Rufous-crested Coquette at Moyobamba

Moyobamba, San Martín's "orchid city," sits where the Andean foothills give way to Amazonian lowlands, and it's here, at the Waqanki Lodge gardens and feeder stations on the town's outskirts, that photographers on Peru's Ultimate Hummingbirds have their best chance of framing the Rufous-crested Coquette. With around 20 hummingbird species drawn to these feeders, patience at the perches usually pays off for this diminutive target. January visits coincide with the holiday's itinerary, making early mornings at the gardens the prime window for a clean shot against the lush backdrop.