Day 1.- Santa Eulalia Canyon and Valley
We leave Lima heading east along the central highway, taking a brief detour to the canyon of Santa Eulalia. In the first slopes of the Andes mountains and steppe zones we begin to see many birds, including several endemic species such as the Great Inca-Finch, Black-necked Woodpecker, Rusty-bellied Brush-finch. During the flowering season we can easily see many hummingbirds like the Oasis Hummingbird, Peruvian Sheartail, Bronze-tailed Comet and the Giant Hummingbird. From a tower near the village of Huachupampa it is possible to see groups of condors flying over the canyon or sitting among the rocks. We will overnight at the hotel in the town of Huachupampa, located at 2,900 meters above sea level, allowing us to gradually acclimatize to the higher altitude and prepare for upcoming days at even higher elevations.
Day 2.- Andean Condors in Huachupampa
We will go to a hide located in a strategic point of the canyon to photograph condors. The area will have been prepared with bait to attract these birds. In the afternoon we will take photos in a bushy area where hummingbirds and some endemic birds forage. Overnight in Huachupampa.
Day 3.- White-cheeked Cotinga and White-bellied Cinclodes
We began the journey to the high Andes at 4,000 m. where there are also mammals such as the Pampas Cat and Andean Fox, plus many Mountain Vizcachas next to the road. From a forested hillside covered with queuña trees we will search for endemics and unique specialties found in this habitat: the White-cheeked Cotinga and Striated Earthcreeper. Along the way up to the bogs between the slopes of the Cordillera la Viuda we will find the habitat of White-bellied Cinclodes and the almost mythical Diademed-sandpiper Plover and other birds of the puna zone. Here the spectacular scenery of the Cordillera La Viuda with the snow peak of Rajuntay is presented in all of its splendor. We began the return to Lima along the central highway.