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Written by Charles Hesse
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Aug 24, 2006 at 12:00 AM |
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SANDIA
PERU
PUNO (Compass)
Lat:00o00´S/00o00´W ha topography msl
Protected/registered status
Best Time for visit (16th May, 2006)
Birding Site Guide
Sandia is an out-of-the-way site famous for the endemic Green-capped Tanager. Sandia is reached by a gruelling 7-8 hour bus ride from Juliaca. Buses seem to leave twice a day, at 7:30am and 3pm (20s). If you have your own transport, the road there passes some nice lakes with many waterbirds that might be worth stopping at. Sandia has several places to stay, eat and do internet. We stayed at Hostal Sandia on the plaza for 10s per person.
Green-capped Tanagers are apparently fairly common after 8km further down the valley. There are minibuses that leave the terminal when full that could drop you there. I walked from town early in the morning and found the species just 30 minutes to an hour from town. They were fairly easy to find in any areas with decent scrub or trees. Dusky Green Oropendola and Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle were also seen in this area and Torrent Tyrannulet, Black Phoebe and Torrent Duck could be seen on the river near town (the former 2 species just above and the latter just below).
Buses only leave Sandia for Juliaca at 3pm although the San Juan bus also passes later on but is usually full. It's best to buy you tickets the day before as the buses often fill up. We chose the Selva Sur bus which skidded off the road and into a ditch leaving us to freeze above 4,000m for the night. It might be advisable to chose a difefrent bus.
I saw 33 species including 2 lifers
Species seen
White-tufted Grebe Rollandia rolland Seen on bus ride to Sandia
Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Seen on bus ride to Sandia
Great Egret Ardea alba Seen on bus ride to Sandia
Puna Ibis Plegadis ridgwayi Seen on bus ride to Sandia
Andean Goose Chloephaga melanoptera Seen on bus ride to Sandia
Torrent Duck Merganetta armata
Speckled Teal Anas flavirostris Seen on bus ride to Sandia
Yellow-billed Pintail Anas georgica Seen on bus ride to Sandia
Andean Duck Oxyura ferruginea Seen on bus ride to Sandia
Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle Geranoaetus melanoleucus Photographed
American Kestrel Falco sparverius Photographed
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Seen on bus ride to Sandia
Slate-colored Coot Fulica ardesiaca Seen on bus ride to Sandia
Giant Coot Fulica gigantea Seen on bus ride to Sandia
Andean Lapwing Vanellus resplendens Seen on bus ride to Sandia
Andean Gull Larus serranus Seen on bus ride to Sandia
Band-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata Photographed
White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi
White-bellied Hummingbird Leucippus chionogaster
Andean Flicker Colaptes rupicola Seen on bus ride to Sandia
Highland Elaenia Elaenia obscura
Torrent Tyrannulet Serpophaga cinerea
Streak-necked Flycatcher Mionectes striaticollis
Tufted Tit-Tyrant Anairetes parulus
Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans
White-winged Black-Tyrant Knipolegus aterrimus
Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus
House Wren Troglodytes aedon
Chiguanco Thrush Turdus chiguanco
Rust-and-yellow Tanager Thlypopsis ruficeps
Green-capped Tanager Tangara meyerdeschauenseei Endemic Vulnerable Photographed Recorded
Dull-colored Grassquit Tiaris obscura
Dusky-green Oropendola Psarocolius atrovirens
Other Fauna
A total of -- species of mammals.
There are -- recorded species of amphibians and reptiles.
Flora
Author: Charles Hesse
www.birdingsiteguide.com |
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Last Updated ( Jul 20, 2008 at 07:06 PM )
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