July 31: Fabrice Schmitt and Luke Seitz on their just-completed tour, Peru - The Northwest: Chiclayo to Cajamarca.
This has to be one of the most scenic tours in South America. We traveled every day through amazing scenery: dry woodlands with hundred year-old trees, the impressive canyons of the Utcubamba and Marañon Valleys, majestic forests covered by lichen and bromeliads, and picturesque Andean villages with their inhabitants still living in their traditional way amazed us every day.
One of our field breakfasts, this one at 10,000 feet with a dominating view of the Marañon Valley.
The bottom of the Marañon Valley near Balsas.
However, fabulous scenery and we must say great lodges and stunning food.....
One of our lodges...
...with great views of the Gocta Waterfall from our rooms.
Some succulent Peruvian ceviche to offset the field meals
.....were just side dishes of our tour! We had amazing birding too! Marvelous Spatuletail, Peruvian Plantcutter, Rufous Antpitta, Peruvian Thick-knee, Torrent Duck and Streaked Tuftedcheek, each voted as best bird of the tour at least by one participant, all gave us amazing views.
The marvelous Marvelous Spatuletail
Rufous Antpitta gave us stunning views
We also found many restricted-range species such as Buff-bridled Inca-finch, Tumbes Tyrant, Rufous Flycatcher, Marañon Thrush, Chestnut-backed Thornbird, Tumbes Hummingbird, Marañon Crescentchest, Short-tailed Woodstar, Peruvian Pigeon, Koepcke’s Screech-owl, Necklaced Spinetail, and we haven't mentioned the colorful ones such as Scarlet-bellied Mountain-tanager, Scarlet-backed Woodpecker, White-tailed Jay, Grass-green Tanager, Cinnamon Flycatcher, Many-colored Rush-tyrant or Chestnut-breasted Coronet.
The handsome Buff-bridled Inca-finch
Charming Tumbes Tyrants and...
...the well-named Elegant Crescentchest were found just a few hundred yards from one of our lodges..
Posted: July 31, 2016