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Written by Charles Hesse
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Aug 24, 2006 at 12:00 AM |
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SINSICAP
PERU
LA LIBERTAD (Compass)
Lat:00o00´S/00o00´W ha topography msl
Protected/registered status
Best Time for visit (23rd-24th March, 2006)
Birding Site Guide
Sinsicap is easily reached by public transport from Lima. Buses leave from Horizonte bus company on Vallejo and America Sur at 5:45am and at about 2pm. The ride is about 2 and a half hours and cost me 12 soles (overcharged) on the way there and just 6 soles on the way back. It is a small town but Elmer, the owner of 'Mi Rosita' and 'Sinsicapino' restaurants, has a very basic room to rent (10 soles per person) and can provide meals. Bring a sleeping bag. The road above (Red-crested Cotinga, Curve-billed Tinamou and Giant Hummingbird) and below town can be birded but by far the best area is that described by Valqui's book for the endangered Russet-bellied Spinetail. From town, take the road back towards Trujillo, over the bridge and pass a couple of buildings on your right and some smelly chicken coups to your left. After that there is a big, white, concrete sign on the right with 'Bienvenida' written on one side and 'Feliz Viaje' on the other. At that point, there is a good path going up the hill to the left. After a couple of minutes there is a fork. Go to the right and follow the path to the top of the hill where there is a small shrine. The path continues downhill then flattens out and after 10-15 minutes you get to a view point over the valley to your left. The path continues on along the ridge but turn left here, down the hill. Soon there will be a house on your right then some eucalyptus trees. After about 10 minutes you get to a point where the path goes round a small valley. This is the best spot I found for the Russet-bellied Spinetail which seemed to me to be common here and nowhere else. I also saw Bronze-tailed Comet here. The path down from the top was excellent for other hummers including Sparkling Violet-ear, Purple-collared Woodstar and the new race of Speckled Hummingbird. 5 minutes further on is a rushing stream and a steap-sided gorge which is definately worth exploring. Green-tailed Trainbearer, Rainbow Starfrontlet, Black-necked Woodpecker and Curve-billed Tinamou were seen near here. Bay-crowned Brush-Finch was common in the whole area. I saw 35 species including 6 lifers.
Species seen
Curve-billed Tinamou Nothoprocta curvirostris Possibly seen
Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
American Kestrel Falco sparverius Photographed
White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Heard
Peruvian Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium peruanum Heard
White-tipped Swift Aeronautes montivagus
Sparkling Violet-ear Colibri coruscans Photographed
Speckled Hummingbird Adelomyia melanogenys
Rainbow Starfrontlet Coeligena iris
Giant Hummingbird Patagona gigas
Green-tailed Trainbearer Lesbia nuna
Bronze-tailed Comet Polyonymus caroli Endemic Possibly seen
Purple-collared Woodstar Myrtis fanny Photographed
Black-necked Woodpecker Colaptes atricollis Endemic Photographed
Russet-bellied Spinetail Synallaxis zimmeri Endemic Endangered
Elegant Crescent-chest Melanopareia elegans Heard
Red-crested Cotinga Ampelion rubrocristata Photographed
White-crested Elaenia Elaenia albiceps
Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant Anairetes flavirostris
Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus
Blue-and-white Swallow Notiochelidon cyanoleuca
Fasciated Wren Campylorhynchus fasciatus
House Wren Troglodytes aedon
Great Thrush Turdus fuscater
Slate-throated Redstart Myioborus miniatus
Hepatic Tanager Piranga flava
Blue-and-yellow Tanager Thraupis bonariensis
Mourning Sierra-Finch Phrygilus fruticeti Photographed
Band-tailed Seedeater Catamenia analis
Bay-crowned Brush-Finch Atlapetes seebohmi Photographed
Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis
Golden-bellied Grosbeak Pheucticus chrysogaster
Scrub Blackbird Dives warszewiczi
Hooded Siskin Carduelis magellanica
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 07:09 PM )
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