Outfitters for birding thruout Peru and South America.
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Outfitters for birding thruout Peru and South America. |
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WELCOME TOUR CALENDAR
REPORTS
LITERATURE
BIRD ITINERARIES
PERU:
 Manu BiosphereReserve: South-East Peru (20 Days)  Cloud Forestsand Mountains of Manu (13 Days) Manu Macaw Lickand Amazonian Rainforest (11 Days) Andean Gems of Peruand Chile (8 Days) Inca Ruins of MachuPicchu & Abra Malaga (7 Days) Paracas Peninsular andthe High Andes of Peru (16 Days) Central Peru: TheHigh Andes and Endemics (20 Days) Central Peru: Limato Huanuco Satipo Road and Oilbirds (13 Days) Central Peru: Limato Huanuco Oilbirds, Bosque Unchog and Huaraz (12 Days) Tambopata: CandamoNational Park (14 Days) Iquitos: Amazon andWhite Sand Rainforests (12 Days) Northern Peru: Tumbesand Maranon Endemics (20 Days) North Peru Endemics- Chiclayo to Tarapoto (12 Days) North Peru Endemics- Tarapoto to Cajamarca (10 Days) Tumbes ReservedZone (7 Days) Tumbes and IquitosEndemics (18 Days) Pelagic Trips off thePeruvian Coast (1 Day) White-masked Antbirdand Orange-throated tanager (17 Days) BOLIVIA:
Bolivia: Eastern Lowlands,Chaco, Cloud Forest and Intermontane Valleys (16 Days) Bolivia HighlandsExtension (7 Days) Bolivia: The WildNorth-East (17 Days) CHILE:
Chile: Atacama Desert,Patagonia, Andes and Tierra del Fuego (14 Days) Chile: High AndesExtention and Lauca National Park (6 Days) FALKLAND ISLANDS:
COLOMBIA:
Colombia: The AndeanEndemics Route Tour (18 Days) Colombia: Santa MartaEndemics and Guajira Peninsular Extention (6 Days) BRAZIL:
South-east - the Atlantic forests (12 days) Serra dos Tucanos –Atlantic Rainforest Endemics of the Serra do Mar (8 Days) Central Brazil - Cerrado and Savannas (8 Days) The Pantanaland Chapada (5 Days) Amazonia: AltaFloresta (9 Days) Emas NationalPark (8 Days) North-east Brazil Endemics (21 days) GUYANA:
ARGENTINA:
Northwest Argentina - Biridng the Diversity of the Andes (13 Days) Southern Argentina - ThePampas and Northern Patagonia (9 Days) Southern Argentina -Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego (8 Days) Northeast Argentina -Buenas Aires to Iguazu (13 Days) |
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Copyright © Manu Expeditions - Birding Peru Outfitters. All rights reserved. |
The Falkland Islands lie 450 kilometers off the Argentine coast and are one of the most interesting and unusual South American birding destinations. During the Austral summer (October to March) the islands are inhabited by hundreds of thousands of seabirds that mass in great flocks This spectacle of penguins, albatrosses, cormorants and terns is reason enough to visit the Falklands.. There are colonies of Elephant Seals, South American Sea lions and Peale’s Dolphins patrol the harbors. Visits are made to large King, Gentoo, Magellanic, Rockhopper colonies as well as Black-browed Albatross colonies. The scenery is often reminiscent of the Scottish islands, but there is a mix of familiar and unfamiliar. In many ways the islands are essentially British in character but the South Atlantic exerts its own influences and the sight of huge Elephant Seals hauled out on sandy beaches, or Southern Giant Petrels and Dolphin Gulls gliding along the Stanley shoreline and bathing endemic Falkland Steamer Ducks, indicates that the birds and wildlife has more affinities with Antarctica!
The weekly LAN Chile flight from Santiago or Punta Arenas in Chile arrives and departs at Mount Pleasant International Airport every Saturday. We’ll transfer overland to Stanley, the islands capital, for one night’s accommodation at the Malvina House Hotel. The hotel offers facilities expected of a modern hotel, including an excellent restaurant where the chefs utilize local produce and offer inspirational menus to make your mouth water. There is a Sauna and Jacuzzi facility to aid relaxation and an Internet station for those who need to keep in contact. We’ll see our first Upland Geese, Rufous-chested Dotterel, Long-tailed Meadowlarks and maybe the local race of Correndera Pipit. A walk along the Stanley waterfront from our comfortable hotel will produce Rock Cormorants as they fly to their nests on an old shipwreck in the harbor, Crested and Falkland Steamer Ducks dabble in the shallows, and Southern Giant Petrels squabble with Kelp and Dolphin Gulls over tidbits discarded from fishing boats. We should see South American Tern. Stanley, situated in the North East of East Falkland, with a population of approximately 2,115 (2006 census) which is 85% of the overall population of the islands, (2478), is the most remote and smallest capital in the world. Despite its relatively small size, Stanley offers all the amenities and interests expected of a capital. A small, tidy and colorful town with a museum, war memorials The hospitality of the town's people is well known, L:D 
Transfer to Stanley Airport for internal FIGAS (Falkland Islands Government Air Service) flight to Carcass Island. We’ll spend two nights here. Carcass Cottage Islander Rob McGill and his wife Lorraine are the present day hosts on Carcass, offering visitor’s superb hospitality and food a plenty! Home grown vegetables, organic meat and dairy produce are prepared in true "camp" style. Home baked cakes and biscuits for "smoko" and thick fresh cream and scones. Accommodation is comfortable and homely - all rooms are ensuite with showers. Carcass is easily explored by foot at leisure. In over 100 years of habitation, Carcass Island, named after HMS Carcass, has had three environmentally conscious owners who have avoided the introduction of rats and cats. This care and freedom from predation has made a difference that is immediately evident and needs to be experienced rather than described. Magellanic Penguins nest around the settlement and a Gentoo Penguin colony is a short walk away. There is also a large colony of Striated Caracara, a small Elephant Seal colony, King Cormorants and Black-crowned Night Herons to be found on the Island. Other birds we’ll look for include Ruddy-headed Goose, Blackish Cinclodes, South American Snipe, Black-throated (White-bridled) Finch and the endemic Cobb’s Wren. Kelp Geese and Flying Steamer Duck should be in evidence too. We’ll take a day excursion to West Point Island. We take to the seas on the MV Condor (capacity 10) which takes you across to West Point journey time is approximately 1 hour. We’ll be on the lookout for dolphins and sea birds on the way and we should be able to see Slender-billed and Dove Prions and Common Diving Petrels. Marshy areas should hold Yellow-billed Pintail, Chiloe Wigeon, Silver and Speckled Teals. Once at West Point we can explore the settlement and surrounding areas, such as Devils Nose Cliffs where wildlife includes Rockhopper Penguins, Black-browed Albatross and much more B:L:D
To-day we take an internal flight to Pebble Island named after the unusual and attractive pebbles found on the beaches, this 24 mile long island is the third largest in the archipelago with marshes and pools to the east of the island and moorland and hills to the west. We stay at Pebble Island Lodge. The lodge was built as the farm manager's house. Now, ideally adapted to suit the needs of visitors it retains the warm and friendly atmosphere of a large, traditional Falkland farm house and provides a superb base from which to explore the wildlife rich environment. The lodge boasts a comfortable lounge, well stocked bar. There are several significant seabird colonies on Pebble Island and it has been possible in some years to see six penguin species on the island. Impressive scenery, a fine sense of solitude, a profusion of wild flowers and amazing sandy beaches make Pebble an unforgettable place. Black-necked and Coscoroba Swans, lots of Silver Teals, Yellow-billed Pintails and Silvery and White-tufted Grebes can be seen. The island has sandy beaches, moorland and rocky peaks, extensive ponds and wetlands which are home to some 42 breeding bird species including over 1000 pairs of Imperial Shags, Gentoo, Magellanic and Rockhopper penguins. Eight of the Falkland endemic plants grow on the island including the Vanilla Daisy and the Lady’s Slipper. Variable Hawk and Short-eared Owl are predators here. Passerines include dark-faced Ground Tyrant and Black-chinned Siskin. Pebble made the headlines during the 1982 conflict when British Forces attacked the islands' Argentine-occupied airstrip. Today, fly-in visitors to Pebble Island land on the same airstrip raided by the SAS in 1982. A small cairn near the airstrip commemorates the action. There is also the memorial to the H.M.S. Coventry which, was bombed and sunk some 11 miles north of Pebble on 25 May 1982. B:L:D
Internal flight to Stanley - transfer to Malvina House Hotel for 2 nights. In the Afternoon we’ll take a two hours offshore boat trip “chumming” for seabirds Black-browed Albatrosses should be the first to appear in droves with lots of Southern Giant Petrels and some White-chinned Petrels. Great Albatrosses are always a possibility along with the smaller Mollyhawks. Southern Fulmars are pssible and possibly some deep ocean seabirds such as Cape Petrel and Wilson's Storm Petrel. We may find big rafts of Sooty Shearwaters and Great Shearwater is a possibility. B:L:D
A day excursion from Stanley to Volunteer Point is sure to rank among the tour highlights as we visit the King Penguin colony at the point. 700 pairs of King Penguins at Volunteer Point are a true trip highlight along with Magellanic, Gentoo coming ashore. Falkland Steamer Ducks, Blackish and Megallanic Oystercatchers and Brown-hooded Gull will be around. Comical young King Penguins wearing their coats of thick down will be just the first of many indelible memories to take home from these extraordinary South Atlantic islands. Named after the ship Volunteer, Volunteer Point is part of the Johnson's Harbor Farm which covers around 36,000 acres. Volunteer beach is a 2 mile long white sandy beach, bordered by high grassy banks that provide ideal habitats for three species of penguins: Gentoo, Magellanic and King. The Volunteer point King penguin colony is the largest in the Islands, with around 1,300 adults, rearing 400 chicks each year. Over 1,000 pairs of Gentoo penguins are resident all year round at Volunteer Point, and many other bird species have been recorded in the area, such as several breeding pairs of Antarctic Skua who target penguins for eggs or young. B:L:D
Afternoon - transfer to Mount Pleasant International Airport for your return LAN Chile flight to Punta Arenas and Santiago and connections home B:L
