Final Peru 2009 Post - Back in Lima

After 2 weeks in the Amazon lowland and the Andean highlands, our group returned to Lima on June 19. We had been to the true tops of the mountains, and to the jungles of the largest rain forest in the world. In total we had seen over 500 species of birds, including some very rare and difficult to see. The variety of flora, fauna and even people was impossible to have imagined when we were planning the trip, and worth every minute.

We spent the last couple of days in and around Lima. A highlight was a trip out of Lima to the offshore islands nearby via boat. A large number of birds which cannot be seen on land were spotted, and we were lucky to have a former Peruvian Navy officer take us out. One of the interesting things to see was the cliffs so full of bird droppings that they had been harvested for years as fertilizer.


Another really interesting thing to see was the sea lion colony. Literally thousands of them covered the cliffs. The smell was overpowering.


We even saw this poor seagull who had staked out his own dead sea lion, and was trying to figure out how to get it home!


Peruvian Pelican (90 inches or more than 7 feet long!)


While we were out on the ocean, we saw this fishing boat pulling in it's net. The number of seabirds, including the Peruvian Pelican trying to rob the net was incredible.



A group of Humbolt Penguins (About 27 inches tall). They don't fly, but they can really swim. They were incredibly agile at getting in and out of the water.


One of the most beautiful of the birds is the Inca Tern. (About 17 inches)


American Oystercatcher (about 16 inches).


Blackish Oystercatcher (about 17 inches)


The very unique and colorful Red-Legged Comororant (about 30 inches).


A cousin of the Royal and Bar-winged Cinclodes is the Surf Cinclodes. Remember the bird we were chasing up at 15,000 feet in the Andes? Well this cousin lives on the islands offshore and hunts it's food as the water recedes from the breakers.


Moving to the shore and the swamps and wetland nearby.

Chilean Flamingo (about 40 inches)


Great Egret (about 38 inches).


Snowy Egret (about 2 feet).


Cinnamon Teal (about 18 inches).


And Female( a bit larger)


Common Moorhen also known as Common Gallinue (About 12 inches).


A rare and difficult to see swamp dweller, the Many Colored Rush-Tyrant ( 4 inches).


And finally in the foothills near Lima.

Amazilla Hummingbird (about 3.5 inches).


Peruvian Meadowlark (8 inches).



Least Seedsnipe ( about 7 inches).


Variable Hawk (about 22 inches).


Black-Chested Buzzard Eagle(about 30 inches).


Burrowing Owls actually live underground in burrows. (About 9 inches).


And I am going to finish up this trip with the bird we looked and looked for. Tinamou are a pretty large group of very similar birds which tend to stick to the ground, stay very deep in cover, and if flushed immediately drop back to cover. This is the Andean Tinamou (about 11 inches). We were the lucky ones!



Once again, thanks to Terry Mecham for the pictures in these last two posts. I remain in mourning about having the drive on which all of my Peru pictures go down. What a trip!