Shorebirds, Pantanos de Villa, Lima 18.02.09

Stilt Sandpiper & Wilson's Phalarope

The Pectoral Sandpipers were quite easy to find because of the warm brown colour. At this picture you can also see Lesser Yellowlegs and one more species. Can you find it?

Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs & Stilt Sandpiper

Here you have four species, can you find them?

Pantanos de Villa, 18.02.09

Neotropic Cormorant

Great Egret

Peregrine Falcon

Gray-hooded Gull (imm)

Great Grebe (adult & pull)

Shorebird migration in the Andes

Lately there has been a slightly increase in the number of migrating shorebirds in and around Juliaca. Among others I did my first observations of Stilt Sandpiper in the Andes 14 & 15.02. The most numerous shorebirds were Wilson's Phalarope followed by Lesser Yellowlegs & Stilt Sandpiper, then came White-backed Stilt (non-migrant), Greater Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpiper & Baird's Sandpiper. All pictures from Laguna Chacas (Kokan turnoff along the road to Lampa) & Laguna Koriauata (salida Cusco in Juliaca).

15 of the 29 Stilt Sandpipers seen in Laguna Chacas 15.02. Spots on tail and breast are visible, and the slightly decurved bill is another field mark.

Stilt Sandpiper, Laguna Koriauata

Stilt Sandpiper (left) and Lesser Yellowlegs (right) from Laguna Koriauata 14.02.

Lesser Yellowlegs, Laguna Koriauata.

White-backed Stilt, Laguna Koriauata

Capachica, Lake Titicaca. January 2009

Immature Mountain Caracara

Bright-rumped Yellow-Finch

Capachica, Lake Titicaca

Lesser Yellowlegs, Capachica, January 2009

Lesser Yellowlegs (behind) & Greater Yellowlegs (in front)

Lesser Yellowlegs (the first bird) & Greater Yellowlegs (behind)

Lesser Yellowlegs, smaller head than Greater Yellowlegs.

Lesser Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs, Capachica, January 2009

Some Greater Yellowlegs along the shore of Lake Titicaca, Capachica.

More birds from Mollendo and Mejía from 28.12.08 to 02-01.09

Not always easy to find a place to rest for the birds along the beaches (north of the Sanctuary)

Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail, above Matarani (at 400 m).

Pacific Dove. Mejía 28.12.08

Purple-collared Woodstar, Mejía

Oasis Hummingbird, Mejía

Common Miner, Coastal and Andean ssp.

Common Miner from the Coastal population, photographed at 400 m. above Matarani along the road to Arequipa 31.12.08.

Common Miner (coastal)

Common Miner from the Andean population, photographed at 4450 m close to Crucero Alto (Juliaca-Arequipa road) 25.12.08.

Common Miner (Coastal)

Along the coast look also after Grayish Miner http://hogsas.blogspot.com/search?q=Grayish+Miner

Matarani, Islay 30-31.12.08

Inca Tern, 500+ present in the area.

Blackish Oystercatcher, several seen along the rocky shores.

Band-tailed Gull

Inca Tern

Humboldt Penguin, from a colony in the "El Faro" area.

Peruvian Pelican, Matarani, Islay 30-31.12.08

Mejía Wetlands January 2009

Willet, 150+ seen along the river in the Sancturay.

Willet

Cinereous Harrier, male

Cinereous Harrier, female