THE CENTRAL HIGHWAY OF PERU
LIMA TO HUANUCO

Puna Grassland and Cloud Forest Specialties

14 DAYS

THE CENTRAL HI-WAY OF PERU - LIMA TO HUANUCO 

PUNA GRASSLAND, CLOUD FOREST SPECIALITIES AND FLIGHTLESS GREBE 

14 DAYS 

The Peruvian Central Hi-way runs due east and then north,  from the coast, starting at the capital - Lima, and over the Andean ranges and onto the east slope cloud forest. On this trip we will go only as far as the  east slope of the Andes at Huanuco. This trip is a great introduction to the cross section of birds to be found from sea-level to the high Puna grasslands at over 4000 meters and on the eastern Andean slopes in the Cloud Forest. It's also designed to enter one of the, up until now, inaccessible  sites - Bosque Unchog - where some of the worlds most sought  after birds exist in this tree-line elfin forest and Paramo.   

Day 01 : On arrival in Lima, we'll transfer to our hotel. For those who wish, an optional excursion to the nearby Villa marshes  or agricultural areas south of Lima is available for in the afternoon for typical coastal passerines and waterfowl. Night at the Hotel in Lima. 

Day 02 : Full day excursion with a picnic lunch to the Lomas de Lachay nature reserve north of Lima. We'll bird a cactus clad canyon for the endemic Cactus Canastero. We should also pick up Grayish Miner (endemic) here. Moving on to greener areas of the reserve , we'll be on the lookout for Thick-billed Miner (endemic). Here also we may see Least Seedsnipe, Amazilia Hummingbird, Raimondi's Yellow-finch, Collared Warbling-finch ( June - October),  and Coastal Miner.  If time permits in the afternoon we will visit  some nearby  coastal lagoons or bird  some agricultural areas on the way back to Lima for Short-tailed Field-tyrant and Peruvian Thicknee. In the late afternoon we’ll traverse Lima to Santa Eulalia to put is  a  good position for the next day. Night at  a Hotel in Santa Eulalia. 

Day 03 : To-day we'll set off early  for the road from Santa Eulalia to Casta. We'll  bird the arid xerophitic vegetation in search of the endemic Great-Inca-finch (endemic). Birding the hill slopes and watching for mixed species flocks, birds of particular interest we may encounter include : Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail  , Rusty-bellied Brush-finch, Striated Earthcreeper  , Black-necked Woodpecker , Canyon Canastero. (All endemics). We have seen the rare Rufous-breasted Warbling-finch (endemic) here in the past.  On the lower streams we may see Torrent Duck.   We'll look for Collared Warbling -finch also. In the evening we'll return to our Hotel in Santa Eulalia for the night. 

Day 04 : Leaving early we'll try to get  to Marcapomacocha as the sun is illuminating the hill slopes and bird activity begins at  these extreme altitudes. Birds on the grassy slopes include White-winged Diuca-finch, Dark-winged (endemic) and Common Miners, Plain-breasted Earthcreeper, Peruvian  and Plumbeous Sierra-finches, Junin Canastero and several species of Ground-tyrant. Walking the wet valley  bottoms, we'll search for one of the three pairs of breeding Diademed Sandpiper-plovers in the area and also the endemic White-bellied Cinclodes, perhaps the most  elegant of all the Cinclodes.  We'll visit a deep lake nearby for Silvery Grebe and Giant Coot and look for other species of waterfowl here. Black-breasted Hillstars (endemic) are quite  common here.In the late  afternoon we'll return to the main hi-way and on over Ticlio pass at 4843 meters and to Junin for the night. We’ll stay in the basic but friendly and clean Hotel San Cristobal. 

Day 05 : To-day we'll spend all day at  Lake Junin and our quest will be for the endemic and endangered Junin Grebe. This flightless Grebe lives and breeds in the floating reed beds in the middle of the lake and we will have to contract local (very basic) boats  to see the birds  (we'll provide life jackets).  We should with any luck be able to scope the birds from the reed islands. On this quest we will see a wide variety of other  waterfowl as well, and in the surrounding fields and meadows we'll see many terrestrial species including Sierra-finches, Pipits, Ground-tyrants and maybe a Tinamou or two. In the late afternoon we return to our hotel in Junin. Night Hotel San Cristobal. 

Day 06 : Leaving Junin we drive past the lake  and drop into  Northward flowing river valleys. On the way we'll make planned stops for special birds. There is a Polylepis woodland at 3700 meters where we'll look for Andean Tit-spinetail , Southern Line-cheeked Spinetail (endemic), d'Orbignys Chat-tyrant, Black Metaltail (endemic), Tufted and Pied-crested Tit-tyrant (endemic), Giant Conebill, Stripe-headed Antpitta, Red-crested Cotinga and more. Continuing our descent we'll stop at about  2500 meters for the endemic Brown-flanked Tanager and Rufous-backed Inca-Finch. lower still we should see Fasciated Wren and White-bellied Hummingbird. In the evening we'll drive into the bustling city of Huanuco for the night. Night Hotel deTuristas. 

Day 07-08 : Two full days to bird  the Carpish Tunnel area one hour  north of Huanuco. As you leaves the arid Huanuco valley and pass thru the Carpish Tunnel, you are suddenly in mossy cloud forest with incredible mixed species flocks. This is some of the best cloud forest birding in Peru!  During the three full days here, we'll explore  trails leading down into the forest and also bird from the road. Species possibilities are many and varied, apart from large canopy flocks of  Tanagers, Flowerpiercers, Furnarids and Flycatchers, understory birds such as Woodcreepers, Antbirds, Tinamous and  Quail-doves move thru the undergrowth in large mixed flocks. A complete list would be impossible to include here but some of the more restricted central Peruvian specialities and unusual species we will look for are  :   Bay Antpitta, Chestnut Antpitta,  Peruvian Tyrranulet ( all endemics), Sickle-winged Guan, Barred Parakeet, Powerful Woodpecker, Rufous Spinetail, Rusty-winged Barbtail, Long-tailed Antbird, Masked Fruiteater ( endemic),  Gray-breasted Mountain-toucan , Uniform Antshrike, Flavescent Flycatcher, Inca flycatcher (endemic), Rufous-crested Tanager, Buff-tailed Sicklebill, Rusty-breasted Antpitta, Unstreaked Tit-tyrant, Scarlet-rumped Cacique and a host of Tanagers. We  have even seen Masked Saltator in the Chusquea bamboo here.  One night we'll stay late for some nightbirding - Rufous-banded Owl and White-throated Screech-owl.  For a complete list of birds of the Carpish area see "Birding".  First night Hotel Huanuco, second night Hotel Tingo Maria 

Day 09 :  Early start from our comfortable hotel in Tingo Maria – our destination, perhaps the most spectacular Oilbird cave in the Americas. We’ll spotlight thousands of Oilbirds at their roost in the cave. Nearby forest holds Coraya Wren, the endemic Huallaga Tanager, Military and Blue-headed Macaws and a host of lowland Amazonian species. We’ll spend the day here, returning via Chinchivito gorge where we’ll look for Cock of the Rock and Amazonian Umbrellabird. Night Hotel in Huanuco 

Day 10 : We’ll start the adventure  to-day , meeting our  guide and horse handler - Reyes Rivera who was instrumental in finding  the birds we are looking for with LSU expeditions in the past. At Cochabamba we’ll leave our  bus and using tame,safe Andean saddle ponies and  mules  for the gear  we,ll trek to Bosque Unchog - about 1 hour but we’ll take a slow afternoon birding walk into camp. Those who want to can ride- we have had luck with the endemic Brown-flanked Tanager here. In the late afternoon we may have time for some late birding as our camp crew set up our safari camp and prepare dinner for us. A hearty dinner prepared by our cooks will be  accompanied by chat  about the birds that await us the next day. Night in safari camp. 

NOTE : For those who do not want to take the option of camping at Bosque Unchog, there is the option of returning to Lima on day 10. 

Day 11&12 : Two full days birding the Bosque Unchog area.  Here we will be looking for several species that only a handfull of birders have seen before : Golden-backed Mountain Tanager, `Pardusco, Rufous-browed Hemispingus,  Bay-vented Cotinga, Sharp-billed Tapaculo, Elfin Forest Tapaculo, Tellow-scarfed Tanager and White-chinned (plengei race) Thistletail - all endemics. The obscura race of ‘Rufous Antpiotta here is certainly a distinct species There are  many other birds in the area and it should be a  stunning two days of dynamite birding – possibilities include Line-fronted Canastero, Many-striped Canastero, Paramo Pipít, Curve-billed Tinamou and much more. We will descend on trails into chusquea bamboo stands on one day - Greater Scythbill and White-capped Tanager  have been recorded here.  We'll return to camp each lunchtime and there will be time set aside for bathing in the rushing Andean streams or in the portable showers we will take with us. Both nights in safari style camp. 

Day 13 : To-day we'll do a few hours early morning birding as our crew break camp and then head  down to  Cochabamba  where our bus will be waiting to take us to Huanuco. We'll plan to be at the hotel early for showers and some time to relax. Night Hotel de Turistas. 

Day 14 : Morning flight to lima and connecting international flights.  Day rooms or overnight at Hotel La Castellana in Miraflores, Lima if required.

NOTE : The very nature of the isolated areas we will be visiting at Bosque Unchog means we will have to camp for three nights. Our  camp crew will take care of everything. However, everyone must bring a good sleeping bag and an inflatable sleeping pad  ( Therma-rest brand reccomended), for the nights in camp . The camps are  as comfortable as possible with dining tents and folding tables and chairs. Portable warm showers and a latrine tent will be available.  

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