Machu Picchu, Abra Malaga and Manu Tour

8-27th August 2007

Tour Leader:  
Frank Lambert

Tour participants:
Steve Meredith, Adrian Hoskins, Robin and Kirsten Leong, Uzelle Williams, Brian Foster, Colin and Anne Horne.

Locations:

Pre-tour extension (Robin, Kirsten, Brian)

8th-11th August
Machu Picchu , Aguas Calientes, both sides of Abra Malaga pass.

Main Tour

12th – 27th  August 

• Huacarpay Lakes,
• Cusco-Manu Road (Wayquecha Lodge, Manu Paradise Lodge);
• Alto Madre de Dios River (Pantiacolla Lodge),
• Madre de Dios River
• Manu Amazon Lodge (referred to as Oropendola),
• Cocha Blanco
• Cocha Camungo
• Blanquillo clay lick
• Puerto Maldonado
  

Key Locations for Main Tour:  

Huacarapay Lakes                      3000m elevation, near Cusco

Huancarani                                3780m elevation, on the first part of the Manu Road

Ajanacu (Tres Cruces)                3370m elevation, where the Biosphere Reserve starts on the Manu road at the ecotone of                                                 dry grasslands with shrub and cloud forest

Pillahuata                                  2800 – 2200 m (Wayquecha, tunnels, alder woodlands)(upper Manu road)

Rocotal                                     2060 – 1900m elevation (weather station and pepper farm: upper Manu road)

Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge             1370m elevation (This general area also known as San Pedro)

Manu Paradise Lodge                 1370m elevation (San Pedro)

Pilcopata/Atalaya                       650 – 500m elevation (end of Manu road)

Pantiacolla Lodge                      On the Alto Madre de Dios River; we birded at about 470-520m;

Manu Amazon Lodge                 (“Oropendola”) on the Madre de Dios River , about 400-430m

Puerto Maldonado                      We birded locations near town at about 200m

Other Locations:

Puente Ruinas                          2000m; the main bridge immediately below the switchback roads to the ruins of Machu Picchu

Abra Malaga                             We walked from the pass at 4,250 down to the road some 500m or so below, and birded                                                over the pass along the road down to about 3000m.

Note on the weather. During our trip we unusually experienced two very cold, overcast, windy periods that started with prolonged heavy rain. These weather events, locally called a friaje, reduced our opportunities for viewing canopy birds considerably due to the continuous strong wind and dull sky (so that canopy birds were mostly seen as silhouettes.

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