If you want to catch up on previous posts about this trip, go to the following links:
Peru Trip Day 1 Peru Trip Day 6 Peru Trip Day 11
Peru Trip Day 2 Peru Trip Day 7 Peru Trip Day 12
Peru Trip Day 3 Peru Trip Day 8 Peru Trip Day 13
Peru Trip Day 4 Peru Trip Day 9 Peru Trip Day 14
Peru Trip Day 5 Peru Trip Day 10
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After spending two nights here at the Owlet Lodge, we finally got to explore the grounds and hummingbird feeders. The lodge is in a hilly area, and the photo below shows the stairway (on the right) that comes up from the parking lot ending at the dining hall. A nightjar liked to perch on this railing to sally out for insects at dusk.
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| Owlet Lodge dining hall |
Another stairway lead past one group of cabins, where I was staying, to another group of cabins farther up the hill. Each group of cabins had a couple of hummingbird feeders hanging in nearby trees, so we had our own private hummingbirds.
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| Owlet Lodge cabins |
There were many moths and other insects on the walls of the dining hall and the cabins, and it was nice to get photos of them during the daytime. But we had to check the walls early in the morning, before the insects moved back off into the forest, or before they got gobbled up by the local Spectacled Redstart, Variable Antshrike, and Pale-edged Flycatcher.
Identifying moths is much more difficult and time-consuming than butterflies because there are at least 10 times as many species, and there are fewer references. And it is more difficult, for me at least, to figure out which family many of them belong to, making it harder to know where to start the ID process. Some of the species posted on previous days of this trip have now been identified, and a few shown below at the Owlet Lodge were distinct enough that I could also identify some of them. Readers who are here for the birds may want to scroll down a bit, as there are a lot of cool insects that I'm showing here first, making this a longer blog posting than most.
The sphinx moth below is one of a few similar species in the genus
Adhemarius, so my identification might not be correct.
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| Sphinx Moth (Adhemarius sexoculata) |
Another sphinx moth was resting on a window frame of one of the cabins. As with the previous species, there seem to be a few in this genus that are similar, so my identification here should be considered tentative.
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| Sphinx Moth (Xylophanes crotonis) |
This silk moth species could be identified to genus only, with a couple of apparently variable species as possibilities.
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| Silk Moth (Copaxa sp.) |
This interesting moth is in the family known as Scoopwings (Family Uraniidae, Subfamily Epipleminae).
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| Scoopwing Moth sp. |
There are several similar species of "Tiger Moth" in the tropics that appear similar to, but are not an exact match for this one, so I can identify it only to genus.
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| Tiger Moth (Symphlebia sp.) |
This colorful and interesting species is undoubtedly a Wasp Moth (Family Erebidae, Subfamily Ctenuchinae), but there are a lot of similar species, and although I found some that were very similar in the sources I'm referring to, there was not an exact match so I cannot even get the ID down to genus. Still, it is a pretty cool moth.
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| Wasp Moth sp. |
Two colorful species I can confidently identify to species, both of them in the Geometer family. But only one that has an English name. This is the Black-veined Yellow.
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| Black-veined Yellow (Pseudischnocampa nervosa) |
And this species of Geometer moth had a very interesting shape when resting, that likely would lead a predator to attack its orange hindwings with black eye spots that look more like the front of the moth.
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| Geometer moth sp. (Pityeja histrionaria) |
The nine moth species below are still a but if a mystery to me at the moment, partly because they require a little more effort to figure out. But they are still worth looking at!
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| Moth sp. |
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| Moth sp. |
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| Moth sp. |
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| Moth sp. |
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| Moth sp. |
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| Moth sp. |
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| Moth sp. |
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| Moth sp. |
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| Moth sp. |
What looked like a piece of lichen on the wall was actually an interesting grasshopper. Its relatively mall hind legs suggest that it is not a strong hopper.
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| Grasshopper sp. |
A colorful beetle, about 3/4-inch long, on a concrete walkway was similar to some that I've seen before in Ecuador, and is likely in the family of Pleasing Fungus Beetles (Erotylidae).
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| Pleasing Fungus Beetle sp. |
A couple of large beetles were found in the trails around the lodge. This one, about 2-inches long, is likely in the family of ground beetles (Carabidae).
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| Large (2-inches) Ground Beetle sp. (Carabidae) |
This Rhinoceros Beetle, in the family Scarabeidae and nearly 3-inches long, was near a part of the stairway leading up to the lodge.
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| Large (3-inches) Rhinoceros Beetle sp. (Scarabeidae) |
On the concrete around the dining lodge, and adjacent to the hummingbird feeders, was a large (3-inch) wasp that I was immediately able to identify at least to family. The very long abdomen is characteristic of Pelecinid Wasps (Pelecinidae). But this one was more than twice the size of the species we have in Michigan!
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| Pelecinid Wasp sp. |
As previously noted, some birds were hanging around these "moth walls" to find their breakfast, including this Spectacled Redstart.
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| Spectacled Redstart |
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| Spectacled Redstart |
In the brushy areas around the lodge there were small flocks of Yellow-breasted Brush Finches, and one eventually gave me an opportunity for a photo.
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| Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch |
Green Jays were less common in northern Peru than I've seen them in other tropical areas. Those in the Andes are sometimes considered a separate species, the Inca Jay.
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| Green (Inca) Jay |
In the gardens and forest-edge around the lodge we found a few other interesting species, including this pair of Olivaceous Siskins.
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| Olivaceous Siskin, male |
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| Olivaceous Siskin, female |
The flowering trees on the edge of the clearing attracted several species, including White-sided Flower-piercers. I was only able to get photos of the female. Flower-piercers are named for their habit of piercing the bases of flowers with their hooked beaks to "cheat" and get nectar avoiding pollinating the plants.
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| White-sided Flower-piercer |
I was able to get a couple of photos that show the bird piercing the bases of these flowers.
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| White-sided Flower-piercer |
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| White-sided Flower-piercer |
This colorful Crimson-mantled Woodpecker played peek-a-boo with me, and so did not give the best views or photos.
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| Crimson-mantled Woodpecker |
In the more forested areas, we saw some tanagers, including this somewhat shy Grass-green Tanager in a tangle of vegetation showing off its red beak and legs, and its acrobatic prowess.
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| Grass-green Tanager |
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| Grass-green Tanager |
A small group of Flame-faced Tanagers was regularly seen around the lodge in a more open situation, but higher up in the trees.
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| Flame-faced Tanagers |
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| Flame-faced Tanager |
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| Flame-faced Tanager |
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| Flame-faced Tanager |
We settled in to watch the hummingbird feeders, adjacent to the dining hall, which also had a nice view of the surrounding cloud forest and mountains.
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| View from Owlet Lodge |
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| View from Owlet Lodge |
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| View from Owlet Lodge |
Perhaps the most common, and definitely an aggressive species at the feeders was the Chestnut-breasted Coronet. They were also common on the eastern slope of the Andes in Ecuador where I'd seen them before. My memory could be fading, but they seemed to be larger in Peru than in Ecuador.
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| Chestnut-breasted Coronet |
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| Chestnut-breasted Coronet |
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| Chestnut-breasted Coronet |
The coronets spent a lot of time chasing the other hummingbird species around, but also got into squabbles with members of their own species.
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| Chestnut-breasted Coronets |
There were a few Booted Racket-tails here, but only females.
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| Booted Racket-tail, female |
Collared Incas are another typically aggressive species that was less common here than at other Andean sites where I've seen them. Only a couple visited the Owlet Lodge feeders.
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| Collared Inca |
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| Collared Inca |
Fawn-breasted Brilliants were occasional visitors to the feeders today, but I was able to get better photos of their limited iridescence because the light was better today than it was at Fundo Alto Nieves yesterday.
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| Fawn-breasted Brilliant |
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| Fawn-breasted Brilliant |
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| Fawn-breasted Brilliant |
A rarity for this location, and a lifer for me, was this White-bellied Hummingbird. They were supposed to be more common later in the trip at Huembo Reserve (on Day 10), but it turned out to be a good idea that I took photos here.
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| White-bellied Hummingbird |
Lesser Violetears were formerly known as Green Violetears, but the Mexican populations have been split and called Mexican Violetear, while all the others have been renamed Lesser Violetear. They were fairly common at these feeders, but only a couple seen at a time.
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| Lesser Violetear |
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| Lesser Violetear |
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| Lesser Violetear |
The Lesser Violetear is similar to the higher elevation and larger Sparkling Violetear, which has rarely been recorded at the Owlet Lodge. But the Lesser is smaller (obviously), and lacks blue on the breast. One character that I noticed on these Peruvian birds that I have not seen on Lesser Violetears in Costa Rica and Ecuador is the narrow white edge on the leading edge of the wings.
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| Lesser Violetear |
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| Lesser Violetear |
Not a colorful species, the Speckled Hummingbird was more common on the western slope of the Andes in Ecuador than they were here on the eastern slope in northern Peru with only the occasional single individual coming in to the feeders and surrounding flowers.
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| Speckled Hummingbird |
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| Speckled Hummingbird |
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| Speckled Hummingbird |
A few Long-tailed Sylphs, mostly males, were visiting the feeders but they did not sit very still and were a challenge to photograph.
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| Long-tailed Sylph |
With such a long tail, vertical compositions suit this species best.
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| Long-tailed Sylph |
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| Long-tailed Sylph |
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| Long-tailed Sylph |
Female Sylphs have much shorter tails, and the ones here were not as buffy on their underparts as those I've seen in Ecuador and Venezuela. In fact they looked mostly white on their bellies.
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| Long-tailed Sylph, female |
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| Long-tailed Sylph, female |
There is one hummingbird that can be easily identified by silhouette only...
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| Sword-billed Hummingbird |
...the Sword-billed Hummingbird. Its bill is so long that it cannot preen with it, so it has stronger and more flexible feet than most hummingbirds.
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| Sword-billed Hummingbird |
No other bird in the world has a bill so long in relation to its body size as this hummingbird.
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| Sword-billed Hummingbird |
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| Sword-billed Hummingbird |
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| Sword-billed Hummingbird |
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| Sword-billed Hummingbird |
This was another hummingbird where a vertical composition works better.
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| Sword-billed Hummingbird |
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| Sword-billed Hummingbird |
They looked a bit awkward when feeding at the feeders.
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| Sword-billed Hummingbird |
The tiny White-bellied Woodstars were more common here than anywhere else I've seen them, with quite a few males, but a lot more females (and maybe immatures?).
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| White-bellied Woodstars |
Despite their slow bumblebee-like flight, it was not easy captured the iridescent throat color in a photo.
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| White-bellied Woodstar, male |
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| White-belllied Woodstar, male |
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| White-bellied Woodstar, male |
But I did succeed getting photos showing color in the throat a few times.
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| White-bellied Woodstar, male |
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| White-bellied Woodstar, male |
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| White-bellied Woodstar, male |
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| White-bellied Woodstar, male |
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| White-bellied Woodstar, male |
Female White-bellied Woodstars are easily told from other female woodstars by their bold black cheek patch and bright white line behind the eye. Most female woodstars have very short tails.
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| White-bellied Woodstar, female |
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| White-bellied Woodstar, female |
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| White-bellied Woodstar, female |
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| White-bellied Woodstar, female |
One hummingbird that I really wanted to see, partly because it was a "lifer", but mainly because of its wonderful green coloration, was the beautiful Emerald-bellied Puffleg. The leg "puffs" of this species are larger than in other pufflegs I've seen, and were particularly prominent when they hung upside down from the feeder.
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| Emerald-bellied Puffleg |
Mainly a green hummingbird, they have an irregular white blotch on the breast and the belly feathers are unusually large, and iridescent emerald green and blue.
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| Emerald-bellied Puffleg |
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| Emerald-bellied Puffleg |
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| Emerald-bellied Puffleg |
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| Emerald-bellied Puffleg |
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| Emerald-bellied Puffleg |
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| Emerald-bellied Puffleg |
I have trouble narrowing down what I post here to just a few photos, as readers of this blog may have noticed. So, here are 3 more photos of the Emerald-bellied Puffleg. If green is your favorite color, as mine is, this is one dandy hummingbird!
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| Emerald-bellied Puffleg |
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| Emerald-bellied Puffleg |
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| Emerald-bellied Puffleg |
After lunch we all got in the van and went back east, past Fundo Alto Nieves, to an overlook of the Alto Mayo Forest Reserve.
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| Alto Mayo Forest |
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| Alto Mayo Forest |
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| Alto Mayo Forest |
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| Alto Mayo Forest |
On the way up, we encountered a flock of White-capped Tanagers, which is a large and noisy species, behaving more like a jay than a tanager. Unfortunately, they were too active and distant to obtain really good photos. But I did manage a few acceptable shots.
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| White-capped Tanager |
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| White-capped Tanager |
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| White-capped Tanager |
At the overlook itself was another lifer, though less colorful, a pair of Rufous-tailed Tyrants.
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| Rufous-tailed Tyrant |
As we enjoyed the view of the surrounding forest, a flock of tanagers came through the nearby trees with several species observed. I was able to get fairly decent photos of three species, including Metallic-green Tanager.
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| Metallic-green Tanager |
There were a few Saffron-crowned Tanagers in the flock.
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| Saffron-crowned Tanager |
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| Saffron-crowned Tanager |
Most cooperative was one of the Yellow-throated Tanagers.
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| Yellow-throated Tanager |
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| Yellow-throated Tanager |
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| Yellow-throated Tanager |
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| Yellow-throated Tanager |
Our original plan was to go back to Fundo Alto Nieves to do some birding before trying again for the Long-whiskered Owlet, but we were concerned that the light rain would not stop. The rain was good for seeing tanager flocks, but would not be good for owl viewing. But in late afternoon, the rain did stop so we went back up another trail there to try again for the owlet. Only three of us were willing to try this again, as the others may have had enough of steep, wet, dark trails. We got set up and waited.
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| Setting up for Long-whiskered Owlet |
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| Setting up for Long-whiskered Owlet |
Just before it was dark, and before any of the guides played any tape of the owl, we heard a Long-whiskered Owlet calling spontaneously! Over the next few minutes, it called two more times, and then stopped. The guides tried for another half hour to call it in, but it never came. We relocated to another spot and tried again. No luck. This was as good as it was going to get.
For those who are interested, a lot of good information about the Long-whiskered Owlet, including photos and sound recordings, can be found here.
As a consolation, we made our way to another spot (lots of hiking up and down trails in the dark tonight!), to try to see the Cinnamon Screech-Owl that we heard last night. This is a fairly rare species, variable in appearance, that was only described to science in 1986, and its scientific name honors Roger Tory Peterson. On a trip to southeastern Ecuador in 1996, Nancy and I heard one responding to our guide's tape, but it never came in to view. So it was nice to get such good views of it this time.
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| Cinnamon Screech-Owl |
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| Cinnamon Screech-Owl |
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| Cinnamon Screech-Owl |
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| Cinnamon Screech-Owl |
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| Cinnamon Screech-Owl |
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| Cinnamon Screech-Owl |
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| Cinnamon Screech-Owl |
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| Cinnamon Screech-Owl |
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| Cinnamon Screech-Owl |
After we had enough viewing of this very cooperative owl, we hiked back down the trail to the paved road, and had to walk maybe 1/4 mile up to a small pullout where the van was parked. The clouds in the sky had cleared almost completely, and the Milky Way looked close enough to touch. I was amazed that, using only my monopod, I was able to get the photo below of the planet Mars, which was very bright in the sky.
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| Mars |
We had another late dinner, and turned in for the night.
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