Pucusana which are a good place to search for Inca Terns .... We'll begin our way back to Cuzco driving up the road to W
2018
Birds and Machu Picchu
Birds and Machu Picchu 15 days tour
Fixed departure: May 8th 2018 Group size: 4 to 10 pax Category: easy to moderate Price: US$ 4,940. Single suppl. US$ 675 SPECIAL PRICE THROUGH BLUE SKY WILDLIFE: US$ 3,952.oo Single suppl. US$ 675 Day 1 Lima Arrival in Lima and transfer to the hotel in the center of the Miraflores distric. Overnight in Lima. Day 2 Lima This morning we will take our way south of Lima for about one and a half hour to Puerto Viejo's marshes. The main attractions are Great Grebe, Peruvian Thick-knee, Manycolored Rush-Tyrant and Grassland Yellow-Finch. On the beach it is easy to find Surf Cinclodes flying around the rocky areas. On our way back to Lima we will stop at Pucusana. We will take a boat to explore the cliffs near the ocean in Pucusana which are a good place to search for Inca Terns and Humboldt Penguins. Return to the hotel in Lima. On our way we will make a short stop by Villa Marshes for more waterbirds. Overnight at Wyndham Lima Airport Hotel. Meals: B, Boxed-L, D.
Private departures: from April to November, ask for a special quotation
Day 3 Lima - Cusco - Ollantaytambo Today we'll be taking an early flight to Cusco. After arrival in Cusco we'll move straight to lake Huacarpay, this is a reliable place to see typical Andean waterfowl like White-tufted and Silvery Grebes, Andean Duck, Cinnamon and Puna Teal, and others. The vegetation around the lake is good for Bearded Mountaineer, Yellow-winged Blackbird, or Andean Negrito. After lunch in the city center we'll drive to our hotel in the town of Ollantaytambo, at the heart of the Sacred valley of the Incas. The gardens of the hotel can bring nice surprises like Giant Hummingbird, Great Sapphirewing, or Shining Sunbeam. Overnight in Ollantaytambo. Meals: B, L, D. Day 4 Machu Picchu This morning we will have an early departure for the town of Ollantaytambo to take the train to Aguas Calientes, the entrance gate to Machupicchu. The habitat inside the archaeological site is good for Inca Wren, Parodi's Hemispingus, Cuzco BrushFinch, and Tricolored Brush-Finch. In the afternoon we will spend about two hours birding the forest near Aguas Calientes looking for birds like Green-and-white Hummingbird, Andean Motmot, Ocellated Piculet, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Masked Fruiteater, and many more. Then we will take our train back to Ollantaytambo Overnight in Ollantaytambo. Meals: B, L, D. Day 5 Abra Málaga - Cusco Full day birding excursion to Abra Málaga pass. This is probably the best place to find Polylepys elfin forests specialists. The Málaga pass is located at an altitude of 4,230 meters. The first stops will be after the pass itself, where the humid mountains forests of the eastern slope are good for Puna Thistletail, Tit-like Dacnis, Parodi's Hemismpingus, Rufous Antpitta, or Whitebrowed Conebill. At the pass itself, if people feels able to do the hike, we will be looking for White-browed Tit-Spinetail, Ash-breasted TitTyrant, Stripe-headed Antpitta, Giant Conebill, and Royal Cinclodes. By mid-afternoon we will drive to the city of Cusco, during our descent from Abra Málaga we will make a few stops at some patches of semi-humid mountain scrub where will be looking for White-tufted Sunbeam, Creamy-crested Spinetail, and Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch. Overnight in Cusco. Meals: B, Boxed-L, D.
Day 6 Cusco - Manu Road Today we will enter the cultural zone of Manu Biosphere reserve. The road from Cuzco to Manu is one of the most spectacular birding areas of Peru, the birding adventure begins after the Acjanacco pass (altitude: 3600 meters) at the borders of Manu National Park. The grassland and bushes here can produce Mountain Caracara, Puna Thisteltail, Scribbled-tailed Canastero, Line-fronted Canastero, Black-billed ShrikeTyrant. Not far from the pass (altitude: 2900 meters), on the way down, the elfin forests of Wayqecha are good for Andean Guan, Shining Sunbeam, Amethyst-throated Sunagel, Azahara's Spinetal, Sierran Elaenia, Graybreasted Mountain-Toucan, White-collared Jay, Great Thrush, Parodi's Hemispingus, Blue-capped Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Hooded Mountain Tanager, Scarlet-bellied Tanager, Golden-collared Mountain Tanager, Blue-backed Conebil, Masked Flowerpiercer, Black-faced Brush-Finch, and many others. At lower altitudes (between 2600 and 2000 meters) the cloud forests offer a different set of birds: Golden-plumed Parakeet, Black-andChestnut Eagle, Lyre-tailed Nightjar, Long-tailed Sylph, Masked Trogon, Black-streaked Puffbird, Marcapata Spinetail, Rufous-backed Treehunter, Barred Fruiteater, Band-tailed Fruiteater, Handsome Flycatcher, Inca Flycatcher, Mountain Cacique, and much more. Overnight at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge. Meals: B, Boxed-L, D. Days 7 & 8 Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge Two days exploring the cloud forests around Cock-of-the-Rock lodge, located at an altitude of 1400 meters. The main attraction here is the Cock-of-the Rock lek, the biggest lek known in Peru. In the gardens of the lodge it's not difficult to find Versicolored Barbet and Rufescent Screech-Owl, the forest around the lodge has a high diversity of birds: Ash-browed Spinetail, Black-billed Treehunter, Yellow-breasted Antwren, Ornate Antwren, Yungas Manakin, Cerulean-capped Manakin, Hazelfronted Pygmy-Tyrant, Ornate Flycatcher, Fulvous breasted Flatbill, and lots of mixed species flocks. The complete list for this area has about 500 species. Overnight at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge. Meals: B, L, D Day 9 Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge - Villa Carmen lodge Today we leave early to reach lower altitudes, the mountain and lowland forests of the lower section of the road have a different set of birds than the previous sections. The list includes Orange-breasted Falcon, Blueheaded Macaw, Peruvian Piedtail, Buff-tailed Sicklebill, Lanceolated Monklet, Fine-barred Piculet, Russet Antshrike, Scarlet-breasted Fruiteater, Fiery-capped Manakin, Red-billed Tyrannulet, Golden-collared Honeycreeper, among others. Villa Carmen Lodge is strategically located at an altitude of 520 meters and holds different types of habitats that you will explore the next days. Overnight at Villa Carmen Lodge. Meals: B, L, D
Days 10, 11, 12 Villa Carmen lodge There are nearly 50 Km of trails around the lodge going through mature and secondary forest, bamboo thickets and around lakes. The trails near the lodge with bamboo patches and second grow vegetation are good for Blue-headed, Blue-and-yellow, Scarlet, and Red-and-green Macaws flying over. Also Hummingbirds like Rufous-crested Coquette, Reddish Hermit, White-bearded Hermit, Sapphire- spangled Emerald, Golden-tailed Sapphire can be found around the garden. Bamboo specialists are also possible like Bamboo Antshrike, Manu Antbird, Striated Antbid, Red-billed Scythebill, Dusky-cheeked Foliage Gleaner, Gray-cheeked Nunlet White-cheeked Tody-Tyrant, Flammulated Bamboo-Tyrant, or Large-headed Flatbill. Among the most important specialist in this bamboo vegetation are Black-throated Antbird, Blackish Antbird, Chesnut-capped Puffbird, Fine-barred Piculet, and Cabanis's Spinetail. The fishpond is good for Purple Gallinule, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Cocoi Heron, Sunbittern, Sungrebe, Ringed Kingfisher, Amazon Kingfisher among others species. Other interesting birds in the area are Black Hawk-Eagle, Zone-tailed Hawks, Black-tailed Trogon, Blue-crowned Trogon, Bluish-fronted Jacamar, Little Woodpecker, Rusty-belted Tapaculo, Little Ground-Tyrant, Masked CrimsonTanager, Black-faced Dacnis, Yellow-bellied Dacnis, Golden-bellied Euphonia. The complete list for the area has more than 600 species. Overnight at Villa Carmen Lodge. Meals: B, L, D Day 13 Villa Carmen - Wayqecha Lodge We'll begin our way back to Cuzco driving up the road to Wayqecha lodge, located in the cloud forest at an altitude of 2900 meters. This will allow us to explore again the cloud forest looking for the birds we certainly have missed the days before. Overnight at Wayqecha Lodge. Meals: B, Boxed-L, D Day 14 Wayqecha Lodge - Cusco Today we are taking the road straight back to Cuzco, birding all day looking for birds we could have missed in the previous days. We will be arriving in Cusco by noon. You will have a free afternoon to rest or visit the city on your own. Overnight in Cusco. Meals: B, Boxed-L, D Day 15 Cusco - Lima In the morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Lima. In Lima we will leave you at the airport for your international connections. Meals: B
Travel tips and recommendations Weather: Most days in the Manu Road will be rather warm and humid, with a mixture of sunshine and overcast conditions. At least some rain should be expected, from brief showers to sometimes extended periods of heavy rain. In the Cuzco region conditions range from warm to decidedly cold at the highest altitudes. It may rain at times (or even snow at the highest altitudes). Time Zone: Peru is 5 hours behind GMT. Also, it is in the same time zone as US Eastern Standard Time Zone and does not observe daylight-savings time. Immunizations: Having a Yellow Fever vaccine at least 10 days before your trip is recommended but not mandatory. Electricity: 220 volts in Lima and Cuzco. The lodges lack electricity but a generator is turned on once a day to recharge batteries for guests or lodge facilities. At night it is very dark, so we recommend good flashlights. Light is provided by numerous kerosene lamps and candles.
Prices include: Accommodation: Lima: Hotel Casa Andina Classic***, or similar category, and Wyndham Lima Airport Hotel**** Ollantaytambo: Pakaritampu Lodge***, or similar category Cusco: Hotel Casa Andina Classic***, or similar category Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge Villa Carmen Lodge Wayqecha Lodge Private car and boat for all tours and transfers English speaking bird guide All entrance fees for nature reserves Meals as mentioned in the program Applicable taxes Prices does not include International or domestic airfares, airport departure taxes or visa fees, excess baggage charges, additional nights during the trip due to flight cancellations, alcoholic beverages or bottled water, snacks, insurance of any kind, laundry, phone calls or messages, reconfirmation of flights and items of personal nature.
If you want us to include the internal flights within Peru just let us know. All itineraries are given as a guide only. Actual holiday content may vary according to the judgement of your guide, and elements beyond our control (eg weather).
If you need more information please send us an email to
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