Nevado del Ruiz

This morning we headed to the highest altitude of the tour at 4100m and the paramo zone of Nevado Del Ruiz. And boy it was chilly this morning as we began the day with a Paramo Tapaculo being seen by most of us, and a Grass Wren showing well, but Ash-coloured Tapaculowas only heard. We arrived at a small restaurant for breakfast, opposite a lake with Andean Teal, a flyover Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, with a flock of Plain-coloured Seedeaters in the scrub nearby and some of the friendliest dogs imaginable! 

Nevado del Ruiz

Feeling fortified by some good grub we headed to the National Park in dense mist which inhibited our search for the endemic Buffy Helmetcrest and initially it was seen quite quickly, with the bird was feeding low beneath the bushes before disappearing quickly. A tense wait followed before another bird was found in a much more open area and everyone feasted their eyes on this little stunner. 

Buffy Helmetcrest

We tried a few more side roads but the mist was just too thick and we only saw a close Black-thighed Puffleg feeding beside the road on some flowers. So we changed tack and tried a totally different area that was much clearer and enjoyed fine looks at White-chinned Thistletail and Andean Tit-Spinetail amongst some spectacular scenery with snow-capped mountains dominating the horizon. 

Andean Tit-Spinetail

White-chinned Thistletail

We then drove towards our lunch stop birding along the road seeing Band-tailed Seedeater, Red-crested Cotinga, Stout-billed Cinclodes, Andean Siskin, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant and eventually a pair of Western Tawny Antpittas that had us hiking up a field to see them and at this altitude we certainly felt alive!

Driving lower we reached the lovely Termas Hotel for lunch, but not before enjoying the delights of their hummer feeders. New for our lists were Golden-breasted Puffleg, Viridian Metaltail, Buff-winged Starfrontlet, numerous Shining Sunbeams, and the star of the show was a female Rainbow-bearded Thornbill. 

Buff-winged Starfrontlet

Golden-breasted Puffleg

Rainbow-bearded Thornbill

Shining Sunbeam

Viridian Metaltail

We also saw another Black-thighed Puffleg, Mountain Velvetbreast, Great Sapphirewing and Tourmaline Sunangel here as well. After a delicious lunch we birded the road below the hotel but it was slow going in the sunshine but we still added Paramo Seedeater, Purple-backed Thornbill, and a Hooded Mountain-Tanagerto our list. There were other birds seen such as Lacrimose and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanagers, and a Spillman’s Tapaculo showed really well. Driving back towards Manizales we saw another Paramo Tapaculo to end a fine day in the mountains.