We left the lodge very early, seeing two Tschudi’s Nightjar
along the track before the rough surface finally caught us out and the van got
a puncture. While the driver changed the wheel, we walked along the track.
After a couple of short stops for Peruvian Pygmy-Owl and Burrowing Owl, we were
soon on our way again and our first main stop was a mesquite forest at Bosque
de Pomac where we had a field breakfast.
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| Peruvian Pygmy-Owl |
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| Burrowing Owl |
We walked a loop trail and it was already quite hot but
there were new birds to look for. We saw Mouse-coloured Tyrannulet and best of
all, the endemic Rufous Flycatcher as well as good views of Snowy-throated
Kingbird.
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| Rufous Flycatcher |
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| Snowy-throated Kingbird |
We carried on to another site where two very localised
species hung out - Coastal Miner and Tumbes Swallows. We could easily have been
back home as they closely resembled Wheatear and House Martin. Then it was a
long drive away from the desert and up towards the Andes. On the way we added White-tipped
Swift and Tooth-billed (Hepatic) Tanager.
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| Arid hillside |
The plan was to stop at Abra Porculla pass for lunch and
some birding but the cloud had descended and visibility was almost zero with
heavy drizzle. Even so we still managed to see White-winged Brushfinch and
Slate-throated Whitestart, however it was impossible to locate a couple of
specialities that we’d hoped to find. After lunch we drove on down and got out
of the cloud making the odd roadside stop on the way to Jaen where our hotel
awaited.
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