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DAY
01 CUSCO / COCK-OF-THE-ROCK
We will leave early to the Manu cloud forest to pass over
two Andean chains at almost 4,000 meters elevation and descend
through the cloud forest. This transect is a paradise for
birders. After approximately 7 hours on the road, we arrive
at the Cock-of-the-Rock lodge in the Selva Sur Private cloud
forest reserve and will spend the night within earshot of
a mountain river.
DAY 02
COCK-OF-THE-ROCK
We will get up early to visit the leak of the Andean Cock-of-Rock.
The morning will be spent walking on the road looking for
cloud forest birds, and with luck, woolly monkeys. After lunch,
there is a chance for more birding on the trails around the
lodge, or to relax by the clear, rushing mountain water of
the San Pedro stream.
DAY 03
COCK-OF-THE-ROCK / PANTIACOLLA
Early wake up for another visit the leak of the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock.
Breakfast and depart for Atalaya by bus to arrive after 3-4
hour bus ride to Pantiacolla lodge. If there is time, you
will be able to start your exploration on one of the 20 kilometers
of griddled forest trails, which surround the lodge.
DAY 04
PANTIACOLLA / TAMBO BLANQUILLO
After breakfast, if time allows it, you can take a small hike
on the lodge trails before leaving for Tambo Blanquillo. After
a 9 hours journey we will arrive at Tambo Blanquillo, a box
lunch will be provided for the journey. Dinner will be served
at the lodge.
DAY 05
TAMBO BLANQUILLO
Early
wake up (05:30 am) to be transferred to our blind or catamaran
on the Madre de Dios River that serves as a floating observation
platform to watch the activities at the ccollpa Blanquillo
(clay lick) that is located on the riverbank about 10 minutes
downstream from the lodge - Breakfast will be served at the
blind and there is a toilette facility aboard if needed -
A typical day at the ccollpa (weather permitting) will start
around 06:00 am when the first pairs of parrots fly in to
land in the treetops above the lick, they are followed by
hundreds who screech and squawk until the first ones (generally
blue-headed parrots) descend on to the clay. Around 08:00
hrs the first of the larger macaws arrive in family groups
and perch in the treetops. The most common are red and greens,
the scarlet and the blue and yellow macaws. Macaws continue
to arrive through the morning. The exact arrival time of each
species may vary slightly, but the order seems surprisingly
fixed. Not until 10:30 hrs (by which time, between 40 and
200 macaws will have gathered) do the birds begin their descent
to the clay. The birds apparently relaxed remain alert for
eagles. If one is spotted, between 50 and 100 macaws often
of different species, will circle and mob it, generally succeeding
in chasing it from the area. We will return to Tambo Blanquillo
around 11:30 hrs - Lunch - A motorized canoe is boarded for
a 40 minutes upstream ride to Cocha Blanco, which is oxbow
lake (formerly a part of the Madre de Dios River). After a
10 minute walk from the riverbank, there is a small catamaran
that is boarded and passengers are encouraged to help with
the rowing to visit different parts of the lake. In this lake,
hoatzins, wild turkey and herons are easily seen also there
is a family of giant river otters, which frequently make appearances
not to far from the catamaran - Around 17:00 hrs, the motorized
canoe will be boarded for the return trip - Dinner and overnight
DAY 06
TAMBO BLANQUILLO
Continental
breakfast - A forty-five minute upstream ride in a motorized
canoe takes us to the Maquisapa trail, which starts with that
name due to an abundance of spider monkeys found in the first
leg of it. The trail goes through a palm (Mauritia) swamp
forest, not always flooded, which is a very important nester
for parrots like the red-bellied macaw and the chestnut-fronted
macaw, here the trail gets the name of Aguajal (swamp). Finally,
the trail goes through chestnut or Brazil nut forest, the
favorite fruits for macaws, and changes its name to Castañal
trail. The ecological diversity, due to the different types
of forest that this trail goes through in a relativity short
period of time, permits the observation of different bird
and monkey species and even ungulates like the tapir and peccaries.
Around 16:00 hrs, we will board the canoe for the return trip
to Tambo Blanquillo. A picnic lunch will be provided - Dinner
and overnight.
DAY 07 TAMBO
BLANQUILLO
Continental breakfast - We start on the Shebonal trail that
takes us through a very arare and unique forest of palms,
called "Shebon" (Scheelea butyracea), which is very
dense and a natural refuge for animals. Deer, peccaries and
wild turkeys are usually seen and quickly disappear in the
foliage. After a couple of hours, the north border of the
Cocha Blanco is reached and the catamaran can be boarded for
an inspection on that side, herons, hoatzins, black caimans
and river otters can be sighted. A picnic lunch will be served
and at 16:00 hrs, the motorized canoe, which is waiting for
us on the south side of the lake, will be boarded for the
return trip - Dinner and overnight
DAY 08
TAMBO BLANQUILLO
Continental breakfast - We will board a motorized canoe that
will take us to Cocha Camungo for a second visit to the tree
platform that was visited on day 5. At this early hour there
is an excellent opportunity to see an amazing concentration
of birds that are leaving their nests in search for food for
their chicks. We will observe the macaws flying in formation
of pairs and trios on their way to the macaw lick from above
or at their same flying level altitude, making an excellent
opportunity for fabulous pictures of these colorful birds
with the green canopy underneath them as background. We will
visit the oxbow lake again, if time allows it and have a chance
to see again, the river otters sunbathing as noon approaches.
We will return for lunch at Tambo Blanquillo near midday -
Lunch - Visit to Cocha Blanquillo, which is about 30 minutes
walking distance from the lodge. There will be an excellent
opportunity to see black caimans and possibly more otters.
Around 17:00 hrs, we will return to the lodge - Dinner and
overnight
DAY 09 TAMBO
BLANQUUILLO / CUSCO
Early transfer (05:00 am) to Boca Manu airstrip via motorized
canoe. Snack breakfast will be served aboard - Flight to Cusco
in a small aircraft.
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