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.
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