I intend now that I am back in Wifi country to post all of the days details I typed whilst in my tent or in a small room found for me by villagers.
Things have been very tough but so very wonderful.
OK let's go back a couple of weeks . . . .
Hello
again! That is hello if you have been here before. If you are new to
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I
am trying to raise money for two charities and obviously I would
love you to donate to them.
Please!
Birdlife
International
Chaskawasi-Manu
Children's Project
April
19th,
2018
Hot,
hazy and sunny day
Time
to move on from Chaclacayo, the road is busy and the way is a
constant uphill climb, though not quite enough on the most part to
require a push. Going through a few grimy villages, the tarmac has
frequent potholes and cracks; the concrete pathways have steps and
slopes and are busy with people.
A
divide in the road with my chosen route leaving the busy main road,
heading north. At last, although much steeper, this road is quite and
as it climbs the scenery changes to one of lush, orchard-filled
valleys. I won't be missing the traffic! House Sparrows are beside
the road but I won't be counting these introduced birds on the Green
Birding list.
A
Peregrine
Falcon
dashes past!
Mostly
now I am pushing my heavy bike uphill and with the weather so hot I
am in need of a lot of liquid to drink. This is mostly cartoned fruit
juice, peach being my favourite. Does this count as my 'five a day?'
I know that as usual I have checked that the cartons contain juice
that has vitamins, in this case A, C and D. I am always amazed, and
always put a carton back on the shelf, when such juice doesn't
contain vitamins. Pulped, concentrated and worthless as a food item
in my eyes. Anyway I stop at a small shop to buy a couple of my
favourite one litre juice cartons and chat with the lady behind the
counter. Her name is Rose and she gets every item customers want
despite the fact that she finds walking very difficult due to
arthritis.
I give her a large cuddly toy of Nemo to give to her
Granddaughter, though I feel that Rose might hold onto it for herself
for a while!
A
small ground dove lands on the road in front of me and starts to
forage amongst the grass beside the road, a Bare-faced
Ground Dove,
a lifer as well as a new bird for the Green list. Another dove lands
next to it, a Croaking Ground Dove making a nice pair to compare
differences. Both are about the same size but the markings on the
Bare-faced make for darker looking bird when watched without optics.
As they take off on my drag uphill another difference is the whirling
rattle of wings sound as the Bare-Faced Ground Dove takes off.
The
road continues through this beautiful valley, villages are passed and
one surprise is the number of large hotel with camping recreation
places with exclusive looking restaurants I pass. At some time of
year this area must be a popular destination for Peruvian tourists, a
place for Limans to escape the city. Most are closed with
refurbishment going on. On reaching Barba Blanco and having seen an
advert for one particular establishment every kilometre along the
way, I decide to ask for a bed for the night at Hotel Rustica.
Despite the expensive price of one hundred Soles, around £50 a
night, I take it and find myself on a room with a long balcony and an
immense king-size bed, en suite of course. Luxury it may be but
considering that I will be camping more often than not as I proceed
to climb higher and higher, I will take two nights of this for now.
Mid
afternoon, showered and fed, I go out for a walk to explore and bird.
The hotel is built upon the flood plain of a river and the area is an
expanse of stony plateau with adjacent agricultural orchards, corn or
cactus crops with a couple of closed down camping spots. Birds are
few yet there are enough to keep one alert. An Oasis
Hummingbird is
new and is feeding on some flowers that are beneath the lowest
branches of some tall eucalyptus trees and is in shadow. Monarch
butterflies are flying around in small numbers. I wonder of these
ones are migrating north?
Over
the hill tops to east a white phase Variable
Hawk
flies over quite high. The hills on all sides are magnificent and
rise a few thousand feet higher than the river terrain. A small flock
of birds feeding on plants near a smashed household, a sign of the
power of the river at some time of the year, includes Rufous-collared
Sparrows, Hooded Siskins and Band-tailed
Seedeaters.
Strangely enough this is only flock of small birds of these species I
see.
After
being chased off one particular derelict camping area by two fiercely
barking dogs, the riverside has some twelve foot tall reeds and
willow-like trees.
As usual Vermilion Flycatchers are within the
trees and two Dusky-headed
Flycatchers. Pishing,
the silly sounds one makes that seem to make some birds show
themselves with curiosity, works here by bringing a number of
Southern Beardless Tyrannulets close to me.
Now
having not seen any other hummingbird species at Chalacayo other than
Amazilias, I will be honest and say that I was getting worried over
not seeing Peruvian
Sheartails.
I needn't have worried as they are common here. They include males
with two beautiful, long tail plumes of white, tipped with black.
Such tiny birds but constantly on the move. Another common
hummingbird here is the Sparkling
Violetear.
Much larger than the diminutive sheartail, the spectacular green
hummer with brilliant blue belly and ear coverts, is found here
amongst some tall plants with orange flowers, sharing the nectar with
a number of Amazilia Hummingbirds. I stand amongst an area strewn
with the popular flowers and have Amazilias and Violetears come to
within a few feet of me.
Doves
are everywhere with good numbers of Croaking and Bare-faced Ground
Doves, Eared Doves and Western Peruvian. In fact doves of these
species make up the majority of the birds seen. With eight new birds
for the Green bird list, things are going tremendously well in every
way.
Green
Year list : 94 birds average new birds to list per day : 4.95
birds
Distance
cycled : 15.19 elevation up : 2671 feet, down 397 feet altitude
: 4445 feet
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