Peru - 'Surf & Turf'

After arriving in Lima (on BA’s new direct flight from London Gatwick), we begin our holiday on Peru’s expansive Pacific seaboard, under the southern hemisphere’s bright blue summer skies. Here we will search for Great Grebe, Many-coloured Rush Tyrant, ducks, herons, waders and Peruvian Thick-knee in and around Lima’s coastal lagoons and marshes. We next drive east along the spectacular Santa Eulalia road, which takes us up into the rugged Andean foothills high above Lima. Here we will search for several highly-prized endemics including Rufous-breasted Warblingfinch, Bronze-tailed Comet, Black-necked Woodpecker, Great Inca-finch, Thick-billed Miner and Rusty-bellied Brush-finch. Tall stands of introduced Eucalyptus trees often hold the diminutive Peruvian Pygmy-owl and, if the weather is favourable, Andean Condor may take to the air. Higher still, we will explore patches of threatened Polylepis forest at sunrise in search of the beautiful endemic White-cheeked Cotinga.

We then continue our journey, driving 100 miles east of Lima to the desolate, windswept páramo at Marcapomacocha, where we’ll wrap up warmly to scour these high-altitude cushion plant bogs for two charismatic species: the endemic White-bellied Cinclodes and the beautifully patterned Diademed Sandpiperplover. Dark-winged Miner and Junin Canastero are two further target endemics, along with more widespread birds such as Streak-throated Canastero, Plain-breasted Earthcreeper and White-winged Diuca-finches.

We next drive back down the central Andean highway to Lima before turning south to the Reserva Nacional de Paracas, the most important wildlife sanctuary on the Peruvian coast. Pelagic birds nest on the offshore islands in such impressive numbers that their nitrogen-rich droppings (guano) collect in quantities large enough to be commercially exploited for fertiliser. During a morning excursion to the islands we will hope to see Humboldt Penguin, Chilean Skua, Peruvian Tern and the beautiful Inca Tern, as well as up to four gull species, Peruvian and Blue-footed Boobies, Peruvian Diving-petrel and the resident sea lion colony. Jose Antonio Padilla, known to many of our clients for his expert guidance in Peru and Bolivia, will lead this exciting new tour.