Tuesday 12 March 2024

A Month In Northern Peru, Part 4: Hits And Misses With Rare Endemics (February 5 and 6, 2024)

February 5, 2024

Today's plan was to complete the drive to Cajamarca, stop for Unicolored Tapaculos on the way, and then spend the rest of the day at a particular river valley where the Gray-bellied Comet is regularly seen. Therefore, since we did not have any early morning birding plans, I allowed for a sleep-in. I warned Laura that this would be the last one for a while!

The scenery improved as we approached Cajamarca. We followed a beautiful river valley for a while, then slowly climbed high up into the mountains. The road was in excellent condition and we had some interesting podcasts to listen to; life was good. 

The road eventually reached the mountain pass - Abra Gavilan - and began its descent into the city of Cajamarca. It is here, along scrubby slopes and creek valleys at the mountain pass, where the Unicolored Tapaculo can be readily found. 

As you will come to appreciate by reading my blog posts from this trip, there are a ton of range-restricted species found only in northern Peru, and the Unicolored Tapaculo is just one of them. It inhabits the western Andes, mainly within 100 km of the city of Cajamarca. Lucky for us, the Unicolored Tapaculo is regularly seen on the highway just southwest of Cajamarca, which was directly along our route. 

We stepped out of the car at the first site that I had eBird-scouted. Andean Swifts chittered while they zipped overhead. 

Andean Swift - Abra Gavilan, Cajamarca, Peru

We tried some speculative playback at the first site and immediately had a response. Unfortunately, a few recordings were all that I could manage since the bird refused to show himself. Tapaculos are sneaky, small, sooty-black birds that creep around in the densest tangles. They are quite territorial and will often come in to playback, but obtaining a clear view of one is another matter. 

Laura trying to glimpse the Unicolored Tapaculo - Abra Gavilan, Cajamarca, Peru

Our luck marginally improved at the second location, as we discovered a small gap in the shrubby vegetation which gave us a window into the tapaculo world. But, despite our best efforts, we only managed a few brief glimpses of a small black bird. You take what you can get with tapaculos. Luckily, there were other more cooperative birds around, such as this Yellow-breasted Brushfinch and a Speckled Hummingbird. 

Yellow-breasted Brushfinch - Abra Gavilan, Cajamarca, Peru

Speckled Hummingbird - Abra Gavilan, Cajamarca, Peru

We stopped in Cajamarca to grab lunch at a local restaurant - the total cost for two soups, mains and juice was equivalent to $6 CAD - and continued beyond the city to a river valley. We had a date with a particular hummingbird.

The Gray-bellied Comet is a bit of an enigma. It only inhabits steep-sided canyon walls, and it is inexplicably rare in the Andes of northern Peru. This particular region of Peru has seen continuous human disturbance for thousands of years, so the comet may only reside in these canyons since they are so inaccessible; humans have cleared the rest of the land for grazing and farming many times over. Most of the global range for Gray-bellied Comets is not accessible, but one locale is alongside a public road that mirrors the meandering route of the Río Chonta. 

Río Chonta area, Cajamarca, Peru

We devoted the rest of the day to finding the Gray-bellied Comet, and we checked numerous sites along the Río Chonta where they had been seen in the past. It was a beautiful afternoon - sunny and not too hot at this elevation - and birds were active. We were on high alert for hummingbirds and we quickly tallied Sparkling Violetear, Tyrian Metaltail, Black Metaltail and Green-tailed Trainbearer. 

Black Metaltail - Río Chonta area, Cajamarca, Peru

This trainbearer caused our hearts to flutter for a second since it bore some similarities to a Gray-bellied Comet. But, in the end, it was just a Green-tailed Trainbearer. 

Green-tailed Trainbearer - Río Chonta area, Cajamarca, Peru

We explored further along the river, taking care to watch clusters of pinkish-purple flowers in bushes down beside the water's edge. These flowers are apparently the preferred nectar source for the Gray-bellied Comet. We also made sure to scan up and down the hillsides as there was some hummingbird activity around the bromeliads. 

Río Chonta area, Cajamarca, Peru

As the afternoon wore on, myriad other species came out of the woodwork. We watched a Smoky-brown Woodpecker work over a tree, and enjoyed the antics of some Black-chested Buzzard-Eagles, one which had caught un unidentified prey item. A small band of Band-tailed Seedeaters patrolled the roadside, while the thick scrub produced Line-cheeked Spinetail, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, Black-crested Warbler and Cinereous Conebill. 

Band-tailed Seedeater - Río Chonta area, Cajamarca, Peru

Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle - Río Chonta area, Cajamarca, Peru

Despite our vigilance, the afternoon and evening passed by without a sniff of the Gray-bellied Comet. We made a "trunk sandwich" for dinner, hoping that the extra fifteen minutes it took for us to dine would be the difference maker, and that our target species would fly in at the last second. It was not to be. 


February 6, 2024

Laura and I considered backtracking for the comet since the morning hours can often be more productive with finding hummingbirds (or any birds, for that matter). In the end, we decided against it since it would have added a couple of hours of driving to our day's very full itinerary. I am sure it will not be my last visit to this part of Peru, anyways, so I will have to catch up with the comet at a later date. 

With the sun in our eyes we made the short drive east of Cajamarca towards a little town called Jesús. We carefully navigated the narrow streets, trying not to bottom-out the vehicle in the very deep gutters at some intersections. We were successful with those obstacles and drove several kilometres further, where the houses petered out and desert scrub grew on the hillsides. 

Jesús area, Cajamarca, Peru

Our goal was to find another localized species. The Great Spinetail lives only in a few arid valleys in northern Peru. It was likely more widespread many years ago, but only to a point. These steep Andean valleys do a good job at separating populations, which over time can lead to differences in these populations, and eventually the differences are significant enough that the two populations are considered two species. It's not a coincidence that there are so many endemic species in these valleys, whether they be birds, lizards, plants, or anything else, really. 

It was a bright sunny morning with a hint of coolness in the air. A perfect day. Birdsong rang out from all around us - mostly Scrub Blackbirds and Rufous-collared Sparrows of course, but also Dull-colored Grassquits, Hepatic Tanagers, and Fulvous-faced Scrub-Tyrants. A woodpecker-like call series revealed the location of a Black-necked Woodpecker. This attractive species is found only in the mountains and hills on the arid west side of Peru. 

Black-necked Woodpecker - Jesús area, Cajamarca, Peru

We prepared peanut-butter sandwiches for breakfast, locked the car and began our walk. Almost immediately, a couple of small birds with very high chip notes flushed from the ground. We were happy to see that they were our first Buff-bridled Inca-Finches. 

Buff-bridled Inca-Finch - Jesús area, Cajamarca, Peru

The genus Incaspiza is uniquely Peruvian, with each of its five species being endemic to a small region within the mountains of Peru. We had seen the Great and Rufous-backed Inca-Finches on our previous trip to southern Peru, while we hoped to clean up the remaining species here in northern Peru.

Buff-bridled Inca-Finch - Jesús area, Cajamarca, Peru

All Inca-finches share some similarities, including white outer tail feathers, a bright yellow beak, a black face mask and generally gray and rufous plumage. These two Buff-bridled Inca-Finches were absolutely glowing in the morning sun. Maybe it was recently bias, but in that moment I declared the Buff-bridled as the most attractive Inca-finch of them all. 

Buff-bridled Inca-Finch - Jesús area, Cajamarca, Peru

Moments later, we heard a bird rattling away down in the valley. That could only be one species, the Great Spinetail. The Buff-bridled Inca-Finches in all their glory were forgotten as we made our way towards the novel sound. 

Soon we were looking at a pair of Great Spinetails. In typical spinetail fashion they were quite furtive, sticking to the darkest shadows, but eventually one of them popped up on top of a bush and sang loudly. 

Great Spinetail - Jesús area, Cajamarca, Peru

Great Spinetail - Jesús area, Cajamarca, Peru

The Great Spinetail is listed as a Vulnerable species by Birdlife International, mainly due to its restricted range as well as the pressures caused by habitat loss. It relies on dense woody vegetation in arid valleys, and these habitats are under considerable threat due to the burgeoning human population. Great Spinetail habitats are often degraded by excessive goat grazing, by logging for firewood collection, and by the clearing of land for oil-palm plantations. 

Great Spinetail - Jesús area, Cajamarca, Peru

Great Spinetail - Jesús area, Cajamarca, Peru

Having had our fill of the spinetails, we turned our attention to the numerous hummingbirds buzzing around a dense patch of Lion's-ear (Leonotis nepetifolia) that was growing near the roadside. 

Jesús area, Cajamarca, Peru

We noted four hummingbird species: Sparkling Violetear, Amazilia Hummingbird, Spot-throated Hummingbird and Purple-collared Woodstar. 

Spot-throated Hummingbird - Jesús area, Cajamarca, Peru

Amazilia Hummingbird - Jesús area, Cajamarca, Peru

Purple-collared Woodstar - Jesús area, Cajamarca, Peru

The day was still young but he had a significant drive planned. The town of Celendín was our destination for the night, as that would put us in position to search along the Marañón River for a whole suite of endemic species the following day. To reach Celendín, we had a long winding drive through the mountains. Luckily, the road was (mostly) paved. 

We made a few stops here and there along the drive, with several target species in mind. Though we struck out with the much hoped for White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant, we had better luck with our other targets. The light rain and biting wind contrasted with the morning's conditions, but I found it refreshing. I love being high up in the Andes. 

Plain-tailed Warbling-Finch - Micuypampa area, Cajamarca, Peru

Jelski's Chat-Tyrant is an uncommon species that likes scrubby forest edges in the Andes of southern Ecuador and Peru. Chat-tyrants can be sneaky at times, sitting still for long periods of time an only vocalizing infrequently. The Jelski's Chat-Tyrant has a low enough population density, which complicates finding them. But we lucked out at our lunch spot, as one was working over the forest edge near where we had parked. 

Jelski's Chat-Tyrant - Micuypampa area, Cajamarca, Peru

He was a handsome little dude and Laura's pick for Bird Of The Day. How can you not love a Jelski's Chat-Tyrant?

Jelski's Chat-Tyrant - Micuypampa area, Cajamarca, Peru

Jelski's Chat-Tyrant - Micuypampa area, Cajamarca, Peru

Considerably more time went towards obtaining a good look at a Cajamarca Antpitta, but we had to settle for glimpses of a red orb hopping in the understory. No photos, but I managed a few good recordings. This Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant was a bit more cooperative than the antpitta.

Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant - Micuypampa area, Cajamarca, Peru

Due to the steep topography of the Andes, birding is often limited to the roadsides since it is impossible to access the difficult terrain otherwise. We had been birding this main highway all day and while the traffic wasn't constant, it was frequent enough to be a nuisance. It also seems to be a habit for Peruvian drivers to honk at pedestrians, possibly because they are just being friendly, or more likely, to warn them about the oncoming vehicle. This eventually became rather annoying for us. As birders, we are always keenly aware of each vehicle because the engine's roar blocks out all birdsong long before the car actually passes by our position, so the honking seemed a bit excessive. 

Luckily, thanks to some eBird and Google Maps sleuthing (as well as Rob Jansen's trip repot for Peru), we were aware of a dirt track that left the busy roadside and headed west into the hills, eventually leading to small communities and, presumably, a network of other dirt roads. It can be surprising when driving through the Andes how explored they actually are. 

Cruz Conga area, Cajamarca, Peru

We drove down this road for a ways and parked near a nice forest patch, then walked for an hour or so before returning. Even though it was the early afternoon, the birding was steady and the lack of vehicles was refreshing. We heard another Cajamarca Antpitta (this one was too far down the slope to try for), and had some brief glimpses (but no photos) of our first Rainbow Starfrontlet. No worries, we would hopefully see this species much better in the coming days. 

Speaking of orange hummingbirds, this Shining Sunbeam was one of several that we found down the dirt road. 

Shining Sunbeam - Cruz Conga area, Cajamarca, Peru

A small mixed flock contained a couple of handsome Black-crested Tit-Tyrants. 

Black-crested Tit-Tyrant - Cruz Conga area, Cajamarca, Peru

The plant life along the roadside was rather diverse. Below are a few of my favorites. 

Salvia sp. - Cruz Conga area, Cajamarca, Peru

Eryngium humile - Cruz Conga area, Cajamarca, Peru

Fringed Ground Orchid (Altensteinia fimbriata) - Cruz Conga area, Cajamarca, Peru

Castilleja vadosa - Cruz Conga area, Cajamarca, Peru

With our shadows growing long, we walked back to the car, drove back out to the main highway, and completed the remaining 45 minutes of the drive to Celendín. We found an inexpensive hotel on the outskirts of town that had everything we needed, and for 70 soles we had a decent room for the night. We found a restaurant and ran a few errands, then relaxed at the hotel for an hour or two until sleep beckoned. Tomorrow would be a big day - we would drive down into the Marañón Valley, cross the Marañón River, and drive back up the other side, hoping to find a bunch of species that are endemic to this valley.

Saturday 9 March 2024

A Month In Northern Peru, Part 3: Lush Forests of Casupe (February 4, 2024)

February 4, 2024

We said our goodbyes to the owner of Eco Camping Racarrumi and hit the road at 6 AM sharp. We continued inland, away from the coast and towards the foothills, which is where we hoped to spend the morning birding. The landscape continued to change during our ~45 minute drive on the well-maintained gravel road, and by the time we made our breakfast stop, we were surrounded by larger trees and beautiful dry forest. 

Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

The reason that this particular site was chosen as our breakfast stop was simply because we saw a couple of interesting, white-headed birds zip past in front of the car. We stopped to investigate. Our first White-headed Brushfinches! 

White-headed Brushfinch - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

White-headed Brushfinch - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

White-headed Brushfinch - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

And then we heard an Elegant Crescentchest singing close to the road, so we just had to coax him into view. And a Tumbes Pewee caught my attention as it perched on a prominent snag. Up next was a Mouse-gray Flycatcher. And then a White-edged Oriole shot past, and a group of Red-masked Parakeets screeched by overhead. 

Mouse-gray Flycatcher - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

We stopped to make a quick breakfast here, and half an hour had passed before we continued along. So much for a quick roadside stop to check out the brushfinches. 

White-headed Brushfinch - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

We drove a little further along and saw a dramatic transformation near the town of Casupe, as the dry forest was replaced with lush forest. We must have passed an invisible threshold of sorts where the precipitation levels were a bit higher. 

 Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

We chose this particular stretch of road just past Casupe due to all of the tantalizing species found here. This particular patch of forest was relatively undisturbed, and White-winged Guans had sometimes been reported from along here. The White-winged Guan is a Critically Endangered species that is only known from a few valleys in northwestern Peru. We would be visiting another good area for the guan later in the trip - Quebrada El Limón - but I always like to have backup sites for any of the scarce/localized species we are searching for. This was our backup site for the guan, while it also held a number of other birds we hadn't seen before. 

Rufous-necked Foliage-gleaner - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

One of the first targets to fall was the furtive Rufous-necked Foliage-gleaner, as one was singing right next to where we parked the vehicle. With a bit of coaxing, Laura and I were treated to great views of a pair. 

Rufous-necked Foliage-gleaner - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

It was a gorgeous, partly sunny morning that held a lot of promise. We were happy to discover that this road had minimal traffic; perhaps, one vehicle every 20 minutes or so. I love birding a quiet dirt road through beautiful habitat since the walking is easy and visibility is good along a roadside. 

 Birding the lush forest of the Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

Birding the lush forest of the Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

Our morning continued to produce interesting birds as we quickly found Gray-and-gold and Three-banded Warblers, species that would provide the soundtrack for the morning. We heard a Gray-breasted Flycatcher and several Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaners, while a small mixed flock contained our first Marañón Tyrannulet. 

Gray-and-gold Warbler - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

A smart-looking Long-billed Starthroat perched close to the road, allowing for some decent photos through a window in the vegetation. 

Long-billed Starthroat - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

We rounded a bend and heard some intriguing sounds filtering down from somewhere along the hillside. They sounded vaguely guan like, and then in my peripheral vision a large black bird clumsily flew down the slope and disappeared. Could it be the guans? 

The next bend in the road confirmed our suspicions. There, sitting awkwardly in a roadside tree, was a trio of White-winged Guans! 

White-winged Guan - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

The guans were rather wary of us (as they should be, since they've been nearly hunted to extinction) but we managed pretty good views of them. Eventually, they took flight down the mountain away from the road, showing off their namesake white wings in the process. We were pretty excited to have found our target species so easily. 

Fasciated Wren - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

Generally, at some point in the morning when the birding slows down, Laura focuses more of her energy into scanning the ground and low vegetation, while I continue to observe the trees and sky for birds. This strategy paid off yet again, as she spotted an emerald green snake in matching vegetation beside the road. 

Giant Parrot Snake (Leptophis ahaetulla occidentalis) - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

This is a Giant Parrot Snake, a species with a wide distribution in South America that we have seen a few times previously. It felt good to get a snake "on the board" early in the trip!

Giant Parrot Snake (Leptophis ahaetulla occidentalis) - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

We walked for several hours, finding around 50 species of birds. Some, like the Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaners and Ochre-bellied Doves refused to show themselves. Others, like this Black-capped Sparrow, were quite photogenic. 

Black-capped Sparrow - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

Black-capped Sparrow - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

We rustled up a couple of White-headed Brushfinches and a single White-winged Brushfinch along this stretch of road as well. 

White-winged Brushfinch - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

Plumbeous-backed Thrush was the dominant thrush in this habitat, but we found a surprise Andean Slaty Thrush as well. This species is not regularly found in this part of Peru and came up as rare on eBird. 

Plumbeous-backed Thrush - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

Andean Slaty Thrush - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru


Andean Slaty Thrush - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

We had found all the birds we were hoping to, other than Chapman's Antshrike and Black-cowled Saltator, and so we called the morning a success. Our walk back to the car was a little less birdy but the butterflies were out in full force. 

Hyalyris latilimbata - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

Anthanassa hermas - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

Laura and I turned the vehicle around and began the drive back towards Chiclayo. We made a few roadside stops, however, such as when Laura spotted this Peruvian Pygmy-Owl from the car. 

Peruvian Pygmy-Owl - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

We also stopped for half an hour in the dry forest just past Casupe, in an unsuccessful bid to find Chapman's Antshrike. 

Tillandsia straminea (a type of bromeliad) - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

Frost's Lava Lizard (Microlophus koepckeorum) - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

The above lizard, Frost's Lava Lizard (Microlophus koepckeorum) was a new one for us. The birding was quite good in the dry forest and I managed a few decent photo ops as well. 

Superciliated Wren - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

Superciliated Wren - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

Pacific Parrotlet - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

Laura and I also found this Tumbes Pewee visiting a nest. 

Tumbes Pewee - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

Tumbes Pewee nest - Casupe area, Cajamarca, Peru

It was around 12:30 PM when we left the Casupe area for good. We continued westward towards Chiclayo on the Pacific coast, stopping for lunch at a small restaurant near Reservorio de Tinajones, where the food was amazing, before continuing past Chiclayo and then south towards Cajamarca. We didn't make additional stops on this drive, other than a brief one for a Peruvian Thick-knee that Laura had spotted beside the highway. These bizarre, desert-loving "shorebirds" are always fun to come across. 

Peruvian Thick-knee - Mocupe area, Lambayeque, Peru

We drove for much of the afternoon, making good time so that we were left with only a couple of hours until Cajamarca which we would traverse the next morning. We found a lovely little hotel in the town of Tembladera to spend the night.