We had quite a few sites on our agenda today, and quite a few birds as well, but so long as the birds played ball we should have no problems fitting everything in and finishing in an ideal location for the final few days birding. From our hostal in the town of Cajacay, we drove an hour to the valley side above the small town of Marca. Here we hoped to spend a few hours mopping up a few regionally endemic species, before continuing to the coast, where we would hopefully find the Peruvian Plantcutter, before settling in for the night in one of the seaside towns a few hours north of Lima.
The birding around Marca did indeed happen very quickly and
very successfully. We arrived just at 07:30, to find a flock of 22 Cordilleran Parakeets feeding in Eucalyptus trees. This rare parrot was an unexpected bonus
to the start the morning off, as we watched them for ten minutes before they
continued up the valley. We quickly added Bay-crowned Brushfinch and Canyon
Canastero, although neither of these were new for me.
After an hour searching we managed to find our main target,
the endangered Russet-bellied Spinetail. This was actually a very smart bird,
and it showed exceptionally well, allowing for some great pictures to be taken.
Not long after we left them we managed to find our other key target, the Piura
Chat-Tyrant, although sadly this was not as cooperative and only fleeting views
were available. While waiting for the Chat-Tyrant to show, I had another lifer
with Rufous-chested Tanager. All in all a very successful morning, meaning we
were able to depart down the valley at 11:00.
After a two-hour drive, and another hour for lunch, we
arrived at our next destination, the small settlement of Gramadal, just after
14:00 in the afternoon. This was a site Bill already had visited prior to the
rest of our arrival, where he had found the rare Peruvian Plantcutter easily.
And we were just as successful, finding multiple birds after just a few
minutes. Over the next hour we enjoyed some fantastic views, with a continuous
backing track of their buzzy calls.
In addition to the Plantcutter, we also had excellent views
of displaying Short-tailed Field-Tyrant, a funny-looking bird on account of its
almost none-existent tail. There were a few of these birds displaying around
the scrub. The only other bird of note was the very common Coastal Miner, a
bird we would likely encounter many more times in the next few days.
At the end of the afternoon we found an area of rocky
coastline where we hoped to find the rare Peruvian Seaside Cinclodes. While we
were not able to find that specific bird, the seabirds that were present in the
area were more than enough compensation. We had brilliant views of diving
Peruvian Booby, right in front of us, and although the light was not good there
were some brilliant photo opportunities. In addition to the Peruvian Booby,
there were many perching and fishing Inca Terns flying round, without doubt the
best birds of the day. We had a few fly right overhead, with others right in
front of us.
In addition, there were other new birds including Grey Gull, Belchers Gull and Red-legged Cormorant, although only the Grey Gull showed well. A Sooty Shearwater cruised past the shoreline where we watched, while out at sea we spotted a South American Sea Lion, which later appeared on the rocks very close. It was a brilliant hour in the evening light, enjoying my first South American pacific seabird experience.
Valle Marca: Andean Tinamou, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Andean Swift, Sparkling Violetear, Giant Hummingbird, Peruvian Sheartail, Purple-collared Woodstar, Oasis Hummingbird, Black-necked Woodpecker, Cordilleran Parakeet, Canyon Canastero, Russet-bellied Spinetail, Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant, White-crested Elaenia, Spot-billed Ground Tyrant, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, Streak-throated Bush Tyrant, Piura Chat-Tyrant, White-browed Chat-Tyrant, House Wren, Chiguanco Thrush, Hooded Siskin, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Bay-crowned Brushfinch, Rufous-chested Tanager, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, Cinereous Conebill, Black-throated Flowerpiercer, Rusty Flowerpiercer, Ash-breasted Sierra Finch, Drab Seedeater, Band-tailed Seedeater, Golden-billed Saltator,
Restaurante La Cabaña: Croaking Ground Dove, Turkey Vulture, Variable Hawk, Coastal Miner, Peruvian Plantcutter, Short-tailed Field Tyrant, Long-tailed Mockingbird,
Playa Pucusanita: American Oystercatcher, Grey Gull, Belcher's Gull, Kelp Gull, Inca Tern, South American Tern, Sooty Shearwater, Peruvian Booby, Red-legged Cormorant, Snowy Egret, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Blue-and-white Swallow,
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