This budget birding trip to Manu  is promoted once a month during 2010 and is specifically directed to birders who blog and/or use Facebook.

Now you can help the communities of Amarakaeri communal reserve next to Manu National Park to get in to eco-tourism as a sustainable alternative to logging, mining and oil exploition. Realistically, tourism will not be able to generate as big income as exploiting the natural resources, but if there is an alternative 100% sustainable industry present as well,such as this eco-tourism project, it wil put very desirable pressure on those industries to become cleaner and more sustainable. Many eyes will be watching! And the bloggers will help spreading the word.

This particular trip is meant to be promotional in many ways. For each departure during 2010 there will be a prominent blogger present who will be blogging before, during (if we can get satelite internet sorted out) and after the trip. We are inviting other bloggers as well, to make this a bird bloggers meet-up in Peru.  All bloggers with active blogs or Facebook users with 50 birder facebook friends or more will get a US$100 discount.
All takers are automatically donating 100 dollars to build infrastructure at the lodges. These 100 dollars are discounted if the punter takes another trip of minimum itinerary only covers lowland rain-forest except for the travel day to Shintuya. 

Pre tours (details forth coming)

• Day visit to Machu Picchu. Need to fly from Lima at 5.30 AM. Arriving at around 6.30. Transfer to Ollantaytambo either via Bearded Mountaineer or via Sacsayhuaman and Cusco plaza for train at 8.53 to Machu Picchu. You have 5.5 hours to visit the ruins before heading back. Self-guided except for Bearded Mountaineer twitch.
• 1½ days guided Manu road to Cock of the Rock Lodge. The rest of the group comes by around lunch on the following day.
• 2½ days guided Manu road. With Wayquecha (temperate forest) and Cock of the Rock (subtropical forest). The rest of the group comes by around lunch on the following day.
• 3½ days guided Manu road. With one night at Wayquecha and 2 nights Cock of the Rock. The rest of the group comes by around lunch on the following day. 

Post trips

Most departures will hold a pelagic the day after coming back to Lima and a departure to the community birding tourism project at Satipo road and Carpish that Kolibri Expeditions initiated and are supporting. Satipo road and Carpish give similar species as Manu road, but is a longer but more economic alternative. And it is for a good cause!

Hosting Bloggers confirmed:

March 29: Test pilots. Want to help test this program? Many things need to be tested and some details may not yet be ready...but birding is excellent and the price is super low. Special price is only $1190 including internal flights as long as we can the low cost rate as it is over Easter.

May 17: Young birder special. Special price for young birders. ONLY $699. Look at the details in the above blogpost. The price does not include flights and land transport, nor hotel in Puerto Maldonado.
May 23: Bill Lynch (Billtacular on Twitter) of New Jersey Outdoors Blog. Also check Bill's Flickr folders from Panama and the birds from 2010.
June 27: Radd Icenoggle of RadleyIce. Radd is a great photographer.
July 9: John Riutta of Born Again Birdwatcher. Follow John's great blog series Peruvian Friday
July 18: Scott Artis of JournOwl blog.
August 7: Nate Swick of The Drinking Bird and Natureblog Network
Sep 17:   Rick Wright  of  WINGS and Aimophila Adventures.
Oct 10:  Christopher Ciccone of  Picusblog.
Nov 13:  Seabrooke Leckie of the Marvelous in Nature and Natureblog Network.
Dec 3:  Grant McCreary of Birder's Library which is your best source to get reviews on new and old birdbooks.

Read about this project and threats against the Amarakaeri reserve

• Birdwatching in communal reserve next to Manu
• News from Amarakaeri - the communal reserve next to Manu
• Another plea for Peru -  Seabrooke Leckie's blog
• Where will you be in one year - Corey Finger from 10000 birds

Day 1 travel to Shintuya via Wayquecha and Cock of the Rock Lodge

This day we will swosh past the cloud forest, with very little time to stop for birding en route. We ask you to bare this in mind and to either book the the pre-tour above or the week long extension in the end to Satipo road and Carpish, which will give you most birds you pass now!

Start from Cusco at 4 AM start and reaching Wayquecha at 8 AM for a birding breakfast there. People that have opted to stay here a day early will be picked up. Lunch near Cock-of the Rock Lodge at noon picking up people here. Atalaya at  pm for boat or car the final 3 hours to Shintuya depending on road conditions. This means that there are pick-up points en route if anyone wants to bird Wayquecha/Cock-of-the Rock or Amazonia Lodge independently or with a guide.

Day 2. Shintuya to CMT

There is good bamboo near Shintuya that gives species such as Dot-winged Antbird and Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher. The lodge clearing has produced Needle-billed Hermit and Fiery-capped Manakin and close by one can easily find Red-billed Tyrannulet.Birding on the Itahuania road with Great Jacamar,Fasciated Antshrike, Blue-headed Mackaw and Orange-fronted Plushcrown.In the afternoon we leave for Centro de Medicina Tradicional looking out for Fasciated Tiger-Heron on the way.

Day 3. CMT-Charro

The forest beyond the lodge is excellent with mature floodplain-forest, as well as patches of bamboo and a mammal clay lick (Colpa) which occasionally is frequented by Tapirs. The site is run by the famous Machiguenga Shaman Mateo Italiano, who will give tremendous insight in plants used by the native communities in traditional medicine. His son Jesus is currently receiving training from Kolibri Expeditions to become a local resident bird-guide at CMT. Highlights seen here during our recent scouting trip were Black-faced Cotinga, Rufous-headed Woodpecker, Ocellated Poorwill, Dusky-cheeked Foliage-gleaner and Semi-collared Puffbird.In the afternoon we shall continue to Charro.

Day 4  Charro-Blanco.

Charro has the best varzea forest in the whole Manu area and there is very good bamboo accessible.
Birding highlights include Striolated Puffbird, Peruvian Recurvebill, Long-billed and Amazonian form of Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Red-billed Scythbill, Amzonian and Elusive Antpittas, Rufous-fronted Ant-Thrush,White-cheecked Tody-tyrant and more. Furthermore, the varzea specialties such as Varzea Mourner and Plumbeous Antbird are easily picked up here. In the afternoon we transfer to Blanco Lodge.

Day 5  Blanco. Macaw lick, Giant Otter.

We have three mornings in the key area of Manu where the Macaw lick is. Blanco Lodge is situated in very good mature floodplain forest with many species of monkeys such as Monk Saki and Emperor Tamarins and good and wide trails and has been a reliable site for Black-faced Cotinga. The first morning we may visit Cocha Blanco where Giant Otters often are seen, as well as Sungrebe, Snail Kite, Wattled Jacana, Hoatzin, Anhinga and many more.

Day 6. Blanco. Bamboo and tower.

Not far from the lodge there is an extensive bamboo and a small cocha. One walks for 10 minutes and reach 30 meter steel canopy tower that can be very productive.
Some highlights we have seen recently include Rufous-headed Woodpecker, Sharpbill, White-cheecked Tody-Tyrant, Ash-throated Gnateater and Long-billed Woodcreeper.

Day 7. Macaw lick and travel to Maldonado.

In the early morning we shall travel down river to the famous Macawlick. A clay wall where 100s of Macaws, Parrots, Parakeets and Parrotlets gather in the mornings. A great show!
We continue down-river to Colorado.
On the way to Puerto Maldonado, we shall look out for White-tailed Kite, Southern Caracara, Southern Lapwing, Grassland Sparrow and Red-breasted Blackbird. Night in hotel in Puerto Maldonado.

Day 8. Optional Harpy Eagle. Flight to Lima.

A Harpy Eagle nest is staked out and can be visited  for a surcharge of 150$ in the  morning. The nest can be observed from a platform straight across. The money goes to the local community and Harpy Eagle research. Midday flight back to Lima.