Hooded Antpitta Baby!

We had the whole morning in the forests of Otun-Quimbaya beginning t the far end of the road where we staked out a site for the mega Hooded Antpitta. We arrived ay 5.40am and it was still quite dark but despite the low light we were able to tick Sickle-winged Guan, a pair of which were ignoring us at the edge of the car parking area. The next hour or so was taken up with our antpitta search and it appeared at several different spots on 3 occasions in the gloomy understorey and you had to be quick to get on it. It’s a mega bird and outstandingly rare. During our search we saw Pale-eyed Thrush, a Chestnut-crowned Antpitta was as surprised as we were when it hopped out onto the road in front of us, our first White-capped Tanager posed nicely at the top of a bare tree  and the endemic Greyish Piculet was seen in a flock that passed through that included Masked Trogon, Golden-olive Woodpecker,Cinnamon Flycatcher and Strong-billed Woodcreeper. By 7.30am the ‘antpitta window’ had passed so we drove back a few kilometres before walking along the road. A Black-and-white Warbler was an early returning winter visitor, and we also saw Pearled Treerunner, Ashy-throated  Chlorospingus(Bush-Tanager) and Metallic-green Tanager. All of a sudden a Moustached Antpitta began calling and was answered by another behind us, so we spent quite some time trying to see either bird. All they gave were glimpses in the understorey that left us wanting more! Walking on we saw a pair of endemic Cauca Guans, Speckled Hummingbird, Bronzy Inca and finished with the endemic Chestnut Wood-Quail that crossed the road twice on either side of us and meant high fives all round.

Western Emerald

 After a 12.00 lunch and a Western Emerald in the garden we set off on the long to Montezuma. It took about 4.5 hours and swapping to a couple of 4-wheel drives for the last 45 minutes bumpy drive to Montezuma Lodge. And what an introduction we had as the hummer feeders were full of birds. It’s hard to put numbers on each species but there were a lot of birds. Purple-throated Woodstar was the most numerous, followed by Empress Brilliant and Andean Emeralds. 

Purple-bibbed Whitetip

Rufous-gaped Hillstar

As we got tuned in to the relevant i.d features we also picked up Steely-vented Hummingbird, Tawny-bellied Hermit, Rufous-gaped Hillstar (split from White-tailed Hillstar), Purple-bibbed Whitetip, and Violet-tailed Sylph amongst the 13 hummer species present. There was also a Lemon-rumped Tanager, Green Honeycreeper and Bananaquit.