| Extract from a trip report on http://www.surfbirds.com/mb/Trip%20Reports/media/peru/Peru.html
Here there are also some excellent photographs from the Kolibri Expedition
trip. Look at White-bellied Cinclodes, Grey-breasted Seedsnipe, Diademed Sandpiper-Plover
Introduction
We did a three-week trip to Peru concentrating on the Manu
area with a few days near Lima. Our trip leaders were Paul Donahue and Teresa
Wood who have spent many years in Peru. Three of us (Patty, Winty and myself)
flew from Boston to Miami. There we met Paul and Teresa who had arrived in Miami
several days before. Barbara, our sixth starting member, was from Florida. Over
the next week, four others (Linda, Irene, Bob and Ted) joined our group on various
days. We took a night flight to Lima arriving in the dark.
Paul and Teresa can be contacted through: http://www.nemaine.com/treetopexplorations/bio.html
The first three days of our trip were close to Lima concentrating
on a number of endemics. We discussed doing the driving ourselves but that would
have required renting two cars as six would be doing this part of the trip.
We decided to go with Kolibri Expeditions for transportation and guide which
worked very well. They have a large Dodge Ram van with good ground clearance
and suspension which was needed on roads we travelled. Our guide, Goyo, knew
just where to stop for our targeted birds and our driver, Juvinal, knows the
roads well and is an ace driver in Lima. Although it cost a bit more, we had
a much better birding experience and certainly more time with the birds.
Kolibri expeditions can be contacted through: [email protected]
http://www.kolibriexpeditions.com
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On our last day we took an early flight to Lima where we had
the better part of the day available before an evening flight returning to the
U.S. We used this time to return to the Santa Eulalia valley with Kolibri Expeditions
for an afternoon of birding.
June 3rd, Lomas de Lachay and Pantanes de Villa
Goyo and Juvinal picked us up at the airport and we headed north in the fog
to Lomas de Lachay, a nature preserve, a little over an hour away. We arrived
at a spot to look for Cactus Canastero shortly after dawn and worked our way
up an arroyo finding one about a kilometer away. We picked up Oasis Hummingbird
and Grayish Miner before breakfast as well. Then back to the main highway
and on to the nature preserve visitor center where the specialty was Thick-billed
Miner, where we found two were working around the deer pin. Also around
the visitor center, we saw Peruvian Meadowlark, Croaking Ground-Dove,
and Short-tailed Field-Tyrant. On the way out, we stopped for a walk
across the dry plain to find Least Seedsnipe.
Then back to Lima and on to Pantanos de Villa on the southwest side of Lima
along the coast. Over 20 Peruvian Thick-knees highlighted our arrival.
We drove to the far side of Pantanos de Villa to some rush lined ponds next
to the beach. After watching Peruvian Pelicans and Boobys, Guanay
Cormorants, Gray, Band-tailed, Kelp and Gray-headed Gulls, and Inca
Terns for several minutes we turned our attention to the ponds. Winty and
I had great views of a couple of Many-colored Rush-Tyrants and Winty
got great photos as well. Lots of waterbirds including White-tufted,
Great and Pied-billed Grebes, 7 species of herons, Puna
Ibis, White-cheeked Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, and Plumbeous
Rail. By this time it was starting to get dark so into Miraflores for the
night.
June 4th, Santa Eulalia valley and Marcapomacocha
Up early and ready to go at the appointed time of 4:30 am, but part of the group
forgot about the time zone change so we finally left nearly an hour later than
planned. We headed east out of Lima on the central highway to Chosica, then
left to Santa Eulalia and on up the valley.
After we had enough light to see things well, a woodpecker
flew up to a perch which turned out to be a Black-necked Woodpecker.
Whow, what a nice way to start the morning. We spent about half an hour in the
area picking up Scrub Blackbird, Cinereous Conebill, and Collared
Warbling-Finch. After passing through a small tunnel a few birds flew up
next to the road and we started hiking along the road. Peruvian Sheartails
were numerous in this area and we also had Sparkling Violet-ear, Giant Hummingbird,
Andean Swift, Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant, Band-tailed Seedeater, and
Great Inca-Finch.
Our original plan was to continue up the valley and camp out at about 10,000
feet (3,000 m) and then continue on to Marcapomacocha the following day for
Diademed Sandpiper-plover and White-bellied Cinclodes. But a landslide
blocked the road so we had to go back to Chosica and then continue on the cental
highway to reach Marcapomacocha. Our time was up on the Santa Eulalia valley
so we turned around just before the San Pedro bridge, had a late breakfast and
started down. We returned to the Santa Eulalia valley on the last day of our
trip with the other members of our group.
By the late afternoon we reached the spot to look for the Diademed
Sandpiper-Plover. Goyo had the Diademed Sandpiper-plover within a few
minutes and only 150 yards (m) from the van but we were at 15,000 feet (4500
m) so we took it easy getting to them. After half an hour or so we moved on
going down in elevation to find a camping spot at lower elevation. Just after
dark and at 13,000 feet (3900 m) we ended up camping out on the road. It was
a cold night for us with temperatures getting down close to freezing.
In the afternoon we also picked up Andean Goose, Mountain Caracara, Gray-breasted
Seedsnipe, Dark-winged Miner, Plain-capped and White-fronted Ground-tyrants,
and Peruvian, Plumbeous, Ash-breasted, and Band-tailed Sierra-Finches.
June 5th, Marcapomacocha
Up with the dawn with some birding around our campsite. A pair of
Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetails were carrying food to a nest hole in the
road bank a short distance away from our campsite. After breakfast and putting
away our gear; we continued birding the area coming up Plain-breasted Earthcreeper,
Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, and a Torrent Duck. We continued down
the valley to a spot where we could look for White-cheeked Cotinga far
up the slope above us. Fortunately for us, a pair of White-cheeked Cotingas
popped up just as we getting out of the van saving us a hard scramble up a steep
slope. A good birdy spot so we spent a good half hour before turning around
and returning to Lima. More time and light than the day before; so we slowed
up passing several ponds along the way picking up Silvery Grebe, Crested
Duck, and Giant Coot.
We stopped at the road junction where we were to look to for White-bellied
Cinclodes. Goyo pointed to a stone hut a quarter mile (400 m) away saying
we would find the cinclodes near it. We gave Goyo one of the walkie-talkies
and he started out with Patty, Barbara, and myself slowly following. We were
back up to 15,000 feet (4500 m) and the others decided to rest in the van. A
few minutes later and a hundred yards (m) from the van Barbara pointed to a
bird on the ground; presto, it was a White-bellied Cinclodes.
We aroused the group in the van and everyone getting excellent
views. The cinclodes moved to within a few feet of the road with a total of
three of them. Time to push on to a lower altitude and back to Lima before it
was too late. A little before we reached the main road we stopped to look for
Black-breasted Hillstar which took a little longer.
New birds for the day included Andean Condor, Black-winged Ground-Dove, Andean
Flicker, Streak-throated Canastero, D´Orbigny´s Chat-Tyrant, Puna
Ground-Tyrant, Brown-bellied Swallow, Black Siskin, and White-winged
Diuca-Finch.
June 24th, flight from Cusco to Lima, Santa Eulalia valley
We had an early flight from Cusco to Lima where we put our luggage in storage
as we had an evening flight back to the states. We had rest of the day to bird
and we had arranged to have Gunnar Engblom (Kolibri Expeditions) take us back
to the Santa Eulalia valley. Half of our group was not with us the first time
and we would try to go higher. Gunnar´s van was not available so he arranged
a small school bus for us although the seating certainly not the best for those
of us over 6 feet.
We went up the Santa Eulalia valley not stopping until we reached the spot we
had the Black-necked Woodpeckers nearly three weeks ago. We waited around
several minutes but no woodpeckers. Just as we were getting into the bus, we
heard one call and the pair came into view. Then up beyond the San Pedro bridge
for more birding picking up Harris´ Hawk, Tropical Pewee, Rufous-chested
Tanager, Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch, and Golden-bellied Grosbeak.
The highlight was a Peruvian Pygmy-Owl perched out in the open about
60 feet (20 m) from the road. A second one was less than a kilometer away. The
rest of the group was able to see most of the goodies we saw on the first trip.
Time to head back to Lima and home.
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