Nature Photography
South America | Peru Tarapoto, Pomacochas, Manu Reserve, Cusco, Machu Pichu and Titicaca Lake
Day 1: Arrival and visit La Villa Marshes
- Arrival in Lima Airport or pick up at the hotel and then, drive 1 hour to Chorrillos, visit to Pantanos de Villa (Marsh Ecosystem) to try our first Peruvian birds like Inca Tern, West Peruvian Dove, Peruvian Pelican, Many-coloured Rush-Tyrant and others, in the afternoon, we will take our flight to Tarapoto, then, transfer to our hotel in this town. (3 or 4 stars hotel)
Day 2: Transfer to Pomacochas
- During the morning, we will drive from Tarapoto to Pomacochas, we will make some stops on the way to see and to photograph beautiful birds, in the afternoon, we will enjoy the feeders and the main road around the lodge, overnight in Pomacochas (Huembo Lodge, Owlet Lodge or Puerto Canoas)
Day 3: Pomacochas area
- Full day to explore the different forest patches looking for those Peruvian Specialties and to see the amazing Marvelous Spatuletail, at night we will try the mistic and endangered Whiskered Owlet, overnight in Pomacochas.
Day 4: Flight to Lima
We will explore other spots in the area, we also will try to see the mistic Royal Sunangel, a near endemic from Peru and Ecuador, then we will drive back to Tarapoto to take our flight to Lima, get some rest and be ready to explore the south side. Overnight in Lima
Day 5: Flight to Cusco and visit Secret Garden
We take the first flight to Cusco and then will drive one hour to the Sacred Garden to see and photograph the endemic Bearded Mountaineer, we will visit some marshes as well to try the Andean Specialties like Mountain Caracara, Andean Goose, Puno Ibis, White-tufted Grebe, Puna Teal and many others, in the afternoon, drive to Hacienda Florida
Day 6: Drive to Wayquecha
Early drive to Wayquecha Bird Sanctuary, we will make some stops on specific spots to try birds like Rufous-capped Thornbill, Scaled Metaltail, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Yungas Pygmy Owl, Slender-billed Miner, Creamy-crested Spinetail and many others.
Day 7: Morning in Wayquecha
Morning in Wayquecha to try some special birds of this place like Black-faced Brushfinch, Urubamba Antpitta, Golden-headed Quetzal, Banned-tailed Fruiteater, Paradise Tanager, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Black-throated Flowerpiercer, Violet-throated Starfrontlet among others, after lunch we will drive one hour or more to Cock of the Rock Lodge (CORL). Night at CORL
Day 8: Full day at CORL
The Manu Road is one of the famous routes around the world to photograph birds, from our lodge we will try to see and photograph the most emblematics of this region. Target birds could be: Andean Cock of the Rock (Eastern Subspecies) Rufous-capped Nunlet, Curl-crested Aracari, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, Blue-throated Piping Guan, Jet Manakin, Round-tailed Manakin among others. Night at CORL.
Day 9: Transfer to Manu Biology Station (MBS).
Located 1 hour from CORL, we will explore the area looking for more endemics, rarities and goodies of Peru, then we will enjoy the feeders, overnight in MBS. Target birds are: Golden-tailed Sapphire, Gray-breasted Sabrewing, Long-billed Starthroat, Gould’s Jewelfront and many others. Overnight in MBS
Day 10: From our base lodge
From our base lodge, we will drive for a short to visit Inkamazonia and Pico de Hoz bird feeders, in the afternoon, back to lodge, night in MBS
Day 11: Transfer to Wayquecha Lodge. Night at Wayquecha
We will enjoy the morning looking for more special birds on the main road, after lunch we will come back to Wayquecha Lodge.
Day 12: Transfer to Ollantaytambo
This day we will leave the Manu road and will drive almost 4/5 hours making some stops on the road to check for new birds, in the afternoon, we can visit Ensifera Camp to see other special birds like White-tufted Sunbeam, Violet-throated Starfrontlet, Giant Hummingbird, White-bellied Hummingbird, Green and White Hummingbird, Chiguanco Thrush, Blue and Yellow Tanager, Cinereus Conebill and others. Finally, we will drive little more to Ollantaytambo. Overnight in Tierra Inca Hotel.
Day 13: Visit to Machu Pichu
The day starts very early, we need to be at the train station a 5 a.m. then we will enjoy the amazing landscape for 2 hours, then we will take the bus who will take us to the Machu Pichu Entrance, during the visit we can do some birding looking for species like Inca Wren, Ocellated Piculet, Spectacled Redstart, Mitred Parakeet, Rust and Yellow Tanager, Variable Antshrike, Gould’s Inca, Silvery Tanager, Golden-crowned Brushfinch, Cuzco Brushfinch, White-winged Black-Tyrant, Versicoloured Barbet, among others. In the afternoon, we will back to Ollantaytambo and will take the car to drive 1/30 hours to Cusco, overnight in Cusco.
Day 14. After breakfast, we will drive to Combapata
After breakfast, we will drive to Combapata, we will do some birding on the way and will visit some spots to try new birds, overnight in Casa Amaru.
Day 15. Early drive to Titicaca Lake
Early drive to Titicaca Lake, we will visit the local community looking for Titicaca birds, overnight in Puno.
Day 16. Visit by boat on the lake looking for new birds
Visit by boat on the lake looking for new birds, in the afternoon, we will drive to Juliaca to take our flight to Lima for the international flight.
