PATAPAMPA 
PERU

AREQUIPA (near) (Compass)

Lat:00^o00´S/00^o00´W ha topography msl 
Protected/registered status 
Best Time for visit (15th February, 2006)

Birding Site Guide

Patapampa is easily reached from Arequipa by bus. There are several bus companies going to Chivay. Reyna and Andalucia both have services leaving the main terminal at 6:30 in the morning. I took the Andalucia bus (11 Soles - overcharged?) which arrived in Patapampa in less than 3 hours. Patapampa is the highest point on the Chivay road at 4800m. Do not overexert yourself at this altitude. Stupidly I ran to get the bus back, missed it and was left hyperventilating. I managed to hitch back to a junction from where more buses pass. Before Patapampa, you pass a big red INRENA sign on the right and shortly after a sign for Mirador Los Andes (also on the right). This is a good place to get off. There is a spectacular view of several volcanoes from here. Walk back down the road towards Arequipa and after about 1km some 'bofedales' (cusion-plant bogs) will come into view. go round the bend and look for the first stream going down. This passes through a small bofedal where I found a Diademed Sandpiper-Plover pair with a chick less than 50m from the road. There is another larger bofedal further along on the right. Here too I saw Grey-breasted Seedsnipe and White-fronted Ground-Tyrant. There seem several good wetland areas on the way worth exploring if you have your own transport. I saw 15 species including 1 lifer. 

Species seen

• Speckled Teal Anas flavirostris Seen on way to Patapampa
• Crested Duck Anas specularioides Seen on way to Patapampa
• Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
• Giant Coot Fulica gigantea Seen on way to Patapampa
• Diademed Sandpiper-Plover Phegornis mitchellii Near-threatened
• Andean Gull Larus serranus Seen on way to Patapampa
• Puna Miner Geositta punensis Seen on way to Patapampa
• Bar-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes fuscus
• Cordilleran Canastero Asthenes modesta
• White-fronted Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola albifrons
• Andean Swallow Haplochelidon andecola
• White-throated Sierra-Finch Phrygilus erythronotus
• Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch Phrygilus plebejus
• White-winged Diuca-Finch Diuca speculifera
• Black Siskin Carduelis atrata 

Other Fauna 
A total of -- species of mammals. 

There are -- recorded species of amphibians and reptiles. 

Flora 

Author: Charles Hesse

www.birdingsiteguide.com