Birding the Manu Road 29th July
We take on the infamous Manu Road. An early start from Cusco saw us on the road with our guide Marlene Huaman from InkaNatura Travel. We soon left the tarmac behind and began our long journey towards the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge. The single-track unpaved Manu Road is world famous for its birding and we were to spend the next 10 hours making our way along its twisting winding length. The road is in pretty good condition for most of the way but has some very scary bits where recent landslides have swept away swathes of forest above and below the road. The road has been repaired but only just, and to drive across the very narrow and unstable stretch certainly had us holding our breath with eyes tight shut. There was no way we could look to our right as the drop was sheer and very long. Birding stops along the way were regular. Wherever we encountered birds we leapt out to see amazing birds. Just a few of the highlights included Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch, Slender-billed Miner, Tawny-throated Dotterel, White-eared Solitaire, Scaly-naped Parrots, and Black-faced Brush-Finch.
It was after dark when we arrived exhausted at the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge, where we were made most welcome, and shown to our room, a cosy candlelit chalet in the forested grounds.