THE Biking Birder - Green and Carbon Birding Adventures Over the Years

Thursday, 25 January 2018

65 Days to Go to BB2018-Peru

Hello everyone, another day closer to the start of Biking Birder 2018 - Peru, the latest Biking Birder adventure.

Yesterday I really enjoyed going through some of my photographs of birds to be seen at Los Pantanos de Villa nature reserve, south of Lima.

To begin birding there will be wonderful and it would be great to see the many young people who work there as staff and volunteers. As with too many places there is a lot of plastic to be found there, especially along the beach and I will spend some time collecting some of it. My way of saying thank you to the birding gods who bring me such incredible bird views.

It is a fabulous, long and sandy beach, with large, noisy rollers that crash down steeply onto the shore. Birds in large numbers are always flying past; Peruvian Boobies and Pelicans, Inca Terns and many gull species. Sometimes tens of thousands of birds perform. Last year around 50,000 Guanay Cormorants were fishing just offshore.

Another video, too big for on here, shows the scene . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6z0vay17QA&feature=youtu.be

Title Guanay Cormorants Passing the Beach, Los Pantanos de Villa, Lima, Peru.

Another time I sat and watched as a huge curtain of around 10,000 Peruvian Boobies curtained down into the fish laden water. Unlike Atlantic Gannets that are individual in their steep arrow-like dive down to catch fish, Peruvian Boobies on occasions coordinate to act like a closing theatre curtain as they cascade down. Both species though retract their wings just before splashdown in order to streamline their bodies for maximum penetration.

The coastal Pacific waters are extremely rich, carrying The Humboldt Current's cold water north and hence birdlife is magnificent at all times of the year.

On the Boxing Day 2014, I visited the reserve and was astounding to find maybe 100,000 birds roosting on the sand. Mostly Franklin's Gulls and Elegant Terns, to sit in awe and watch the spectacle for hours was memorable.

At other times of the year bird numbers are less but always fascinating. Black Skimmer numbers vary from around the hundred to approaching the thousand and beautiful Gray Gulls appear. Waders include American Oystercatchers and crabs appear from their burrows in the sand. Fishermen with their children cast nets to catch masses of small crustaceans, whilst the occasional lizard catches flies on the tideline.

Yet, as well as the birds, a thrill is meeting the people there and seeing school parties of school children who come there. I remember back in July last year seven coach loads of Primary aged children arrived all at once.

Staff and volunteers soon had them walking in packs around the reserve.

Another time I remember going out onto the reserve to look for Burrowing Owls . . .

So please, if you visit Peru, visit Los Pantanos de Villa. Have a look at the Facebook page . . .

https://www.facebook.com/prohvilla/

or how wonderful it would be to meet you there in April.

All the very best and love to you all,

Gary

Gary Brian Prescott - Facebook page

Wednesday, 24 January 2018

66 Days to Go Before BB-2018 Peru.

Hello,

Yesterday I talked about The wonderful Champions of The Flyways event and how my team is struggling this year to get enough funds to go.

So, if anyone can help the three young birders, Erin, George and Samuel please contact them via the North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory email at :

alison@nrbo.prestel.co.uk

For details please see yesterday's blog. Thanks everyone.

Now 66 days to go before I start birding a reserve just south of Lima called Los Pantanos de Villa.

Maybe not the most scenic of reserves in Peru, I love the place and the staff and volunteers who work there. It has always been a delight, providing an interesting start and end to my times in Peru. A great reserve to get to grips with some coastal and wetland birds.

Located a few miles south of Lima's Miraflores district, where I will be starting from on that first morning in April, Inca Terns and Peruvian Boobies, Peruvian Pelicans and various gulls, such as Kelp, Belcher's and Franklin's will start my Green Bird list; adding to the various common birds of the Miraflores parks, Long-tailed Mockingbirds, Western Peruvian and Croaking Ground Doves, Saffron Finches, Vermilion Flycatchers and Amazilia Hummingbirds.

With a visitor's centre from where a permit is to be bought, birding will take me through high reedbeds surrounding brackish water lagoons and along pathways to tall hides overlooking large lakes. Black Vultures are everywhere, either perched up on palm trees or circling around overhead. On the smaller lagoons there will be numbers of Pied-billed Grebes and various duck, whilst small herons perch awaiting a small fish to pass; both Night Heron species, Yellow and Black-crowned, Cattle and Snowy Egrets. In the reeds the amazing Multi-coloured Rush Tyrant is a must to see.

Along the road, heading for the sea, a diversion should bring Burrowing Owls and Peruvian Thicknees, with American Kestrel, various waders such as Greater and Lesser yellowlegs, peeps and Killdeer, Peruvian Ibis and Back-necked Stilts.

So down to the never ending sandy beach with adjacent saltwater lagoon and Pacific Ocean views. Black Skimmers by the hundred, passing Guanay Cormorants by the tens of thousands, American Oystercatchers, Spotted Sandpipers, White-cheeked Pintail, Little Blue Herons, Giant Grebe and thousands of gulls, terns and boobies.

So with maybe a couple of days here to start the Big Green Bird List - Biking Birder Peruvian Adventure 2018, a list when leaving of near to 100 different birds may be on. That list may even include Humboldt Penguins! I have seen them here before.

So please visit my Just Giving page where you will find that the adventure is in aid of Birdlife International. Every donation to this wonderful international charity is a huge boost to my efforts so thanks everyone.