tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-175615432011-04-21T14:58:15.547-07:00Journal and Day/Trip Bird Species Lists for trip to Northern Peru - Maranon Endemics - Sept. 2005Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15386831984311729340noreply@blogger.comBlogger101100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561543.post-1137959146186238882006-01-22T11:45:00.000-08:002006-01-29T17:56:44.926-08:00START AT BOTTOM (Entry #1)<br />for chronological account.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/17561543-113795914618623888?l=perubirding.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15386831984311729340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561543.post-1137461405274185642006-01-16T17:03:00.000-08:002006-01-22T11:12:20.666-08:00Trip List (Part II)<br /><br />Peru Trip - The Maranon Endemics<br /><br /><br /><strong>TYPICAL ANTBIRDS</strong><br /><br />Great Antshrike (<em>Taraba major</em>)<br />Collared Antshrike (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>Sakesphorus bernard</em>)<br />Chapman's Antshrike (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>Thamnophilius zarumae</em>)<br />Lined Antshrike (<em>T. tenuepunctatus</em>)<br />Plain-winged Antshrike (<em>T. schistaceus</em>)<br />Northern Slaty Antshrike (<em>T. punctatus</em>)<br />Variable Antshrike (<em>T. caerulescens</em>)<br />Rufous-capped Antshrike (<em>T. ruficapicapillus</em>)<br />Plain Antvireo (<em>Dysithamnus mentalis</em>)<br />Pygmy Antwren (<em>Myrmotherula brachyura</em>)<br />Stripe-chested Antwren (<em>M. longicauda</em>)<br />Gray Antwren (<em>M. menetriesii</em>)<br />White-flanked Antwren (<em>M. axillaris</em>)<br />Ash-throated Antwren (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic; ENDANGERED</span>) (heard only) (<em>Herpsilochmus parkeri</em>)<br />Long-tailed Antbird (<em>Drymophila caudate</em>)<br />Blackish Antbird (<em>Cercomacra nigrescens</em>)<br />Black Antbird (heard only) (<em>C. serva</em>)<br />White-backed Fire-eye (<em>Pyriglena leuconota</em>)<br />White-browed Antbird (<em>Myrmoborus leucophrys</em>)<br />Black-faced Antbird (heard only) (<em>M. myotherinus</em>)<br />Warbling Antbird (<em>Hypocnemis cantator)</em><br />White-shouldered Antbird (<em>Myrmeciza melanoceps</em>)<br /><br /><strong>GROUND ANTBIRDS</strong><br /><br />Chestnut-crowned Antpitta (<em>Grallaria ruficapilla</em>)<br />Stripe-headed Antpitta (heard only) (<em>G. andicolus</em>)<br />Rusty-tinged Antpitta (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (heard only) (<em>G. przewalskii</em>)<br />Rufous (Cajamarca) Antpitta (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>G. (rufa) cajamarcae</em>)<br />Chestnut Antpitta (heard only) (<em>G. blakei</em>)<br />Thrush-like Antpitta (heard only) (<em>Myrmothera campanisona</em>)<br />Rusty-breasted Antpitta (heard only) (<em>Grallaricula ferrugineipectus</em>)<br /><br /><strong>CRESCENTCHESTS and TAPACULOS</strong><br /><br />Elegant Crescent-chest (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>Melanopareia elegans</em>)<br />Maranon Crescent-chest (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>M. maronica</em>)<br />Unicolored Tapaculo (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>Scytalopus unicolor</em>)<br />White-crowned Tapaculo (<em>S. atratus</em>)<br />Rufous-vented (Peruvian) Tapaculo (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>S. femoral</em>is)<br />Blackish Tapaculo (<em>S. latrans</em>)<br /><br /><strong>COTINGAS</strong><br /><br />Red-crested Cotinga (<em>Ampelion rubrocristatus</em>)<br />Peruvian Plantcutter (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>Phytotoma raimondii</em>)<br />Green-and-black Fruiteater (<em>Pipreola reifferi</em>)<br />White-browed Purpletuft (<em>Iodopleura isabellae</em>)<br />Spangled Cotinga (<em>Cotinga cayana</em>)<br />Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (<span style="color:#ffcc00;">Peruvian National Bird</span>) (<em>Rupicola peruviana</em>)<br /><br /><strong>MANAKINS</strong><br /><br />Golden-headed Manakin (<em>Pipra erythrocephala</em>)<br />Blue-crowned Manakin (<em>P. coronata</em>)<br />White-bearded Manakin (<em>Manacus manacus)</em><br />Dwarf Tyrant-Manakin (<em>Tyranneutes stolz</em>manni)<br /><br /><strong>TYRANT FLYCATCHERS</strong><br /><br />Streak-necked Flycatcher (<em>Mionectes straticollis</em>)<br />Olive-striped Flycatcher (<em>M. olivacea</em>)<br />Ochre-bellied Flycatcher (<em>M. oleaginous</em>)<br />Johnson's (Lulu's) Tody-Tyrant (<em>Poecilotriccus luluae</em>)<br />Cinnamon-breasted Tody-Tyrant (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Near Endemic</span>) (heard only) (<em>Hemitriccus striaticollis</em>)<br />Stripe-necked Tody-Flycatcher (<em>M. striaticollis</em>)<br />Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher (<em>Todirostrum latirostre</em>)<br />Common Tody-Flycatcher (T<em>. maculatum</em>)<br />Golden-winged Tody-Flycatcher (<em>T. calopterus</em>)<br />Slender-f00ted Tyrannulet (heard only) (<em>Zimmerius gracilipes</em>)<br />Peruvian Tyrannulet (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>Z. viridiflavus</em>)<br />Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet (<em>Camptostoma obsoletum</em>)<br />Tumbesian Tyrannulet (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>Phaeomyias tumbezana</em>)<br />Gray-and-white Tyrannulet (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>Pseudelaenia leucospodia</em>)<br />Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet (<em>Tyrannulus elatu</em>)<br />Pacific Elaenia (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>Myiopagis subplacens</em>)<br />Yellow-bellied Elaenia (<em>Elaenia flovogaster</em>)<br />White-crested Elaenia (<em>E. albiceps</em>)<br />Lesser Elaenia (<em>E. chiriquensis</em>)<br />Highland Elaenia (<em>E. obscura</em>)<br />Sierran Elaenia (<em>E. pallatangae</em>)<br />White-throated Elaenia (<em>Mecocerculus leucophrys</em>)<br />Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet (<em>M. minor</em>)<br />Torrent Tyrannulet (<em>Sepophaga cinerea</em>)<br />Maranon (Black-crested) Tit-Tyrant (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Near Endemic</span>) (<em>Anairetes nigrocristatus</em>)<br />Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant (A<em>. flavirostris</em>)<br />Tufted Tit-Tyrant (<em>A. parulus</em>)<br />Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant (<em>Euscarthmus meloryphus</em>)<br />Variegated Bristle-Tyrant (<em>Phylloscartes poecilotis</em>)<br />Ecuadorian Tyrannulet (<em>P. gualaquizae</em>)<br />Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant (<em>Lophotriccus pileatus</em>)<br />Double-banded Pygmy-Tyrant (<em>L. vitiosus</em>)<br />Yellow-bellied Tolmomias (<em>Tolmomyias viri</em>diceps)<br />Flavescent Flycatcher (<em>Myiophobus flav</em>icans)<br />Bran-colored Flycatcher (<em>M. fasciatus</em>)<br />Cinnamon Flycatcher (<em>Pyrrhomyias cinnamomea</em>)<br />Cliff Flycatcher (<em>Hirundinea ferruginea</em>)<br />Gray-breasted Flycatcher (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic; VULNERABLE</span>) (<em>Lathotriccus griseipectus</em>)<br />Smoke-colored Pewee (<em>Contopus fumigatus</em>)<br />Tumbes Pewee (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>C. punensis</em>)<br />Black Phoebe (<em>Sayornis nigricans</em>)<br />Vermilion Flycatcher (<em>Pyrocephalus rubinus</em>)<br />Jelski's Chat-Tyrant (<em>Ochthoeca jelskii</em>)<br />Crowned Chat-Tyrant (<em>Ochthoeca frontalis</em>)<br />Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant (<em>O. rufipectoralis</em>)<br />Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant (<em>O. fumicolor</em>)<br />White-browed Chat-Tyrant (<em>O. leucophrys</em>)<br />Piura Chat-Tyrant (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>O. piura</em>)<br />Tumbes Tyrant (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>Tumbezia salvini</em>)<br />Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant (<em>Myiotheretes straticolis</em>)<br />Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant (<em>Agriornis montana</em>)<br />White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant (<span style="color:#ff0000;">VULNERABLE</span>) (<em>A. andicola</em>)<br />Rufous-webbed Tyrant (<em>Polioxolmis rufipennis</em>)<br />Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant (<em>Muscisaxicola capistrata</em>)<br />Short-tailed Field-Tyrant (<em>Muscigralla brevicauda</em>)<br />Rufous-tailed Tyrant (<em>Knipolegus poecilurus</em>)<br />White-winged Black-Tyrant (<em>K. aterrimus</em>)<br />Long-tailed Tyrant (<em>Colonia colonus</em>)<br />Bright-rumped Attila (<em>Attila spadiceus</em>)<br />Sirystes (<em>Sirystes sibilator</em>)<br />Rufous Flycatcher (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>Myiarchus semirufus</em>)<br />Dusky-capped Flycatcher (<em>M. tuberculifer</em>)<br />Sooty-crowned Flycatcher (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>M. cepahlotes</em>)<br />Brown-crested Flycatcher (<em>M. tyrannulus</em>)<br />Tropical Kingbird (<em>Tyrannus melancholicus</em>)<br />Boat-billed Flycatcher (<em>Megarhynchus pitangua</em>)<br />Baird's Flycatcher (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>Myiodynastes bairdii</em>)<br />Streaked Flycatcher (<em>M. maculatus</em>)<br />Social Flycatcher (<em>Myiozetetes similis</em>)<br />Dusky-chested Flycatcher (<em>M. luteiventris</em>)<br />Piratic Flycatcher (<em>Legatus leucophaius</em>)<br />Great Kiskadee (<em>Pitangus sulphuratus)</em><br />Yellow-cheeked Becard (<em>Pachyramphus xanthogenys</em>)<br />Barred Becard (<em>P. versicolor</em>)<br />White-winged Becard (<em>P. polychopterus</em>)<br />Black-capped Becard (<em>P. marginatus</em>)<br />Pink-throated Becard (<em>P. minor</em>)<br />Masked Tityra (<em>Tityra semifasciata</em>)<br /><br /><strong>PASSERINES</strong><br /><br /><strong>JAYS</strong><br /><br />White-tailed Jay (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>Cyanocorax mysticallis</em>)<br />Violaceous Jay (heard only) (<em>C. violaceus</em>)<br />Inca (Green) Jay (<em>C. yncas</em>)<br /><br /><strong>VIREOS and GREENLETS</strong><br /><br />Rufous-browed Peppershrike (<em>Cyclarhis gujansis</em>)<br />Slaty-capped Shrike-Vireo (heard only) (<em>Vireolanius leucotis</em>)<br />Red-eyed (Chivi) Vireo (<em>Vireo (chivi) olivaceous</em>)<br />Yellow-green Vireo (<em>V. flavoviridis</em>)<br />Olivaceous Greenlet (<em>Hylophilus olivacens</em>)<br /><br /><strong>DIPPERS</strong><br /><br />White-capped Dipper (<em>Cinclus leucocephalus</em>)<br /><br /><strong>THRUSHES and SOLITAIRES</strong><br /><br />Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush (heard only) (<em>Catharus fuscater</em>)<br />Chiguanco Thrush (<em>Turdus chiguanco</em>)<br />Great Thrush (<em>T. fuscater</em>)<br />Andean Slaty-Thrush (<em>T. nigriceps</em>)<br />Plumbeous-backed Thrush (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>T. reevei</em>)<br />Maranon Thrush (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Near Endemic</span>) (<em>T. maranonicus</em>)<br />Black-billed Thrush (<em>T. ignobilis</em>)<br /><br /><strong>MOCKINGBIRDS and ALLIES</strong><br /><br />Long-tailed Mockingbird (<em>Mimus longicaudatus</em>)<br /><br /><strong>WRENS</strong><br /><br />Thrush-like Wren (heard only) (<em>Campylorhynchus turdinus</em>)<br />Fasciated Wren (<em>C. fasciatus</em>)<br />Sharpe's Wren (<em>Cinnycerthia olivascens</em>)<br />Grass (Sedge) Wren (<em>Cistothorus platensis</em>)<br />Coraya Wren (heard only) (<em>Thryothorus coraya</em>)<br />Maranon (Speckle-breasted) Wren (<em>Thryothorus sclateri sclateri</em>)<br />Speckle-breasted Wren (<em>T. s. paucimaculatus</em>)<br />Superciliated Wren (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>T. superc</em>iliatus)<br />House Wren (<em>Troglodytes aedon</em>)<br />Mountain Wren (<em>T. solstitialis</em>)<br />White-breasted Wood-Wren (<em>Henicorhina leucosticta</em>)<br />Gray-breasted Wood-Wren (<em>H. leucophrys</em>)<br />Bar-winged Wood-Wren (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>H. leucoptera</em>)<br /><br /><strong>GNATWRENS and ALLIES</strong><br /><br />Tropical Gnatcatcher (<em>Polioptila plumbea</em>)<br />Maranon Gnatcatcher (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian En</span>demic) (<em>P. mi</em>nor)<br /><br /><strong>SWALLOWS and MARTINS</strong><br /><br />Peruvian Martin (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>Progne murphyi</em>)<br />Gray-breasted Martin (<em>P. chalybea</em>)<br />Brown-bellied Swallow (<em>Notiochelidon murina</em>)<br />Blue-and-White Swallow (<em>N. cyanoleuca</em>)<br />Southern Rough-winged Swallow (<em>Stelgidopteryx ruficollis</em>)<br />Barn Swallow (<em>Hirundo rustica</em>)<br />Andean Swallow (<em>Pterochelidon andicola</em>)<br />White-winged Swallow (<em>Tachycineta albiventer</em>)<br /><br /><strong>WEAVER FINCHES</strong><br /><br />House Sparrow (<em>Passer domesticus</em>)<br /><br /><strong>PIPITS</strong><br /><br />Paramo Pipit (<em>Anthus bogotensis</em>)<br />Yellowish Pipit (<em>A. lutescens</em>)<br /><br /><strong>SISKINS and GOLDFINCHES</strong><br /><br />Hooded Siskin (<em>Carduelis magallenica</em>)<br />Lesser Goldfinch (<em>C. psaltria</em>)<br /><br /><strong>WARBLERS</strong><br /><br />Tropical Parula (<em>Parula pitiayumi</em>)<br />Black-lored Yellowthroat (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>Geothlypis auricularis</em>)<br />Slate-throated Whitestart (Redstart) (<em>Myioborus miniatus</em>)<br />Spectacled Whitestart (Redstart) (<em>M. melanocephalus</em>)<br />Citrine Warbler (<em>Basileuterus luteoviridis</em>)<br />Black-crested Warbler (<em>B. nigrocristatus</em>)<br />Buff-rumped Warbler (<em>B. fulvicauda</em>)<br />Russet-crowned Warbler (<em>B. coronatus</em>)<br />Three-banded Warbler (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>B. trifasciatus</em>)<br />Three-striped Warbler (<em>B. tristriatus</em>)<br /><br /><strong>FINCHES</strong><br /><br />Rufous-collared Sparrow (<em>Zonotrichia capensis</em>)<br />Yellow-browed Sparrow (<em>Ammodramus aurifrons</em>)<br />Tumbes Sparrow (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>Aimophila stolzmanni</em>)<br />Black-capped (Maranon) Sparrow (<em>Arremon abeillei nigriceps</em>)<br />Black-capped Sparrow (<em>A. a. abeillei</em>)<br />Rufous-naped Brush-Finch (<em>Atalaptes latinucha latinucha</em>)<br />Rufous-naped (Barons) Brush-Finch (<em>A. l. baroni</em>)<br />Bay-crowned Brush-Finch (<em>A. seebohmi</em>)<br />White-winged Brush-Finch (<em>A. leucopterus</em>)<br />White-headed Brush-Finch (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>A. albiceps</em>)<br /><br /><strong>BANANAQUIT</strong><br /><br />Bananaquit (<em>Coerba flaveola</em>)<br /><br /><strong>CONEBILLS</strong><br /><br />Cinereous Conebill (<em>Conirostrum cinerea</em>)<br />Blue-backed Conebill (<em>C. sitticolor</em>)<br /><br /><strong>TANAGERS</strong><br /><br />Black-faced Tanager (<em>Schistochlamys melanopis</em>)<br />Magpie Tanager (<em>Cissops leveriana</em>)<br />White-capped Tanager (<em>Sericossypha albocristata</em>)<br />Common Bush-Tanager (<em>Chlorospingus opthalmicus</em>)<br />Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager (<em>C. flavigularis</em>)<br />Ashy-throated Bush-Tanager (<em>C. canigularis</em>)<br />Black-capped (White-browed) Hemispingus (<em>Hemispingus auricularis</em>)<br />Superciliaried Hemispingus (<em>H. superciliaris</em>)<br />Drab Hemispingus (<em>H. xanthopthalmus</em>)<br />Rufous-chested Tanager (<em>Thypopsis ornata</em>)<br />Buff-bellied Tanager (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Near Endemic</span>) (<em>T. inornata</em>)<br />Guira Tanager (<em>Hemithraupis guira</em>)<br />Yellow-crested Tanager (<em>Tachyphonus rufiventer</em>)<br />Flame-crested Tanager (<em>T. cristatus</em>)<br />Fulvous-crested Tanager (<em>T. surinamus</em>)<br />White-shouldered Tanager (<em>T. luctuosus</em>)<br />White-lined Tanager (<em>T. rufus</em>)<br />Highland Hepatic Tanager (<em>Piranga lutea</em>)<br />Huallaga Tanager (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>Ramphocelus melanogaster</em>)<br />Silver-beaked Tanager (<em>R. carbo</em>)<br />Masked Crimson Tanager (<em>R. nigrocularis</em>)<br />Blue-gray Tanager (<em>Thraupis episcopus</em>)<br />Palm Tanager (<em>T. palmerum</em>)<br />Blue-capped Tanager (<em>T. cyanocephala</em>)<br />Blue-and-yellow Tanager (<em>T. bonariensis</em>)<br />Hooded Mountain-Tanager (<em>Buthraupis mon</em>tana)<br />Orange-throated Tanager (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Near Endemic; VULNERABLE</span>) (<em>Wetmorethraupis sterrho</em>pteron)<br />Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager (<em>Anisognathus lacrymosus</em>)<br />Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager (<em>A. igniventris</em>)<br />Yellow-throated Tanager (<em>Iridosornis analis</em>)<br />Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager (<em>Dubusia taeniata</em>)<br />Purple-throated Euphonia (<em>Euphonia chlorotica</em>)<br />Thick-billed Euphonia (<em>E. laniirostris</em>)<br />Golden-rumped Euphonia (<em>E. cynocephala</em>)<br />White-lored Euphonia (<em>E. chrysopasta</em>)<br />Bronze-green Euphonia <em>(E. mesochrysa</em>)<br />Orange-bellied Euphonia (<em>E. xanthogaster</em>)<br />Rufous-bellied Euphonia (<em>E. rufiventris</em>)<br />Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia (<em>Chlorophonia pyrrhophrys</em>)<br />Orange-eared Tanager (<em>Chlorochrysa caliparaea)</em><br />Turquoise Tanager (<em>Tangara mexicana</em>)<br />Paradise Tanager (<em>T. chilensis</em>)<br />Green-and-gold Tanager (<em>T. schrankii</em>)<br />Golden Tanager (<em>T. arthu</em>)<br />Saffron-crowned Tanager (<em>T. xanthocephala</em>)<br />Golden-eared Tanager (<em>T. chrysotis</em>)<br />Flame-faced Tanager (<em>T. parzudaki</em>)<br />Yellow-bellied Tanager (<em>T. xanthogastra</em>)<br />Spotted Tanager (<em>T. punctata</em>)<br />Bay-headed Tanager (<em>T. gyrola</em>)<br />Blue-necked Tanager (<em>T. cyanicollis</em>)<br />Masked Tanager (<em>T. nigrocincta</em>)<br />Beryl-spangled Tanager (<em>T. nigroviridis</em>)<br />Blue-and-black Tanager (<em>T. vassorii</em>)<br />Silver-backed Tanager (<em>T. viridicollis</em>)<br />Straw-backed Tanager (<em>T. argyrofenges</em>)<br />Opal-rumped Tanager (<em>T. velia</em>)<br />Opal-crowned Tanager (<em>T. callophrys</em>)<br />Golden-collared Honeycreeper (<em>Iridophanes pulcherrima</em>)<br />Black-faced Dacnis (<em>Dacnis lineata</em>)<br />Yellow-bellied Dacnis (<em>D. flaviventer</em>)<br />Blue Dacnis (<em>D. cayana</em>)<br />Green Honeycreeper (<em>Chlorophanes spiza</em>)<br />Short-billed Honeycreeper (<em>Cyanerpes nitidus</em>)<br />Purple Honeycreeper (<em>C. caerulus</em>)<br />Swall0w-Tanager (<em>Tersina viridis</em>)<br /><br /><strong>FINCHES</strong><br /><br />Red-crested Finch (<em>Coryphospingus cucullatu</em>s)<br />Peruvian Sierra-Finch (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Near Endemic</span>) (<em>Phrygilus punensis</em>)<br />Mourning Sierra-Finch (<em>P. fruticeti</em>)<br />Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch (<em>P. plebejus</em>)<br />Plumbeous Sierr-Finch (<em>P. unicolor</em>)<br />Cinereous Finch (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Near Endemic</span>) (<em>Piezorhina cinerea</em>)<br />Rufous-backed Inca-Finch (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>Incapsiza personata</em>)<br />Gray-winged Inca-Finch (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic; VULNERABLE</span>) (<em>I. ortizi</em>)<br />Buff-bridled Inca-Finch (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>I. laeta</em>)<br />Little Inca-Finch (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>I. watkinsi</em>)<br />Collared Warbling-Finch (<em>Poopiza hispaniolensis</em>)<br />Saffron Finch (<em>Sicalis flaveola</em>)<br />Grassland Yellow-Finch (<em>S. luteola</em>)<br />Sulphur-throated Finch (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>S. taczanowski</em>)<br />Blue-black Grassquit (<em>Volatinia jacarina</em>)<br />Parrot-billed Seedeater (<em>Sporophila peruviana</em>)<br />Chestnut-bellied Seedeater (<em>S. castaneiventris</em>)<br />Chestnut-throated Seedeater(<em>S. telasco</em>)<br />Lesser Seed-Finch (<em>Oryzoborus angolensis</em>)<br />Blue Seedeater (<em>Amaurospiza concolor)</em><br />Band-tailed Seedeater (<em>Catamenia analis</em>)<br />Plain-colored Seedeater (<em>C. inornata</em>)<br />Dull-colored Grassquit (<em>Tiaris obscura</em>)<br />Rusty Flower-piercer (<em>Diglossa sittoides</em>)<br />White-sided Flower-piercer (<em>D. albilatera</em>)<br />Moustached Flower-piercer (<em>D. mystacalis</em>)<br />Black-throated Flower-piercer (<em>D. brunneiventris</em>)<br />Bluish Flower-piercer (<em>D. caerulescens</em>)<br />Masked Flower-piercer (<em>D. cyanea</em>)<br /><br /><strong>GROSBEAKS and SALTATORS</strong><br /><br />Golden-bellied Grosbeak (<em>Phuecticus chrysogaster</em>)<br />Slate-colored Grosbeak (<em>Saltator grossus</em>)<br />Buff-throated Saltator (<em>S. maximus</em>)<br />Grayish Saltator (heard only) (<em>S. coerulescens</em>)<br />Black-cowled Saltator (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>S. nigriceps</em>)<br />Golden-billed Saltator (<em>S. aurantirostris</em>)<br />Streaked Saltator (<em>S. albicolis</em>)<br /><br /><strong>AMERICAN ORIOLES</strong><br /><br />Crested Oropendola (<em>Psarocolius decumanus</em>)<br />Russet-backed Oropendola (<em>P. angustifrons</em>)<br />Yellow-rumped Cacique (<em>Cacicus celea</em>)<br />Subtropical Cacique (<em>C. uropygialis</em>)<br />Mountain Cacique (heard only) (<em>C. leucorhamphus</em>)<br />Moriche Oriole (<em>Icterus chrysocephalus</em>)<br />Yellow-tailed Oriole (<em>I. mesomelas</em>)<br />White-edged Oriole (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>I. graceannae</em>)<br />Peruvian Meadowlark (<em>Sturnella bellicose</em>)<br />Scrub Blackbird (<em>Dives warszewiczi</em>)<br />Shiny Cowbird (<em>Molothrus bonariensis</em>)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/17561543-113746140527418564?l=perubirding.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15386831984311729340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561543.post-1136494938723601972006-01-05T12:30:00.000-08:002006-02-12T14:04:06.563-08:00Trip List (Part I)<br /><br />Northern Peru - the Maranon Endemics<br /><br /><br />NOTE: This list includes all species seen or heard by SOMEONE in the group. If there are no caveats (heard only) noted behind the name, it means that the species was seen by someone. Separate lists are provided within the chronological entries for sections of the trip.<br /><br /><strong>Peruvian Endemic (E)</strong> = found only in Peru<br /><br /><strong>Near Endemic (NE)</strong> = mostly a Peruvian species but whose range includes some part of a neighboring country (usually Ecuador)<br /><br /><strong>Tumbes Endemic (TE)</strong> = birds whose range is restricted to dry and semi-humid areas in NW Peru and SW/W Ecuador<br /><br /><strong>Critically Endangered/Endangered/Vulnerable</strong> = as defined by Birdlife International's "Threatened Birds of the World"<br /><br /><strong>TINAMOUS </strong><br /><br />Hooded Tinamou (heard only) (<em>Nothocercus nigricapillus</em>)<br />Cinereous Tinamou (heard only) (<em>Crypturellus cinereus</em>)<br />Little Tinamou (heard only) (<em>C. soui</em>)<br />Tataupa Tinamou (heard only) (<em>C. tataupa</em>)<br />Bartlett's Tinamou (heard only) (<em>C. bartletti</em>)<br /><br /><strong>GREBES</strong><br /><br />Great Grebe (<em>Podiceps major</em>)<br />White-tufted Grebe (<em>Rollandia rolland</em>)<br />Pied-billed Grebe (<em>Podilymbus podiceps</em>)<br /><br /><strong>SHEARWATERS and PETRELS</strong><br /><br />Sooty Shearwater (<em>Puffinus griseus</em>)<br /><br /><strong>BOOBIES<br /></strong><br />Peruvian Booby (<em>Sula variagata</em>)<br /><br /><strong>CORMORANTS</strong><br /><br />Neotropic Cormorant (<em>Phalacrocorax brasilianus</em>)<br />Guanay Cormorant (<em>P. bougainvillii</em>)<br />Red-legged Cormorant (<em>P. gaimardi</em>)<br /><br /><strong>PELICANS</strong><br /><br />Peruvian Pelican (<em>Pelecanus thagus</em>)<br /><br /><strong>DUCKS and GEESE</strong><br /><br />Andean Duck (<em>Oxyura ferruginea</em>)<br />Torrent Duck (<em>Mergenetta armata</em>)<br />Cinnamon Teal (<em>Anas cyanoptera</em>)<br /><br /><strong>HERONS<br /></strong><br />Little Blue Heron (<em>Egretta caerulea</em>)<br />Snowy Egret (<em>E. thula</em>)<br />Great Egret (<em>Casmerodius albus</em>)<br />Cattle Egret (<em>Bubulcus ibis</em>)<br />Least Bittern (<em>Ixobrychus exilis</em>)<br />Striated Heron (<em>Butorides striatus</em>)<br /><br /><strong>IBIS<br /></strong><br />Puna Ibis (<em>Plegadis ridgwayi</em>)<br /><br /><strong>AMERICAN VULTURES</strong><br /><br />Black Vulture (<em>Coragyps atratus</em>)<br />Turkey Vulture (<em>Cathartes aura</em>)<br />Greater Yellow-headed Vulture (<em>C. mela</em>nbrotus)<br />King Vulture (<em>Sarcoramphus papa</em>)<br /><br /><strong>OSPREYS<br /></strong><br />Osprey (<em>Pandion haliaetus</em>)<br /><br /><strong>HAWKS and EAGLES</strong><br /><br />Swallow-tailed Kite (<em>Elanoides forficatus</em>)<br />Double-toothed Kite (<em>Harpagus bidentatus</em>)<br />Plumbeous Kite (<em>Ictinia plumbea</em>)<br />Great Black-Hawk (<em>Buteogallus urubitinga</em>)<br />Savanna Hawk (<em>B. meridionalis</em>)<br />Bay-winged (Harris's) Hawk (<em>Parabuteo unicinctus</em>)<br />Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle (<em>Geranoaetus melanoleucus</em>)<br />Roadside Hawk (<em>Buteo magnirostris</em>)<br />Short-tailed Hawk (<em>B. brachyurus</em>)<br />Variable Hawk<br />- Red-backed Hawk (<em>B. poylosoma</em>)<br />- Puna Hawk (<em>B. poecilochrous</em>)<br />Zone-tailed Hawk (<em>B. albonotatus</em>)<br />Black Hawk-Eagle (<em>Spizaetus tyrranus</em>)<br /><br /><strong>FALCONS</strong><br /><br />Black Caracara (<em>Daptrius ater</em>)<br />Mountain Caracara (<em>Phalcoboenus megalopterus</em>)<br />Northern Crested Caracara (<em>Polyborus cheriway</em>)<br />American Kestrel (<em>Falco sparverius</em>)<br />Bat Falcon (<em>F. rufigularis</em>)<br /><br /><strong>GUANS, CURASSOWS, and ALLIES</strong><br /><br />Speckled Chachalaca (<em>Ortalis guttata</em>)<br />White-winged Guan (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic; CRITICALLY ENDANGERED</span>) (<em>Penelope albipennis</em>)<br /><br /><strong>PARTRIDGES and QUAIL</strong><br /><br />Marbled Wood-Quail (heard only) (<em>Odontophorus gujanensis</em>)<br /><br /><strong>RAILS </strong><br /><br />Plumbeous Rail (<em>Pardirallus sanguinolentus</em>)<br />Common Moorhen (<em>Gallinula chlorops</em>)<br />Andean Coot (<em>Fulica ardesiaca</em>)<br /><br /><strong>SANDPIPERS and SNIPES</strong><br /><br />Whimbrel (<em>Numenius phaeopus</em>)<br />Greater Yellowlegs (<em>Tringa melanoleuca</em>)<br />Lesser Yellowlegs (<em>T. flavipes</em>)<br />Spotted Sandpiper (<em>Actitis macularia</em>)<br />Ruddy Turnstone (<em>Arenaria interpres</em>)<br />Surfbird (<em>Aphrisa virgata</em>)<br />Sanderling (<em>Calidris albus</em>)<br />Least Sandpiper (<em>C. minutilla</em>)<br />Baird's Sandpiper (<em>C. bardii</em>)<br />Pectoral Sandpiper (<em>C. melanotus</em>)<br />Stilt Sandpiper (<em>Micropalama himantopus</em>)<br /><br /><strong>PHALAROPES</strong><br /><br />Wilson's Phalarope (<em>Steganopus tricolor</em>)<br /><br /><strong>THICK-KNEES</strong><br /><br />Peruvian Thick-knee (<em>Burhinus superciliaris</em>)<br /><br /><strong>OYSTERCATCHERS </strong><br /><br />American Oystercatcher (<em>Haematopus palliates</em>)<br />Blackish Oystercatcher (<em>H. ater</em>)<br /><br /><strong>AVOCETS and STILTS</strong><br /><br />Black-necked Stilt (<em>Himanotopus mexicanus</em>)<br /><br /><strong>PLOVERS</strong><br /><br />Gray (Black-bellied) Plover (<em>Pluvialis squatarola</em>)<br />Killdeer (<em>Charadrius vociferus</em>)<br />Snowy Plover (<em>C. alexandrinus</em>)<br />Collared Plover (<em>C. collaris</em>)<br />Andean Lapwing (<em>Vanellus resplendens</em>)<br /><br /><strong>GULLS and TERNS</strong><br /><br />Belcher's Gull (<em>Larus belcheri</em>)<br />Gray Gull (<em>L. modestus</em>)<br />Kelp Gull (<em>L. dominicanus</em>)<br />Gray-headed (Gray-hooded) Gull (<em>L. cirrocephalus</em>)<br />Franklin's Gull (<em>L. pipixcan</em>)<br />Elegant Tern (<em>Sterna elegans</em>)<br />Yellow-billed Tern (<em>S. superciliarus</em>)<br />Inca Tern (<em>Larosterna inca</em>)<br /><br /><strong>PIGEONS and DOVES</strong><br /><br />Rock Pigeon (<em>Columba livia</em>)<br />Scaled Pigeon (<em>Patagioenas speciosa</em>)<br />Band-tailed Pigeon (<em>P. fasciata</em>)<br />Peruvian Pigeon (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Near Endemic; VULNERABLE</span>) (<em>P. oen</em>ops)<br />Plumbeous Pigeon (<em>P. plumbea</em>)<br />Ruddy Pigeon (<em>P. subvinacea</em>)<br />Eared Dove (<em>Zenaida auriculata</em>)<br />Pacific Dove (<em>Z. meloda</em>)<br />Ruddy Ground-Dove (<em>Columbina talpocoti</em>)<br />Ecuadorian Ground-Dove (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>C. buckleyi</em>)<br />Croaking Ground-Dove (<em>C. cruziana</em>)<br />Blue Ground-Dove (<em>C. pretiosa</em>)<br />Bare-faced Ground-Dove (<em>Metriopelia cecilae</em>)<br />Black-winged Ground-Dove (<em>M. melanoptera</em>)<br />White-tipped Dove (<em>Leptotila verreauxi</em>)<br />Gray-fronted Dove (heard only) (<em>L. rufaxilla</em>)<br /><br /><strong>PARROTS</strong><br /><br />Scarlet-fronted Parakeet (<em>Aratinga wagleri</em>)<br />Mitred Parakeet (<em>A. mitrata</em>)<br />White-eyed Parakeet (<em>A. leucopthalmus</em>)<br />Red-masked Parakeet (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>A. erythrogenys</em>)<br />Pacific Parrotlet (<em>Forpus coelestis</em>)<br />Yellow-faced Parrotlet (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic; VULNERABLE</span>) (<em>F. xanthops</em>)<br />Cobalt-winged Parakeet (<em>Brotogeris cyanoptera</em>)<br />Spot-winged Parrotlet (<span style="color:#ff0000;">VULNERABLE</span>) (<em>Touit stictop</em>tera)<br />Blue-headed Parrot (<em>Pionus menstruus</em>)<br />Red-billed Parrot (<em>P. sordidus</em>)<br />Speckle-faced Parrot (<em>P. tumultuosus</em>)<br />Scaly-naped Parrot (<em>Amazonas mercenaria</em>)<br /><br /><strong>CUCKOOS and ANIS</strong><br /><br />Squirrel Cuckoo (<em>Piaya cayana</em>)<br />Smooth-billed Ani (<em>Crotophaga ani</em>)<br />Groove-billed Ani (<em>C. sulcirostris</em>)<br />Striped Cuckoo (<em>Tapera naevia</em>)<br /><br /><strong>BARN OWLS</strong><br /><br />Barn Owl (<em>Tyto alba</em>)<br /><br /><strong>TYPICAL OWLS</strong><br /><br />Tropical Screech-Owl (<em>Megascops choliba</em>)<br />Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl (heard only) (<em>M. watsoni</em>)<br />Peruvian Screech-Owl (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>M. roboratus</em>)<br />Crested Owl (heard only) (<em>Lephostrix cristata</em>)<br />Spectacled Owl (heard only) (<em>Pulsatrix perspicillata</em>)<br />Peruvian Pygmy-Owl (<em>Glaucidium peruanum</em>)<br />Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (heard only) (<em>G. brasilianum</em>)<br />Andean Pygmy-Owl (<em>G. jardinii</em>)<br />Striped Owl (<em>Asio clamator</em>)<br />Burrowing Owl (<em>Athene cuncularia</em>)<br /><br /><strong>NIGHTHAWKS and NIGHTJARS</strong><br /><br />Lesser Nighthawk (<em>Chordeiles acutipennis</em>)<br />Pauraque (heard only) (<em>Nyctidromus albicollis</em>)<br />Swallow-tailed Nightjar (heard only) (<em>Uropsalis segmentata</em>)<br />Rufous Nightjar (<em>Caprimulgus rufus)</em><br /><em></em><br /><strong>SWIFTS</strong><br /><br />White-chested Swift (<em>Cypseloides lemosi</em>)<br />Chestnut-collared Swift (<em>C. rutilus</em>)<br />White-collared Swift (<em>Streptoprocne zonaris</em>)<br />Gray-rumped Swift (C<em>haetura cine</em>iventris)<br />White-tipped Swift (<em>Aeronautes montivagus</em>)<br />Andean Swift (<em>A. andecolus</em>)<br />Neotropical Palm-Swift (<em>Tachornis squamata</em>)<br />Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift (<em>Panyptila cayennensis</em>)<br /><br /><strong>HUMMINGBIRDS</strong><br /><br />Green Hermit (<em>Phaethornis guy</em>)<br />Tawny-bellied Hermit (<em>P. syrmatophorus</em>)<br />Gray-chinned Hermit (<em>P. griseogularis</em>)<br />Green-fronted Lancebill (<em>Doryfera ludovicae</em>)<br />Napo Sabrewing (<em>Campylopterus villaviscensio</em>)<br />White-necked Jacobin (<em>Florisuga mellivora</em>)<br />Green Violet-ear (heard only) (<em>Colibri thalassinus</em>)<br />Sparkling Violet-ear (<em>C. coruscans</em>)<br />Wire-crested Thorntail (<em>Popelairia popelairii</em>)<br />Blue-tailed Emerald (<em>Chlorostilbon mellisugus</em>)<br />Fork-tailed Woodnymph (<em>Thalurania furcata</em>)<br />Blue-chinned Sapphire (<em>Chlorestes notatus</em>)<br />Tumbes Hummingbird (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>Leucippus baeri</em>)<br />Spot-throated Hummingbird (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>L. taczanow</em>ski)<br />Many-spotted Hummingbird (<em>L. hypostictus</em>)<br />White-bellied Hummingbird (<em>L. chionogaster</em>)<br />Andean Emerald (<em>Agyrtria franciae</em>)<br />Amazilia Hummingbird (<em>Amazilia amazilia</em>)<br />Sapphire-spangled Emerald (<em>Polyerata lacteal</em>)<br />Speckled Hummingbird (<em>Adelomyia melanogenys</em>)<br />Eduadorian Piedtail (<em>Phlogophilus hemileucurus</em>)<br />Giant Hummingbird (<em>Patagonia gigas</em>)<br />Shining Sunbeam (<em>Aglaeactis cupripennis</em>)<br />Mountain Velvetbreast (<em>Lafresnaya lafresnaya</em>)<br />Great Sapphirewing (<em>Pterophanes cyanopterus</em>)<br />Collared Inca (<em>Coeligena torquata</em>)<br />Rainbow Starfrontlet (<em>C. iris</em>)<br />Purple-throated Sunangel (<em>Heliangelus viola</em>)<br />Emerald-bellied Puffleg (<em>Eriocnemis alinae</em>)<br />Booted Racket-tail (<em>Ocreatus underwoodii</em>)<br />Black-tailed Trainbearer (<em>Lesbia victoriae</em>)<br />Green-tailed Trainbearer (<em>L. nuna</em>)<br />Purple-backed Thornbill (<em>Tamphomicron microrhynchum</em>)<br />Coppery Metaltail (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>Metallura theresiae</em>)<br />Black Metaltail (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>M. phoebe</em>)<br />Tyrian Metaltail (<em>M. tyrianthina</em>)<br />Gray-bellied Comet (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic; ENDANGERED</span>) (<em>Taphrolesbia grisei</em>ventris)<br />Long-tailed Sylph (<em>Aglaiocercus kingi</em>)<br />Wedge-billed Hummingbird (<em>Schistes geoffroyi</em>)<br />Marvelous Spatuletail (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic; ENDANGERED</span>) (<em>Loddigesia mirabilis</em>)<br />Long-billed Starthroat (<em>Heliomaster longiro</em>stris)<br />Oasis Hummingbird (<em>Rhodopsis vesper</em>)<br />Peruvian Sheartail (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Near Endemic</span>) (<em>Thaumastura cora</em>)<br />Purple-collared Woodstar (<em>Myrtis fanny</em>)<br />Short-tailed Woodstar (<em>Myrmia micura</em>)<br />White-bellied Woodstar (<em>Acestrura mulsant</em>)<br /><br /><strong>TROGONS and QUETZALS</strong><br /><br />Crested Quetzal (heard only) (<em>Pharomachrus antisianus</em>)<br />Golden-headed Quetzal (heard only) (<em>P. auriceps</em>)<br />Blue-crowned Trogon (heard only) (<em>Trogon curucui</em>)<br />Amazonian White-tailed Trogon (<em>T. viridis</em>)<br /><br /><strong>KINGFISHERS</strong><br /><br />Ringed Kingfisher (<em>Ceryle torquata</em>)<br /><br /><strong>MOTMOTS</strong><br /><br />Blue-crowned Motmot (<em>Momotus momota</em>)<br /><br /><strong>PUFFBIRDS and NUNBIRDS</strong><br /><br />Chestnut-capped Puffbird (<em>Bucco macrodactylus</em>)<br />Lanceolated Monklet (<em>Micromonacha lanceolata</em>)<br />Black-fronted Nunbird (heard only) (<em>Monasa nigrifrons</em>)<br />White-fronted Nunbird (<em>M. morphoeus</em>)<br />Swallow-wing (<em>Chelidoptera tenebrosa</em>)<br /><br /><br /><strong>BARBETS</strong><br /><br />Gilded Barbet (<em>Capito auratus</em>)<br />Lemon-throated Barbet (<em>Eubucco richardsoni</em>)<br />Versicolored Barbet (<em>E. versicolor</em>)<br /><br /><strong>TOUCANS and ARACARIS</strong><br /><br />Andean Toucanet (<em>Aulacorhynchus cyanolaemus</em>)<br />Ivory-billed Aracari (<em>Pteroglossus azara</em>)<br />Chestnut-eared Aracari (<em>P. castanotis</em>)<br />Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan (heard only) (<em>Andigena hypoglauca</em>)<br />Channel-billed Toucan (<em>Ramphastos vitellinus</em>)<br />Black-mandibled Toucan (<em>R. ambiguous</em>)<br />Golden-collared Toucanet (heard only) (<em>Selenidera reinwardtii</em>)<br /><br /><strong>WOODPECKERS and PICULETS</strong><br /><br />Lafresnaye's Piculet (<em>Picumnus lafresnayi</em>)<br />Ecuadorian Piculte (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>P. sclateri</em>)<br />Speckle-chested Piculet (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic/VULNERABLE</span>) (<em>P. steinda</em>chner)<br />Scarlet-backed Woodpecker (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>Venilornis callonotus</em>)<br />Smoky-brown Woodpecker (<em>V. fumigatus</em>)<br />Little Woodpecker (<em>V. passerinus</em>)<br />Golden-olive Woodpecker (<em>Piculus rubiginosus</em>)<br />Black-necked Woodpecker (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>Colaptes atricolisl</em>)<br />Andean Flicker (<em>C. rupicola</em>)<br />Lineated Woodpecker (<em>Dryocopus lineatus</em>)<br />Red-necked Woodpecker (<em>Campephilus rubricollis</em>)<br />Crimson-crested Woodpecker (<em>C. melano</em>leucas)<br />Guayaquil Woodpecker (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>C. gataquilensis</em>)<br /><br /><strong>WOODCREEPERS</strong><br /><br />Tyrannine Woodcreeper (<em>Dendrocincla tyrannina</em>)<br />Plain-brown Woodcreeper (<em>D. fuliginosa</em>)<br />Olivaceous Woodcreeper (<em>Sittasomus griseicapillus</em>)<br />Wedge-billed Woodcreeper (<em>Glyphorynchus spirurus)</em><br />Cinnamon-throated Woodcreeper (heard only) (<em>Dendrexetastes rufigula</em>)<br />Buff-throated (Lafresnaye's) Woodcreeper (heard only) (<em>Xiphorhynchus guttatoides</em>)<br />Streak-headed Woodcreeper (<em>Lepidocolaptes souleyetti</em>)<br />Montane Woodcreeper (<em>L. lacrymiger</em>)<br />Lineated Woodcreeper (<em>L. albolineatus</em>)<br /><br /><strong>FURNARIDS or OVENBIRDS</strong><br /><br />Coastal Miner (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>Geositta peruviana</em>)<br />Striated Earthcreeper (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>Upucerthia serrana</em>)<br />Bar-winged Cinclodes (<em>Cinclodes fuscus</em>)<br />Peruvian Seaside (Surf) Cinclodes (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>C. taczanowskii)</em><br />White-winged Cinclodes (<em>C. atacamensis</em>)<br />Pacific Hornero (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>Furnarius cinnamomeus</em>)<br />Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>Leptasthenura pileata</em>)<br />White-chinned Thistletail (heard only) (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>Schizoeaca fulginosa peruviana</em>)<br />Azara's Spinetail (<em>Synallaxis azarae</em>)<br />Dark-breasted Spinetail (<em>S. albigularis</em>)<br />Dusky Spinetail (heard only) (<em>S. moesta)</em><br />Maranon Spinetail (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Near Endemic; VULNERABLE</span>) (<em>S. maranonica</em>)<br />Rufous Spinetail (<em>S.</em> <em>unirufa</em>)<br />Necklaced Spinetail (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic</span>) (<em>S. stictothora</em>)<br />Chinchipe Spinetail (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>S. chinchipensis</em>)<br />Line-cheeked Spinetail (<em>Cranioleuca antisiensis</em>)<br />Barons Spinetail (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>C. baroni</em>)<br />Streak-throated Canastero (<em>Asthenes humilis</em>)<br />Many-striped Canastero (<em>A. flammulata</em>)<br />Great Spinetail (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic</span>) (<em>Siptornopsis hypocondriacus</em>)<br />Rufous-fronted (Maranon) Thornbird (<em>Phacellodomus rufifrons</em>)<br />Chestnut-backed Thornbird (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic; VULNERABLE</span>) (<em>P. dorsalis</em>)<br />Russet-mantled Softtail (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Peruvian Endemic; ENDANGERED</span>) (<em>Thripophaga berlepschi</em>)<br />Equatorial Graytail (<em>Xenerpestes singularis</em>)<br />Pearled Treerunner (<em>Maragrornis squamiger</em>)<br />Streaked Tuftedcheek (<em>Pseudocolaptes boissonneautii)</em><br />Buff-browed Foliage-Gleaner (<em>Syndactyla rufosuperciliata</em>)<br />Rufous-necked Foliage-gleaner (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic; VULNERABLE</span>) (<em>S. ruficollis</em>)<br />Montane Foliage-gleaner (<em>Anabacerthia striaticollis</em>)<br />Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner (<em>Philydor rufus</em>)<br />Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner (<span style="color:#ff0000;">Tumbes Endemic; VULNERABLE</span>) (<em>Hylocryptes erythrocephalus</em>)<br />Rufous-tailed Xenops (<em>Xenops milleri</em>)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/17561543-113649493872360197?l=perubirding.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15386831984311729340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561543.post-1136482139126946842006-01-05T08:28:00.000-08:002006-01-29T14:39:33.003-08:00Northern Peru - the Maranon Endemics<br /><br /><br />Entry #7<br /><br /><br /><strong>29 September</strong><br /><br />We got up at 4:45 a.m. and left the hotel at 5:15. Between last night and this morning, we collected the group's contributions for the driver and cooks - $120 from each participant to be divided three ways between Jose, Raul, and Ivan. We gave the money to Barry to present to them tomorrow morning when we go to the airport.<br /><br />We drove out of town, arriving at 6:15 at the Bosque de Pomac Historical Sanctuary (INRENA) - another protected area where we h<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Rufous%20Flyc%20small.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Rufous%20Flyc%20small.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>eard machetes chopping trees all morning :( This was more VERY dry dusty scrub. We had our last field breakfast - "Eggie Bread" (French toast). We birded in the scrub along the track where we had breakfast and then moved around along the dusty tracks through the sanctuary, stopping to bird at various places. We got GREAT looks at a few more target species - Peruvian Plantcutter and Rufous Flycatcher (see photo). We failed to find a White-throated Kingbird, but had some nice looks at a few "repeat" species. We then drove back to town slowly, looking for birds in the fields along the way, and arrived back at the hotel at 11:30 a.m. I did some catching up on my journal-writing. Then had lunch in the hotel - Sopa Criolla and platanos fritos, and then more journalling during the "siesta" time.<br /><br />We met in the lobby at 2:30 for a final, relaxed drive to the coast and some birding. We drove to Santa Rosa at the ocean (a fishing village). We stopped along the road on the way to look for swallows. It was sunny (sort of), WINDY, and dusty. We actually walked out through some old fallow fields with some sort of wierd salt grass-like vegetation and some scrubby forbs growing in the sandy soil, looking for seedsnipes ... to no avail. Then we continued down to the beach where we checked out the sandy beaches and the marshes just behind the sand and breakers. It was pretty cold and windy and I didn't work very hard at seeing things .... I was feeling some "end of trip blues" I guess. We did see a Snowy Plover and a Coastal Miner; otherwise it was the familiar gulls, etc. from the first day of the trip near Lima.<br /><br />We drove back along the coast through the fishing town where we saw numerous boats in various stages of construction - some with only the basic wooden skeletons of the hull and some receiving a final paint job. There were lots of fishing boats pulled up on the shore and there were a few of the traditional reed canoes. They reminded me of the larger reed sailboat (Kon Tiki?) that Thor Heyerdahl built to test whether it was actually possible to make it all the way to Polynesia from Peru (or was it FROM Polynesia? I can't remember).<br /><br />We returned to the hotel where we spent some time repacking our luggage for the return flights. Then we met in the hotel restaurant for our final bird list. However we were destined for a greater treat for dinner. We took taxis (here the mototaxis were replaced by "the miniature yellow taxi box cars") to Restaurant el Huaralina - a fabulous higher-end place than we'd been frequenting. Appetizers - fried yucca with a great yellow chile dipping sauce. A Pisco Sour followed by a bottle of Concha y Torro (Chilean) wine - Casillero del Diablo - Cabernet Sauvignon & Sauvignon Blanc. There was delicious seafood - a mixed ceviche (raw fish "cooked" with lime juice) of white fish, shrimp, octopus, and scallops. Main course for me - Mero (a type of white fish) a la Pescadora - with a sauce of mixed seafood. Dessert - chocolate ice cream! Being fully sated with this feast, we took our taxis back to the hotel. Barry and Erick went upstairs to their rooms. The rest of us sat around on sofas in the lobby discussing some scheme hatched by Bill and the woman at the hotel desk to get Dan together with one of her friends. She'd given Bill directions to some disco where everyone who was anyone was to meet. Figuring that the disco would be a noisy, smoky, and late night, Dave and I left the "rest of the boys" to their fun and retired. Apparently Dan's "blind date" never showed up but those "dancin' fools" closed out the disco at 4:00 a.m.! They looked a little rough around the edges at breakfast the next morning, but they all showed up.<br /><br /><strong>Birds Observed around Chiclayo</strong><br />September 29<br /><br />Neotropic Cormorant<br />Cinnamon Teal<br />Snowy Egret<br />Great Egret<br />Cattle Egret<br />Striated Heron<br />Black Vulture<br />Turkey Vulture<br />Savanna Hawk<br />Northern Crested Caracara<br />American Kestrel<br />Common Moorhen<br />Whimbrel<br />Spotted Sandpiper<br />Ruddy Turnstone<br />Surfbird<br />Sanderling<br />Least Sandpiper<br />Baird's Sandpiper<br />Gray (Black-bellied) Plover<br />Killdeer<br />Snowy Plover<br />Belcher's Gull<br />Kelp Gull<br />Gray-headed Gull<br />Franklin's Gull<br />Elegant Tern<br />Eared Dove<br />Pacific Dove<br />Croaking Ground-Dove<br />Groove-billed Ani<br />Burrowing Owl<br />Lesser Nighthawk<br />Amazilia Hummingbird<br />Scarlet-backed Woodpecker (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Streak-headed Woodcreeper<br />Coastal Miner (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Pacific Hornero (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Necklaced Spinetail (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Collared Antshrike<br />Peruvian Plantcutter (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet<br />Gray-and-White Tyrannulet (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant<br />Vermilion Flycatcher<br />Rufous Flycatcher (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Tropical Kingbird<br />Baird's Flycatcher (Tumbes Endemic)<br />White-collared Jay (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Long-tailed Mockingbird<br />Fasciated Wren<br />Superciliated Wren (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Tropical Gnatcatcher<br />Peruvian Martin (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Blue-and-White Swallow<br />Southern Rough-winged Swallow<br />Barn Swallow<br />House Sparrow<br />Bananaquit<br />Cinereous Conebill<br />Blue-gray Tanager<br />Collared Warbling-Finch<br />Saffron Finch<br />Streaked Saltator<br />White-edged Oriole (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Peruvian Meadowlark<br />Scrub Blackbird<br />Shiny Cowbird<br /><br /><strong>30 September</strong><br /><br />Today is Dave and my anniversary (#4) .... what a way to spend it .... jet-lagged on a travel day towards the U.S. - BUT also the end of a fabulous trip! We got up at 6:30 a.m. because we were so used to getting up early that we got up before the alarm! We took a shower to last the next day and a half and put on our last set of clean traveling clothes. Breakfast at the hotel was at 8:00 a.m. - scrambled egges with ham, orange juice, coffee and rolls. We then loaded the luggage into the bus one last time and drove just a few minutes to the airport.<br /><br />A potentially difficult event with a great relief of a resolution: Terry discovered this morning that he'd lost his passport and after spending a bunch of time with Barry checking with the U.S. Embassy about all the hassles he'd have to go through tomorrow to get a replacement (he and Erick were not leaving Lima for the U.S. for 2 more days), we got on the bus and there was Jose with Terry's passport - he'd found it on the steps of the bus! What a relief!<br /><br />One last image: Once again the bus goes down a narrow city alley that passes for a street and can't get past some vehicle parked haphazardly in the middle of everything. From the bus we see ... the policeman down the street and some guy who apparently climbed out of a nearby taxi ... all standing in the street in front of the bus giving Jose unwanted and relatively useless hand signals and directions. As usual, Jose maneuvered us out of another "pickle".<br /><br />At the airport we got pictures of our group with the support crew, Barry presented them with our tips, and we said our goodbyes. Barry got us all checked in for our flight from Chiclayo to Lima. Having had limited opportunities to buy souvenirs in a part of Peru that gets few tourists, several of us bought souvenirs at the airport (I managed a very nice embroidered blouse for 40 Soles). The flight was uneventful - I read a little in my book, dozed, and (as on our previous trip) were entertained by some kind of Canadian "Candid Camera"-type show that had almost everyone on the plane laughing.<br /><br />In Lima we met up with the Manu Expeditions contact and then said our goodbyes to Barry and Bill, who were going directly on to Cuzco - Barry to go home, and Bill for the Macchu Picchu extension that Dave and I had taken on our previous trip. The rest of us were driven back across Lima to the Hotel Jose Antonio in Miraflores where four of us had "day use" rooms - Dave, Dan, Sam, and I - and Terry and Erick had an overnight (they weren't leaving for another two days. We dumped our stuff in the rooms and went across the street to a coffee shop where we had a light lunch - a lomo saltado empanada and a Cafe Mocha. Then we all walked 6-8 blocks to the mercado, which turned out to be very similar to the multiple, related stalls in Nogales, Mexico that we'd visit from Arizona - you get harangued by shop keepers and bargain for the best price. We did stop at the high end Alpaca III store up the street that had beautiful sweaters, but I couldn't find one that just jumped out at me. My acquired treasures from the market included: an embroidered purse; some printed fabric to make into what???? I don't know yet; a pair of those gathered pants from locally woven fabric you get throughout much of Latin America; and two jackets .... bought the first one and THEN found the one that I really wanted. So now I have two and will have to find some lucky friend to receive the first one! Got back to the hotel and found a beautiful ceramic figure of a traditionally-dressed Andean woman that I bought and had carefully wrapped for carrying onto the plane.<br /><br />We then went back out at 5:15 p.m. to a restaurant called of all things "Las Tejas" that Erick had eaten at when he was in Peru with his sons a couple years ago. More great seafood - for me a mix of seafoods, a mixed salad and two Pisco Sours. Then it was back to the hotel with barely time to repack our luggage with our new acquisitions before our ride arrived at 7:30 to take us back to the airport. It was Friday night rush hour and this guy, who was a different fellow, did not take the "usual" route down off the bluffs and along the ocean before crossing Lima. We had no idea where we were but it seemed to take much longer than before. We must have gotten there at about 8:30 p.m. This time we were on our own. Dan, Dave and I had no real problems checking in with American Airlines - the lines weren't long at all. But Sam got really hung up in the Continental lines. We finally went through security without him since our plane left first. I wandered around trying to figure out how to spend my last few Soles but I had "hit the wall" and started to get grumpy and couldn't decide on anything. We said goodbye to Dan, who was on a later AA flight back to California and finally to Sam who made it through security and had a flight at about 1:00 a.m. back to New Mexico.<br /><br />Our flight took off on time at about 11:20 p.m. I slept almost the entire time, waking when the pilot announced the final approach to Miami. We went through customs without a hitch (after a short panic when Dave's luggage didn't appear - turned out that some bozo pulled it off the carousel, realized it wasn't his, and left it sitting off to the side! PHEW!). We rechecked our luggage for the rest of the U.S. trip. We had time for an unexceptional breakfast of orange juice, scrambled eggs, home fries, and toast at some fast food place specializing in Chinese food! We sat in blurred silence until we loaded onto the next flight to Dallas/Fort Worth. There we had a nice big American burger with mushrooms and Swiss cheese, fries, and my "long dreamed of" iced tea ... it was not all I'd dreamed of, but it did have ice and lemons. Again we sat rather uncomfortably at the gate - my body was rebelling at sitting so long in cramped spaces and I couldn't get comfortable. Another uneventful flight to Albuquerque. This time our luggage was sitting on the side even though the carousel was not off-loading yet - apparently it came in on an earlier flight, which I thought was illegal. Then it was a quick shuttle ride to the parking lot where the truck started up right away, we paid a $60.00 parking fee (still cheaper than a round trip taxi ride to our house) and headed home.<br /><br />Until next time ... the next exotic location ... the next bird!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/17561543-113648213912694684?l=perubirding.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15386831984311729340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561543.post-1136410569646431372006-01-04T12:31:00.000-08:002006-02-12T13:59:54.630-08:00Northern Peru - the Maranon Endemics<br /><br /><br /><br />Entry #6<br /><br /><br /><strong>26 September</strong><br /><br />We got up at 4:00 a.m. Knowing how nice the pool and palm tree area looked here at the hotel, I was tempted to "stay in", but a sparrow - Black-capped (Maranon) Sparrow - beckoned. So I got up and was on the bus with the others at 4:30. It turned out that Erick responded to the same temptation and decided to sleep in this morning. We had breakfast along a side road about 22 km above Tamborapa (800-900 m) - the wonderful granola that Raul makes with yogurt, and coffee concentrate that was as thick as motor oil this morning, and a mixed fruit salad. We then birded up along the side road for a whole series of arid land Maranon endemics. We had beautiful looks at the Maranon Black-capped Sparrow - quite the dapper fellow. We also saw the Chinchipe Spinetail, not-so-good looks at the Maranon Spinetail (only glimpses for me) and FINALLY I got a nice look at the Speckle-breasted Wren! Then we climbed back on the bus, drove up the road only a short distance, where we stopped and almost immediately had crippling (good) looks at the Maranon Crescentchest. Another bird that could be one of the "birds of the trip" - really a gorgeous, sharp-looking bird.<br /><br />We were "done" by 10:30 a.m. - we'd seen all the target species - and headed back to the hotel, arriving at 11:45. We met for lunch by the pool at 12:30 - lomo saltado with papas fritas and Coca Cola "regular". We then dispersed to our rooms for a siesta. Dave and I slept until 2:45; then he got up and joined some of the guys for some afternoon birding; I slept until 3:30. I then got up and spent some time by the pool catching up on my journal.<br /><br />I reflected some more on our experience with the Aguaruna Indians. Historically they have been an extremely aggressive, violent people and are still so on occasions today. We heard stories about recent events from various Aguaruna villages. They got angry with some of the non-Indian settlers who had moved up along the river, so they killed all of them - men, women, and children. They have killed missionaries in the near past when they didn't like what the missionaries did or said. Nuevo Salem, where we stayed, was a new village that Barry had not been to before, although other of his guides (Manu Expeditions) and other partner tours (Richard and Rosanne) had. This new village was being visited because some other tour groups had disobeyed the rules about how to arrange visits to the previous Aguaruna village (as arranged by the village and partner groups such as Manu Expeditions). As a result, the men of the village showed up in war paint with spears and told them to leave and never come back. We were reminded that although they appear "civilized" in European-style clothing, they are still a very violent people. In fact, Jorge (the chief) talked about how he still had to work with some of the more traditional individuals to convince them not to respond to someone who made them angry by killing them. The chief said that he now understands that this (violence) is not a good way, presumably due to the influence of the missionaries.<br /><br />It was a very interesting situation to know that it was within the realm of possibility, no matter how unlikely, that these wiry, diminutive peopole could have taken exception to our presence for some reason and, as we were unarmed, could have chosen to kill us in our sleep. They showed us their spears (and sold some to us) and appeared quite comfortable in handling them; I don't know whether they still use bows and arrows although we did see a "poison arrow frog"; and the did have ancient-looking rifles of some sort.<br /><br />Barry (Manu Expeditions) and several other tour group leaders have worked very hard to establish a respectful, cooperative arrangement with this village. Anyone who wants to visit and bird there is asked to make the arrangements through one of the partners. We hope that everyone respects this arrangement rather than flouting the rules, which would spoil it for everyone AND could be dangerous in light the the Aguaruna's volatile nature. It is a fabulous opportunity to learn from them. They probably don't need to learn from us - it is primarily a monetary arrangement to them.<br /><br />After some nice relaxing time around the pool, the guys returned and we met and did our bird list for the day. We then had another pell mell mototaxi ride across town to the same restaurant on the plaza for dinner, only to discover that it was closed on Mondays! So, pell mell back to the hotel and an quick dinner of lomo saltado for everyone to expedite the ordering/preparation. Dan continued to fight what we'd come to call "the malais" that he and Dave had had in Nuevo Salem, so we gave him our Cipro in the hopes that this would bring back the spring to his steps.<br /><br /><strong>27 September</strong><br /><br />We got up at 3:15 a.m., packed up everything, and were on the bus before 4:00. By 3:50, Erick still wasn't there; Terry went and checked his room and he was still in bed! Ooops. Either he misunderstood the departure time or overslept. Amazingly he was climbing onto the bus at 4:05 - not something that I could have pulled off. With that we left El Bosque Hotel in Jaen. I awoke on the bus at about 6:00 a.m. We were still traveling up toward Abra Porculla (the lowest pass in the Andes - 2050 m). This has ecological significance because the pass provides a barrier to movement north and south of montane species along the spine of the Andes (resulting in speciation and differentiation in the northern and southern Andes), BUT because the pass is so low, it has permitted movement east and west across the Andes between the Pacific coast and the interior/Atlantic drainage for lowland species. We traveled most of the way to the pass along the Rio Chamaya, which empties into the Rio Maranon at the town of Chamaya, which we'd passed through on our way to and from Jaen.<br /><br />The contrasts were striking between the incredibly dry, desert-like and over-grazed rocky mountains supporting nothing but a few scraggly, thorny trees/shrubs and the relatively fertile, narrow river valley where green rice fields could still be seen. It's amazing that the goats and sheep we saw could find a single tidbit to eat, but the characteristic criss-crossed, diamond-patterned goat tracks all over the mountainsides testified to their historical if not current presence.<br /><br />Image: As usual, all the big trucks traveling this main highway had bunches of thorny branches tied to the back ends, apparently to prevent people from climbing up on top to "hitch a ride".<br /><br />We reached the pass at about 7:00 a.m. and drove over into the Pacific drainage. A short distance down from the pass, we stopped in a small town called Limon de Porcuya and drove up on a dirt track above town that was almost too narrow for the bus. It required Raul to jump out and direct Jose with hand motions and concerned looks on his face. The rest of us held our breath. We drove up quite a way into what supported some remaining scrubby habitat and had a great morning birding up the track after breakfast - granola and yogurt, rolls, and peanut butter and jam. We saw Black-cowled Saltator, Chinchipe and Rufous-necked spinetails, Elegant Crescentchest, and Three-banded Warblers to name a few species.<br /><br />Image: Way up the canyon and above our heads on a ridge, a kid (child, not goat) started yelling, apparently to someone else beyond our view in a tedious, sing song voice, over and over! We couldn't figure out what she was saying or to whom she was calling, but we soon wished that whoever it was, would answer so that she would be quiet. The only response was from the goats who seemed to bleat some equally unintelligible answers.<br /><br />We spent the whole morning there (dubbed "Barry's road") and had lunch at the same breakfast location when we returned to the bus - some kind of rice dish with beans and bacon in a sauce.<br /><br />From there we drove on southwest to Olmos and beyond to the tiny town of Limon at the mouth of Quebrada Frijolito. The latter leg of the trip required a bone-and-teeth-jarring, slow ride down dusty tracks that twisted and turned and scrabbled across large-cobbled, dry riverbeds. If it ever rained here (I'm sure it does but it sure didn't look like it), we'd probably never get out!<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Collared%20Antsh%20small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Collared%20Antsh%20small.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />We finally arrived at Limon (230 m) at about 3:45 p.m. - little more than a few adobe houses and a cemetery. As we piled off the bus, we were greeted by curious children and hundreds of perched Black and Turkey vultures along with one regal-looking King Vulture that tolerated the binocular and photographic attention of the whole group for only so long before it flapped slowly off through the scrub. After selecting the sites for our tents - one patch of bare dirt and thorny shrubs looked pretty much like every other one - we walked a ways up the trail to the quebrada. We managed a some nice looks at the local Collared Antshrike (see photo).<br /><br />Clouds and lightning were playing off of the mountains in the distance as we returned to camp and just after we'd settled in at the tables with a beer and popcorn, it started to rain. So we all scuttled onto the bus to wait out the insubstantial shower. But when our return to the table was again interrupted by rain, we repaired to the bus while the crew, with the "help" of the local children, erected the dining tent for the first time on the trip. We completed our bird list to the giggles of the kids outside the tent peering in at the tent windows. Dinner - soup; spaghetti with tomato sauce; and peaches with whipped cream for dessert.<br /><br />Image: (perhaps skewed in my mind by it being near the end of three weeks of travel) Bano (toilet) tent - shared by Janet and 8+ guys - NOT fun. But for the rain and the darkness, I'd have made for the surrounding desert scrub.<br /><br />I crawled into the tent with Dave to the sound of a few raindrops still hitting the canvas and dropping temperatures that made me glad for a fleece jacket and willing to zip up my sleeping bag with me inside for a change.<br /><br /><strong>Birds Observed around Jaen and from Jaen to Limon</strong><br />September 26 - 27<br /><br />Tataupa Tinamou (heard only)<br />Great Egret<br />Cattle Egret<br />Black Vulture<br />Turkey Vulture<br />King Vulture<br />Bay-winged (Harris') Hawk<br />Roadside Hawk<br />Variable (Red-backed) Hawk<br />American Kestrel<br />Band-tailed Pigeon<br />Peruvian Pigeon (Near Endemic)<br />Eared Dove<br />Pacific Dove<br />Croaking Ground-Dove<br />White-tipped Dove<br />Scarlet-fronted Parakeet<br />Red-masked Parakeet (Tumbes Endemic) (Heard only)<br />Pacific Parrotlet<br />Squirrel Cuckoo<br />Groove-billed Ani<br />Peruvian Pygmy-Owl<br />Lesser Nighthawk<br />Tawny-bellied Hermit<br />Gray-chinned Hermit<br />Sparkling Violet-ear<br />Spot-throated Hummingbird (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Andean Emerald<br />Amazilia Hummingbird<br />Scarlet-backed Woodpecker (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Lineated Woodpecker (heard)<br />Olivaceous Woodcreeper<br />Pacific Hornero (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Maranon Spinetail (Near Endemic)<br />Necklaced Spinetail (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Chinchipe Spinetail (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Line-cheeked Spinetail<br />Rufous-fronted (Maranon) Thornbird<br />Rufous-necked Foliage-gleaner (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Collared Antshrike<br />Maranon Collared Antshrike (subspecies) (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Chapman's Antshrike (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Northern Slaty Antshrike<br />Chestnut-crowned Antpitta<br />Elegant Crescent-chest (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Maranon Crescent-chest (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Common Tody-Flycatcher<br />Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet<br />Tumbesian Tyrannulet (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Yellow-bellied Elaenia<br />Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant<br />Tumbes Pewee (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Vermilion Flycatcher<br />Piura Chat-Tyrant (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Tumbes Tyrant (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Short-tailed Field-Tyrant<br />Sooty-crowned Flycatcher<br />Brown-crested Flycatcher (heard only)<br />Tropical Kingbird<br />Baird's Flycatcher (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Inca (Green) Jay<br />Rufous-browed Peppershrike<br />Yellow-green Vireo<br />Chiguanco Thrush<br />Great Thrush<br />Long-tailed Mockingbird<br />Fasciated Wren<br />Maranon (Speckle-breasted) Wren<br />Speckle-breasted Wren (different subspecies) (heard only)<br />Superciliated Wren (Tumbes Endemic)<br />House Wren<br />Tropical Gnatcatcher<br />Maranon Gnatcatcher (Peruvian Endemic) (heard only)<br />Gray-breasted Martin<br />Blue-and-White Swallow<br />Southern Rough-winged Swallow<br />House Sparrow<br />Hooded Siskin<br />Lesser Goldfinch<br />Slate-throated Whitestart (Redstart)<br />Three-banded Warbler (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Rufous-collared Sparrow<br />Black-capped (Maranon) Sparrow<br />Bay-crowned Brush-Finch<br />White-winged Brush-Finch<br />Bananaquit<br />Buff-bellied Tanager (Near Endemic)<br />Highland Hepatic Tanager<br />Blue-gray Tanager<br />Purple-throated Euphonia (heard only)<br />Red-crested Finch<br />Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch<br />Collared Warbling-Finch<br />Saffron Finch<br />Blue-black Grassquit (heard only)<br />Chestnut-throated Seedeater<br />Band-tailed Seedeater<br />Blue Seedeater<br />Dull-colored Grassquit<br />Rusty Flower-piercer<br />Golden-bellied Grosbeak<br />Black-cowled Saltator (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Streaked Saltator<br />Yellow-tailed Oriole<br />White-edged Oriole (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Peruvian Meadowlark<br />Scrub Blackbird<br /><br /><strong>28 September</strong><br /><br />The alarm went off in the tent at 3:30 a.m. for 4:00 owling - Dave decided to go and I decided to "sleep in". I put that in parentheses because my bladder had turned me into the human water balloon and I couldn't go back to sleep. I just tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position so I wouldn't have to get up .... but "mind over bladder" did not work. I got up at 4:15 and waited less than patiently for my turn in the Bano Tent. The owlers got back at about 5:15, having seen a Peruvian Screech-Owl but no Scrub Nightjars. They also experienced some surveillance from a Coastal Gray Fox that followed them along the edge of the trail as they birded and played tapes. Breakfast was pancakes.<br /><br />At 6:00 a.m. we met Lino, the fellow who lives at the mouth of the quebrada and protects the White-winged Guans - an extremely range-limited and endangered species and our target bird for the day. He gets paid to provide this protection. He also led us on our birding walk all morning. When asked, he said we didn't have to hurry up to the canyon to see the birds early ... "just a normal pace". Well, I'd hate to see a fast pace if he called this regular! I was almost immediately lagging behind with Barry, who'd picked up some stomach bug and wasn't feeling too chipper. Lino took us immediately to a place along the trail where he knew that a pair of White-winged Guan had their territory and by the time that we laggards arrived, the birds had been<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Pac%20Parrotlet%20small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Pac%20Parrotlet%20small.jpg" border="0" /></a> flushed and only briefly glimpsed by a few. Lino took off up the slope to try to flush them into view. The guans obliged wonderfully, flushing up into the trees to be admired by all - huge black turkey-like birds with white primary feathers and some red on the face. We had quite a few other good birds on this trek, which continued most of the morning. Now that we'd seen the target species early and didn't have to worry about them anymore, we could bird the rest of the quebrada in a more leisurely fashion. We saw Blue-crowned Motmot, Plumbeous-backed Thrush, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Guayaquil Woodpecker, White-tailed Jays, 2 Striped Owls flushed from a group of 4 that Lino found (a real bonus) (see photo), Pacific Parrotlets (see photo), AND at the end of the trek, a small flock of Tumbes Sparrows (another <em>Aimophila </em>to add to my world list!). The Tumbes Sparrow is quite nicely marked on the face - more like the Rufous-winged Sparrow than the bland Cassin's and Botteri's sparrows. We also saw a Guayaquil Squirrel. Arrived back at Limon at 11:10 a.m.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Striped%20Owl%20small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Striped%20Owl%20small.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Sad Note: When I got up this morning and got ready for the morning hike, I couldn't find my camera. It wasn't in my fanny pack and it wasn't on my bus seat where I often left it if I wasn't using it. I made a quick search but didn't find it. So, deciding that I didn't need to make everyone wait while I panicked and searched before the hike, I took the hike without my camera, missing some beautiful photos of the quebrada - pretty spectacular, with sheer rock faces, broad cobbled river bottom, and dry deciduous forests which reminded me of autumn with dry, yellow leaves drifting down from the trees. When I got back to Limon, I had the crew pull my duffel bag from the back of the bus, thinking that I might have absent-mindedly put it in there while in the tent - no luck. The group was getting ready to leave Limon, so I waited, still holding out hope that since Dave's duffel bag had been at the front of the tent, perhaps the camera had slid into it. Unfortunately, when we checked upon arrival in Chiclayo, there was no sign of it. I'd been preparing myself for the possibility of its loss all day (I had not downloaded any digital images during the trip), but it was still a crushing blow. All the great photos I had - frame-filling shots of the Peruvian Seaside Cinclodes, photos of Roberto and the group at Abra Patricia, photos of Abra Patricia habitat for American Bird Conservancy (they've helped Roberto's group purchase land for conservation there), the chief at Nuevo Salem, photos of Dave throughout the trip, and all the "artistic" shots I'd taken as ideas for dreamed of bird paintings - all gone, probably over 200 photos. I will never completely reject the possibility that I mislaid it or dropped it somewhere, although after racking my brain, it seems unlikely. I had it at lunch the previous day and after lunch we immediately got on the bus and drove to Limon. It would have been in my field vest or sun-shirt pocket and if it had fallen out, would have made a very noticeable noise. I totally trust the Manu Expedition crew, leaving only one possibility. I had gotten used to leaving my camera on the bus seat because the crew was always there to watch things. However, in Limon there was lots of commotion, especially surrounding the time of "in and out of the bus" during the rain and setting up of the dining tent, and any of the kids from the village might have climbed onto the bus and not been able to resist the temptation of a shiny camera. I find my self feeling that I wouldn't even mind if they kept my camera if the thief would just give me the chip inside .... one of the downsides of digital cameras is that if you don't carry extra chips and trade them out (or download them during the trip), everything is inside the camera (no used film stored elsewhere). It will teach me to come up with a solution for the next trip. I was determined not to allow this to ruin the end of the trip - I will have fabulous memories with pictures in my head, and the rest of the group felt terrible and promised to share their photos. After all, a camera is just another of the "things" one hangs onto isn't it? But it is disappointing and I keep seeing things I want to take pictures of.<br /><br />When we left Limon, we drove to a place called El Tocto (translated "pork cracklins") at Km 105 on the old Pan American Highway, where we birded while lunch was prepared and afterwards. It was extremely hot and dry. We walked through thick dust on the roads and out into the thorn scrub. I kept expecting a wildebeest to come around the corner, but saw only scruffy goats and sheep, cows and horses - no wonder there's no vegetation left AND what do they eat anyway?! We were also beset by a plague of small wasps that first looked like sweat bee-types but were incredibly persistent and at arbitrary times would either take nips OR would sting. I got it once on the arm and Terry and Erick each "got it" several times. It made my really jumpy (and a little grumpy), not really wanting multiple stings even though the one I got didn't seem to elicit any major reaction.<br /><br />Image: We saw a beautiful, fairly large lizard that we later identified as a Golden Tegu (or something in that family) - almost 2 feet long, long pointy/angular head (kind of shaped like a monitor lizard head), black and white/cream splotches best defined on the back legs, and a banded tail. It was pretty fierce-looking. When we approached, it went down a hole in the bank.<br /><br />We saw another funny lizard - small and of pale shades of brown; it would stop moving and lift one foot and shake it, put that one down and lift another and shake it. Was it some kind of "display"?<br /><br />We left this spot at 3:45 p.m., stopping at one of the propagation sites for the White-winged Guan which was right along the road. It was like a little zoo - cages of White-winged and Gray-winged trumpeters, various guans, Speckled Chachalacas, a toucan, etc. There were two macaws - a Blue-and-Yellow and a Scarlet digging around on the ground outside the cages. We left there at 4:20 and drove to Chiclayo, arriving at the Inca Hotel at about 6:30 p.m.<br /><br />This was quite an upscale hotel compared to most if not all our accomodations during the trip. (perhaps we were being reintroduced to "civilization"! :) We showered and cleaned up, and then met downstairs for a bird list and dinner - for me, fish in a sauce of ajillo (peppers) and mushrooms with rice. We enjoyed a complimentary pre-dinner drink called algorabino, made from the fruit of the algorobo (or algarrobo?) tree, a <em>Prosopis</em> species (same as mesquite). It was very delicious - sweet and caramelly - seemed more like an after-dinner drink to me. Apparently it was very traditional in this area. However, I think the consensus of the group was that the drink of choice for Peru is Pisco, either in a Pisco Sour or straight up.<br /><br /><strong>Birds Observed at Limon and on road from Limon to Chiclayo</strong><br />September 28<br /><br />Snowy Egret<br />Great Egret<br />Cattle Egret<br />Black Vulture<br />Turkey Vulture<br />King Vulture<br />Savanna Hawk<br />Northern Crested Caracara<br />American Kestrel<br />White-winged Guan (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Black-necked Stilt<br />Eared Dove<br />Pacific Dove<br />Croaking Ground-Dove<br />White-tipped Dove<br />Red-masked Parakeet (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Pacific Parrotlet<br />Groove-billed Ani<br />Barn Owl (heard only)<br />Peruvian Screech-Owl (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Striped Owl<br />Peruvian Pygmy-Owl<br />Tumbes Hummingbird (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Amazilia Hummingbird<br />Long-billed Starthroat<br />Short-tailed Woodstar<br />Ringed Kingfisher<br />Blue-crowned Motmot<br />Ecuadorian Piculet (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Scarlet-backed Woodpecker (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Golden-olive Woodpecker<br />Guayaquil Woodpecker (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Streak-headed Woodcreeper<br />Pacific Hornero (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Necklaced Spinetail (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Collared Antshrike<br />Maranon Crescent-chest (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet<br />Tumbesian Tyrannulet (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Gray-and-white Tyrannulet (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Pacific Elaenia (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant<br />Gray-breasted Flycatcher (Tumbes Endemic/Vulnerable)<br />Tumbes Pewee (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Vermilion Flycatcher<br />Tumbes Tyrant (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Short-tailed Field-Tyrant<br />Tropical Kingbird (heard only)<br />Baird's Flycatcher (Tumbes Endemic)<br />White-tailed Jay (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Rufous-browed Peppershrike<br />Plumbeous-backed Thrush (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Long-tailed Mockingbird<br />Fasciated Wren<br />Speckle-breasted Wren<br />Superciliated Wren (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Tropical Gnatcatcher<br />Peruvian Martin (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Blue-and-White Swallow<br />Southern Rough-winged Swallow<br />Hooded Siskin<br />Tropical Parula<br />Tumbes Sparrow (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Black-capped Sparrow<br />White-winged Brush-Finch<br />White-headed Brush-Finch (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Bananaquit<br />Cinereous Conebill<br />Highland Hepatic Tanager<br />Blue-gray Tanager<br />Cinereous Finch (Near Endemic)<br />Collared Warbling-Finch<br />Saffron Finch<br />Sulphur-throated Finch (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Parrot-billed Seedeater<br />Golden-bellied Grosbeak<br />White-edged Oriole (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Peruvian Meadowlark<br />Scrub Blackbird<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/17561543-113641056964643137?l=perubirding.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15386831984311729340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561543.post-1135883676740494642005-12-29T10:19:00.000-08:002006-02-12T13:54:50.750-08:00Northern Peru - the Maranon Endemics Entry #5<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>22 September</strong><br /><br />We "slept in" this morning .... we didn't get up until 4:45 a.m.! :) AND we had a "hotel breakfast"! Fried eggs with bacon and platanos fritos (mmm!). At the sight of the first plate, Dave immediately responded and ensured that he could have huevos revueltos (scrambled) instead.... a long story but suffice it to say that looking at fried eggs, even on my plate, brings back some bad childhood memories. We birded around the Puerto Puma hotel and finally spied the Rufous-capped Antshrike that had been skulking and calling in the bushes. It was a male that was irritated enough that he came out of his nest (which we could see below us in a gully full of deep grass). No sign of the female.<br /><br />We then climbed onto the bus and drove to the same trailhead where we'd looked for the Marvelous Spatuletail several days previously. And there we implemented Barry's "cunning plan". Instead of hiking down the trail, based on Richard and Rosanne's "scoping", we hung out at the guard rail along the road by the trailhead (no ... really), staking out a flowering tree in the "back yard" of a very poor farm family. We sat there chatting along the guard rail and they stood in their door way, apparently dumbfounded by the sight of a SECOND group of crazy gringos standing around on the road with binoculars! Richard and Rosanne and their group had seen an immature male "spat" there a few days before, coming in sporadically. It was quite the entertaining wait. The woman from the farm apparently decided that no group of crazy gringos was going to prevent her fr<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Portia%20small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Portia%20small.jpg" border="0" /></a>om fulfilling her usual chores, so she carried two buckets of pig slop (mostly potato peelings in a most disgusting "broth") up to the half of a tractor tire lieing right in front of us and dumped them in. Then she led the family pig by a piece of twine over to the tire for her breakfast. She was quite a tame pig who snorted and snuffled through the slops, oblivious to the bunch of crazy gringos hanging around her breakfast table. She did stop long enough to investigate the palatability of Dave's hiking boots, but as he discouraged this behavior and they probably weren't very tasty, she moved on. I dubbed her "Portia" and we got several good pictures although I wished for a video camera when Bill began conversing with her. Portia finally finished the slops and "skinnied" herself under the guard rail and began foraging along the road, eating dust and gravel to all appearances. Eventually the woman returned and led Portia down the road and around the bend .... I guess so the pig could graze (if pigs graze) for the day.<br /><br />We watched a Sparkling Violetear and a Purple-throated Sunangel in the flowering tree and the shrubs along the bank. We had to wait quite a while but did get two quick (1 minute) views of the immature male Marvelous Spatuletail (not all that marvelous since he was too young to have developed the long spatulate tail feathers .... just a long regular-looking tail). He snuck in, foraged rather serruptitiously and then left. The Sparkling Violetear is notoriously dominant over "spats" and on the second appearance, the violetear did chase the spat away rather aggressively.<br /><br />We then piled back onto the bus at about 8:45 a.m. for about 5 hours of driving back south to Pedro Ruiz Gallo (I slept much of the way) and then west on a new road toward Bagua Grande. We stopped several times at rice fields near Naranjillos and birded from the road. We saw a collection of different shorebirds taking advantage of the flooded fields and our first Saffron Finches (a lovely yellow bird). We drove on through Bagua Grande, turning off onto a dirt road and stopping in the desert for lunch. It was HOT, humid and smoggy and we were in the middle of desertscrub-type habitat with columnar and barrel cacti (I don't think that's really the correct life zone term). It was quite oppressive; the table and chairs had been set up without the benefit of any shade ... pretty insane. Although there was the usual delicious fare, I fear it was lost on us as we sat there with our brains baking in the heat. We then walked along the road (dragged is probably more like it) and did get two "lifers" - Little Inca-Finch and the local Collared Antshrike, which may be split to become the Maranon (Collared) Antshrike. Mercifully we then clambered back onto the bus where at least the speed and open windows created a hot wind. We drove a little further and stopped one more time, looking for the Elegant (Maranon) Crescentchest, but we were unsuccessful - it was too hot and quite windy (therefore dusty).<br /><br />We continued the short distance to Baguas Chicas where we checked into The Wilson Hotel. Baguas Chicas was another dusty, frontier town with mototaxis blaring horns. We checked into a room with air conditioning (!) which was vaguely cooler (it did get cooler with time), a bad small of kerosene (we learned this was a traditional form of "disinfectant" used to wipe down the floors .... I think I preferred unsanitary conditions), AND the information that there was NO water until 5:30 p.m. anywhere in town. It being "Peruvian time", at 6:45 there was still no water in the pipes .... just a bucket of water brought to our room for "necessities". SIGH. So I had dinner in my dirty clothes and held out hope for water later in the night or tomorrow morning early. Dinner was quite good - shared a bowl of Sopa de Criolla with Dave and a Chife (Peruvian Chinese) dish - fried rice with pork. When we got upstairs there was a trickle of water coming into the sink and the toilet but not the shower. So we took what my Mom calls a "spit bath" with a dampened towel, quickly used the toilet and flushed for fear of the water going off again. We then climbed into bed where it felt quite luxurious to have a basic air conditioner ..... it also served as "white noise" to block the noise of traffic on the street below.<br /><br /><strong>Birds Observed around Pomacochas and on the travel day from there to Baguas Chicas</strong> (September 22)<br /><br />Snowy Egret<br />Great Egret<br />Cattle Egret<br />Striated Egret<br />Black Vulture<br />Turkey Vulture<br />Swallow-tailed Kite<br />Savanna Hawk<br />American Kestrel<br />Common Moorhen (heard only)<br />Greater Yellowlegs<br />Spotted Sandpiper<br />Stilt Sandpiper<br />Wilson's Phalarope<br />Yellow-billed Tern<br />Eared Dove<br />Ecuadorian Ground-Dove<br />White-tipped Dove<br />Scarlet-fronted Parakeet<br />Smooth-billed Ani<br />Groove-billed Ani<br />Lesser Nighthawk<br />White-tipped Swift<br />Sparkling Violet-ear<br />Spot-throated Hummingbird (Peruvian Endemic)<br />White-bellied Hummingbird<br />Purple-throated Sunangel<br />Marvelous Spatuletail (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Emerald (Andean) Toucanet<br />Pacific Hornero (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Rufous-fronted (Maranon) Thornbird<br />Collared (Maranon) Antshrike (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Rufous-capped Antshrike<br />Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet<br />Highland Elaenia<br />Vermilion Flycatcher<br />Rufous-tailed Tyrant<br />Dusky-capped Flycatcher<br />Tropical Kingbird<br />Social Flycatcher<br />Great Kiskadee<br />Inca (Green) Jay (heard only)<br />Rufous-browed Peppershrike (heard only)<br />Great Thrush<br />Long-tailed Mockingbird (heard only)<br />Fasciated Wren<br />Maranon (Speckle-breasted) Wren<br />House Wren<br />Maranon Gnatcatcher (heard only)<br />Gray-breasted Martin<br />Blue-and-white Swallow<br />House Sparrow<br />Hooded Siskin<br />Citrine Warbler<br />Rufous-collared Sparrow<br />Rufous-naped Brush-Finch<br />Bananaquit<br />White-lined Tanager<br />Blue-capped Tanager<br />Purple-throated Euphonia (heard only)<br />Little Inca-Finch (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Saffron Finch<br />Chestnut-throated Seedeater<br />Russet-backed Oropendola<br />Peruvian Meadowlark<br /><br /><strong>23 September</strong><br /><br />We got up at 3:15 a.m. this morning and finished repacking our stuff so that we had only one large duffle (for both of us) to take across the river to our camping site today. We were on the bus by 4:00. We drove for over 2 and 3/4 hours and stopped for breakfast at a spot along the road past Montenegro - French toast with maple syrup - and birded along the road while it was being prepared. This road from Bagua Chica to Imaza runs along the Rio Maranon. We drove further along the road and stopped at a place near Chiriaco (650 m)and birded again. We continued on our way until we reached Imaza where we drove through town and right down to the sandy beach along the river. There we met our local organizer (Jose), the father of Tercero (means third son I think). Jose greeted us all like any local politician (I think he was running for mayor of Imaza if I understood correctly). The crew loaded all of our needed luggage and the cooking<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Nuevo%20Salem%20small.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Nuevo%20Salem%20small.0.jpg" border="0" /></a> and camping supplies AND all of us including Barry, Tercero, Raul, and Ivan into an aluminum boat (about 22 ft long) that seated 3-4 across on several benches. It took us about 20 minutes going down river and across to Nuevo Salem (450 m) (see photo). We were greeted there by Jorge, the chief or president of the Aguaruna village, which was founded about 10 years ago. We walked through the village under the stares of many villagers. The older children seemed intrigued, the teenagers appeared distrustful, and some very young children cried. We must have looked frightening and foreign to them, both because of our white skin and our strange equipment .... cameras and binoculars around our necks, etc.<br /><br />The camp set up, provided by the Aguaruna, was incredible. For an extremely primitive village (just a few generations out of the stone age), they've done a fabulous job providing for eco-tourists. They have built a large thatched hut with a rammed earth floor; a "shower hut" with three shower stalls with cold, running water; two "bano huts" (the squatting kind with a key-hole shaped hole in the cement), and an outdoor sink with running water! Amazing - this was much more luxurious that any of us (including Barry - this was his first time in this village also) had expected. Unfortunately the welcome at a previous Aguaruna village had been revoked due to some visitors who did not follow the arrangements made between the village and several ecotourist/birding tour leaders like Barry (Expediciones Manu). So this set up was completely new. In fact, it occurred to me that the accomodations here were better than at the Hotel Wilson where there'd been no water and rooms that smelled like kerosene! :)<br /><br />Dave and I, and Dan, set up our tents under the thatched roof hut in the hopes of avoiding the chiggers that Rosanne had warned us about and to whose bites Dave and Dan were particularly susceptible. The others pitched their tents in the open clearing surrounding the huts. The large thatched hut we stayed under was also used for the dining tables and chairs, set up at the open front, and the cook tent was set up right outside.<br /><br />After getting somewhat organized and having a late (2:00 p.m.) lunch of tuna salad, and crackers, ham and cheese, we headed out up the one available trail to the soon-to-be dubbed "magic tree" - a huge fruiting fig tree where the target bird - Orange-throated Tanager - has been regularly seen. This turned out to be the "tanager death march". The trail was quite steep at places and I struggled to continue ... steep steps cut into the clay soil and reenforced with small logs ... each step of a different height and width. On two occasions there was some shouting ahead that there might be "the tanager", which elicited rushing on everyone's part (some faster than others) and a great deal of huffing and puffing on my part (I continue to blame my allergy-induced asthma instead of the possibility that I'm just an out-of-shape weenie). These proved to be false alarms, much to my chagrin. However, we FINALLY made it to the top of the hill and the target tree (soon to be dubbed "the Magic Tree").<br /><br />The tree stands in a partial opening in the forest canopy and slightly downhill from the ridge, although the tree canopy itself towers far above the ridge top. On the ridge there is a very basic "bench" consisting of two logs placed side by side, and it is covered by a narrow thatched roof. It was a well-placed resting spot but you had to get off the bench and out from under the thatch to actually watch the birds in the tree. We were there for quite a while, watching multiple mixed feeding flocks and individuals moving through the tree whe<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Orange-throated%20T%20small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Orange-throated%20T%20small.jpg" border="0" /></a>n, suddenly ... there they were! Orange-throated Tanagers (see photo) I saw two individuals, their orange throats illuminated and glowing in the late afternoon sun. They were truly fabulous birds ... everyone proclaimed them the "bird of the trip" and one of the best birds they'd ever seen. Of course, knowing that we were likely among an elite group of less than 200 people who have ever seen this bird made it particularly special. The chief had accompanied us to this location and was clearly very proud of being able to show us these magnificent birds, as well as all the others that we saw there. I was grateful for his observant nature as well. He noticed that I was having a difficult time getting a good view of several birds and on two occasions called to me to come over to where he was standing so that I could get a better look. I believe that it was at this point that someone in the group offered him his binoculars so that he could look at the birds. His delight suggested that perhaps he'd never seen them through binoculars before.<br /><br />After enjoying the views and the birds for a while longer, we dragged ourselves back down the trail. Dave was not feeling well, so we went down a little earlier than the others. On the way down we saw a beautiful frog of brilliant lime green with black strips on its back and black blotches on its thighs ... must have been some species of "poison dart frog" advertising its dangerous nature. I took a wonderful shower that felt better than any I'd taken in a long time. It was very "brisk" but welcome in contrast to the heat and humidity of the day combined with constant sweat trickling down my back. It was also a little tricky balancing on my Tevas while pulling my clothes on in the semi-dark of the hut amidst jokes from the guys sitting around outside drinking beers (iced beers in point of fact) and claiming to be able to see into the hut! :)<br /><br />We had one of the most interesting evenings of the trip. We were just getting ready to do our evening bird list when the chief showed up wearing an amazing traditional feathered headdress - Cock-of-the-Rock, toucan, and other feathers - a sort of yellow and red headband with four dangling strands made with huge (2 inch+) beetle carrapaces and feather tufts at the ends. It seemed to be appropriate to be sitting around in the candle/lantern light listening to him talk. He spoke Spanish, although their traditional language is Aguaruna, and Barry translated (I understood some but his accent was quite different). He spoke of quite varied experiences. He has traveled to the U.S. (somewhere in Texas), courtesy of the missionaries, where he took some training in theology. By contrast, I don't think most of the people of the village have traveled much farther than up river to Imaza and probably can't imagine much about the outside world. He explained about his headdress - it is not passed down from one chief to the next; rather, a new one had to be made for a new chief. He talked about the tribes having only a few older people who had the "vision del Tigre" (the vision of the jaguar). With the help of hallucinogenic plants, these people can go to an alternative universe where they learn more about the the forests around them and become "one with the jungle". This village (Nuevo Salem) has only one very old man with the vision. We talked also about curanderas who know all about plants with medicinal properties. I was curious to know whether there were any attempts to teach younger people to carry on the knowledge from the curanderas and those with the vision del tigre, but somehow someone raised the question of brujos (witches or witch doctors) and it became clear that he did NOT want to talk about these bad people and so that subject was dropped. He talked about how he was trying to lead the villagers, since he had seen some of the world and "knew how things should be". However, some of the padres de familia (household heads) are much more traditional and are not even all that pleased about the current arrangements to permit access to outsiders. We learned later from Barry that these tribes can still be violent at times, killing people who have tried to rob them or who infringe on their territories and try to settle there. We were grateful for their hospitality and very conscious that we were there at their pleasure. Most of the villagers ran away at the mere sight of a camera and it was made clear to us that we should not take pictures of them unless permission was granted. However, the chief did want to have his picture taken and so both Erick and I took pictures with flash that night (one of the pictures I most regret losing).<br /><br />Dave had to excuse himself during this conversation with the chief and go to bed because he was feeling so badly (no dinner ... feverish, weak and ache-y). When the chief left, we finished our bird list and then had dinner - good soup as usual, and yummy curried chicken with peppers, onions and prunes. I crawled into my sleeping bag while the rest of the guys continued talking and drinking Pisco for a while in the candle light, their shadows flickering on the sides of our tent.<br /><strong>24 September</strong><br /><br />I got up at 5:00 a.m.; Dave said he was going to sleep in a little longer, but he was up by breakfast at 5:30 - omelette with potatoes, ricotto peppers, and cheese. We got started slowly in the morning since we didn't have to drive anywhere. We birded a little around the camp and then headed slowly up the same trail toward the "magic tree", taking more than twice the time on the trail as yesterday. We finally arrived at the ridge and the "magic tree" where we again saw many species of tanagers, as well as other birds. In early afternoon, Raul and Tercero and another fellow carried lunch up to a flat area just one ridge short of the "magic tree" where the Aguaruna had built some narrow, long tables with attached benches out of planed logs tied together. There we had chicken, baked/fried yucca and plaintains, tomatoes and cucumbers. Dan and Dave were not feeling well and so the three of us headed back to camp, leaving the others to bird for a little while longer. They were really beat when we got back to camp and it was very hot and humid. I played Florence Nightengale, with wet hankies for heads and making sure they drank lots of water; they were both quite feverish with headaches. We all rested for a while (I was pretty exhausted as well, although not feeling sick). Then we took showers to cool off. We then sat around and caught up with our journals and hung around camp, being joined by the others who didn't hold out much longer than we did.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Chief%20small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Chief%20small.jpg" border="0" /></a>Late in the afternoon the chief (Jorge) (see photo) and many of the people from the village - men, women and children - came down to the camp with some local crafts. We were encouraged to buy these crafts so that the people could see how they could benefit from making these crafts and selling them. I bought a beautiful necklace made with beads, shells and seeds. Sam bought another necklace and Terry bought a sort of hanging mobile of similar materials. The guys bought spears, although we had no idea how we might get them on the airplane and/or through customs. (NOTE: Sam did manage to get his home, Erick's was "confiscated", and the rest of us donated ours to Barry for display at his British pub in Cuzco - The Cross Keys Pub.). (For any of you who end up in Cuzco, you have to check out this authentic British pub <http://www.cross-keys-pub-cusco-peru.com> One elderly fellow kept trying to sell us a monkey skull. We knew that it was illegal to collect such things, there was no way we could bring it through customs, and it would only encourage the collection of more skulls if they thought they could sell them. Because he knew that they would not understand about such laws and ways of thinking, Barry explained to them that it was against our religion to keep such things. This elicited quite a bit of laughter, as they undoubtedly thought we were pretty silly for such beliefs since the monkey was already dead (and had probably been pretty good food), but they did stop offering it to us. It probably confirmed their opinions that we were pretty strange folks.<br /><br />The villagers hung around the edges of camp for much of the time we were there. I really wished on several occasions that we could communicate with them in some way and try for some common ground. However, they were very wary of us, and I suspect that many of them only spoke Aguaruna. Thinking that perhaps communicating with a child was an easier way, I squatted down in front of one child standing with her mother, and although the mother did not move away, the child clung to her and appeared uncertain of whether to be afraid, so I didn't pursue it. I had brought a bag full of small boxes of crayons and small tablets for the children, but Barry said that we should present these to the chief for distribution rather than handing them out ourselves. I was disappointed because we didn't get to see the children receive them, but when I presented them to the chief he expressed thanks and it was clear that he was the one to distribute resources to the village. In the same way, Barry said that the money we paid for staying there (I think it was $5 per person per day) went to the chief; the money was designated for education and health needs - the chief and the treasurer distributed this money as it was needed in the village.<br /><br />After the villagers left, we did our bird list for the day and had another great dinner - a delicious creamed "mystery" soup (couldn't figure out what was in it), beef steak with mashed potatoes and a tomatoe-y gravy, and canned, mixed fruit for dessert.<br /><br />Here are some images from our time in the Aguaruna village: (1) Seeing garden patches of yucca (also called manioc or cassava at different places in the world) - slender plants with compound or palmate leaves (three leaflets). The plants seemed so small that I wondered whether they get much larger before they would produce those thick tubers for harvest. (2) The chief (Jorge) offering us slices of fresh pineapple that he had cut and sliced right in the field along the trail to the "magic tree". (3) A huge butterfly (or moth?) that the chief showed me, sitting at the base of a huge tree - brown with a huge "owl's eye" on the underside (outside) of the folded wing. It was as big as my palm. (4) Waking up in the middle of the night to hear a pair of Spectacled Owls calling to each other, sounding like someone drumming on a large, hollow log - WUH' wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh" (5) Multiple kinds of cicadas calling - (a) the British police car siren type; (b) the steam locomotive type; and(c) the dental drill type, etc. (6) The caecilians - we found several individuals. Actually the chickens found them and we rescued them from the outraged chickens. It was so interested in these wierd creatures that I looked them up in my herpetology book when I returned. Caecilians are limbless, tropical amphibians, of the taxonomic group <em>Gymnophiona,</em> which contains 6 different taxonomic Families! They are quite diverse but are very poorly understood. Most are fossorial, living and burrowing in the soil. These individuals were almost 2 feet long; they looked like large earthworms, with segments. They were a steel gray-black color, with no obvious eyes, and stubby non-tapered tails. They were not very agressive or wriggly when we picked them up; they tried to get away but they were sort of like limp noodles. When we put them on the ground, they tried to bury themselves in the dirt.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>25 September</strong><br /><br />We got up at 5:30 a.m. and had breakfast in camp at 6:00. Since the boat was coming to pick us up at about 10:30 a.m., we did not hike up to the "magic tree" again. Instead we packed up our gear and birded around camp. As usual, the gnats were up before we were, burying themselves into any available skin or orifice, but they were not as bad as in some places we'd been. Dave and I did not manage to escape unscathed from the chigger paradise, although Dave "got it" worse than I did. Bites were mostly around our ankles in spite of ALWAYS wearing our pants tucked into our socks and never wearing shorts. The chiggers either got us going in/out of the shower, or while stripped down in the tent at night in response to the heat, OR through our clothes! We wandered around camp birding, mostly up an additional short trail that went as far as their water supply on the side of the hill (a small cement building surrounded by a fence). We managed a look at another one of the best birds of the trip (most dapper) - Golden-winged Tody-Flycatcher. I managed to "dip" on the fourth manakin of the trip - White-bearded Manakin - that was snapping and displaying in thick vegetation at several places along the trail. I give up! Me, the one whose biggest wish is to see all the possible manakins on a trip (it's my favorite family of New World tropical birds), did not see one manakin. (NOTE: this is not a good trip to see manakins, but three species were seen and I missed them all .... oh well).<br /><br />We had another visit from a big group of villagers, mostly women and children, who came down to stand or squat on the edge of camp and watch us. It was somewhat uncomfortable due to our inability to communicate and their reticence to talk. Some smile but many do not (I have to remember that smiling can be quite a cultural thing and can even mean different things in different places, not all of them friendly). The children continue to appear curious at times but often cautious if not afraid. Their only response to my squatting down to their level was to either cling to their mothers or each other, or not respond at all. In the back of my mind was the concern that I would inadvertently do or say something that would insult them or make them angry, causing problems for us and future visiting groups. Suddenly they appeared to be called away, and soon after we heard the singing of hymns and someone speaking - it was Sunday morning and it appeared that most of the villagers were attending church. We assumed that someone in the village, presumably the chief who had traveled to the U.S. thanks to the missionaries, was in charge of the service.<br /><br />We sat in someth<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/spider%20small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/spider%20small.jpg" border="0" /></a>ing of a heat-induced stupor under the thatched roof hut once it got too hot and quiet to bird, waiting for the sound of the approaching boat motor. All our camping equipment and luggage had already been carried to the beach, so we squatted on the makeshift benches along the inside wall of the hut, admiring the HUGE spider hanging from the ceiling (see photo). We'd discovered it after Dave noted that something had pooped on the shirt he'd been drying on the top of our tent. Just about on time, we heard the boat coming up the river and headed for the beach. Again the boat was piled high with supplies and equipment and then we piled aboard, with an audience of silently watching children who didn't really even respond to our goodbye waves, although one of the older women who had been present at many of their visits and appeared to smile on occasions, did say goodbye. Some of the young people (typical of all teenagers) seemed to have their own jokes and would say things to each other and laugh loudly. I'm assuming that we were the butt of their jokes.<br /><br />The boat was a more comfortable one than the previous one - we even had back rests on the seats! We had a basically uneventful return up river to Imaza - we did see a Short-tailed Hawk and Dave saw a Great Black-Hawk. We were glad to see Jose waiting with the bus, along with the other Jose (Barry's contact with the Aguaruna). After reloading the bus and taking some pictures of the group, were back on the bus and headed out of Imaza at 11:45 a.m.<br /><br />We had a LONG drive ahead of us, back up the bumpy, winding road to Bagua Chica and then on to Jaen for the night. We ate a quick lunch standing up along the road at about 1:30 p.m. - delicious chicken salad on rolls with mayonnaise and mustard, a long spicy "slim jim" type jerky, and a tangerine. We then got immediately back on the road. On the way back along this road, since we were now traveling it all during the daylight, I was struck by the rapid transition from the tropical vegetation near Imaza and the river back to the arid, desertscrub type habitat as we climbed higher and closer to Bagua Chica. Just before Bagua Chica, we saw the huge confluence of the Utcubamba and Maranon rivers around some large sand bars - something we'd missed while sleeping in the dark on the way down. We stopped in Bagua Chica at the Hotel Wilson just before 5:00 p.m. to dropp off the "personal flotation devices" from the boat for the next trip Barry is outfitting. After some quick pit stops and purchases, we left at 5:15. We took a slightly different route to Jaen than Dave had guessed at on our map. We came across the major bridge over the Maranon - a big orange suspension bridge - and then stayed on the road along the river all the way to Chamaya and then turned north-northeast to Jaen, arriving at the Hotel El Bosque at about 6:45.<br /><br />Jaen is a largish town/smallish city and the Hotel El Bosque was located on a busy city street but was quite calm and relaxed, with a swimming pool surrounded by palm trees and rooms with air conditioning and ceiling fans. We met again at 7:30 and learned that, rather than eating next door, which was crowded and noisy, we were going to take mototaxis (1 Sole to go anywhere in town) to the central plaza and eat at a restaurant there. What a trip! jouncing and swerving our way through traffic with the benefit of frequent horn-blowing. Our taxi on the way to the restaurant was quite stable and the driver proficient; on the way back to the hotel we were glad that Barry had not offered 50 Soles to the driver who got there first as he'd threatened. Our taxi was much more rickety and the driver an apparent rookie - we wobbled and jounced quite a bit more and if we'd been in a race, might have ended up in a ditch somewhere. We ate at a restaurant that was a sort of Peruvian fast food or fried chicken joint. I had a great traditional salad with corn, onions, peppers, etc. with lime sprinkled on top - apparently eaten regularly by the "peasants". Then I had the lomo pimienta (steak with a black pepper sauce) - delicious! and the hugest pile of papas fritas I've ever seen - they do, however, know how to make good fries! As we were finishing up our meal, we were interrupted by an earthquake! A sort of slow, but rather extended (Dave thought 45 seconds) back and forth, up and down. At first people didn't respond, but then as it continued, everyone stood up (we were on the second floor), and filed pretty calmly downstairs and out onto the sidewalk. Dave noted that this kind of quake, which is not as dangerous in the States where buildings are built to withstand them, is probably more dangerous in Latin America, where old buildings can be shaken loose and tumbled down by the back and forth. (NOTE: this was quite a big quake that was centered not too far from Rioja where we'd been a few days before; in fact, due to related landslides, Richard and Rosanne's group was delayed for a couple days while the roads were cleared.) It was Sunday night and the plaza was crammed with people - there was a modern (futuristic style) church on the plaza and it had some kind of event going on with people overflowing onto the steps outside. We settled up with the restaurant and then mototaxied our way back to the hotel, where we did our bird list - it was too noisy in the restaurant.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Birds Observed from Bagua Chica down to Imaza, around Nuevo Salem, and back through Bagua Chica to Jaen</strong><br />September 23 - 25<br /><br />Cinereous Tinamou (heard only)<br />Little Tinamou (heard only)<br />Bartlett's Tinamou (heard only)<br />Cattle Egret<br />Black Vulture<br />Turkey Vulture<br />Greater Yellow-headed Vulture<br />King Vulture<br />Swallow-tailed Kite<br />Plumbeous Kite<br />Great Black-Hawk<br />Roadside Hawk<br />Short-tailed Hawk<br />Black Hawk-Eagle<br />Black Caracara<br />Speckled Chachalaca<br />Spotted Sandpiper<br />Collared Plover<br />Plumbeous Pigeon (heard only)<br />Ruddy Pigeon (heard only)<br />Eared Dove<br />Croaking Ground-Dove<br />White-tipped Dove<br />Gray-fronted Dove (heard only)<br />Cobalt-winged Parakeet (heard only)<br />Blue-headed Parrot<br />Squirrel Cuckoo<br />Smooth-billed Ani<br />Groove-billed Ani<br />Spectacled Owl (heard only)<br />Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl (heard only)<br />Crested Owl (heard only)<br />Lesser Nighthawk<br />Pauraque (heard only)<br />White-chested Swift<br />Chestnut-collared Swift<br />White-collared Swift<br />Blue-chinned Sapphire<br />Sapphire-Spangled Emerald<br />Blue-crowned Trogon (heard only)<br />Chestnut-capped Puffbird<br />Lanceolated Monklet<br />Black-fronted Nunbird (heard only)<br />Gilded Barbet<br />Lemon-throated Barbet<br />Ivory-billed Aracari<br />Channel-billed Toucan<br />Golden-collared Toucanet (heard only)<br />Lafresnaye's Piculet<br />Lineated Woodpecker<br />Crimson-crested Woodpecker<br />Plain-brown Woodcreeper<br />Cinnamon-throated Woodcreeper (heard only)<br />Buff-throated (Lefresnaye's) Woodcreeper (heard only)<br />Lineated Woodcreeper<br />Wedge-billed Woodcreeper<br />Great Antshrike (heard only)<br />Plain-winged Antshrike<br />Pygmy Antwren<br />Gray Antwren<br />Black Antbird (heard only)<br />Black-faced Antbird (heard only)<br />Warbling Antbird<br />White-shouldered Antbird<br />Thrush-like Antpitta (heard only)<br />White-browed Purpletuft<br />Spangled Cotinga<br />Golden-headed Manakin<br />Blue-crowned Manakin<br />White-bearded Manakin<br />Ochre-bellied Flycatcher<br />Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher<br />Golden-winged Tody-Flycatcher<br />Slender-footed Tyrannulet (heard only)<br />Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet<br />Torrent Tyrannulet<br />Double-banded Pygmy-Tyrant<br />Black Phoebe<br />Yellow-breasted Flycatcher<br />Bright-rumped Attila<br />Tropical Kingbird<br />Boat-billed Flycatcher<br />Social Flycatcher<br />Dusky-chested Flycatcher<br />Piratic Flycatcher<br />Sirystes<br />Great Kiskadee<br />Masked Tityra<br />Black-capped Becard<br />Violaceous Jay (heard only)<br />Red-eyed (Chivi) Vireo<br />Long-tailed Mockingbird<br />Thrush-like Wren (heard only)<br />Coraya Wren (heard only)<br />White-breasted Wood-Wren<br />Tropical Gnatcatcher<br />Southern Rough-winged Swallow<br />House Sparrow<br />Buff-rumped Warbler<br />Magpie Tanager<br />Guira Tanager<br />Fulvous-crested Tanager<br />White-shouldered Tanager<br />Silver-beaked Tanager<br />Blue-gray Tanager<br />Palm Tanager<br />Orange-throated Tanager (Near Endemic; VULNERABLE)<br />Masked Crimson Tanager<br />Flame-crested Tanager<br />White-lored Euphonia<br />Orange-bellied Euphonia<br />Rufous-bellied Euphonia<br />Turquoise Tanager<br />Paradise Tanager<br />Green-and-gold Tanager<br />Yellow-bellied Tanager<br />Opal-rumped Tanager<br />Opal-crowned Tanager<br />Masked Tanager<br />Black-faced Dacnis<br />Yellow-bellied Dacnis<br />Green Honeycreeper<br />Short-billed Honeycreeper<br />Purple Honeycreeper<br />Swallow-Tanager<br />Lesser Seed-Finch<br />Chestnut-bellied Seedeater<br />Slate-colored Grosbeak<br />Buff-throated Saltator<br />Grayish Saltator<br />Russet-backed Oropendola<br />Yellow-rumped Cacique<br />Moriche Oriole<br />Peruvian Meadowlark<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/17561543-113588367674049464?l=perubirding.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15386831984311729340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561543.post-1131072334271948912005-11-03T18:06:00.000-08:002006-02-12T14:24:54.306-08:00Northern Peru - the Maranon Endemics<br /><br /><br />Entry #4<br /><br /><br /><strong>19 September</strong><br /><br />Got up at 3:45 a.m. in order to have time to pack up my laundry. Most of it was still damp, so I packed what I could and carried a small, damp pile onto the bus. Like most of the others, I draped things over the back of the seat and from the overhead shelf to dry a bit at a time all day.<br />We drove back up to Abra Patricia (2220 - 2000 m) and had breakfast there again - scrambled eggs with bacon and coffee. We birded up and down the road on the near side of the pass. I finally got to see Azara's Spinetail for this trip (I had the same problem with this "bogey bird" last time). I call it the "buckwheat" bird because of its irritating call that sounded like "buck-WHEAT".<br /><br />We went back to the trail at the p<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Wasp%20Death%20Star%20small.1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Wasp%20Death%20Star%20small.1.jpg" border="0" /></a>ass that we'd tried yesterday. Raul and Roberto had gone back with machetes and did a wonderful job of clearing the trail quite far down. We hiked down as far as they had cleared the way. We tried unsuccessfully for several targets but we did have nice looks at a pair of Russet-crowned Warbler, one singing a wonderful song over our heads and in the surrounding understory. As we returned up the trail, someone pointed out what we dubbed "the hornet death star" - a huge, scary-looking hornet's nest shaped like an upside down sunflower seed head with what looked like adults clinging to the top waiting to defend the grubs clinging to the bottom in even rows (see photo) . We all walked very quietly!<br /><br />We continued a good distance down the road all morning. The Rio Nieve is the river running long the road. We then had the bus come down to meet us and the crew prepared lunch at a small palapa (shed) with a thatched roof and open sides. Lunch was a mixed vegetable salad and chicken rolled around some kind of filling. We then continued birding past the Km 100 post, up past the "famous" tire repair shop, and on down the next hill. It was a very frustrating time as we tried to call in and see the Ash-throated Antwren. Although an unassuming-looking little bird, it was a real "wish bird" for most of us for sentimental reasons -- because it was named after Ted Parker (<em>Herpsilochmus parkeri</em>). Barry played and played the tape; we heard one respond and it came in relatively close on a steep wooded slope above the road but try as we might, we couldn't see it. It called and then it moved back up the hillside and continued calling as long as we were there, but wouldn't come in close enough for us to see. Argh!<br /><br />We birded into the late afternoon, by which time my feet were very tired. We finally piled onto the bus and headed on down past Afluente; I believe that the town was named after the fact that it was at the confluence of two rivers. There was a story about Afluente and the LSU collecting expedition, but I have forgotten what it was.<br /><br />We drove down out of the mountains, past the foothills and onto flatlands covered by agricultural fields. We passed through Nueva Cajamarca (supposedly the most lawless city in Peru) and continued on to Rioja. There we checked into the Hotel Gran Bombonaje. What a "wild west" type of town! It was loud and dusty and full of people, moto-taxis, blaring horns, and loud music. The lobby of the hotel and the attached, adjacent building are a casino - more noise, music and people. I think this was our most challenging place to stay. Dave and I were "lucky" enough to get a room on the courtyard on the ground floor which meant that we got the noise from the street coming straight down the hall from the lobby, noise from the casino, noise from the restaurant right around the corner, and noise from all the rooms that opened onto the courtyard. To improve the sound transmission, the wall of the room facing the courtyard and was almost entirely of glass with only a sheer curtain and frosted glass between us and all the hotel patrons that walked past. We had a very nice, copious shower as compensation; it was a welcome change not to have to run around under the shower head chasing the drops. The room itself was no more than basic but afterall we were only going to sleep there (I hoped).<br /><br />Dinner was in the restaurant upstairs - they gave us our own separate room. I chose to try some typical regional food - cecina con tacaches (grilled pork and mashed plaintains with bits of other veggies, etc. rolled into a ball). It was pretty bland going, but one has to try these things. We did get a quite potent hot sauce that Barry and I agreed had some ingredient in common with a hot sauce one commonly gets with the crispy bread in Indian (Asian) restaurants. We also drank a local alcoholic liquer called Siete Raices (seven roots) which comes from the jungle. It was a little too strong for me and I think someone else finished mine off. It left me with a sort of dull feeling like I had a hole in the pit of my stomach.<br /><br /><strong>20 September</strong><br /><br />We got up at 4:00 a.m. and met in the lobby at 4:30; Dave dropped off his laundry hoping for better luck this time. We drove back up to the area just below the tire repair shop and had breakfast by the side of the road - granola with yogurt and bread with cream cheese. We spent a lot of time birding right near (down the road from) the breakfast spot. There were a<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Goofy%20birders%20small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Goofy%20birders%20small.jpg" border="0" /></a> couple trees with lots of flowers and fruit and so we got loads of tanagers - nice views of a couple male Cock-of-the-Rocks, Huallaga Tanager, etc. Then we turned around and birded back up the hill toward the tire repair shop. We moved faster when we discovered a truck parked along the road and heard the men start up their chainsaws. They were cutting trees in an area protected for the water drainage system, but there's no one to enforce the laws. It was pointless to listen for bird calls over this cacophony, so we moved on. We walked on down the other side of the mountain on the road, almost to where we'd had lunch yesterday. We had a nice look at the Yellow-browed Sparrow, an <em>Ammodramus</em> species that looks amazingly like a Grasshopper Sparrow. We'd seen this species on our last trip, but being "sparrow girl" I was excited to see it again. It alternated between singing from a fencepost right along the road and from a tree branch on the other side. We then called the bus to come pick us up.<br /><br />Images from this segment - (1) Black-mandibled Toucans yelping up a storm on the hillside - huge birds hiding in plain sight! They apparently employ Romulan cloaking devices. (2) Local dogs barking and coming out to the road .... Dave picks up a rock and Barry points a menacing finger at the dog, walks toward it, speaking to it in English (which it's probably never heard) and telling it that he's going to kick its ass. The dogs hang back. Terry, in a moment of humanity, tosses a piece of cookie to the dog but it turns tail and skeedadles .... it's not used to having anything but stones thrown at it!<br /><br />We then returned the way we'd come, almost to Rioja and turned off to a place called "Morro del Calzada" which is a protected area for a local watershed. A tall volcanic plug of a mountain thrusts out of the savannah around it. The vegetation is similar to desert thornscrub but it is apparently due to poor soil conditions. The bus lurched up a rocky track to a partially shaded spot where we stopped for the crew to prepare lunch. The others did some exploring while lunch was prepared and I spent a little time resting in the bus and catching up on my journal. Lunch was that great dish with yellow mashed potatoes and layers of tuna fish and onions in between.<br /><br />We then birded down the road - a rocky dirt track through this "park" with no other traffic (a pleasant change from the busy roads along which we'd been birding). But it was HOT and sticky and for the first time, applying mosquito repellant was required. Unfortunately profuse sweating quickly reduced the effectiveness of the bug spray and I got bitten anyway.<br /><br />Because we were staying at the same location to do some owling, we ate a field dinner at the same spot - spinach soup; baked chicken with rice and a tomato sauce; and half a canned peach for dessert. After dark we started owling. Many of us had managed to forget our flashlights and so we (especially I) stumbled up and down the rocky track following Barry in the dark. We heard a Barn Owl; had a Rufous Nightjar fly in and land at dinner/dusk and then heard at least 3 calling - it sounds sort of like a Chuck-will's-widow with an extra short syllable added "Chuck-will's-Fediddle". Barry called in a Tropical Screech-Owl and we got a very nice look. There were actually multiple individuals calling. Finally we called the bus to pick us up and returned to Rioja. To our relief Dave's laundry was done, so he had clean clothes. It was too late to do a list, we'd already had dinner, so we were on our own. I think some of the others sat and drank beer in the restaurant. I showered and caught up on notes; Daved showered and washed the remaining clothes he'd been wearing in the sink.<br /><br />Impressions from the drive back toward Rioja and Morro del Calzadas in daylight ... (1) I wonder what the original vegetation/habitat was like. There are now flooded rice fields with new, tiny green rice shoots emerging, fields with older plants and less water, and new fields, recently cleared, with new irrigation ditches and walls. There are also other crops .... I think some may be sugar cane. (2) There are HUGE stacks of logs and cut saplings laying around ... a reminder of what used to be I guess. (3) The phenomenon of strip development along roads that Barry has talked about; rows and rows of extremely poor houses (shacks really) clinging to the sides of the roads. These people are really on the edge of survival I think. (3) Moto-taxis (Peruvian rickshaws - a motorcycle attached to a seat over an axel for transporting 1-2 passengers) are everywhere. Are there higher gasoline prices here as there are in the States right now? I wonder how these moto-taxis will do. I'm sure they get pretty good gas mileage but I can't imagine that there's much margin of profit in those operations. Our favorites were the ones with Che Guevara pictures on their sides. (4) A lady walking along the road with a huge pile of bananas or plaintains on her head and her little daughter following behind holding a large banana leaf over her head like a sun bonnet. (5) Scrawny dogs sprawled in the dust everywhere.<br /><br />To bed at 9:30 at Hotel Gran Bombonaje.<br /><br /><strong>21 September</strong><br /><br />We got up at 4:00 a.m., packed up and were on the bus at 4:30. We drove back west out of Rioja to the bridge (Puente Aguas Verdes). We birded up and down the road there while breakfast was being prepared (French toast with syrup and coffee). Barry said that they used to camp on this corner before it got too busy and noisy; now they (we) stay in Rioja for this leg of the trip.<br /><br />All morning we continued to notice the wierd grasshopper with the white folded wings jumping out of the bushes along the road and flashing its wings. Terry dubbed it the "lekking grasshopper". It bounced around like popcorn.<br /><br />After breakfast we birded up the road all the way to the top of the hill with the tire shop and a little further before the bus picked us up.<br /><br />At one point while we were walking, we were entertained by this crazy fellow and his compadre who came blasting by on his motorcycle (Honda Tornado). First he drove by several times standing up with a yellow towel flying behind him like a very strange Peruvian Superman! Then he stopped to talk with us and brag about himself. His name was Jesus (no, really) and apparently he is some kind of Peruvian stunt man/motorcycle competitor and had made some TV ads that he insisted on demonstrating. He drove back up the road and came racing back, while standing up on his bike and imitating gun-toting action heroes pointing his imaginary "gun" everywhere. His compadre appeared not to be the "sharpest tool in the shed" and didn't say much. However, for no apparent reason (except perhaps to garner some attention) he showed us his gun (a pistol) strapped to his waist, which left me wondering about the safety of the general Peruvian public (and us for that matter)! Finally Jesus and his odd compadre blasted off in a flurry of waves and shouts.<br /><br />We birded until about 10:45. No luck with the "Ted Parker bird" to everyone's disappointment - not even any responses to the tape this time. The bus then drove us to the Royal Sunangel spot (Garcia Ridge) to look for it and to have lunch. I stayed in the bus while lunch was prepared and the others birded nearby. Lunch was late (about 1:30 p.m.) which was one reason I lagged back and ran out of steam. Lunch was a Peruvian specialty called Papa a la Huancayna - potatoes and cucumbers in a yellow sauce made of milk, peanuts, chile peppers, and crushed crackers (very good). We also had nice sweet, crunchy pears.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Cliff%20Flyc%20small.0.jpg"></a><br />Erick and I decided not to join the group going back down the muddy trail for the <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Cliff%20Flyc%202%20small.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Cliff%20Flyc%202%20small.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>Tody-Flycatcher. Erick napped. I caught up on my journaling, took a nap, did a little reading in Mario Vargas Llosa's novel <em>The War at the End of the World</em> (he's a Peruvian author but unfortunately this book happens to take place in Brazil, oh well ...). I also hoped to report to the others that I'd seen the Royal Sunangel while they were gone (no such luck). However, while hanging out there, I saw about 5 Saffron-crowned Tanagers (they are becoming a favorite), a pair of siskins that were probably Hooded Siskins, and the Cliff Flycatchers hanging about ... believe it or not .... on the cliffs (see photo). I also had a GREAT look at a male Long-tailed Sylph - deep blue-green, long tail glowing in the light and THEN he turned his head and the light glinted off of his metallic green forehead! The guys returned at about 5:00 and we did a little birding in the same area along the road.<br /><br />We then piled back on the bus and returned to the Puerta Puma Pomacochas Inn in Pomacochas. The Field Guides group, with Rosanne Rowlett and Richard Webster as leaders, was already there. Dave and I got the "family suite" in the other building - two stories with singles and bunkbeds and a shower downstairs, and a double bed and second bathroom/shower in the loft. I guess it was because the hotel was so much more crowded that we got this "suite" because it was something like "overkill". Took a quick shower and then went up to dinner. As is the custom, we waited to do our list until the other group had finished theirs (too noisy otherwise). Dave and I went over and greeted Rosanne and Richard (I know them because they came and volunteered for my sparrow research project in Arizona) and chatted with them a little. Then we had our dinner - some kind of creamed soup, chicken with red peppers and onions over rice with french fries, and some kind of junket-type dessert. We were in bed by 9:30.<br /><br /><strong>Birds Observed from Pomacochas to Abra Patricia, in the Rioja area and back to Puente Aguas Verdes and Garcia Ridge </strong><br />September 19 - 21<br /><br />Little Tinamou (Heard only)<br />Snowy Egret<br />Great Egret<br />Cattle Egret<br />Black Vulture<br />Turkey Vulture<br />Swallow-tailed Kite<br />Double-toothed Kite<br />Plumbeous Kite<br />Roadside Hawk (Heard only)<br />American Kestrel<br />Speckled Chachalaca<br />Scaled Pigeon<br />Band-tailed Pigeon<br />Plumbeous Pigeon<br />Ruddy Pigeon<br />Ruddy Ground-Dove<br />Blue Ground-Dove<br />White-tipped Dove (Heard only)<br />White-eyed Parakeet<br />Cobalt-winged Parakeet<br />Spot-winged Parrotlet<br />Blue-headed Parrot<br />Red-billed Parrot<br />Scaly-naped Parrot<br />Mitred Parakeet<br />Squirrel Cuckoo<br />Smooth-billed Ani<br />Barn Owl<br />Tropical Screech-Owl<br />Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Heard only)<br />Rufous Nightjar<br />White-collared Swift<br />Gray-rumped Swift<br />White-tipped Swift<br />Neotropical Palm-Swift<br />Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift<br />Green Hermit<br />Green-fronted Lancebill<br />Napo Sabrewing<br />White-necked Jacobin<br />Green Violet-ear (Heard only)<br />Wire-crested Thorntail<br />Blue-tailed Emerald<br />Fork-tailed Woodnymph<br />Many-spotted Hummingbird<br />Speckled Hummingbird<br />Ecuadorian Piedtail<br />Collared Inca<br />Rainbow Starfrontlet<br />Emerald-bellied Puffleg<br />Booted Rackettail<br />Long-tailed Sylph<br />Wedge-billed Hummingbird<br />Crested Quetzal (Heard only)<br />Golden-headed Quetzal (Heard only)<br />Blue-crowned Trogon (Heard only)<br />Amazonian White-tailed Trogon<br />Blue-crowned Motmot (Heard only)<br />White-fronted Nunbird<br />Swallow-wing<br />Gilded Barbet (Heard only)<br />Versicolored Barbet<br />(Andean) Emerald Toucanet<br />Chestnut-eared Aracari<br />Black-mandibled Toucan<br />Speckle-chested Piculet (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Smoky-brown Woodpecker<br />Red-necked Woodpecker<br />Little Woodpecker<br />Olivaceous Woodcreeper<br />Azara's Spinetail<br />Dark-breasted Spinetail<br />Dusky Spinetail (heard only)<br />Rufous Spinetail<br />Rufous-fronted (Maranon) Thornbird<br />Equatorial Graytail<br />Streaked Tuftedcheek<br />Montane Foliage-gleaner<br />Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner<br />Rufous-tailed Xenops<br />Lined Antshrike<br />Plain Antvireo<br />Stripe-chested Antwren<br />Ash-throated Antwren (Peruvian Endemic) (Heard only)<br />Long-tailed Antbird<br />Blackish Antbird<br />White-backed Fire-eye<br />White-browed Antbird<br />Rusty-tinged Antpitta (Peruvian Endemic) (Heard only)<br />White-crowned Tapaculo<br />(Peruvian) Rufous-vented Tapaculo (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Green-and-Black Fruiteater<br />Andean Cock-of-the-Rock<br />Streak-necked Flycatcher<br />Olive-striped Flycatcher<br />Ochre-bellied Flycatcher<br />Johnson's (Lulu's) Tody-Tyrant<br />Cinnamon-breasted Tody-Tyrant (Near Endemic) (Heard only)<br />Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher (Heard only)<br />Stripe-necked Tody-Tyrant<br />Peruvian Tyrannulet (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Lesser Elaenia<br />Highland Elaenia<br />Sierran Elaenia<br />Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet<br />Variegated Bristle-Tyrant<br />Ecuadorian Tyrannulet<br />Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant<br />Flavescent Flycatcher<br />Olive-chested Flycatcher<br />Cinnamon Flycatcher<br />Cliff Flycatcher<br />Smoke-colored Pewee<br />Vermilion Flycatcher<br />Rufous-tailed Tyrant<br />Long-tailed Tyrant<br />Dusky-capped Flycatcher (Heard only)<br />Tropical Kingbird<br />Boat-billed Flycatcher<br />Streaked Flycatcher<br />Piratic Flycatcher<br />Great Kiskadee<br />Yellow-cheeked Becard<br />Barred Becard<br />White-winged Becard<br />Inca (Green) Jay<br />Rufous-browed Peppershrike (Heard only)<br />Slaty-capped Shrike-Vireo (Heard only)<br />Red-eyed (Chivi) Vireo<br />Olivaceous Greenlet<br />Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush (Heard only)<br />Great Thrush<br />Andean Slaty-Thrush<br />Black-billed Thrush<br />Sharpe's Wren (Heard only)<br />House Wren (Heard only)<br />Gray-breasted Wren<br />Bar-winged Wood-Wren (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Blue-and-White Swallow<br />Southern Rough-winged Swallow<br />Hooded Siskin<br />Tropical Parula<br />Slate-throated Whitestart (Redstart)<br />Citrine Warbler<br />Russet-crowned Warbler<br />Rufous-collared Sparrow<br />Yellow-browed Sparrow<br />Rufous-naped Brush-Finch<br />Bananaquit<br />Black-faced Tanager<br />Magpie Tanager<br />White-capped Tanager<br />Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager<br />Ash-throated Bush-Tanager<br />Yellow-crested Tanager<br />White-lined Tanager<br />Huallaga Tanager (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Blue-gray Tanager<br />Palm Tanager<br />Blue-capped Tanager<br />Yellow-throated Tanager<br />Thick-billed Euphonia<br />Bronze-green Euphonia<br />Orange-bellied Euphonia<br />Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia<br />Orange-eared Tanager<br />Paradise Tanager<br />Green-and-gold Tanager<br />Golden Tanager<br />Saffron-crowned Tanager<br />Golden-eared Tanager<br />Flame-faced Tanager<br />Spotted Tanager<br />Bay-headed Tanager<br />Blue-necked Tanager<br />Blue-and-black Tanager<br />Silver-backed Tanager<br />Golden-collared Honeycreeper<br />Black-faced Dacnis<br />Blue Dacnis<br />Green Honeycreeper<br />Purple Honeycreeper<br />Swallow-Tanager<br />Dull-colored Grassquit<br />Rusty Flower-piercer<br />White-sided Flower-piercer<br />Buff-throated Saltator<br />Streaked Saltator<br />Crested Oropendola<br />Russet-backed Oropendola<br />Yellow-rumped Cacique<br />Subtropical Cacique<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/17561543-113107233427194891?l=perubirding.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15386831984311729340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561543.post-1129776553363394612005-10-19T18:44:00.000-07:002006-02-12T13:45:49.716-08:00Northern Peru - the Maranon Endemics<br /><br /><br /><br />Entry #3<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>15 September</strong><br /><br />We woke up at about 4:30 a.m. and got up at 5:00; got dressed and went up to the open air dining table and wrote in our journals until the others arrived for breakfast at 6:00 a.m. We had French toast with maple syrup and learned that the Brits called it "eggie bread" or "Flippin' Angels"! We watched the sun come up over the river. Jose drove us across the river on the suspension bridge at Balsas, just down the road. We waited at the far end of the bridge at a toll booth style bar across the road until a policeman sauntered over to check out our papers. Jose dropped us off at a sign marking our entrance into the District (Peruvian state) of Amazona, and he returned to help the crew break camp. We birded up the road through a mango tree plantation (there were also banana treees). We finally managed to see several Maranon Thrushes - quite a beautiful spot-breasted bird. In the dry thorn forest on the slopes above the mangos <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Maranon%20Gnatc%20Small.jpg"></a>we finally saw a flock of the Scarlet-fronted Parakeets that we'd been hearing and continued to see the Maranon Gnatcatchers that frequent this habitat. The bus then picked us up and took us about 3 km up the road into the dry thornscrub on the way out of the Maranon Canyon, where after some extreme efforts we finally saw the Yellow-faced Parrotlets. After strained views from far down canyon, a beautiful pair flew in over our heads from above and landed in a tree top right in front of us! Bill got some fabulous photos. I might have gotten some too, they were so close, but I was so busy watching them that I forgot to get my camera out.<br /><br />Before we left the spot, Dave and I sprinkled some of the seeds (nonviable ..... we do know better than to introduce exotics!) we'd brought along from Ryan Beaulieu's memorial service. Ryan was a 16-year-old New Mexican birder with incredible potential as an ornithologist who'd been killed in a tragic car accident last month. We knew that he would have loved the trip to Peru and that seeing this beautiful bird would have elicited what had become known as Ryan's "orgasmic birding experiences".<br /><br />We then got back on the bus and made the long, winding drive up out of the valley toward Abra Barro Negro. This was an extremely narrow, treacherous road that "strikes terror into the hearts of travelers" according to Barry. On occasions the assistant driver and the cooks would get out and check out the road or a plank on a rickety bridge to make sure it was OK to cross with the bus, and on one occasion we all piled out of the bus and walked over an area still partially marred by the contents of a recent landslide. The assistants cleared rocks from the road and directed the bus driver across. I wasn't sure whether we were asked to leave the bus because it made its weight less or because they didn't want us to be in it if it went over the side. I didn't really want to know. Jose is an extremely good driver, very careful and clearly experienced in how the bus will react to bumps and holes in the road, how close he can drive to the rock face on the mountain side of the road and precipice on the other side, and how far he can swing wide around the corners. We are safe because of him.<br /><br />We ate lunch before reaching the pass - a fabulous chicken salad with green beans, peas, french fries (of course) , etc. I remember this recipe from last trip. We birded a little after lunch and then made the pass - Abra Barro Negro (3500 m) - over and into the Utcubamba River drainage. It was cold, windy and cloudy - we saw several well bundled horse trekkers up there. We birded our way along at several places where the high grasslands of ichu grass were interspersed with remnant cloud forest patches. I got pretty chilled by the time we finally climbed back onto the bus for the 1.5 hour drive down to Leimeibamba (also spelled Leymebamba etc.).<br /><br />We were staying for 2 nights at the Hotel Laguna de los Condores. I took a much-needed shower - trying to balance the scalding hot and freezing cold water while standing in a shower with a high window (no glass or screen) to the outside. It felt great to be clean. Since we had 2 nights, I did my first washing out of underwear and socks in the sink (hoping that these things would be dry after 2 nights proved to be ill-fated ..... amazing how smelly clean socks can be when you stuff back into the zip-lock bag when they're still slightly damp!). We had listing and dinner right in the hotel - egg drop soup, spaghetti with tomato sauce, and melon with nuts for dessert. Went to bed at 9:30 p.m. after catching up on journaling.<br /><br /><strong>16 September</strong><br /><br />We got up at 4:15 a.m. and piled onto the bus at 4:45 in the dark to spend the day birding in the Abra Barro Negro area (3100-3400 m). The stars were out when we left and were a predictor of a mostly sunny day. We were going to be birding at high elevation near the pass all day and I noticed that Ivan, one of the assistants, had added a nylon vest to what always seemed to me a thin wardrobe for cold temperatures ... but he was still wearing flip-flops! It turned out that it was breezy much of the day, with some clouds, and with the exception of a few minutes here and there, we were never hot and I didn't regret the light-weight longjohns that I'd worn under my pants. In fact, I was glad for all the layers I'd put on - High-Tech T-shirt (polyester); High-Tech long-sleeved T; High-Tech longjohn bottoms; regular nylon pants; sun shirt; fleece jacket; and field vest with rain jacket substituted at times as a wind-breaker - I only removed a layer late in the afternoon.<br /><br />We stopped and had breakfast at dawn at a pull off just above our first target species site - Russet-mantled Softtails. Breakfast was more basic this morning - instant coffee, cold cereal and yogurt. We walked down the road after breakfast and were almost instantly successful when a pair of softtails came in to the tape. It certainly is helpful that Barry and the other tour leaders know specifically where some of these species have territories. Although I sometimes joke about not liking the Furnarids because I have such a difficult time telling the canasteros, softtails and spinetails apart, I must admit that these Russet-mantled Softtails were beautiful birds - bright rufous cap, back, wings and longish brushy-looking tail feathers. They flew in repeatedly to give us great looks - a good start to the day since they are not "guaranteed" birds for the trip.<br /><br />We had planned for a long day because we were staying up there to do a little owling after dark. I was a little concerned about whether I'd hold out, but I think I did OK. The hiking up and down the road went alright and just when I'd decided that I needed to ask Barry to call the bus up so I could rest, he called lunch. Another fabulous lunch - some kind of beef steak with a few carrots and some kind of red (tomato) sauce with mashed potatoes. Anticipating the need to keep up my strength for a long afternoon/evening, I had seconds and so felt a little stuffed for a while walking, but it turned out to be a good idea. We continued birding up the road, looking for 2 special hummingbirds that we all hoped for - Great Sapphirewing and Coppery Metaltail - no luck - it was very windy and there wasn't much bird action along the road. I sat out the last 15 minute foray and grabbed a few winks on the bus. We then drove partway down and stopped to explore a trail that Barry knew. I wasn't sure whether I should go, but I did and even though it involved hiking down a trail (which meant I'd have to come back up on the return), I used my inhaler to prevent my minor asthma (allergies) from kicking in and did better than I expected - a little huffing and puffing but not too bad. Again it was pretty quiet bird-wise but we had one smallish feeding flock of Moustached and Masked Flower-Piercers, Rufous-naped Brush-Finches, Spectacled Whitestart, etc.<br /><br />Then we returned to the bus to wait for nightfall (or at least dusk). I caught up a little on my bird-listing notes. We then drove back up toward the pass, to a place near a school and house at a bend in the road. While we waited for dusk, I worked on my list and watched a small storm (rain cloud) approaching. It never amounted to more than a steady sprinkle for a short time, but the air cooled down rapidly as the sun disappeared. Several children came down from the house or school and talked with Raul and Jose. Erick took them some candy and got some cute pictures. We managed to see 2 Yungas Pygmy-Owls before darkess fell. Then we walked down the road for quite a while in the full moonlight - the rain had passed quickly - playing tapes for Cinnamon Screech-Owl and Ladder-tailed Nightjar. We had no response from the owl and frustrating responses from nightjars on the tops of ridges or across the valley, but they refused to "play" (they didn't come in). On our last trip, a Ladder-tailed Nightjar came bombing in almost immediately, calling and circling over our heads in the beams of our flashlights. Too bad. We discussed whether the full moonlight might have something to do with it (last trip it was cloudy and raining). I know there have been some publications indicating that certain night birds are not as active in full moonlight because it exposes them to larger night predators (larger owls).<br /><br />We finally gave up and left the mountain at 7:45 p.m., arriving back in Leymebamba at 8:45. We had dinner almost immediately, made by the cooks from a local restaurant. Apparently they were miffed the previous night when our own cooks prepared our food since they were usually hired to do this; in the interest of good relations for future trips, they were asked to cook the second night. It was very good - pumpkin soup; rice with beef slices, onions, tomatoes and french fries, and flan for dessert.<br /><br />We are all hoping that Sam will feel better tomorrow. The bug bites on his lower legs are really bad and swollen. During the day today I was horrified when I saw them and worried that they were getting infected. He didn't come down for dinner because he felt so bad, so I got our supply of Cortaid (cortisone cream), Neosporin (antibiotic cream) and Benadryl (antihistamine) and sent them up to his room with Bill. Sam spent much of the trip fighting off allergic reactions and/or infection from these bites. I expect that he "soldiered on" on numberous occasions when the swelling made walking uncomfortable. Apparently he'd never had this kind of reaction to similar chigger-type or jejene bites before. A reminder that both prevention and after-treatment are important to be prepared for. By the end of the trip, I decided that my early concerns about having packed too many medications were unfounded .... a number of them were made available to the group and I felt prepared rather than like a hypochondriac. My opinion .... trips like this offer enough challenges and one does not need to be uncomfortable when a few basic medications can solve the problem.<br /><br />No list tonight since it's so late; we'll do it tomorrow. We still didn't get to bed until 10:45 p.m.!<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Mt%20Caracara%20small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Mt%20Caracara%20small.jpg" border="0" /></a>Images from the day... (1) An elegant Puna Hawk hovering, completely still, in the wind over a mountain ridge. (2) A farmer walks his 6-8 cows down the road past us and then 30 minutes later he walks them back up again. What was that about? Speculations included .... he has to walk them to improve their milk production .... ???? (3) Full moon playing hide and seek among the clouds as we peered up and down-slope looking for eye-shine or the fluttering long tails of Ladder-tailed Nightjars. (4) A guy walking down the road in the dark with a flashlight. I wonder what he thought when he suddenly came upon a bunch of strange gringos with flashlights in the dark on a Peruvian mountain road? (5) Mountain Caracaras gamboling on the wind and striding purposefully across meadows in search of caracara-type food (whatever that is) (see photo).<br /><br /><strong>Birds Observed from Balsas camp up to and around Abra Barro Negro</strong><br />September 15-16<br /><br />Hooded Tinamou (Heard only)<br />Black Vulture<br />Turkey Vulture<br />Bay-winged (Harris') Hawk<br />Variable (Puna) Hawk<br />Mountain Caracara<br />American Kestrel<br />Andean Lapwing<br />Band-tailed Pigeon<br />Peruvian Pigeon<br />Eared Dove<br />Croaking Ground-Dove<br />Bare-faced Ground-Dove<br />Black-winged Ground-Dove<br />White-tipped Dove<br />Scarlet-fronted Parakeet<br />Yellow-faced Parrotlet (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Groove-billed Ani<br />Peruvian Pygmy-Owl (Heard only)<br />Andean (Yungas) Pygmy-Owl<br />Lesser Nighthawk<br />Swallow-tailed Nightjar (Heard only)<br />Chestnut-collared Swift<br />White-collared Swift<br />Spot-throated Hummingbird (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Andean Emerald<br />Shining Sunbeam<br />Mountain Velvetbreast<br />Great Sapphirewing<br />Rainbow Starfrontlet<br />Purple-throated Sunangel<br />Green-tailed Trainbearer<br />Purple-backed Thornbill<br />Tyrian Metaltail<br />Purple-collared Woodstar<br />Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan (Heard only)<br />Black-necked Woodpecker (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Andean Flicker<br />Montane Woodcreeper<br />Bar-winged Cinclodes<br />White-chinned (Peruvian) Thistletail (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Azara's Spinetail<br />Many-striped Canastero<br />Russet-mantled Softtail (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Pearled Treerunner<br />Rufous-capped Antshrike (Heard only)<br />Chestnut-crowned Antpitta (Heard only)<br />Rusty- breasted Antpitta (Heard only)<br />Blackish Tapaculo (Heard only)<br />Red-crested Cotinga<br />Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet<br />Sierran Elaenia<br />White-throated Tyrannulet<br />Tufted Tit-Tyrant<br />Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant<br />Tumbes Pewee (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Vermilion Flycatcher<br />Jelski-s Chat-Tyrant<br />Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant<br />Peruvian Chat-Tyrant<br />Tropical Kingbird<br />Inca(Green) Jay<br />Rufous-browed Peppershrike<br />Chiguanco Thrush<br />Great Thrush<br />Maranon Thrush (Near Endemic)<br />Long-tailed Mockingbird<br />Fasciated Wren<br />Grass (Sedge) Wren<br />House Wren<br />Maranon Gnatcatcher (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Brown-bellied Swallow<br />Blue-and-White Swallow<br />Spectacled Whitestart (Redstart)<br />Citrine Warbler<br />Black-crested Warbler<br />Rufous-collared Sparrow<br />Rufous-naped Brush-Finch<br />Bananaquit<br />Cinereous Conebill<br />Blue-backed Conebill<br />Black-capped Hemispingus<br />Superciliaried Hemispingus<br />Drab Hemispingus<br />Rufous-chested Tanager<br />Highland Hepatic Tanager<br />Blue-gray Tanager<br />Blue-capped Tanager<br />Blue-and-yellow Tanager<br />Hooded Mountain-Tanager<br />Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager<br />Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager<br />Purple-throated Euphonia<br />Blue-and-black Tanager<br />Buff-bridled Inca-Finch (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Dull-colored Grassquit<br />Rusty Flower-piercer<br />Moustached Flower-piercer<br />Black-throated Flower-piercer<br />Bluish Flower-piercer<br />Masked Flower-piercer<br />Golden-bellied Grosbeak<br />Streaked Saltator<br />Mountain Cacique (Heard only)<br />Yellow-tailed Oriole<br />Peruvian Meadowlark<br /><br /><strong>17 September</strong><br /><br />We got up at 5:00 a.m.; packed up; had breakfast at the hotel - omelette with tomatoes, rolls with cream cheese and jam and coffee - at 6:00. We left at 6:35 for 6 hours of driving from Leymebamba along the Utcubamba River Valley - through the towns of Tingo, Churuja, passing just west (5 km) of Chachapoyas and north to Pedro Ruiz Gallo and then on to La Florida or Pomacocha (likely a bastardization of Pumacocha - Puma Lake).<br /><br />All day in the towns we passed through, I saw poinsettia TREEs, lots of brilliant red and yellow lantana, etc. - house plants growing outside! Observations in the towns - (1) winding out of Leymebamba by circuitous, winding, narrow back streets. It reminded me of my brother Doug's complaint that in Latin America there are no real signs and no straight-through-town routes even if you were traveling through on main roadways. This from his California to Tierra del Fuego motorcycle trip - he was glad for his GPS unit. (2) We saw dogs of every size and description throughout the country - it seemed an indication of sufficient wealth to feed them (?). They weren't the skinny, mangy dogs I was used to in Mexico (at least in the mountains); they appeared well fed. Also there were chickens everywhere - a cheap efficient source of protein - hardy and able to fend for themselves with perhaps minimal supplemental feed. (3) I learned that "bamba" as in Utcubamba, means "flat place".<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Chacapoyan%20ruins%20small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Chacapoyan%20ruins%20small.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Just past Tingo, where you can take a turn to go visit some famous ruins, we stopped along the road to look at some ancient Chachapoyan ruins on the steep hillside across the river and up on the cliffs (see photo). They were rounded stone buildings that now appeared built into the hillside due to soil accumulation; they would have had conical grass roofs. While there, we had a small feeding flock move through a large Inga tree covered with white, fluffy flowers and compound leaves.<br /><br />I noticed regular places along the river where a cable was strung across and a flat trolley of sorts was suspended from it. Apparently people used them to transport supplies from the road across to the farms on the other side of the river.<br /><br />We drove through some narrow, steep riparian canyons where the entire road was underneath a hewed out rock cliff face overhang; at another spot there was a short tunnel through the rock face. At Churuja we stopped by a stream and birded while lunch was set up. Dan and I tried to photograph an exquisite black butterfly whose under (out) side hind wing was white, the mostly- hidden forewing had signs of scarlet and purple; the in (upper) side of the forewing had a bar of turquoise running from the leading edge, silvery-gray at the trailing edge of the hindwing, and some deeper blue at the base of the wings near the abdomen. It flitted around a lot - hopefully Dan got some shots. Interestingly, some of the ubiquitous little town kids that showed up as soon as we alighted from the bus figured out what we were up to and would point out the butterfly when we lost sight of it as it flitted around.<br /><br />We stopped in Pedro Ruiz Gallo to gas up the bus and for Raul to buy food supplies. Dave and I explored the market and bought a blanket of the sort we had admired on our beds in the hotel in Leymebamba. We missed finding the others who had ferreted out the nearest bar, and so also missed using the bano. Not being able to access the bathroom at the gas station (locked and no one seemed to have the key), I had to ask to be let out of the bus once we'd left town, and walk up around the bend to pee in a ditch. I guess I was more tired than I thought - having to readjust between high and low, cold and hot climates - because I found this episode to be "just one too many" and took a little while to recover my equanimity.<br /><br />Along the road we notice large tarps covered with yellow and dark drying coffee beans - I wonder if it's shade or sun grown? People even spread it on the verge of the road with rocks placed at each end of a strip to keep vehicles from driving over it! That, of course, doesn't stop kids or turkeys from walking all over it as I witnessed! Hmmm ..... where does my coffee come from? :)<br /><br />We drove to a location close to La Florida (also called Pomacochas) to search for the Marvelous Spatuletail (a target species for the trip). Some of us got only unsatisfactory glimpses of a female but spent a lot of time either "bush-whacking" or walking along narrow goat trails across steep, grassy slopes that were truly meant only for goats. During these forays, a little kid showed up and told Barry that he could show us where this hummingbird is regularly seen. According to Barry, there is another kid who does have an uncanny ability to find them. Unfortunately this kid did not have the same talent. He led us to a spot and had us stand there for some time, on the main trail staring at a patch of bushes without even the correct flowers that the spatuletail prefers! We decided that he had a bet with his friends to see how long he could keep a bunch of gringos staring at a bunch of weeds and shrubs. I think he was disappointed because we probably set no records; we soon decided that this was a crock and headed back up the slope. However, Barry consoled us with a description of his "cunning plan" - to have Richard and Rosanne, with the Field Guides group, scout out all the potential sites for Marvelous Spatuletails and we would secure this information and go straight to the most productive site(s).<br /><br />We finished (gave up) after 5:00 p.m. and drove to La Florida. It is a fairly small town right on the shore of a large lake. We are staying at the famous "ghost hotel", so nicknamed because there is a supposedly real mummy in some kind of traditional case/statue in the lobby. It is rather macabre, especially combined with the paintings all over the hotel hall and in the rooms - an artist(s) who admired/imitated Picasso - one piece that looked like Guernica, and some from his "blue period" - and lots of other genres - paintings of Native people, wierd dream themes, and some quite beautifully done, but rather explicit nudes.<br /><br />We had another great dinner - tomato soup, chicken curry with rasins and coconut milk over rice, and chocolate pudding. Afterwards I caught up on my journaling and then went to bed. For some reason I'm developing a very stiff/sore left shoulder and neck. I felt it coming on at dinner and tried valiantly to prevent it by stretching in all directions but I was unsuccessful at "cutting it off at the pass". So now I'll have to try aspirin. We left our laundry down at the dining room for washing the next day - we're supposed to be able to pick it up tomorrow evening. I bought a T-shirt with a number of the birds we have or will see at the front desk.<br /><br /><strong>18 September</strong><br /><br />We got up at 4:00 a.m. and left at 4:30, arriving at Abra Patricia at 5:50 a.m. Abra Patricia is the border line between the Departments of Amazona and San Martin. We birded the road along the pass while breakfast was prepared. We saw some really good feeding flocks in that first hour with quite a few tanagers. We had killer looks at two target species - Lulu's Tody-Tyrant ( a CUTE little beautifully-colored bird) and a pair of Sharpe's Wrens. We were all horrified to hear that some unimaginative, ornithological bean-counter was proposing to rename the Lulu's Tody-Tyrant as the Johnson's Tody-Tyrant. Ned Johnson was the fellow who discovered it, but Johnson had named it after Lulu May Von Hagen for her support of avian genetics research. Lulu's is better by far! Image from that period ... Barry trying to tape some singing bird so as to be able to call it in; looking over his shoulder with a "if looks could kill" glare and shouting up the road to the cooks to "shut up and stop shouting"!; the result - instant silence! Breakfast was pancakes and coffee (see photo of field breakfast set up - whole group except Dave (the photographer) - (left to right) Bill, Erick, Sam, Terry, Barry, Janet, Dan).<br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 383px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 238px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="279" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Roadside%20Breakfast%20small.jpg" width="427" border="0" /><br />We met Roberto Bazan Culqui who works for the organization EcoAn (Ecosistemas Andinos), which gets funding from the American Bird Conservancy for the Abra Patricia project. I took a number of pictures of Roberto with our group and pictures of some of the land (formerly farmed) that has been purchased by the project. Unfortunately they were all lost so I hope someone else took some.<br /><br />After breakfast we birded a short distance down a trail from the pass that Roberto showed us. Barry quickly gave up because it wasn't well maintained. Later he sent Raul back with a machete to clear the trail so we could return tomorrow. We then birded down the road to <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Roadside%20H%20small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Roadside%20H%20small.jpg" border="0" /></a>a location called "Garcia Ridge". Along this stretch of road we could see some of the land that was purchased by EcoAn with help from ABC to protect it from development. In addition, we had nice looks at a very cooperative and well-named Roadside Hawk (see photo).<br /><br />Garcia Ridge is the Royal Sunangel target spot. This is where the road ended at the time that LSU (Louisiana State University) first came down here collecting and it is the type location for the Long-whiskered Owlet, which has never been seen outside the net in which one was collected. We had lunch up the road from Garcia Ridge - barbecued chicken and apple salad. We continued birding along the road for a bit and then took the trail that went down from Garcia Ridge. It was extremely muddy, although apparently immensely better than usual because of the lack of rain - Barry claims to have been there up to his knees in the mud on the trail. I was not particularly comfortable traversing this trail, not being a big fan of balancing on slippery logs across mucky, wet areas. I have an uncanny knack for falling into places like this and spend a lot of time thinking about falling in, which undoubtedly inclines one toward self-fulfilling prophecies. But, with a lot of goofy-looking arm-waving by me and arm-lending by Dave, I managed NOT to fall in. It was, however, not a very successful afternoon - I know that Barry was frustrated even though it wasn't his fault. It was very quiet and we didn't hear much; what we did hear was next to impossible to see (furtive shadows flitting through the underbrush). We returned to the ridge for another look for the Royal Sunangel - no luck.<br /><br />We returned to the hotel at Pomacochas just before dark. My laundry was done but unfortunately Dave's was not, leaving him fairly short on clothes, so he handwashed a few things in the sink. We had another good dinner - vegetable noodle soup in a milk base; steak in tomato sauch with mashed sweet potatoes, and pineapple slices in some kind of juice for dessert. Returned to the room to drape my half-dry laundry all over the room and on the balcony and to bed.<br /><br /><strong>Birds Observed in Utcubamba River Valley, en route to and around Pomacochas, and Abra Patricia area</strong><br />17-18 September<br /><br />Torrent Duck<br />Snowy Egret<br />Cattle Egret<br />Black Vulture<br />Turkey Vulture<br />Roadside Hawk l<br />Zone-tailed Hawk<br />American Kestrel<br />Bat Falcon<br />Andean Coot<br />Spotted Sandpiper<br />Band-tailed Pigeon<br />Peruvian Pigeon<br />Plumbeous Pigeon (heard only)<br />Eared Dove<br />White-tipped Dove<br />Scarlet-fronted Parakeet (heard only)<br />Red-billed Parrot<br />Speckle-faced Parrot<br />Scaly-naped Parrot<br />Groove-billed Ani<br />Chestnut-collared Swift<br />White-collared Swift<br />White-tipped Swift<br />Green-fronted Lancebill<br />White-bellied Hummingbird<br />Giant Hummingbird<br />Shining Sunbeam<br />Collared Inca<br />Rainbow Starfrontlet<br />Long-tailed Sylph<br />Marvelous Spatuletail (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Purple-collared Woodstar<br />White-bellied Woodstar<br />Ringed Kingfisher<br />Emerald Toucanet<br />Lafresnaye's Piculet<br />Tyrannine Woodcreeper<br />Azara's Spinetail (heard only)<br />Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner (Heard only)<br />Variable Antshrike<br />Rufous-capped Antshrike (Heard only)<br />Chestnut-crowned Antpitta (Heard only)<br />Rusty-tinged Antpitta (Peruvian Endemic) (Heard only)<br />Rufous-vented (Peruvian) Tapaculo (Peruvian Endemic) (Heard only)<br />Streak-necked Flycatcher<br />Lulu's Tody-Tyrant<br />Peruvian Tyrannulet (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet<br />White-crested Elaenia<br />Sierran Elaenia<br />Torrent Tyrannulet<br />Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant<br />Bran-colored Flycatcher<br />Cinnamon Flycatcher<br />Cliff Flycatcher<br />Smoke-colored Pewee<br />Tumbes Pewee (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Black Phoebe<br />Vermilion Flycatcher<br />Dusky-capped Flycatcher (Heard only)<br />Tropical Kingbird<br />Social Flycatcher<br />Inca (Green) Jay (Heard only)<br />Chiguanco Thrush<br />Great Thrush<br />Maranon Thrush (Near Endemic)<br />Sharpe's Wren<br />Maranon (Speckle-breasted) Wren (Heard only)<br />House Wren<br />Gray-breasted Wood-Wren (Heard only)<br />Bar-winged Wood-Wren (Peruvian Endemic) (Heard only)<br />Maranon Gnatcatcher (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Blue-and-White Swallow<br />Black-lored Yellowthroat (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Spectacled Whitestart (Redstart)<br />Citrine Warbler<br />Russet-crowned Warbler (Heard only)<br />Rufous-collared Sparrow<br />Rufous-naped Brush-Finch<br />Common Bush-Tanager<br />Ash-throated Bush-Tanager<br />Rufous-chested Tanager<br />Buff-bellied Tanager (Near Endemic)<br />Highland Hepatic Tanager<br />Blue-gray Tanager<br />Blue-capped Tanager<br />Yellow-throated Tanager<br />Purple-throated Euphonia<br />Golden Tanager<br />Saffron-crowned Tanager<br />Flame-faced Tanager<br />Beryl-spangled Tanager<br />Blue-and-black Tanager<br />Silver-backed Tanager<br />Straw-backed Tanager<br />Rusty Flower-piercer<br />White-sided Flower-piercer<br />Golden-bellied Grosbeak<br />White-edged Oriole (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Peruvian Meadowlark<br /><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/17561543-112977655336339461?l=perubirding.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15386831984311729340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561543.post-1129170865128341772005-10-12T18:06:00.000-07:002006-02-12T13:29:11.626-08:00Northern Peru - the Maranon Endemics<br /><br />Entry #2<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>13 September</strong><br /><br />We got up at 4:15 a.m. Dave woke up from a Malarone-induced dream (Malarone is the malaria drug we're taking) that beats my dancing pig dream from our trip two years ago - being chased by a philosophizing bear spouting Espinoza and promising to kill him! Having escaped the bear, we packed up all our gear, met in the lobby at 5:00 a.m., loaded up the bus, and left Cajamarca. We almost left Bill behind in the dark! Fortunately someone noticed that his seat was empty. Barry told us a story about a tour leader in India who left a client behind and drove 500 km before discovering it! He knew he had to go back to get him, so returned. In the mean time the resourceful client had managed to get a ride and they passed each other unawares on the road! Like I said, fortunately someone noticed that Bill was missing. :)<br /><br />On the way out of town we passed the steaming Banos del Inca (natural hot springs) where Attahualpa (the ruling Inca) took his ease after defeating his half-brother in an Inca civil war (initiated when their father died of small pox which proceeded European invasion by traveling overland from Mexico courtesy of Cortez and his cronies). The invading Pizarro and his Spaniards and allies met Attahualpa in Cajamarca and in an audacious plot, ambushed and captured him, and eventually killed him (after holding him for ransom, extorting several rooms full of gold and silver from his subjects, deciding he was now a liability, and convincing him to convert so that they would only garrot him instead of burning him at the stake .... at least it was a quicker death).<br /><br />Basically all day we birded along the road to Celendin. We drove more than 2 hours in the dark and then had breakfast near Abra Gran Chimu (3750 m). We were in the clouds and it was DAMN COLD and WINDY - it was totally useless to bird because every other sentient being was huddled down somewhere trying to keep warm except a bunch of crazy bird-nerd gringos! All of us donned all of the warm clothes that we'd brought on the trip and we were still cold! We would stand in the lee of the bus to avoid the wind, then venture out for a few minutes in the hopes that it had gotten better or to "take care of business", and quickly return. I think it was at this point that I advised "the guys" that I didn't want to hear any complaints about peeing in this weather, as they had to explose much less of their anatomy than I did! We actually had pancakes for breakfast. I watched Raul and the crew create a little protected area from seat cushions and miscellaneous supplies from the bus; they placed the stove behind this and made pancakes in spite of gale-force winds and freezing temperatures. Amazing!<br /><br />We hurriedly climbed back on the bus and continued on our way, not having seen any of the high-elevation birds we'd hoped for on that stop. Along the roads I noticed lots of stubbled fields (I think it is just time to start planting again, as the rainy season will soon start) - mostly wheat and barley. Barry said that it was still too low to grow quinoa and raise llamas and alpacas here. At over 3000 m they were still growing corn! The agriculture practices were amazing - skinny little fields crammed into narrow valleys draining the mountainsides (I suppose to take advantage of a little more water draining from above); a bit of soil held in place by dirt berms and scrub terraces; small pine plantations; OLD, possibly Inca, stone walls still being used. Where we passed places not plowed under, there were native grasses - the Ichu grass that I remember from our last trip. I learned that the people cultivate lupine (the flower) because they eat the seeds (called tarwi).<br /><br />We passed through Cruz Conga (3350 m), birding above and below. At one place I had the impression that a family saw our bus coming down the valley, grabbed all the kids, and rushed out to the front of the house along the road to stand and watch us -- perhaps in the hope that we'd stop and pay them for a photo. I was tempted because the family included a very small child all decked out, complete with a miniature version of the typical tall straw hat.<br /><br />We had a VERY long morning, not eating until about 2:00 p.m.! We basically drove to target areas across the pass, stopped and birded for an hour or two, got picked up by the bus, drove on to the next target. I was feeling pretty tired and depleted by the end of the morning (OK, OK, I was grumpy!) and walked on down the road ahead of the group seeking the bus that was supposedly preparing a lunch that I desperately needed. Nevertheless, we were very successful, succeeding in seeing most of the target birds for this section including Rufous Antpitta (the Cajamarca subspecies that will be split). This bird took some work. Amazingly the species has colonized pine plantations as their native habitat has been destroyed. So we hiked up into a plantation by the road and spent quite a while luring one in. An interesting story in retrospect .... everyone was very focused on seeing the Antpitta, so no one paid much attention when Bill described a pretty little bird that he had seen and I described an unidentified call (a long trill ending with a hic-cup). However, when we got back down to the road and Bill and I reiterated our questions, Barry suddenly realized that the two of us had observed an important target bird - Jelski's Chat-tyrant. We dashed back up to the location where we'd seen/heard it but searched to no avail. However, we did get several other good birds that morning including Striated Earthcreeper, W<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Great%20Thrush%20small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Great%20Thrush%20small.jpg" border="0" /></a>hite-tailed Shrike-Tyrant, and some bonuses (not planned for) - Crested Tit-Spinetail and Black Metaltail! As usual we had the two common thrushes for the trip - the Chiguanco Thrush and the Great Thrush (see photo).<br /><br />The long-awaited lunch along the road was a fabulous beef and vegetable soup that really hit the spot after waiting so long. Lunch was combined with some rather hilarious ribbing primarily among Dave, Terry and Erick, although I have to admit that somehow I was lured down the slippery slope of the semi-barbed poking that they do at each other ... "Three Stooges"! It's like traveling around with 3 adolescent brothers! The rest of the group watched with bemused expressions but they are quickly catching on to this form of jocularity and I fear that it will only get worse!<br /><br />We then continued the ..... driving .... stopping ..... birding .... driving..... We observed an interesting incident (I believe that we were the cause of it although I do not understand why). We came walking around a curve in the road and saw, down the road, a house with two women in colorful clothing sitting on the porch. It was a nice scene and Dan and I took pictures, figuring that we were too far away for them to be uncomfortable. Almost immediately the two jumped up and gathered up what appeared to be a car battery (!?) in a blanket and began running clumsily down the hill, carrying it and looking back over their shoulders, headed for another house on the next rise where they quickly hid. I don't know whether they saw the cameras in spite of the distance and didn't want their pictures taken, or whether they saw what appeared to be a large group of strange white men (they couldn't have told that I was a woman at that distance) and were afraid. An unsolved mystery.<br /><br />After our last birding stop, we drove for another hour until we got to Celendin. Barry had been warning us on a regular basis about how terrible the hotel was that we would be staying in. We figured that he was trying to lower our expectations sufficiently so that we'd be pleasantly surprised when we got there. Well, we certainly were surprised; in fact, so was Barry. Apparently the Hotel Celendin had been substantially renovated since he was there last and it was quite nice, although it did have its idiosyncracies. It was built around a courtyard with a fountain in the middle that was filled with goldfish. Dave and my room was facing the central town plaza so we anticipated that we might be the ones to experience the noisy conditions that Barry had warned about. We had beers in the central patio next to the goldfish pond and then repaired to the restaurant right in the hotel where we had a room all to ourselves while we did our bird list for the day and then ate dinner - for me Lomo Saltado (a Peruvian dish of beef steak sliced over french fries, onions, etc. and over rice). We came to learn on this trip that Peruvians can put french fried potatoes into about any dish and that the rule of only one starch with a meal doesn't apply - they usually have both potatoes and rice and sometimes even fried plaintains (platanos fritos). In fact when we eventually got tired of all the starch, we would usually have to repeat 2 or 3 times to our incredulous waiter that we only wanted rice (no potatoes). They just couldn't believe it. I had my first day without a headache, so I indulged in beer with the rest of the group. However, considering that Peruvian beer should not be considered one of their culinary masterpieces, this was not really such a big deal! Where they served Pisco Sours, that was another story!<br /><br />To bed at about 9:45 p.m.<br /><br /><strong>Birds seen on the road from Cajamarca to Celendin</strong><br />September 13<br /><br />Cattle Egret<br />Puna Ibis<br />Black Vulture<br />Turkey Vulture<br />Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle<br />Variable (Red-backed) Hawk<br />Mountain Caracara<br />American Kestrel<br />Plumbeous Rail<br />Andean Lapwing<br />Eared Dove<br />Andean Swift<br />Giant Hummingbird<br />Shining Sunbeam<br />Rainbow Starfrontlet<br />Black Metaltail (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Tyrian Metaltail<br />Andean Flicker<br />Striated Earthcreeper (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Bar-winged Cinclodes<br />Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Baron's Spinetail (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Streak-throated Canastero<br />Stripe-headed Antpitta (heard only)<br />Rufous (Cajamarca) Antpitta (Peruvian Endemic)<br />White-throated Tyrannulet<br />Tufted Tit-Tyrant<br />Cliff Flycatcher<br />Jelski's Chat-Tyrant (heard only)<br />Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant<br />White-browed Chat-Tyrant<br />Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant<br />White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant<br />Rufous-webbed Tyrant<br />Chiguanco Thrush<br />Great Thrush<br />House Wren<br />Andean Swallow<br />Paramo Pipit<br />Hooded Siskin<br />Spectacled Whitestart (Redstart)<br />Black-crested Warbler<br />Rufous-collared Sparrow<br />Cinereous Conebill<br />Blue-and-yellow Tanager<br />Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager<br />Peruvian Sierra-Finch (Near Endemic)<br />Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch<br />Plumbeous Sierra-Finch<br />Plain-colored Seedeater<br />Black-throated Flower-piercer<br />Golden-billed Saltator<br /><br /><strong>14 September</strong><br /><br />At 1:30 A.M. some guy in the park outside our hotel window started to sing - I vaguely remember the noise but Dave says that he had quite a nice voice! At 2:30 A.M. a rooster started crowing! At 4:45 we got up to pack our equipment, take a quick shower, and meet downstairs at 5:30. We piled onto the bus and once more headed out of town. As the bus pulled away from the curb at the hotel, I saw two guys laying on the sidewalk in the plaza wrapped up in blankets, sleeping with their roster tied by the foot to their blankets ... a walking alarm clock! I'm amazed that they hadn't strangled it at 2:30 .... there was no sign of daylight.<br /><br />We didn't drive far this time, just to the heights above town where the crew set up for breakfast while we walked around birding (again unsuccessfully) for Jelski's Chat-tyrant. Breakfast was fried eggs and bacon. For the morning we continued birding along the road and being picked up regularly by the bus to bird further on. Early on I FINALLY got looks at both Golden-billed Saltator and Golden-bellied Grosbeak - not really rare species or lifers but ones I kept missing whenever anyone spotted them. We crossed over an unnamed Abra (pass) (3070 m) into the Maranon Valley. Much of the day was spent winding down innumerable hairpin curves along extremely narrow roads. Neither Erick nor Terry are big fans of these precipitous cliffs. Terry joked about the strategy of talking in detail about sports teams and events for which he really gave a "rodent's behind" in order to distract himself and hammed it up by tieing a bandanna around his eyes and clutching the seat in front of him. But I think it was not a part of the trip that either of them would want to repeat.<br /><br />All day we gradually moved down into dryer thornscrub habitat with lots of cacti - a Cordon-type and a Senecio (old man)-type columnar cactus; a palo verde type tree (<em>Cercidium</em> genus) with pale green bark and yellow flowers, and a boojum tree-type (<em>Pseudobombax</em> genus), which has yellow fuzzy ball flowers. I took pictures of another plant (lost) that was mostl<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Crop%20on%20Head%20small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Crop%20on%20Head%20small.jpg" border="0" /></a>y bare of leaves but with beautiful little scarlet flowers; the few leaves I saw were star-shaped (like Sweet Gum leaves). On the Pacific slope (before the pass) we watched several guys hiking down from high elevation fields with HUGE piles of some plant piled on top of their heads. Barry said it was lupine but Terry thought it was some other kind of pea-like legume. Anyway the piles were as tall and wide as the men - we could barely see their heads (see photo). They headed down hill toward some of the many flat, cleared threshing floors we saw that morning (at least that was what I thought they were; I saw someone with something like a flail for threshing the crops).<br /><br />We birded around the Limon area. We observed a nice variety of butterflies - Monarch butterflies, a large yellow-green sulphur-type, and something that looked like a brownish skipper with 2 small tan bars on the forewing and long tails on the hind wing. We had lunch along the road, again rather late and I was pretty tired and hungry - chicken salad with raisins and apples. We continued on down into the valley, still looking for Yellow-faced Parrotlets and Maranon Thrush - unsuccessfully.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Maranon_Tit_Tyrant_1a.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Maranon_Tit_Tyrant_1a.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />We did see several target endemics today - Black-necked Woodpecker, Buff-bellied Tanager, and Gray-winged Inca-Finch - and one of my favorites again, the Maranon (Black-crested) Tit-Tyrant (see photo).<br /><br />When we were close enough to see the river (Rio Maranon), we found a trail that headed toward the river and got off the bus, hoping that we'd see some of our targets a little removed from the road. I was getting tired but felt up to it when we alighted. However, I wasn't quite prepared for the deep, slippery dust and the steep grades in places, so I had a difficult time. We walked all the way down the rest of the mountain to the river - it took about 2 hours and I was really dragging when I got there. Some of the others had made it there quite a bit before I dragged my sorry butt into camp. I'd overdone it and "hit the wall" before I made it to the camp at Balsas. This was to be our first night camping and the crew had arrived ahead of us and had most of the tents set up and our gear ready to put inside. I needed a little "space", so I laid down in the tent and took a few deep breaths and rested for a while - it was pretty hot in the tent (and outside for that matter). After I got myself centered, I went back and joined the others.<br /><br />The camp was set up right by the river - similar green tents (2 persons per tent) to what we'd had on our previous trip; they provided ThermaRest-type mattresses and small camp pillows (we brought our own light-weight sleeping bags); there was also a cooking tent and (if we needed it) a dining tent which we only used on one occasion because the weather was pleasant. Last but not least, there was the toilet tent, completely with a little sickle moon symbol on the side; unlike last time when the crew dug a pit over which the tent and folding seat were perched, this time we were apparently carrying everything with us and the folding toilet seat was fitted with specially designed bags ..... I know, I know, too much information, but I hated them so I had to mention it!<br /><br />Late afternoon remained unpleasantly hot and the gnats were nasty - trying to fly into my eyes and ears and biting - little, round blood-red spots (they really like knuckles and the bases of fingernails). The local (Quechua) term for the little buggers is "puma huacachi" which means "makes the puma cry" .... an apt name. Fortunately they appear to really like testosterone-laced flesh best and I'm surrounded by 7 ready sources, so I wasn't bitten as badly as some of the guys. Equally as fortunately, as soon as the sun went down, they disappeared and Barry's warning about the replacement shift of mosquitos proved unfounded. I think the cooling temperatures and the breeze helped.<br /><br />We sat around the table with head lamps for listing and dinner, aided by some kind of glorified fuel-powered patio torch. We had a great vegetable soup and then a dish of chicken in mushroom sauce over rice, followed by strawberries and cream (condensed milk) - wow, we're on the luxury safari! While we were sitting about, I watched Raul and his assistant chopping up vegetables, I assume for the next soup or meal. Barry pointed out to me that they were speaking Quechua (not Spanish) among themselves.<br /><br />We crawled into our tent at 9:00 p.m.. It was REALLY hot and sticky. We managed to clean up a little with travel moist towelettes, which are an absolute necessity when camping in the tropics, lovingly called "baby butt wipes" by Erick et al. Zipped open the tent "windows" as far as we could and thanks to the dark, slept in next to nothing, trying to minimize the amount of body surface area that touched the hot, nylon sleeping bags. It did cool off some in the middle of the night and I slept well until about 2:00 a.m. Unfortunately, in turning over and waking up, I became aware of raucous snoring emanating from Erick's tent. Apparently the local dogs thought it was a jaguar, because they began incessant barking ... if I'd had a BB-gun or even a rock I'd have gone after those blasted dogs in my underwear! I finally managed to go back to sleep just in time to get up!<br /><br /><strong>Birds Observed from Celendin and across the pass all the way to Balsas</strong><br />(September 14)<br /><br />Black Vulture<br />Turkey Vulture<br />Mountain Caracara<br />American Kestrel<br />Peruvian Pigeon<br />Eared Dove<br />Croaking Ground-Dove<br />Bare-faced Ground-Dove<br />Black-winged Ground-Dove<br />White-tipped Dove<br />Scarlet-fronted Parakeet (Heard only)<br />Squirrel Cuckoo<br />Groove-billed Ani<br />Peruvian Pygmy-Owl (Heard only)<br />White-collared Swift<br />Spot-throated Hummingbird (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Andean Emerald<br />Shining Sunbeam<br />Green-tailed Trainbearer<br />Tyrian Metaltail<br />Oasis Hummingbird<br />Purple-collared Woodstar<br />Black-necked Woodpecker (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Andean Flicker<br />Baron's Spinetail (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Chestnut-backed Thornbird (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Chestnut-crowned Antpitta (Heard only)<br />Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet<br />White-throated Tyrannulet (Heard only)<br />Maranon (Black-crested) Tit-Tyrant (Near Endemic)<br />Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant<br />Tumbes Pewee (Tumbes Endemic)<br />Vermilion Flycatcher<br />White-browed Chat-Tyrant<br />Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant<br />White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant<br />Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant<br />White-winged Black-Tyrant<br />Brown-crested Flycatcher<br />Tropical Kingbird<br />Inca (Green) Jay<br />Chiguanco Thrush<br />Great Thrush<br />Long-tailed Mockingbird<br />Fasciated Wren<br />House Wren<br />Maranon Gnatcatcher (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Hooded Siskin<br />Rufous-collared Sparrow<br />Rufous-naped (Baron's) Brush-Finch<br />Bananaquit<br />Cinereous Conebill<br />Buff-bellied Tanager(Near Endemic)<br />Blue-gray Tanager<br />Blue-and-Yellow Tanager<br />Golden-rumped Euphonia<br />Peruvian Sierra-Finch (Near Endemic)<br />Mourning Sierra-Finch<br />Gray-winged Inca-Finch (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Buff-bridled Inca-Finch (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Blue-black Grassquit<br />Band-tailed Seedeater<br />Dull-colored Grassquit<br />Black-throated Flower-piercer<br />Golden-bellied Grosbeak<br />Golden-billed Saltator<br />Streaked Saltator<br />Yellow-tailed Oriole<br />Peruvian Meadowlark<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/17561543-112917086512834177?l=perubirding.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15386831984311729340noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561543.post-1128650783117482292005-10-06T18:34:00.000-07:002006-02-12T13:25:26.003-08:00<span style="font-size:130%;">Northern Peru - the Maranon Endemics</span><br /><br />Entry #1<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>September 10 - 30, 2005<br />Manu Expeditions (Expediciones Manu)<br /></strong><br /><strong>Guide:</strong> Barry Walker<br /><strong>Participants:</strong> Janet Ruth, Dave Krueper, Terry Rich, Bill Grossi, Erick Campbell, Dan Singer, Sam Brayshaw<br /><strong>Driver:</strong> Jose<br /><strong>Cook:</strong> Raul<br /><strong>Asst Cook:</strong> Ivan<br /><br />Photos by Dave Krueper - thanks to him since my camera was "lost" 3/4 of the way through the trip :(<br /><br /><strong>Trip Map</strong><br /><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="413" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Maraonon%20map%2005%20small.jpg" width="415" border="0" /><strong>10</strong> <strong>September </strong><strong><br /></strong><br />And so it begins ... (beats "long, long ago in a galaxy far away"! :) ... Dave and I got up this morning at 3:30 a.m., took a quick shower and got dressed. We left for the Albuquerque Sunport airport at 4:35. The sky was partly clear and it was still humid from last night's rain. The fact that we're on our way to Peru for the second time still seems unreal to me - three weeks in another world! And all on Frequent Flyer miles - a "free trip" - well, sort of.<br /><br />We got to the airport and through check-in and security with no problems. We were sitting at the La Hacienda Express before 6:00 a.m., waiting for them to open so we could by our traditional "going on a trip" breakfast burritos with sausage and green chiles. It will be three weeks before our next New Mexico green chiles and I fear that Dave will go through withdrawals long before then! :)<br /><br />We took off on time for an uneventful flight to Dallas-Fort Worth. While waiting at the gate for departure in DFW, we were inundated by about 15 kids 8 to 10 years of age, who were part of some kind of school group from a Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking country. I kept thinking they were speaking Spanish but then there would be words that sounded very unfamiliar. Perhaps my Spanish is just rustier than I thought - they were speaking very fast. Some sat and played palm pilot video games, some were listening to music on portable CD players, and others just bugged their friends (one pulled a damp towel out of a plastic bag and stuffed it into his friend's face). From his reaction I'm guessing it smelled something like an old gym sock ..... guys! I just don't get it sometimes. It turned out to be a humorous omen of what it was going to be like traveling as the only woman with a bunch of guys.<br /><br />Our flight took off on time to Miami and when we got there, we discovered that our next flight to Lima was going to serve a meal (what a revolutionary idea)! So Dave and I shared a sandwich and candy bar. I met Dan, a fellow Peru tripper, for the first time (he was on the same flight to Lima, having flown in from San Francisco). Dave knew him from a birding trip that he and Erick took to Chiapas last year.<br /><br />We got off late from Miami, but I was already asleep while we were still waiting on the tarmac .... something about problems loading the luggage. We took off about 5:30 p.m. The flight was basically uneventful. I had bits of conversation with my other seat mate in broken Spanish. She was born in Iquitos, Peru but now spends part of the year in Lima, part in Iquitos, and part in Canada and the U.S. (she has a married daughter in Canada). Although the pilot tried to make up the time from the delay, we arrived in Lima at about 9:40 p.m. (about 30 minutes late). We had no problems in Customs; we did get "the red light" but all we had to do was run our bags and carry-ons through an X-ray machine. They didn't even open them!<br /><br />We met a Manu Expeditions representative outside the gate who helped us find an ATM; then of course my PIN number wouldn't work! How fortunate to have a husband handy who withdrew extra money from his account and promised reasonable lending rates! We were driven through the seamy sections of Lima (I swear it was exactly the same route on which we were taken 2 years ago) to the Hotel Jose Antonio in Miraflores (a suburb or section of Lima) - this is the same hotel we've stayed at before.<br /><br />We met Terry and Erick in the lobby as we were checking in. We found our room and tried knocking on Barry's room (softly since it was 11:00 p.m.) because we wanted to find out the details of plans for the next day .... no answer. Met Terry and Erick and Dan in the bar and drank some celebratory Pisco Sours (a highlight from our previous trip) and waited for Bill and Sam who were arriving on a later flight. When they arrived we were getting really tired, there had been no sign of Barry, and so we went up to bed. Set the alarm for 5:30 a.m.<br /><br /><strong>11 September</strong><br /><br />Dave woke me up and said, "Time to get up." I squinted at my alarm clock, wondering why it hadn't gone off, and said, "It's 4:30! We're not getting up until 5:30!" Ooops .... back to sleep. Lucky we're sleeping in the "Ward and June Cleaver separate single beds" or I'd have punched him! :) Up at 5:30 a.m.; quick shower, dress, repack. They'd told us that the restaurant didn't open until 6:30 so we didn't get down til 6:20 and it was open and bustling with people! Had a quick odd breakfast of fruit, tea, biscuit with egg, ham and cheese, yogurt with cereal. Barry arrived in the middle of our breakfast, so now our whole group is united and Dave can stop worrying about being the de facto trip organizer .... it's now Barry's trip (he's the self proclaimed "benign dictator").<br /><br />We piled into the bus (with our luggage since we're going directly to the airport later this afternoon). We headed south toward Pucusana. We stopped only briefly on the side of the road at the Pantanos de Villa marshes (where we had birded 2 years ago). It has become quite unsafe to bird along the road there - birding group<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Peruvian_Seaside_Cinclodes_3a_small.jpg"></a>s have been robbed at gunpoint. Then onward toward Pucusana. We stopped at the same desolate desert playa/scrub habitat with the polygons of baked, cracked earth and the foot-swallowing cracks in between. Since it was planned we didn't have to<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Peruvian_Seaside_Cinclodes_3a.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Peruvian_Seaside_Cinclodes_3a.jpg" border="0" /></a> convince a somewhat incredulous driver like we did last time. The weather was overcast, so walking around was much more pleasant, although the bird activity seemed reduced in response. Again the birds included Coastal Miner, Amazilia and Oasis hummingbirds, Peruvian Sheartail, Cinereous Conebill, and Long-tailed Mockingbird. We then continued on to the harbor in Pucusana where we hired a boat and boatman to travel around the harbor. We ventured out to the mouth of the harbor but determined that the seas were too rough to go out along the cliffs outside the harbor to look for Humboldt Penguins, so we "dipped" on them again this trip. We did see many of the same birds as last visit, including 3-4 Peruvian Seaside Cinclodes (see photo), loads of Inca Terns, Peruvian Pelicans, lots of Neotropical Cormorants, a single Red-legged Cormorant, Belcher's Gulls, etc. The day was completely fogged in and cloudy, unlike 2003 when it was hot and sunny.<br /><br />On our way back to Lima we did stop again at Pantanos de Villa marshes, turning left into some kind of secure community with a guarded entrance gate. We checked out the same back shore ponds and sandy shoreline and then walked along the edge of the ponds/marsh and back through some odd grass/forb-lands with low vegetation looking for Peruvian Thick-Knees ... SUCCESS! (see photo) We saw two. They were surprisingly cool looking birds (better than the guide illustration<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Peruvian_Thick_knee_1a_small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Peruvian_Thick_knee_1a_small.jpg" border="0" /></a>) with broad flattish heads, and huge eyes (primarily nocturnal). They walked rather nonchalantly in front of us, apparently not threatened since we did not move quickly. With Barry's help, I also managed views of a "curse bird" from last trip - Wrenlike Rushbird - a nice pair "chick-chicking" at the edge of the reeds. Some saw a Least Bittern which would have been a lifer for me; can't believe that I haven't been able to get a look at this species in the U.S.! Then back on the bus, with one last quick stop along the highway to scan the marshes and then on through Lima to the airport.<br /><br />Transport is so easy when someone else takes charge of loading ones bag onto carts, gathers your passports and flight fees and then takes care of all of it for you. Once Barry had us all checked in, we had lunch at a Peruvian fast food counter in the terminal - chicken with rice, potatoes, one of those cool sandwiches I remember from our last trip with thickened mashed potatoes instead of bread and tuna, etc. in the center, and Diet Coke. Then we climbed onto the plane to Cajamarca. I slept most of the flight, only waking as we descended.<br /><br />As we dropped through the clouds, I was struck by a landscape that has been inhabitted for thousands of years - very few trees remain and most are introduced Eucalyptus trees. Patches of crops; a landscape criss-crossed by dirt roads running up valleys along riv<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Bus%20small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Bus%20small.jpg" border="0" /></a>ers and threading their way along mountain ridge tops. We landed uneventfully in Cajamarca ... a small airport in a town of 400,000 (a number that seemed an overestimate to my North American eyes). It seemed much too "rural" for a city of that size. Here we met up with our "crew" - Raul (Cook); Ivan (Asst Cook); Jose (Driver); and an Asst Driver whose name I never got. We loaded into our vehicle for the rest of the trip; a large bus/truck - they are custom made to withstand the kind of driving we'll be doing (see photo). There is plenty of room for us, our luggage, the crew, supplies, etc. and it's high up off the ground for clearance on rough mountain roads. The suspension is set to deal with these tough conditions and thus promises a somewhat rough but safe ride for the passengers.<br /><br />We loaded up and immediately took advantage of a few hours of remaining light to drive out to the Rio Chonta near Otuzco (2764 m in elevation) are where we successfully targetted our first endemic - Gray-bellied Comet (one male) - feeding and perching on a shrub with bright yellow flowers. We saw a number of other species there - steep grassy slopes along a ravine in the midst of primarily farm/pasture land. The Cajamarca area is the largest dairy-producing area in Peru. We saw lots of Holstein cows and people in the fields milking them by hand. Lots of potato plants in the fields.<br /><br />Then we drove back to Cajamarca, arriving as it got dark at the Hotel Continental #2 (turns out there were two hotels of the same name down the street from each other and we went to the wrong one first). We got checked into our room and then went next door and had beers in Terry and Dan's room with Erick. Then next door to the Restaurant de Cajamarques where we did our first bird list of the trip and then ate - dinner for me was rice with a yellow sauce and fried cui (guinea pig) .... as I remember from last trip, there's not much meat there but one has to try it at least once on the trip; no beer for me - I am still struggling with a low-grade headache. Went to bed about 10:00 p.m. - we're getting up early since we missed part of the day here due to our change of Peru to Cajamarca flights from morning to afternoon.<br /><br /><strong>Bird species from Lima area, Pantanos de Villa, Pucusana</strong> (September 11)<br />NOTE: does NOT include species seen around Cajamarca (see next list)<br />(species seen or heard by someone in the group; see full trip list for definitions of endemic categories)<br /><br />White-tufted Grebe<br />Pied-billed Grebe<br />Great Grebe<br />Sooty Shearwater<br />Peruvian Booby<br />Neotropic Cormorant<br />Guanay Cormorant<br />Red-legged Cormorant<br />Peruvian Pelican<br />Andean Duck<br />Cinnamon Teal<br />Little Blue Heron<br />Snowy Egret<br />Great Egret<br />Cattle Egret<br />Striated Heron<br />Least Bittern<br />Puna Ibis<br />Black Vulture<br />Turkey Vulture<br />Osprey<br />American Kestrel<br />Plumbeous Rail<br />Common Moorhen<br />Andean Coot<br />Whimbrel<br />Lesser Yellowlegs<br />Spotted Sandpiper<br />Ruddy Turnstone<br />Sanderling<br />Peruvian Thick-Knee<br />Black-necked Stilt<br />American Oystercatcher<br />Blackish Oystercatcher<br />Killdeer<br />Belcher's Gull<br />Gray Gull<br />Kelp Gull<br />Gray-headed Gull<br />Franklin's Gull<br />Elegant Tern<br />Inca Tern<br />Eared Dove<br />Pacific Dove<br />Croaking Ground-Dove<br />Groove-billed Ani<br />Amazilia Hummingbird<br />Black-tailed Trainbearer<br />Oasis Hummingbird<br />Peruvian Sheartail (Near Endemic)<br />Coastal Miner (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Peruvian Seaside Cinclodes (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Vermilion Flycatcher<br />Short-tailed Field-Tyrant<br />Tropical Kingbird (heard only)<br />Long-tailed Mockingbird<br />House Wren<br />Blue-and-white Swallow<br />Barn Swallow<br />House Sparrow<br />Yellowish Pipit<br />Rufous-collared Sparrow<br />Cinereous Conebill<br />Band-tailed Seedeater<br />Peruvian Meadowlark<br />Scrub Blackbird<br /><br /><strong>Other Wildlife</strong><br /><br />South American Sea Lion<br /><br /><strong>12 September</strong><br /><br />Got up at 4:00 a.m. and climbed onto the bus at 4:30. We drove for about 2 hours to the southeast of Cajamarca; most of us slept for a good part of that in the dark. As dawn approached, I was struck again by the ancient landscapes we were driving through. They have been farmed for thousands of years. It looks pretty sparse and depleted but they do appear to do some contour farming and leave strips of native shrubs or agaves running parallel to the contours of the fields to reduce erosion. The edges of fields were also lined with agaves and the ubiquitous eucalyptus trees; in a few locations we also saw eucalyptus plantations of different ages (apparently for firewood). There appears to be only a thin layer of soil and vegetation on most of these rocky fields on the slopes of the mountains.<br /><br />There is an interesting common building construction type that appears to be a layer of adobe brick plastered over, interspersed with layers of field stone, giving a horizontal striped appearance to the walls. Several times during the day we saw yards lined up with newly made adobes - much larger than those in New Mexico - sometimes almost cinder block size. In the towns, many of the buildings were stuccoed/plastered over and painted; some were more traditional brick. Most roofs were of curved, red ceramic tile.<br /><br />The road was narrow and curvy but well paved (apparently an improvement since the last time Barry took this tour), which cut an hour off our travel time. I did wake up once during the trip to find the bus momentarily stuck in the middle of a stream. A new, unfinished bridge was silhouetted above us and a smaller van was passing by above us on the old bridge which apparently could not hold the weight of our big bus. After a little grinding and spinning we were on our way again.<br /><br />We arrived at our first target location just above the town of San Marcos (2570 m), where we had a great picnic breakfast set up at the side of the road by Raul et al. I'm sure the local farmers, who were headed to work in their fields, were amazed at the sight of 8 gringos sitting at folding tables on folding chairs drinking coffee or coca tea and eating yogurt with granola and rolls with cream cheese.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Maranon%20Gnatc%20Small.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Maranon%20Gnatc%20Small.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Once fortified, we headed off down an old mule trail (likely an old Inca highway) that took off from the road down the valley/ravine, birding as we went. Among the good birds along that trail were the Maranon Gnatcatcher (see photo), a pair of White-winged Black-Tyrants, a pair of Fasciated (fascist) Wrens, Striped Cuckoo, Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant (it SHOULD be called the Tawny-FACED Pygmy-Tyrant but no one asked me!), and our only target bird for this location - the endemic Great Spinetails - a pair that skulked and responded to taped calls from a dense thicket but ultimately were seen fairly well by all. We continued down the track and met the bus where the main road crossed the path again.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/market%20lady%20small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/market%20lady%20small.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />We then drove all the way back to Cajamarca by the same road; on the way we passed through a town having a huge farmer's market and stopped to take photos - women in traditional, bright gathered skirts and tall, straw hats; farmers pulling pigs or sheep along with a piece of string around their necks (see photo). I watched one woman cross the street and wait in line for a bus, clamber on herself, and then wait at the top of the steps until a man behind her picked up her sheep by the head and the tail and heaved it onto the bus after her! We continued on through Cajamarca and on to the west and across Abra Gavilan (a pass at 3050 m that took us out of the Rio Maranon Valley and across the divide into the Pacific drainage).<br /><br />We had lunch at a pull-off just on the Pacific side of Abra Gavilan - sandwiches we made of ham, cheese, avocado, and mustard; Diet Coke; good kalamata-type olives. Before we even sat down, Barry summoned us over to a ravine just across the road because he'd already gotten a response from our next target species to his tapes - Uniform Tapaculo. We all crowded into a small wooded niche at the top of an open ravine and had fabulous looks (especially for a tapaculo) at a pair that skulked in silently and then called repeatedly as they hopped through the undergrowth and then over our heads in the low shrubby vegetation, peering at us.<br /><br />After a return to our lunch, we packed up for some more birding. Barry stopped to give a candy bar to the kid from the nearby house who'd watched the whole amazing lunch scene. We walked past the multiple dogs that had skulked hopefully around the periphery of the events (I saw Raul give one of them some scraps). The dogs, like most we saw in Peru, did not respond to kind tones of voice in strange languages - perhaps they have not always been treated kindly. We scrambled down into an unnamed scree- and river rock-filled ravine that continued on down the mountain. This was a tough afternoon for me. For the second afternoon I developed a headache that was just enough to take the edge off my tolerance for difficult scrambling ... trying to avoid turning an ankle or spending so much time looking at my feet that I couldn't always look for or at birds. By the end it was one of those afternoons of "put my left foot forward, then put my right foot forward, then put my left foot forward...." The day was rather quiet - mostly cool and overcast - which was something to be grateful for. But we did see a few good birds - beautiful looks at Shining Sunbeams (fantastic gold/rust colored hummingbirds with a golden gorget that glowed when it caught the light); Rufous-naped (Baron's) Brush-Finch; Rufous-backed Inca-Finch, Slate-throated Whitestart (Redstart). We then scrambled up a convenient cow path to the road, having been overtaken and passed by a very determined bull followed quickly by his master.<br /><br />We piled onto the bus and discussed what to do next since we'd caught up on the lost time from the first day with our succ<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/1600/Gray_bellied_Comet_1a_small.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5734/1695/320/Gray_bellied_Comet_1a_small.jpg" border="0" /></a>esses so far today. We decided to go back to the Gray-bellied Comet site (Rio Chonta) from the previous day and bird along that road. This turned out to be a good idea in spite of my first thought (let's go back to the hotel so I can take a shower and take a nap). We saw some of the same birds again, including several more Gray-bellied Comets (see photo). We also saw some new species - Maranon (Black-crested) Tit-Tyrant (coolest bird of the day in my eyes); White-winged Cinclodes (we saw a pair at a nest in a cliff over the river feeding 2-3 nestlings); Black-crested Warbler; and Baron's Spinetail.<br /><br />We then returned to the hotel, showered, and managed to plug up the toiletl. Although we should have known better, we made the mistake of thinking that since the hotel appeared modern, the plumbing was also. This is a euphimism for saying that we neglected to use the strategically located trash can and clogged the toilet with toilet paper (a "no no" that anyone who travels in Latin America should be too smart to do). We went next door to the same restaurant, did our bird list, and had dinner - mixed vegetable salad, chicken with mushroom sauce, and french fries. Went to bed before 10:00 p.m.<br /><br /><strong>Birds from the Cajamarca area, including Rio Chonta, San Marcos, Abra Gavilan</strong><br /><br />Great Egret<br />Cattle Egret<br />Turkey Vulture<br />Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle<br />Variable (Red-backed) Hawk<br />Mountain Caracara<br />American Kestrel<br />Eared Dove<br />Croaking Ground-Dove<br />White-tipped Dove<br />Groove-billed Ani<br />Striped Cuckoo<br />Andean Swift<br />Green Violet-ear<br />Spot-throated Hummingbird (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Amazilia Hummingbird<br />Speckled Hummingbird<br />Giant Hummingbird<br />Shining Sunbeam<br />Black-tailed Trainbearer<br />Green-tailed Trainbearer<br />Tyrian Metaltail<br />Gray-bellied Comet (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Purple-collared Woodstar<br />Bar-winged Cinclodes<br />White-winged Cinclodes<br />Azara's Spinetail<br />Baron's Spinetail (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Great Spinetail (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Unicolored Tapaculo (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet<br />Torrent Tyrannulet<br />Maranon (Black-crested) Tit-Tyrant (Near Endemic)<br />Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant<br />Tawny-crowned Pgymy-Tyrant<br />Black Phoebe<br />Vermilion Flycatcher<br />White-browed Chat-Tyrant<br />Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant<br />White-winged Black-Tyrant<br />Rufous-browed Peppershrike<br />Chiguanco Thrush<br />Great Thrush<br />Fasciated Wren<br />House Wren<br />Maranon Gnatcatcher (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Brown-bellied Swallow<br />Blue-and-white Swallow<br />Hooded Sisken<br />Lesser Goldfinch (heard only)<br />Slate-throated Whitestart (Redstart)<br />Black-crested Warbler<br />Rufous-collared Sparrow<br />Rufous-naped (Baron's) Brush-Finch<br />Banaquit<br />Cinereous Conebill<br />Highland Hepatic Tanager<br />Blue-and-yellow Tanager<br />Peruvian Sierra-Finch (Near Endemic)<br />Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch<br />Rufous-backed Inca-Finch (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Buff-bridled Inca-Finch (Peruvian Endemic)<br />Blue-black Grassquit<br />Band-tailed Seedeater<br />Dull-colored Grassquit<br />Black-throated Flower-piercer<br />Golden-bellied Grosbeak<br />Golden-billed Saltator<br />Peruvian Meadowlark </p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/17561543-112865078311748229?l=perubirding.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15386831984311729340noreply@blogger.com0