Cerro Tunari

Our day began after a later breakfast and a Sparkling Violetear feeding in a large flowering tree outside the front door of the hotel. Then we headed up into the high hills of Cerro Tunari where the first bird as we left the coach was a Bolivian Blackbird. Pretty soon after a Bolivian Warbling-Finch was teed up in the scope but it flew away before everyone in the group could lay eyeballs on it, and we were left with flocks of Rufous-sided Warbling-Finches to sift through to no avail. Overhead, we saw Andean Swifts, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle and a few Mountain Caracaras. Moving higher up we came across a Yungas Dove walking along a channel below the road, Collared Warbling-Finch,Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant, Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant, White-winged Black-Tyrant, Peruvian Sierra-Finch, White-tipped Plantcutter and an Andean Hillstar.

Andean Hillstar

Around some bushes near a small settlement a Cochabamba Mountain-Finch showed well, as did Rufous-bellied Mountain-Tanager (Saltator), a pair of Streak-fronted Thornbirds gave good views. Our picnic spot beside a patch of Polylepsis forest turned out to be very good with a flock of Greenish Yellow-Finches, Tawny Tit-Spinetail and a Giant Conebill.

Cochabamba Mountain-Finch

Rufous-bellied Mountain Tanager (Saltator)

Tawny Tit-Spinetail

Giant Conebill

Greenish Yellow-Finch

After lunch we drove to just over 4000m and into the puna zone where Taczanowski’s Ground Tyrant was seemingly common. 

Cerro Tunari

There was a flock of Ash-breasted Sierra-Finches, several White-winged Diuca-Finches and Cream-winged Cinclodes to keep us entertained. Driving back down a random stop to look at some Bright-rumped Yellow-Finches produced walk-away scope views of a pair of stunning Ornate Tinamou feeding and walking across an open area opposite the road. Wow! 

A phonescoped Ornate Tinamou

We also saw Black-winged Ground-Dove, a Black Siskin in a flock of Hooded Siskins, and a Red-crested Cotinga. As we drove further downhill a flock of Mountain Parakeets flew across in front of the coach and landed nearby. 

Fulvous-headed brush-Finch

When they flew off we got out of the coach to search for them and had good looks at Maquis Canastero and a huge surprise in the shape of a pair of Fulvous-headed Brush-Finches to round off another good day.