Back
in The U.K.
So
after a day travelling I am back at my parent's house, alone with
their cat. Mum and Dad are on holiday! Mind you I have seen my superb
Son, Joshua and brilliant to have a catch up meal with him.
I
am excited about the coming months as I have a lot of travelling
around Britain ahead with evening talks to RSPB local groups,
starting at Truro, Cornwall on the 26th of October.
Before
then I will be buying a small car, writing the book of my Peruvian
adventure and sending masses of THANK YOU emails and Facebook
messages to all of the wonderful people who made the whole experience
so fabulous.
Let's
get on with another day updated from back in July. . .
For
those who may be new to my blog I know that today is October the
ninth but due to a number of factors, mostly a lack of internet
within The Manu National Park, I could not keep up the daily blog
describing my adventures.
You
now know I survived the six month Biking Birder Peruvian adventure
over The Andes by bicycle and along the Madre de Dios river by
packraft!
What
follows over the next 70 days, well to Christmas anyway, will be a
daily update as though we are back together in July of this year. Day
by day I will post my diary as though it is still happening. Together
we will share the thrills, the splendour of nature and the terrors.
Oh yes, there were days of terror but those few moments were outshone
by days of such magnificence that dark clouds were obliterated by
nature's beauty.
So
please read and imagine . . . .
Oh,
and please, PLEASE if you could make a donation to Birdlife
International as you read I would be more over the Moon than I
already am! Neil, I am coming to see you.
Thank
you and love to you all,
Be
Green.
Gary
xxx
5th
July, 2018
Cloud
from the start and cooler, double jumper day!
The
conch is heard and everyone gathers for breakfast. A final date with
a wonderful group of people, my visit has been lovely and new friends
made. Thanks to be given to John, Habir, Blanca, Claudio and to all
of 'The Lads,' those fabulous Peruvian Columbia supporters!
Weyqecha
Biological Research Station is a fabulous place. The location is
perfect with, when out of the cloud, amazing views. It is quiet and
secreted away from the dirt track Manu Road. The bird life is varied
and colourful. Butterflies, dragonflies and, oh boy, the number of
moth species attracted to the lights at night, such variety of size
and colour. Incredible.
Time
to bump! The road at this height is reasonably wide and not too bad
at first but as I descend, by standing on the left peddle and holding
onto the handlebars, the quality of the road gets worse. To sit on
the saddle as normal would be dangerous on this surface.
Knowing
that the distance to the next lodge location, the famous Cock of The
Rock lodge, is too far away to get there in one day, well it is if I
want to bird as I descend this fabulous birding road. I stop at
Pillhuata. Here there are a number of derelict wooden buildings and a
beautiful field with a few small fruit trees and tremendous views
over the cloud forest-covered, very steep sided valley. With long
grass to cushion me, I set up the tent mid afternoon. I find a stool
at a shower and toilet building near the road and sit beside my tent
and watch as small flocks of birds pass through the trees and bushes
nearby. Mostly birds I have seen before; White-throated Tyrannulets,
Black-throated Brush-finches and Spectacled Redstarts but a superb
Andean Tyrant sitting on a telegraph wire is new.
I
walk along the road both uphill and down. Birds are sporadically seen
but after a couple of hours I have seen Montane Woodcreeper and
White-banded Tyrannulet well. Birding is not as easy one is
lead to believe along here as birds move in flocks and quickly move
on. My tactic is to concentrate on each new species in turn and write
down as many features as I can in my notebook. If happy with the
identification, I then move onto another bird. Difficult as around
here the birds are mostly high above my head. My greatest thrill
though is when a couple of Black-throated Brush-finches come onto a
berry carrying bush and feed unconcerned just a few feet from me.
Such intimacy is beautiful.
The
afternoon proceed leisurely and I sit on my stool and watch as the
cloud layers descend and fill the valley before me. Such The sun sets
and the temperature drops. I get into my sleeping bag and am soon
asleep.
Green
Year list : 299 birds
average
new birds to list per day : 3.11 birds
Mileage
: 5.09
altitude
: 8.372 feet
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