We're just back from a lovely trip to Peru, in three phases: Three days in Lima, guided by Mario Cabrejos [casal@infotex.com.pe]; four days in the Abra Patricia area, guided by Julio Tellos, arranged through Gunnar Engblom's Kolibri Expeditions; and five days with a group of orchid enthusiasts attending the orchid festival in Moyobamba. We only ticked some 220 species - I must be too lightweight at birding, since there are so many reports of many more in the same amount of time. Perhaps it's lazyness - not putting a name to every tyranulet that flicks by in a mixed group could reduce the list a bit.
Highlights included seeing Marvelous Spatuletail at Pomacochas, hearing a pair of Long-whiskered Owlets and the lodge by that name, and seeing my first actual wild penguins at Pucusana, and so much more!
On the 29th of October Mario and I visited sites north north of Lima, including Lomas de Lachay and the port of Callao.
The Lomas were incredible, such an interesting place. The fog came and went, and we managed to avoid the hordes of school children most of the time. Many good birds, including:
Least Seedsnipe
Coastal and Thick-billed Miners
Raimondi's and Grassland Yellow-finch
Yellowish Pipit
Oasis Hummingbird
Peruvian Sheartail
Purple-collared Woodstar.
Many others - I'll see if I can attach a list later.
Just hearing the Owlet probably counts for at least 100 birds! Looking forward to the rest of your report.
After Lomas de Lachay, on the way back to Lima we stopped at Callao, where the penninsula ends with a nice coastal mudflat/wetlands. This is a lovely spot for birding, apparently very secure.
There was a stunning flock of gulls, including many Franklin's and Kelp Gulls, along with a few Belcher's, Andean, Gray-headed and Gray Gulls. A few Terns were mixed in, Elegant and Royal, and there were shorebirds, including Whimbrel, Spotted and Western Sandpipers, Sanderlings and Ruddy Turnstones. I could have spent more time there, and there was surely more to find, but it was the end of the day, and we had to cross Lima to get back to Miraflores.
The gulls were a real highlight, Belcher's, Gray-headed and Gray new for me.