Peru - Day 4; Soraypampa Valley & Pisac

   We had hoped to spend the morning hiking in the Sorampay Valley, where there are a few short scenic tracks into the mountains. Sadly, this plan developed a problem when we found out there had been a landslide a few kilometres from the start of the trails, collapsing the road. With this added complication to a hike that already seemed difficult at the altitude, we decided to spend the morning birding along the road.

  The birding actually started before first light. We had hoped to make a head start on the hordes of tourists heading up the mountain with an early start, but this also meant we could try for the Koepcke’s Screech Owl at the ecocamp about 20 minutes drive from the town. Fortunately the owl responded fairly quickly and so we were not held up long by this short stop.

  Birding on the road at the top was pleasant for the first hour or so, before the minibuses started to arrive with the daily visitors. Before then we didn’t manage to find any of the outstanding targets but did manage the best views of the Apurimac Brushfinch yet, and also found a pair, together, of Vilcabamba Tapaculo. They did not show as well as the previous days bird, but I cannot ever recall seeing two tapaculos together.

  Once we had descended back from the Soray valley, we had a little bit of time to bird the scrub just before the main road, where people find the Pale-tailed Canastero. Despite not being super late in the morning, it was still hot and with only two distant songs from the target, we had to leave it behind. Still, I later found upon double-checking my eBird, that I had seen this species before last time I was in Peru.

  We drove three hours through Cusco to the small town of Pisac to the north of Cusco. This is a tourist hotspot, filled with small artisanal shops and alternative medicines. Although the town was beautiful, it did not feel like the Peru that I have gotten to know in two visits. We spent the end of the afternoon at the Pisac Archeological Park which was really quite stunning and well worth the visit. There were no birds here to speak of, nor were there in the town of Pisac itself when we explored it during the early evening.