous Spinetail, Peruvian Wren, Yellow-scarfed Tanager, Golden-plumed Parakeet, Scaly-naped Parrots, Mountain Cacique and hopefully Chestnut Antpitta and Rufous-browed Hemispingus. In the afternoon we will bird near Tingo Maria for species like Hoatzin, Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Solitary Cacique and Huallaga Tanager. Night in hotel in Tingo Maria .
Day 3. Birding in Tingo Maria in the morning. Near the hotel we have recently seen species like Band-bellied Owl and Gray-breasted Crake. We will continue to the Tingo Maria National park for Oilbird, Huallaga Tanager and Blue-headed Macaw,Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant as well as many other lowland birds. In midmorning we continue to Carpish and will bird at the Paty trail or the Carpish tunnel. Night in Huanuco or better birdingwise camping at head of Paty trail next to the school. We are starting a community project here that is well worth to support.
Day 4. Paty trail in the morning slowly to add species like Peruvian Tyrannulet Masked and Band-tailed Fruiteater, Masked Saltator, Drab Hemispingus, White-eared Solitaire, Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Inca Flycatcher, Bay and Ocellated Antpittas, Buff-browed Foliage-Gleaner, Orange-breasted Falcon, Chestnut-breasted Wren, Long-tailed Antbird, etc, Night in Huanuco.
Day 5. Early start for Bosque Unchog. Key species is naturally Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager - the cover species of "A field Guide to the Birds of Peru" -. Pardusco is usually easy. Rufous-browed Hemispingus is time consuming and Bay-vented Cotinga rare but very conspicuous when perched.
Other birds include Coppery Metaltail, Neblina and Large-footed Tapaculo, Plenge´s Thistletail, Many-striped and Line-fronted Canastero, Paramo Seedeater, White-collared Jay and Rufous (Fulvous) Antpitta (this form warrants species recognition). Camp.
Day 6. Aditional day at Bosque Unchog. Hotel in Huanuco.
Day 7. Birding the dry scrub for Rufous-backed Inca-Finch and Brown-flanked Tanager and then continue to Junin lake, via a stop at the Polylepis forests at Quichas. Night in Junin. Hotel basic, does have hot water showers, but very cold at night.
Day 8. Junin Grebe early AM and continue via Ticlio and Milloc Bog for White-bellied Cinclodes, Diademed Plover, Rufous-bellied and Gray-breasted Seedsnipes and Black-breasted Hillstar; and to the Polylepis forest in Santa Eulalia valley to look for White-cheeked Cotinga, Black-breasted Hillstar. Basic hotel in Huachupampa, San Juan de Iris or Carampoma.
Day 9. Polylepis forest AM. For White-cheeked Cotinga and Black-breasted Hillstar. Other Polylepis specialists include Striated Earthcreeper, Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail, Thick-billed and Black Siskins, Giant Conebill, Black Metaltail, etc. More birding in the upper part of Santa Eulalia valley. Species we search for here include Canyon Canastero and Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch (rare). On the way to Lima we have the chance of running into the following species: Black-necked Flicker, Oasis Hummingbird, Peruvian Sheertail, Bronze-tailed Comet, Great Inca-Finch, Peruvian Pygmy-Owl, Canyon Canastero, Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch, Bright-rumped Yellow-Finch, White-winged Cinclodes, Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant, Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail, Streaked Tit-Spinetail.
10 day program.
Day 0. Very comfortable nightbus to Huanuco leaving Lima at 10 PM.
Day 1. Birding at the Carpish Tunnel in the morning for Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant, Tchudis Tapaculo, Stripe-headed Brush-Finch, Rufous Spintail, Peruvian Wren, Yellow-scarfed Tanager, Golden-plumed Parakeet, Scaly-naped Parrots Scaly-naped Parrots, Mountain Cacique and hopefully Chestnut Antpitta and Rufous-browed Hemispingusand. In the afternoon we will bird near Tingo Maria for species like Hoatzin, Spot-breasted Woodpecker and Solitary Cacique. Night in hotel in Tingo Maria.
Day 2. Birding in Tingo Maria in the morning. Near the hotel we have recently seen species like Band-bellied Owl and Gray-breasted Crake. We will continue to the Tingo Maria National park for Oilbird, Huallaga Tanager and Blue-headed Macaw as well as many other lowland birds. In midmorning we continue to the Carpish area to camp in the school at the Paty trail head.
Day 3. Paty trail in the morning slowly to add species like Peruvian Tyrannulet Masked and Band-tailed Fruiteater, Masked Saltator, Drab Hemispingus, White-eared Solitaire, Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Inca Flycatcher, Bay Antpitta, Buff-browed Foliagegleaner, Orange-breasted Falcon, Chestnut-breasted Wren, etc, We will have lunch at the bottom of the trail at Ñuapamarca (700m drop). In the afternoon we shall be doing additional birding near Ñaupamarca for birds like Cock-of-the Rock, Deep-blue Flowerpiercer, Blue-browed Tanager and others. At night we usually see Lyre-tailed Nightjars.
If you are not a strong walker, you may want to stay the night at the Paty trail. Let us know so we can supply you with a local guide.
Day 4. Ñaupamarca-Paty trail. A walk back along the Paty trail concentrating the morning on the species lower down. After lunch we shall continue to Bosque Unchog for an overnight stay.
Day 5. Bosque Unchog. Key species is naturally Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager - the cover species of "Birds of Peru". Pardusco is usually easy. Rufous-browed Hemispingus is time consuming and Bay-vented Cotinga rare but very conspicuous when perched.
Other birds include Coppery Metaltail, Neblina and Large-footed Tapaculo, Plenge´s Thistletail, Many-striped and Line-fronted Canastero, Paramo Seedeater and Rufous (Fulvous) Antpitta (this form warrants species recognition). Camp.
Day 6. Aditional day at Bosque Unchog. Hotel in Huanuco.
Day 7. Birding the dry scrub for Rufous-backed Inca-Finch and Brown-flanked Tanager and then continue to Junin lake, via a stop at the Polylepis forests at Quichas. Night in Carhuamayo or Junin.
Day 8. Junin Grebe early AM and continue via Ticlio and Milloc Bog to the Polylepis forest in Santa Eulalia valley to look for White-cheeked Cotinga. Basic hotel in San Juan de Iris or camping.
Day 9. Polylepis forest AM. Other Polylepis specialists include Striated Earthcreeper, Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail, Thick-billed Siskin, Giant Conebill, Black Metaltail, etc. More birding in the upper part of Santa Eulalia valley. Species we search for here include Canyon Canastero and Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch (rare). Night in Huachupampa. Basic hotel but with hot water private showers.
Day 10. Birding Santa Eulalia valley: Black-necked Flicker, Oasis Hummingbird, Peruvian Sheertail, Bronze-tailed Comet, Great Inca-Finch, Peruvian Pygmy-Owl, Canyon Canastero, Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch, Bright-rumped Yellow-Finch, White-winged Cinclodes, Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant, Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail, Streaked Tit-Spinetail. In the afternoon a fast visit to Pantanos de Villa to boost the list.
