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crowned, Golden and Spotted Tanagers. There was also a good sighting of the uncommon Goldeneared Tanager. Other more common birds included Green Honeycreeper, Slate-throated Redstart, Three-striped Warbler, Dusky-green Oropendola and Orange-bellied Euphonia. After lunch we drove up in elevation to the Rocotal area where we saw some new hummers such as Violet-throated Starfrontlet and White-bellied Woodstar and enjoyed some overall good activity which included Golden-headed Quetzal and Blue-banded Toucanet and a couple of really exciting tyrant flycatchers, namely Unadorned Flycatcher and Hazel-fronted Pygmy-Tyrant. There were other good birds this afternoon which included Montane Foliage-gleaner, Ochre-faced Tody-Flycatcher, Slaty Tanager, Black-goggled Tanager, Yellow-throated Tanager and Olivaceous Siskin. Earlier in the afternoon we had stopped to see a day-roosting female Lyre-tailed Nightjar which was perched on a thatch roof near the road. Later that evening we waited until dusk for a spectacular show given by a displaying male Lyre-tailed Nightjar which proved to be one of the trip highlights. This morning we made a pre-dawn attempt for Rufescent Screech-Owl instead finding a roosting pair of Rufous-breasted Wood-Quail balanced on a branch over the road. This was a truly spectacular find and totally unexpected. Afterwards we birded the lower part of the valley where we encountered a totally new suite of birds which included Bluish-fronted Jacamar, Cabanis’s Spinetail, Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner, Red-billed Scythebill, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, Stripe-chested Antwren, Yellowbreasted Antwren, Yellow-breasted Warbling-Antbird, Slaty-capped and Lemon-browed Flycatchers, the recently-described Cinnamon-faced Tyrannulet, Olive-striped Flycatcher, Two-banded and Golden-bellied Warblers, and Blue-naped Chlorophonia. We also had our first look at some of the more common lowland birds such as Turkey Vulture, Double-toothed Kite, Roadside Hawk, Squirrel Cuckoo, Smooth-billed Ani, Streaked Flycatcher and Tropical Kingbird. Our struggle with Duskycheeked Foliage-gleaner was more than compensated for later in the morning with sightings of 14 Military Macaws, walk-away views of Lanceolated Monklet, Peruvian Piedtail at a lek, a male Yellow-crested Tanager, and very good views of Olive Finch. We were back at the lodge for lunch adding Wedge-billed and Speckled Hummingbirds to our list as well as Yellow-bellied Seedeater. Then in the afternoon we were back up the road this time seeing the much-wanted Bolivian Tyrannulet as well as Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant, Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager and Deep-blue Flowerpiercer. Sadly, our hoped for Crested Quetzal was heard-only too far out of reach below the road. Saying goodbye to our hosts at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge we continued down the Manu road starting out the day with Scaly-naped Parrot and later we saw more Military Macaws. Soon bamboo became prominent along the roadsides where we had good luck in seeing Bamboo Antshrike perched up and we did our best to see a restless pair of Ornate Antwrens. Then we walked up a very muddy path up into the spiny bamboo where those that persevered had good views of Ruddy Foliage-gleaner. A Peruvian Recurvebill suddenly called which drew us further in. Although the recurvebill moved off all too quickly, we did have good views of the endemic Black-backed Tody-Flycatcher here as well as Pale-tailed Barbthroat. We then managed to get the tody-flycatcher to show superbly a second time to the entire group. Shortly after it was pretty much too hot for most birds and we had to content ourselves with some of the common roadside birds such as Swallow-tailed Kite, Ruddy Pigeon, Bluecrowned Trogon, Magpie Tanager and Russet-backed and Crested Oropendolas. We enjoyed a fairly birdy lunch despite the heat with a soaring Black Hawk-Eagle, Fork-tailed Palm-Swift, Dark-breasted Spinetail (for some), Montane Foliage-gleaner, Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet and Bran-coloured and Short-crested Flycatchers. A migrant Large Elaenia was a nice find and a White-browed Hermit put in a brief appearance for some. The highlight though was surely the pair of Blackish Rails that showed at such close-quarter, standing and calling loudly in the shade of some overhanging vegetation. After lunch and our last bit of shopping in Pilcopata, we made our way down to Atalaya over the fairly rough road. On this very warm afternoon we had our first introduction to Amazonian birds with the likes of Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Blue-headed Parrot, Chestnut-capped Puffbird, White-browed Antbird, Flammulated Pygmy-Tyrant (for some), Johannes’s Tody-Tyrant, Yellow-browed Tody- Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Grey-capped and Boat-billed Flycatchers, White-winged Becard, Red- 4 <strong>Birdquest</strong>: The Manu 20011
eyed Vireo and Purplish Jay. Eventually we got to a stream crossing that our very comfortable city bus could not manage but thankfully we had pre-arranged to hitch a ride to Atalaya on an empty tour bus that picked us up. Our river transfer to Amazonia Lodge went off without a hitch allowing us to walk into the lodge clearing just at dusk as the Hoatzins started jumping. After settling in we all enjoyed a pisco sour welcome-drink to go with our checklist session under the electric light powered by the lodge’s own hydroelectric supply. We enjoyed two full days to bird the trails and garden of Amazonía Lodge. The area around the lodge is regenerated floodplain forest after the lodge owners decided to convert their tea plantation into a birding lodge. This decision based on the advice of visiting ornithologists from the Field Museum of Chicago in 1983. On our first morning we started out in the lodge clearing with Cinnamon-throated Woodcreeper before venturing out along the jeep track where we had good luck in seeing Greynecked Wood-Rail and both Undulated and Cinereous Tinamous; understorey skulkers like Amazonian Antpitta, Rusty-belted Tapaculo and Black-faced Antthrush; and a good collection of antbirds that included Plain-winged and Bluish-slate Antshrikes, Chestnut-tailed and Goeldi’s. A rain shower sent us back to the clearing for a bit but the gardens are always a pleasurable place to enjoy from the mahogany veranda watching the hummers visit the feeders and vervain: White-necked Jacobin, Black-throated Mango, Rufous-crested Coquette, Amethyst Woodstar (for some), Blue-tailed Emerald, Grey-breasted Sabrewing, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Sapphire-spangled Emerald and Golden-tailed Sapphire. A Plain-crowned Spinetail was nesting in one of the vervain hedges and had built an incredible stick nest. We soon returned to the forest seeing Dark-billed and Little Cuckoos, Slender-footed Tyrannulet, Sepia-and Olive-faced Flycatchers, Fiery-capped and Band-tailed Manakins, Violaceous Jay and Hauxwell’s Thrush. After lunch some of us managed to stave off siestatime drowsiness to watch the Gould’s Jewelfront visiting the feeder. There was always something going on with Speckled Chachalaca, Grey-fronted Dove, Pale-legged Hornero, Red-capped Cardinal and Masked Crimson and Blue-great Tanagers always making the rounds. In the afternoon a Koepcke’s Hermit was certainly the highlight along with Scarlet Macaw, Cobalt-winged Parakeet, Little Cuckoo, Black-tailed Trogon, Black-fronted Nunbird, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Little and Crimson-crested Woodpeckers, Plain Softtail and Thrush-like Wren. The next day we walked up into the hill forest above the lodge where the activity was pretty slow due to the heat but we still came away with some nice birds that included Spix’s Guan, Dusky-billed Parrotlet, Pale-tailed Barbthroat, Rufous-tailed Foliage-gleaner, Rufous-tailed Antwren, Round-tailed Manakin, Tawny-crowned Greenlet, Half-collared Gnatwren and White-winged Shrike-Tanager. Up on the tower there was very little going on but we did have nice views of Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle as well as Scarlet Macaw, Grey-rumped Swift, Opal-rumped and Green-and-gold Tanagers and Black-faced Dacnis. The big surprise was when a Plum-throated Cotinga flew onto a nearby perch as this is normally a floodplain species. That afternoon we took it easy along the Hoatzin clogged oxbow with Band-tailed and Silvered Antbirds and the nearby successional forest where we saw Emerald (Black-throated) Toucanet, Slender-billed Xenops, Plain-brown, Wedge-billed and Black-banded Woodcreepers, Pygmy Antwren, Long-winged and Grey Antwrens and Ringed Antpipit. On our last morning we started out with a Southern Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl that was actually perched too close and after striking out with a Common Potoo we went in for breakfast. We were relieved to connect with a male Fine-barred Piculet after having struggled the previous two days. Nearby we were fortunate to come across an antswarm of sorts attended by the handsome Blackspotted Bare-Eye and the lovely Spot-backed Antbird. Back at the river we picked up Mottle-backed Elaenia and eventually we were all loaded on the boat and headed down the headwaters of the upper Rio Madre de Dios seeing numerous Fasciated Tiger-Herons perched above the stony rapids. During the boat journey of nearly three hours we saw Cocoi, Little Blue and Capped Herons, Great and Snowy Egrets, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Ringed and Green Kingfishers, Swallow-wing, Drab Water- Tyrant, Bare-necked Fruitcrow and White-banded Swallow and White-winged Swallows. A trio of King Vultures feeding on carrion allowed our boat to come incredibly close, a sighting that was truly remarkable. We also had our first of many Great Black Hawks along the river edge and our second 5 <strong>Birdquest</strong>: The Manu 20011
Page 1 and 2: LEADER: MATT DENTON THE MANU 23 JUL
Page 3: perched near the road. We arrived i
Page 7 and 8: the friaje seemed to fluctuate from
Page 9 and 10: us. The bus’s cold air certainly
Page 11 and 12: Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata: Nume
Page 13 and 14: Greater Yellow-headed Vulture Catha
Page 15 and 16: Common Gallinule (C Moorhen) Gallin
Page 17 and 18: Red-and-green Macaw Ara chloroptera
Page 19 and 20: NYCTIBIIDAE Great Potoo Nyctibius g
Page 21 and 22: Chestnut-breasted Coronet Boissonne
Page 23 and 24: Striolated Puffbird Nystalus striol
Page 25 and 26: White-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes at
Page 27 and 28: Montane Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes
Page 29 and 30: Black-faced Antbird Myrmoborus myot
Page 31 and 32: White-lored Tyrannulet Ornithion in
Page 33 and 34: Cinnamon Flycatcher Pyrrhomyias cin
Page 35 and 36: Band-tailed Manakin Pipra fasciicau
Page 37 and 38: White-eared Solitaire Entomodestes
Page 39 and 40: Swallow Tanager Tersina viridis (LO
Page 41 and 42: Black-backed Grosbeak Pheucticus au
Page 43 and 44: Tayra Eira barbara: A marauding ind
Page 45 and 46: More oxbow lake birds included Sung

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