CLOUD FORESTS OF NORTHERN PERU EXTENSION Owlets, Spatuletails, and Tanagers FEBRUARY 15–23, 2020 The spectacular male Sword-billed Hummingbird is a welcome visitor to the Owlet Lodge hummingbird feeders © Andrew Whittaker LEADER: ANDREW WHITTAKER LIST COMPILED BY: ANDREW WHITTAKER VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM Cloud Forests of Northern Peru Extension Owlets, spatuletails, and tanagers February 15–23, 2020 By Andrew Whittaker WOW! The Northern Peru cloud forest truly is the real mecca of Andean birding! Wading through a staggering assortment of 37 dazzling hummingbird species, we enjoyed getting to know and learn many well after repeated excellent daily views. The Andean forest gems included many mind-blowing colorful tanagers, as well as several exciting and much desired endemics. Voted top two birds of the trip (with outstanding views of both) were the outrageous male Marvelous Spatuletails seen at the feeders at Huembo and a wonderful scope study of an endearing Pearl Kite. Who will ever forget the eleventh-hour looks at the endemic Yellow- scarfed Tanager, or those magnificent multiple studies of the fiery, well-named Flame-faced Tanager feeding at eye level so close to us. Sadly, due to this year’s unseasonal very wet period, we were unable to even consider trying for the cute Long-whiskered Owlet after having such good luck in the past; the weather was not good enough, and the trail down was way too slippery after the rains. However, I’m sure none of us will ever forget our drop-dead views around our lodge of two mega endemics, the multi-colored recently described Johnson’s Tody- Flycatcher and the dynamite endemic Rufous-vented Tapaculo, plus that cute ball of feathers on stilts, the near endemic Leymebamba Antpitta! Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Cloud Forests of Northern Peru Extension, 2020 The rarely seen Leymebamba Antpitta gave us all a wonderful show as our patience at last paid off © Andrew Whittaker This tour is always a terrific hummingbird and tanager bonanza (if you love them as I do, then this is the trip for you)! This trip produced a non-stop iridescent kaleidoscope of colors at both of our lodges’ multiple feeders and several other private hummingbird feeders and hummingbird gardens we visited. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 Cloud Forests of Northern Peru Extension, 2020 A crippling Paradise Tanager showed off well at Waquanki Lodge off the hummingbird feeder platform © Andrew Whittaker Our exciting adventure began after a short, scheduled flight of an hour from Lima to Tarapoto, where my trusty driver Baldomero picked us up. We drove in our comfortable air-conditioned van to a nearby fine regional restaurant, where we enjoyed delicious tropical fruit juices and a freshly grilled chicken meal. Later this afternoon we arrived at our lovely family-run Moyobamba Lodge and quickly checked into our rooms before we headed to the lodge’s garden and hummingbird feeders, which were alive, as usual. We enjoyed a great afternoon of hummingbird feasts from the well-constructed raised observation platform. In shade, we marveled over the close hummers affording excellent studies and wonderful photographic opportunities. Highlights included fabulous male and female Rufous-crested Coquette; the stunning Golden-tailed Sapphire; Black-throated Mango; Fork-tailed Woodnymph; Long-tailed Hermit (uncommon this year); lots of Gray-breasted Sabrewings; Sapphire-spangled Emerald; Violet-headed Hummingbird; White-chinned Sapphire; and many colorful White-necked Jacobins. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 Cloud Forests of Northern Peru Extension, 2020 A real gem, the ever present Rufous-crested Coquette male at the feeders © Andrew Whittaker The pleasant forested grounds also rewarded us with the newly described species, Mishana Tyrannulet, and we enjoyed encounters at breakfast with the recently described Varzea Thrush, plus some stunning endemic Black-bellied Tanagers with Gilded Barbet on the fruit feeders with a host of euphonias. The local Band-bellied Owls were not up to it this year, sadly, despite me playing tape after dinner! Amazing hummingbirds at the feeder at Waquanki Lodge included gorgeous White-necked Jacobins © Andrew Whittaker Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 Cloud Forests of Northern Peru Extension, 2020 For the botanists and even non-botanists amongst us, our visit to the incredible orchid and bromeliad garden was, as always, a great thrill. This is one of the best in the Neotropics (with over 350 species), with every size, shape, and color imaginable. Our visit left us all with an orchid overdose and many cool photographs and admiration for these spectacular plants, not to mention the wondrous sweet scents from several of these truly remarkable plants. Finally, after a glorious lunch, we had to say goodbye to the wonderful lodge family and begin our climb up into the cloud forests and exciting mountains to Abra Patricia. The incredible show of Bromeliads this year was amazing © Andrew Whittaker Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 6 Cloud Forests of Northern Peru Extension, 2020 Next up, amongst the rice paddies we located a wonderful Pearl Kite and a very rare and localized Pale-eyed Blackbird, a species poorly-known that I had seen only once before some 30 years ago! Climbing up through lush forest, we bumped into a vocal flock of the odd but spectacular White-crowned Tanager, looking almost jay-like as usual. We arrived late afternoon at the wonderful Owlet Lodge to enjoy the non-stop hummers at the lodge’s feeders. Pale-eyed Blackbird was a leader highlight © Andrew Whittaker Exploring these simply magnificent cloud forests from such a lovely location in comfort was a great joy. As I have learned to expect on this wonderful trip, we again had an amazing number of colorful species of tanagers. They covered every spectacular color combination imaginable. From the mouthwatering parade we enjoyed Paradise, Grass-green, Flame-faced, Golden- eared, Beryl-spangled, Golden, Saffron-crowned, and the incredible Blue-winged Mountain- Tanager to mention a few. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 7 Cloud Forests of Northern Peru Extension, 2020 Stunning Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager was enjoyed © Andrew Whittaker For our nocturnal highlights we enjoyed the incredibly ‘’long-tailed’’ male Swallow-tailed Nightjar most nights at the lodge, catching the abundant moths attracted to the lodge walls by its lights. Other memorable moments came thick and fast, including stellar studies of the gem of the Andes, the Andean Cock-of-the-rock, and a beautiful look at the recently described and multi- colored Johnson’s Tody-Flycatcher. The delightful musical songs of Andean Solitaire echoed around these marvelous forests as we enjoyed birding the very productive road. The star find was a mixed species flock at lower elevation with Versicolored Barbet, Masked and Collared trogons, Gray-mantled Wren, Yellow-breasted Antwren, Blue-necked and Blue-and-black tanagers, an endemic Speckle-breasted Piculet, and the poorly-known Ecuadorian Tyrannulet. The confiding male Swallow-tailed Nightjar was voted 3rd top bird © Andrew Whittaker Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 8 Cloud Forests of Northern Peru Extension, 2020 Daily we marveled over hummingbirds at the lodge feeders, including the unbelievable and favorite Sword-billed Hummingbird, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Bronzy and Collared incas, Speckled Hummingbird, Long-tailed Sylph, Amethyst-throated Sunagel, Emerald-bellied Puffleg, and, of course, the endearing White-bellied Woodstar. One of the snazzy hummers at the lodge feeders is the Emerald-bellied Puffleg © Andrew Whittaker The well-kept Cloud Forest trail system at Owlet Lodge (by far the best kept in all of the Andes and with a new almost flat trail) was brimming with wondrous exotic tropical plant life. There is no better way to experience the shades and colors of the cloud forests, with countless colorful flowering orchids, amazing bromeliads, mosses, and lichens festooning the trees. Sadly, due to rain and wood rot, we decided for safety reasons not to climb the Owlet Lodge canopy tower this time. Instead we enjoyed the breathtaking view over magnificent unbroken cloud forest for ridge after ridge as far as the eye can see from the lodge clearing. We enjoyed birding these fine trails one morning around the lodge out to the canopy tower and along the Grallaria Trail producing a wonderful, close Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet, both Green-and-black and Barred fruiteaters, and a wonderful show from a pair of endemic Rufous-vented Tapaculos and a Crimson-mantled Woodpecker. Two vocally incredible songsters were heard well but, sadly, would not come in to tape to be observed: Sharp’s and Chestnut-breasted wrens. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 9 Cloud Forests of Northern Peru Extension, 2020 Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet afforded superb studies © Andrew Whittaker A morning trip to Huembo rewarded us with the mega male Marvelous Spatuletail, truly one of the South American greats, the lovely Andean Emerald, and best of all, a lovely and rarely seen tiny male Little Woodstar! We were spellbound observing the minute but stunning male Marvelous Spatuletail © Andrew Whittaker Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 10 Cloud Forests of Northern Peru Extension, 2020 Exploration of lower elevation cloud forest along the road was also extremely rewarding, producing many exciting whirling mixed species flocks with non-stop action, plus great studies of the stunning Pearled Treerunner. Other wonderful moments were a striking pair of Chestnut- crested Cotingas, rarely seen Scaled Fruiteater, dazzling White-winged Tanager and, of course, we all just loved the enigmatic White-crowned Dippers. Our exciting visit to a super new hummingbird platform and flower garden was superb and included lovely Wire-crested Thorntail, stunning Booted Racket-tail males and females, Velvet- fronted Brilliant, and Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager. We even enjoyed a few Boreal migrants too in the form of a vocal Western Wood-Pewee and stunning Blackburnian Warblers.