Andean Flicker at Huacarpay today

(photo taken with my super dooper strap on digital camera/telescope thingy)

Jesus arrived at 5.20am and we headed off into the sunrise to the south of Cusco.
We arrived at Huacarpay in less than half an hour and not surprisingly the place was deserted.
Jesus got off to a bad start by clanging away into his mobile to someone at the first place we stopped.
Ducks scattered everywhere, Andean Coots scooted into the distance and an Englishman cussed repeatedly under his breath.
After this indiscretion he improved considerably stopping at every point of interest, although unfortunately muttering ‘Duck with Rice’ a bit too loudly while I was looking at some lovely, priceless, Puna Teal.
I decided that a bit of exploration on my own was in order and set off in pursuit of the Bearded Mountaineer, a hummingbird that is endemic to Peru and beautiful as well.
According to my information the bird loves wild tobacco flowers and I was delighted to find acres of them growing by the side of the road.
As I made my way through vicious knee height cacti, I saw plenty of Sparkling Violetear’s but no Mountaineers.
I also tracked down my bird of the moment the Andean Flicker, first seeing a pair then one on its own.
As dawn broke and the sun filtered through the mountains, more birds got active and I was climbing all over the place.
The flowering cactus was beautiful further up the mountain but further down the jean and shin piercing variety was not so great.
One spine went in so deep I thought it was going to come out the other side.
I had a look around some pre-Inca ruins and a Booted Racket Tail nearly flew straight into my face.
More exploration followed as Jesus munched on the food from the café and I soon saw Giant Hummingbirds (a bit smaller than a Starling) along with the usual aquatic birds including both Greater & Lesser Yellowlegs.
On our way back round the lake we stopped at a site that looked like it might be good for Many Coloured Rush Tyrant, after about ten minutes I found one skulking in the reeds together with a very friendly Plumbeous Rail.
The longer we were there, the less point there was in looking for birds on the water.
The fishermen were out and donkeys, goats, sheep and bulls had started their circuit of Huacarpay. Some of the animals had started to take to the water so I decided to concentrate on some more climbing and more Hummingbirds.
Back at the ruins a pair of Cinereous Harrier’s glided over but there was still no sight of my Bearded target.
With the sun beating down and my cactus wounds starting to itch I decided that we would make one more stop before going back to Cusco.
There is a small restaurant on the far side of the lake and I thought a look in their garden and the tobacco plants around might bring what I was looking for.
When we got there I started to climb again and took the sort of route that would result in my murder if Esther had seen me.
About as high as I could get and as far away from wild tobacco plants as possible I caught a glimpse of a strange Hummingbird.
A twenty second view was enough to see its collar and tell that it was a Bearded Mountaineer.
Not wanting to die just yet by falling from my precarious perch, I looked down to see my feet wobbling on some very unstable rocks.
When I looked up again my bird was gone.
I sweated my way back down to the white dot in the distance that was Jesus’ Taxi and we returned to Cusco.
I felt fairly triumphant but am still wondering whether there are tourists as stupid as me who would take the same routes looking for a Hummingbird.
I have arranged to ring Jesus in a couple of weeks to arrange a trip to Paucartambo which is on the route to Manu and the Cloud Forest.
Better than a Bearded Mountaineer was Salvador’s face when I opened the front door, apparently he had been looking for me all morning and had turned my pillow upside down in an attempt to find me.
He ran from his bedroom to the front door and gave me a big hug, then ran back to his toys.
In all I saw between 40 & 50 species of birds and had a very interesting morning at Huacarpay and can’t wait to go back.
In a funny way it reminded me of Coate Water where my birdwatching started and everything was mysterious and exciting at first, I will do a feasibility study on how well a Pitch & Putt Course and Ice Cream hut would do in the middle of the Andes.