Rich Hoyer on his just-completed tour to Northern Peru

Our nine days of birding in northern Peru’s Mayo River watershed would have been wonderful even if measured only by our sightings of Marvelous Spatuletail and Long-whiskered Owlet. It took us four attempts to see the latter but the experience was worth it - a magical evening listening to the bird which ended up perched on an open branch just a few feet away. We saw many other superb birds and creatures along the way and took advantage of two new hummingbird feeding stations – the tour total of 41 species of hummers was remarkable. Other top birds were Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Grass-green, Vermilion, and White-capped Tanagers, Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Olivaceous Piha, and Ochre-fronted Antpitta.

A male Gilded Barbet may not be quite as pretty as the female, but she had disappeared into the nest cavity nearby.

We had an amazing experience watching this Spotted Rail creep out of the rice fields and snatch morsels from the exposed mud.

A Brown-throated Sloth sleeping below the overlook where we watched Comb Ducks was a fun surprise.

The moths coming to night lights were a delight. This silk moth in the genus Titaea was one of the most spectacular.

Two Chestnut-breasted Coronets vie for the best perch for defending the feeders at the Owlet Lodge.

The star at the Waqanki garden was the incomparable Rufous-crested Coquette, one of 19 species of hummingbirds at the feeders.