White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant, Cruz Conga 26 June 2008.
26 June: We left Celendin in good time to be at our first birding site early this morning. Our first bird of the day was this splendid White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant perched on top of one of the pines at the birding site known as Cruz Conga (the town is actually further along the road towards Cajamarca). We birded the Paramo in the area before moving on slowly in search of Rufous-webbed Tyrants (which we found) and onto the high pass. We took lunch near the town of Encanada where we looked for Black Metaltail before continuing to Cajamarca. Due to a rearranged flight schedule we needed to visit the Rio Chonta Valley just outside the city this afternoon and we saw he GRey-bellied Comet there with little effort.
Today's birds included Puna Ibis (50+), Plumbeous Rail, Andean Gull, Shining Sunbeam, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Green-tailed Trainbearer, Black Metaltail, Grey-bellied Comet, Andean Flicker, Striated Earthcreeper, White-winged Cinclodes, Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail, Rufous Antpitta (cajamarcae race), Red-crested Cotinga, Black-crested Tit-Tyrant, Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant, White-browed Chat-Tyrant, Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant (3), Rufous-webbed Bush-Tyrant (5), White-browed Ground-Tyrant, Peruvian Sierra-Finch, Golden-billed Saltator.
Overnight Hotel Continental, Cajamarca.
