PERU

a rich tapestry of birds and other wildlife in the land of the Incas

Peru seems to encapsulate so many things about South America. There is a huge bird list, along with a great variety of other wildlife, dramatic scenery and rich archaeological remains. From Lima we will fly to the famous Manu Biosphere reserve, an area of rainforest of fantastic diversity for birds and other wildlife. Next we head for the cloud forests on the eastern slopes of the Andes where we can expect a terrific assortment of tanagers and hummingbirds along with Andean Cock-of-the-Rock and many other species. Then we visit Cuzco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas, high in the Andes with its fabulous ruins and its Spanish colonial buildings. From here we will visit Machu Picchu the famous lost city of the Incas and where there is a quite different avifauna and a good chance of Andean Condor.

Finally we will see seabirds in abundance at the Reserva de Paracas. Here we will visit the Ballestas Islands during a short boat trip where we will see the superb Inca Tern. Southern Sealions and Fur Seals are also likely to be encountered. The peninsula is home to such birds as Chilean Flamingoes, Tawny-throated Dotterel and Peruvian Thick-knee.

Many non-birders visit Peru for the rich Inca and pre-Inca historical sites, the beauty of the landscape, the dry and sunny weather, the food and the friendly people. We will enjoy the best of both worlds; the historical sites perfectly complement the world class birding and wildlife viewing. We visit a good selection of habitats and archaeological sites that are all concentrated in southern Peru.

ITINERARY

MANU - THE RAINFOREST

We arrive in the evening and transfer to our hotel in Lima. The next morning we will take an early flight to Cuzco and then fly on to Boca Manu. Here we take a motorised canoe for a ninety minute ride down the Madre de Dios River to the Manu Wildlife Centre and will arrive in time for lunch. The boat trip will be the first of many during our four night stay at our lodge, deep in the rainforest in this roadless area.

This remote but very comfortable lodge boasts more wildlife in one location than any other lodge in the world. Apart from the many trails, boats are the best way to both get around and to see wildlife. Another good way to see birds is in the lodge gardens and any spare moments can be happily passed birdwatching in the grounds perhaps even from a hammock.

We will visit an oxbow lake where we have a very good chance of seeing Giant Otters, Hoatzins and various crakes, rails and other waterbirds. Another day will require an early start to take a floating hide to see a spectacular macaw lick where macaws and parrots of several different species come at dawn to ingest clay and salts.

There are several watchtowers high in the canopy where we can get eye level views of many bird species. A Tapir hide will allow us an excellent chance of seeing one of the largest and most elusive of South American mammals. As many as a dozen species of monkey can be seen in the area. Jaguars are common and with luck we may see one during a boat trip. There are also tribes of native people still living their traditional lives. Some are partially westernized and we can visit one of their villages and trading posts. Other tribes are known as the non-contactables but we may see them camped or fishing from the riverbank.

After four nights here we will depart for a day long boat ride through superb habitat, for one night at Amazonia Lodge. The gardens here have a huge bird list. It is a great place to see Rufous-crested Coquette, along with other hummingbirds such as Amethyst Woodstar, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Wire-crested Thorntail and Koepcke's Hermit. The next day we go by boat and then bus to Cock of the Rock Lodge.

SELVA SUR - CLOUD FOREST

We will spend two nights at Cock of the Rock Lodge in the Selva Sur private cloud forest reserve. Though the accommodation here is simple it is clean and comfortable with en suite hot showers. As estate agents might say it has all the three main ingredients; location, location and location. It is surrounded by Howler Monkeys and next door to a Cock-of-the-rock lek.

CUZCO - THE SACRED VALLEY AND MACHU PICCHU

On day nine we drive to Cuzco, high in the Andes, our base for the next night. We pass over two Andean chains at almost 4000m elevation and spend a leisurely day birding and driving. Cuzco is a very attractive town famous in its own right with many classic colonial buildings and many Incan sites in the immediate environs. Even in the town itself you can see where the Spaniards incorporated parts of the Inca buildings into their own. A leisurely pace at Cuzco will give time to acclimatise to the altitude and to enjoy the ambience of this very pleasant city.

From Cuzco we will get the train to Aguas Calientes. Here we get a bus for the short but steep and winding journey to the gates of Machu Picchu. As we enter and turn a corner we are greeted by the classic view of this superbly preserved Inca city. We will have a guided tour of the ruins and opportunity for several hours to explore on our own and to look for some of the avian specialities of the area. The occasional Andean Condor may sweep past as we admire the views and search for smaller birds such as the Andean Wren.

We will spend the night at Aguas Calientes and the following morning you have the option of revisiting Machu Picchu or birding around the hotel before heading on to the Sacred Valley for one night and Cuzco for two nights. We will intertwine visits to some of the Inca sites with high altitude birding amongst the ruins, lakes, scrub and farmland. At some of the wetland sites such as Huacarpay Lakes we can expect to see Puna, Speckled and Cinnamon Teal as well as Puna Ibis and Wren-like Rushbird. This is also an excellent area for the Giant Hummingbird and the splendidly named Bearded Mountaineer.

COASTAL PERU

On day 14 we will take the short flight from Cuzco to Lima and then drive south to Paracas. The coastal route to Paracas passes through a harsh and unpromising landscape of barren desert but by the time we reach our lunch spot the scenery will have changed again. By mid-afternoon we should be ensconced at the lovely Hotel Paracas with its own private jetty and view of the Ballestas Islands.

During our two night stay here we will take a boat trip round the islands and visit several sites on the Paracas National Park peninsula. Birds here include Peruvian Pelican, Peruvian Booby, Chilean Flamingo, Guanay Cormorant, Red-legged Cormorant, Grey Gull, Kelp Gull, Peruvian Tern, Blackish Oystercatcher, Black Skimmer and Humboldt Penguin.

The stunning Inca Tern is also found here in good numbers and we should get some excellent close views. Two other specialities of the area are the Peruvian Thick-knee and the curious-sounding Peruvian Seaside Cinclodes. After two nights here we will return to Lima for our evening flight home.

PACE On most days breakfast will be at about 7.00am, but in the rainforest some days will require a much earlier start, when there will be a long break during the hottest part of the day. Clients should be in reasonable fitness as the sites in the Andes are at a very high altitude. The altitude dictates that we will go at a very steady pace.

ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD Full-board accommodation is provided with one night in Lima at the Hotel Jose Antonio, four nights at the Manu Wildlife Centre, one night at the Amazonia Lodge, two nights at the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge, three nights at the Posada del Inca in Cuzco, one night in the Posada del Inca in the Sacred Valley, one night at the Aguas Calientes and two nights at the Hotel Paracas. All rooms have en suite facilities, except at Amazonia Lodge, where facilities are shared. Some days lunch will be a picnic and others at the hotels.

PRICE INCLUDES ….. All birdwatching excursions with expert leader, local guides throughout, full-board accommodation, transport by mini-bus, train to Machu Picchu, boat trips and other lodge activities, entrance fees, soft drinks at meal-times, internal flights, international return flight to Lima, and flight and airport taxes.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED Cost of travel insurance, payable at the time of booking. Items of a personal nature, alcoholic drinks, laundry, etc.

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS Return flights from most UK airports to Lima (via Amsterdam) using the scheduled services of KLM. Outbound flight departs early morning, return flight arrives back early evening.

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