Birding Carpish with Golden-backed Mountain Tanager and Junin Grebe.
Day 0.
We recommend an easy day in Lima this morning such as Pantanos de Villa and Pucusana or if you want something more intense such as a day trip to Santa Eulalia Canyon. Very comfortable night bus to Huanuco leaving Lima at 10 PM .
Day 1.
Birding at the Carpish Tunnel in the morning for Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant, Tchudis Tapaculo, Gray-browed (Stripe-headed) Brush-Finch, Rufous Spinetail, Peruvian Wren, Yellow-scarfed Tanager, Golden-plumed Parakeet, Scaly-naped Parrot, 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 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, 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.
Day 3.
Early 3AM start for Bosque Unchog. Key species is naturally Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager. 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,Rufous (Fulvous) Antpitta (this form warrants species recognition) and Brown-flanked Tanager. Night in Huanuco
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 Chestnut Antpittas, Buff-browed Foliage-Gleaner, Orange-breasted Falcon, Chestnut-breasted Wren, Long-tailed Antbird, etc. Night in Huanuco.
Day 5.
Aditional day at Bosque Unchog or Carpish depending on where we need more species. Hotel in Huanuco.
Day 6.
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 for Stripe-headed Antpitta, Giant Conebill, Baron´s Spinetail, Thick-billed Siskin and Striated Earthcreeper. Search in the afternoon for Junin Rail. Night in basic hotel in Junin.
Day 7.
Junin Grebe with Dark-winged and Common Miner in 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. NIght in San Mateo.
Day 8.
Early drive to Polylepis forest on Santa Eulalia highway for White-cheeked Cotinga. 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 - however for all these lower elevation species we recommend you do a seperate day trip to Santa Eulalia Canyon.