AMAZONIA and ANDES TOUR
PERU – MACHU PICCHU EXTENSION

August 7-12, 2005

Click here for Reflections and Transmogrifications – An Essay by Pete Dunne

Click here for a trip list of species seen (in PDF format).

(All Photos:  Dale Rosselet)

NARRATIVE

August 7:  Our day began very early with a 2:50 wake-up call at the Swissotel in Lima.  Although barely morning (actually much more like the night before), our flock (now reduced to eight from sixteen) piled onto the bus for our flight to Cusco.  Fernando met us at the airport to help sheppard our passage.  Weather and a diversion to Arequipo (in the southern part of the country) delayed our arrival in Cusco, thus causing us to miss the tourist train to Machu Picchu.  If only we had known as we waited on the barren tarmac in Arequipo to look for Andean Condor!  Once we arrived in Cusco, our Peruvian Odessey guides scrambled (behind the scenes) to find accommodations for us and to rearrange the rest of our day.  Two busses – one for the rest of the International Expeditions group and one for us birders.  Freddy, our guide and Marco our driver were superb.  They knew right away that our group was going to be different…they were enthusiastic about finding and seeing birds.  We took a dirt road out of Cusco through backcountry dotted with farm fields and small villages.  We sighted Mountain Caracara on the hillsides and Andean Lapwings on the tilled fields.  A small lake provided looks at Andean Duck, Speckled Teal, Andean Coot and White-tufted Grebe.   A late buffet lunch at the Posada Yucay Hotel was interrupted by more birds moving through the trees of the terraced gardens…Giant Hummingbird, Peruvian Sierra-Finch, Black-backed Grosbeak, Golden-billed Saltator as well as the ubiquitous Rufous-collared Sparrow.  Our last stop for the day was at the Ollantaytambo Ruins and although not especially birdy, these magnificent stone terraces and buildings, aqueducts and carvings increased our expectations for Machu Picchu.

August 8:  An early morning bird walk at the Posada Yucay Hotel produced some of the same birds as the previous afternoon with the addition of White-winged Black-Tyrant, Band-tailed Seedeater and great looks at male and female Blue-necked Tanagers.  We departed for a morning walking tour of the town of Ollantaytambo.  Although we did not add any birds to our list along its narrow alleyways and courtyarded homes, we got a firsthand view of many of the residents’ homes.  The one room dwelling had a dirt floor; we fed the owner’s group of guinea pigs (used as food) and got an introduction to the culture of the region.  Shortly afterwards, we boarded the tourist train to Machu Picchu.  The train takes about 1.5 hours to get from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes.  It follows the Urubamba River and moves slowly enough to bird from the train windows.  We saw Torrent Ducks perched on rocks and several people had White-capped Dippers.  Upon reaching Aguas Calientes, we boarded a bus that took us to the ruins.  There are not many words that can describe the structures, the stonework and the amazing scenery of Machu Picchu.  I swear, as we passed the chiseled Condor; its wings part of the bedrock….I heard distant flutes, resonating from the encompassing mountains…..  After our tour of the ruins, we returned to Agua Calientes to visit the garden surrounding the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel.  Gould’s Inca, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Long-tailed Sylph and Chestnut-breasted Coronets were seen at the hummingbird feeders.  At the “bar” where there were fruit feeders, we saw Flame-faced Tanager, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Blue-gray Tanager, Blue-and-Yellow Tanager, Thick-billed Euphonia and Slate-throated Redstart.  We were lucky to see two female Cock-of-the-Rock along one of the trails adjacent to the Hotel. 

August 9:  Another morning bird walk at the Posada Yucay Hotel gave us good looks at Black-tailed Trainbearer, a lovely green hummingbird with a long tail and continued good looks at Chiguanco Thrush.  We birded along the dirt road on our way to the Willoq Community, a village high in the mountains near Ollantaytambo.  The residents of Willoq retain the “old ways” from pre-Inca times.  There we visited several homes, had a weaving demonstration, interacted with the children, danced and participated in a feast of roasted guinea pig, potatoes and cheese.  There were opportunities to purchase hand woven scarves and other items.  Throughout the village and on the way back down the road we had some of our best birding of the tour extension.  We had good looks at Plumbeous and Mourning Sierra-Finches, a fly-by Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, Tyrian Metaltail and White-browed Chat-Tyrant.  After lunch we headed back to Cusco by way of the “Circular Terraces” in Moray.   Not only was the landscape spectacular and the lighting superb, but we had a lovely view of Cinereous Harrier out over the fields. 

August 10:  This morning we visited Huacarpay Lake about 40 minutes outside of Cusco.  Habitats included open water, marsh, field and mountain scrub.  We had wonderful looks at Yellow-billed Pintail and Plumbeous Rail as well as Cinnamon Teal, Andean Coot, White-tufted Grebe, Andean Gull, Speckled Teal and Andean Duck.  In the marshes we heard the distinctive “yellow rail clicking” and finally saw the elusive Wrenlike Rushbird and some caught glimpses of Many-colored Rush-Tyrant and Andean Negrito.  In the nearby fields we had both Plain-capped and Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrants as well as Andean Lapwing.   The walk along the mountain edge in scrub habitat yielded Rusty-fronted Canastero and Bearded Mountaineer, as well as Greenish Yellow-Finch and good looks at Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant.  Overhead we got to watch an immature Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle traverse the entire length of the lake and valley.  After this wonderful morning of birding we visited Qorikancha across from the Liberator Hotel, had a wonderful lunch with “the” band playing traditional Andes tunes, a visit to Sacsayhuaman archeological site, and some power shopping in Cusco’s main plaza.   

August 11:  We had an early morning flight to Lima where we were transferred to the Swissotel.  After a short break to gather up food for lunch, we traveled with our guide Victor to Pantanos de Villa, a marsh near Lima.  Because of the proximity to the Pacific Ocean we saw such specialties as Peruvian Pelican and Peruvian Booby.  We also saw Gray, Gray-headed, Kelp and Band-tailed Gulls as well as a fly by Inca Tern.  In the fields adjacent to the marsh we found two Peruvian Thick-Knees, Long-tailed Mockingbird and the melanistic form of Vermilion Flycatcher.  A quick tour of the local park near the hotel yielded Croaking Ground-Dove and Amazilia Hummingbird (bathing in the fountain).

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