Hi For the last two weeks, while trying
to have a holiday, I have sorted out last-minute birding trips in Peru for some clients and a six-week Colombia trip from early December, presented as one-week modules. It is, of course, the business owner's curse to always be busy... but then again, I kind of like putting together these puzzles. If you are not thinking of traveling during this period, you can skip the rest (after checking out the new Guran Guran song and video at the end) and
look at the calendars of Kolibri Expeditions and 7 Wonders Birding within a few days, when tours for 2024 will be updated. Apart from Peru, there will be departures for Japan, Tasmania Australia iconic mammals, Australian bird families, Spain, Egypt, Uganda, Pantanal, Tanzania, Madagascar, etc.In Peru, we are planning Tumbes and NW Peru endemics in January. A Bucket List Birding newsletter will be coming next week when all this is presented.
But for now, 2023. I will be brief. First, Peru, then Colombia.
Birding in Peru in August and September
There are four general areas in Peru presented below.
- Iquitos - the Northern Amazon.
- Central Peru - Lima and Satipo
Road.
- Northern Peru and Plataforma
- SE Peru with Machu Picchu, Abra
Malaga, Manu Road, and Chuncho Lodge.
Iquitos Aug 21-Sep 6
I am setting up some birding in the Iquitos area for a friend of mine between the dates above. The main program is our 5-day Iquitos tour from
the evening of Aug 23 until Aug 28. I will grant the list price for this short trip with a group of as few as two people.
Apart from
the canopy walkway at ACTS, the Explornapo Lodge, there is great birding at the white sand forests at Allpahuayo-Mishana with the special endemics and Rufous and White-winged Potoos staked out. The full moon on Aug 28 increases our chances for the potoos.
The trip can be extended at a budget price with additional lodges and birding days around Iquitos.
We have a general plan, but obviously, we can change the dates to accommodate anyone who wants to join from Aug
21-Sep 6. Just let me know what days you have available during this period.
Central Peru Aug 29-Sep 7 (10 days in total)
I got a very late booking for some 18 days in Peru. Since he is on his own, I suggested Central Peru as a possibility for the first part and Northern Peru, which already has clients signed up.
Here are the details.
Aug 29. Coastal Lima. Introduction to the birds of Lima with Peruvian Thick-knee, Humboldt Penguin and Inca Tern, and many more. Aug 30-31.
Santa Eulalia Canyon and Marcapomacocha. Great for Condor, White-faced Cotinga, Great Inca-Finch, Bronze-tailed Comet, Diademed
Sandpiper-Plover, etc.We continue to La Merced after this, but we can accommodate anyone who only wants to take this trip with a taxi to Lima. Sep 1-7 Extended version of our 5-day Satipo road trip, with a slower pace and more birding. Should you want to join just this trip or parts of it, there are comfortable sleeper night buses to La Merced (Aug 31) and Oxapampa (Sep 1) to meet up with the group. The
birding here is a gem. Infrastructure is quite good now that we have taken the reigns of the community lodging at Apaya-Calabaza. Subtropical cloud forest birding mainly, with lots of diversity and endemism.
Northern Peru Sep 8-15
Sep 11-15. Northern Peru in 5 days. THE BEST PLACE IN PERU FOR HUMMINGBIRDS. Over 40 species of hummers are regularly seen along this route, including the Marvelous Spatulatail, as well as many endemic birds. Hummingbird feeders, tanager feeders, and feeding stations for Antpitta
make this route excellent for bird photographers.
SE Peru Sep 16-28. We run three programs
back to back. Sep 16-20. Machu Picchu and Abra Malaga. Apart from the world heritage site of Machu Picchu, we cover many endemic birds at Abra Malaga and Apurimac
Valley.
Sep 21-25. The famous Manu road. We are running a budget version of this program with an alternative lodge. Birdwise, it will be the same, but you may upgrade to superior lodging if you like. The trip is great for Hummingbird Lovers and Bird Photographers since there
are many good hummingbird feeder set-ups along the route.
Sep 26-28 Chuncho Macaw Clay lick and birding in the Amazon. We take a sleeper night bus from Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado, so we can go birding straight away in the morning. The Macaw Lick is a must-see, with the three large macaws together (Blue-and-Yellow, Scarlet, and Red-and-Green
Macaws). Surely, one of the world's greatest nature spectacles.
Colombia Dec 4-January 10
I am pleased to spend 6 weeks in Colombia with one client from Dec 4 to Jan 10. If you want to join us, you don't have to join for the entire time since the route has been separated into one week-modules, which you can join/leave at various points.
Week 1. Jan 4-10 Bogota to Manizales.
The
first section starts in Bogota on Dec 4. During this week, we bird the sites near Bogota, namely La Florida, Chingaza, and Cundinamarca, then continue via the Hummingbird feeders at Jardin Encantado and endemics at Mariquita to finally check out the habituated Antpittas of Rio Blanco Reserve, as well as searching for Buffy Helmetcrest and Rufous-fronted Parakeet in Los Nevados National Park.
If you are not
joining us on week 2, you can fly back from Manizales on Dec 10.
Week 2. Dec 10-(16)19 Manizales to Bucamaranga
If
you join us for week two, you could fly into Manizales already on Dec 8 or 9.
On Dec 10, we continue in the Magdalena Valley via Rio Claro to ProAves El Paujil Reserve, home of the Blue-knobbed Curassow. After this, we head to the Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve, before we cross the Magdalena River to reach Bucamaranga, which has several highly sought-after endemics.
We arrive in Bucamaranga on the 16th and leave on the 19th. There are flights connecting with Bogota for anyone needing to leave us.
Week 3. Dec 16-Dec 21. Bucamaranga to Valledupar. Recurve-billed Bushbird
If this were your starting point, you would likely have joined us on the 16th already.
One could consider this
week as the one that connects the center and the north. Bucamaranga has many sought-after endemic birds, and on the way to Valledepur, one of South America's coolest birds: the Recurve-billed Bushbird. There is generally good birding around here.
If you need to return to your native country for Christmas, you can fly back to Bogota from Valledupar.
Week 4. Dec 21-Dec 27.
Valledupar-Santa Marta. Perija endemics and Guajira endemics.
I admit it. I am not crazy about Christmas, so this trip will be a big relief for me personally, especially with a special visit to Perijá Mountains for several cool endemics, lots of hiking, and being far away from Santa Claus, and the Xmas craze.
We return to Valledupar on the 26th and continue to the Guajira Peninsula before
the Santa Marta program starts on Dec 28.
Valledupar has an airport in case you want to join us or leave us there.
Week 5. Dec 28- Jan 3. Santa Marta-Barranquilla.
The most endemic dense area in the world. It hardly needs a presentation. Join us for some amazing birding and perhaps have the recently described Santa Marta Screech-Owl as your first bird of 2024.
Week 6 Jan 4-10. Blue-bearded Helmetcrest hike.
This is more adventure than birding because we mainly seek one bird - Blue-bearded Helmetcrest. It was thought to be lost, but now it can be seen, albeit with some effort with hiking and camping. Also here is the House Wren-like endemic Santa Marta Wren, which is common here, but not seen on the San Lorenzo ridge of our Santa Marta program prior to this extension.
Locals set up camp and carry our gear during these
days.
Remarkably, it is just one bird, listed as critically endangered, that positively impacts the community when visiting birders bring both eco-awareness and eco-dollars.
You can join as many modules as you like, but note that only three spots are left on each leg. We shall
use a large rental car for the entire trip.
I have been to Colombia several times and know the birds very well. At each reserve, we will additionally employ local guides who know of the recent sightings and stakeouts.
The cost for the different modules is not set yet. It depends on the elevated cost of some premium lodges
and the occasional need to rent a 4WD to access reserves, but calculate around $350/person/day on average if we get a group of four people per leg.
OK, this is what I am tentatively doing with the one client I already have. I may add on my own the hike to the Dusky Starfrontlet reserve, where also recently the described Urrao Antpitta occurs. Let me know if you want to come along.
Sorry, the "brief message" became much longer than I anticipated.
I hope I have whetted your appetite for some fabulous birding for the remainder of 2023.
PS.
The two Japan departures in February, 2024 are almost
full already. There is likely only one spot left on each tour, since I only have an international driver's license with an A category leaving me only with a vehicle with six seats plus luggage. The minibusses in Japan have 10 seats why a D category is needed for hiring a larger vehicle. The alternative would be to rent two vehicles, which in that case also would need an additional driver. Should you be interested in joining and you are willing to drive on the snowy roads of Hokkaido on the left
side of the road, we would grant you free food and drinks during the day.
I should mention that signing up is urgent since the spots in the Blakiston's Fish-Owl hide are becoming scarce.