Birds of the Sacred Valley
Bird Watching

We start early in the morning, at about 6:30 am in the garden of Sol & Luna. This garden of local and international plants and flowers, is a profusion of color throughout the year. It extends all over the property, winding around the bungalows, the restaurant and the ranch and includes hortensias, geraniums, salvia, hibiscus, cypress trees, fig trees, elderberry, lantana bushes, echinopsis, raspberries, sombrero de panamas and more. This variety of plants has become a mini-eco system, attracting an assortment of both common and uncommon birds. At least 30 different species have been observed in the garden. We will spend about an hour here, watching for frequent visitors like Peruvian sierra finches, green and white humming birds, golden-billed saltators, black-backed grosbeaks, conebills, blood-throated flower piercers and rusty-throated flower piercers. (Bird´s Sol & Luna)

Next, we drive about 45 minutes towards the Pumahuana Gorge until we reach Pisi Granja, a fish farm. From here we continue on foot, ascending higher into the mountain. We pass through primary forest, with trees endemic to these parts like the quenua. Here we hope to find the creamy-crested spine tail and the rusty-fronted canastiero. If we are lucky, we might see a Royal Cinclopes. We continue to ascend slowly up to about 9000 to 10,000 feet where we hope to see birds like the white-browed tit spinetail and the tawny-tit spinetail, both common for this altitude.

Depending on the group, we can spend 2-3 hours on the mountain for a half-day excursion and return to Sol & Luna for lunch. Or we can plan a full-day excursion, spending longer on the mountain with a box lunch and returning around 4 pm to the Hotel.

KID´s FRIENDLY

About Carlos Seminario
Languages: English, Italian, Spanish, Quechua
A Cuzco native, Carlos always seems to wrangle up some element of surprise on his tours. In 1993, Carlos began working as a rainforest wildlife tour guide and has served twice as course instructor for naturalist guides. One of the few rainforest guide instructors from Cuzco, Carlos also has the distinction of being one of the 5 guides of the existing 55 Manu guides that works with birdwatchers. Carlos has birded extensively in the areas of Manu, Tambopata, Pampas del Heath, Machu Picchu, Cusco surroundings, Timpia and the Pongo de Mainique. In 2002, Carlos received the Chakana de Oro award from the College of Licensed Guides, distinguishing him as one of the best guides in Eco-tourism.