Paracas and Northern Peru: Endemic Dip-Fest (1 Viewer)

Just back from almost three weeks in Peru, the first half of the trip targeting Peruvian endemics and regional specialties in the northern Andes, the second half based in Paracas for a conference. Tropical forest birding is my absolute favorite despite its difficulty, although this trip proved more difficult than most, with certainly my all-time worst record in terms of number of targets missed. I suppose I will just have to go back!

I'll start with a summary of logistics in this post for future reference for anyone planning a similar trip.

Itinerary Overview:
Oct 30: Flight from US to Lima, even flight to Tarapoto
Oct 31: travel to Moyobamba, visit Waqanki Reserve
Nov 1: all day Waqanki
Nov 2: travel to Pomacochas, evening Huembo for Marvelous Spatuletail
Nov 3: San Lorenzo crest trail for Pale-billed Antpitta and other specials
Nov 4: Fundo Alto Nieva
Nov 5; Fundo Alto Nieva
Nov 6: return to Tarapoto
Nov 7: birding Cordillera Escalera, evening flight to Lima
Nov 8: travel to Paracas
Nov 9 - Nov 15: Paracas, conference and birding, incl. organized day trip into Andes
Nov 16: travel to Lima, fly home next day

Trip Planning:
I did this trip alone, without professional guides. My primary resource for planning was http://www.perubirds.org/rutas.shtml; the website is in Spanish but individual site pages have an option to translate everything in English or other languages. For getting around, I downloaded the Android app GeoNet which included an in-app option to purchase detailed maps of Peru ($20), which I found very helpful - the map includes many trails and feeder locations and does not require cell service or data for navigation.

Transportation:
I used Peruvian Airlines for the Lima-Tarapoto flights, cost was around $110 (USD) one-way, and they make you store everything in the overhead bins (nothing allowed under the seat in front of you). For getting around northern Peru, there are very few traditional buses but plenty of van "colectivos" that were fast and economical, as well as collective cars run by Turismo Cajamarca that were a bit more pricey but not bad. Mototaxis were plentiful in all of the towns. I found it easy to get from towns to anywhere, but getting a ride back once away from the towns was not always easy or fast. To do this route thoroughly, one really needs private transportation (or a lot more time) - there were several good spots I had to skip because there just wasn't a good way to get there and/or back without having to wait a few hours for transportation.

Lodging:
Hospedaje Omaguas in Tarapoto - one night. Cheap ($16) and basic. There are better options even in the same price range.

Casa de Seizo - Set behind the thermal baths outside Moyabamba and a 15-minute walk from Waqanki. ($21/night) Very nice accommodations with good bird activity around their tilapia ponds, including Band-bellied Owls at night.The hosts were wonderful and offer delicious lunch or dinner for $6.

Lago Azul, Pomacochas - good accommodations for ~$11/night. Free wifi although it kept going out - fortunately the router was right by my room so I just reset it anytime it needed.

Fundo Alto Nieva - rustic cabins for $40/night, which includes hot breakfast and guided viewing of Long-whiskered Owlet and the antpittas (Ochre-fronted and Rusty-tinged). My favorite place of all.

Bambu Tarapoto - hostel, I booked a private room for $12. Enjoyable, the hosts were pleasant and accommodating, would stay again.

Kurmi Airport Hostel - Lima. $11. Surprisingly nice given the price and not-so-nice location (convenient to the airport though, about 10-15 minute drive). I took the offer for direct transportation to and from the airport, roundtrip 50 soles or $15. Rooms were large and clean, the area was quiet, I lucked out and had the room to myself even though I had only booked a bed in a dorm.

Atenas Backpackers Hospedaje, Paracas - booked a bed in a dorm for $64 for the entire 8-day stay. Great value, the place is clean and very well-run, generally quiet, very nice hosts, option for bicycle rental.

Villa La Punta, Lima - $35 a night, very nice location on the point of Callao, a nice alternative to Miraflores if wanting to stay closer to the airport. Wonderful host and accommodations, breakfast included.

Oct 30: A long travel day starting at 2 am, when my alarm went off and my husband and I set off for the drive to New Orleans for my flight. Flights and connection in Panama City were uneventful, several hours of daylight waiting at the Lima airport produced only Feral Pigeon and Turkey Vulture to start off the trip. Got into Tarapoto around 9:30, got to my room, and went to sleep.

Oct 31: I spent the morning taking care of a few items, like getting some cash, exchanging it for smaller bills, and getting some groceries. Couldn't help a quick bit of birding though in the Plaza de las Armas, nothing too exciting but kicking it off with some strictly Neotropical/South American species, included Eared Dove (gathering nesting material), Rufous-collared Sparrow (pair feeding a fledgling), Saffron Finch (feral population here), Palm Tanager, and Blue-and-white Swallow among a few other species. Then I had a mototaxi take me to the colectivos, where I got into a van that set off for Moyamaba around 11 am.

The drive took about 2.5 hours, then it was a 10-minute mototaxi ride to Casa de Seizo for 10 soles. I checked in and then spent a little bit exploring the immediate vicinity, which included many fruiting trees around the tilapia ponds that were attracting Black-billed Thrush and various tanagers. There was an active Rufous-fronted Thornbird nest, with both members of the pair bringing food. Just above the thornbird nest, a pair of Blue-winged Parrotlets flew in and landed, appearing to check out a hollow branch near the trunk - potential nest site? It didn't take long to find my first target endemic, the stunning Black-bellied Tanager, close relative of the more widespread Silver-beaked Tanager. There was an active colony of Yellow-rumped Caciques on the adjacent property, so the caciques were constantly flying to and fro, always in earshot, and interestingly one of them had a knack for imitating Screaming Piha.

Later in the afternoon I walked out to Waqanki. The weedy, brushy area along the entrance road was busy, with Ruddy and Blue Ground-Doves, Mouse-colored Tyrannulet, Dull-colored Grassquit, and Acadian Flycatcher among others. I could hear Varzea Thrush singing in the distance as I approached the entrance gate. The owners came to meet me, the cost is 20 soles to visit the hummingbird feeders and the guide took me to them, about a 10-minute hike up the hillside. There was a raised, roofed platform at the feeders, which were teaming with hummingbird activity. The guide left me there and I spent maybe an hour watching the hummingbirds. Golden-tailed Sapphire was the most common, glittering purple and blue in the late afternoon sun. Also common were White-necked Jacobin,, Sparkling Violetear, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, and Gray-breasted Sabrewing. There was a single each of Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Black-throated Mango, Reddish Hermit, Many-spotted Hummingbird, Great-billed Hermit, and Tawny-bellied Hermit. The star though was the two Rufous-crested Coquettes, one female and one black-throated male.

Back at Casa de Seizo, I heard the pair of Band-bellied Owls around dark. Spectacular, though I've seen them before so didn't feel inclined to try to call them into view. Had a delicious Japanese-style tilapia dinner, and celebrated my first full day in Peru and good birding with some cheap red wine I had gotten in Tarapoto.

Photos: Dull-colored Grassquit, Golden-tailed Sapphire x 3, Rufous-crested Coquette

Nov 1

Today I had a full day planned for Waqanki to hike the Quebrada Mishquiyaquillo trail in search of the endemic Ash-throated Antwren, Mishana Tyrannulet, and other goodies. I was awake before my alarm went off, listing to the night birds as I waited for first light - Band-bellied Owl, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, then Great Tinamou, and lastly a distant call that I'm fairly sure was Rufous Nightjar. I left Casa de Seizo just after first light, and on the way spotted a large opossum crossing the path in front of me - similar to the familiar Virginia Opossum from home, but darker overall - a quick google search suggests maybe Common Opossum. I arrived at Waqanki at 6 am and was shown the direction of the trailhead.

The first part of the trail passes by a few homes and farms, and is full of the more common bird species such as Palm Tanager and Social Flycatcher. The trail soon begins to climb up away from the houses, and then I came upon a fork - the main trail (wide enough here to be almost a road) continues off to the right while a smaller trail with an entrance sign climbs steeply up to the left. I'm still not sure which trail is "the trail", but to start off I took the left fork. It was quite birdy and kept me busy for the better part of the morning. I frequently heard Scaled Antpitta singing nearby but could not manage to spot one. Bluish-fronted Jacamar and Fiery-capped Manakin were welcome lifers, though being an antbird enthusiast I was especially pleased to spot a male White-browed Antbird. Gilded Barbet, Plain-winged Antshrike, and Gray Antbird were among the many bird sounds familiar to me from my time in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Swainson's Thrushes, spending the North American winter here, were quite common, with other migrants including a few Canada Warblers, Red-eyed Vireo, and a nice male Cerulean Warbler. Peruvian Warbling-Antbirds were common, a cooperative Stripe-chested Antwren was another lifer, and several White-throated Spadebills gave good looks.

Around mid-morning I reached a patch of cecropias with a pair of Golden-collared Toucanets, where the trail kind of disappeared. It ended in a steep wash, which I climbed up for a few minutes before deciding that was a bad idea. Wondering if maybe I wasn't on the correct trail after all, I worked my way all the way back down to the fork, and then took the right fork. Things were much quieter, perhaps because it was now late morning, but a good find was a Slaty-backed Forest Falcon that swooped up and perched right above the trail, posing for photos. I followed the trail as it climbed back up the mountain, hugging the creek in which Buff-rumped Warblers sang and flitted about. I saw very little else for the next hour or so, until I had reached higher elevations, where I encountered a good mixed-species flock. Here I found Foothill Antwren, Rufous-rumped Foliage-Gleaner, Streaked Xenops, Slaty-capped Flycatcher, Golden-olive Woodpecker, and Bronze-Olive Pygmy-Tyrant. I tried playing Ash-throated Antwren from my phone but got no response. Up here I could see more signs of people about, and soon could see smoke and hear talking up ahead. Having been warned that this area can be dangerous, I decided to turn around and head back down. The return hike just as birdless as the hike up, although the last stretch of trail and the entrance road to Waqanki were again busy with common second-growth species.

Back at Casa de Seizo, I wandered around in the late afternoon after a shower and short rest. I saw many of the same species as before, with the notable addition of Pale-legged Hornero in the shallow stream behind the tilapia ponds.

Photos: Great Kiskadee (juv and adult), Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon, Slaty-capped Flycatcher, Rufous-fronted Thornbirds, Black-bellied Tanager

I'm heading there next spring, so this will be an interesting read. Looking forward to the rest.

Great to hear the first blasts from the class of '17 BF Prucru ringing out . I didn't make it more than 100m up that left hand fork, as it said privado, but it looked good! Already you've mentioned a few would be lifers I missed in my 5 night stay: that cracking forest falcon of course, and also Reddish Hermit, Rufous-rumped Foliage-gleaner, Acadian Flycatcher, and a couple of things you heard too. Acadian Fly's not even in my Peru field guide, but I seem to recall noticing ebird records for the site. Do yo know more about what's currently thought to be their wintering range? Shows how much knowledge is still expanding for Peru.

Greatly looking forward to the rest of the report. In a hotel by lake Titicaca at the mo, with the Grebe visible from the window! Not a lot else round here though.

Larry Sweetland said:

Great to hear the first blasts from the class of '17 BF Prucru ringing out . I didn't make it more than 100m up that left hand fork, as it said privado, but it looked good! Already you've mentioned a few would be lifers I missed in my 5 night stay: that cracking forest falcon of course, and also Reddish Hermit, Rufous-rumped Foliage-gleaner, Acadian Flycatcher, and a couple of things you heard too. Acadian Fly's not even in my Peru field guide, but I seem to recall noticing ebird records for the site. Do yo know more about what's currently thought to be their wintering range? Shows how much knowledge is still expanding for Peru.

Greatly looking forward to the rest of the report. In a hotel by lake Titicaca at the mo, with the Grebe visible from the window! Not a lot else round here though.

Click to expand...

Whoops! I meant Alder Flycatcher - I'll go back and edit. Don't know too much about Acadian's winter range.

Ahh, I guess I can't edit it anymore.

I assumed the "privado" meant it was the property of Waqanki, although perhaps I was wrong! At any rate I didn't see any sign of other people or any dwellings anywhere along that trail.

ovenbird43 said:

Whoops! I meant Alder Flycatcher - I'll go back and edit. Don't know too much about Acadian's winter range.

Click to expand...

No worries, easily done! I was wrong about there being ebird records of Acadian there too.

Nov 2

For the morning my plan was do visit the Humedal (wetland) de Indane, a small wetland in the nearby town of Indane, targeting Masked Duck and Rusty-backed Antwren. I set off a bit before first light, walking along the main road toward Moyobamba, and managed to hail a mototaxi after walking a few km. I had him drop me off at the edge of Indane.

In preparing for the trip I found that the location depicted in the perubirds.org website is not the same as the location marked in ebird - and further, on the former website the directions state to turn off on the left while clearly you would be turning right if coming from Moyobamba according to the map. In all this confusion I somehow had gotten it in my head that you turned off across from the cemetery, so that's what I did. I walked westward outside of town, passing some rice fields full of Limpkin, and then turned right onto a muddy dirt road across from the cemetery. I walked a little ways down this road before deciding it must not be right - there were orchards, housing construction, and some wet fields from which Russet-crowned Crakes were calling, but no wetlands in sight and the road began to fork into what seemed to be private entrances. I looked at the map on my phone and noticed some small blue ponds along the next main road to the west, which I see now correspond to the location mapped on the perubirds.org website, so I walked the kilometer or so from where I was. Finally I arrived at what I suppose is the correct location (assuming perubirds.org is correct and ebird is not) at 7, a small pond surrounded by marsh vegetation.

Russet-crowned Crakes were vocal, particularly in the wet grass a bit away from the pond, but could not quite be enticed into view using playback from my cell phone. The pond held Common Gallinule, adults and juveniles, and Purple Gallinule, adults with downy black chicks, but if there were any Masked Ducks they stayed hidden. A Black-capped Donacobius showed well, and a Hauxwell's Thrush sang from the little patch of trees by the pond. The surrounding grassy fields were thick with Rufous-fronted Thornbird, and also held Yellow-browed Sparrow, Chestnut-bellied Seed-Finch, and Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch. Several species of parrots flew by, including Cobalt-winged Parakeet, Blue-headed Parrot, and White-eyed Parakeet. Other birds present included White-tipped Dove, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Short-crested Flycatcher, Alder Flycatcher, and ubiquitous species such as House Wren and Tropical Kingbird. No luck with Rusty-flanked Antwren though - I tried playback and at some points thought I heard distance responses, but was never certain and definitely didn't see them.

I walked all the back way to Indane before catching a mototaxi back to Casa de Seizo. There I packed up and checked out - the host gave me a coffee to send me on my way and arranged for a mototaxi to take me into town to catch a colectivo to get to Pomacochas. I got on a Cruz Hermanos van that departed at 11 am for Cajamarca, cost was 15 soles to be dropped off at Pomachochas. It took about 3.5 hours, the drive in the mountains at some times a bit terrifying as the driver became impatient after a few waits for one-lane construction sites, tires squealing around curves with precipitous drop-offs, but we made it to Pomacochas in one piece. I walked to a hotel called Lago Azul to inquiry about availability and checked in.

Next up: evening at Huembo for Marvelous Spatuletail!

photos: wetlands near Indane, Chestnut-eared Aracari

Good stuff, Abby. Yes, ebird is completely wrong for Humedal. You got the right place! We saw 4 Masked Ducks there but saw a lot less than you along the same trails behind Wakanki. We found it fairly quiet. Afluente & Tarapoto were much better.

Nov 2 continued

It was just before 3 pm when I checked into my room, so I decided there was enough time for a visit to Huembo - so I pretty much just chucked my pack onto the floor, grabbed my day pack with bins and camera and headed back out. I took a mototaxi to Huembo, about a 40-minute ride (could be faster but this mototaxi was a bit slow) for 20 soles.

I arrived at Huembo Reserve and walked down the trail toward the main building - a quiet 5 minute walk though some scrub. I didn't see anyone present at the reception so I took a trail to the left which led to the main hummingbird feeders, where I sat down to watch. White-bellied Hummingbird , Sparkling Violeter, and Chestnut-breasted Coronet were the most common species, with a couple Bronzy Incas also making frequent appearances. In the background I also spotted Streaked Saltator and White-banded Tyrannulet. After waiting a few minutes, the caretaker and a visiting family arrived and joined me to wait for the spatuletail. It didn't take long - maybe another 5 minutes and suddenly a fabulous male Marvelous Spatuletail was visiting the feeders mere feet from my face. I let the family use my binoculars while I took photos - poor quality photos that certainly don't do the experience any justice.

After the spatuletail left, I wandered around the reserve's small trail system. Near the buildings is an overlook giving a spectacular view of the valley below, and the scrub below the overlook was fairly active - a tanager flock with Silvery, Spotted, and Blue-capped Tanagers, plus Yellow-breasted Brushfinch and White-crested Elaenia. Along the trail was another set of hummingbird feeders, with another male Marvelous Spatuletail present as I approached, along with the only Andean Emerald of the trip. From the trail I managed to spot a group of birds in the distance coming to a fruiting tree, with Southern Emerald Toucanet, Green Jay, and Sickle-winged Guan in the mix. A Rufous-browed Peppershrike sang incessantly and at one point gave decent views.

Around 5:30 I decided I better start waiting for a lift back up to town. I waited at the entrance gate, with plenty of birds to entertain me - a mixed flock contained tanagers including Green-throated Tanager, Brown-capped Vireo, Slate-throated Redstart, and Highland Elaenia. After 20 minutes, only a few work trucks had passed by, and I was worried about the prospects of catching a lift before dark, so I went down to the reception desk to ask the caretaker about calling for a taxi. Instead, he told me he was headed to Pomacochas in a bit to visit his family and offered a ride. I gladly accepted at sat at the overlook to wait. I watched as hundreds of parakeets, Mitred Parakeets as far as I could tell, flew from all over to roost in the eucalyptus trees on the ridge across the highway from the reserve. Another male Marvelous Spatuletail came by to feed on some flowers just below the overlook - nice to encounter the species away from the hummingbird feeders! We left as it was getting dark. The caretaker didn't ask for anything but I gave him 20 soles for the ride - and he set me up with a mototaxi to take me to San Lorenzo at 5:30 am the following morning.

A great read. Green-throated Tanager's a good find I think, we certainly missed it. :t:

Wonder if I could ask a favour? We're going to be back in Paracas in about 5 days, for a bit of beach at the end of our trip. I'm worried you won't get to that part of your report by then! :eek!: Could you please PM me any useful gen on your highlights, especially if you saw Peruvian Tern, or any other goodies nearby eg SB Finch, Oasis Hummer or Peruvian Martin?

All the best,

Larry

ovenbird43 said:

Things were much quieter, perhaps because it was now late morning, but a good find was a Slaty-backed Forest Falcon that swooped up and perched right above the trail, posing for photos.

Click to expand...

Just saw the photo and I think it is an even better find! It looks like a Gray-bellied Hawk, the yellow iris should rule out the forest-falcon, also the cheeks are very dark and contrast strongly with the white throat, on the forest-falcon this contrast isn't so evident. The smallish bill is more Accipiter-like than Micrastur-like

Compare and contrast photos here:

Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon:
https://ebird.org/media/catalog?tax...-backed Forest-Falcon - Micrastur mirandollei

Gray-bellied Hawk: https://ebird.org/media/catalog?taxonCode=gybhaw1&q=Gray-bellied Hawk - Accipiter poliogaster

Fantastic report so far!

Larry Sweetland said:

A great read. Green-throated Tanager's a good find I think, we certainly missed it. :t:

Wonder if I could ask a favour? We're going to be back in Paracas in about 5 days, for a bit of beach at the end of our trip. I'm worried you won't get to that part of your report by then! :eek!: Could you please PM me any useful gen on your highlights, especially if you saw Peruvian Tern, or any other goodies nearby eg SB Finch, Oasis Hummer or Peruvian Martin?

All the best,

Larry

Click to expand...

Certainly! I'll review my notes and send you a pm this evening - I did see Peruvian Tern at Paracas National Reserve, and Oasis Hummingbird during the day trip into the Andes.

cajanuma said:

Just saw the photo and I think it is an even better find! It looks like a Gray-bellied Hawk, the yellow iris should rule out the forest-falcon, also the cheeks are very dark and contrast strongly with the white throat, on the forest-falcon this contrast isn't so evident. The smallish bill is more Accipiter-like than Micrastur-like

Compare and contrast photos here:

Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon:
https://ebird.org/media/catalog?tax...-backed Forest-Falcon - Micrastur mirandollei

Gray-bellied Hawk: https://ebird.org/media/catalog?taxonCode=gybhaw1&q=Gray-bellied Hawk - Accipiter poliogaster

Click to expand...

Oooh, interesting, and you have a good point! Indeed my first impression in the field was of an Accipiter, perhaps I skimmed over Gray-bellied Hawk too quickly when flipping through my field guide that evening.

Nov 3

Today was one of my most-anticipated parts of the trip, but due to a lack of attention to detail on my part in preparation, turned out to be one of the most exhausting and disappointing days. I had set aside the entire day to hike the trail above San Lorenzo in search of endemics, chief among them the distinctive Pale-billed Antpitta, but other target endemics included Peruvian Wren, Russet-mantled Softtail, Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant, plus I had several other highland target species in mind.

My mototaxi ride was waiting for me when I left the hotel at 5:30 am, and although the journey was only about 8 or 9 km, it took a good half hour to get there, because the road to San Lorenzo was a bit rough for a mototaxi and large piles of loose dirt had been placed on the road, presumably for later resurfacing. When we arrived to the top, I made my first critical mistake of the day - instead of following the directions I had read on perubirds.org, I pointed to a trail right across from where we had stopped, which clearly went up the mountainside, and asked the taxi driver if that was it. He nodded, so off I went. It climbed up through the surrounding cow pastures, with the first birds of the day including House Wren, Spectacled Redstart, Mountain Velvetbreast, and Blue-backed Conebill. The trail started off as a steep stairway of stones not unlike that pictured on the website; soon it turned to mud churned up by hooves, then a narrow weedy path next to a fence, and then to light cow trails leading further up the mountain. I grew increasingly concerned, and soon there was no clear path ahead; I thought surely I had gone wrong somewhere. I started wandering around in the nearby patches of forest, finding stunning lifer Moustached Flowerpiercers and hearing Chestnut-crowned Antpittas nearby. However, the brush was thick and trails did not lead far, so I decided to check the map on my phone to see if I could figure out what had happened. The correct trail was marked on my map, and it was clear I had gone wrong right from the start. Frustrated at myself, I had no choice but to descend and start all over again.

It was 7:30 when I got back down to San Lorenzo, crossed the football field just like it says to do on the website, and got on the correct trail. It was quite steep but I powered up as hard as my tired legs and screaming lungs would allow, trying to make up for lost time and get up to Pale-billed Antpitta habitat while the morning was still young. I stopped for one good mixed-species flock that held a nice surprise, my long-awaited lifer Plushcap - I've traveled extensively in the Neotropics but always managed to miss this one! Nice! I was beginning to think I could salvage the day after all. Other species included Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Superciliaried Hemispingus, and Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch.

I kept going for quite a while, waiting to get to "good" habitat, but there always seemed to be more cow pastures. At around 8:30 I heard a distant Pale-billed Antpitta - but it was clearly all the way on another hillside and not worth trying to lure in. I heard several Chestnut-crowned Antpittas along the way, one fairly close, though I've seen them well in the past so didn't try to hard to coax one out. A stop in one area for some bird activity granted me a few of my targets - a Peruvian Wren and an obliging family of Unstreaked Tit-Tyrants, as well as good views of Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant. Here I believe I made my second mistake - looking back now, this area was probably in prime Pale-billed Antpitta habitat, despite a lack of calls and lack of response to the odd random playback. I figured the good stuff must still be farther up ahead, since the forest still seemed kind of patchy - but I see now that the website states that the antpitta habitat is 2 km up, and I later received a description of an exact location - a small side trail right around this area. But I decided to keep going.

Eventually the trail reached a crest in a wide, treeless area, which was windy and quiet. I think this was around 9, so it had been several hours of steadily climbing up a very steep trail, and I was feeling tired and frustrated. I could see that the trail descended into a valley. I toyed with the idea of going back and just slowly birding my way back down - probably would have been wise, but I kept going, and as the trail rounded a bend I could see a large patch of nice forest way down in the valley. I thought... "oh, that's where they are". So off I went...

I descended for about an hour and a half, through a gorgeous but mostly birdless landscape, although a quick view of White-chinned Thistletail was a nice relief and a bit of an unexpected sighting. I made it down to the edge of the forest, where I heard a distant Pale-billed Antpitta (again waaaay too far) as well as Rusty-tinged Antpitta, another endemic but one that I would get to see far more easily in the coming days. Things seemed promising, but as I continued down through the forest, things quieted back down and having to climb back up to the crest weighed heavily on my mind. At 10:30 or so I called it quits and turned around, starting the long slog back up.

The next few hours consisted mostly of exhausted hiking, with little bird activity except a couple Barred Fruiteaters. I made it back to San Lorenzo around 1pm, at this point my feet painfully blistered in my slightly-too-large rubber boots. I began walking down the road toward the highway, hoping in vain that someone would come along so I could hitch a ride. The road offered mostly common birds of second growth, although two Smoke-colored Pewees near the bottom were a first for the trip. I got down to the main highway, initially relieved, and waited for a lift. There was little traffic though, and in 20 minutes the only mototaxi that drove by was occupied. I was really thirsty and had no idea how long I might have to wait, so I figured I might as well keep going, and flag something down if it passed. Turns out I would have waiting quite a long time - I made it to the village of Chido in about 45 minutes, stopped at a store for some beverages, and then kept going. I was only a km or two from Pomacochas when I finally managed to flag down a mototaxi to take me the rest of the way.

So the lesson here is - visit the San Lorenzo trail with detailed information, and arrange for a pick-up ahead of time.

Hopefully I can go back someday for Pale-billed Antpitta.

Sounds just like what my day might have been like if I'd even had the chance to give the site a go! It was one step too far for familySweetland. You still scored a few birds there I'd have been more than happy with though Abby, fair play for doing the site on your own.

Larry Sweetland said:

Sounds just like what my day might have been like if I'd even had the chance to give the site a go! It was one step too far for familySweetland. You still scored a few birds there I'd have been more than happy with though Abby, fair play for doing the site on your own.

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Yeah, I've perhaps focused too much on what I missed that day that I've overlooked some of the good species I got. I was just so exhausted after what ended up being about 15 miles of hiking, much of it very steep and the last few hours on blistered feet - I've run marathons and yet never had such sore feet as on that day! I don't regret trying though and I'd rush right into another adventure like that, hopefully with a closer look at information at hand though!