Breakfast was at the reasonable time of 05:30am in the hotel restaurant during which time we saw a pair of White-vented Plumeleteer visiting the feeders, with a Pale-breasted Thrush feeding in a large tree.
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| White-vented Plumeleteer |
Then we set off in our 4WD Landcruisers up the bumpy mountain track towards El Dorado Lodge where we would be spending the next 2 nights. Our first stop gave us glimpses of Golden-winged Sparrow, a Red-billed Emerald feeding on some flowers, Crested Oropendola, a brief Coppery Emerald, White-chinned Sapphire, Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Grey-headed Tanager, and frustratingly only heard Rosy Thrush-Tanager.
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| Rufous-tailed Jacamar |
We drove on for a few kilometres before checking out another of Jose’s favourite spots where Rufous-capped Warbler, Barred Antshrike, Santa-Marta Foliage-Gleaner, Rufous-and-white Wren, and several Swallow Tanagers were present. We really hadn’t driven very far up the mountain at this stage so we made amends and drove for quite a while before our next stop. Here, a Rusty-breasted Antpitta proved tricky to see and not everyone managed to get on it but a Santa Marta Antbird showed quite well at the same spot, as did a Lined Quail-Dove and an Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush.
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| Lined Quail-Dove |
Continuing our drive along an ever increasingly poor track produced a pair of Bat Falcons in display and perched quite close, before stopping for coffee at a roadside stall. Here we saw Santa Marta Woodstar on its favourite perch, Santa Marta Brushfinch, skulking Sierra Nevada Brushfinch, Grey-breasted Wood-Wren of the subspecies bangsi and a potential split and a tricky Santa Marta Tapaculo.
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| Lazuline Saberwing |
We eventually reached El Dorado Lodge in the ProAves reserve for a lovely late lunch, but not before checking out the numerous feeding stations here. There was a compost heap with Strong-billed Woodcreeper and Black-hooded Thrush feeding on it.
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| Brown Violetear |
A pile of seed was attracting Black-chested Jays and Band-tailed Guans, Blue-naped Chlorophonia visited the banana feeders, whilst the hummer feeders hosted Brown Violetear and a superb Lazuline Sabrewing amongst plenty of other previously seen species.
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| Blue-naped Chlorophonia |
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| Black-chested Jay |
Lunch was delicious, as was a female White-tailed Starfrontlet (we’d see the male here later today) that came in for a short time.
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| Not a bad view |
Our luxury rooms had a fantastic view as one side of the round rooms was completely glass and you could see the ocean many miles below. Wow! But they were a long way from the restaurant and it took 25 minutes to reach them, which made us rather sweaty indeed! Thankfully our luggage was taken up to them by the staff! We spent just 15 minutes getting ourselves sorted before walking the higher trail back to the main lodge/restaurant and this proved to be very rewarding. A group of Black-capped Tanagers fed in the low bushes, and we also spotted a Rusty-headed Spinetail, and the local Santa Marta race of Bay-headed Tanager that is just red and green and looks totally different from the nominate forms joined the other tanagers, along with an early returning Blackburnian Warbler, a fabulous Santa Marta Mountain-Tanager, and overhead some Scaly-naped Parrots passed by.
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| Bay-headed Tanager - looking very different here.... |
Walking down into dark and gloomy forest gave us a pair of Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrushes, Masked Trogon, endemic White-lored Warbler, a pair of stunning Golden-breasted Fruiteaters high overhead, a brief White-tipped Quetzal and Sickle-winged Guan. We returned to the main lodge just in time for the late afternoon feeding frenzy and although we didn’t get anything new apart from a fine male White-tailed Starfrontlet, it was a very enjoyable experience to witness all the activity.
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| Santa Marta Screech-Owl |
We enjoyed a fine early dinner before setting out along the main track in search of Santa Marta Screech-Owl and it didn’t take too long to spotlight a calling bird to round off another great day in Colombia! Oh and I almost forgot that we saw Kinkajou and Night Monkey in the trees beside the lodge this evening as well...!
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| Kinkajou |
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