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All photos: © Leif Gabrielsen 2006

White-winged Diuca-Finch (Hvitvingespurv); Ticlio Pass

Litteratur:

"A Field Guide to the Birds of Peru"; James F. Clements & Noam Shany 2001. En svært viktig felthåndbok som dessverre skuffer. Alle arter er illustrert men kvaliteten på plansjene varierer fra ypperlig til ekstremt dårlig. Dessuten er det stort sett kun hanner som er illustrert. Boken har kortfattet og lite informativ tekst og mangler utbredelseskart.

Reisen dag for dag:

Lomas de Lachay, Ventanilla, Central Highway, Carpish, Paty Trail, Tingo Maria,
Bosque Unchog, La Quinua, Lake Junín, Oxapampa, Antenna Road, Lake Oconal,
Yanachaga-Chemillen NP, Satipo road & Ticlio/Milloc

24 sep - We all arrived late last night and left Lima at 6 am for Lomas de Lachay. As usual it was foggy up here but we soon found Least Seed-Snipe and Coastal Miners along the entrance track as well as a pair of Peruvian Thick-knees. Breakfast at the visitor centre and then we did a walk along the trails that produced the endemic Thick-billed Miner and also Band-tailed Sierra-Finch and Black-lored Yellowthroat. Then off to the dry side. Near the big roundabout we spotted Tawny-throated Dotterels and surprisingly one bird had two downy chicks so they obviously breed here! In the dry valley we scrambled up the slopes flushing a pair of Band-winged Nightjars and soon found some Cactus Canasteros. Happy with this we returned to Lima and the suburb Ventanilla for some wetland and coastal birding. The usual selection was available but a female Purple Martin was a bit of a surprise. After some business in Lima we sat off for a long night in the van to Huanuco...

25 sep - We arrived at the Carpish tunnel at 6 am and started birding directly. Chestnut- and Bay Antpittas were calling and we saw a few other birds before breakfast. A longer walk gave us Barred Fruiteater, Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant and a family of Powerful Woodpeckers among other things, before the rain started. We waited a while before heading down the mountain to Tingo Maria. En route we picked up a pair of Fasciated Tiger-Herons in the river. A lunch break just before Tingo gave six Blue-headed Macaws. We spent the afternoon near the Oilbird cave, which was productive. Some highlights include Huallaga Tanager, Golden-collared Toucanet, a family of Double-toothed Kite and Lafresnaye´s Piculet. At dusk we took position at the cave to see several hundreds of Oilbirds flying out. Night at the nice Villa Jennifer just outside of Tingo Maria.

26 sep - We started to bird around the lodge before breakfast but it was rather slow with Limpkin and Orange-backed Troupial being highlights. After breakfast we went to the Santa Rosa bridge but it was already starting to get hot and the surroundings were not very nice. Some 10 Hoatzins were easily seen here. After some shopping we headed up the mountain again to the famous Paty trail where we installed ourselves in an empty house. We headed down the trail but hadn’t gone far before Leif realized that his binoculars were not around his neck! Had he forgot them in the van or outside? He went up but the car was gone and no bins! Afternoon birding was rather slow but we had good views of White-eared Solitaire, Peruvian Tyrannulet, and a pair of Uniform Antshrikes among others. Back at the road the car was back with Reyes Rivera, who was to help us at Bosque Unchog. To Leif’s relief his bins were in the van.

27 sep - We went down Paty trail again and activity was better with many highlights such as Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucans, 3 Masked Fruiteaters, Bar-bellied Woodpeckers, Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner and Emerald-bellied Pufflegs to mention a few.
After lunch we drove to Bosque Unchog and on the way up we had good views of a Curve-billed Tinamou. While Adriano and Reyes sat up the camp, the group went for a recce. Not too many things but Coppery Metaltail and Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant went onto the list.

28 sep - Today we started walking at 6 am and hit a flock along the steep trail into the main valley. Pardusco and other tanagers were in the flock. I played Yungas Pygmy-Owl to distract the birds and soon the rare Rufous-browed Hemispingus came in. We spread out in the valley to look for the Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager and did that until Reyes came back with a late lunch and then it started to rain so we went back to the camp. We saw all of the other birds here including gripping views of Bay-vented Cotingas but the tanager failed to show.

29 sep - Another try for the Golden-back. The Hemispingus showed again on the way down. Despite good weather and five people searching we had to leave without the Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager. Highly disappointing! On the way down on the try slope we found a pair of the endemic Brown-flanked Tanager as a consolidation before continuing to Huanuco and a welcome shower after three days camping.

30 sep - We left Huanuco at 6 am and drove for about an hour before stopping at a stake-out for Rufous-backed Inca-Finch. It didn’t take long before we had that one bagged. Another hour in the van took us to La Quinua, which is surrounded by very nice dry polylepis forest. A couple of hours here gave Thick-billed Siskins, Striated Earthcreepers, Baron’s Spinetail and confiding Streak-headed Antpittas.
After lunch we headed up to lake Junín and tried for the Grebe from the shore but it was a bad heat-haze so we went to the other side and arranged with a boat for tomorrow. On the way back to Junín it started to snow!

1 oct - Back to Ondores where we had breakfast and the boatmen were waiting. The Norwegians didn’t want to go out with the boat so they spent the morning birding along the road and taking pictures. Ron and I walked out towards the lake with two locals. As we came closer to the lake it got muddier and the boat was in the mud as well. We pushed the boat for about half an hour before we realized that this didn’t work, the water level was simply too low. A disappointing walk back to Ondores and we picked up the Norwegians and went to the other side to give it a last try but no joy. Instead we started a long drive down the mountains to Villa Rica where we spent the night.

2 oct - We left early for the relatively new road to Oxapampa. Near the pass we stopped for breakfast and one of the first birds we saw was a Chestnut-crested Cotinga! Also a pair of Vermillion Tanagers and Long-tailed Antbird were seen before breakfast. We had just finished breakfast when a heavy rain put a halt to birding for about an hour. We walked down the mountain on the far side of the pass picking up more Cotingas, Blue-banded Toucanets, breeding Maroon-chested Chat-Tyrants and Green-fronted Lancebill. Lunch in Oxapampa then to the local cheese factory for stocking up on good cheese. In the early afternoon we headed up towards the Antenna road but there was a strange sound from the car and Adriano was not happy with that so we turned back to Oxapampa and had it checked - and that was lucky! Something underneath the car was completely worn out and had to be changed. Not good for the plan but I hired a taxi to take us up to the pass again for some afternoon birding and we stayed there until after dark trying for Owls and Cloud-forest Screech-Owl in particular but it was quiet despite a nice evening. Night in Oxapampa.

3 oct - An early start for the Antenna road which took an hour and a half. It was very quiet up here except for Scaly-naped Amazons. I trolled with the tape for the Antpitta (Rufous or Chestnut?) that lives here. After a while one started to call, this one is certainly a separate species. We walked a little bit more and taped out a Trilling Tapaculo but soon gave up as no action was going on here. At the bottom of the road Alex was waiting and he joined us for the rest of the trip.
The road to Pozuzo cuts through the lower parts of the Yanachaga-Chemillen NP and we walked a large part of this road. Highlights here included Amazonian Umbrellabirds, Wedge-billed Hummingbird and Black-throated Toucanet. Before dusk we stopped near Pozuzo to try for overflying Blue-headed Macaws and we saw 4. In the river were Sunbittern and Fasciated Tiger-Herons.

4 oct - An early start for the Cock-of-the-Rock lek nearby. Good action with at least twelve males displaying. In the garden of the property were a Peruvian Tyrannulet and a Sapphire-spangled Emerald. I was given a homemade cigar, which was good. Back towards Oxapampa but with more time in the national park. Birding was rather slow but we picked up three more Umbrellabirds, 3 Black-streaked Puffbirds and a very cooperative Lanceolated Monklet. Gray-mantled Wren and Ocellated Piculet were other goodies here. More problems with the car, this time it was the starting engine that didn’t work so we had to push the car to start it. Adriano took care of this in Oxapampa. Another night in Oxapampa.

5 oct - Once again back on the road to Villa Rica and we stopped for birding/breakfast at the same place as last time. This time some saw Bay Antpitta and all of us saw Red-ruffed Fruitcrow and Red-crowned Parakeet. As we had a lot of ground to cover today we couldn’t spend as much time as we wanted on each site. Down in Villa Rica we went to the nice lake/marsh called Oconal. Soon we picked up a Blackish Rail and some Herons and many Least Grebes. An Olivaceous Greenlet was elusive but was eventually tracked down. Then towards Yurinaki with

6 oct - We drove about an hour up the Satipo road to Mariposa where we had breakfast and took shelter from the rain. Adriano went back to Satipo to fix the car properly. When the rain eased we started walking up the road in rather poor habitat and activity was rather slow as well. Later we came across a decent flock that had Blue-browed- and Golden-eared Tanagers among other while an adult Black-and-chestnut Eagle flew over. The car came back in the afternoon and we went up to Apaya village at 2200 m and found an empty house to camp in. In the evening we heard a couple of Lyre-tailed Nightjars nearby.

7 oct - Today was to be a rather exciting day despite some rain. We drove straight up to the Carrizales bridge area and soon found Fire-throated Metaltail and a diverse flock. We tried hard to find the recently re-discovered Eye-ringed Thistletail but only heard one up the slope. After breakfast we continued our search and eventually found a nest-building pair that gave good views. Sadly the bamboo habitat here is being destroyed for growing potatoes. We continued on the road to Andamarca and stopped at a stake-out for the undescribed Millpo Tapaculo. The weather was not what we wanted at 4000 m but with the tape one responded and we scrambled up the slope and got good views of it. Two Andean Ibises were in the marsh below. Then off to the next stop some kilometers away. Immediately we saw a nest of the undescribed Thornbird here but no birds. I played the tape of the undescribed ‘Mantaro’ Wren and they responded. We went there to search for them but were held up by a flock. Ron and I scrambled up the brushy slope and caught up with them and soon saw the Thornbird and the recently described Black-spectacled Brush-Finch and also Creamy-crested Spinetail. Nice! After lunch it stopped raining so we went up there again and had very good looks at the Brush-Finch but the activity was rather poor in the sunshine. Later we drove down to Pucacocha and checked in at the school. An Aplomado Falcon flew by and perched nearby. At dusk the ‘Apurimac’ Screech-Owls started calling nearby and we tracked down one with the flashlights. The result for today was 4 undescribed (sub)species, one recently described and one recently re-discovered - not bad!

8 oct - We woke up to the sound of the Screech-Owls and packed up and took another route back to the Satipo road. The breakfast break above the village didn’t produce anything special so we continued until I heard the new Wren singing near the road so we stopped and taped them out. We continued across the puna to the Satipo side of the pass where some impressive bamboo took over and started birding there. Leif got a view of the obscura race (or species) of the Rufous Antpitta. Several Unstreaked Tit-Tyrants were seen before we caught up with a flock that had the very recently discovered new ‘Light-crowned Spinetail’ that Gunnar has recently found here. Almost certainly a new species! We taped out a Large-footed Tapaculo, they sound very different here from at Bosque Unchog and a split is very likely. Good birding down to Apaya along this new road. In the evening we tried a new site for Lyre-tailed Nightjar that looked good. At dusk a male called and two females were flying around and a male put in a short appearance. Night in Apaya village.

9 oct - We started birding a bit lower down from Apaya and walked the road downhill. Rather slow birding and annoying with the rushing river next to the road. We had some flocks but not much new until we found two Inca Flycatchers. Then came the rain. We waited a while then drove down to Mariposa and had lunch and waited for the rain to stop, which it did around three in the afternoon. The walk down from the village produced quite a few birds in the late afternoon, among them a male Umbrellabird, Bluish-fronted Jacamars and Black-faced Tanager to mention a few. Night in Satipo.

10 oct - We started at the rice-fields just out of Satipo and were greeted by two Pearl Kites while Rufous-sided Crakes were calling and we had brief views of two. Lineated Woodpecker and calling Tataupa Tinamous were also new for the trip list. After breakfast Leif took pictures of a Black-billed Seed-Finch. We did some playback and a male and two females came in. We had a long drive ahead of us so we sat of and made some stops along the river Perené that gave Yellow-billed Tern, Pied Lapwings and Fasciated Tiger-Heron. After lunch in San Ramon we tried the road to Pampa Hermosa but with full sunshine and heat in the midday it was bound to be slow - and it was. We did pick up Coraya Wren and Streak-chested Antwrens before heading for La Oroya where we spent the night.

11 oct - From La Oroya it is about an hour to the Ticlio bog at 4500 m. Before getting out of the car we saw the endangered White-bellied Cinclodes. A short walk here gave 7 in total and also the much-wanted Diademed Sandpiper-Plover. Also both Rufous-bellied- and Gray-breasted Seedsnipes and four species of Ground-Tyrants. After breakfast we went to the Milloc bog and had three more DSP as well as both Slender-billed- and Dark-winged Miners. After a while an Olivaceous Thornbill put in a nice show when it literally jumped on the ground from flower to flower. Gunnar showed up and took Leif and Morten down to the airport while Ron and I continued to the polylepis in the upper Santa Eulalia valley.
Coming here in the afternoon is not ideal but we did see Canyon Canastero, Black Metaltail and Striated Earthcreeper among others but no White-cheeked Cotinga. Sadly we found several trees recently cut down. On the way down we passed no less than seven donkeys loaded with polylepis wood. If this continues the forest here will soon be too degraded to hold the good birds tied to the unique polylepis. Lower down in the valley we found two Spot-winged Pigeons and a Great Inca-Finch. Night in Santa Eulalia village.

12 oct - We left at 5 am and drove straight up to the San Pedro de Casta area. We soon saw some Andean Tinamous walking away from us. Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch and Mourning Sierra-Finches were very common. After breakfast we went up the slope and tried for Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch for which this site has been a good stake-out but no luck. In fact it hasn’t been seen here this year! A water-hole up the slope had hundreds of Eared Doves and Black-winged Ground-Doves and a flock of Greenish Yellow-Finches. A brief view of a Bronze-tailed Comet and Ron also saw a Black-necked Woodpecker. It felt slow so we moved down a bit trying to get better views of the Comet but instead got good views of Peruvian Sheartails. It was getting hot and birding was slow. After a late lunch in Huinco we just made a few more unproductive stops before calling it an end to the trip and went back to Lima.

Rufous-collared Sparrow (Rustkragespurv); Junin

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