Birdwatching at Lomas de Lachay

Cactus Canastero. Photo: Alejandro Tello

Lomas de Lachay is one of our more popular daytrips as it gives you a great impression what the Peruvian desert looks like and then to find the fog vegetation oasis at Lomas de Lachay some 105km north of Lima.  During this trip we also visit either Paraiso or Ventanilla Lagoons. The latter alternative is mostly recommended except in shorebird migration when there are large number of shore birds at Ventanilla (but also at Ventanilla of course)

Given below are a couple of very easy Lima one day trips. After a long and dusty trip in interior Peru it may be a good idea to have a few days to spare in Lima. If you don´t want to do biridng all day, you can check out our half day trips, which can be combined with some of the great archeological museums in Lima, which should not be missed. During the Lima days, hotel and dinner in Lima are not included. We have several hotel possibilities which we can book for you in a wide range of prices and comfort. 

Half day trips.

Perfect tours if you are short of time, want to do other activities in Lima as well, or perhaps have a plane to catch and some time to kill. 

• El Olivar Park and Pantanos de Villa
  Good introduction to the birds of LIma
• La Punta and Poza La Arenilla
  Good introduction to the birds in Lima. The trip can be run almost anytime. A short trip to do very close to the airport. Perfect  for a short trip to kill time. Especially good for North American waders, gulls and terns - September-April is the best time migrating birds, but it is always something to see.
• Palomino Islets and Poza La Arenilla en La Punta
  Visit South American Sealions, Humboldt Penguin and the Palomino guano islands off La Punta, Callao with a good bird guide.
• Ventanilla Lagoons - a few hours to kill near airport
  Great wetland area just north of the airport. Combine with La Punta.

Lomas de Lachay with Paraiso or Ventanilla lagoons. 

Some are set departures, but also on demand.

After an early start from Lima you will be entering Lomas de Lachay reserve 105 km north of Lima. These coastal hills are an oasis in the desert, seasonally covered in a fog-bank that provides water for annuals and xerophytic plants like cactus and agaves. Many very special birds can be seen such as Cactus Canastero, Thick-billed, Coastal and Grayish Miner, Ramondi's´s Yellow-Finch, Least Seedsnipe, Collared Warbling-Finch, Tawny-throated Dotterel, Masked Yellowthroat and many more species are possible at Lomas de Lachay.

Birding in Paradise - Birdwatching at Paraiso

Continuing North for another 30 km and then drive on a poor road towards the sea, one gets to Paraiso beach. Paraiso lagoon is a place where the rare Peruvian Tern sometimes breeds. In recent years the tern has been scarce here, and a far better site for it is either Paracas or very reliable near Puerto Etén south of Chiclayo. The same species is also frequently seen on pelagics, but not as reliable.  Paraiso is also a haven for wintering shorebirds and there is quite large colony of wintering Chilean Flamingos.

Ventanilla Lagoons

The trip to Paraiso does involve a fairly long detour and takes you a long way from returning to Lima. If you don't want to arrive to Lima very late, or perhaps have a flight to catch in the early evening it is far better and safer to instead bird Ventanilla lagoon closer to the airport with both marsh and beach for racking up an impressive list for the day in less time. The lagoon has a tower and one can see White-checked Pintail, Andean Duck, Cinnamon Teal, Pied-billed Grebe, White-tufted Grebe, Black-necked Stilts, Many-colored Rush-Tyrant, Wren-like Rushbird, Gray-headed Gull and Black Skimmer. Between September-April it is excellent for shorebirds including Stilt Sandpiper and Hudsonian Godwit, and there are often a few over-summering Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and other shorebirds other times of year. 

Closer to the beach there are flats good for Peruvian Thickknee (very reliable here), Peruvian Meadowlark, Grassland Yellow-Finch, Yellowish Pipit and sometimes Black Rail (murivagans ssp).