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...