Peru - Day 33; ExplorNapo Lodge

   My two nights at the Explorama Lodge were now completed, so after a nice early breakfast at 05:30, we piled into the boat and headed downriver towards the Napo River. Once there, we turned upstream and headed towards the next lodge, the ExplorNapo Lodge where I would spend another two nights before returning to Iquitos.

  On the way we stopped off at an island called San Alejandro where we had another chance to pick up on some species we had so far missed. This plan worked well, and it did not take us long to track down the Brownish Elaenia in the trees here. A nice additional bird was the Olive-spotted Hummingbird, which I had not realized was a target until a conversation with Luis earlier in the morning. Other nice birds on the island included two Pied Plover and a Pectoral Sandpiper, although distant for any nice photos.

  We arrived at the ExplorNapo lodge at around 08:30, to find it full of guests. Fortunately after a short break we headed off into the trails and found ourselves some peace. The cooler weather from the previous days had already passed, and as such the heat of the mid morning was already taking its toll on the birdlife. That said, we still managed some nice species on the walk, including new species for me with Yellow-billed Jacamar, Black-and-white Tody-Flycatcher and Slate-coloured Antbird, as well as other goodies such as Sooty Antbird and Plain-throated Antwren.

  Towards the end of the walk we found a very special bird for me, in the Wire-tailed Manakin. This species was the bird that introduced me to South American birds, whilst watching the 2000 BBC documentary ‘Andes to Amazon’ which featured the birds erratic and comical lek. Sadly I did not get to witness the lekking behaviour today but it was still nice to see two males together, presumably waiting for the opportune moment to begin their lek, just not when we were around. 

  As a nice addition to the walk, we also had two species of Monkey. The first was the unexpectedly stunning Yellow-handed Titi, when we stumbled across and an adult and well grown juvenile together just above the trail. Shortly after this there was a really nice bonus when we saw two Saki monkeys high in the canopy above the trail. Although they quickly moved away, they stopped long enough to get some nice pictures. Once back at the lodge the Squirrel Monkeys from the previous days put on an excellent show, although it was strange to see them begging for tourists to throw bananas at them…

  After lunch we travelled across the Napo to Yarina Lake where we spent the hot hours of the afternoon. Luis had some species he wanted to try during this time and the plan worked well, with two new birds for me showing very well; Yellow-crowned Elaenia and Dot-backed Antbird. There was also a nice Pygmy Antwren and two White-eared Jacamar which made for a pleasant start to our afternoon birding.  

  After a short break back at the lodge, we set off again. This time we walked the main trail to the canopy tower at the ACTS lodge, not far from the ExplorNapo Lodge which I was staying at. The forest was fairly quiet, as you would expect from this time in the afternoon, but there was an excellent bonus bird for us when a flock of Band-tailed Cacique flew through calling loudly. They stopped occasionally in the open are from which we were watching, but we were always looking up at them, and they were always on the move. 

  The canopy tower at the ACTS is actually a canopy walkway, composed of 14 platforms that are connected by bridges. The main platform that we visited during the afternoon was platform six, and from here I enjoyed several new birds. White-necked Puffbird started me off, followed by Opal-crowned Tanager and then Paradise Jacamar. In addition there was a new sloth species for me here with the two-toed sloth from the north of the Amazon. It was sleeping almost directly below one of the bridges. 

  Our plan was to stay in the canopy walkway until well after dark, so that we could concentrate on the most important target of my stay here; the Nocturnal Curassow. Sadly, despite waiting until 22:00, the bird did not call and if it does not call then it is nearly impossible to find. The forest was generally silent for birds, with only a distant singing Crested Owl to break the silence. For mammals however it was excellent. First I had the same Two-toed Sloth moving around rather than sleeping, then we saw a Bicolor-spined Porcupine and as we were leaving there was a Southern Opossum. Frustratingly there were several other medium-sized mammals that were just too quick to be identified. The same problem persisted on the boat back, with several promising looking heat signatures, eventually producing no definite IDs on any mammals. 

Peru - Day 32; Explorama Lodge

   The day started at 05:00! A quick breakfast and then into the boat to go try to find some of the birds that inhabit the islands we had begun to explore the previous day. The first stop was a flooded channel called Cocha Bondi. The morning was overcast but still lively with birds moving around the channel area. Here there were two main targets; the Pearly-breasted Conebill and the Brownish Elaenia. After much effort we managed to find the Conebill, but the Elaenia eluded us. The previous afternoons downpour had continued effects into this morning, as condensation in my camera meant photographing the conebills was near impossible, and it took over an hour to clear.

  We then proceeded to move on from Cocha Bondi, and visited a flooded area on the western side of the island. Here we hoped for a few more species; Bay Hornero, Leaden Antwren and Zimmers Woodcreeper. Sadly the area was far more flooded than we had anticipated, and so could not fully explore. Fortunately the Zimmers Woodcreeper still showed up for us, with two individuals showing nicely now the camera situation had resolved itself. As we were leaving there was another new bird for me with Riparian Parrotlet!

  To try continue exploring for the aforementioned species we entered another channel slightly further back along the island. Luis knew the channel would take us into the lake area which we discovered was still flooded. There were a few moments where the boat raised out of the water due to submerged branches, but it was otherwise a smooth enough journey. It paid off as well, as we had phenomenal views of the Leaden Antwren right in front of the boat. The birding here was generally excellent, and I had other lifers; Slate-coloured Hawk and White-eared Jacamar! A Bat Falcon that soared overhead as we were departing made for an excellent bonus species.

  With the Antwren in the bag, we continued to the new island that we had visited the previous evening. This was only a quick stop as the Black-and-white Antbird that we were targeting here showed very quickly and very well. Consequently we returned to back to the main island, but this time on the far side for another antbird species, this time the Ash-breasted Antbird. In addition to this stunning antbird showing well, there were two more target species we connected with here; the Orange-fronted Plushcrown and the Castelneu’s Antshrike.

  Across the river from this previous location was a large sandbank, and after a question about Sand-coloured Nighthawk, we then spotted several individuals flying around with the islands terns and skimmers. We crossed the river and landed on the island to check them out, and found ourselves surrounded by hundreds of these very attractive nocturnal birds. They may well prove to be the birding highlight of this section of the trip!

  There was just enough time for a quick check of the Varzea forest around the lodge before lunch, and this yielded yet another new species for me with Yellow-bellied Dacnis, followed by a fantastic Long-billed Woodcreeper. After lunch and very short break, we continued exploring the trails from the previous afternoon, and the new birds just kept on coming. In total I managed another five new species; Many-banded Aracari, Hauxwell’s Thrush, Bare-necked Fruitcrow, White-vented Euphonia and Plum-throated Cotinga. Sadly for this last species, it was only a female so I will have to hope that a male shows up at some point. In addition, there was some excellent other birds with Silvered Antbird, Black-spotted Bare-eye and Gilded Barbet!

  After dark I did a little exploring but found nothing of note, so chose to rest myself for the upcoming nights...

Peru - Day 31; Explorama Lodge

   My first destination on my own was with the ExploreNapo company, which owns four lodges heading north along the Amazon river and into the Napo River. I had arranged four nights with them, although I was a little unsure what exactly my itinerary was. Once I met up with my guide, Luis, at 08:30 I was informed I had two nights at Explorama Lodge and then two more nights at ExploreNapo. The first lodge, Explorama, was mostly focused on riverside specialities and so that was what the first day largely entailed.

  It was around 90 minutes by boat from the docks in Iquitos, upriver to the lodge. Once there, Luis was keen to head straight out, with possibly the most important target of this specific lodge on his mind, the Orange-eyed Flatbill. Although uninspiring, it was my first key-target of this trip and the one that would most likely get left behind should we fail to find it here. Fortunately, taking the trail south from the lodge, we did not have to wait long before a pair of these flycatchers showed very nicely above the trail for us. Additionally it was good to get another target species seen with Scarlet-crowned Barbet, although this species is much commoner.

  In addition to the birds, it was great to be welcomed to the lodge by yet more primates. Warily watching the banana feeders as we passed were a group of three or four Tamarins, including an adult with a baby, and in the canopy there was a noisy group of Squirrel Monkeys passing by. It continues to be an absolutely brilliant trip for mammals.  

  After lunch we explored the trail heading directly behind the lodge for little more than hour. The target for this trail was the Black Bushbird, a distinctive antbird that I had failed to even consider as a target for this trip. Once again, Luis produced the goods and we had phenomenal views of a stunning male even using its distinctive feeding technique. The trail produced little else, with Plumbeous Antbird and Great Antshrike being the best of what little else we saw, but it being mid-afternoon it was good to see much at all.

  With the Bushbird secured, we jumped in a boat and set off to spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the riverside islands, home to several range-restircted species. Unfortunately, just as we reached the first island, the heavens opened. It took about half an hour for the rain to stop, and during that time it absolutely pounded down on us. It was so heavy it even knocked a small snake out of the tree under which we were sheltering, and into the water. Even under my poncho my clothes were drenched, and it was difficult to be motivated again.

  Still, once it stopped the birds started again and the wet clothes were soon forgotten about. On the first island we had some luck with Plain-breasted Piculet, which showed very nicely, but it was on the second island that the target birds began to quickly roll in. We started with a very showy River Tyrannulet, followed by both Red-and-white and Parker’s Spinetails and then finished off with a very nice Riverside Tyrant. Additionally there were lifers for me with Oriole Blackbird and White-winged Parakeet. The only downside was the lingering thick cloud cover, which made the afternoon feel much later than it actually was.

  After dinner we took a slow canoe trip down the creek adjacent to the lodge. It was exceptionally lively with small mammals, although almost all were too quick to obtain any identifiable photos. A Southern Opossum was the best we managed, although it too was too quick for photos. All the roosting birds we found, and there were several, turned out to be Plumbeous Antbirds with the exception of a single White-bearded Hermit. The amphibian selection was also fantastic! Once the creek trip was over, I also explored the garden a bit, and found a nice snake in the bamboo, as well as an Amazonian Bamboo Rat. An excellent evening to round off an excellent day.

Peru - Day 30; Iquitos

   Today was a travelling day, with Laura heading back to Europe and I headed off for my own two week adventure in the Amazon of north Peru. Unfortunately most of the day was spent at the airport, and I did not arrive in the town of Iquitos, from where I would be based, until nearly 16:00 in the afternoon. My evening was then spent settling down and preparing for the next two weeks. There were a few birds to welcome me to the new town, but they were all common with the exception of a few Black-crowned Night Herons that flew over as I took my taxi to the hotel.

Peru - Day 28; Paracas & Humedal de Chilca

   For our final morning before heading back to Lima we explored the Paracas Peninsula, which is a desert headland just south of the town where it is possible to see some seabirds and wading birds. It is mostly popular for outdoor activities, so I decided to wake up early and head onto the island before breakfast, then return to the hotel and eat and go back, in case any disturbance flushed any of my target birds away.

  Really I only had one target species; the Surfbird. From looking at eBird data I thought I had a reasonable chance of finding this wader at the small port of Lagunillas on the island, so I headed there for first light and began to explore the beaches. There were several wader species on offer, but I could not find any Surfbirds. Snowy Plover and Ruddy Turnstone made up the bulk of the non-Oystercatcher waders, with the former even having a small chick running around. There were also nice views of Surf Cinclodes but in the dull light it was not worth photographing. 

  Having deduced there were no Surfbirds, I headed round to Playa Roja on the other side of the bay to Lagunilla. This area had a few more rocks, as well as other seabirds sat on them. As soon as I made it round, I spotted a group of greyish birds close together feeding on one of the rocky outcrops! That was them, 33 Surfbirds all feeding together and avoiding the surf, in the company of a single Sanderling. They were quite confiding and I was able to get some excellent views and decent photos even in the poor light! 

  After breakfast I returned to this same area but the Surfbirds had gone. Returning to Lagunillas I found them all roosting on a small rocky island just offshore, meaning no improvement to my photos in the improved light. There was some chance to photograph the Surf Cinclodes, and they reacted strongly to my playback, but unfortunately it turned them quite erratic and even getting wet feet could not get me better photos than the last time I saw them two years ago. 

  Before leaving the peninsula we visited the Mirador dos Aves. And indeed there were a lot of birds here, most notable the 2000+ Black Skimmers all roosting on the beach. They were quite approachable realty, with some flying exceptionally close to us. Additonally there was another new species for me with a few Elegant Terns dotted around the Skimmer flocks, on the shoreline were a handful of Chilean Flamingoes and offshore was a flock of Peruvian Terns. 

  After this we began the four hour drive back to Lima. On the way we spotted two Bottlenose Dolphins feeding offshore, but could not find a return to go back and see them without significant effort. We also stopped off at the Humedal de Chilca, a small lake on beach. It was rammed with birds, notably Hudsonian Whimbrel and especially Willet, along with commoner wetland species. There were no different waders (besides the Willet) but it was still very enjoyable, with a nice backup cast of White-cheeked Pintail and Cinnamon Teal, as well as Grassland Yellow Finch in the lakeside vegetation.

  The drive to Lima saw us deal with some awful traffic and once again got stopped by the police, this time the fine came for not having the headlights on, but we managed to get away with only $42 rather than the $300 they wanted, which felt like a minor victory. After reached the hotel in Lima we crashed, ready a days recharge!  

Peru - Day 27; Nazca Lines & Paracas

   Today was unfortunately a day of chaos. Having driven down to Nazca the pervious day in preparation for our activity of the day, a tourist flight over the Nazca Lines archeological site, we awoke to find the area shrouded in the thin fog, which refused to clear until around 09:30. Now our flight was supposed to depart at 09:30, but unfortunately it was pushed back due to the delayed flights earlier in the day, and in the end we did not make it up into the sky until 11:30, wasting two hours of the day at the airport. 

  In the end it was worth the wait, with the half-hour flight over the Nazca Lines being really excellent, giving you the chance to appreciate something simply not possible from the ground. As it was also my first time in a light aircraft I was a bit nervous, but I have to say I enjoyed it a lot more than the regular commercial flights I have taken. The landing was a bit dodgy but otherwise it was good fun. The Nazca Lines themselves were impressive to see, even though we were provided with very little information about what they actually meant. 

  Once the flight had concluded, we headed back to the hotel and began the four-hour drive back up to Paracas. It was a long drive through the desert with very little happening. We finally arrived in Paracas at 16:30 and set off for a short walk around the harbour that produced only the commoner birds we had encountered on the previous days. 

-The aircraft

-The Hummingbird

-The Whale

Peru - Day 26; Ballestas Islands & Nazca

  We had arranged a boat trip early morning to visit the Ballestas Islands just off the coast of Paracas, which in the summer is a bustling seabird colony and is still home to large numbers at this time of year. The boat left Paracas at 07:30 and lasted until 10:00. There were around five boats around the islands when we were there, and it being a touristy acitivity there were a lot of people who were not interested really interested in the wildlife, just present to see the headline species. Despite this the boat guides and captain did their best to show off all the birds present, and although I thought they got a little too close at times, the animals themselves did not seem to be especially bothered by this.

  The highlight on the bird front was undoubtedly the Humbolt Penguins, with nine seen in total including two well grown chicks with two adults. This was my first time seeing this species out of the water. There was one new bird for me on the islands with three immature Blue-footed Boobies among the multitude of Peruvian Boobies. The numbers were the real spectacle however, with hundreds of Inca Terns and really good numbers of Neotropic and Guanay Cormorants, with Red-legged Cormorants also present in smaller numbers. The Peruvian Pelicans were abundant throughout, including in the harbour of our departure. And a special mention to the three Ruddy Turnstones, which are always a treat to see. Sadly I was unable to pick out any rare seabirds.

  In addition to the birds there were also a few mammals. The most abundant although not in huge numbers were the South American Sea Lions, and these especially I thought were approached too much by our boat, although I stress again that the animals themselves did not seem especially concerned. But the highlight were three Bottlenose Dolphins that were feeding the harbour as we returned. Sadly we did not get to see them jumping but we did get phenomenal views as they passed directly under the boat.

  Once the boat trip was completed we drove four hours south to the town of Nazca, arriving mid-afternoon. The drive was exhausting, but after a brief period of relaxation we headed back out to an archeological park just east of the town; Acuedutos de Cantalloc. Since it was on the edge of town and surrounded by agriculture there were a few birds around. Highlight species included a distant Parrot-billed Seedeater, two Pacific Parrotlets and a stunning male Vermillion Flycatcher. A Short-tailed Field-Tyrant was seen all too briefly and sadly neither of the two new species that I could have encountered made any appearance. 

  After the disappointment of the previous day, it was good to get some birding done and to enjoy ourselves again. 

Peru - Day 24; Los Amigos Biological Station & Puerto Maldonado

   Sadly the final day of the visit to Los Amigos had come. The hope had been that the boat to collect us would arrive mid or late morning to allow one final explore of the trails, but sadly we were informed it would be necessary to be ready for eight. That meant that only some exploration of the field station grounds, as well as possibly one of the close trails would be possible before departure.

  Around the field station there were a few nice birds, including two White-throated Jacamars right outside the room. Given it took three days before encountering them yesterday afternoon, this was a bit of a surprise. Additionally there were trip ticks of a few common species such as Swallow Tanager and Buff-fronted Foliage-Gleaner, but nothing particularly spectacular.

  We managed to find half an hour after breakfast to walk on trail 1, in the hope that we might encounter the Emperor Tamarin, which was the last realistic species we needed for this site. Sadly it did not happen, but after four days of trying it was great to finally find the localized Black-faced Cotinga. After using speculative playback for the past few days, I was thrilled to finally get a response, and even better that the bird actually came. The views were not exceptional, but having missed most of the handful or really localized species at this site, I was very pleased to see this one.

  At eight we took our bags down to the ‘dock’ and after half an hour wait the boat finally appeared. There was not much wildlife to keep the spirits high during this wait, but a pair of Drab Water Tyrants kept the spirits high! The boat trip took almost three hours due to the various stops it made at the communities along the river, and there was nothing different to see on the journey. We arrived at our hotel in Puerto Maldonado, the same Wasi Ecolodge, at 11:45.

Peru - Day 23; Los Amigos Biological Station

   Once again I awoke at 05:10 to walk trail 10 in the dark. I assumed that the previous nights mist-nets set up for catching bats would have been taken down, but I was wrong. So much of the walk was spent dodging furled up nets, whilst the walk back I encountered the bird ringing team opening them up, so had to dodge them as well. In terms of nocturnal activity, there was not much to report but in the early morning light I encountered a group of Bolivian Squirrel Monkeys, as well as two lifers with Grey Antbird and Flammulated Pygmy-Tyrant. 

  After breakfast we took the same trail as the previous evening, hoping to explore the distant varzea forest. We started well on trail 19, with another new Tinamou for me with Great Tinamou, which waddled across the path in front of us. Once on to trail 25 I added another new species with Purple-throated Fruitcrow; at least four birds in the canopy overhead and apparently displaying to a female. On the primate front there was another new species with a nice group of Humbolts White-fronted Capuchin, as well as the usual Peruvian Spider Monkeys and Tufted Capuchins. But the highlight on the mammal front was a Collared Peccary, when a single individual emerged from the foliage, stood on the trail staring at us, and then crossed and descended the slope!

  Once we descended the slope to the trail 11, trail 31 and trail 26 the activity seemed to drop off. There were still a few nice birds to be found, such as Common Scale-backed Antbird, and we flushed a group of five Starred Wood-Quail, but otherwise little. We found a short trail to the Los Amigos river and from there we had some excellent views od a pair of Caiman, as well as both Drab Water Tyrant and a Sunbittern, the former being new for me. After that we returned to the camp for lunch. 

  After the afternoon siesta we completed one final loop through the forest to try pick up some final species. The loop started on trail 1, followed by trail 20, then trail 8 and finally returning to camp on trail 10. The walk started in excellent fashion we I spotted three White-throated Jacamar in a tree not far along trail 1. Although always distant, it was great to finally catch up with this localized species. However it quickly quietened down, with a White-fronted Nunbird being the only other bird of note, and we failed to see much else. A few rarer species that were known to be at locations along this trail failed to respond, and once we reached trail 10 the bat researchers were already opening their nets. 

  At night we set off on what was the final night walk, exploring the varzea forest around trail 15, which had been my plan the previous night before the Ocelot appeared and I considered my work done. This time there was no spectacular animal encounter but there were still goodies to be found with two Black-faced Night Monkeys which were mobile in the canopy, and best of all; a Kinkajou. On the walk back to the camp a Black-banded Owl started calling and with the thermal it was easy to find sat in the canopy. Sadly it was too distant for amazing pictures, but a great way to round off our last night walk at Los Amigos.#

Peru - Day 22; Los Amigos Biological Station

   This morning I decided to wake up well before light and walk the trails, so I could walk back for breakfast during the first moments of dawn. This failed to produce any mammals like I hoped, and most of the birds were heard only but there were still some interesting species. For species that I had seen before, Pavonine Cuckoo was great to hear again, as was Ocellated Poorwill. Sadly the Buckleys Forest Falcon that was singing did not come in to the tape. Once some light had penetrated the forest floor I had a lifer with Ruddy Spinetail, which took some finding as it jumped around the darkness of a bamboo stand before revealing itself. 

  After breakfast we started with a plan to take trails through some Varzea forest to the south of the camp. We took trail 15 from the camp, before turning on to trail 14 to the Cocha Lobo lake, before returning via trail 21, then down via trail 18, across on trail 30 and then back to camp via trail 15. Overall it was a fairly quiet morning but there were still a few interesting species that kept us busy. 

  Whilst departing camp there were three Blue-throated Piping Guan in the trees across from the room. The walk down on 15 did not produce anything, but trail 14 was a little more productive, with Ruddy Quail Dove and a heard only Rusty-belted Tapaculo. There was no attempt to see the Tapaculo, since the plan was to reach the Cocha Lobo as fast as possible in case the Giant Otter were there. Sadly they were not, and the only activity on the lake were the noisy Hoatzins in the adjacent vegetation. 

  The walk to trail 18 saw very little occur, but once on trail 18 there was some improvement. A male Plumbeous Antbird was a new species for me, and it showed nicely for short while. Tawny-crowned Greenlet was the only other bird which was of note. About halfway down trail 18, it deviated from the map, and we soon found ourselves lost, having opted to follow the map rather than the trail. Equally problematic was the complete lack of absence of trail 30, which we eventually found about halfway between trails 18 and 15. The only thing we saw on this trail was a group of at least five Coatis, which were foraging in the undergrowth before they scattered as we approached. The rest of trail 15 was rather uneventful, although passing the river we saw two Black Skimmer and two Large-billed Terns. 

  In the afternoon we decided to go to the only area of forest we had not yet explored. This would see us take trail 19, followed by trail 25 then down the hill to trail 26, before returning and walking back to the field station via trail 10. The original plan had been to make it a loop via trail 38 but apparently that trail did not exist. 

  Trail 19 started well, with a Bluish-fronted Jacamar followed by a couple of Spixs Guans. We had high hopes for trail 25 and it started well with a new species for in Black Antbird, a pair being vocal and showing well in a bamboo stand. Unfortunately, activity quickly dropped off and on this trail we saw little else. Once we descended the hill to trail 26 there were a few more birds including a brilliant Musician Wren as well as another new species for me with Dusky-throated Antshrike. A group of three Bolivian Red Howler Monkeys was the highlight on the mammal front, with overall limited primate action on offer generally today.

  The plan had been to walk back along trail 10 in the dark and hopefully see something exciting. It started well with another tick with Amazonian Pygmy Owl which showed well in the canopy. Sadly after that it dropped off quickly. From a vantage point over the Los Amigos river we also had Short-tailed Nighthawk fly over, but nothing else happened after that. Unfortunately the team of bat researchers were trapping on trail 10, and so most of the walk back was spent dodging mist-nets, two of which had bats in. We passed the researchers going to check the nets as we approached camp.

  After dinner I set off our again, not really hoping for much but knowing that staying in the room would result in nothing being seen. The plan was to walk down to the Varzea forest at the bottom of the hill of trail 15, and explore down there for any animals. I had just turned the corner near the compost heap on the edge of the camp, when I spotted something crossing the road in the thermal. At first I assumed it would be one of the large rodents, but once I was able to get the torch on it I was stunned to see that it was in fact a species of cat!

  I was initially scared that it would just walk away without being able to get any photos or identification, but fortunately it started walking up the road towards me. With the adrenaline rush overtaking me I dropped the thermal on the floor and concentrated on holding the torch and camera as the animal sauntered towards me. It was clearly not big enough for a Jaguar, but it still wasn’t a small cat and was beautifully patterned. An Ocelot! It continued completely casually, at one point it even sat down and started to lick itself! It was an incredible moment, and I enjoyed every second! This was my first South American cat species, and what a species to start my list with. In the end it jumped into the vegetation at the side of the trail, the whole encounter lasting for about a minute. I continued the walk for another 20 minutes and this produced two Black-headed Night-Monkey, but after the incredible encounter that begin the walk I was more than happy to call it a night! The undoubted highlight of the trip, what a moment!

Peru - Day 21; Los Amigos Biological Station

   Our first full day as Los Amigos started at 05:20 with a quick explore of the Biological Station grounds with the thermal that produced nothing. A breakfast time of 06:00 limited what we could do during the first hour of daylight but there were already a few commoner birds waking up. Over breakfast a plan was decided for the morning and once our fruit, plus omelete and toast, had been consumed we set off.

  The first trail was number 10, which was the same trail we had started yesterday morning. Despite being early the amount of activity was surprisingly low, although a large troop of Black-capped Squirrel Monkeys did not help with this. A Double-toothed Kite was also following the Squirrel Monkeys, shadowing them presumably to catch prey items they might flush. 

  From trail 10 we turned on to trail number 8. This trail continued the theme of being quiet, with the Screaming Pihas being the only birds we could really hear. There were still a few birds of note, as a Pavonine Quetzal was a new bird for me, and from an open area there were fantastic views of Short-tailed Swift, also new for me. At the end of the trail we found a Broad-billed Motmot, my final South American Motmot species. On the mammal front we encountered two more Peruvian Black Spider-Monkeys but they were distant and did not show well, unlike the four Weddels Saddle-backed Tamarins that we found, which showed nicely.

  It was already getting to mid-morning and quite hot when we turned from trail 8 on to trail 9 and started making our way back home. This section of the walk turned out to be the most productive, as a small mixed species flock that moved passed us contained an immature male Tropical Royal Flycatcher. Although it did not show well, it showed better than the Stipelthroat species in the same flock, that sadly got away. Also along this stretch we had the most wanted monkey species for our time here, with a Rylands Saki. Although it was quite high in the trees, it did not move much allowing us to get excellent views of this really quite daft looking animal. 

  From trail 9 we turned on to trail 22, then trail 20, and then trail 1 to take us back to the lodge. Since it was now late morning, we really did not see much during this stage of the walk, but on trail 1 we caught something of a break when we found another Rylands Saki feeding on fruits directly above us, alongside two Tufted Capuchins. After this walk we were ready for a break so sat out the next couple of hours and prepared for the afternoon.

  The afternoon was quiet in the end. We walked trail 1, then down trail 2 until the end, then took trail 9 back to trail 1 and walked back to the lodge. There were a couple of detours as well, down to a palm swamp which produced very little and then to a telecommunications tower, which produced nothing at all. The walk up trail 2 was fairly uneventful, although I had a lifer with Red-necked Woodpecker, and we spotted a group of Tufted Capuchins. 

  Along the stretch of trail 9 things livened up a little bit, with a few songs and calls emerging but the source of which usually remained unseen. The only exception to this was a Chestnut-tailed Antbird which showed really rather nicely in the understorey. The walk back added a few commoner tanager species to the day list, but really peaked just towards the end when I spotted a Little Tinamou skulking in the undergrowth, but scuttling away far too quickly once it had been detected. Despite my best efforts with playback, he did not return. The sun had almost set when we returned to camp at 17:30, which gave us time to relax before exploring after dark. 

  Before dinner I had a walk around the lodge campground with the thermal scope and found two Black-headed Night Monkeys opposite the camp. This brought the primate total for Los Amigos up to eight. After dinner I walked on trail 10, then completed a loop via trail 28 and returning to camp by trail 19. Sadly there was negligible activity on the trail, with a sleeping Manakin being the only thing I found until almost the end of trail 19. Here the hour of unproductive walking finally turned good when I spotted a large luminous blob in the thermal, that turned out to be a sleeping White-throated Tinamou. Having only ticked this species in the morning with poor views, it was nice to get better views whilst completing my dream find of a roosting Tinamou. Absolutely excellent end to the day.

Peru - Day 20; Los Amigos Biological Station

   Today saw us head deep into the Amazon, to the Los Amigos Biological Station. This was the most interesting location on the itinerary, with the remoteness making it home to ample different species of birds and mammals, especially primates with 12 species according to the information board in the lodge grounds. We were collected at 04:30 from the Wasi Ecolodge, and then drove about an hour to the small town of Laberinto. 

  From Laberinto we took a boat upstream for three hours, which was about as much as I could manage being cramped on the small seats. Due to the copious amounts of illegal mining going on in the area it was not a trip through pristine forest, but there were still a few interesting bird species on offer, including Black Skimmer, Large-billed Tern and a solitary Jabiru standing among a feeding group of Wood Storks. Perhaps the most interesting species for me was the Pied Plover, a species I have only seen once before, but managed to see multiple times from the boat. 

  We knew that being a research station in a remote area, the Los Amigos was likely to be quite rustic but upon arrival we were very pleasantly surprised. Not only was there comfortable rooms, but WiFi, 24hr power and unbelievably there was even hot water. The rundown on the lodge facilities and rules meant that we were up and ready to go at 09:45, ready to start exploring the trails. 

  Since it was already quite warm, we decided to do a small loop on the trails starting on trail 10, then turning on to trail 28 and returning to the camp via trail 19. This was enjoyable and despite it being late we managed a few interesting species of bird. For me, the Yellow-billed Nunbird was a new species and we saw two feeding in an open area. Otherwise, Cobalt-winged Parakeet and a flyover Black-collared Hawk made up the most interesting birds.

  For primates however our trip started with a bang! Even on this short late morning walk we managed to find four different species, starting with the Toppin’s Titi Monkey, followed by poor views of a Bolivian Red Howler, then the highlight with at least two Weddell’s Saddle-backed Tamarin that scuttled away rather quickly, and finished off with a difficult to see group of Tufted Capuchin. On our return to camp we were shown another group of Toppin’s Titi Monkey that showed better than the original individuals that we saw.

  After lunch and a short siesta, we set off at 14:30 on trail number 14, which ends at an oxbow lake called Cocha Lobo. The trail was nice and even setting off so early in the afternoon saw us quickly bump into birds, including two new species for me with Chestnut-winged Hookbill and Masked Tanager. The walk continued down the slope and onto a boardwalk, where I finally added Band-tailed Manakin to my life list. That was very quickly gazumped however, when we spotted a cream-coloured mammal noisily feeding in the trees above us. At first I thought it might be one of the rarer monkey species, but when it moved it revealed itself to be a Southern Tamandua! Only the second time I have seen this small anteater, and we had walk-away views to boot, as once it had finished feeding it spent the rest of the time we were with it looking down on us, barely moving. It may be that our time at Los Amigos has already peaked, but we continued regardless and I added one more new species for the walk with Casqued Cacique! 

  The boat trip around the lake did not produce the much hoped for Giant Otter, but there was still a mammal tick with a lively group of Peruvian Spider Monkey swinging between the lakeside trees. This is my first Spider Monkey of any variation, so it was exciting to see. The lakeside vegetation was lively with commoner species passing through. It wasn’t until we were on our way back that we had something of more note, when we found a day roosting Ladder-tailed Nightjar. It flushed a few times as we made our way round, but always landed in the open allowing for excellent views. A pair of Silvery Antbirds skulking in the undergrowth did not offer the same. Hoatzins and Black-capped Donacobious made up the best of the rest. 

  After the boat trip it was already getting dark so we wasted no time heading back to camp. Once dinner was completed, around 07:30 I went for a walk in the dark but failed to find much of note, a pair of Antwrens being the best of it. That was until I arrived back at our room and found a Paca foraging on the edge of the field station lawns. Fortunately it did not run back into the bushes, but remained at least a little bit exposed allowing for some photos to be taken! An excellent way to round off an excellent first day at the Los Amigos Biological Station. 

Peru - Day 19; Chunco Lodge & Puerto Maldonado

   For our final morning at Chunco Lodge we walked the trails around the lodge for an hour before breakfast at 08:00, after which we took the boat and taxi back to Puerto Maldonado. The morning walk was quite lively, with Striated Antbird being a new species for me, where Rufous-crowned Nunlet was probably the standout otherwise. The walk was enjoyable with sounds all around us, and a small tinamou that ran across the path in front of us was brilliant to see even if I could not identify it, its stupid little legs going like the clappers.

  After breakfast we packed and parted ways with Chunco Lodge. We returned to Puerto Maldonado around 11:30 which was unfortunately a little too early to check in to our hotel, the Wasi Hotel Ecolodge on the banks of the river. There were a few birds in the grounds to keep the spirits up whilst we waited, although nothing spectacularly rare. A Scarlet Flycatcher was probably the highlight.

  We were informed that the lodge had Brown-throated Three-toed Sloths on the premises, and I planned to spend the afternoon searching for them once the heat died down. In the meantime we visited the pool and bar, which is where we happened to spot one of the sloths showing very well. A quick walk back up the stairs to the room for the camera and I was able to get some very nice photos of the second sloth species of our trip, meaning no search would be required later in the afternoon.

  It was early to bed after a pizza dinner, with an early start to reach our next destination, the Los Amigos Biological Station, deep in the amazon!

Peru - Day 18 - Chunco Lodge

   Our only full day at Chunco Lodge saw us set off in the dark at 04:30, in order to make it upriver to the Macaw clay lick in time for dawn. We suffered something of a setback with the river being extremely foggy early morning meaning we could not scan for mammals. Fortunately with the thermal I could still do some searching and spotted several Capybara in the darkness.

  The clay lick was busy with Blue-headed Parrots along with a few Yellow-fronted Amazon and Mealy Amazon Parrots. There was also a single Orange-cheeked Parrot on the clay, my first new species of the day. The Macaws themselves arrived later and did not seem so interested in the clay, more lingering in the trees above. Three species were in attendance; Blue-and-yellow, Red-and-green and Scarlet all were present. There were also brief appeareances from two more parrot species, Cobolt-winged Parakeet and White-bellied Parrot, both of which were new for me.

  The journey back down the river was a little more interesting, with a daylight Capybara and a few Spectacled Caiman sunning themselves. Birdlife was also not bad, the highlight being a pair of Black Skimmers roosting on a sandbank, alongside two Yellow-billed Terns. Otherwise it was mostly commoner species, with King Vulture and Swallow-winged Puffbird making up a tidy backup cast.

  In the afternoon, after a siesta and lunch, we went for a walk into the forest behind the lodge. Unsurprisingly there was limited bird action during the hot and humid afternoon, but there were a few standout species. The highlight was a pair of Pale-winged Trumpeters, but they sadly ran away before I could get any photos. White-fronted Nunbird was another new species for me, while Screaming Piha and Golden-collared Toucanet made up the other notable species.

  The evening night walk was reasonable, with a rabbit and a bat being the mammals, but a Goeldis Antbird and a Myrmotherula Antwren made for an excellent pair of birds, even if the latter could not be identified fully to species. 

Peru - Day 17; Chunco Lodge

   From our base in Puerto Maldonado, we awoke and had a nice breakfast before pickup by our next destination, Chunco Lodge. The Amazonian lodge would be our home for the next two nights, along with some exploration of the surrounding rainforest. We were collected by our guide, Gabriel, at 10:30 and after some light paperwork we took a minibus for two hours along the road to the port. We were not alone, with a tour group of some eight US birders of various keen-ness along for the ride. We made a couple of stops along the way, with one featuring a Scarlet Flycatcher as the highlight, and another featuring a Least Grebe.

  Once at the lodge, around 13:00 we had lunch and then headed off for an afternoon break before the coolness and afternoon activity. This time was spent around the main lodge area where some hummingbirds were visiting the verbena flowers in the gardens. Only three species came during my visit; Reddish Hermit, White-chinned Saphire and a new one for me with a female Butterfly Coquette. A few vultures flew over including an adult King Vulture and finally two Greater Yellow-headed Vultures, a long overdue tick for me. And to wrap it all off, we had a brief visit from a Saddle-backed Tamarin and a longer stay from a group of Black-capped Squirrel-Monkey with a Tufted Capuchin in tow.

  For the afternoon we visited the lodges 40 meter high canopy tower. This gave excellent views of the surrounding rainforest and from it were able to observe several species of common parrot and plenty of Oropendolas, including a new one for me with Olive Oropendola. White-throated Toucan and Chestnut-eared Aracari were appreciated birds, with the former also being new for me, and we had an excellent show from two Black-tailed Tityra and a large group of Yellow-tufted Woodpecker. Whilst up here we had distant views of two Dusky Titi Monkeys.

  At night we had a walk around the trails, and found a few interesting bits. The thermal found a birds nest, which we left in peace, and a mysterious large heat signature turned out to be a Red Brocker deer, which was remarkably calm as I approached but eventually slunk away before I could manage any pictures. Our first snake of the trip, a small Caiman, as well as some tarantulas in their holes made for an enjoyable evening. 

Peru - Day 16; Cusco & Puerto Maldonado

   Today was not a day for extensive notes. We spent the morning in Cusco, organising a few things before arriving at the airport early to take our flight to Puerto Maldonado, a town deep in the south of Peruvian Amazonia.

  Once we arrived in Puerto Maldonado we went to our hotel and got ourselves ready for our time here. We did take a short walk in the city but did not see much, with House Sparrow being perhaps the most interesting species having not bumped into them yet on this trip. 

Peru - Day 15; Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge & Manu Road

   Sadly today would be the last day on the Manu Road, as we would return to Cusco ready for our flight the following day, and the next step in our adventure. We awoke nice and early at the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge and before breakfast had time to explore the trails a bit. There was quite a bit of activity but actually seeing birds in the dull, dark understorey was a different story, and much went unseen. The best bird I did see was probably a pair of Black-googled Tanagers. I am familiar with this species from my time in Brasilia, but since then the Andean population has been touted as a split, and since I only saw it once with no pictures, it was good to connect with it again.

  Over breakfast we had undoubtedly the highlight of the day. We were enjoying our fruits, and watching the Tufted Capuchins and Brown Agoutis going about their business, when I glanced over to see a Tayra visiting the fruit feeder. Probably my most glaring omission from my South American mammal list, I was thrilled to see this large mustelid showing off at the feeders. It kept coming and returning allowing for simply incredible views just a few metres away from us. Equally entertaining were the Agoutis, who flared up their rump hairs every time the Tayra came close, like a minature peacock display! The Peruvian Piedtail also paid a quick visit during breakfast.

  After breakfast we hit the road from Cock-of-the Lodge, a nice lodge with very nice staff and an excellent location but the facilities sadly did not justify the price. There were a few species I wanted to try as we ascended the Manu Road, the first of these being the Hazel-fronted Pygmy-Tyrant that I had missed on my way down. Fortunately this time the bird did come in response to my playback and showed quite well in the end, although it took a while to get a photo of it since it always seemed to be in motion. A White-crowned Tapaculo was also present here, and showed briefly but was too quick for photos. 

  Continuing up the road we passed a lively mixed-species flock with several interesting bird species included. In terms of the tanagers, Black-eared Hemispingus and Yellow-throated Tanager were the most interesting species present. Golden-eyed Flowerpiercer was also a nice addition, as was Grey-eared Brushfinch and a as yet unidentified species of Treehunter. 

  Near the top of the Manu Road there was one more species I wanted to track down, the Urubamba Antpitta. On the way down I had no sight or sound of this species but thought to give it another go. In the fog I wandered up the road and fairly quickly got a response from a bird in thick clump of vegetation near the road. Of course, I crawled into the bushes and there it was, the Urubamba Antpitta staring me down as it sang! One of my easiest Antpittas and a brilliant way to end our time on the Manu Road. After this we returned to Cusco, cleaned the car and sorted out some Laundry. All ready for the next phase of the trip. 

Peru - Day 14; Amazonia Lodge & Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge

   The previous days rain continued during the night, and although it had stopped by the morning it was still grey and damp conditions to be birding. Our boat back to civilization, and the car, was at 09:00 and so there were only a few hours of daylight left before we would be leaving the lodge. First I birded the Jeep Trail and then finished with a small detour to try to see the Amazonian Antpitta again.

  No sooner had I started my walk did I get arguably the bird of the morning, when a Razor-billed Curassow dashed into the forest as I walked past. I was able to keep track of its moving behind the vines, but it never came out into the open fully for a good photo, leaving me with just glimpses through the trees. A very impressive bird to see! There was good activity along the trails, with commoner antbird species and a few other commoner rainforest birds. I finished the walk by finally getting my own eyes on the previous days Amazonian Antpitta. It still required some effort, and he did not show well but I had achieved my task!

  Due to the immense rainfall of the preceeding day, the river was an absolute torrent and at times the boat struggled to get upstream against the current. Once we were back at the car we headed back up the Manu Road to Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge where we had spontaneously reserved a night. Due to having no stops at lower altitudes we arrived just before midday and spent the time birding the garden. It was alive with mammals, with at least four Brown Agouti running around and a group of Tufted Capuchin monkeys feeding in the bamboo behind the kitchen.

  The main target for the garden here is the Peruvian Piedtail, a range restricted but otherwise unspectacular hummingbird. Having dipped it before I was quite keep to see it now, and it did not take long before I spotted the bird feeding on the Verbena flowers at the top of the garden. Sadly it was too brief on this occasion, and I had to wait an hour for it to reappear again. Once it did reappear I was too slow for photos, and had to wait again for a third appearance to get some pictures. Fortunately this time I was more prepared and I was able to get a few record shots of the bird.

  At the end of the afternoon we visited the Cock-of-the-Rock lek site just up the road from the lodge. I had heard good things about this lek, but whilst it was enjoyable it still did not compare to my experience in Colombia. There were six males here, but most were largely concealed by the vegetation, and the display action was quite limited. The birds spent most of their time slowly looking around whilst their plumage glowed around them.