Return Journey to Cochabamba

We headed up into the cloud forest on our way back to Cochabamba this morning and our first stop gave us several cool-looking Inca Jays, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Bolivian Brush-finch, Blackburnian Warbler, Andean Guan, Cinnamon Flycatcher and best of all, an obliging Blue-banded Toucanet. 

Bolivian Brush-finch

Blue-banded Toucanet

Next up was a flyover Double-toothed Kite which we noticed whilst watching a White-capped Dipper feeding alongside a tumbling mountain stream. It wasn’t looking too good for our chances of the endemic Black-throated Thistletail as we tried a few spots without any joy, although Glossy-black Thrush was new for some and a Streak-throated Bush-tyrant was new to our list. However,  after much searching Miguel finally ‘pulled the rabbit out of the hat’ when he found a skulking thistletail and it gave decent views for all of us in the end. At the same area some of the group managed glimpses of Rufous-faced Antpitta and a migrating Swainson’s Hawk was a surprise flyover here. We then spent the majority of the day before the rain came in, along the side-road at Tablas Mountain and during lunch we finally nailed a pair of awesome Hooded Mountain-toucans which posed perfectly on moss-encrusted trees. 

Hooded Mountain-toucan

There was also Rust-and-yellow Tanager, Bolivian Tyrannulet, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, perched Black-winged Parrot, Rufous-bellied Bush-tyrant, Spectacled Whitestart and plenty of other common species. 

Spectacled Whitestart

The clouds then descended and heavy rain set in by mid-afternoon so we headed over the pass and down to Cochabamba.