A Month In Northern Peru, Part 9: Tinamous In the Amazon To Rare Montane Monkeys (February 11, 2024)

February 11, 2024

Our alarm went off at 4:30 AM and at 5:00 AM we began the long, windy drive in the dark across the Andes. The reason for our early start is that we had a date with tinamous and wood-quails at a small family-run reserve called Arena Blanca. Our contact at the reserve, Norbil, urged us to arrive before 6:45, as this is the typical time that several species come in for food, including Little Tinamou, Cinereous Tinamou and Rufous-breasted Wood-Quail. He has built a hide where one can watch the feeding take place, while still being out of view from the birds. 

The traffic was sparse at this early hour and the road was well-constructed, so we made good time as we crossed a mountain pass and began our descent down the east slope of the Andes. The dawn chorus of Andean Solitaires pierced through the car windows, and so I opened the driver-side window, enjoying the symphony. As far as the eye could see were green, forested hillsides, the only domain of the Long-whiskered Owlet and many other creatures. We would be returning to these montane slopes eventually, but first we had to descend to 1000 m in elevation at Arena Blanca, where the low elevation ensured that quite a few Amazonian species were present. 

As we pulled up to Norbil's property, he was waiting there for us to quickly usher us down the path to the bird hide. The show would be starting soon. 

The bird hide - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

Laura and I picked the ground floor so that we would have eye-level views (and photos) of the birds. Norbil placed the seed down and, within minutes, a Gray-cowled Wood-Rail was the first of the breakfast crowd. 

Gray-cowled Wood-Rail - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

My new 500mm lens has a lot of advantages over my old 300mm lens, but I wished I had my old lens with me for this situation. The forest floor was quite dark (I needed all the extra light I could get), plus the birds were close enough that I had trouble fitting them into the frame. The new lens does have vibration reduction though, so even with a slow shutter speed I could obtain sharp images. 

Gray-cowled Wood-Rail - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

We noticed that a Cinereous Tinamou was sneaking around the back of the forest opening, and it soon waddled up to the seed pile. 

Cinereous Tinamou - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

Laura and I have seen Cinereous Tinamous on a few occasions previously, usually on a quiet forest trail, but this one provided us with much better views. I love how incredibly round tinamous are; they look like they would have trouble standing up without toppling over. 

Cinereous Tinamou - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

A couple of Little Tinamous (an adult and its chick) also made regular appearances during our hour-long stakeout. This was one of my main targets for the morning. Despite having heard Little Tinamou dozens (hundreds?) of times previously, I can only recall seeing this species once, and I had never photographed it.

Little Tinamou - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

Little Tinamou - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

It was special to have such good views of the chick as well. 

Little Tinamou - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

Little Tinamous - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

I paid attention to the birdsong from within the hide, and almost every species was a new one for the trip. The soundscape included quite a few Amazonian species, such as Speckled Chachalaca, Thrush-like Antpitta, Hauxwell's Thrush, Golden-collared Toucanet, Olive-faced Flatbill and Peruvian Warbling-Antbird. We heard several groups of Rufous-breasted Wood-Quails, but none seemed all that close to the hide. While we waited, a few Orange-billed Sparrows hopped into view, along with several White-tipped Doves. 

Orange-billed Sparrow - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

The wood-quails weren't getting any closer; they only show up about half the time, anyways. Laura and I were happy with what we had seen and besides, there were lots of other birds to look for.

In addition to the hide, Norbil's property is designed well to encourage a nice variety of bird species. He has an extensive hummingbird garden with a lot of porterweed and various feeders. The cecropia-rich edge of the clearing around the buildings is popular with tanagers and flycatchers. And several short forest trails (including the entrance trail) increase the chances of forest species. For a small property, it has a substantial species list. 

Hauxwell's Thrush - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

Laura and I were able to add a new one to the all-time list when I noticed a Pale-tailed Barbthroat feeding on a planted heliconia. This hermit-like hummingbird is uncommon in the lower foothills and the Amazon basin, and it can be hard to see well. 

Pale-tailed Barbthroat - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

It only took a few minutes until we connected with one of our main targets here, the Black-bellied Tanager. This attractive species mostly replaces the Silver-beaked Tanager in several river valleys on the lower slope of the east Andes. 

Black-bellied Tanager (male) - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

Black-bellied Tanager (female) - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

Zimmer's Antbird was my primary target at Reserva Arena Blanca. It has a restricted range in northeastern Peru, eastern Ecuador and extreme southern Colombia, often in areas with sandy soils. Several pairs are found on Norbil's property and we found a cooperative bird after some effort. 

Zimmer's Antbird - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

We also bumped into a handsome Peruvian Warbling-Antbird in the same area. Another species that I had never photographed before. 

Peruvian Warbling-Antbird - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

For much of our visit, Laura and I hung around the hummingbird garden where we had a good view of not just the hummingbirds, but the cecropias and other trees that formed the edge of the clearing. There were fewer hummingbirds present than at other times of the year, as Norbil informed us that many species are nesting at the moment and not visiting his feeders as often. Still, we tallied eleven species. Hummingbirds are some of my favourite birds and so I enjoyed photographing them. 

Golden-tailed Sapphire - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

Rufous-crested Coquette - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

Blue-tailed Emerald - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

Little Woodstar - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

The hummingbirds weren't just competing with each other for the nectar, but also with various bees, butterflies, and moths. 

Telegonus talus - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

Telegonus anausis - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

Periplacis hebrus - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

Telegonus talus - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

Unidentified (tribe Ithomiini) - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

This hairstreak was my favourite butterfly of the bunch. 

Thestius meridionalis - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

A walk down a short forest trail led to a scrubby area that was undergoing succession. We found a Lined Antshrike and Black-faced Tanager here, while a pair of Masked Tanagers fed in one of the cecropias. I rarely see Masked Tanagers and so it is always a treat encountering this gorgeous species. I still haven't managed a good photo of one, though!

Masked Tanager - Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru

Laura and I left Arena Blanca with over 60 birds on our eBird checklist, while I had taken over 500 photos. We would definitely recommend this reserve. 

On our way back westward, Laura and I made a few birding stops along the side of the highway at different elevations. Ideally, we would have had several days devoted to birding the road, but there just wasn't time on this trip. A whole host of mouth-watering species exist in these mountains, and the road provides the only easy access. Unfortunately, we did not properly explore between the elevations of 1000m and 1600m where we would have had a chance of finding Ash-throated Antwren, Equatorial Graytail, Rufescent Antshrike and others. 

Refugio Natural Del Alto Mayo, San Martín, Peru

We explored for a couple of hours near the eBird hotspot Altomayo, situated around 1700m in elevation. As we parked the vehicle beside the road, a male Andean Cock-of-the-Rock perched nearby. A good omen!

Despite it being the early afternoon, we lucked into some great birds. The key when exploring these areas is finding a mixed species flock. The forest may seem dead with hardly a single bird vocalizing. But the sounds of a few call notes can quickly transform into a wave of birds moving through the area. If you are lucky, the mixed flock will linger along the roadside for a few minutes, preferably on the downslope side. We were lucky with this flock. 

Slaty-capped Flycatcher - Refugio Natural Del Alto Mayo, San Martín, Peru

I had three semi-realistic targets at this elevation. All were tanagers that have limited ranges/elevations along the east slope of the Andes, and I had struck out with these three species on numerous previous occasions. They were the Green-throated, Vermilion and Blue-browed Tanagers. 

One of the first birds I got on was unmistakeable. A crimson tanager with black wings, tail, face and throat - a male Vermilion Tanager! 

Vermilion Tanager - Refugio Natural Del Alto Mayo, San Martín, Peru

I had wanted to see this species for years, ever since I first "dipped" on it in Ecuador five years earlier. And here was a pair of them, at eye-level, no less. Numerous excited profanities were uttered as I photographed this beauty. A nemesis conquered. 

Vermilion Tanager - Refugio Natural Del Alto Mayo, San Martín, Peru

To make things even better, a pair of Blue-browed Tanagers materialized with the flock as well! They weren't quite as accommodating for photos, but the views were amazing. What a bird. 

Blue-browed Tanagers - Refugio Natural Del Alto Mayo, San Martín, Peru

How amazing would it have been if this flock contained our other target, the Green-throated Tanager? Unfortunately, it was not to be. But we weren't complaining. Below are a few other photos from this excellent mixed flock. 

Golden-collared Honeycreeper (female) - Refugio Natural Del Alto Mayo, San Martín, Peru

Vermilion Tanager - Refugio Natural Del Alto Mayo, San Martín, Peru

Golden-crowned Flycatcher - Refugio Natural Del Alto Mayo, San Martín, Peru

If someone would have informed us that our day's highlight had not even happened yet, I would not have believed them. But it was true. 

As we were slowly driving westward up the mountain road, Laura saw something out of her car window. Monkeys! At this elevation there are not many possibilities. Could these be the Critically Endangered Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkeys? 

There was nowhere to pull over, but I couldn't hear any other traffic and so I stopped in the middle of the road. We hopped out to investigate and confirmed that they were indeed woolly monkeys! For a few glorious seconds we watched this incredibly rare species until I heard the rumbling of a transport truck. Time to move the vehicle. 

There was a pull-off after another half-kilometre and Laura and I speed-walked back to the site of the monkeys. The rain had started and our search continued with our umbrellas protecting us. Luckily, the monkeys hadn't moved far and we spent some time observing this family group. 

Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) - Refugio Natural Del Alto Mayo, San Martín, Peru

Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) - Refugio Natural Del Alto Mayo, San Martín, Peru

Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) - Refugio Natural Del Alto Mayo, San Martín, Peru

Thought to be extinct until the 1970s, the Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey is currently listed as Critically Endangered and is hanging on by a thread. Its population is estimated around 250 individuals and it is only found in a section of the north Peruvian Andes. The forest reserve we were in, Refugio Natural Alto Mayo, was established to help protect the small population of this species. 

We stood there on the side of the road in the pouring rain, watching the monkeys do their thing. They were quite curious of us and one of the youngsters came over and shook some branches, so we made sure to give them their space. The tough lighting conditions made for difficult photography but I managed a few "record" shots. 

Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) - Refugio Natural Del Alto Mayo, San Martín, Peru

Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkeys are one of the largest primates in the New World and they have thick woolly fur which helps them in this cold montane climate. The male was quite distinctive with his long yellowish pubic hair tuft! Such a cool experience to watch these guys...

Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) - Refugio Natural Del Alto Mayo, San Martín, Peru

Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) - Refugio Natural Del Alto Mayo, San Martín, Peru

Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) - Refugio Natural Del Alto Mayo, San Martín, Peru

Laura and I continued onwards to the Owlet Lodge, where we had one night booked. But that will be the topic of my next post. 

A Month In Northern Peru, Part 8: Pale-billed Antpittas In The Elfin Forest (February 10, 2024)

February 10, 2024

The Pale-billed Antpitta is a large, fancy-looking Grallaria antpitta only found in the high Andes of northern Peru. Because of its proclivity towards dense forest with an abundance of bamboo, there are few places where this species can be easily found. These sorts of forested habitats are not usually found close to roads or trails, since humans have already accessed those areas and cut down all of the trees and cleared out the bamboo. The best way to find this species in its limited range is to go on a long, arduous hike into the hills. If it is a difficult site for birders to reach, it is also a difficult site for other humans to access and clear vegetation from. 

Most birders who seek out this distinctive antpitta do so along a trail known as Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo. The beginning of this trail is easy to reach just outside of the town of Pomacochas which was our home base for two nights. I am not sure when this trail was constructed but presumably it has been in use for hundreds of years. It is the only access point for some of the homesteads and small communities far away from the roads in this corner of the Andes.  

Laura and I planned to spend the better part of the day on Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo. We prepared ourselves for a steep hike as the first stretch of trail gains over 400 metres of elevation. But after that, the trail more or less levels out. We packed ourselves plenty of food and water, put on our rubber boots, and began the climb just after dawn.

Cinnamon Flycatcher - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

We initially focused on making good time and didn't linger for very long on the lower slopes, other than to catch our breath, of course. While the antpittas used to reside in forest patches along this stretch, most of these areas had been cleared in recent years. Now, one has to go a lot higher to stand a good chance. 

Still, the birdsong at this early hour was tempting and we stopped for species like Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner, Andean Guan and Amethyst-throated Sunangel. 

Andean Guan - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

The steepest portion of trail was behind us after an hour and a half, and we explored at a more leisurely pace from here on out. We often stopped for some of the many interesting plants found trail-side. 

Cyrtochilum macranthum - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

Passiflora sp. - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

Fuschia sp. - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

Early avian highlights included  two new ones for us: a vocal Rufous-backed Treehunter in a dense stand of bamboo and scrub that refused to come into view, and a Rusty-tinged Antpitta that sang from somewhere down the slope. 

We have seen Golden-plumed Parakeets before but one that was teed up on the top of a mossy tree was a worthwhile study. 

Golden-plumed Parakeet - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

Our birding luck continued to improve when we reached a flat, muddy section of trail that passed through one of the more extensive forest tracts. 

Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

Our first mixed flock materialized. In ten minutes our species list for the day doubled, as we observed birds like Drab Hemispingus, Black-capped Hemispingus, Hooded Mountain-Tanager and Citrine Warbler. Plain-tailed Wrens duetted from the dense bamboo, and several hummingbirds zoomed by. A feast for the senses. 

Cinnamon Flycatcher - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

We finally heard our first Pale-billed Antpitta in this area. And then, an incredible experience unfolded. A snippet of playback enticed the bird to approach us from down the hillside. I noticed some movement beside the trail and then the antpitta hopped up onto the trail, completely out in the open! I gestured to Laura to turn around and she slowly did, as the antpitta gave us face-melting views, completely unobscured. It only lasted for a few more seconds until he bounded off the trail, taking about five giant hops to do so. We were gobsmacked! I hadn't had time to think about photography, but the memory is seared in my mind, anyways. 

We would go on to hear several more Pale-billed Antpittas throughout the morning, but that was unfortunately the only one we would see. An unforgettable experience with a spectacular bird. 

Panyapedaliodes sp. - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

The birding, butterflying, botanizing and bugging was excellent as we ventured further along the path. The overcast conditions had remained, meaning that the day was relatively cool and the birds were active. We enjoyed watching a little group of White-collared Jays, hearing the various tapaculos and antpittas, and photographing the occasional trailside plant that captured our interest. 

White-collared Jay - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

Passiflora cumblensis - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

Eventually, the forest thinned out and became more scraggly, interspersed with sections of bunchgrass and low shrubs. It was beautiful, especially as the fog lifted over a distance ridge. 

Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

The birds were quieter here, and I focused more on searching for interesting plants and insects. 

Unidentified plant - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

Plant life along Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru 

Astylus bonplandi - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

Andean Red Bumble Bee (Bombus rubicundus) - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

I must confess that I am not very proficient at identifying lichens, but with the help of the iNaturalist community I was able to put a name to some of them. 

Family Baeomycetaceae - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

This one was particularly eye-catching and it is known as Cladonia lopezii. We have several Cladonia here in southern Ontario as well, including the well-known Reindeer Lichen and British Soldier Lichen. 

Cladonia lopezii - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

My iNaturalist observation of this Cladonia lopezii was chosen as iNaturalist's Observation Of The Day, and it was posted onto their social media accounts. Who knew that a lichen could be so popular? :)

Cladonia lopezii - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

Laura and I reached a point where the trail began a long descent into a valley. As our stomachs were grumbling, we decided that this would be our lunch spot and the point where we would turn around. 

Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

As we snacked on our crackers, apples and sandwiches, a Coppery Metaltail perched prominently beside us. During a break in the fog I snagged a few photographs. 

Coppery Metaltail - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

As an aside, Laura and I may be some of the only tourists who have spent an extended period of time in Peru and have never visited Machu Picchu. As much as that site is world-famous for a reason, going to a tourist hotspot like that just isn't our scene. The amazing thing with being a birder is that by following the birds, we often end up at sites like Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo. Though it isn't much like Machu Picchu, it is an incredibly scenic trail that cuts through a swath of beautiful habitats with unforgettable vistas. We were able to find all kinds of interesting birds and other species here, and up to this point we hadn't run into a single person. These are the places that I love exploring; I'll take this over a tourist-filled archaeological site any day. 

Coppery Metaltail - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

Unidentified wasp on Baccharis genistelloides - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

As we finished our lunch on the rock outcrop we heard some birds calling from the shrubby vegetation that sounded a lot like thistletails. It didn't take too much effort to coax one into view. 

White-chinned Thistletail - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

White-chinned Thistletails are limited to grassy, shrubby habitats at the treeline in the eastern Andes. They are very skulky and difficult to see well, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to photograph this individual. In true thistletail fashion, it dove for cover a few seconds after these photos. 

White-chinned Thistletail - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

The numerous Moustached Flowerpiercers were a little easier to observe. 

Moustached Flowerpiercer - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

We retraced our steps, stopping here and there for birds. We tried again for the Pale-billed Antpitta but were unable to coax another one into view, but we had a few more mixed flocks and found interesting species like Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager, Tawny-rumped Tyrannulet, Gray-browed Brushfinch and Blue-backed Conebill. A Yungas Pygmy-Owl tooted away from somewhere across a valley. 

Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

Periodic moments of sunshine caused a few butterflies and moths to flit about beside the trail. 

Pedaliodes peruda - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

Unidentified moth - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

As we neared the end of our hike, we came across some locals that were hiking out to the main road as well. They were quite interested in what we were doing and we explained how we were birdwatchers. We let the kids try out the binoculars which was a lot of fun for them. 

Birding with the locals - Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo, Amazonas, Peru

Laura and I really enjoyed our hike at Trocha Cresta de San Lorenzo; it was one of my favourite days during our Peru trip. Though the walk up the hill was a little tough, we would highly recommend this hike to anyone with an interest in birds or nature. It was incredible.