Peru: Manu Biosphere Reserve September 3–18, 2019
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PERU: MANU BIOSPHERE RESERVE SEPTEMBER 3–18, 2019 Red-and-green Macaw. Ara chloropterus. Photo: D. Ascanio. LEADERS: DAVID ASCANIO & PERCY AVENDAÑO LIST COMPILED BY: DAVID ASCANIO VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM PERU: MANU BIOSPHERE RESERVE SEPTEMBER 3–18, 2019 By David Ascanio Photo album: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmHnbkJg When I started writing the Field Report for this amazing tour, I was on my flight back home. And, as I was enjoying the view from the plane’s window, I was wondering how to start an introductory paragraph highlighting the best experiences and birds of our Manu Biosphere Reserve tour. I found it to be a difficult task, not only because we came across an impressive number of habitats, but also because we saw so many wonderful birds! As I was still on that international flight, it didn’t take me long to figure out that I should, instead, divide this Field Report into four major areas and describe the amazing experiences and wonderful birds we enjoyed in each one. With that in mind, here we go! THE HIGH ANDES – PUNA Once we landed in Cusco, and after a wonderful breakfast, our tour started in the Huarcapay Lagoon, where 3 individuals of the rarely encountered Chilean Flamingo were observed. Here, we also saw Puna, Yellow-billed and Cinnamon teals, Spot-winged Pigeon, a vocal Plumbeous Rail, the beautiful White-tufted Grebe, several Andean Gulls, the secretive Rusty-fronted Canastero (endemic to Peru), and the Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant, which is easily camouflaged by its gravel color. Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Anisognathus igniventris . Photo: D. Ascanio Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Peru: Manu Biosphere Reserve, 2019 Because we had a long day ahead, we started our drive towards the Acjanaco Pass, and we made several stops where we nailed Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant, Rusty-fronted Canastero, Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch (endemic to Peru), White-browed Chat- Tyrant, Rufous-webbed Bush-Tyrant, Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch, and the similar looking Puna and Spot-billed ground-tyrants. We drove across three high passes, and the highest one allowed us great views of Mountain Caracara and Black-chested Buzzard- Eagle. Once we reached Acjanaco, we left the Puna behind (the high Andean habitat above tree line) and started descending to the Elfin or Dwarf Forest, in the humid side of the Andes. THE DWARF FOREST Wayqecha Lodge was our headquarters for exploring this rich and intriguing type of forest. Generally speaking, birds tend to be shy and mostly quiet. In this environment, the nights are as cold as in winter and sunny days can get as warm as in the summer. Think about the enormous adaptations that birds and other wildlife have to deal with in such contrasting temperatures in 24 hours! Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Ampelion rufaxilla. Photo: D. Ascanio In the vicinity of Wayqecha we enjoyed active feeding flocks that included White- banded Tyrannulet, Mountain Cacique, Black-throated and Masked flowerpiercers, Hooded Mountain-Tanager (a flock leader!), the exceptionally beautiful Golden-collared Tanager, and Moustached Flowerpiercer. On an exposed branch of a relatively large Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 Peru: Manu Biosphere Reserve, 2019 tree we saw the wonderful Red-crested Cotinga, and later in the ecotone forest-puna we observed a Puna Thistletail. Moustached Flowerpiercer, Diglossa mystacalis. Photo: D. Ascanio. We also visited the Acjanaco Pass and observed a parade of Mountain Caracaras with about 20 juveniles and 2 adults welcoming us, all having a great time in the air. As we explored the shrubby vegetation, we started discovering some of the gems of this extreme ecosystem. In the afternoon, we went back to the dwarf forest and enjoyed seeing a feeding flock with 17 species in attendance, and the favorite ones included Yellow-billed Cacique, Black-capped Hemispingus, Hooded and Scarlet-bellied mountain-tanagers, and Spectacled Redstart. Other birds were also active in the same area due to the fact that some trees had plenty of fruits, and this allowed a second view of Red-crested Cotinga. THE CLOUD FOREST When you hear the word “cloud forest,” images come to mind of trees loaded with epiphytes, several mosses in their branches, and a rich green frond. And, although that is not wrong, I have to say that it is more than that. Exploring the cloud forest on the Manu road showed us well-demarcated strata, each with associated wildlife. In the upper cloud forest (or as we call it, the montane wet forest) we caught a glimpse of the Rufous Antpitta, enjoyed seeing the Trilling Tapaculo (they should be called mice birds), were astonished by the beauty of the Shining Sunbeam, and never got tired of seeing Hooded Mountain-Tanagers, one that showed up repeatedly. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 Peru: Manu Biosphere Reserve, 2019 Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Andigena hypoglauca. Photo: D. Ascanio. Taking the road to the lower elevations opened a whole new world to us. A pair of Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucans were observed at a relatively close distance, and we were delighted with the feeding flocks along the road. Among the flock attendants we saw Barred Fruiteater, Streaked Tuftedcheek, White-collared Jay, Mountain Cacique, Grass-green Tanager, and Capped Conebill. We also enjoyed views of the secretive White-eared Solitaire and smaller passerines such as Azara’s Spinetail, Sierran Elaenia, and Spectacled Redstart. In the lower cloud forest, we were (once again) exposed to a new world of birds! Here bird richness increased dramatically, and we added unbelievable hummingbirds such as Wire-crested Thorntail, Booted Racquet-tail, White-bellied Woodstar (behaving much like a bumblebee), Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Green Hermit, the territorial Sparkling Violetear, and the elegant Bronzy Inca. Versicolored Barbet came to a feeder near the entrance of the lodge, and Speckled Chachalacas welcomed us each morning with their raucous voices. The lower Cloud Forest hosted a visit to a lek (display arena) of the astonishingly beautiful Andean Cock-of-the-rock. We enjoyed seeing the males displaying while we were delighted with Venezuelan chocolate with chili peppers from the Yekuana Amerindian community in the deep Orinoco forest. Later, we drove back to the higher Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 Peru: Manu Biosphere Reserve, 2019 Cloud Forest and were rewarded with views of Crested and Golden-headed quetzals, as well as the astonishing Chestnut-crested Cotinga. Our last afternoon ended with an exploration of one of the trails on the lodge property, and we added an almost impossible-to-see bird, the Scaled Antpitta. Later, we drove uphill along the road to enjoy views of two Lyre-tailed Nightjars displaying in the air. Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Rupicola peruviana . Photo: D. Ascanio. THE LOWLAND RAINFOREST As if we were moving from one planet to another, reaching the lowlands was like entering a new world, but this time with many more tyrant-flycatchers and antbirds and fewer hummingbirds and tanager species. Our first morning in Villa Carmen gave us the opportunity to see Blue-throated Piping-Guan and Crested Guan, two species that are wiped-out in several areas of the Orinoquia and Amazonia due to intensive hunting. The noisy chachalacas gave a distinctive “never-mind, never-mind!” and were complemented with the harsh voice of the Violaceous Jay. On this ranch we found ourselves birding in a mosaic of selectively lumbered forest and large tracts of Guadua spiny bamboo. Aside from having the opportunity to explore various lowland habitats, we were delighted to observe three impossible-to-see bird species, and that was due to the great job that Yonatan, the antpitta whisperer, had done. In one morning, he took us to the site where he feeds an Amazonian Antpitta with land worms. Seeing Yonatan calling this individual “chico” and preparing the table for the feast was a privilege. He knew this individual very well, and upon retracing his steps from the area where he dropped the land worms, this amazing and secretive bird showed up, took the food, swallowed it, and went away! Later in the afternoon, we were in another location, sitting behind a Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 6 Peru: Manu Biosphere Reserve, 2019 blind and, as if we were visiting an opera theater, the main characters showed up: two pairs of Cinereous and Undulated tinamous walked into a small clearing where he had spread some raw rice to feed them. What an experience! The night wasn’t quiet either. Antbirds and tyrant-flycatchers voices shifted to frogs and crickets. In the dark, a wood-rail gave its typical “chiqui-coca, chiqui-coca!”; the Limpkin blasted its distinctive cry; a screech-owl softened the atmosphere; and a distant tinamou filled the air with musical notes. Amazonian Antpitta, Hylopezus berlepschi. Photo: D. Ascanio. In the second morning, we birded the spiny bamboo and got flash views of Bamboo Antshrike as well as Manu Antbird and White-lined Antbird. Also, we added new small tyrant-flycatchers to our list such as Johanne’s Tody-Tyrant and White-cheeked Tody- Flycatcher. In the lowlands of the Manu road we nailed so many birds that listing them won’t tell the whole story. But I can say that the mix of antbirds, foliage-gleaners, puffbirds, barbets, woodpeckers, woodcreepers, tyrant-flycatchers, waterbirds, and aracaris was, in a single word, magical. Leaving behind the Manu road, we were now into the great river system of the Madre de Dios province. From Atalaya we started our boat ride along a meandering Alto Madre de Dios River. It was so shallow that our crew had to deal with few rapids and narrow channels at various times.