In October 2008, I spent a week in the Peruvian Amazon basin on an ecotour that turned out to be a birding bonanza. The following is a semi-complete report on the birds and the itinerary.
The trip was booked through International Expeditions, an excellent operator that specializes in comprehensive tours to natural areas of the world. Although not a birding excursion, I went so I could go with an old travel buddy (my wife isn’t into international birding) who isn’t quite as bird-centric as I am. As this is my second trip to the area, I’d seen the native villages, jungle clinics, and Ribereno towns that comprise most of the itinerary; I wanted to bird. While booking, I asked if there was someone available at one of the lodges with whom I could spend some birding time; I hit the jackpot when IE was able to arrange for me to have a guide who would accompany me for 5 days of birding! As it turned out, my guide was Lucio Pando, one of the premier birders in the area; many birding tour operators book him as the local guide for their itineraries. It couldn’t have turned out better.
The itinerary involved a flight from Miami to an overnight in Lima (delayed due to President Bush (!), who stopped over in Miami on Air Force One; no, he wasn’t on our tour.), then a flight to the river city of Iquitos. We arrived late in Lima and stayed at the Costa Del Sol hotel near the airport. My first life bird was a WEST PERUVIAN DOVE (very similar to the White-Winged Dove of the American southwest) on the hotel grounds. I was off and running. The morning involved a short tour of historical Lima, which was interesting, although I was mostly scanning the sky and branches. Rock Pigeons were ubiquitous, as well as House Sparrows, and a Blue-Gray Tanager appeared in the trees of an old villa.
We then flew to Iquitos (another delayed flight), a bustling city that serves as a nerve center for trade and travel on the Amazon. We met our guides and embarked on the boat ride to our destination, EXPLORAMA LODGE. Along the river, we saw Great and Snowy Egrets as well as Large-Billed Terns and Turkey and Black Vultures.
Explorama Lodge consists of 5 properties along the Amazon; our first stop, EXPLORAMA is a 50 mile boat ride downriver from Iquitos, and is certainly rustic, with no electricity, lighted only by kerosene lamps and featuring mosquito-netted beds. We arrived after dark and settled into our sweltering accommodations. Up at sunup to explore the grounds, we found that common birdlife included Blue-and-Yellow and Red-and-Green Macaws, Festive, Mealy, and Yellow-Crowned Parrots that availed themselves of the plentiful fruit that staff provides for feeding. Several Tanagers were present, including abundant nesting Silver-Beaked, Palm and Masked Crimson. Also present were Black-Mantled Tamarin monkeys. Birding here was low-key, as I had not yet met Lucio, and I was left to my own devices. I was pleased that I could find and identify Slate-Colored Hawk, Black-Fronted Nunbird, Wattled Jacana, Southern Lapwing, Drab Water-Tyrant, Chestnut-Bellied Seedeater, Pale-Billed Hornero, Roadside Hawk, and Hauxwell’s Thrush. Russet Backed Oropendola was a common and noisy resident, and I got my first views of the striking Paradise Tanager and Yellow-Tufted Woodpecker. An afternoon Piranha fishing excursion was a chance to see Lesser Yellow-Headed Vulture, Oriole Blackbird, Yellow-Headed Caracara (common throughout the trip), and Striated Heron. Tropical Kingbirds were common throughout.
The rest of day was spent walking the grounds with a resident expert, learning about the flora and fauna of the different types of ecosystems of the forest. Highlights were poison dart frogs, insects, and plants exquisitely adapted for life in the rainforest .We also visited a family-run (and quite primitive) rum factory. Nonetheless, I was ready to get BIRDING!
At the risk of being too wordy, I’ll continue this report in sections.The birding fun had not yet begun.
Photos:Black Fronted Nunbird - Dendrobates reticulatus - Festive Parrot - Silver-Beaked tanager female - Drab Water-Tyrant
Wow Bill Excellent stuff !!
Awaiting your next post....
Thanks a lot, Stephen . . .I'll continue; it was a grreat trip.