Trip report by John Penhallurick

With Gunnar Engblom of Kolibri Expeditions

30/11 flew Lima to Cajamarca 6.15am. Drove to Sangal Valley for Grey-bellied Comet, then drove Cajamarca to Celendin with stops en route

1/12 Celendin to El Limon for Grey-winged Inca-Finch and Chestnut-backed Thornbird then back to Cajamarca with stops en route

2/12 Cajamarca through Andes to coast,then north with stop at Rafan, then to Chiclayo and Bataan Grande (Bosque de Pomac) then to Olmos

3/12 to El Limon (White-winged Guan site) then to Tumbes with stop in 2nd valley before Mancora (Tumbes Tyrant and Sulphur-throated Finch)

4/12 early stop behind Pampas de Hospital north of Tumbes then drove to east entrance to Tumbes National Reserve. Walked in to  start of hill up to El Caucho.

5/12 Walked to El Caucho then walked up track behind camping area

6/12 Walked back to El Caucho, then along old road in, which is currently impassable, and down to vehicles. Return to Tumbes and Talara.

7/12 Drove Talara to Piura then Piura to Canchaque stopping for Elegant Crescent-chest in valley on right shortly after turnoff to Canchaque

8/12 Drove from Canchaque to Cruz Blanca then down track to Canchaque. Told it would take three hours but took eight! Fog and rain and very slippery path. Everyone fell at least once. Nightmarish, but it did give us Grey-headed Antbird and the newly split Piura Hemispingus.

9/12 Drove Canchaque to Huancabamba with good birding stop not far above Canchaque. Wasted time looking for Bay-crowned Brush-Finch in wrong habitat, and thus did not have time to drive to Sapalache Pass for Neblina Metaltail.

10/12 drove Huancabamba along Tabaconas Road to pass. Stops on way up and along road.Then down to end of Forest. Road up and along flat not too bad. Road down eroded sandstone. Hair-raising. This road is not for the fainthearted. Could see large holes under road which could give way at any time..Overnight on floor of "restaurant".

11/12 early down the road below the pass, later on flat road above pass. Afternoon drove down lower reaches of road, incredibly rough. Overnight primitive quarters in Tamborapa.

12/12 Drove from Tamborapa to Jaen with stop for Maranon Spinetail, and at hill at junction with Jaen road for Maranon Crescent-chest.

13/12 early am near Jaen for Chinchipe Spinetail, then drove to Imazita with occasional stops. NB: Police escort because of hold-ups on Muya Road.

14/12 boat (30 minute trip) to Nuevo Salem (Indian Village), then up ridge for Wetmorethraupis. This is a very promising site, and birders are encouraged to visit.  The visit needs to be arranged through a westernized Awaruna who lives in a village on the way to Imazita. Gunnar Engblom has contact details at kolibri@telefonica.net.pe .  It contains INTACT lowland and mid-montane forest between 300m and 1300m.  The traditional site for Orange-throated Tanager, Pena Blanca, is now out of bounds because of dispute between two Awaruna villages.  Only one village was benefiting and the other village was annoyed and thus have threatened to kill any birder who wander on to their territory.  Night in Nuevo Salem.

15/12 Boat back to Imataza, then drive back to Bagua Chica, again with police escort.

16/12 from Bagua Chica with stop outisde town (Little Inca Finch), then stop at Liposanquan just before bridge of Suyubamba (Little Woodstar), then stop near El Chido bridge (Marvellous Spatuletail, Chestnut-crested Cotinga), then over Abra Patricia Pass with stops on way down to La Rioja.

17/12 4.30 am start for Abra Patricia. Birded from pass down to below Afluentes. Night in empty house near pass.

18/12 as for 17/12.

19/12 birded lower road from 6 am to 9 am, then Dave Sergeant and I drove to Taropato for flight to Lima