The White-winged Guan...

The White-winged Guan is a tumbesian endemic which until fairly recently was feared to be extinct. It was eventually relocated in some remote canyons in NW Peru where it persists to this day in very small numbers. Little of the habitat it requires appears to be formally protected and immediate action to create reserves for this amazing bird seem timely. We saw our first White-winged Guans at Limon, a regular stake-out for the species. It requires some effort to get to the place before dawn, but the extra effort is well rewarded. We were treated to the unforgetable sight of two guans sailing across the beautiful forested canyon early in the misty morning. It was superb!

One such reserve is already in effect. Chaparri is a great place run and protected by local people who care about the environment they live in. A charming, slightly rustic lodge has been created where casual visitors and small tour groups can stay in a quiet environment and observe the special birds and wildlife of the area. Excellent guides are available and the food is superb!

White-winged Guans have been introduced into the area around Chaparri and are easy to see. We saw several here including a pair with young.


An adult White-winged Guan foraging outside my room at Chaparri. Most of the birds are banded but we did see a couple which were not. The theory is that at least one of the birds here is "wild" and was already present before the introduction program began. The plumage is very blackish, lacking the paler fringing on the neck and mantle which is usually obvious on other guans in the genus Penelope.


In flight you can see how the bird got, and fully deserves, its common name. They are spectacular in flight!


One of the juvenile White-winged Guans that we watched at close range for a prolonged period. Notice the pale tips to the wing coverts creating a neat banded effect.


Another view of a juvenile White-winged Guan. Very cute...

Oh! You pretty things...

Not everyone's cup of tea granted. Vultures do, nonetheless, hold a special place in my heart. The worrying thing is I'm not quite sure why...


The totally strange and wonderful head of a King Vulture complete with mad, staring eye, crinkly skin and ultra wobbly orange dangly bits - what a delightful mess! This video was taken in a special vulture enclosure at Chaparri in NW Peru. The folks here have a program of rehabilitating and releasing back into the wild damaged and abandoned vultures.


Same bird at a different angle showing the remarkably ornate head pattern. I love the fleshy carunculated bits - but then again doesn't everyone...


Am immature Andean Condor, again in the vulture enclosure at Chaparri. Eventually this bird will be released into the wild. Immature condors are rather drab when compared with the adult version, and especially so when sitting next to an adult King Vulture. However, they more than make up for this visual deficiency with their sheer size - they are amazingly large! Alarmingly so when only a couple of feet above you!!


A Black Vulture sitting menacingly outside the hide which overlooks the vulture enclosure and feeding station at Chaparri. Common as anything Black Vultures rarely attract much attention, unless, of course, one happens to be in Southern Ontario!


A soaring Turkey Vulture. Usually abundant where they occur they are nethertheless attractive in their own peculiar way.

Sorry for the wait - more boring Peru Pix...

Has been a while but I've been very busy painting all sorts of birds. Well, I guess one has to make a living somehow. I have no recent news so this is the first instalment of videograbs from my recent trip to Peru. Sorry, I have nothing else to bore you with just now... it can only get worse until the moths start flying.

Here are a few grabs from the final couple of days of the trip, mostly at a remarkable site called Marcapomacocha. Is in the high Andes and is well over 4000 metres above Lima, which is about four hours away by car.


A rather distant adult Andean Condor seen from the road with buses and trucks whizzing by. No trip to the high Andes is complete without a few Condors and we saw about eight on this day!


A singing Junin Canastero near the railway at Marcapomacocha. This bird was feeding a youngster in the bunchgrass. Was great to watch this endemic bird at close range.


A nice study of the great-looking White-fronted Ground-Tyrant. This is the largest of the ground-tyrants and it is always fun to watch them as they strut around on the boggy terrain.


One of the star birds at Marcapomacocha is the otherworldly Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, aka DSP. It is usually easy to find here though only one or two birds are normally encountered. There is nothing else like it and you walk away from the bird feeling like you've just seen something very special...


Just as special in a different way is the highly localized White-bellied Cinclodes. Endemic to the high Andes of central Peru this amazing bird is probably easier to see at Marcapomacocha than anywhere else in it's very small range. It's a brilliant bird with a lot of character and a dangerous feeding action!


One of my favorite birds of the high Andes is the lovely Slender-billed Miner. It is common but you never see too many, if you see what I mean. I like the subtle patterns on the plumage and, of course, that slender bill sets it apart from its cousins.


I had a bad dip with this wonderful bird last year so I was determined to nail it this time. Endemic to the high Andes of central Peru and restricted to patches of Polylepis forest it is usually essential to be on-site just as the sun hits the trees. We did this and low and behold the birds appeared right on cue! It was fantastic... and a relief! In the end we saw about eight individuals. And then they were gone.

So there you have it. Don't be shy with your comments now...

Return of the Mothman...

Here it is - the moment you've all been waiting for... another action-packed instalment in the life of "mothman". Ok, not that exciting admittedly but I am glad to be back and will strive to keep these pages full of dazzling images and slightly interesting narrative.

Having recently returned from another great trip to Peru, this time mostly in the north, I thought I'd post a handful of photos for you to look at - I hope you like em...


A trail through white sand forest at Allpahuayo/Mishana reserve near Iquitos. This important tract of forest is easy to get to by taxi or bus from the rather large and bustling city of Iquitos. There are many rare and little-known birds here, some of which have only recently been described. Ancient Antwren, Allpahuayo Antbird and Iquitos Gnatcatcher fall firmly into this category. Some birders who visited recently were dumb enough to get lost in the forest here after dark in search of a Rufous Potoo!! Rank amateurs one may venture to say...


A late afternoon view of the forest near Abra Patricia from the Royal Sunangel Ridge. A fabulous area which is home to a fascinating selection of endemic and rare birds. One visit is not enough for this place and I know I'll be back before too long! This dense and distinctive-looking forest is home to such mythical species as Long-whiskered Owlet, Royal Sunangel, Ochre-fronted Antpitta and the lovely Lulu's Tody-Tyrant.


Darrell and Dave inspecting a hapless Torrent Tyrannulet which was an unfortunate road casualty at Abra Patricia. It is often the way for this species which habitually flits along roadside streams.


Andean towns have a character all of their own. This is the charming town of Leimebamba on the east side of the mighty Maranon valley. There are some good temperate forest patches between this town and the infamous Abra Barra Negro - no "black mud" when we were passing through there though, thankfully!


The descent into the Maranon valley from Abra Barra Negro is truly awe-inspiring. It is amazing to see the abrupt change in the habitat as one plummets into the spectacular valley - from lush temperate forest to cactus-strewn desert. The birds, of course, change accordingly - Mountain-Tanagers to Inca-Finches...


Wonderful desert habitat near Balsas on the banks of the mighty Rio Maranon. Buff-bridled Inca-Finch, Peruvian Pigeon, Maranon Thrush and the lovely Yellow-faced Parrotlet are just some of the special birds to be found here. Some are easier to find than others though and the Parrotlet was a bit of a nail-biter for a while I can tell ya!


An ancient (some say at least a thousand years old) tree at Bosque de Pomac in the heart of the Tumbesian region of NW Peru. Some pristine deciduous woodland here is home to some amazing and specialized birds. Peruvian Plantcutter and Rufous Flycatcher are easy to find here.

I'll put a few birdy video-grabs on very soon...