Colombia July 17 - August 5
2013
Own travel arrangements.July 17 KL1506 Norwich - Schipol 09.40 arrive 11.35 (+1 GMT)
KL757 Schipol- Panama 1305 arrive 16.55
CM 629 Panama - Bogota 18.38 arrive 20.13 (- 6 hours GMT)
August 5 DL446 Bogota - Atlanta 23.59 arrive 0503 ( -5 hours GMT)
August 6 KL6074 Atlanta - Schipol 15.13 arrive 05.55
August 7 KL1505 Schipol - Norwich 09.15 arrive 09.05
Trip organised and guided by EcoTurs Colombia, connected with ProAves Colombia who run the Nature Reserves and their Lodges. I chose this company because all profits are ploughed back into ProAves conservation.
Guide : Juan Carlos (JC)
Itinerary
17 July 2013
Collect from airport
Dinner at hotel according to arrival time
Hotel Chico Imperial Bogotá, Cra. 19C # 91-63 Tel. (57) 1 6108003
18 July 2013 * 4:45 transport to Mundo Nuevo near Chingaza
Field breakfast and field lunch
Dinner at or near Hotel
Hotel Chico Imperial Bogotá, Cra. 19C # 91-63 Tel. (57) 1 6108003
19 July 2013 * 05:15 Transport to La Florida Wetlands
Field breakfast
Drive to Laguna del Hato, Libano
Hotel Patagora, Libano
20 July 2013 Field breakfast
5.30 Birding, then drive to Paujil reserve
Restaurant lunch en-route
Truck from Puerto Pinzon
Dinner at accomodation at El Paujil
21 July 2013 All day birding El Paujil
22 July 2013 All day birding El Paujil
23 July 2013 Breakfast in reserve
9.30 drive to Arrierito
Restaurant lunch en-route
Dinner and accommodation at Arrierito Reserve
24 July 2013 * All day birding Arrierito Reserve
Field lunch
Breakfast, dinner and accommodation at Arrierito Reserve
25 July 2013 * All day birding Arrierito Reserve
All meals and accommodation at Arrierito Reserve
26 July 2013 * Breakfast at lodge
9.00am transport to las Tangaras Reserve
Restaurant lunch en-route
Dinner and accommodation at Las Tangaras Reserve
27 July 2013 * All day birding in Las Tangaras Reserve
5:15 Jeep transport to trailhead and upper roads
All day birding in Las Tangaras Reserve
28 July 2013
5:15 Jeep transport to trailhead and upper roads
Field lunch
Breakfast, dinner and accommodation at reserve lodge
29 July 2013
Breakfast at lodge
6.00 transport to El M (between El Carmen and Urrao), then Jardin
Restaurant lunch en-route
Dinner at Balandu
Accommodation at Hotel Balandu, Jardin
30 July 2013
4.45 4x4 jeep transport to Yellow-eared Parrot Reserve
Field breakfast and field lunch
Accommodation at Hotel Balandu, Jardin
31 July 2013
4.30 depart for Medellin airport birding on route
12.10 Avianca flight MDE-SMR arrives 13.25 (8 PAX)
Lunch on arrival in Santa Marta
If wished visit Chachalaca site quite near airport, or proceed directly to Minca
Dinner and accomodation at Hotel Minca
01 August 2013 5.30 Breakfast at Hotel Minca
Jeep available all day
Lunch at Hotel Minca
Jeep continues to El Dorado
Dinner and accomodation at El Dorado
02 August 2013 4.30 quick breakfast at El Dorado
4.50 4x4 jeep transport to la Laguna area
Late lunch in lodge
Dinner and accommodation at El Dorado Reserve
03 August 2013 * All day birding El Dorado Reserve
Transport in reserve
All meals and accommodation at El Dorado Reserve
04 August 2013 Breakfast at El Dorado
jeep available morning
11.30 Lunch at Hotel Minca
12.00 van to Guajira, birding in desert or Los Flamencos `
Hotel Majayura, Riohacha
Dinner at or near hotel
05 August 2013 Transport at 5.15 from Hotel to Guajira
Field breakfast
12.37 Avianca flight AV8571 Riohacha-Bogota arrives 14.07
COLOMBIA
Colombia has 1869 bird species, according to the latest checklist following the
South American Checklist Committee, which is more birds than any other country
in the world and, a number that is growing every year through new discoveries and
range extensions.
Weds July 17
Good neighbour Rai collected us at 7.00 a.m.
Norwich-Amsterdam Schipol. Immediately to check-in.
Schipol-Panama City endless, good book Robert Galbraith (actually JK Rowling). Good food. Plenty of drinks.
Tocumen, Panama City. Panic....very little transfer time. No boarding cards. Good to see the approach view again, the sea scattered with dozens of ships waiting to enter the canal, grey cream-topped breakers rolling onto the grey sand beaches.
All OK. apart from separate seats. A short hop so it didn't matter at all. I was given the same seat number as a random bloke, cabin crew quickly found me another place as he was in situ. Short flight on Copa Airways, 1hr 20 mins. Plastic sandwich.
Very good customs clearance, few people and all desks open, straight through. Baggage reclaim not slow either.The relief when the bags appear, close together too.
A driver was waiting outside, we nearly missed him, he had Ammie written on his board! As soon as we were seated, he handed us a bottle of ice-cold water each, most welcome. Hotel Chico by 9.30 p.m. Our guide Juan Carlos, greeted us, fellow traveller Rainer was 'resting' . We declined a meal, another bottle of water was all we wanted, straight off to bedroom 308 - a suite! Bedroom, small kitchen, sitting room and bathroom. Non working bedside lamp immediately replaced, water drunk, bags packed for to-morrow’s early start and in bed at 10.00. We both woke at 2.10 a.m. and stayed awake.
Thurs July 18
Downstairs for a 4.45 a.m. breakfast. Here we met our fellow passenger, Rainer from Dortmund. Tall, slim, snow white hair and beard, piercing blue eyes, distinguished looking. He’s very well travelled and has already been to Venezuela this year. Seems very pleasant.
Two coffees later, our car hadn’t arrived, Juan Carlos had to phone to wake the driver! JC was not amused.
Away before 5.30 and a longish drive to Chingaza in a Renault - looked like a 4x. First birds were Great Thrushes which look like big Blackbirds - very numerous, as were Rufous-collared Sparrows, singing everywhere.Very low cloud and frequent rain greeted us. No visibility for the ‘wonderful scenery’ promised. Mountainous countryside with pasture and wooded areas along an unmade road. Many healthy looking animals, which included very spotty Dalmation-like cows and rather attractive, elegant, slender legged horses.
One good stop produced Crimson-backed Woodpecker, Ochre-bellied Mountain-Tanager and Yellow-fronted Whitestart.
Breakfast was plentiful, standing in the rain, car parked on the track side. Yoghurt, banana, cheese and ham slab, Chocolate Brownie and a fruit drink. I turned down everything else and ignored the begging dog looking longingly at our food.
Our vehicle found the steep. loose surfaced track, very difficult, rubber-burning, smoke-spinning wheels, spitting stones everywhere. The vehicle was not a 4x, totally the wrong vehicle for the terrain. JC was mad again. Not an auspicious start to our trip and, as it turned out, the Renault was the reason we missed several target birds. The driver gave up in the end and we walked at least 2 k up a very steep, rutted, stream-wet, tree-lined track. Very tough going. Little sleep, jetlag, altitude breathlessness, sore knees from the flight and the conditions. Bogota is on a very high plateau, surrounded by the Andes. We survived, got very wet, saw some good birds but missed quite a few because of the conditions and transport. A decent Jeep would have taken us to the top of the track where the nestboxes for the Brown-throated Parrots are situated. We only heard them. A few good Hummingbirds too.
A feature of the morning was large mud-spattered buggies, a support vehicle carrying their fuel, roaring up the tracks expecting everyone to give way. Mostly open cabbed, the overalled and helmeted drivers and passengers were mud spattered too. They were having fun !
On the drive back, the cloud lifted in time for us to enjoy the mountain and valleys scenery in occasional sun. Lovely area.
Lunch back on the ‘main road’. Much too large. We had a very nice local speciality soup, vegetables including corn and potatoes with generous amount of chicken. I thought it was the main course.....until we were offered beef or pork which we could see being spit roasted at the roadside below. Juan and Rainer had very pink trout. Pam and I chose pork which came in a basket - and there was heaps of it. Plus half an avocado, a bowl of rice and a basket of small, yellow, jacket potatoes - each. The dishes kept on coming. The plantain was an after thought.
Stuffed......we re-loaded the Renault Duster, the three of us in the back seat, and filled up with gas, which came down a large wide hose from a normal looking fuel pump. We had to get out of the car whilst it was being re-fuelled, Colombia ruling. Better for us to get run over dawdling in the re-fuelling area! We managed to add a White-winged Kite though.
Stuffed......we re-loaded the Renault Duster, the three of us in the back seat, and filled up with gas, which came down a large wide hose from a normal looking fuel pump. We had to get out of the car whilst it was being re-fuelled, Colombia ruling. Better for us to get run over dawdling in the re-fuelling area! We managed to add a White-winged Kite though.
The next drive was to Huasca Wetlands, which is not a very big area. A relatively small lake, reedbed with an adjoining wetland area. A group of Ruddy Ducks and a Cinnamon Teal, Crested Jacana, Eared Dove, more Eastern Meadowlarks, a Black-crowned Night-Heron, one flying Snowy Egret, American Coot on, and very loud Southern Lapwings wheeling over, the water. The aim of the visit was to see the endemic Bogota Rails. We had really close views of two chipping away at each other. Fantastic. The best view Juan has had for at least five years. He’d told us that they’d be 60 metres away so neither Rainer nor I took a camera apart from my mini point and shoot. They were 5 metres away.
Cattle Egrets in the field completed the sightings.
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| The dark blob at the base of the reeds (centre) is Bogota Rail ! Honest. |
Back at the hotel at 5.30, time to write this before dinner and list - or list and dinner, at 7.
After ordering, we had almost completed to-day’s list before the meal arrived. I had Spaghetti Bolognese, Pam, Carbonara. It was fine but I was still full up from lunch.
Friday July 19
Awake at 4.00a.m., at least I’d had 5 hours sleep. Pam was zombic though. In the dark, we drove to La Florida Wetlands, a medium sized lake with a marshy area at one end.
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| It was even darker than it looks here. The apparently flat track wasn't, it had ankle danger dips and bumps. |
Surprisingly, there was a bamboo hide at the end, unlocked for us by our guard attendant. There we sat for an hour or more, listening to Juan Carlos attempting to tape lure an Apolinar’s Wren - and failing. It’s an endemic and that’s the only opportunity gone.
Bare-necked Ibis, Common Gallinule and Spot-flanked Gallinule kept us interested until a Large-billed Tern sailed past. The sought after Rufous Conebill - 4 of them - appeared at the very top of the tall trees near the vehicle, flying about at the same neck-straining angle.
Rufous-browed Conebill
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| Rainer being silly..... |
Our next stop was incredible. Paradise Gardens. Parking in a dusty street outside a double door in a wall, we walked through to.....Paradise. 40+ Hummingbird feeders numbered at the top, hung in a relatively small area, surrounded by foliage and a few banana feeders, Juan Carlos started firing off Hummer names and the number of the feeders they were using.
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| Pam's pic |
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| Indigo-capped Fairy |
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| Saffron Finch |
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| Rufous-tailed Hummingbird |
We were in photography heaven. Some very interesting orchids and vines too in immaculately kept gardens.
A five hour journey was promised for to-day, we were moving on to Libano for the night. After an hour or more’s travelling on a metalled road, we had to turn round and find an alternative route - the road was closed until 6 p.m. , 6 hours away.. I’m at a mental and linguistic loss to describe the next four hours of the journey. Not only unmade but rocky, narrow, frequently single track. often steeply climbing, full of dust-cloud trailing, belching, horn-blowing heavy lorries. Many of the latter part of the construction work in progress. They seem to be carving a road through the mountains, so many bridges in progress. Much of it was single track too with steep sides. After several false turnings and asking for directions from various workers, we crossed the river Magdalena, one of Colombia’s most important. It forms the central valley. We then had a quick ‘lunch’ - it was 4ish -in some town or other whilst the driver had a tyre repaired. Not a surprise in those conditions. Such wonderful scenery, otherwise, quite an experience.
The next bit of a sop birding was much too late to do the place justice. Another dirt track through sugar cane where we screeched to a halt to see the endemic Velvet-fronted Euphonia. Yellow-headed Caracara accompanied a grazing horse whilst a stunning Vermilion Flycatcher looked on from its barbed wire perch. A Long-winged Harrier was most unexpected for JC, he got very animated.
A mile later we splashed through a river, applied repellant and took a hot walk along a field path. We saw a few good birds but not the sought after endemic, Apical Flycatcher.
As there was another two hours journey to our hotel for the night, we had to leave. Lulled into a sense of false security by the metalled road....it didn’t last long. Another appalling dirt/rock track winding up into the mountains. In the dark this time.Verges on fire, scattered dwellings, hurtling lorries and cars in both narrow directions. Luckily everyone managed to avoid each other.
We arrived at another nice Hotel at 7.15, dinner at 8, rather late but we have an hour later start in the morning. Everyone else has gone to bed, I’m still in the dining room so that I have a connection. Time to finish.
Saturday July 19
Colombia’s Independence Day
After coffee, we left the hotel at six, driving to a road leading up into the mountains.
Saturday and a holiday meant that there were a lot of keep fit walkers, heavily laden cars looking like an internet photograph, people on top, others jammed inside and hanging on the back, many more on horseback and motorbikes, making their way down into Libano. We joined the happy throng, walking up the road for over two and a half hours, birding as we went. Birding was slow to begin with but improved when the sun appeared - as usual.
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| Pam's pic |
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| Coffee fields. Pic by Pam |
After walking part of the way back down, we returned to the Hotel to use the restrooms and to pick up something Juan had forgotten. Standing outside, admiring the best we’d ever seen hibiscus bushes - huge flowers in four colours, the sound of marching bands was heard.
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| Pam's pic |
We then re-traced yesterday’s route, along the correct road this time, stopping for lunch somewhere.....with occasional stops for birds. Information re to-day’s plans had been unusually sketchy. We soon found out why. We knew that we were due to bird somewhere en route, so were not unduly surprised when we dived off on the usual rough track.
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| Brahminy type cows are delightful. One had a juv, Yellow-headed Caracara behind one ear. |
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| The juvenile Yellow-headed Caracara - it flew |
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| Colombian Chachalaca |
The luggage and the men went onto the back, there wasn't a tail-gate......Pam and I shared one seat in the front. She got in, I turned sideways beside her and two men forced the door shut. The road was truly horrendous, all 4K of it. The worst I’ve ever seen driven. On several occasions, the engine stalled and one of the men had to hop out, open the bonnet and re-start it. Then the wheel would make a sharp cracking sound and the same man hopped out, did something to it and we were off again.I think it was the 4 wheel drive slipping. Pam was having a panic attack which sends me into super calm mode. She wanted to get out and walk at one point.
We eventually reached the Lodge in one shaken, stirred and blended piece, greeted with a glass of juice. Where was our room? Juan’s 100 metres was an under estimate. Nor did he mention the steep climbs (there were two) down a narrow, muddy, slippery, pathless, root strewn slope, over a loose three plank bridge, up an equally slippery and muddy slope on the other side and we were then faced by a flight of steep, varying height steps up to our room. Horrendous in the heat and humidity. Why send us here and for 3 nights?
The room is more than adequate, we even have aircon.
Lying on the beds, recovering, Juan arrived to tell us dinner was at seven. No thank you. The track was bad enough in the light, it would be treacherous and very foolish of us to use it in the dark. He offered us his room which is near the centre but doesn’t have aircon. We’ll do that to-morrow, can’t face it to-night. We were also promised dinner down here but it’s nearly 7.30 and there’s nothing yet. Yes there is - on cue.
Sunday July 2
At El Paujil
Dinner was soup, lovely chicken and rice. I ate most of the chicken, not hungry in heat. The room is very comfortable, despite the bombardment of 1 cm long shiny brown beetles against the windows. Quite a few got in via small gaps - as they do. No problem though, they just lay there and were dead by morning.
Very gingerly, we climbed down the 43 steps (Pam counted), slithered down the various slopes and huffed up the others, arriving five minutes late for breakfast. It took us 10 minutes. Juan Carlos and Rainer were already drinking coffee. Shortly after this, breakfast arrived. We sit at a table under a very large, thatched, conical dome open to the air on all sides, overlooking attractive gardens and a milk chocolate coloured, narrow river just visible through the trees.
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| Dining, sitting, computing area. |
We informed Juan that we were not coming to-day on the 7k round trip up a mountain, climbing from 170 metres to 700+, on a narrow trail through forest. Even Rainer was put out when told that he would be having a ‘field lunch’ and staying out all day ! Very hot and humid here in lowland forest.
Juan Carlos came back to tell us that a female Blue-billed Curassow was visiting daily and we must go now if we wanted to see her. Some villagers had found a nest, put the eggs under a hen and hatched three female Curassow. These had been given to ProAves and were being raised here prior to release. A wild, and very wary, female had cottoned on to free food and was visiting regularly.
The keeper led us off, under some barbed wire, motioned for us to stay there and departed. I immediately saw the wild bird, waiting the other side of a small copse.
As soon as the keeper got there and put a bowl down for her, fed the caged birds and departed, she was in. Not easy to photograph as it was through vegetation and rather dark for hand holding a 300mm lens at a 60th. I had to wait for her to appear in a 'window'. Well worth trying for such a reclusive, threatened and seldom seen bird. Could only find a photo of caged birds on the web. The Lodge, El Paujil, means Curassow in Spanish and has paintings of a male on its walls.
The keeper then showed us the way to the Hummingbird feeders, about half a mile up the entry road and then a sharp climb right up rough steps hewn into the hillside to a covered bench overlooking the feeder-hung trees with a view across the forested valley to mountains.
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| Pam's Photo |
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| Shining-green Hummingbird |
The endemic Colombian Chachalacas called everywhere yet never showed themselves, White-collared Swifts swept by overhead, a two foot lizard with emerald green back-lines rushed across the grass and... Pam got up and disturbed a young snake basking on the palm fronds behind us. Juan Carlos thinks it’s a poisonous species but only knows the local name. Pam managed a few shots before it disappeared.
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| PP - can't find this on the web |
We also saw Bay-headed Tanager, Thick-billed Euphonia and enough other birds ro keep us happy. Pam found a Chestnut-mandibled Toucan on the far side. We had a very pleasant morning.
Lunch arrived almost as soon as we returned. A very pleasant soup, then a piece of tasty steak, small yellow potatoes and a pink mixture which turned out to be beetroot and carrot.
The rest of the afternoon was spent sitting in the covered area watching butterflies, birds and White-faced Capuchin monkeys. The latter were raiding the fruit trees in the garden, mostly out of sight, the only evidence of their presence madly shaking branches.
I did manage to see one well. I also found a lizard again, eating a very fat caterpillar thing, glistening strings of its innards drooping from his mouth. Not a pretty sight.
Juan Carlos and Rainer returned at 3.30, Rainer was absolutely shattered and he’s very fit. What a good job we didn’t go. An Air Ambulance may have been needed.
JC moved out of his room at the main building so we were able to go in and have a cold shower - the stream of very cold water from the open pipe literally took my breath away. The room is small and poky in comparison and has a fan for air, not aircon, BUT it’s on the flat.
Late afternoon JC joined us to do last night’s list which we missed, I was pleased to find that I’d remembered virtually all when we did our own last night.
Hearing a Nightjar call close by, JC turned off the lights and we saw a Common Pauraque down on the ground a few yards away.
Late start in the morning, 6.30, for our last day here. The place is lovely, shame about the journey in.
Monday July 22
We had a storm in the night. Two thunderclaps followed by twenty minutes of heavy rain.
Another 'thank goodness we don’t have to negotiate the trail' to our infinitely superior room. This one is a third of the size and very hot and stuffy.
Two White-faced Capuchins breakfasted in a palm tree as we waited for our breakfast.
Rainer went to see the Blue-billed Currasow this morning, she was waiting for her breakfast again.We heard the captive birds calling as we walked to the Hummingbird look-out after a breakfast of arrepa (the flat cake things), cheese, ham and toast. The White-bearded Manakin flashed across the track, the Bare-necked Ibis sat in the same trees and the Laughing Falcon called. Groundhog Day?
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| Bare-necked Ibis |
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| JC and Rainer on the Hummingbird feeder mound |
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| Beautiful Woodpecker |
Lunch of ? soup, maybe asparagus, beef casserole, yucca, plantain and rice followed by a coffee mousse dessert. The food is good.
We all sat and chatted for a while, R and JC organising an outing at 3.00. We declined. When the time came the distant rumbles of thunder heralded some light rain. After about 10 minutes the men decided to walk to the hummingbird area again as Rainer had missed the Emerald this morning and it’s one he really wants.
This strange caterpillar wandered by. Enlarged, it belongs in a SciFi film.
Pam and I sat on, enjoying a Great Ani,
and the Lineated Woodpecker again.
It’s cooled off a bit now, the temperature is ‘only’ 24.9 and 94% humidity !
We have been warned of an early start in the morning, JC hopes that we have a better vehicle. Pam intends standing in the pick-up with the luggage and the men, she thinks it might be preferable, especially if it is the same vehicle.
Tuesday July 23
We did have a better vehicle. The engine sounded good, the back of the pick-up had a bench seat, a rough ladder and a tailgate. I sat in the cab again, no windows, a broken hand grab and the young driver had to wrestle between my knees for the 4 wheel drive lever.
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| Herne cleaning the better truck - back/ladder ready for use -Pam |
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| Seat down, bags loaded - Pam |
Some good birding in the first hour or two, so many Caracaras of three varieties and a good Spinetail pleased JC.
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| Crested Caracara |
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| Yellow-headed Caracara |
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| Russet-throated Puffbird |
I didn’t know that so many enormous shiny trucks existed in one place, there were even car transporters.
The last 25k of the road to the lodge was dirt, steeply climbing and bending, very rough indeed. Shanties kept appearing roadside, in clusters hanging on the edge, all with children, dogs and the occasional cat. One shack had more gaps than planks, lit up by a giant neon TV screen inside. Mounted men appeared roadside, the horses small and slim. All the while, sheet lightning lit the sky around us. We were all very pleased to get to the lodge soon after seven.
Our room is lovely, much more comfortable than last night’s. No time for a shower or a change, our meal was ready. Bags dumped we walked round the corner for the inevitable chicken - which was delicious. Bird lists, plans for to-morrow and bed at last - when I finish this. It will be interesting to see what the lodge looks like!
Wednesday July 24
The Lodge is based near the Chestnut-capped Piha reserve which is a tiny fragmented forest in the north eastmost Central Andes. The patch was gifted to ProAves in order to protect this recently discovered Piha. Most of the mountainside has been extensively de-forested due to rich gold deposits and fertile subtropical soil. The Lodge gardens are lovely, our breakfast table overlooked a small grassy area with three different Hummingbird feeding stations and a dead tree which had bananas impaled on the branches. I look forward to watching later.
JC’s plans for to-day were ‘ walk a little bit up and then a flattish bit’. Baloney. After a ten minute walk down the road, we climbed deep and steep into the forested mountainside. I don’t know how many ‘steps’, I use the term loosely, (tree roots, bamboo of varying height, some very high) later, we crossed a plank bridge, puffing up another vertiginous slope, to arrive breathless at a black net curtain with a hole in the middle. About 50 metres away was a wooden table, feeding on the scattered corn beneath were five endemic Chestnut Wood-Quail. Great.
Rainer saw seven!!
I thought it was all over........
An hour and a quarter later of some more gouged steps and steepness, we arrived at the platform. A lowish structure reached by a ladder. I found a Masked Trogon at one of my catch my breath stops.
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| PP |
Onwards and upwards....until we started the way down. The return path was worse in that it was steeper, slippery and many fewer hand-railed sections. We survived, very slowly and gingerly, in the vanguard always. My stick sank deeply into the mud on a few occasions when I lost the rubber tip and had to dig it out. I gave up in the end but had to keep yanking my stick out, it was often submerged up to a foot.
Having left the platform at 10.10, we were back on the road about 11.40. Phew. We’ll not be doing that again in a hurry.
This is what a researcher for ProAves wrote about the 'walk' we took:
''The trails in the part of the reserve near the house are mostly steep to very steep, involve climbing over all sorts of vegetation and walking up rocky rivers, and are difficult to follow in places. It is advisable to use a guide, or even better, not use these particular trails''.
After lunch, Pam and I retired to our room for a much needed siesta. Out again at 3.15 for a cold yoghurt and cake before a drive and walk session down the hill about 7k. It gave us the opportunity to admire the stunning views we didn’t see last night. Across a deep and wide valley to blue, forested, mountains. All the dwellings cling to the steep drop side of the road. Apparently this was a coffee growing, gold mining and then hydro- electric area, giving employment. What now? Unemployment I guess.
The walk was pretty unproductive so we returned to watch the feeders in the garden
- and watch our laundry drying. We haven’t had any hot water since the last hotel, not conducive to clean clothing, we had a few bits done for us. Having a shower is pretty refreshing too ,although the water here doesn’t take your breath away like it did at the last place.
Another group is due to arrive to-night, the staff made a new table to-day as there’s only room for the four of us to sit and eat. We have declined the invitation to climb the same trail as this morning - in the dark - to see a Colombian Screech-Owl.........
Due to the expected arrival of another party - it’s 8 p.m. and they still haven’t appeared - and the extra owling trip, we had early supper at 6 p.m. It was fish , they fried me a couple of eggs.
We have also declined more forest walks, for the whole day this time, and will spend to-morrow happily photographing and watching the birds in the Lodge grounds. Looking forward to that, putting the possible loss of lifers to the back of my mind.....mostly.
Thursday July 25
A short entry day - with many photographs to add later. Why? Rainer and JC went on an all day walk, repeating the same trip as yesterday and adding a further three hours. They were not back until 4.45 having left at 6.30. A big NoNo for us. We stayed at the Lodge, birding the grounds and taking photographs. The day started to drag in the afternoon.
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| Black-winged Saltator |
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| Scrub Tanager |
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| Rusty-margined Flycatcher |
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| Scarlet-headed Barbet |
Another group arrived last night, all Brits but not at all friendly. They didn’t manage to see the Wood-Quail and went out again to-night.
Rainer and JC dipped on the Owl last night.......
We are leaving at 4.00 a.m.to-morrow for the long drive to Tangaras, hoping to arrive to do some birding in the light. Poor JC had to sleep on a mattress on the storeroom floor last night, Bathroom next door, no door and open access to the two drivers and the other guide - who all snored the night away. He also reported, 'rats, they run all over me, talking to each other'.He's a tough cookie, having recently walked 8 days with a 200 pound +pack containing mist nets, sleeping bag and food, to a remote mountain area. He stayed a week and re-discovered a wren thought to have become extinct, not seen for 50 years. The stuff of dreams and still very possible in Colombia.
Friday July 26
Maybe another short entry day. There are only so many times that one can describe a day of travelling in this country. I would think that a high percentage of the employed work in the roads department. One comes upon half the road having fallen away, no warning of course, more huge landfalls, good metalled road with sudden stretches of rough dirt for no apparent reason.
We set off at 4.00 a.m. to-day, the alarm set for 3.25. It took ages to drive through Medellin, it’s enormous and very industrial. A lovely rocky, rushing mountain river was heavily foam encrusted. Such a high level of pollution is sickening.
A pleasant breakfast stop, an even better lunch and then.....huge roadworks. We had to wait half an hour at one point to proceed as they’d closed the ‘road’ temporarily. Mountainsides are being pared back, holes dug using pickaxes and some sort of tussocky grass planted to help avoid future erosion. This was shortly before Tangaras Lodge which is down a sharp slope to the left leading to the valley floor, beside a grey rushing river.
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| From the road |
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| PP |
Having dumped our bags, we made our way to the covered seats overlooking the feeders, for a much needed coffee and a rest.
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| PP |
A good selection of birds including Russet-backed Oropendola, Flame-rumped Tanagers, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Red-faced Spinetail and the usual Hummingbirds. Brown Violetear was the first since the early days.
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| Tree tomatoes. Delicious for dessert to-night with a mousse-like thing |
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| Flame-rumped Tanager |
Another good meal, soups are very good and, a welcome retirement. Nearly 8.00 p.m., time for bed. 5 a.m. breakfast to-morrow.
Saturday July 27
After a 5 a.m. (!!) breakfast, we all piled into the Toyota Jeep, our transport for the day as ‘the road is rough’. Ha ha.
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| PP |
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| This is where they were dumping the hill clearance material. PP |
So were the birds. The first hour was breath-taking and neck cricking. The canopy was active with various Tanagers, Chlorophonias, Flycatchers and Brush-finches zooming about. It was exciting but difficult to keep up with all the names being called out by JC. Poorplish Tanager was a problem until we worked out Purplish. So was the Moustached Puffbird, a splendid bird, first part of its name pronounced as the animal by JC.
JC said that we were walking 2k. It took two and a half hours, another of his under estimates. After a drink and a snack, JC and Rainer hived off up yet another precipitous track straight up the forested mountainside whilst Pam and I were driven back to the Hummingbird Feeding Station by the ever following Jaime, in Willy. The drive back took 8 minutes.
Why was I surprised? Another dodgy and very steep, gravelly, uneven set of steps, followed by a root strewn track, up the hillside to the small clearing where benches overlooked a row of nine feeders.
There we sat for two and a half hours, photographing Hummers. So many, so quarrelsome, so active, nine different varieties.
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| Booted Racket-tail |
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| Brown Inca |
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| Empress Brilliant |
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| Violet-tailed Sylph |
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| Gorgeted Woodstar |
At 11.45 the Ranger and son arrived with lunch, small son carrying a very large container full of sugar water to refill the feeders. They waited with us until JC and R arrived at 12.35, having also been driven back.
Lunch eaten, we sat until 2.30 whilst Rainer photographed and JC digiscoped.
Then.......driven even further down the road before another walk downhill. This one was pretty dead, Masked Trogon and a pair of Moustached Puffbirds were the highlights.
Back at the Lodge about 4.20 for a cup of coffee and shoes off whilst watching the garden feeders.
Hardly any sun to-day, we spent much of the time in low cloud which made it rather cold. We all wore sweaters at dinner to-night. All four of us get on well, so meals are an enjoyable occasion. R is incredibly well travelled. He’s already been to Venezuela this year and is off to Bolivia in September. No wonder his world list is over 6,000. He’s constantly after the next new bird. Incredibly fit too, but even he was complaining of aching legs to-night.
Another 5 a.m breakfast in the morning, camera batteries re-charging, alarms about to be set, storm over, time for bed - 8.30
.
Sunday July 28
To-day’s jeep was........a Jeep. Nothing like as comfortable as yesterday’s Toyota - and it had trouble getting up the drive out of the Lodge. Gravel spitting everywhere, wheels spinning like mad.
Dark again as we negotiated the half an hour drive to Las Tangaras reserve. We drove further along the trail to-day before starting the four and a half hour walk/stop and stand/re-trace footsteps/ walk. It was pretty devoid of birds too but, we had a few goodies. A flock of about 20 handsome endemic Red-bellied Grackles flew deep down into a valley before responding to the tape , returning to give very good close views.
The highlight for me - and probably for the men, was my finding a Cloud Forest Pygmy-Owl. We’d stopped to see Olive Finch, called by JC from his seat in the boot. Rainer needed it, couldn’t wait for me to get out, so scrambled out over the back of the seat and through the boot. Pam and I had good views from our seats so stayed put. Looking out at the Finches, I noticed a small owl sitting under a Tree Fern frond 2-3 metres away. Waw. I called to the men who did not immediately respond - JC hadn’t heard. R came rushing round the side of the jeep and....it flew away. Consternation. We all got out to look, I walked on a bit and re-located the bird huddled in a small tree fork, about 10 metres high. The bird is only 6 inches tall, described as ‘ rare and local, on SW slope of sub-tropical forest edge’. Juan Carlos comes here several times a year and had only seen it once before in 5 years. Good one.
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| I asked JC for his Digiscoped pic, the poweer cut put paid to that. This is from the web. |
The final hour and a half was virtually birdless, we all looked at and photographed insects and flowers including several orchid sp. We were tired too. At last we got back in the car, returning to the lodge by mid-day.
It was cool sitting in the garden looking at the feeders - no bananas to attract Tanagers and Woodpeckers - so we retired to our bedroom. Pam to sleep, me to work on my photographs and then have a short nap. The men went out again, to try a different trail, and did not return until 6.10. The Ranger and his wife are lovely, they brought us a hot drink at 4.30. Their young boys are about a lot as it’s the weekend, it keeps our driver Herne entertained, he wanders about looking for people to keep him company. I’ve never seen him reading and he has no interest in birds. He does have two phones.........
Rainer was very tired after his ‘walk’, we reckon that JC was testing his stamina. He’d been taken on a route march on a very rough trail and had fallen, which obviously concerned him. At least he’d seen Barred Parakeets which he’d missed this morning, rather disappointed that they were flying about a kilometre high! They’re the only parrot family found in the area so the identity was safe.
We’re leaving at 4.30 in the morning, breakfast before we go, alarm set for 3.40. I asked if they did doggy bags. The first destination has to be reached by jeep, it’s at an altitude of over 3,000 metres and is very cold. Herne will pack the minibus and drive to a village where we'll meet up with him. The road is closed between 12 and 3 so he has to get out before then. Hoobloodyrah !! I hope to-morrow night’s hotel in Jardin is comfortable, at least it has internet access so that I can post this.
Monday July 29
Two very weary women rose at 3.40 this morning, forced scrambled eggs and a drink down and left at 4.30 a.m. in the Toyota jeep for some highlands or other. More dreadful road, jolting, swaying and lurching our way ever upwards in the dark.
As we fell out of the vehicle, dawn was breaking, the pale blue sky lit by bars of apricot and pink. Lovely. Boy was it cold. Chilled by the ride in the windowless jeep, open to the elements anyway, we quickly donned our fleeces. Fairly quiet bird-wise but a Lachrymose Tanager livened us up before another 'call the Tapaculo over and over again and don't see it' session. They are troublesome. Ocellated this time instead of Alto Pisones. Could easily use the latter as a curse.
The endemic and recently discovered Monchique Wood-Wren, played ball immediately, giving us splendid views of this very pretty bird as did two Tanager-finches. We wandered down the trail for four hours again, seeing the odd good bird, calling and not seeing Black-billed Mountain -Toucan and a Chestnut-collared Cotinga which Rainer was anxious to see. He's very tick orientated and sticks closely to JC's side. Pam and I are calling him Velcro. He never birds at home but travels intensively, mainly using Birdquest. We're chalk and cheese. He's fit, fast and constantly pushing for more birds and walks whilst we are longing for a rest.
After the walk, we drove to a village where Herne was waiting with the bus and luggage. Then a late lunch - 1.30 - at the restaurant we used a couple of days ago. Pam noticed that we mainly use a chain called El Ranchero.
As we left the vehicle, it was like walking into a furnace. Pam got her thermometer out and it reached 36.3C !! Everyone was complaining. We sat until 3.10, hoping for a drop in temperature as we were trying again for Apibloodycal Flycatcher. Pam and I walked for about 25 minutes before giving in and returning to the vehicle. Still no bird.....
As we left the vehicle, it was like walking into a furnace. Pam got her thermometer out and it reached 36.3C !! Everyone was complaining. We sat until 3.10, hoping for a drop in temperature as we were trying again for Apibloodycal Flycatcher. Pam and I walked for about 25 minutes before giving in and returning to the vehicle. Still no bird.....
To our annoyance, we then drove to another place to look for the same bird, adding another hour to the day before we could get to the hotel. They were unsuccessful again.
Jardin was a surprise. A maze of narrow streets in a grid pattern on the mountainside, thronged with people, motorbikes, horses and dogs. A really happening place. Where were we going? At last we reached an imposing set of gates, were allowed through and found a very nice hotel waiting for us. The rooms are spacious and well appointed, the water hot and... I have internet. Rainer is delighted too, as he's also an information junkie. Mustn't spend too much more time on this, it's already 8.50 and we have a 4.30 start in the morning. More high altitude birding.
I must first Email the friends who were good enough to Email us .
Tuesday July 30
No coffee and no vehicle. R was cross about the drink and JC was mad the driver wasn't waiting.
The Jeep jeep arrived 20 minutes late. It's vital that we get to the Yellow-eared Parrot Reserve viewpoint at dawn to see the parrots leave the roost.
People at home wouldn't believe these 'roads'. They'd be marked 'unsuitable for motorised vehicles' or Foot traffic only. Several streams to cross to-day on a shiveringly cold morning. Most unbelievable is that we keep coming across dwellings, some very smart, one was a trout farm.
After an hour and twenty minutes, we stopped next to a clay slope in the hillside.
The driver nipped up and removed the barbed wire fence and Pam and I walked up rather more slowly and very gingerly. Damn me, when we got to the top, there was a sharp turn left up some steep, muddy steps, rough twigs placed across them. Then a yomp across tussocky grass on deeply potholed ground, to a bench on top of the hill. I sat down on the wet bench and gradually dried my bit - and dampened my trousers. Rainer discovered icy crystals the other end of the bench. The usual breathtaking sunrise over distant peaks, multi layers of valleys and forest in deep shadow. The first distant squawks of three Yellow-eared Parrots rushing west, no colour discernible. During the next half an hour, several more flocks of this endangered endemic sped through, the largest was of 36.
Next target was Black-billed Mountain Toucan, we'd already heard their throaty purring growl. JC played his tape and I saw two birds fly fairly close. I pointed out where they'd landed and we all saw one of these very handsome and multi-coloured birds well as it posed in the open about 30 feet away. Brilliant.
JC then fetched the breakfast from the jeep - he'd bought it in town last night. He fell en route......Oatmeal yoghurt (!) and a pastry thing which tasted sweet and had apricots and ham in it. Strange.
Guess what? Time to walk the track again, re-tracing the drive, jeep following behind at 10 minute intervals. Thank goodness it did. My left leg totally gave way, the other was in mid-step. I found myself sitting on my bottom before falling back - without hitting my head - on the stony ground. Good job.....until I discovered that my bins had whacked me on the side of my face leaving a lump and a gradually spreading swelling. Black eye to-morrow?
I didn't feel like walking any more, so spent the rest of the morning in the jeep. Occasionally JC would motion the jeep forward and show us a bird including Plushcap, Citrine Finch, two Hemispingus varieties and a Streaked Flowerpecker. Pam was stood on the tailgate having a good view. The tailgate is so high that she had to be heaved up there this morning, me pushing her bottom. I think the driver did that later !
As we reached the reserve entrance, JC stopped to greet the Ranger before he and Rainer moved on. We had to wait whilst the Ranger was interviewed by a poseur from the local TV station. When he'd finished, he and the cameraman got on to their motorbike and roared off.
There followed an almost surreal and very entertaining experience. Four horsemen approached, looking very Spanish on their high-stepping horses, serape over one shoulder and suitably hatted.
As we continued down the road, more and more riders, men and women with a few school age youngsters, trotted up in loud, noisy groups. Some had Spanish music on full blast, others joyfully brandished bottles. many were already way past happy hour.
All appropriately dressed, shame some of the horses looked as though at least one parent was a mule. One of the local villages had decided to have a fiesta by riding 50 miles to the next small town. They were having fun.
A short rest and an icepack for my face at the hotel, before driving into town for lunch in a restaurant. After a drink in the square in front of a pretty hideous church with the loudest and longest carillon of bells I've ever heard,
we returned to the hotel for a rest before driving to the Andean Cock of the Rock lek. The latter was at the bottom of a 300 yard long winding,steep gravelly track. Oh joy.
We eventually made it, were allowed through a small fence entrance by the owner's daughter - entry by previous arrangement only - then another unmade but short yomp down to the edge of a steep wooded slope. One male was fairly near but always partially hidden, giving some photo opportunities. I saw four in view at once but there was lots of movement, displaying and calling going on. I did take a few pics.
Rainer decided to drop further into the woods and......all the near birds disappeared. Helpful man. He returned with some decent shots which he showed us at dinner to-night. Spit.
JC carried my bag back up the hill, thank goodness. We had to wait whilst a bulldozer demolished a bit of the hillside, another rockfall in the making.
Back to have a much needed shower before an adequate meal in this very nice hotel where the food is very average.
5.00 a.m departure in the morning, ending up in Medellin Airport for the hour flight to Santa Marta. We're stopping for another go at Apibloodycal Flycatcher en route......
We have Peacocks and Southern Lapwing calling outside our room. They only stopped when the outside lights went off at midnight - Pam said.
Rainer complained like mad about the calling cockerel.
Wednesday July 31
Pam was disappointed......my bruise is not colourful enough! I am not. Having one side of my face blue/green/yellow from specs level to my mouth is enogh for me. It’s not painful unless I accidentally touch it though.
What a tiring day. We left our lovely hotel in Jardin at two minutes past 5 a.m., driving past hillsides of coffee bushes until we reached the Cauca area, where we walked a side road for........Apibloodycal Flycatcher.
Two other sites were tried without success. We did get the endemic Greyish Piculet, drab for a Piculet but a goody.
Passionfruit farming is increasingly taking place in the Jardin area, rows of trees protected by a plastic covering.
JC has the habit of drying his laundry en route. He drapes his shirts over the dashboard in front of him and on his lap, seems to be successful.
Breakfast was at the usual El Ranchero chain, soon after 9.30, by which time Rainer was complaining loudly. When I get home, eggs will be off the menu for even longer than usual. This morning I had huevos rehuelvas con cebollo y tomate, arepa y chocolate calientes con leche y sucre. Scrambled eggs with onion and tomato, hot chocolate with milk and sugar. I wouldn’t starve.
Our less than bright driver, Herne, dropped us off on the wrong level at Medellin airport. Arrivals instead of departures. No trolleys and a long flight of steep steps. Pam and I nabbed a porter who carried our bags to the Avianca check-in desk for the 45 minute flight to Santa Marta. We were actually able to buy some postcards at the airport, no stamps, we shall post them when we get home. Not a lot of acceptable choice either, especially after R had hogged then first. I bought a new laser pointer as did JC (he’d left his in the vehicle) and Pam found the Pulpa de Guayaba for sale, little blocks of delicious Guava paste wrapped in banana leaves .
Getting out of the plane in Santa Marta was like stepping into a sauna. Its a holiday area with the best beaches in Colombia. To-day it looked less than inviting to me, heavy grey overcast reaching down to the sea.
Bags dumped in the waiting Toyota Landcruiser, we returned to lunch in an airport cafe, seeing Great-tailed Grackle, Brown Pelican and Greyish Saltator whilst we ate, looking out to sea between the palms.
The ‘nearby’ Chestnut-winged Chachalaca site was a twenty minute drive away. Horrible. A hot, sweaty, mosquito-infested walk into a forest. JC told us we needed repellent as we left the vehicle....everyone’s was packed. Another little gem. ‘These birds are best seen between 5 and 6 p.m.’. Why were we there at 3? Rainer hates these conditions too, his shirt was drenched, three very unhappy birders trudged the trail slapping ineffectually at legs and arms. We did add Pale-legged Hornero, Whooping MotMot and Rufous Jacamar.
The trail was muddy too.
Given the choice of hanging about for an hour and trying again or, driving to the hotel, Rainer, thankfully, said drive to the hotel in Minca. That was a relief. We then drove to Minca, part of the way up Santa Marta mountain, in a terrific storm. Roads were flooded, our high off the ground vehicle producing a bow wave. Via a shopping mall, as JC was out of batteries, we reached the hotel up a side track at 5.15 in heavy rain. The Toyota stopped below the hotel, we had to walk the final 100 yards up the steep cobbled entrance plus luggage. We demurred at that so JC went off to get help. My door was suddenly opened and an umbrella thrust into my hand. Off we went into a very pleasant place with a balcony overlooking feeders. There we sat with a welcome coffee , enjoying a lovely rainbow, until our luggage arrived.
Our room is three sides of the block away. Very adequate but too far for the internet to be available. Rainer could get the internet in his room - No 1 - very apt. 5.30 breakfast in the morning.
Tuesday July 30
No coffee and no vehicle. R was cross about the drink and JC was mad the driver wasn't waiting.
 |
| PP |
People at home wouldn't believe these 'roads'. They'd be marked 'unsuitable for motorised vehicles' or Foot traffic only. Several streams to cross to-day on a shiveringly cold morning. Most unbelievable is that we keep coming across dwellings, some very smart, one was a trout farm.
After an hour and twenty minutes, we stopped next to a clay slope in the hillside.
 |
| PamPic |
Next target was Black-billed Mountain Toucan, we'd already heard their throaty purring growl. JC played his tape and I saw two birds fly fairly close. I pointed out where they'd landed and we all saw one of these very handsome and multi-coloured birds well as it posed in the open about 30 feet away. Brilliant.
JC then fetched the breakfast from the jeep - he'd bought it in town last night. He fell en route......Oatmeal yoghurt (!) and a pastry thing which tasted sweet and had apricots and ham in it. Strange.
Guess what? Time to walk the track again, re-tracing the drive, jeep following behind at 10 minute intervals. Thank goodness it did. My left leg totally gave way, the other was in mid-step. I found myself sitting on my bottom before falling back - without hitting my head - on the stony ground. Good job.....until I discovered that my bins had whacked me on the side of my face leaving a lump and a gradually spreading swelling. Black eye to-morrow?
I didn't feel like walking any more, so spent the rest of the morning in the jeep. Occasionally JC would motion the jeep forward and show us a bird including Plushcap, Citrine Finch, two Hemispingus varieties and a Streaked Flowerpecker. Pam was stood on the tailgate having a good view. The tailgate is so high that she had to be heaved up there this morning, me pushing her bottom. I think the driver did that later !
As we reached the reserve entrance, JC stopped to greet the Ranger before he and Rainer moved on. We had to wait whilst the Ranger was interviewed by a poseur from the local TV station. When he'd finished, he and the cameraman got on to their motorbike and roared off.
There followed an almost surreal and very entertaining experience. Four horsemen approached, looking very Spanish on their high-stepping horses, serape over one shoulder and suitably hatted.
As we continued down the road, more and more riders, men and women with a few school age youngsters, trotted up in loud, noisy groups. Some had Spanish music on full blast, others joyfully brandished bottles. many were already way past happy hour.
 |
| PP |
A short rest and an icepack for my face at the hotel, before driving into town for lunch in a restaurant. After a drink in the square in front of a pretty hideous church with the loudest and longest carillon of bells I've ever heard,
we returned to the hotel for a rest before driving to the Andean Cock of the Rock lek. The latter was at the bottom of a 300 yard long winding,steep gravelly track. Oh joy.
 |
| There's another even steeper slope around the corner. Pam's pic |
We eventually made it, were allowed through a small fence entrance by the owner's daughter - entry by previous arrangement only - then another unmade but short yomp down to the edge of a steep wooded slope. One male was fairly near but always partially hidden, giving some photo opportunities. I saw four in view at once but there was lots of movement, displaying and calling going on. I did take a few pics.
Rainer decided to drop further into the woods and......all the near birds disappeared. Helpful man. He returned with some decent shots which he showed us at dinner to-night. Spit.
JC carried my bag back up the hill, thank goodness. We had to wait whilst a bulldozer demolished a bit of the hillside, another rockfall in the making.
Back to have a much needed shower before an adequate meal in this very nice hotel where the food is very average.
5.00 a.m departure in the morning, ending up in Medellin Airport for the hour flight to Santa Marta. We're stopping for another go at Apibloodycal Flycatcher en route......
We have Peacocks and Southern Lapwing calling outside our room. They only stopped when the outside lights went off at midnight - Pam said.
Rainer complained like mad about the calling cockerel.
Wednesday July 31
Pam was disappointed......my bruise is not colourful enough! I am not. Having one side of my face blue/green/yellow from specs level to my mouth is enogh for me. It’s not painful unless I accidentally touch it though.
What a tiring day. We left our lovely hotel in Jardin at two minutes past 5 a.m., driving past hillsides of coffee bushes until we reached the Cauca area, where we walked a side road for........Apibloodycal Flycatcher.
Two other sites were tried without success. We did get the endemic Greyish Piculet, drab for a Piculet but a goody.
Passionfruit farming is increasingly taking place in the Jardin area, rows of trees protected by a plastic covering.
JC has the habit of drying his laundry en route. He drapes his shirts over the dashboard in front of him and on his lap, seems to be successful.
Breakfast was at the usual El Ranchero chain, soon after 9.30, by which time Rainer was complaining loudly. When I get home, eggs will be off the menu for even longer than usual. This morning I had huevos rehuelvas con cebollo y tomate, arepa y chocolate calientes con leche y sucre. Scrambled eggs with onion and tomato, hot chocolate with milk and sugar. I wouldn’t starve.
Our less than bright driver, Herne, dropped us off on the wrong level at Medellin airport. Arrivals instead of departures. No trolleys and a long flight of steep steps. Pam and I nabbed a porter who carried our bags to the Avianca check-in desk for the 45 minute flight to Santa Marta. We were actually able to buy some postcards at the airport, no stamps, we shall post them when we get home. Not a lot of acceptable choice either, especially after R had hogged then first. I bought a new laser pointer as did JC (he’d left his in the vehicle) and Pam found the Pulpa de Guayaba for sale, little blocks of delicious Guava paste wrapped in banana leaves .
Getting out of the plane in Santa Marta was like stepping into a sauna. Its a holiday area with the best beaches in Colombia. To-day it looked less than inviting to me, heavy grey overcast reaching down to the sea.
Bags dumped in the waiting Toyota Landcruiser, we returned to lunch in an airport cafe, seeing Great-tailed Grackle, Brown Pelican and Greyish Saltator whilst we ate, looking out to sea between the palms.
The ‘nearby’ Chestnut-winged Chachalaca site was a twenty minute drive away. Horrible. A hot, sweaty, mosquito-infested walk into a forest. JC told us we needed repellent as we left the vehicle....everyone’s was packed. Another little gem. ‘These birds are best seen between 5 and 6 p.m.’. Why were we there at 3? Rainer hates these conditions too, his shirt was drenched, three very unhappy birders trudged the trail slapping ineffectually at legs and arms. We did add Pale-legged Hornero, Whooping MotMot and Rufous Jacamar.
The trail was muddy too.
Given the choice of hanging about for an hour and trying again or, driving to the hotel, Rainer, thankfully, said drive to the hotel in Minca. That was a relief. We then drove to Minca, part of the way up Santa Marta mountain, in a terrific storm. Roads were flooded, our high off the ground vehicle producing a bow wave. Via a shopping mall, as JC was out of batteries, we reached the hotel up a side track at 5.15 in heavy rain. The Toyota stopped below the hotel, we had to walk the final 100 yards up the steep cobbled entrance plus luggage. We demurred at that so JC went off to get help. My door was suddenly opened and an umbrella thrust into my hand. Off we went into a very pleasant place with a balcony overlooking feeders. There we sat with a welcome coffee , enjoying a lovely rainbow, until our luggage arrived.
Our room is three sides of the block away. Very adequate but too far for the internet to be available. Rainer could get the internet in his room - No 1 - very apt. 5.30 breakfast in the morning.
Thursday August 1
Away by 6, late start, it was actually light. The Hummingbirds were still feeding when we retired last night and were already there this morning.
Pam wants me to take a photo of her getting into the Toyota, the three of us sharing the back seat. It’s very high off the ground and doesn’t have a step. (I never had the opportunity).
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is described as ' a unique massif totally seperated from the Andes yet rising precipitously to 19,000 feet. It hosts the highest concentration of continental range-restricted bird species anywhere in the world. The Lodge to which we were travelling is at 1900 metres and is part of a 1600 acre reserve'.
It wasn’t long before we were walking the ever climbing road in a pleasant early morning temperature. It’s only 15k from Minca to El Dorado Lodge but takes a couple of hours. I don’t want to say too much about the road to-day except that JC said it was very very rough and it’s the worst we’ve been on.
Our previously mentioned researcher said: '' It is only 2 hours drive from Santa Marta but the road is horrendous in places''.
We had a couple of flocks appear which means spells of good, if frantic, birding. Rosy Nightingale-Thrush, Swallow Tanager and Ruby Topaz amongst them. The second spell of walking was longer, steeper and produced five endemics. We missed the third stop, 300 m into the bush, where they saw an endemic Blossomhead. Lovely name, pretty drab for a Hummingbird.
During these walks, Alfonso the driver returned to the hotel twice because he’d forgotten something. JC thought he’d gone back for the bananas - he hadn’t, so had to go again.
We eventually arrived at the Lodge at about 11.30. It’s beautifully set in the forest , overlooking forest, valley and mountain. It's constructed entirely from the non-native pine cleared from the reserve in order to plant the sole native variety. There was occasional sun, banks of cloud rolling in from time to time, the pattern of days to come.
The first building was the dining room where we had a welcome cup of coffee before viewing the feeding stations. Most of the Hummers are Violet-eared, the occasional Brown Inca and the white tail flashing endemic - and aptly named - White-tailed Starfrontlet. We saw a total of five endemics on the way up, good going.
Our very acceptable bedroom is down 20 steps, a 100 metres away down a steep crazy-paved track, grass in the middle and over two log bridges. Hm. I expected - hoped for - nearer and more accessible.
After lunch - there are two other groups here so there was a second sitting - Pam and I went upstairs to the bar/sitting area with our coffee. There’s a large balcony so we could view the feeders easily. The endemic Santa Marta Woodstar flashed in and out again. No chance for a photo as yet. I did manage a few of the Starfrontlet though.
It’s very cloudy at the moment , I don’t know what the plans are for later, maybe we’ll opt out. A group of three older US men seem to be leaving, one has a very loud voice......
Whilst deciding what to do, we were called to the kitchen area to view a family of the endemic Black-chested Wood-quail at a feeding station. Rainer got too close and I didn’t get a chance at a photo as they all scurried off. Maybe another time.
The storm started as we sat in the upstairs bar/lounge area. I was working on my laptop. Torrential rain cascading off the gutters, very loud thunder and spectacular lightning. Even more spectacular - and concerning - was the display from the electricity unit behind the bar. Crackling, spitting and emitting shafts of blue sparks. Fortunately I unplugged my laptop and phone before there was a final show of pyrotechnics and the whole system failed.
We went to bed in heavy rain, negotiating the slippery rock paved slope and the log bridge without mishap. The storm continued until gone 10 p.m. Cloud forest = damp. The beds felt cold and clammy, I kept my socks on and read by torchlight. We were given a candle but no matches.
August 2
Staggering, with very small steps and a stick, up to the main area for coffee at 4.00 a.m. - Rainer again, he wanted to see a Santa Marta Screech-owl. We didn’t, despite two stops. Funny in retrospect. We heard the bird but it didn’t come. As we drove off, I tried (softly) to imitate the call. ‘Stop, stop’, says JC, ‘I think I heard the bird’. I apologised profusely.
We walked a good way up the hideous road, seeing very few birds in number but of good quality.
Field Breakfast, standing up, a sandwich and coffee, I had hot chocolate , very acceptable.
More uphill walking produced Santa Marta Brush-finch, SM Ant-pitta and SM Warbler.
Snack time. Drinking yoghurt and attempting to eat some dry cake.
Yet another walk on the return journey, one too many for me. As I put my left leg in the vehicle, my right leg gave way and twisted, dumping me on my backside again. Very ignominious and embarrassing. I still managed to get out of the vehicle again for two White-tipped Quetzals though.
The driver, Alfredo, spotted a Crab-eating Fox cross the track, stop and stare at us and slink off. Looked like a grey dingo.
As yesterday, the cloud rolled in mid morning, we were back for lunch by 11.40. Chook again, what with that and eggs I shall be growing scaly feet.
We were introduced to Elkin, our guide for the last few days, JC has to meet another group. He seems very pleasant but his English is not as good. We then went to our bedroom to do some laundry and sorting in daylight before returning to sit on the balcony. Eric, the manager pointed out a small group of Red Howler Monkeys, very distantly at the top of a tree.
The views are stupendous when it’s not cloudy. A Red-tailed Squirrel pinched a whole banana from the feeder and had big problems running off with it.
The nearby Cecropia tree is a bird magnet. We added Sickle-winged Guan, Black-headed Thrush and Blue Naped Chlorophonia to the list.
A British couple arrived to-night, only she came to dinner as he was car-sick. Her daughter is spending nine months working as a genetecist in Medellin.
We said goodbye to JC, he leaves at 4 a.m., and retired. He said I had to tell all my friends that Colombia is safe for birders. It is - unless you want to go to the Venezuelan or Ecuadorian border areas. Even he hasn't been to the region abutting Venezuela.
Saturday August 3rd
My 75th birthday, the second one spent opening cards and pressies in the dark (Peru was the last). Superb personalised card from Sara and the family, an original from Mag and John, Bridget and Aileen's most appealing owls, Marj and Jen's amusing one, Sue Scott too, had all bothered to get the cards to Pam before we left. Thank you.
Late breakfast, 6 a.m. lovely fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, pancake and maple syrup. Up to the balcony for a beautifully sunny yet cool morning - until the cloud rolled in at 10.00.
Before then we watched the Howlers, which looked like two beasts on top of a tree, stretch, yawn and unravel into a family of five. Pam digiscoped them.
Elkin brought us a yoghurt and cake mid morning, just before we were enveloped by a noisy American family who had arrived in Colombian brother's buggy. Waw. She immediately started getting our life story and then proceeded to do some photography using a very small camera on a large tripod.
Guess what was for lunch? Yes, chicken.
We did some birding on the patio, including through the kitchen to take some pics of the endemic Quail in the shade of the feeder, Rainer had gone walkies with Elkin.
We then retired to the lounge and balcony - in between playing cards when the cloud was too thick. Good views of Santa Marta Toucanet, Great Thrush, Orange-breasted Fruiteater (stunning bird) and both Sickle-winged and Band-tailed Guan in the cecropia.
Birthday dinner was soup, Spaghetti Bolognese, a bottle of red and......cake.
Sara had organised it again, bless her. It was chocolate with a creamy topping studded with wild raspberries. The English couple led the singing.
They later moved nearer the light, strung on a pillar, to play Scrabble and chat. He's from Cardiff and she sailed the Broads every holiday as a youngster. Her sister lives in Thurne. Neither is a birder but interested in Nat History.
Sunday August 4
Breakfast at 6 a.m., away by 6.25. Just the one stop so that Pam and I could catch up with Blossomcrown - which we did. Another stop, we stayed in the vehicle and ticked Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner from the open door.
We were at our lunch stop, Hotel Minca, before 10 !! They had electricity and my mouse. We charged up laptops and phones, what bliss, and I responded to welcome Emails from friends.
Not many birds around, it was good to stop.
After lunch, yes, chook, the luggage was loaded into our next vehicle, a small 16 seater Mercedes bus with electrically operated sliding door. I couldn't lift my legs high enough to get in, knees swollen and stiff. Pam's hip was bad after the ride down too. I managed it very inelegantly indeed (with sound effects) and a crate was then produced for use on future occasions.
A long drive to the Guajira Desert near Rio Hacha. It's a sandy scrub/cactus strewn area on the shore. The most litter we've seen anywhere, it's been very clean. It was very hot indeed but without the humidity - and almost totally birdless.
We'd had a couple of short stops earlier where birds such as Roseate Spoonbill, Double-barred Thicknee and Tricoloured Heron were seen. The Black-crested Ant-shrikes with their punky hairdos were delightful.
I was pleased to get to the shoreside hotel where we have a suite of two rooms, clean and very adequate. The water was only tepid but better than the cold encountered so frequently, it was great to feel clean.
I must finish now. More desert in the morning before the flight to Bogota and the very long journey home. Too much time at airports!!
Monday August 5
Not a good night. Noisy aircon, lots of door banging audible in our 5th floor room - there is a lift. Our final packing for the long flight home, birding clothes donned, coffee at 5.30.
Off to the ‘desert’ again, the Los Flamencos Nature Reserve. We picked up yesterday’s volunteer ranger on the way. Very proudly, he had a pair of luminous Vermilion Cardinals posed ready for us.
Early into our walk, another target bird, White-whiskered Spinetail, showed well. Very handsome bird, rich russet with bright white whiskers. Later, after much calling, two Chestnut Piculets responded, giving good views of the pair. Thank goodness for the ranger, Elkin is a dear boy but not up to scratch as a leader.
We didn’t need either of the guides for the Tocuyo Sparrow, Pam saw a pair on the ground as did I. So did the ranger but I don’t think Rainer did. He kept very quiet, apart from his irritating habit of questioning our sighting. Whilst chasing the sparrow a Pileated Finch, which has similar habits, kept us entertained.
A Black Hawk flew over unnanounced, so Pam missed it, Elkin again, maddening..Only a trip bird but....
Rainer and the guides went off on another walk, which proved to be fruitless. We stayed in the vehicle and I took one photograph using my Canon SX200 of one of the myriad dragonflies whooshing about. This one perched, I couldn't see it in the screen and I was amazed.....
South American leaders are excellent at forest birds but not keen on shorebirds . As we’d seen the target birds, we drove to the beach with its distant lagoons, it’s part of Los Flamencos reserve. The area is strewn with poor looking shacks, dogs and a sea of rubbish. Colombia has impressed me with its cleanliness, this part is filthy.
The climbing temperature was tempered by a brisk breeze. We added both Large-billed and Yellow-billed Terns, Laughing, American Herring and Ring-billed Gulls, American Flamingos (were Greater, then Caribbean, now American), American Stilt, a dozen Skimmers, Wilson’s Plover, Semi Palmated and Western Sandpiper, Carib Grackle and Reddish Egret.
Five diminutive Green-rumped Parrotlets sped through. Rainer asked for a coffee, he's an addict. Elkin went into a roadside ‘shop’ and came back with......yoghurt.
We were at Riohacha airport by 9.30, early for a mid-day flight. Rainer threw a strop at being asked to pay an airport tax - no explanation as to reason and usage and we hadn’t been warned. The small cafe was interesting, half of the roof was being demolished the other side of some flimsy netting,. We soon tired of the noise of the drill and the dust and moved to sit in the corridor. A Cattle tyrant was hopping from table to table looking for food - open entry for it.
A long wait, the plane was late, not in Bogota until 2.30.
Consternation. The zips on our bags had been security tagged closed. Couldn’t break the tough plastic and our travelling clothes were packed inside. Nor could I pack my stick, Pam had dumped hers because the bare spike was skiddy. Our driver asked for it for ' when he was old'. Dishevelled hair and appearance it was to be.
Obviously too early to check-in, we found two of the six seats available in the vast check-in area and sat there until about 8 p.m. Another long wait for our Atlanta plane which was an hour late. And we had to change gates from 40 to 47. It was very cold, we could have done with our warmer clothes. I longed for my vest!
Aboard the elderly, Delta Airways Boeing 737, I found the least leg-room I have experienced for years. Very tired, I did my best to sleep the flight away.
Atlanta Airport at 6.45 local time , to experience the infamous US customs and immigration. It was remarkably smooth, pleasant and reasonably quick, even the baggage collection etc again. First time I've had my fingerprints taken followed by an eye scan.
Our third check-in........why did we agree to this return flight plan? My having a stick helped, we were waved through to the 'disabled' queue, which was non-existent, and went to the front of the normal queue. Must have looked rough! Must try that again.
We are now ensconced in the clean, carpeted and sparkling Airport lounge after something to eat and drink. I found somewhere to plug in my laptop but internet is not free and my card is being refused. I phoned Barclays in London, rather cross, they say I don't need to clear my card for use abroad and this happens. Time after time. They took the wind out of my sails by stating that my card was not blocked and the problem was 'my end' . Hm . Pam is lying down across some seats, trying to get some sleep. Still cold, I bought a Tshirt and donned that. My card worked perfectly.....
Another good wheeze when carrying a stick, passengers needing extra time were called first and we were straight on.
I managed to sleep on and off for much of the flight to Schipol where we arrived at 5 a.m. local time. Three hours wait for the Norwich plane and the cafes weren't open. When they did, we had breakfast and played cards.
Great to land at Norwich, collect our luggage and see Barbara waiting for us whilst Rai drove the car round to avoid parking fees. Lovely to be met and whisked home. We'd thought about going to coffee morning but a shower, a rest and a demanding Robbie put paid to that.
Trip List Total - All Members 473
Pam and I 445
Our 'Lifers' 149
Endemics seen by Pam and I 36
All the birds we saw were Colombian residents.
We missed out on at least 4 days of guided birding due to having to opt out of walks too difficult for us to complete - despite booking this as a private trip and fully explaining our mobility and stamina limitations. The trip was driven by Rainer, a late addition. He is an ex marathon runner, very fit and tick driven. This was his 3rd South American trip this year, he has one to Bolivia booked for September, plans another destination for November and Colombia again in January.
This catering for Rainer's needs meant that we were birding without a guide, missing out further owing to lack of birdsong/call knowledge and our ID uncertainty ! Difficult.
This is not the best time of year for birding Colombia. November to March is the long dry season, when the list is considerably bumped up by the arrival of American migrants. 500 + birds can be expected and over 600 are regularly listed.
Visiting the more remote reserves - some only accessible by horseback - would add more endemics, as would visiting Rio Blanco. The latter is not a ProAves Reserve so was not included on our itinerary. They feed AntPittas there and its a 'must visit' .
We are delighted that we made the trip - and survived. What a shame that Colombia was not a viable destination 20 years ago.
Away by 6, late start, it was actually light. The Hummingbirds were still feeding when we retired last night and were already there this morning.
Pam wants me to take a photo of her getting into the Toyota, the three of us sharing the back seat. It’s very high off the ground and doesn’t have a step. (I never had the opportunity).
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is described as ' a unique massif totally seperated from the Andes yet rising precipitously to 19,000 feet. It hosts the highest concentration of continental range-restricted bird species anywhere in the world. The Lodge to which we were travelling is at 1900 metres and is part of a 1600 acre reserve'.
It wasn’t long before we were walking the ever climbing road in a pleasant early morning temperature. It’s only 15k from Minca to El Dorado Lodge but takes a couple of hours. I don’t want to say too much about the road to-day except that JC said it was very very rough and it’s the worst we’ve been on.
Our previously mentioned researcher said: '' It is only 2 hours drive from Santa Marta but the road is horrendous in places''.
We had a couple of flocks appear which means spells of good, if frantic, birding. Rosy Nightingale-Thrush, Swallow Tanager and Ruby Topaz amongst them. The second spell of walking was longer, steeper and produced five endemics. We missed the third stop, 300 m into the bush, where they saw an endemic Blossomhead. Lovely name, pretty drab for a Hummingbird.
During these walks, Alfonso the driver returned to the hotel twice because he’d forgotten something. JC thought he’d gone back for the bananas - he hadn’t, so had to go again.
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| PamPic |
The first building was the dining room where we had a welcome cup of coffee before viewing the feeding stations. Most of the Hummers are Violet-eared, the occasional Brown Inca and the white tail flashing endemic - and aptly named - White-tailed Starfrontlet. We saw a total of five endemics on the way up, good going.
Our very acceptable bedroom is down 20 steps, a 100 metres away down a steep crazy-paved track, grass in the middle and over two log bridges. Hm. I expected - hoped for - nearer and more accessible.
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| PP |
After lunch - there are two other groups here so there was a second sitting - Pam and I went upstairs to the bar/sitting area with our coffee. There’s a large balcony so we could view the feeders easily. The endemic Santa Marta Woodstar flashed in and out again. No chance for a photo as yet. I did manage a few of the Starfrontlet though.
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| Violet-eared |
.JPG) |
| White-tailed Starfrontlet. Looks like a House Martin in flight. |
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| White-tailed Starfrontlet |
Whilst deciding what to do, we were called to the kitchen area to view a family of the endemic Black-chested Wood-quail at a feeding station. Rainer got too close and I didn’t get a chance at a photo as they all scurried off. Maybe another time.
The storm started as we sat in the upstairs bar/lounge area. I was working on my laptop. Torrential rain cascading off the gutters, very loud thunder and spectacular lightning. Even more spectacular - and concerning - was the display from the electricity unit behind the bar. Crackling, spitting and emitting shafts of blue sparks. Fortunately I unplugged my laptop and phone before there was a final show of pyrotechnics and the whole system failed.
We went to bed in heavy rain, negotiating the slippery rock paved slope and the log bridge without mishap. The storm continued until gone 10 p.m. Cloud forest = damp. The beds felt cold and clammy, I kept my socks on and read by torchlight. We were given a candle but no matches.
August 2
Staggering, with very small steps and a stick, up to the main area for coffee at 4.00 a.m. - Rainer again, he wanted to see a Santa Marta Screech-owl. We didn’t, despite two stops. Funny in retrospect. We heard the bird but it didn’t come. As we drove off, I tried (softly) to imitate the call. ‘Stop, stop’, says JC, ‘I think I heard the bird’. I apologised profusely.
We walked a good way up the hideous road, seeing very few birds in number but of good quality.
Field Breakfast, standing up, a sandwich and coffee, I had hot chocolate , very acceptable.
More uphill walking produced Santa Marta Brush-finch, SM Ant-pitta and SM Warbler.
Snack time. Drinking yoghurt and attempting to eat some dry cake.
Yet another walk on the return journey, one too many for me. As I put my left leg in the vehicle, my right leg gave way and twisted, dumping me on my backside again. Very ignominious and embarrassing. I still managed to get out of the vehicle again for two White-tipped Quetzals though.
The driver, Alfredo, spotted a Crab-eating Fox cross the track, stop and stare at us and slink off. Looked like a grey dingo.
As yesterday, the cloud rolled in mid morning, we were back for lunch by 11.40. Chook again, what with that and eggs I shall be growing scaly feet.
We were introduced to Elkin, our guide for the last few days, JC has to meet another group. He seems very pleasant but his English is not as good. We then went to our bedroom to do some laundry and sorting in daylight before returning to sit on the balcony. Eric, the manager pointed out a small group of Red Howler Monkeys, very distantly at the top of a tree.
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| PP |
The views are stupendous when it’s not cloudy. A Red-tailed Squirrel pinched a whole banana from the feeder and had big problems running off with it.
The nearby Cecropia tree is a bird magnet. We added Sickle-winged Guan, Black-headed Thrush and Blue Naped Chlorophonia to the list.
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| Sickle-winged Guan - in the dark |
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| Blue Naped Chlorophonia |
A British couple arrived to-night, only she came to dinner as he was car-sick. Her daughter is spending nine months working as a genetecist in Medellin.
We said goodbye to JC, he leaves at 4 a.m., and retired. He said I had to tell all my friends that Colombia is safe for birders. It is - unless you want to go to the Venezuelan or Ecuadorian border areas. Even he hasn't been to the region abutting Venezuela.
Saturday August 3rd
My 75th birthday, the second one spent opening cards and pressies in the dark (Peru was the last). Superb personalised card from Sara and the family, an original from Mag and John, Bridget and Aileen's most appealing owls, Marj and Jen's amusing one, Sue Scott too, had all bothered to get the cards to Pam before we left. Thank you.
Late breakfast, 6 a.m. lovely fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, pancake and maple syrup. Up to the balcony for a beautifully sunny yet cool morning - until the cloud rolled in at 10.00.
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| PP |
Elkin brought us a yoghurt and cake mid morning, just before we were enveloped by a noisy American family who had arrived in Colombian brother's buggy. Waw. She immediately started getting our life story and then proceeded to do some photography using a very small camera on a large tripod.
Guess what was for lunch? Yes, chicken.
We did some birding on the patio, including through the kitchen to take some pics of the endemic Quail in the shade of the feeder, Rainer had gone walkies with Elkin.
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| It was very dark by now, but, this is the endemic Santa Marta Toucanet |
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| PP |
Sara had organised it again, bless her. It was chocolate with a creamy topping studded with wild raspberries. The English couple led the singing.
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| My swollen face, in shadow! PP |
They later moved nearer the light, strung on a pillar, to play Scrabble and chat. He's from Cardiff and she sailed the Broads every holiday as a youngster. Her sister lives in Thurne. Neither is a birder but interested in Nat History.
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| Last sunset at El Dorado |
Sunday August 4
Breakfast at 6 a.m., away by 6.25. Just the one stop so that Pam and I could catch up with Blossomcrown - which we did. Another stop, we stayed in the vehicle and ticked Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner from the open door.
We were at our lunch stop, Hotel Minca, before 10 !! They had electricity and my mouse. We charged up laptops and phones, what bliss, and I responded to welcome Emails from friends.
Not many birds around, it was good to stop.
After lunch, yes, chook, the luggage was loaded into our next vehicle, a small 16 seater Mercedes bus with electrically operated sliding door. I couldn't lift my legs high enough to get in, knees swollen and stiff. Pam's hip was bad after the ride down too. I managed it very inelegantly indeed (with sound effects) and a crate was then produced for use on future occasions.
A long drive to the Guajira Desert near Rio Hacha. It's a sandy scrub/cactus strewn area on the shore. The most litter we've seen anywhere, it's been very clean. It was very hot indeed but without the humidity - and almost totally birdless.
We'd had a couple of short stops earlier where birds such as Roseate Spoonbill, Double-barred Thicknee and Tricoloured Heron were seen. The Black-crested Ant-shrikes with their punky hairdos were delightful.
I was pleased to get to the shoreside hotel where we have a suite of two rooms, clean and very adequate. The water was only tepid but better than the cold encountered so frequently, it was great to feel clean.
I must finish now. More desert in the morning before the flight to Bogota and the very long journey home. Too much time at airports!!
Monday August 5
Not a good night. Noisy aircon, lots of door banging audible in our 5th floor room - there is a lift. Our final packing for the long flight home, birding clothes donned, coffee at 5.30.
Off to the ‘desert’ again, the Los Flamencos Nature Reserve. We picked up yesterday’s volunteer ranger on the way. Very proudly, he had a pair of luminous Vermilion Cardinals posed ready for us.
Early into our walk, another target bird, White-whiskered Spinetail, showed well. Very handsome bird, rich russet with bright white whiskers. Later, after much calling, two Chestnut Piculets responded, giving good views of the pair. Thank goodness for the ranger, Elkin is a dear boy but not up to scratch as a leader.
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| Brown-crested Flycatcher |
A Black Hawk flew over unnanounced, so Pam missed it, Elkin again, maddening..Only a trip bird but....
Rainer and the guides went off on another walk, which proved to be fruitless. We stayed in the vehicle and I took one photograph using my Canon SX200 of one of the myriad dragonflies whooshing about. This one perched, I couldn't see it in the screen and I was amazed.....
South American leaders are excellent at forest birds but not keen on shorebirds . As we’d seen the target birds, we drove to the beach with its distant lagoons, it’s part of Los Flamencos reserve. The area is strewn with poor looking shacks, dogs and a sea of rubbish. Colombia has impressed me with its cleanliness, this part is filthy.
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| El Florida |
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| PP |
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| PP |
We were at Riohacha airport by 9.30, early for a mid-day flight. Rainer threw a strop at being asked to pay an airport tax - no explanation as to reason and usage and we hadn’t been warned. The small cafe was interesting, half of the roof was being demolished the other side of some flimsy netting,. We soon tired of the noise of the drill and the dust and moved to sit in the corridor. A Cattle tyrant was hopping from table to table looking for food - open entry for it.
A long wait, the plane was late, not in Bogota until 2.30.
Consternation. The zips on our bags had been security tagged closed. Couldn’t break the tough plastic and our travelling clothes were packed inside. Nor could I pack my stick, Pam had dumped hers because the bare spike was skiddy. Our driver asked for it for ' when he was old'. Dishevelled hair and appearance it was to be.
Obviously too early to check-in, we found two of the six seats available in the vast check-in area and sat there until about 8 p.m. Another long wait for our Atlanta plane which was an hour late. And we had to change gates from 40 to 47. It was very cold, we could have done with our warmer clothes. I longed for my vest!
Aboard the elderly, Delta Airways Boeing 737, I found the least leg-room I have experienced for years. Very tired, I did my best to sleep the flight away.
Atlanta Airport at 6.45 local time , to experience the infamous US customs and immigration. It was remarkably smooth, pleasant and reasonably quick, even the baggage collection etc again. First time I've had my fingerprints taken followed by an eye scan.
Our third check-in........why did we agree to this return flight plan? My having a stick helped, we were waved through to the 'disabled' queue, which was non-existent, and went to the front of the normal queue. Must have looked rough! Must try that again.
We are now ensconced in the clean, carpeted and sparkling Airport lounge after something to eat and drink. I found somewhere to plug in my laptop but internet is not free and my card is being refused. I phoned Barclays in London, rather cross, they say I don't need to clear my card for use abroad and this happens. Time after time. They took the wind out of my sails by stating that my card was not blocked and the problem was 'my end' . Hm . Pam is lying down across some seats, trying to get some sleep. Still cold, I bought a Tshirt and donned that. My card worked perfectly.....
Another good wheeze when carrying a stick, passengers needing extra time were called first and we were straight on.
I managed to sleep on and off for much of the flight to Schipol where we arrived at 5 a.m. local time. Three hours wait for the Norwich plane and the cafes weren't open. When they did, we had breakfast and played cards.
Great to land at Norwich, collect our luggage and see Barbara waiting for us whilst Rai drove the car round to avoid parking fees. Lovely to be met and whisked home. We'd thought about going to coffee morning but a shower, a rest and a demanding Robbie put paid to that.
Bird Species
Trip List Total - All Members 473
Pam and I 445
Our 'Lifers' 149
Endemics seen by Pam and I 36
All the birds we saw were Colombian residents.
Summary
We missed out on at least 4 days of guided birding due to having to opt out of walks too difficult for us to complete - despite booking this as a private trip and fully explaining our mobility and stamina limitations. The trip was driven by Rainer, a late addition. He is an ex marathon runner, very fit and tick driven. This was his 3rd South American trip this year, he has one to Bolivia booked for September, plans another destination for November and Colombia again in January.
This catering for Rainer's needs meant that we were birding without a guide, missing out further owing to lack of birdsong/call knowledge and our ID uncertainty ! Difficult.
This is not the best time of year for birding Colombia. November to March is the long dry season, when the list is considerably bumped up by the arrival of American migrants. 500 + birds can be expected and over 600 are regularly listed.
Visiting the more remote reserves - some only accessible by horseback - would add more endemics, as would visiting Rio Blanco. The latter is not a ProAves Reserve so was not included on our itinerary. They feed AntPittas there and its a 'must visit' .
We are delighted that we made the trip - and survived. What a shame that Colombia was not a viable destination 20 years ago.
Colombian Endemics - still being added to
Number of endemics: 85
Non-Passerines (38): Chestnut-winged Chachalaca Ortalis garrula Colombian Chachalaca Ortalis columbiana Cauca Guan Penelope perspicax Blue-billed Curassow Crax alberti Chestnut Wood-Quail Odontophorus hyperythrus Gorgeted Wood-Quail Odontophorus strophium Colombian Grebe Podiceps andinus Bogota Rail Rallus semiplumbeus Tolima Dove Leptotila conoveri Santa Marta Parakeet Pyrrhura viridicata Brown-breasted Parakeet Pyrrhura calliptera Barred Parakeet Bolborhynchus lineola Rufous-fronted Parakeet Bolborhynchus ferrugineifrons Indigo-winged Parrot Hapalopsittaca fuertesi Todd's Nightjar Caprimulgus heterurus White-chested Swift Cypseloides lemosi Bogota Sunangel Heliangelus zusii Blossomcrown Anthocephala floriceps Black-backed ThornbillRamphomicron dorsale Gorgeted Puffleg Eriocnemis isabellae Colorful Puffleg Eriocnemis mirabilis Black Inca Coeligena prunellei White-tailed Starfrontlet Coeligena phalerata Dusky Starfrontlet Coeligena orina Santa Marta Woodstar Acestrura astreans Red-billed Emerald Chlorostilbon gibsoni Chiribiquete Emerald Chlorostilbon olivares Santa Marta Sabrewing Campylopterus phainopeplus Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia castaneiventris Indigo-capped Hummingbird Amazilia cyanifrons Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird Lepidopyga lilliae Blue-tailed Trogon Trogon comptus Sooty-capped Puffbird Bucco noanamae White-mantled Barbet Capito hypoleucus Five-colored Barbet Capito quinticolor Grayish Piculet Picumnus granadensis Beautiful Woodpecker Melanerpes pulcher Choco Woodpecker Veniliornis chocoensis
Passerines (47): Silvery-throated Spinetail Synallaxis subpudica Rusty-headed Spinetail Synallaxis fuscorufa Streak-capped Spinetail Cranioleuca hellmayri Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner Automolus rufipectus Recurve-billed Bushbird Clytoctantes alixii Parker's Antbird Cercomacra parkeri Moustached Antpitta Grallaria alleni Santa Marta Antpitta Grallaria bangsi Cundinamarca Antpitta Grallaria kaestneri Bicolored Antpitta Grallaria rufocinerea Brown-banded Antpitta Grallaria milleri Santa Marta Tapaculo Scytalopus sanctaemartae Pale-throated Tapaculo Scytalopus panamensis Upper Magdalena Tapaculo Scytalopus rodriguezi Stiles's Tapaculo Scytalopus stilesi Brown-rumped Tapaculo Scytalopus latebricola Paramillo Tapaculo Scytalopus canus Antioquia Bristle-Tyrant Phylloscartes lanyoni Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant Myiotheretes pernix Apical Flycatcher Myiarchus apicalis Chestnut-capped Piha Lipaugus weberi Choco Vireo Vireo masteri Niceforo's Wren Thryothorus nicefori Santa Marta Wren Troglodytes monticola Apolinar's Wren Cistothorus apolinari Munchique Wood-Wren Henicorhina negreti Santa Marta Warbler Basileuterus basilicus White-lored Warbler Basileuterus conspicillatus Yellow-crowned Redstart Myioborus flavivertex Black-and-gold Tanager Bangsia melanochlamys Gold-ringed Tanager Bangsia aureocincta Black-cheeked Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus melanogenys Multicolored Tanager Chlorochrysa nitidissima Turquoise Dacnis-Tanager Pseudodacnis hartlaubi Caqueta Seedeater Sporophila murallae Chestnut-bellied Flower-piercer Diglossa gloriosissima Sierra Nevada Brush-Finch Arremon basilicus Santa Marta Brush-Finch Atlapetes melanocephalus Yellow-headed Brush-Finch Atlapetes flaviceps Dusky-headed Brush-Finch Atlapetes fuscoolivaceus Antioquia Brush-Finch Atlapetes blancae Sooty Ant-Tanager Habia gutturalis Crested Ant-Tanager Habia cristata Mountain Grackle Macroagelaius subalaris Red-bellied Grackle Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster Baudo Oropendola Gymnostinops cassini Velvet-fronted Euphonia Euphonia concinna
