All visiting birders to Peru comes to Lima first and leaves from here too. This huge town has actually some nice wetlands within easy access. About half an hour north of the airport is the suburb Ventanilla. Turn left here to the beach and after 3 kms there is a fenced-in wetland on the right with a visitor centre and an observation tower. A nice selction of wetland birds can be seen here including migrants. Least Bittern, Wren-like Rush-bird, Many-coloured Rush-tyrant and Yellow-headed Blackbird are some. Continue another kilometre and you´ll come to the coast. There are some restaurants here and you can park here. There are some pools around here and the parking lot can sometimes be flooded and offers a fantastic opportunity to see migrating waders as well as the local Peruvian Thickknees. Pass the restaurants and you are at the beach where the usual selection of sea- and shorebirds can be seen like Inca Tern, Peruvian Boobies and gulls.
Pantanos de Villa is on the other side of town just south of Lima. It likewise has a visitor centre where you pay small entrance fee. Opposite the centre is a walkway to a tower where Great Grebes, ducks and gulls can be seen. The reed has Least Bittern, Wren-like Rush-bird and Many-coloured Rush-tyrant. Continue past the visitor centre and turn right and you will soon see a shallow pool and antoher tower. This pool is good for waders and from the tower you see the same birds as from the other tower. If turning left in the junction you´ll come to a gate with guards. Tell them you want to go to the beach for birdwatching, you may have to leave your passport here. A few hundred metres past the gate in the sandy area to the left is a reliable spot for Peruvian Thickknee. Another two-three hundred metres further on takes you to the beach and another lagoon which is good for gulls.
Very close to the airport is Callao and a narrow peninsula sticks out into the sea here. At the very point is a good place to view the sea and there are also some inlets called Laguna Arenillas here which are good for waders including Blackish Oystercatcher. | 