PERU Mountains & Rainforests of Manu.

Dates: 25 September – 9 October 2010.

Machu Picchu Extension  9 – 11 October 2010.

A tour with the best that Peru has to offer: Andean waterfowl and the endemic Bearded Mountaineer near Cusco with superb scenery, displaying Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks, the immense biodiversity of the east slope of the Andean foothills meeting the Amazon and birding in the ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. A good standard of accommodation using some of the best lodges in the area and comfortable hotels.

Price: £3095.00 (Lima / Lima)

Single room supplement: £950.00

Machu Picchu Extension: £795.00

Single room supplement: £120.00

Group size: Maximum 10 participants plus leader.

Includes: All services Lima/Lima from arrival in Lima on day 1 to the transfer to the airport on day 15, accommodation in hotels and lodges, ground transport, meals, services of Toucan Birding Tours leader, drivers and cooks.

Not included: International flights, airport departure tax (US$29 April 2006), and dinner on day 17, optional tips to staff.

Red-and-Green Macaws at a Manu mineral-lick in Peru

ITINERARY

Day 1. Arrival in Lima (international flight not included) and transfer to a hotel in the city. Over dinner we’ll discuss the birds likely to be seen the following day. Overnight in a hotel in Lima.

Day 2. Early morning flight to Cusco and we head out of town to Huacarpay lakes. Here we will see a variety of high Andean waterfowl including White-tufted Grebe, Puna, Speckled and Cinnamon Teals, Yellow-billed Pintail and Andean Duck. Birds we may see in the reeds include Wren-like Rushbird, Many-coloured Rush-Tyrant and Yellow-winged Blackbirds. Puna Ibis and Andean White-winged Negrito will be on the damp “pampa” whilst Cinereous Harriers should be over the lake fringes. In the arid scrub around the lake we’ll look for the endemic Rufous-fronted Canastero, Streak-fronted Thornbird and the endemic Bearded Mountaineer feeding in the tree tobacco with Giant Hummingbird. In the late afternoon we’ll drive back to Cusco for a night in the old Inca capital.

Day 3. Early start in our expedition bus. We will make a couple of stops in the inter-montane valleys specifically for two endemics: Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch and Creamy-crested Spinetail. If it’s clear we’ll be able to look out from the last range of the Andes over the Amazon basin stretching into the distance, as the Incas did in ancient times, worshipping the sun rising over the endless rainforest. In the afternoon we will bird the upper limits of the eastern slopes at Pillahuata. Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan is one of our targets here and the evening we’ll look for Swallow-tailed Nightjar. Night in our lodge at Pillahuata.

Day 4. After looking for the endemic Red & White Antpitta near our lodge we’ll bird the Manu road in search of mixed species flocks. We may see Marcapata Spinetail, Golden-headed Quetzal, Golden-collared Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Black-throated Tody-Flycatcher, Barred Fruiteater, White-banded and White-throated Tyrannulets. Late in the afternoon we’ll make our way to Manu Paradise Lodge in the upper tropics.

Days 5 & 6. Our lodge is situated in the pristine cloud forests of Manu just a few minutes walk from a spectacular Andean-Cock-of-the-Rock lek. The lek area is furnished with comfortable blinds to observe these colourful birds during their dawn mating rituals. Hummingbird feeders attract several species including Violet-fronted Brilliant, Speckled Hummingbird and Long-tailed Sylph. There is trail system behind the lodge where Chestnut-breasted Wren, Scaled Antpitta, Rufous-breasted Antthrush, Slaty Gnateater and the endemic Cerulean-capped Manakin are all possible. Away from the lodge we can explore the forests bordering the road at various elevations. Crested Quetzal, Highland Motmot, Versicolored Barbet, Masked Trogon, Blue-banded Toucanet, Band-tailed Fruiteater, Yungas Manakin, White-eared Solitaire, Yellow-rumped Antwren and Orange-eared Tanager are all possible here. Night birding can be good here and we’ll venture out after dark in search of Band-bellied Owl, Rufescent Screech-Owl and the incredible Lyre-tailed Nightjar.

Day 7. We’ll leave early today to bird the lower stretches of the Manu road en route to Atalaya. Birds we have seen well on this stretch of road include Black & Chestnut Eagle, Solitary Eagle, Military Macaw, Peruvian Piedtail, Golden-bellied Warbler, Lanceolated Monklet, Cinnamon-faced Tyrannulet, Black-backed Tody-Flycatcher, Fulvous-breasted Flatbill and Dusky-green Oropendola. After lunch we’ll take a boat from Atalaya to Pantiacolla Lodge (looking for Fasciated Tiger-herons on the way) where we’ll spend the next three nights.

Days 8 & 9. Over the next two days we will explore the forests of Pantiacolla mountains where over 500 bird species have been recorded in a very short time since this lodge was founded. Some of the key birds high on our “wish lists” will be Black Tinamou, Long-tailed Potoo, Pale-winged Trumpeter, Blue-headed Macaw, Koepcke’s Hermit and Round-tailed Manakin. Some important species frequent the bamboo here and we’ll spend time looking for Rufous-capped Nunlet, White-cheeked Tody-tyrant, Rufous-headed Woodpecker, Manu Antbird and Bamboo Antshrike in this habitat.

Day 10. This morning we’ll board our motorised canoes and journey into the lowlands. As we make our way down the meandering river the foothills disappear from the horizon and the Madre de Dios river narrows with tall forest on both banks. We may see a variety of birds like Large-billed Tern, Sand-coloured Nighthawks, Red & Green Macaws, Great Black Hawk, Sunbittern, Bat Falcon and Horned Screamers before our arrival at our lodge.

Days 11 – 13. From our base at the comfortable Manu Wildlife Centre we’ll be able to explore the trails, oxbow lakes and visit canopy platforms. There will be the opportunity on one morning to visit the Macaw lick and observe the spectacle of hundreds of parrots and Red & Green Macaws at close quarters from a nearby hide. Here we will see the beautiful Orange-cheeked Parrot, hundreds of Blue-headed Parrots as well as Mealy and Yellow-crowned Parrots.
Some of the more interesting and unusual species we will be searching for include Sungrebe, Razor-billed Curassow, Spectacled Owl, Amazonian Pygmy-Owl, Cream-coloured Woodpecker, Pavonine Quetzal, Purus Jacamar, Peruvian Recurvebill, Brown-rumped Foliage-gleaner, Black-spotted Bare-eye, Goeldi’s Antbird, Rufous-fronted Antthrush, Spangled and Plum-throated Cotingas, Musician Wren, Casqued Oropendola and Opal-crowned Tanager. We’ll focus on the birds during our stay but in the past we have seen Giant Otters and Brazilian Tapirs on many occasions as well as Jaguar and Jauguarundi.

Day 14. Early start on our boats as we make our way to Puerto Maldonado looking at riverside birds. Our journey down the Madre de Dios river takes us past pristine forest until the town of Boca Colorado. Leaving our boat we’ll take a 40 minute bus ride into the bustling frontier town of Puerto Maldonado where we’ll stay at our comfortable hotel.

Day 15. Early morning birding around the airport and the road to Cusco. We should see Red-breasted Blackbird and some open country birds like Grassland Sparrow, Grey-breasted Crake, Black-faced Tanager, Barred Antshrike and Crested Caracara. Our flight will take us to Lima in time to connect with international flights home for those not joining the extension.

Machu Picchu Extension

Day 15. Early morning birding around the airport and the road to Cusco. We should see Red-breasted Blackbird and some open country birds like Grassland Sparrow, Grey-breasted Crake, Black-faced Tanager, Barred Antshrike and Crested Caracara. Our flight will take us to Cusco and after checking in to our hotel we’ll have free time to explore the city for the rest of the day.

Day 16. We leave Cusco early in the morning for the 3.5-hour train journey to Machu Picchu. From the train we will certainly see Torrent Ducks and White-capped Dipper on the Urubamba River and get closer looks as we leave the train. Arriving at the ruins we’ll meet our archaeological guide for a tour. After lunch we will look for the endemic Inca Wren, which is quite common in the bamboo around the ruins, and then make our way back to Aguas Calientes where we’ll catch the train back to Cusco. Overnight in Cusco.

Day 17. Early breakfast and transfer to the airport in Cusco for our flight to Lima.

PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE YOUR FLIGHT TO PERU UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED DEPARTURE CONFIRMATION OF THIS TOUR FROM TOUCAN TOURS.

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