The winner. White-bellied Cinclodes.

White-bellied Cinclodes is a critically threatened endemic bird of central Peru. It can be seen only 3 hours from Lima near the Ticlio pass. This photo by Dubi Shapiro won the Critical Threatened Category of the The Rarest Birds photo Contest.

This photo and over 500 species can be found in the newly published book The World’s Rarest Birds.  Check out The World’s Rarest Birds website, how to order the book.

Erik Hirschfeldt editor of the book and the leader of the project says:

“Of the 590 species featured in the book, we managed to obtain photos of 515. That is an amazing 87% of the 590 species that are currently categorized as either Extinct in the Wild, Critically Endangered or Endangered. We are very grateful to Princeton University Press, WILDGuides, Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International who kindly supported the project by providing a range of attractive prizes for the competition. I am sure that this support helped to encourage more people to submit their images for use in this important project.”

More beautiful prize winning pictures from World’s Rarest Birds Photo Contest can be found on Birdlife Internationals website.  For instance, Birdquest’s leader Pete Morris got a mention as Commended with this Lulu’s Tody-Tyrant which is one of the star endemic birds near Abra Patricia in North Peru.

——————————————————————————————————————

Gunnar Engblom is owner and guide of Kolibri Expeditions, a birdwatching and nature watching outfitter based in Peru and apart from Peru operating all over South America.  Gunnar blogs about new birds, social media for birders, running and birding, conservation and other things that you will find useful.
Connect with Gunnar on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Flickr andPinterest.

More Birds in Peru

Yesterday on April 2, 2013  Kolibri Expeditions guide Juan Jose Chalco lead a small group from the UK to Laguna Salinas (4300 m.a.s.l.) above Arequipa town in South Peru. Juan immediately noticed this Coot as different to Giant Coots also occurring in the area. Its bill was mainly yellow. It did not have a red tip like Giant Coot and the head shape was different.

This is a bird in non-breeding phase, possibly a female a juvenile (thanks Alvaro Jaramillo for the correction) with a small proboscis horn. In display the proboscis is blown up to look more impressive, as in the picture in the above.

The normal range of Horned Coot is from the saltlakes of NW Argentina and bordering areas in Chile and Bolivia. I recently saw it near San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, which is where most people see it.

Currently, Peru has 1842 species of birds recorded on the official list. This record and the record of Gray-rumped Storm-Petrel I found in October last year now, gets the official species list to 1844.

Follow this blog by email to get the latest updates on birds in Peru or subscribe to the newsletter (bi-weekly).

Top bird from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (Gunnar Engblom).  and the second bird from Laguna Salinas, Arequipa, Peru (Juan Chalco)

———————————————————————————————-

Gunnar Engblom is owner and guide of Kolibri Expeditions, a birdwatching and nature watching outfitter based in Peru and apart from Peru operating all over South America.  Gunnar blogs about new birds, social media for birders, running and birding, conservation and other things that you will find useful.
Connect with Gunnar on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Flickr and Pinterest.

South Africa revenge

South Africa did not do too well during Inkaterra’s Peru Birding Challenge in December last year.  With 364 species over 6 days, they came in last but one, only having Spain behind them.  The winning LSU team had staggering  493 species. From the 2012 team only Fraser Gear is coming back, together with team members Trevor Hardaker, Gavin Lautenbach and Ross Goode.

This year the birding rally will be in Northern Peru and run for 8 days starting in Chiclayo on the coast, crossing the Andes to Cajamarca,  descending to the deep Marañon river at Balsas and up the Andes on the other side to Leimebamba, hitting Marvelous Spatuletail at Pomacochas and via Abra Patricia reach Moyobamba and Tarapoto where the rally ends.

North Peru Birding Rally Recce May 13-27, 2013.

This time the South Africa team has decided to take the task more serious. Two of the team members, Fraser and Ross, will spend a month checking out the grounds of the route. And to get a crash course on the tricks of the North Peru birding route, they have employed Kolibri Expeditions.  Alex Durand and myself will coach them to become birding experts of the North and go through strategies for how to best plan the days.

There are three empty spaces in the van, so if you want to join for two weeks seeing around 500-600 species of birds, let me know. Even though our special 20% discount runs only until midnight today, we will let the remaining spaces left until they are sold out at $2700 including flights from Lima.  If staying at Lago Lindo there is a surcharge of $70

Here is the rough itinerary with some of the star birds we shall be looking for.

May 13. Fly to Tarapoto in the evening.
May 14. Birding Juan Guerra, Upaquihua and road to Sauce and Lago Lindo.Huallaga Slaty Antshrike, Bluish-fronted Jacamar, Planalto Hermit, Ashy-headed Greenlet. Night Lago Lindo or Sauce.
May 15. Lago Lindo AM and bird Tunnel. Hoatzin, Yellow-billed Nunbird, Band-tailed Manakin, Cock of the Rock, Koepcke’s Hermit, Gould’s Jewelfront and other hummers. Night in Tarapoto
May 16. Yurimaguas road and afternoon drive to Moyobamba and late pm at Wakanqui. Dotted Tanager, Blackish Pewee, Cock of the Rock, Rufous-crested Coquette etc. Night in Moyobamba
May 17. Tingana and Morro de Calzada. Night in Moyobamba. Fasciated Tiger-Heron, Buckley’s Forest-Falcon, Cinererous-breasted Spinetail, etc
May 18. Yacumama and Afluentes and Abra Patricia. Yellow Tyrannulet, Russet-crowned Crake, Point-tailed Palmcreeper, Huallaga Tanager, Paradise Tanager and other birds of the mixed feeding flock at Afluentes. Night in Venceremos.
May 19.  Lulu’s Tody-Tyrant, Long-whiskered Owlet (with luck), Emerald-bellied Puffleg, Royal Sunangel, Tapaculos and Antpittas in the Abra Patricia area. Night in Pomacochas.
May 20. Pomacochas-Leimebamba. Marvelous Spatuletail and many other hummers.
May 21.  Road from Leimebamab to Atuen. Horses. Condor, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Red-hooded Tanager, Mountain Cacique . Camp out.
May 22.  Atuen road. PM bird Abra Barro Negro pass. Coppery Metaltail, White-chinned Thistletail, Blackish Tapaculo, Russet-mantled Softtail. Night in Leimebamba.
May 23.  Leimebamba to Celendin.  Yellow-faced Parrotlet, Peruvian Pigeon, Gray-winged and Buff-bridled Inca-Finch, Chestnut-backed Thornbird, Buff-bellied Tanager.
May 24. Celendin to Cajamarca. Plain-tailed Warbling-Finch, Tit-like Dacnis, Jelski’s Chat-Tyrant, Cajamarca Rufous Antpitta.
May 25. Cajamarca to via Puerto Eten Chiclayo. Great Spinetail, Gray-bellied Comet, White-winged Cinclodes, Black-crested Tit-Tyrant, Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail. Night in Chiclayo.
May 26. Chiclayo- Bosque Pomac Chongoyape. Peruvian Plantcutter, Tumbes Swallow, Rufous Flycatcher, Scarlet-backed Woodpecker. 
May 27.  Chongoyape and additional birding in the Chiclayo area. White-winged Guan, Sulphur-throated Finch, Guayaquil Woodpecker, Spotted Rail, Comb Duck.  

General Practice May 28 – June 4.

Once the recce is over, the team will rent our vehicle with driver Julio Benites to make a full route over 8 days. It shall be the last test drive of the route. Also hear there is space, but note that birding speed will be very intense, counting heard birds the same as as seen birds. A good opportunity for anyone who wants to pick up a lot of birds in short time.  Cost is $750 person which does not include  food and hotel.

After the General Practice the team will hit some sites for a third time which may need some more studying.

North Peru Birding Rally Challenge June 11-June 18.

For 8 days, starting at 5 AM every morning, the teams will search for birds until 6.30 PM in the evening.  The itinerary is a bit puzzling because the most bio-diverse stretch are given very little time. For instance, the corner stone of the North Peru birding route between Pomacochas and Tarapoto is only given one day on Day 6, while relatively species poor Cajamarca gets a full day on Day 3.  The outcome of the race will most certainly depend on how well one does on Day 6.

Here is the program of the big race.

DAY 1 11th. JUNE   TUESDAY

Chiclayo to: Tucume – Bosque De Pomac – Batan Grande – Laquipampa.

DAY 2 12th. JUNE WEDNESDAY

Chiclayo to: pto. Eten – San Jose De Moro – Ciudad De Dios – Represa Gallito Ciego – Tembladera – Magdalena – Abra El Gavilan – Cajamarca.

DAY 3  13th. JUNE THURSDAY

Cajamarca to: Sangal – Cañon Chonta – San Marcos.

DAY 4 14th. JUNE FRIDAY

Cajamarca to: Celendin – Cruz Conga – Limon – Balsas – Abra Barro Negro – Leimebamba.

DAY 5  15th. JUNE SATURDAY

Leimebamba – Calla-calla – Cañon de los Condores/Atuen (horseriding to & from Malqui museum) then proceeds to: birding valle Utcubamaba – Pedro Ruiz – Huembo – Laguna Pomacochas.

DAY 6 16th. JUNE  SUNDAY

Pomacochas – Abra Patricia – Alto Mayo – Aguas Verdes – Santa Elena – Tingana – Cerro la Calzada – Moyobamaba – Tarapoto.

DAY 7 17th. JUNE MONDAY

Tarapoto – Juan Guerra – Quebrada Upiaquigua – Lago Lindo.

DAY 8 18th. JUNE  TUESDAY 

Lago Lindo – Cerro Escalera. Ends at 13.30

Later that same week on June 22, the South African team shall be joining me in Lima for a pelagic.

South Africa’s Chances?

It is likely also that the other teams will make practice runs, and therefor the competition will harden. The South Africa team will have to become very good at ID:ing birds by call to stand a chance. Many of the participants in the other teams will already be well versed in South American bird calls. But as mentioned above, since some of the most bio-diverse parts are getting very little time,  in the end it may not be the actual knowledge of bird calls which will be the crucial for winning, but to have good stake-outs and the best strategy.

Harpy Eagle – the mightiest!

Right now a 2 month old Harpy Eagle nestling is being protected by Mama Harpy Eagle in SE Peru.

Here are a couple of clips of Harpy Eagle from YouTube. If that does not convince you, I don’t know what!

Here is video from SE Peru in low resolution.

And six episodes of Harpy Eagle from Venezuela. Impressive, huh?

If you like our content and don’t want to miss out on any posts, please consider filling out the newsletter form in the sidebar or subscribe to A birding blog by Gunnar Engblom by Email

Photo by Isaac Hsieh on Flickr.

Chestnut-breasted Coronet. Gunnar Engblom

Spring discount

Now is your chance for an inexpensive trip in Peru. Many airlines have special deals to Lima and Kolibri Expeditions offers 20% discount on all our tours from now to June 15.  We have put the offer on Facebook for some days now, but thought to offer it to our blog and newsletter readers as well.

Enjoy 20% discount on all our scheduled and new Peru trips from now, through April and May until June 15.  Check the Tour Calendar for the examples of trips you can take. More trips will be added later this week so keep coming back to the calendar. For instance there is a 17 day trip to Central Peru starting on April 6 (shorter options possible) and a 2 week trip combining culture, food and birds along the Southern Circuit with Nazca lines, Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca and of course Machu Picchu starting on April 25.

There are some confirmed North Peru trips lined up (but not yet in the calendar). A 6 day trip of the Abra Patricia area and Marvelous Spatuletail starts on May 8 and a longer 14 days trip in North Peru  from Tarapoto to Chiclayo over 14 days starting on May 13. The latter is together with 2 members of the South Africa team participating in the Peru Birding Rally Challenge in June.
Kolibri Expeditions is coaching the South Africans.

Legendary Alex Durand will scrutinize the Northern route showing the best sites to the South Africa team during their recce.  This will be an excellent opportunity for anyone to join at a very good price and in company with top birders and a top guide. I will join myself during a few days at the beginning and at the end.
After the 14 day recce, they will do the route for 8 days making a general practice run exactly as if it was the race together with our driver.

We are keen to run a Butterfly watching trip on June 5 in the vicinity of Satipo.  Of course there will be birds as well.
Let us know if you want another tour in Peru. The offer of  20% discount stands until April 3.  Hurry up!

If you want to do something else during this period we are open to suggestions. We can set up trips on very short notice. Maybe you want to hire a vehicle and a good knowledgeable driver. Maybe you want a short trip only over a day or few days.

Write me at kolibriexp@gmail.com immediately for more info.

Birding paradigm shift

People nowadays get interested in birds via digital photography and learning from online sources. New birders are digibirders! Perhaps there  is an ongoing paradigm shift in birdwatching.

Those were my premises for the new blogging series I have been working on some time, and which has resulted in less activity on this blog.  I wanted to produce a manual to birdwatching in the digital age which approaches birding from this new entry point.

As usual with the new ideas and approaches there will be those who cling harder to the old ideas.  It has been a bit stormy, and perhaps some people did not understand my motives behind this.

I thought that if we could lead thousands of newbies from the new and in many way natural starting point in the digital age, with the internet and the digital camera, perhaps these new digibirders could be led into the arms of the birding and naturalist organizations such as the ABA, Audubon and ABC, who do so much good and who could do with some more members.  If not, the risk is that they simply would be content to be digibirders and never learn about conservation or birding ethics.

Additionally, the idea was that by leading the new birders in this fashion some would eventually bloom and become really good birders,  safeguarding the birding as we know it. Namely, the Art of Bird Identification.

If we make an ebook,  free for download and free to spread among friends, on blogs, on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter, this could have an enormous impact. If we additionally, get some well known birders behind the idea with their endorsements and perhaps writing a few chapters, the paradigm shift may also become accepted by the critics, and birding would all of a sudden become mainstream, albeit mostly with a different focus compared to listing and field skills today.

In September last year I started writing the posts and presented the ideas to several people to see if I could get some of the friends from the bloggersphere to help out writing on topics they know much better than I. Said and done. The project is on.  Below are the posts published to date.   Check them out and follow the series from the beginning.
If you know someone who has just started to become interested in birds or someone who you think should get into birding, do them a favor and send  them this way. They will be very grateful to you.

Ten blogposts

The  seven first posts are intros to get some momentum to the blog. In post 8, the chapters of  the forthcoming ebook and their authors were presented. Post 9 and 10 are the first two chapters which will be included in the ebook.

1. You don’t need binoculars and a field guide to start birding. You need a point and shoot camera and an internet connection.  That was the essence of the first intro post. And it started a riot! In some Facebook discussions I have said I deliberately wanted to be controversial. It became a controversial statement, and perhaps that was good to gain some notion for the series. But it was not deliberately controversial, because I see this happen every day in Peru, where there is no traditional birdwatching movement. People here rather get a camera to shoot birds than binoculars to look at them to start with.

Given from the comments I have seen later, it is looks like this trend is also happening in countries where there are strong birding communities, although some either don’t want to acknowledge this fact or in some way feels superior (or certainly different) to those who only takes photos with no clue. They say bird photographers are not really birders.  Perhaps in the true definition they are right, but to promote birding their attitude is to self serving and will only scare away those digibirders who have the potential of becoming truly good birders in the future.

2. It used to be so hard.
Before it was overwhelming to try to identify birds on your own. Now you can answers on the internet.

3. How to get a kid interested in birds and nature.
Say you have kids and you really would like them to become more interested in nature, but they are more into to TV and computer games.  You are tearing your hair with the potato couch kid. You read some manuals about birding, which all invariably recommend getting a pair of binoculars first of all.  You have $350 to spend. Binoculars or Point and Shoot Camera?

4. Birding is easy. Birding is massive.
If there are 48 million people in the US who have enough interest in birds to call themselves birdwatchers according to recent national survey, why are only 0.1% included in the birding network of some 50,000 active birders. 99.9% are not engaged in the birding movement. Maybe we are doing something wrong? Or at least we could do something better.

5. Why birds, why not bug or mushrooms?  
Short post praising the diversity and the beauty of birds.

6. Digital Photography. The nature watching revolution.
There is no doubt that it is digital photography which has brought the change  of paradigm on to us. Where will it go from here? What does it mean for nature watching clubs?

7. The rewards of birding.
How do you measure the success as a birder. Listing milestones or likes and shares for a photo of Facebook?

8. The Birding 101 ebook layout.
Here is the plan and the authors presented so far. The include so far Kenn Kaufman, Richard Crossley, Ted Eubanks, Robert Mortensen, Grant McCreary, Tony Gallucci, Carole Brown, Stephen Ingraham, Drew Weber, Christopher Wood and Mike Parr. Many more shall be added.

9. Birding resources on the web. There are field guides available on the web. Both for newbies and more advanced birders. If you still can’t figure out which bird you photographed, then you can upload it to a number of sites. It will usually only take a couple of minutes before you have an answer.  This is the first chapter in the ebook.

10. Birding with a point and shoot camera. Excellent article by Stephen Ingrahem going through what you should look for as birder when you shop for a point and shoot camera.  Chapter 2 in the ebook.
There you go. Hope this is useful for you.

How will birdwatching be 10 years from now?

You are invited to a Google Hangout, which is like a webinar, where we shall discuss how birdwatching will be 10 years from now?

Birding 101 contributors Gunnar Engblom  and +Robert Mortensen gave a live chat on Gunnar’s Google+, Youtube channel and on both Birding 101 blog as well right here.

UPDATE: This is the edited recorded session between Robert Mortensen and Gunnar Engblom. Unfortunately, Gunnar’s laptop overheated again and the session was broken pre-maturely.

The last question which Robert started answering. Should the membership organizations, such as the ABA actively try to recruit from the new huge group of people who got into birds via digital photography, or should they remain as an organization principally geared towards those who are interested in the fine (somewhat “intellectual”) art of bird identification?

Comments below, please!

Next Google Hangout will take place on Thursday at 8 pm Eastern time. Join us, then.

More birds – North Peru

Photographer Max Waugh, who was with us on the Marvelous Spatuletail Display Tour in January 2012,  actually sent me a bunch of pictures from North Peru, apart from the Marvelous Spatuletail shots I posted in the last blogpost. Additionally, Alex Durand came back from two North Peru trips practically in a row with loads of great shots. So just to remind you  (hint, hint) of 17 good reasons to sign up for a North Peru trip, here is a North Peru Bird bestiary.

Sparkling Violetear Colibri coruscans

Although, the Sparkling Violetear is very common through-out the Andes, it is a magnificent and very photogenic hummer.  Photo: Max Waugh.

Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan Andigena hypoglauca

Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan is a spectacular bird. We usually find it near Leimebamba.

Marañon Crescentchest Melanopareia maranonica

Crescentchests belongs to the Tapaculo family. They are very colorful. The Marañon Crescentchest is practically endemic to Peru, although it has recently been found across the Ecuadorian border at Zumba.  It differs from Elegant Crescentchest of the West slope, which we also see on the North Peru trips, by prominent white markings in the wing and richer orange below.
Photo: Alex Durand.

West Peruvian Screech Owl Megascops roboratus pacificus

The Peruvian Screech-owl Otus roboratus consists of two subspecies roboratus of the Marañon valley and pacificus in woodlands on the Peruvian and Ecuadoran west slope of the Andes.  Here is pacifcus, which is much smaller than roboratus, photographed at Chaparri Eco Lodge by Alex Durand.

Tumbes Tyrant Tumbesia salvini

Tumbes Tyrant is a pretty and active little tyrant closely related to Chat-tyrants. It is endemic to the Tumbesian region and has only recently been recorded in Ecuador on the boarder to Peru.  We often see it at Chaparri or the White-winged Guan site called Quebrada Frejolillo. Photo: Alex Durand.

Emerald Toucanet  Aulacorhynchus prasinus

Emerald Toucanet  is sometimes regarded as 7 species The form in Peru belongs to Black-throated Toucanet Aulacorhynchus (prasinus) atrogularis. Photo by Max Waugh.

Purple-throated Sunangel Heliangelus viola.

Purple-throated Sunangel is another lovely hummingbird from North Peru. Perhaps it is easiest to see in Leimebamba at the feeders of KentiKafé. But it can also be seen around Pomacochas. Photo: Max Waugh.

Golden-tailed Sapphire  Chrysuronia oenone. 

This beautiful Golden-tailed Sapphire is photographed at Wakanqui near Moyobamba. Up to 18 species of Hummingbirds visit the feeders. It is truly spectacular. Photo: Max Waugh.

Ecuadorian Piculet Picumnis sclateri.

Piculets are diminutive small woodpeckers. And they are cute! North Peru has 3 species which are regularly seen, but sometimes hard to photograph. Alex Durand manage to photograph all three. Here is the Ecuadorian Piculet  which we usually see at the White-winged Guan spot near Olmos.

Speckle-chested Piculet Picumnis steindachneri 

The Speckle-chested Piculet has a very small range. It is endemic to Amazonas and San Martin departments in Peru. It is often seen at Afluentes near Abra Patricia, but it seems even more common along the Utcubamba river between Pedro Ruiz and Leimebamba. Here are photos of both male and female. Photos: Alex Durand.

Lafresnaye’s Piculet Picumnis lafresnayi

Lafresnaye’s Piculet can be found near Tarapoto. It is a lowland piculet and is quite common in the northern Amazon. Photo: Alex Durand.

Golden-headed Quetzal Pharomachrus auriceps

Some non-birders find it a bit surprising that there are Quetzals also in South America. They are just not Resplendent like in Costa Rica. There are three species in Peru. Two in the highlands and one in the lowland. Of the highland ones, the Golden-headed Quetzal is the most common. Photo: Max Waugh.

White-necked Jacobin Florisuga melivora.

White-necked Jacobin is a quite common Hummingbird in many parts of South America. It is nonetheless still a splendid species. This shot was taken at Wakanqui  near Moyobamba. Photo: Max Waugh.

Pale-billed Antpitta Grallaria carrikeri.

Pale-billed Antpitta is perhaps one of the most enigmatic Antpittas in Peru. It used to be very difficult. Now however it is staked out above on Rio Chido headland near San Lorenzo – not far from Pomacochas. It lives in dense Chusquea bamboo patches.  Photo: Alex Durand.

Lulu’s Tody-Flycatcher Poecilotriccus luluae

Beautiful little bird endemic to the dense scrub around Abra Patricia.  It takes some time and patience to see it, but it responds well to playback.  It is also known as Johnson’s Tody-Flycatcher.  Photo: Max Waugh

Long-whiskered Owlet Xenoglaux loweryi.

Perhaps the most spectacular and the most enigmatic of all South American Owls. This was a bird which after its discovery in the seventies was not seen in the field by birders until 2007. Now it is regularly seen at the Owlet Lodge at Abra Patricia.  Photo: Alex Durand.

If you liked this post, don’t forget to subscribe to my feed above or our newsletter. And I love comments.

Please feel free to share the posts via email, or on Facebook, Google plus and Twitter. Check the sharing options below.
Happy New Year! 

Gunnar  Engblom

Connect with Gunnar on Facebook or Twitter or kolibriexp@gmail.com

Rainy season

Although, the rainy season has started in South East Peru, and current reports of mudslides along the Manu road, the North stands out as an excellent alternative when Manu is off. So doesn’t it rain in North Peru as well during this time of year?  Well, yes it does. But since the Andes are less tall here and you have a tarmac road which you can go up or down dropping 1200 elevation meters in less than an hour it gives good options to bird where it is not raining.

The increased bird activity between rain also makes up for some humidity. This is on the east slope in the North. Towards the desert habitat in the Marañon valley and the west slope the increased humidity and sometimes rain in showers or as garrua will turn the desert green by next month.  Again bird activity will explode. Birds such as Ochre-bellied Dove and Black-and-White Tanager which are very difficult in the dry season are now singing from everywhere, making them much easier to see.

On the Lima coast in Central Peru, it is sunny this time of year, and visitors are greeted by its best season when they arrive to Peru. It is a good idea to add a few days of birding in Lima – just because it is NICE.

But best of all. This time of year – November to April is the time of year the male Marvelous Spatuletail leks.  I thought I’d share with you the marvelous (sic!) photos Max Waugh took last year with us on our 9 day Marvelous Spatuletail display tour.  We shall run this tour again on January 15.

In the end of January we run a short new trip of only 5 days which also secure the Spatuletail. In February, we run a comfortable North Peru trip that includes Chaparri, expandable with a short extension to Cajamarca. These together give full coverage of North Peru and the Marañon. In March and April other tours to North Peru are in production (ask us at kolibriexp@gmail.com).

Nuff talking,… check these photos and awe… Also check this video from BBC.  If you like to go with Max on a photo-safari, check out his upcoming photosafari – workshops in Costa Rica.

Some background to this blog

First of all, I apologize for the commercial content in this post. In the future blogposts I shall provide somewhat more neutral content. If you are not interested to hear about our exciting new South America Birding tours carry on whatever you were doing  after forwarding this to someone who could be interested. On the other hand, my personal blog is housed on Kolibri Expeditions web-page, so it should not surprise you to find this post here. Fair enough?

When I moved to Peru in 1998 and started Kolibri Expeditions the idea was to run tours all over South America. Soon as the business grew and more staff got involved we started concentrating mainly on Peru to keep our staff busy. Nov-May has traditionally been slower for birding tours in Peru due to the rainy season in the south and the eastern Andes, in spite that fabulous birding can be done if combining with the North and the coast.  And it is true that we do get more requests for Peru now during this period. Things have changed. Yet, we could do with more activity to maintain our staff occupied through the year.  That is why we shall offer again – on regular basis – bird itineraries outside of Peru.  LAN has some special offers until Dec 17. Otherwise, check Kayak.com for good deals.

A letter from Argentina. November.

The diversity is not a rich as in Peru, but we have seen some great birds so far in Argentina. We have just left the Valdes Peninsula where highlights included Snowy Sheathbill, Lesser Rhea, Magellanic Penguin, Northern and Southern Giant Petrel, Band-tailed Earthcreeper, Patagonian Canastero and Elegant Crested Tinamou. However, the Southern Right Whale made a wonderful display and was voted “bird” of the day yesterday. Prior on the tour we have seen Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Diademed Tanager, Greater Rhea, Olrog’s Gull, the odd, nest parasitic Black-headed Duck, three species of Coot and White-tipped Plantcutter among many others.
The pre-trips via Arica, Chile to Jujuy and Jujuy to Buenos Aires in Argentina were possibly one of the longest one week trips ever made in mileage. 5000km covered in a week. Julio and I had to drive the car to Buenos Aires anyway and thus it was offered as a target bird extension. In spite of the short time available at each site we scored surprisingly well with Peruvian Diving-Petrel., Chilean Woodstar, Chilean Seaside Cinclodes, Northern Giant Petrel, Peruvian Martin, the fourth Chilean record of Gray-breasted Martin, Tamarugo Conebill, three flamingos, Andean Avocet, Puna Plover, Horned Coot, Red-backed Sierra-Finch, Rufous-throated Dipper, Dusky-legged and Red-faced Guan, Torrent Duck, Black-legged Sereima, Crowned Solitary Eagle, Strange-tailed Tyrant, and various unusual Seedeaters (Ibera Marshes).

The trip continues. We hope to be able to visit the Rockhopper Penguin colony off Puerto Deseado tomorrow, before continuing south  towards Calafate, Torres del Paine National Park and Tierra del Fuego. Magellanic Woodpecker, Magellanic Plover and Hooded Grebe are awaiting.  Next year in November we shall run this Argentina tour again. Argentina has been more expensive so far than I budgeted for. Our price will vary in 2013. If you pay deposit before Dec 31, 2012 prices will hold.

Banded Ground Cuckoo and 15 Antpittas twitch. Dec-Jan.

I guess you have heard the news. Banded Ground-Cuckoo is being habituated at “un Poco de Choco” research station. You don’t want to miss out on this spectacle, so we are organizing a tour for those who want to escape Christmas and the holidays.  If you do the full 3 week tour you will start in Tarapoto. We ran this tour two years ago and although we saw in total 15 species of Antpittas, we did not see the Ground Cuckoo. If the interest is large for this trip we may double to yet another departure later in 2013.  Now check this video! And read the blogpost on Birdingblogs.

Targeted birding in Magdalena and Cauca valleys in Colombia, with some Choco. Jan-Feb

A new Colombia tour which compliments the trip we did to East Central and Northern Colombia two years ago.  Highlights include several species of Bangsia Tanagers, many endemic and rare parrots, several staked out Antpittas and loads of hummers. There will be some hiking involved but not overly physical. As always, the better shape you are in the more enjoyable the trip shall be.
Check out this board on Pinterest for photos of some of the target birds.  The trip runs mid-january for 19 days

Endemic birds of Santa Marta and Central East Colombia. February.

If you have not been to Colombia before, if you have limited time or if you are less inclined to do tough walks, this birding trip in Santa Marta Mountains is a much better trip for you.  Santa Marta Mountains are absolutely jammed with endemics.  Again check the Pinterest album for the star birds of this itinerary.  It is a 13 day trip starting in mid February.

White-tailed Starfrontlet. Endemic Hummingbird from Santa Marta mountains. Photo: Gunnar Engblom

Easy birdwatching in spectacular Venezuela – introduction to birding in South America.  March.

With the digital revolution and no costs in developing film, digitial photography is the most effective way to popularize birding from a totally different angle than traditional birding introductory (see Birding 101 for more about this new approach to birding). This tour is designed to give multiple opportunities for bird photography as well as being an easy introduction to South American birds. Venezuela has a long tradition of birding and a very active Audubon Club. Incidentally, Venezuela Audubon is doing a Peru tour with Kolibri Expeditions in April, so I thought it would be fun to reciprocate and offer a trip to Venezuela – especially, as our new friends in Venezuela have promised to help suggesting the best and the safest routes. We visit mainly three areas – The coastal range of Henri Pittier National Park, the Merida Andes and the Llanos – and some areas in between – over 15 days.  The exact itinerary is in production. Contact me kolibriexp@gmail.com if interested.

Birding Chile and Juan Fernandez Archipelago.  December.

This tour can be added to our Patagonia trip or run separately. Chile is ideal for beginner birders as well as there are much fewer species to sort out, but it is also attractive to more experienced South America birders, since many of the birds have a definite “cool” factor. This is especially true when it comes to the large tapaculos Chucao, Huet Huets, Turcas and Crag Chilia. It also great for seabirds. As an extension we offer a trip to Juan Fernandez archipelago which apart from the seabird colonies also harbor a few land bird endmics such as Juan Fernandez Firecrown and Masafuera Rayadito. December is the best time of year to visit the archipelago. Price will increase in 2013. Book and pay deposit before Dec 31 for 2012 prices.

Peru Birding tours?

So what about Peru tours. It is a bit empty still on the Tour calendar for 2013, but new tours are constantly added. If you are interested in doing a tour with us and our guides in Peru send us a request and we shall upload the trip to our tour calendar and look for other participants so you get a better price.  I will be updating the tour calendar as new bookings come in and have it completely ready by Christmas. Do check in again later for a more complete schedule of tours. Again, write me: kolibriexp@gmail.com

Sign up for newsletters and blog summaries so you don’t miss any info. If you are on Facebook connect with me, if you like any of birds, punkrock, running, Eminem, Elvis Presley, Guran Guran, marathons, beer and/or wine – or connect with Kolibri Expeditions Facebook page for more clean birding news.
I’m also on Twitter as @kolibrix – sharing my favorite blogs and sometimes chatting away.

Jason Kessler is back with a new hilarious clip and sequel of Sh*t birders say. If you are a birder, the comments you get can be quite funny – to us. Enjoy.

 

If you haven’t seen the previous one, here it is:

Hand on heart. Which was more fun?