Peru day 1: Lima

I’m in Peru with work (more on that later). Arriving just after 0600 this morning I was hoping to go straight on to Tarapoto (jungle town on the eastern slope of the Andes) but had to go the Museo de Historia Natural in the city to submit a permit. A day in Lima gave me the opportunity to see some good birds, particularly on the coast at Miraflores before returning for the evening flight to Tarapoto. Around the airport were the first of the ubiquitous Pacific Doves. As the crazy taxi drive joined the formula one race circuit into the city, American Black Vultures flapped somewhere between the fog and the smog. Yesterday was apparently sunny, but today was a typical grey day in the austral winter. The birds provided the colour with Amazilia Hummingbird, Vermillion Flycatcher and Blue-gray Tanager in the grounds of the museum. A walk to the coast through the city bustle saw species like Croaking Ground Dove, Shiny Cowbird, Long-tailed Mockingbird, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Groove-billed Ani and Blue-and-white Swallow. Gray Gulls were abundant on coast with many seabirds passing including the occasional Peruvian Pelican. Much of the coast road was flooded following a serious earthquake, the epicentre being much further south in Ica.