Central Peru (Carpish, Unchog, Lake Junin)

8th August – 19th August 2011                                               Price $2600

 

Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager and Diademed Sandpiper-Plover

 

Day 1: Lima, Lomas de Lachay, Paraiso, Lima

In the morning we will head to the north of Lima to the Reserve of Lachay; amid the arid desert Lachay is a green oasis fed by heavy winter fog. Here we will see Least Seedsnipe, Yellowish Pipit, Burrowing Owl, Peruvian Thick-knee, Peruvian Meadowlark, Coastal Miner, Thick-billed Miner, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Variable Hawk, Eared Dove, Croaking Ground-Dove, Oasis and Amazilia Hummingbirds, Vermilion Flycatcher, Blue-and-white Swallow, Hooded Siskin, and Grassland Yellow-Finch Band-tailed Seedeater. With a little luck we will also see the Tawny-throated Dotterel. In an arid canyon nearby the reserve we will look for the endemic Cactus Canastero before heading to the beach of Paraiso. On this beach we will look for the endangered Peruvian Tern and we will see other birds like the Peruvian Pelican, Peruvian Booby, Guanay and Band-tailed Cormorant, Grey and Kelp Gulls and several species of shorebirds. We will then return to Lima for the night.

Day 2: Lima, Pantanos de Villa, Pucusana, Santa Eulalia

On the second day we will travel to the south of Lima to the Pantanos de Villa reserve, a system of lagoons and wetlands where we will observe Andean Coot, Puna Ibis, Great and White-tufted Grebes, Cinnamon Teal, White-cheeked Pintail, Gray- hooded Gull, and Peruvian Thicknee. The ocean near the reserve is a good place to look for Humboldt Penguins, a species that we can also see at our next destination.

After Pantanos de Villa we will continue our journey south to the fishing village of Pucusana. A short boat ride around the bay and the island of Pucusana will allow us to observe species such as the Inca Tern, Blackish Oystercatcher, Peruvian Pelican, Red-legged Cormorant, Guanay Cormorant, Peruvian Boobie, Gray Gull, Peruvian Seaside Cinclodes, Humboldt Penguins and a small colony of South-American Sea-lions. During our trip to Santa Eulalia we will briefly stop to observe local agricultural fields for Drab, Parrot-billed and Chestnut-throated Seedeaters, Oasis and Amazillia Hunmingbirds, Peruvian Sheartail and Bran Flycatcher. We will overnight at a hotel in Santa Eulalia.

Day 3: Santa Eulalia, Marcapomacocha, Huanuco

We will have an early morning start in order to hike the spectacular valley of the Santa Eulalia river to the arid western slopes of the Andes. In this area of shrubs and cacti we will look for the endemics: Bronze-tailed Comet, Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch, Great Inca-Finch, Black-necked Woodpecker, Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail, Canyon Canastero and Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch. Other species that can be seen along the road are Bare-faced Ground-Dove, White-tipped Dove, Andean Swift, Sparkling Violet, Peruvian Sheartail, Purple-collared Woodstar, Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant, White-browed Chat-Tyrant, House Wren, Long-tailed Mockingbird, White-capped Dipper, Chiguanco Thrush, Cinereous Conebill, Blue-capped Tanager, Mourning Sierra-Finch, Band-tailed Seedeater, and the Golden-bellied Saltator. We will continue climbing up the mountains stopping at a small patch of Polylepis to look for Black-breasted Hillstar, Black Metaltail, Striated Earthcreeper, Baron’s Spinetail, Stripe-headed Antpitta and White-cheeked Cotinga. Then we will explore a group of bogs above 4500 m to observe Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, White-bellied Cinclodes, Dark-winded and Junin Canestero Miner, Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe and Puna Snipe. We will travel to Huanuco for the night.

Days 4 and 5: Huanuco, Carpish, Huanuco

We will devote two days to explore the montane forests around the Carpish tunnel. Rare species such as the Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Barred and Band-tailed Fruiteaters, Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant, Golden-faced Tyrannulet, Inca Flycatcher, Peruvian Wren, Citrine Warbler, Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager, Black-capped Hemispingus, White-rumped Hawk, Powerful Woodpecker, Rufous Spinetail, Striped Treehunter, Uniform and Variable Antshrikes, Long-tailed Antbird, undulated Antpitta, White-tailed and Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulets, Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant, Golden-headed Quetzal and Masked Trogon live in this area. While concentrating on finding these rare species we will also be on the lookout for tanagers such as Yellow-whiskered, Grey-hooded Bush-Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager and the beautiful Yellow-scarfed Tanager. We will overnight in Huanuco.

Day 6: Huanuco, Tingo Maria

During day 6 we will continue eastward on the Central Highway to the town of Tingo Maria where we will visit a spectacular cave in search of Oilbirds. Other species that can be observed in the tropical moist forests around Tingo Maria include: the Blue-headed Macaw, Scaled Pigeon, Military Macaw, White-eyed Parakeet, Rufous-crested Coquette, Black-Mandible Toucan, White-tailed and Violaceous Trogons, Lafrasnaye’s Piculet, Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Dot-winged Antwren, warbling Antbird, Coraya Wren, Buff-rumped Warbler and Huallaga Tanager. We will overnight at Tingo Maria.

Day 7: Carpish, Patty Trail

From Tingo Maria we will take an extra day to explore the forest around the Carpish area and the Patty trail in search of birds that we could not see the previous days. We will overnight in Huanuco.

Days 8-10: Huanuco, Bosque Unchog, Huanuco

We will take two days to explore the montane forests of Unchog. This forest is famous for the expeditions undertaken by Louisiana State University in the 1970s that lead to the description of three new bird species: Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager, Brownish and Bay-vented Cotinga. Other endemic species in the area include the Rufous-browed Hemispingus and Coppery Metaltail. During this stretch of the trip we will camp in the forests of Unchog.

Day 11: Lake Junin, La Oroya

We will take a boat trip to explore this high altitude lake (4100m) in search of the endemic and critically endangered Junin Grebe. Other waterfowl that we can observe in this lake include Speckled and Puna Teal, Yellow-billed Pintail, Andean Duck, Puna Ibis, Andean Gull, Wren-like Rushbird, Many-colored Rush-Tyrant, Puna Plover and Plumbeous Rail. We will overnight in La Oroya.

Day 12: Lima

In the morning of day 12 we will return to Lima.