NORTHERN PERU – MARVELLOUS SPATULETAIL & INCA-FINCHES.
Dates: 1 – 16 August 2009 (Lima / Lima).
A comprehensive tour of the “Northern Circuit” in Peru. Excellent for endemics with Marvellous Spatuletail and three inca-finch species as star birds. We’ll spend only one night in safari-style camps, experience diverse birding in arid open country and humid forests. Expect varied weather conditions, as we will be birding in the Andes, coastal desert and subtropical forests. Expect some showers.
The rainforests of the south-eastern corner of Peru in Manu and Tambopata are famous for their immense bird diversity. But quality birding can be experienced in the north of the country where so many endemic and range-restricted species still exist. For so long the 'forbidden land' because of Peru's rather turbulent past, the northern birding circuit is now considered one of the best birding areas in the country, or indeed South America. Endemic birds take centre stage on this trip with no fewer than 3 of the 5 species of inca-finch (the whole family is endemic to Peru), the incomparable Marvellous Spatuletail, the rare White-winged Guan and a host of colourful Neotropical birds like Yellow-scarfed Tanager, Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan and the critically endangered Peruvian Plantcutter. We'll be birding a variety of habitats from coastal deserts, arid forested canyons, cloud forests, paramos and open farmland in search of our birds.
Group size: Limited to 8 participants.
Price: £2335.00 per person (Lima / Lima).
Single room supplement £190.00.
Includes: All accommodation in hotels and one night in safari-style camp, ground transport, all meals, camping equipment (including sleeping bags), gratuities and services of Toucan BirdingTours leader, camp staff, drivers and cooks.
Not included: International flights (check www.klm.com and www.iberia.com for suitable flights), drinks, optional tips to hotel staff and airport departure tax (US$6.00 domestic, US$31.00 international).
Tour Leader: Colin Bushell.
ITINERARY.
Day 1. Arrival and reception at the airport in Lima and transfer to a hotel. Overnight in Lima.
Day 2. Morning flight to Chiclayo. Reception at the airport by our ground staff and rest of morning birding at Bosque Pomac. We’ll search for Peruvian Plantcutter, Rufous Flycatcher, Necklaced Spinetail, Baird’s Flycatcher, Superciliated Wren, Cinereous Finch and Coastal Miner. This afternoon we will head for Chaparri probably seeing Tumbes Sparrow and Snowy-throated Kingbird on the way. We should see Red-masked Parakeets, White-tailed Jay and our first White-winged Guans before dusk. Overnight in Chaparri.
Day 3. Full day birding Chaparri where we’ll be looking for the stunning Tumbes Tyrant and the ornate Elegant Crescentchest. We’ll spend the afternoon in the arid scrub looking for Tumbes Hummingbird, Guayaquil Woodpecker, Scarlet-backed Woodpecker and Sulphur-throated Finch. Night birding here can produce Scrub Nightjar, Common Potoo, Striped Owl and Peruvian Screech-Owl. Overnight at Chaparri.
Day 4. Early birding around Chaparri before setting off in search of Pacific Elaenia, White-headed and White-winged Brush-Finches on the way back to Chiclayo. We could stop at some wetlands en route where we’ve seen Great Grebe and Peruvian Thick-knee near the coast.
Day 5. Early departure for Porculla Pass where we have had success finding our target bird for the morning: Piura Chat-Tyrant. Northern Line-cheeked Spinetail, Bay-crowned Brush-Finch and Chapman’s Antshrike should be seen as well. On the way to Jaen we’ll stop for a while to look for Little Inca-Finch. Overnight Hotel Bosque in Jaen.
Day 6. A full day in the Jaen area. This morning we'll be after two special birds of this region - Marañon Crescentchest and Marañon Spinetail. Other birds we can see here include Northern Slaty-Antshrike, Speckle-breasted Wren and the endemic Buff-bellied Tanager. In the afternoon we’ll drive to Pomacochas. We may have some time to look at the lake near our hotel this afternoon. Overnight Hotel Puerto Pumas in Pomacochas.
Day 7. This morning is set aside for one of the special birds of this tour – the Marvellous Spatuletail. We know various places to see this incredible hummingbird, from scrub-covered hillsides to feeders near Pomacochas. We’ll no doubt come across various other birds that may include White-bellied Woodstar, White-bellied Hummingbird and Black-tailed Trainbearers that frequent the flowers where the Spatuletail feeds. Once we have seen the Spatuletail we’ll head towards the cloud forests of Abra Patricia. We’ll spend the rest of the afternoon there and check in to the ECOAN lodge Lechucita Bigotona in the heart of this magnificent birding locality.
Days 8 – 10. Three days to explore the Abra Patricia road. We’ll explore a variety of habitats at different elevations right down to the upper tropical zone at Aguas Verdes. This is a more humid forest and we have opportunities to encounter a wide variety of birds that may include Sickle-winged Guan, Versicolored Barbet, Golden-headed Quetzal, Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Andean Solitaire, Straw-backed Tanager and even the strange White-capped Tanager. The road that passes through the upper tropical and subtropical zone here is fabulous for birding. In the past we have seen Equatorial Graytail, Lanceolated Monklet, Yellow-breasted Antwren, Huallaga Tanager, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Red-billed Parrot and Scarlet-breasted Fruiteater. This is a good locality to see Ecuadorian Tyrannulet and Speckle-chested Piculet can often be found here as well. Higher elevations will be our focus of attention over the couple of days in search of the recently described Lulu's Tody-Tyrant, Royal Sunangel and Bar-winged Wood-Wren. Other special birds of this area include Cinnamon-breasted Tody-Tyrant, Sharpe's Wren, and Rusty-tinged Antpitta. Over the last couple years we have been fortunate enough to see the rarely observed Ochre-fronted Antpitta here. Night birding can be spectacular here (depending on the weather). In the past we’ve seen Andean Potoo, White-throated Screech-Owl, Cinnamon Screech-Owl, Rufous-banded Owl, Band-bellied Owl, Swallow-tailed Nightjar, Lyre-taled Nightjar and even Oilbird on this tour. The mythical Long-whiskered Owlet has been seen in the cloud forests near the pass recently and we’ll be looking for this rare bird during our stay at Abra Patricia. Two nights at the ECOAN lodge, returning to Pomacochas for the evening of day 10.
Day 11. Today we’ll travel from Pomacochas to Leimebamba. We’ll break our journey in search of the endemic Buff-bellied Tanager, Black-necked Woodpecker and Spot-throated Hummingbird. The river valley is a good place to see Torrent Ducks or even Fasciated Tiger-Heron and hopefully the Koepcke’s Screech-Owls will be at their roost. Nearing Leimebamba we’ll spend some time birding in the humid cloud forest patches. This is a good area for Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Mountain Cacique and Golden-headed Quetzal. Overnight in a hotel in Leimebamba.
Day 12. Full morning in the Abra Barro Negro area to explore the paramo and cloud forests for a host of good birds. Our targets will be more Peruvian endemic species like Russet-mantled Softtail and higher elevations for Coppery Metaltail. White-collared Jays and Mountain Caciques form noisy flocks as they pass through the cloud forest. Flocks can be surprisingly good in this fragmented habitat and may include Barred Fruiteater and Yellow-scarfed Tanager. Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucans survive here and Chestnut-crowned Antpitta calls from the dense undergrowth where White-chinned Thistletail sometimes take a little ‘coaxing’ into view, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Smoky Bush-Tyrant, Plush-cap and Red-crested Cotinga are all possibilities. After a field lunch in the Paramo we’ll descend into the Maranon canyon to Balsas. Descending into the canyon we’ll look for Buff-bridled Inca-Finch and Yellow-faced Parrotlet. Overnight in camp on the banks of the Marañon.
Day 13. We’ll bird the Balsas area for Maranon Thrush and Peruvian Pigeon before leaving for Celendin. As we climb out of the canyon we’ll stop at Hacienda Limon we’ll look for Chestnut-backed Thornbird, Yellow-tailed Oriole and Grey-winged Inca-Finch. We’ll bird a small patch of scrub as we near Celendin for Black-crested Tit-Tyrant, Black-crested Warbler, Jelski’s Chat-Tyrant and Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant. Overnight in our hotel in Celendin.
Day 14. We’ll leave early this morning for Cajamarca where the Conquistadors massacred many Incas and imprisoned their king Atahualpa. We have seen the rare White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant in the past on many occasions and we’ll look for the cajamarcae race of Rufous Antpitta as well. Throughout the day we'll have the chance of a wide variety of species including Rainbow Starfrontlet, Many-striped Canastero and we have had good fortune with Striated Earthcreeper here in the past. Closer to Cajamarca we’ll look for Black Metaltail. Overnight in our hotel in Cajamarca.
Day 15. An early start this morning as we take the journey to the San Marcos area for Great Spinetail. Another bird that has only recently been rediscovered, this big Furnariid lives in a large valley with cactus-clad slopes. We’ll return to Cajamarca again this afternoon with some more birding in a river valley close to the city where we discovered a regular site for Grey-bellied Comet during a 2002 North Peru tour. Overnight in a hotel in Cajamarca.
Day 16. Morning flight to Lima and connect with international flights home.
PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE YOUR FLIGHT TO PERU UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED DEPARTURE CONFIRMATION OF THIS TOUR FROM TOUCAN TOURS.
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