Peru: July 17 to 27, 2011
Amazonia (Manu Biosphere Reserve) and Machu Picchu
To download a copy of the trip species list in pdf format, click here.
July 16 (Pre-tour excursion)
For those who arrived on July 15, we arranged a ½ day excursion to Pantanos de Villa, a wetlands area south of Lima proper. This is a great urban wetland site and we were joined by the site director for a short tour around the impoundments near the headquarters. This was our first exposure to some of the more common Peruvian birds and we were thrilled to see Peruvian Meadowlarks, Many-colored Rush-Tyrants and Wrenlike Rushbirds. In addition, we were able to begin sorting out the gulls – Kelp, Belcher’s, Gray and Gray-hooded and got some nice looks at flyby Inca Terns. Since it was a wetland area, we also got good views of other expected species including Peruvian Pelican and Peruvian Booby, Cattle, Great and Snowy Egrets, Striated Heron and Puna Ibis. We even saw Common Moorhen (with chicks) and Andean Coot. As we walked back along the beach in the fields adjacent to the coastline, we were able to find a close Peruvian Thicknee with its incredibly large eye…trying to blend in with the grasses. Our Peruvian guide for the afternoon (Carlos) deftly picked out a Burrowing Owl and we were able to get great looks at it just sitting on hillside.
July 17 (Day 1)
Everyone arrived safe including Alejandro Solano, our Neblina Forest guide for the Amazonia portion of the tour. We set off at 8:00 a.m. to do a morning tour of Lima – our walk through Parque de la Muralla (Park of the Wall) on the banks of the River Rimac and San Francisco Cathedral allowed everyone to get slowly acclimated and to tropical birding. In the park we saw the remains of the old city wall that once protected Lima from invading pirates and the rising waters of the Rio Rimac. At the park, not only were we treated to some Pre-Incan rock work, but also a great statue of Francisco Pizarro. In the bird arena, some got good looks at the Amazilia Hummingbird and all saw the dusky form of Vermillion Flycatcher (not red at all). We also became very familiar with the ubiquitous Rufous-colored Sparrow as well as West Peruvian Dove (different than all the Rock Pigeons we saw at the Cathedral!) The tour of the Cathedral, although indoors and away from the birds, provided some great historical information about the City and culture. Around noontime we left the City to drive the Pan American Highway south to the coastal town of Pucasana (about an hour). Along the way we stopped several times to scan fields along the highway and also made a great stop at a flooded pond at San Pedro Beach. During the afternoon we were able to re-intersect with Peruvian Thicknee and Peruvian Meadowlarks as well as groups of Groove-billed Anis. The pond yielded White-cheeked Pintails and White-tufted Grebe as well as great looks at Cinnamon Teal and Andean Ruddy Duck. There was a nice variety of herons and egrets including Cattle, Great and Snowy Egrets, Tricolored and Little Blue Heron, and Puna Ibis. In addition, there was a diversity of shorebirds including Killdeer, Willet, Black-necked Stilt and Ruddy Turnstones, and a scan of the Pacific yielded Neotropic Cormorant, Peruvian Pelican and Peruvian Booby.
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| Humboldt Penguin - Pearl Broder |
Once we reached Pucasana, we got great close-up looks at Inca Tern – with its blood red bill and beautiful white feathers on its face. From an overlook above the town, we looked out into the Pacific and were treated to three Humbolt Penguins, lolling around like Sea Otters. They were scope birds, but close enough to really see the field marks and enjoy their “penguin-ness.” While watching them we completed our cormorant sweep with great looks at Red-legged Cormorants and okay looks at Guanay Cormorants flying by. To round out our Pucasana day, we spent some time in a small section of the fishing village that gave us access to the rocky shoreline. Our target bird here was Surf (seaside) Cinclodes and while looking for it, we found at Peruvian Sheartail coming to the flowers in front of someone’s house. Just as we were leaving – cinclodeless – a bird flew up onto a sign and started tugging at something around its beak. It looked reminiscent of a Starling, but with a rusty wing patch and it was the Cinclodes :) with fishing line wrapped around its bill :(. Although it was great to see the bird, we were all concerned about its future and hoped it was able to free itself from the nasty line. When we arrived back in Lima, town was hopping. The parade that was staging in front of the hotel in the early morning was still in full swing and we were treated to floats, dancing and music.
July 18 (Day 2)
Today was an early start…or should I say we started the day in the middle of the night.
In order to get the first plane out to Cusco, we left the hotel at 4:00 a.m. We were all in a bit of a daze, but the flight to Cusco was easy and once we landed, everyone began sucking on coca candy which seemed to help with the altitude. We were met by our driver (Wilbur) and William (guide) who were to be with us for the next couple of days and we set off to Haurcapay Lake, a wonderful area about 45 minutes outside of Cusco. The lake environs included rocky hillside habitat, scrub habitat, marsh habitat, open water and grasslands. All of these habitats produced a nice variety of birds (and pleasing landscapes!). Some of the highlights included Andean Lapwing, Yellow-billed Pintail, Speckled, Cinnamon and Puna Teal, Plumbeous Rail and Andean Gull. We got Bare-faced Ground-Dove in the telescope and sorted through flocks to get Rufous-naped and Spot-billed Ground-Tyrants as well as Plain-colored and Band-tailed Seedeaters. Along the lake edges, we had great looks at Many-colored Rushbird and long-distance views of Yellow-winged Blackbirds. Around the restaurant where we stopped, there was Chiguanco Thrush, White-crested Elaenia and Blue-and-Yellow Tanager. Perhaps one of the most interesting sightings as we walked the road was two Giant Hummingbirds dueling over the hillside. It was hard to leave this great birding area, but the “alternate” road to the Manu Road was calling and although we didn’t know it at the time, we needed all the time we could get. As we crossed two Andes mountain ranges, it was fascinating to see the landscape change and to go through small villages and actually see how these rugged people lived. We did stop several times in order to look for species that we would not have a chance to see again – Andean Flicker, Bar-winged Cinclodes, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-tanager, Three-striped and White-browed Hemisphingus. As we came over the second range to an amazing sunset and darkness started to settle in…we were grateful to the driving skills of Wilbur, who negotiated potholes, streams, hairpin turns and recent landslides to bring us safely to Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge around 8:00 to meet up with Enrique (Kike) who would stay with us the rest of our Amazonia time. It was a long day and a half and although tired and perhaps a bit unaccustomed to candlelight, we knew there was still way more excitement ready to unfold.
July 19 (Day 3)
Our first daylight looks at Cock of the Rock lodge were in pre-dawn darkness/light as we met by the road to walk the five minutes to the Cock of the Rock blind. Quietly we situated ourselves on the platform listening to the birds vocalize and grabbing glimpses of hot red-orange feathers among the green foliage. Eventually all got great views of this odd looking cotinga…with its eye seemingly misplaced in its head. On the way back down to the lodge for breakfast we intersected with a feeding flock of birds and we got our first taste of flock frenzy with birds going every which direction and people trying to get on everything. Although not everyone got on every bird, there was Veriscolored Barbet, Olive-backed Woodcreeper, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Common Bush-tanager, Yellow-throated Bush-tanager and a load of tanagers. After a leisurely breakfast with Brown Capuchins, we reluctantly headed down the road to new adventures. We alternated between walking and riding in the bus which gave us a respite from road bounce and lots more time to look at the area and the birds. We got great looks at Inca Jay carrying nesting material and Cinnamon Flycatcher building a nest in the hillside. There was one point along the road where the group was looking for bits and pieces of the Bamboo Antshrike when a huge flock of White-collared Swifts kettled above us with Plumbeous Kite mixed in. Along the road we also got great looks at the yellow head of the Greater Yellow-headed Vulture and a scope view of a Green-fronted Lancebill nestled in among the hanging plants near a waterfall. Tropical Kingbird made its first appearance during the trip and stays with us for the rest of the tour fooling everyone at least once on its identity.
It took us an additional five hours to get from the Cock of the Rock lodge to the Madre de Dios River – our ultimate destination for the day. Once there, we boarded a motorized boat and headed downstream for an additional 15 minutes to the Amazonia Lodge. The river was tumultuous with tumbled rock shorelines and islands with sandy beaches sparingly interspersed. Once away from the frontier port town, we were surrounded only by trees and Blue and White Swallows. Our porters carried our bags in wheelbarrows along a sand packed trail and then through the forest to reach the lodge with its huge verandah and lovely rooms. After a welcome drink, we enjoyed the birds from the porch – Pale-legged Hornero on the grass, White-necked Jacobin visiting the hummingbird feeders and Palm Tanager (in the palm trees).
The dinner provided by staff was fabulous and as we started to relax a bit more the conversation turned to discussion of aerial plankton (yes, I did look it up, and yes, Alejandro was right, it does exist… “Aeroplankton (or aerial plankton) is the term used to describe the tiny lifeforms which float and drift in the air, carried by the current of the wind; it is the atmospheric analogue to oceanic plankton.” This led to a spirited and fanciful story about aerial cetaceans, which as you can see… are real!
July 20 (Day 4)
The morning was spent birding the grounds of Amazonia Lodge….Rufous-crested Coquette,
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| The "prehistoric" Hoatzin - P Broder |
Pale-legged Hornero, Silver-beaked Tanager with their red velvety look about them, Gould’s Jewelfront and White-winged Becard made appearances in and around the lodge grounds. All got on the Double-toothed Kite that was cruising the hillside with two White Hawks and there were scope looks at our first Scarlet Macaws. Huge flocks of White-collared Swifts circled above the camp and interspersed were Fork-tailed Palm-Swifts as well as several Gray-rumped Swifts. We walked along the Jeep Trail in search of tinamous and ant birds. Although we heard tinamous (Cinereous, Little, Brown and Black-capped) none graced us with their presence. The short trail along the lake gave us our first looks at Hoatzin (Dr. Hoatzin, I presume)…prehistoric, unafraid and wildly attractive birds (that apparently don’t taste good!) and bits and pieces of a Purple Gallinule – at least everyone got some part of the bird. The path back to the lodge from the lake was our best spot for ant birds and we saw Plain-winged Antshrike, White-browed Antbird, and male and female Spot-backed Antbird and heard, but could not draw out, the Silvered Antbird and the Black-spotted Bare-Eye. As we left the lodge grounds, we were treated to a cooperative Long-tailed Tyrant perched high in a bare tree and a Crimson-throated Woodpecker playing hide and seek and hanging upside down on a branch.
Once more we boarded the boat and were introduced to our boat staff – William, the driver and Angel, the first mate and plank helper. The boat ride from Amazonia Lodge to the Manu Wildlife Center was extraordinary as the Madre de Dios gave us a tumultuous ride down rapids and fast flowing water. William was adept at maneuvering the boat and reading the river and several times over the coming days we applauded his skill and experience. Since it was difficult to stop (almost impossible) Alejandro and Kike would point out birds as we raced along…Cocoi Heron, Little Blue Heron, Capped Heron (over 7 of these beautiful birds!), Snowy Egret, Roadside (Riverside) Hawk, Black Caracara, Pied Lapwing, Collared Plover, Yellow-billed Tern, Large-billed Tern, Horned Screamer (wait…did I just say Horned Screamer????), Chestnut-fronted Macaw, White-winged Swallow, Gray-breasted Martin, White-banded Swallow and Southern Rough-winged Swallow. The Madre de Dios was joined by the Manu River several hours from Amazonia Lodge…the Manu carried a huge silt load and turned the Madre de Dios from gray to reddish brown as they joined.
By the time we reached the Manu Wildlife Center (MWC), it was late in the afternoon and we were all starting to feel the strain of travel, but the Blue-throated Piping-Guan welcomed us on land and we got settled into our home for the next number of days. We spent a little time walking the grounds and as dusk started to settle over the Manu, we enjoyed serenading Black-fronted Nunbird, Epaulet Oriole, Yellow-rumped Cacique and Russet-backed Oropendola.
Once again, candlelight and torches the only light once darkness fell, unless you want to count the star shine from the Milky Way which you could almost reach out and touch it was so clear and bold. Frog song (?) was the only sound heard as we all settled into an early sleep.
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| Mealy Parrots - photo by Pearl Broder |
July 21 (Day 5 – also known as “Day of the Macaws and Monkeys)
The day dawned coolish and foggy on the river. We left pre-dawn on the boat and William deftly maneuvered the watercraft downriver about 45 minutes to the trail that took us to the Blanquillo Macaw Lick. Once off the boat, we hiked across the island to a huge viewing blind that faced a long vertical wall of clay. Between us and the clay lick was a marsh and some open water and as the birds started to wake up and began to congregate we were treated with a spectacular show of color, sound and sight. The macaws and parrots flew into the tops of the trees and slowly made their way down toward the clay. The predominant macaw was the Red-and-green Macaw, although there were some Scarlet Macaws mixed into the flock. There were hundreds if not thousands of Blue-headed Parrots with lesser numbers (in the tens) of Yellow-crowned and Mealy Parrots, five or so Orange-cheeked Parrots and later in the morning, three Tui Parakeets. It was truly an amazing sight with constant motion and constant squabbling. As we all got used to the commotion and the species that were there, our eyes wandered to others in the marsh – Smooth-billed Anis appeared is small groups sitting atop marsh grasses; a Channel-billed Toucan perched high above the lick, catching the sun’s rays; Chestnut-eared Aracari moved through the sparse tree canopy and we got a Crane Hawk in the scope.
There was Drab Water-Tyrant and Little Water-Tyrant…Black-capped Donacobius and Ringed Kingfisher. And on the other side of the blind, soon after the sun burned off the early morning fog, we were treated to Barred Antshrike, Dark-billed Seedfinch, Chestnut-bellied Seedfinch, Yellow-browed Sparrow and Bran-colored Flycatcher. On the trail back to the boat, a Bluish-fronted Jacamar perched above the trail for all to see and admire.
As the morning waned, we reluctantly left the last lingering macaws and parrots – most have moved off, to head back to the MWC for lunch and some down time. As is the case in the tropics, most birds are quiet during the early afternoon and this gave us a little time to rest, read or watch the bird feeders and flowers at the dining hall. Reddish Hermit, female Festive Coquette, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Band-tailed Manakin and a roving flock of Orange-headed and Paradise Tanagers, Silver-beaked, Palm and Blue-gray Tanagers. Perched on dead twigs around the MWC grounds were numerous Swallow-winged Puffbirds.
Around 3:00, we walked out along the river to visit an area that was mostly tall bamboo – here we spent time looking and calling for various ant birds. Although not everyone saw all of them, we were rewarded with good looks at Bluish-slate Antshrike, Manu Antbird and Black-throated Antbird. And finally…we finished out the day with our first (and short) visit to the MWC Canopy Tower. This winding metal structure took us high up into the trees and although we did not see a lot of birds it gave us our first taste of canopy birding and our first impression of unlimited jungle.
At tally-up we were impressed with not only the birds, but the many other animals seen – Brazilian squirrel monkey, red howler monkey, white-fronted capuchin, emperor tamarind, Peruvian spider monkey and a snake eating…then releasing with a little help :) a toad. NOT to mention….Vanessapir….MWC’s “pet” Amazonian tapir.
July 22 (Day 6)
Our day dawned beautifully and we quickly made our way toward the canopy tower to take full advantage of the mild weather. Although there is still a little debate on how many steps there are…it was somewhere around 144 or so from ground level up to the canopy. Jim and Alison stayed behind and enjoyed the grounds, while the rest of the group stayed up top several hours and watch a cloud bank and cold front approach so that by the time we left, the sky was gray. The extraordinary bird of the day was found by Willie…hiding behind a distant tree limb (not Willie, the Harpy Eagle). The bird stayed in view for quiet a long time. You could see its massive size and its crest blowing in the wind. Although it was a long distance view, it was truly impressive. Closer to the platform, we scoped Plum-throated and Spangled Cotingas and got great close-up views of Yellow-bellied, Black-faced, and Blue Dacnis, Turquoise and Paradise Tanagers, as well as Bare-necked Fruitcrow. On the way back to “camp” we also got great looks at Cinerous Mourner.
Once back at the lodge, we had time to relax and bird the grounds once again and were treated to the “feeder swarm” of Paradise Tangers, Green-and-gold and Silver-beaked Tanagers and Buff-throated Saltator. The Fork-tailed Woodnymph protected its feeders from all visitors including a Long-billed Starthroat and White-bearded Hermit. There were Reddish Hermits (three at a time) feeding on the purple flowers and we got great looks at the White-chinned Sapphire with its bright red bill. Every once in a while the female (or young male?) Festive Coquette would make an appearance.
We left the lodge mid-afternoon to visit Cocha Blanco, an oxbow lake down river a little bit. The walk into the lake was along a dirt path, with mud every once in a while and we skirted leaf cutter ants as well as army ants (not swarming). Of particular interest were several sets of footprints…peccary, tapir, ocelot and jaguar. To the best of our sleuthing, we thought that the jaguar was perhaps stalking the peccary and maybe, just maybe, got one…since there was a section of the prints that looked like there was some kind of skirmish. The prints were all reasonably fresh and it made us all pause, just a little bit about what was actually out there in the forest that we couldn’t see.
Once at the lake, we boarded a catamaran, paddled by William and Angel, and slowly made our way around the edges of the cocha. There were trees dripping with Hoatzins and their nests, Black-capped Donacobius flitting from reed to reed, Red-capped Cardinal, Limpkin and screaming Horned Screamers. We saw Pale-eyed Blackbirds and Pale-vented Pigeons adorning Cecropia trees. It was quiet, it was calm, and it was a truly magical afternoon.
July 23 (Day 7)
Once again we left the lodge grounds early (after a visit from Vanessapir) to go to another canopy tower near Cocha Camungo. Although we rode in and out of fog, we were rewarded on the trip downriver with an Orinoco Goose, a single bird walking on one of the river islands.
This time our climb took us into the canopy of a magnificent kapok tree, estimated to be 700-800 years old. As we climbed the sturdy stairs higher and higher and saw Alison (on the second landing) get smaller and smaller our anticipation grew. First bird??? Two roosting Great Potoos who didn’t care that we spent several hours under their roosting limbs. Although no big feeding flocks came by while we were there, we saw singles and pairs of Piratic Flycather, Curl-crested Aracari, male and female White-browed Purpletuft, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Gilded Barbet, and Paradise Tanagers. Betsy’s favorite of the day was Purple Honeycreeper and we had long distance scope views of White-throated and Channel-billed Toucans and Slate-colored Hawk.
The tower overlooked the cocha and after we spent the early part of the morning on the platform, we
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| Troupial (photo by Pearl Broder) |
walked the trail to another catamaran ride. This lake was long and narrow and as we maneuvered along the edges, we got great looks at Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Green Ibis, two Sungrebes, Wattled Jacana and more Hoatzins. Red-capped Cardinals were flitting back and forth among the grasses and low hanging branches and in the trees we managed to see three Black-trailed Trogons, Magpie Tanager and Masked Crimson Tanager. As we were paddled up the lake, we intersected with a small group of Purus Jacamars – this time very cooperative and close enough to really see their maroon color, red eyes and pink bills. We also got great looks at Troupial, one of the birds that the NYC group really wanted to see! Near one end of the lake big heads appeared in the water and we counted nine Giant Otters, apparently a small family group of the 65 that live in the area. As our lake experience ended, several Horned Screamers were on the bank…and were so close we could see their “horns” very well.
Once back, we took an early afternoon break and regrouped around 3:00 to walk the lodge grounds and “the grid” – which are forested trails around the lodge. Back by the path near the stream, we were treated to male and female Great Antshrike; he presenting her with a tasty morsel. Out on the grid there were numerous Screaming Pihas and some good looks at Striolated Puffbird, but the bird of the day (at least for Alejandro) was his life look at Pavonine Cuckoo, which we all saw as well and needless to say was a life bird for all of us and only the second time that Kike had seen it there.
July 24 (Day 8)
This mostly travel day ended our stay in the Manu…but as we journeyed down river in the early morning fog, several large black lumps on the river islands materialized into Great Black Hawk and Black Caracara. We finally got good looks of Collared Plover and Pied Lapwing and as we got closer to Puerto Colorado where we were to take out of the river, Violaceous Jays appeared on the forested banks. Our last memories of the Madre de Dios were shrouded in white mist, making it a dreamlike ending to an incredible set of experiences. Over the next number of hours, we drove in taxis, crossed another river, rode in a bus and took a plane to Cusco where Alejandro left the group and we were transferred to our overnight accommodations in the Hotel Libertadore. Although tired, some of the group ventured into the central plaza to do some shopping and take in the sights and sounds of this beautiful city. Back to sucking on coca candy!
July 25 (Day 9)
We are met at the hotel by Odilia, our guide for the 2-day excursion to Machu Picchu. The early morning train from outside of Cusco to Machu Picchu left at about 7:00 and the three-hour ride was wonderful – through beautiful mountains and countryside dotted with small villages and towns and pre-Incan stonework. Since the train did not go very fast it was possible to see people going about their everyday routines – many in traditional dress. After going through the town of Ollantaytambo, we crossed the Inca Trail and entered Aguas Caliente – the end of the line (well at least for the tourists). The Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel is up on the hillside above the train tracks and is a beautiful place to stay – fruit feeders, hummingbird feeders, wooded trails and overlooks down to the river.
We spent some time walking around town and birding along the river – Torrent Duck and White-capped Dipper were our target birds (which we saw) as well as Black Phoebe (totally black unlike ours) and Slate-colored Redstart. After lunch we spent some time sitting near the feeders and watched loads of birds enjoy the fruit and sugar water. Blue-gray, Palm, and Blue-and-yellow Tanagers, Thick-billed Euphonia, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager and Silver-back Tanager treated us to great looks. A quick walk along the river trail at the end of the day gave us an incredible treat as we looked down on a Torrent Duck family and were able to watch the little one dive under rushing water without fear and pop up again like little corks.
July 26 (Day 10)
Although we chose to take the hotel’s early morning bird walk, we realized that it may have been a little too early as the narrow canyon was still in shadows and quite cool. Many of the birds were not active yet. Machu Picchu was extraordinary and Odilia the perfect guide for us as we took the long walking tour through most of the archaeological site. There were rock walls, rock steps, rock alters, rock beds, rock carvings and rock terraces. It was truly amazing and incredibly powerful. There were two birds seen…American Kestrel and Blue-and-White Swallow. After the tour, we all spent some time wandering on our own and then left the mountain early afternoon, to get back down to Aguas Caliente, have some lunch, and catch the 4:22 train back to Ollantaytambo. On the way back we were entertained with a “fashion show” and then the bus picked us up and we drove back to Cusco.
July 27 (Day 11)
We were transferred to the airport and flew back to Lima, where we were transferred to the hotel until later in the afternoon. Everyone spent some time repacking and doing a little neighborhood birding…but mostly we were biding our time until our early dinner where we heard Linda’ Ode to the Pavonine Cuckoo and shared our “best” memories of the trip….the Torrent Duck family, the magic of the late afternoon visit to the Cocha Blanco, the giant otters, the 6-hour boat ride down the Madre de Dios, the Blue-headed Parrots looking like blueberries in green foliage, the jaguar footprints and the amazing amount of beer (yes, beer) that was being moved around at Santa Rosa!
Until next time!
~~~ Dale Rosselet