Nov 10 - Rioja to Tarapota, saying goodbye to half the group

5:00 AM departure today using a taxi service to Morro de Calzada. Jane stayed back at the hotel. It is the last day of the North Peru 2 trip and tomorrow will start the North Peru 4 trip with just 4 of us. The landscape was quite scenic this morning with Palm Trees, Mountains, and fields. We walked down a narrow sandy trail hoping for nightjars, but it was too late as the sun was already rising. Our first birds were Lettered Aracari, and Yellow Ridged Toucan, Black Faced Tanager, and White Browed Purpletuft. Further along we had the Buckley’s Forest Falcon. The taxi picked us up at 9:30 to return to the hotel for breakfast. Luckily Julio fixed the van by converting it to 2 wheel from 4 wheel drive. He has been amazing – our driver, cook, and mechanic! This afternoon we are going to Tarapoto via an Oilbird shaft canyon and then on to Juan Guerra. The Oilbirds were awesome – resting in a narrow cavern right by the road. Birding at Juan Guerra was pretty quiet as we walked on the dusty road above the river. Then we checked into our hotel Cumbaza in Tarapoto, had dinner and said goodbye to David, Jane, Gunnar and Norbert.