20TH MARCH – DAY 02 SANTA EULALIA ROAD LOWER PART

We started 4:00am in order to reach the middle part of the road, since Santa Eulalia road is a dirt road but with very Good bird list and endemics. The middle section of the road has nice dry scrub cacti and bushy patches at 3500m. Place where you can get a big bird variety including endemic birds like BLACK METALTAIL, BRONZE TAILED COMET AND RUSTY CROWNED TIT SPINETAIL. On the way up we were lucky to find a nice family of ANDEAN TINAMOU running by the road and a Good number of MOUNTAIN PARAKEETS very close to the road. Today we could have a very nice shot from the endemic RUSTY BELLIED BRUSHFINCH and the special Rusty Flowerpiercer. Extra birds on day 02 are Ash Breasted Sierra Finch, Peruvian Sierra Finch, Creamy Winged Cinclodes, Sparkling Violetear, Mourning Sierra Finch, Black Throated Flowerpiercer, Giant Hummingbird, Hooded Siskin, White Browed Chat Tyrant, Shining Sunbeam, Rufous Chested Tanager, Brown Bellied Swallow and Black Crested Tit Tyrant.

BRONZE TAILED COMET – ENDEMIC AT THE WEST SLOPE SPECILTIES

21TH MARCH – DAY 03 SANTA EULALIA ROAD HIGHER PART – JUNIN LAKE

Another early start to reach the upper part of Santa Eulalia Road. High altitud birding around the área known as Marcapomacocha and Milloc Lake, this nice puna and bog section over 4000m. has a very special birds list with many range restricted bird species and endemics. Today we could photograph birds like WHITE BELLIED CINCLODES, DARK WINGED MINER AND BLACK BREASTED HILLSTART. Some other Good photographed birds are the rare DIADEMED SANDPIPER PLOVER. BUFF BREASTED EARTHCREEPER, GRAY BREASTED SEEDSNIPE, GLACIER FINCH, BLACK SISKIN, BRIGHT RUMPED YELLOW FINCH, APLOMADO FALCON, OCHRE NAPED GROUND TYRANT AND WHITE FRONTED GROUND TYRANT.
Some other birds seen during this day are GREENISH YELLOE FINCH, ASH BREASTED SIERRA FINCH, THE RARE WHITE THROATED EARTHCREEPER, ANDEAN LAPWING, PUNA SNIPE, SLENDER BILLED MINER, PLUMBEOUS SIERRA FINCH, GIANT COOT, CRESTED DUCK, ANDEAN IBIS AND OLIVACEOUS THORNBILL.

DIADEMED SANDPIPER PLOVER – WEST SLOPE SPECIALTIES

22TH MARCH – DAY 04 JUNIN LAKE SPECIALTIES

We left Junin City to then drive for 01 hour to Ondores Town, place where we went to picked up Cesar, Our local guide at Junin área. Cesar is a member of Ondores town who started in bird business with any visitor who want to know the best bird spots for all the Junin Lake specialties and surrounding. We spent the whole day moving around Junin Lake shooting junin Bird Specialties and share some nice lunch at a local restaurant in order to help local economy. We were able to photograh the endemics JUNIN CANASTERO and JUNIN RAIL. Some other birds that have been shot are ORNATE TINAMOU, BUFF BREASTED EARTHCREEPER, PERUVIAN SIERRA FINCH, BLACK SISKIN, ASH BREASTED SIERRA FINCH, BLACK WINGED GROUND DOVE, PUNA TEAL, PUNA IBIS, ANDEAN SWALLOW, VARIABLE HAWK, YELLOW BILLED TEAL, ANDEAN FLICKER and D’ORBIGNY’S CHAT TYRANT. Some other birds seen while shooting are ANDEAN NEGRITO, ANDEAN GULL, APLOMADO FALCON, PARAMO PIPIT, ANDEAN GOOSE, CORRENDERA CANASTERO, CHILEAN FLAMINGO, PLUMBEOUS RAIL, BLACK BILLED SHRIKE TYRANT.

Junin Canastero – Endemic found along Paramo Forest

23TH MARCH – DAY 05 JUNIN – HUANUCO – CARPISH TUNNEL

We left Junin city at 6.00am to drive for more tan 5 hours until Carpish Tunnel in Huanuco Department. This long early drive was very interesting since we had some interesting forest and nice Little towns that let Us have some relaxing driving stops and meals. Once we reached Carpish Tunnel we started birding Chusquea Bamboo along Carpish Trail and We could get some nice shots from the endemic PERUVIAN WREN and some other birds like BLACK CAPPED HEMISPINGUS, YELLOW BILLED CACIQUE, AMETHYS THROATED SUNANGEL, MOUNTAIN WREN, SPECTACLED REDSTART, SLATY BRUSH FINCH, LACRIMOSE MOUNTAIN TANAGER, GRASS GREEN TANAGER. Some other birds we saw along this afternoon walk at Carpish Tunnel were VIOLET THROATED STARTFRONLET, CHESNUT CAPPED BRUSH FINCH, RUFOUS HEADED PYGMY TYRANT, CAPPED CONEBILL, WHITE BANDED TYRANNULET, CINNAMON FLYCATCHER, PLUSHCAP and a very good view of the endemics BAY ANTPITTA and T’SCHUDIS TAPACULO. Our last days and nights at Huanuco Department we would spend it at a very beautiful Hacienda Hotel at the Unchog Forest Valley.

Tschudi’s Tapaculo – Female

24TH MARCH – DAY 06 HUANUCO – CARPISH TUNNEL

We had an extra visit to Carpish Tunnel to get some more birds and photograph the birds that were in Charly’s List. Nice morning since we could photograph very colorful birds like GREY BREASTED MOUNTAIN TOUCAN, MOUNTAIN CACIQUE, GRAY BROWED HEMISPINGUS, VIOLET THROATED STARTFRONLET, HOODED MOUNTAIN TANAGER, CRIMSON MANTLED WOODPECKER, SUPERCILIARED HEMISPINGUS, THREE STRIPED HEMISPINGUS, TYRIAN METALTAIL, GREAT THRUSH, WHITE BANDED TYRANNULET AND THE ENDEMIC BROWN FLANKED TANAGER. Some more birds seen around Carpish Tunnel are: MOUSTACHED FLOWERPIERCER, MOUNTAIN VELVETBREAST, BLUE CAPPED TANAGER, SIERRAN ELAENIA, GLOSSY BLACK THRUSH, BLUE AND WHITE SWALLOW, BLACK CAPPED TYRANNULET, WHITE COLLARED JAY, PEARLED TREERUNNER.

Gray Breasted Mountain Toucan – Beautiful target found along this great trip

25TH MARCH – DAY O7 – HUANUCO – BOSQUE UNCHOG SPECIALTIES

We had 5:00am car drive to Unchog forest for the endemics and specialties. This time the road up to the main área was quite good compared to last time I was there, before you go into the main área there is a nice local family where is mandatory to stop and pay the Unchos’ entrance fees. Once the payment is done, we slowly walked the main birdy Trail at 3700m. we had a great morning along this Trail, since we could photographed the main target and endemic birds like GOLDEN BACKED MOUNTAIN TANAGER, YELLOW SCARFED TANAGER, PARDUSCO, BAY VENTED COTINGA and COPPERY METALTAIL.
Some other birds seen around this magical birdy Trail are CHESNUT BELLIED MOUNTAIN TANAGER, OCHRACEOUS BREASTED FLYCATCHER, WHITE CHINNED THISTLETAIL, MOUSTACHED FLOWERPIERCER, BLUE BACKED CONEBILL, WHITE COLLARED JAY, WHITE THROATED TYRANNULET. Our breakfast and lunch were taken with a local family at Unchog road facing nice vegetation and birds. We then came back to our nice and quite lodge Hacienda Santa Cruz.

Golden Backed Mountain Tanager – Endemic & highlight of Bosque Unchog

26TH MARCH – DAY 08 HUANUCO BOSQUE UNCHOG SPECIALTIES

Today we had a heavy rainy morning and did not let Us enjoy and find the target birds at Bosque Unchog. But since we had Our own birding car we were able to move along this road for some extra forest patches around the Little towns found along the Unchog road. We managed to photograph LINE FRONTED CANASTERO, GOLDEN COLLARED TANAGER, WHITE BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD, GREAT SAPPHIREWING, MASKED TROGON, PERUVIAN MEADOWLARK, GOLDEN BILLED SALTATOR and the special GREEN HEADED HILLSTART. We decided to go back earlier this time since the bird activity was not the best because of the bad cloudy weather.

27TH MARCH – DAY 09 HUANUCO – PANAO AREA – PANAO ANTPITTA

Another rainy morning at MONTEPOTRERO Forest, this time we visited a new local conservation proyect by PANAO province. Local people who started this Tourism programm led by the UMARI district people and now running a Basic Hotel and pretty nice forest where you can easily get the New taxon from Rufous Anpitta. The new endemic PANAO ANTPITTA, happy to photograph this cool bird and other found around this magical property. Other birds seen along this trails were PURPLE BACKED THORNBILL, WHITE BROWED SPINETAIL, STREAKED TUFTEDCHEECK, LINE CHEECKED SPINETAIL, ANDEAN GUAN, BLACK AND WHITE SEEDEATER, ANDEAN TINAMOU, RUFOUS CAPPED THORNBILL and TSCHUDIS TAPACULO.

Panao Antpitta – Panao District Specialty – Endemic

28TH MARCH – DAY 10 HUANUCO – LIMA – FLIGHT TO CUSCO

Early departure for a long driving day over the central andes to the pacific coast to catch our flight from Lima to Cusco. We were lucky to pass the whole central road without any problema since a heavy transportation strike was about to start, on the way we also had a nice breakfast stop in one of the many local towns. Then finally Lima airport to then go for 01 hour flight to Cusco and have a nice rest in a Colonial Hotel Cusco downtown.

29TH MARCH – DAY 11 CUSCO – URUBAMBA – ENSIFERA CAMP

Nice breakfast to then drive through Incas land and arrive to Ensifera Camp, good local proyect led by Cesar Cusihuaman, a local man from Urubamba who started feeding hummingbirds and Antpittas. This place has the biggest Andean Anpitta and many hummers including some endemic birds. Once we set up our Cameras we could photograph our first endemic hummer GREEN AND WHITE HUMMINGBIRD, then some others like SWORD BILLED HUMMINGBIRD, GREEN TAILED TRAINBEREAR, GIANT HUMMINGBIRD, TYRIAN METALTAIL, GOLDEN BILLED SALTATOR, BLACK AND WHITE SEEDEATER, BLACK THROATED FLOWERPIERCER, WHITE BELLIED HUMMMINGBIRD. We spend the whole day around this property where the site owner is also a good cheff and made us a very nice lunch. Then no far from this bird site was our big hacienda hotel.

30TH MARCH – DAY 12 URUBAMBA – QUILLABAMBA ROAD – PEÑAS

Early breakfast at the hotel to then visit PEÑAS, this área is part of Quillabamba Road, where you also can get the famous Abra Malaga. Here we begin our bird walk facing down the amazing valley with nice vegetation and birds.
No far from where we started we could get a nice shot of our first morning bird, thois time Charly could catch a clear shot from the endemics CHESNUT BREASTED MOUNTAIN FINCH and WHITE TUFTED SUMBEAN.

Then we kept walking down along this paved road with more good birds to photograph like the endemic CREAMY CRESTED SPINETAIL, one nice pair foraging in the open giving us good time to shoot. Other birds seen along this morning photography were CRESTED COTINGA, RUST AND YELLOW TANAGER, RUFOUS BREASTED CHAT TYRANT, BLACK BACKED GROSBEAK, BAND TAILED SEEDEATER, SPOT WINGED PIGEON, GLOSSY BLACK THRUSH and the pretty colorful

UNDULATED ANTPITTA. White Tufted Sunbeam

31TH MARCH – DAY 13 URUBAMBA – MANU ROAD – WAYQECHA LODGE

Nice breakfast variety to then continue with our Manu bird trip but before some nice stops along the magical incas land for some specialties found just around Cusco. On the we visited a new hummingbird feeder where we could photograh the endemic BEARDED MOUNTAINEER. Then some others like ANDEAN PARAKEET, BLACK AND WHITE SEEDEATER, BLACK BACKED GROSBEAK, then we continue with this long driving day to get to Paucartambo Town where we stop for lunch and diesel. Right after lunch, we continue to the main entrance to Manu National Park, once there we slowly move to ge tour first bird the southern subspecie of MOUSTACHED FLOWERPIERCER, this pretty bird was active and gave us good time to shoot. Then suddenly Charly’s camera did not want it to work properly and we had to drive straight to Wayqecha Lodge for Internet and find the solution.

Sword Billed Hummingbird – Ensifera Camp Star

01th APRIL – DAY 14 WAYWECHA LODGE SPECIALTIES – MANU ROAD

Today we did not see much since we caught a rainy day and mucho f the day was cloudy. Even with this weather we tried to move along the road and we could get some birds and photographed them, we could get the endemic PARODIS HEMISPINGUS and others like RUFOUS CAPPED THORNBILL, CINAMMON FLYCATCHER, BLUE CAPPED TANAGER, AMETHYS THROATED SUNANGEL, BLACK FACED BRUSHFINCH, MONTANE WOODCREEPER, GLOSSY BLACK THRUSH, ANDEAN GUAN, WHITE BANDED TYRANNULET, SCARLET BELLIED MOUNTAIN TANAGER, MASKED FLOWERPIERCER, SCALY NAPED PARROT, AZARA’S SPINETAIL, CAPPED CONEBILL, GRASS GREEN TANAGER, GREAT THRUSH, LONG TAILED SYLPH.

02TH APRIL – DAY 15 WAYQECHA LODGE SPECIALTIES – MANU ROAD

Very nice and clear morning to start shooting birds along the road, this time we could get very cool birds in a great mix species Flock where we photograph YUNGAS PYGMY OWL, BROAD WINGED HAWK, HANDSOME FLYCATCHER, SMOKE COLORED PEWEE, WHITE COLLARED JAY, COMMON CHLOROSPINGUS, BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, GOLDEN CROWNED FLYCATCHER, VERSICOLORED BARBET, GOLDEN COLLARED TANAGER, FULVOUS WREN. Other birds seen in our morning walk were OLIVACEOUS SISKIN, BLUE BACKED CONEBILL, CRIMSON MANTLED WOODPECKER, MOUNTAIN CACIQUE, RUFOUS BELLIED BUSH TYRANT.

Crimson Mantled Woodpecker

03 APRIL – DAY 16 WAYQECHA LODGE – COCK OF ROCK LODGE – MANU ROAD

Early breakfast to then continue with our last lodge at Manun Road, this time we drove down the main road with some great bird stops on the way. At the first stop we photographed TAWNY RUMPED TYRANNULET, INCA FLYCATCHER, BOLIVIAN TYRANNULET, THREE STRIPED WARBLER, MASKED TROGON. Then after nice picnic along the road we could also get UNADORNED FLYCATHER, BERYL SPANGLED TANAGER, SAFRON CROWNED TANAGER, OLIVE FLYCATCHER. And once we arrived to the lodge in the afternoon we could also get some more bird potos such as VERSICOLORED BARBET, SLATY CAPPED FLYCATCHER, WIRE CRESTED THRONTAIL, VIOLET FRONTED BRILLIANT, WHITE EYED PARAKEET, YELLOW BROWED SPARROW.
Other birds seen along the road are FLAME FACED TANAGER, MONTANE FOLIAGE GLEANER, ORANGE BELLIED EUPHONIA, LEMON BROWED FLYCATCHER, PARADISE TANAGER, SLATY TANAGER, BLUE AND BLACK TANAGER, YELLOW BILLED CACIQUE, DEEP BLUE FLOWERPIERCER, YELLOW THROATED TANAGER, YELLOW OLIVE WOODPECKER, COMMON CHLOROSPINGUS, DUSKY GREEN OROPENDOLA, GOLDEN NAPED TANAGER, BANANAQUIT, PURPLE HONEYCREEPER, WHITE WINGED TANAGER, YUNGAS MANAKIN.

Golden Collared Tanager – Specialty from Manu Road

04 APRIL – DAY 17 COCK OF THE ROCK SPECIALTIES – MANU ROAD

Early visit to the feeders around the property in order to have a closer shot from VERSICOLORED BARBET, this time we waited for our and the feeder was only visited by the common Silver Beaked Tanager. The day was foggy and rainy so we had to move higher up the road in order to get othe birds but the rainy and foggy day did not help.
What we could photograph were the nice looking bird DEEP BLUE FLOWERPIERCER, MONTANE FOLIAGE GLEANER, BRONZE GREEN EUPHONIA. Some other birds seen at this foggy day were RUSSET BACKED OROPENDOLA, GOLDEN TANAGER, YELLOW RUMPED ANTWREN, BLACK EARED HEMISPINGUS, ANDEAN SOLITAIRE, PALM TANAGER.

05 APRIL – DAY 18 COCK OF THE ROCK LODGE – MANU ROAD – CUSCO

We tried another early visit to the feeders and this time we just saw the Versicolored Barbet flying around as part of a mix Flock, did not visit the feeder at all. So we decided to walk into the lodge Trail to get the shy birds and endemics. We tried hard with YUNGAS MANAKIN but did not come out properly, then i also tried for other species but the light inside was poor and the forest was too thick for photography, we decided to walk back and move around for other birds. Birds seen around were MANY SPOTTED HUMMINGBIRD, GREEN HERMIT, TWO BANDED WARBLER, ORNATE ANTWREN, SPOTTED BARBTAIL, OLIVE BACKED WOODCREEPER, TINY HAWK, ANDEAN SLATY THRUSH, OCHRE FACED TODY FLYCATCHER, BLUE BANDED TOUCANET, PERUVIAN RACKETAIL and a playfull LARGE HEADED CAPUCIN MONKEY. Then we drove back to Cusco and spent the night into a nice Hacienda Hotel near Huacarpay Lake.

Masked Flowerpiercer – Common Bird along Manu Road

06 APRIL – DAY 19 MANU ROAD – HUACARPAY LAKE – CUSCO – LIMA

Early visit to Huacarpay Lake for the colorful MANY COLORED RUSH TYRANT & WREN LIKE RUSHBIRD. Around this lake we could also get WHITE CRESTED ELAENIA, PERUVIAN SIERRA FINCH, ANDEAN PARAKEET, GIANT HUMMINGBIRD, GREENISH YELLOW FINCH, APLOMADO FALCON, BLACK NECKED STILT, BLUE AND YELLOW TANAGER, RUSTY FLOWERPIERCER, CINEREOUS CONEBILL, BAND TAILED SEEDEATER, ANDEAN GULL. We could also get some females and juveniles fron the endemic BEARDED MOUNTANEER & RUSTY FRONTED CANASTERO. After this moring with good birs we took the plane back to Lima.

07 APRIL – DAY 20 LIMA HOTEL AND FLIGHT BACK HOME

I wen to picked up Charly in the morning since his flight was also early, before his flight, He had a nice breakfast variety at this nice hotel located at Lima downtown. Then 40 minutes driving to the airport to drop him at the airport.

Bearded Mountaineer – Endemic Hummingbird found around Cusco City

NOTE: All pictures were taken by Jesus Cieza Tour Guide, with a simple Nikon camera B600.