Heading to Comarapa

We left Los Volcanes this morning in a howling gale that destroyed our chances of seeing too many birds although a Blue-browed Tanager gave great views as we walked along the jeep track. We got that bird at the tail end of a small flock that included Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant and Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Plain Antvireo, Yellow-olive Flatbill and Black-goggled Tanager. Apart from that it was pretty quiet, save for a quite remarkable find of a lek of Great-billed Hermit with at least 6 birds calling from the bushes beside the track and a flyby Yungas Dovefor a few people.

Leaving here we drove to Laguna Los Volcanes where a few Common Gallinules, an Anhinga and at least 3 Least Grebes were present on the lake. Walking back downhill through some interesting forest and we came across a pair of Guira Tanagers in a flock of Blue Dacnis, Grey Elaenia, and a Buff-throated Saltator. Unfortunately a calling Bolivian Tapaculo failed to show, and just before reaching the bus a Golden-rumped Euphonia showed.

Golden-rumped Euphonia

We then had quite a drive towards our next destination of Comarapa. We hit a purple patch as we drove past the Grande Vallee junction where the habitat of arid scrub & bush covered hillsides was alive with birds and after some of the group noticed a few Dusky-legged Guans beside the road we stopped and checked out the area. Our first Rufous-collared Sparrows of the trip were numerous here and we did our best to ignore them as there were far more interesting species to look at such as Saffron-billed Sparrow, Grey Crested Finches,Blue-crowned Parakeets, Purple-throated Euphonia, and a small group of cracking Black-capped Warbling-Finches. 

Saffron-billed Sparrow

Overhead, a Bicolored Hawk soared across the valley, whilst our first White-winged Black-Tyrant was only a flyby. 

Record shot of Bicoloured Hawk

An Ultramarine Grosbeak eluded nearly everyone, but a perched Glittering-bellied Emerald posed nicely. Other birds seen here included Red-crested Finch, Bananaquitand Narrow-billed Woodcreeper. En-route to Comarapa we saw a Blue-and-yellow Tanager Blue-and-white Swallow.