Santa Marta Mountains at Last!

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

Blue-naped Chlorophonia

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. 

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. 

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. 

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...!

Kinkajou

Los Flamencos

What a day this was as we added over 50 new species to our ever growing list including a fine selection of Guijara Peninsula specialities. We began with Rufous-vented Chachalaca, Yellow-breasted Flycatcher, Scrub Greenlet, Northern White-fringed Antwren, Tocuyo Sparrow, Barred Antshrike, a pair of Glaucous Tanagers, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant, Ruddy Seedeater and a Brown-crested Flycatcher. Driving towards the coast we stopped along the road to scope a pair of Double-striped Thick-knees, and as we watched them we also noticed a flock of Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Vermilion Flycatcher,American Kestrel, several Fork-tailed Flycatchers, and a few Bare-eyed Pigeons. 

Tocuyo Sparrow

Once at Los Flamencos we walked along a track through the sand forest and notched up many new birds. In fact, new birds came thick and fast and we quickly saw Tropical Mockingbird, Wood Stork, Slender-billed Inezia, Northern Scrub Flycatcher, many Tropical Gnatcatchers, Pileated Finch, a pair of cracking White-whiskered Spinetails, Black-crested Antshrike, Shining-green Hummingbird, Black-backed Antshrike, and a group of 3 Chestnut Piculets.

Black-backed Antshrike

Driving on to the next site we saw a pair of Green-rumped Parrotlets at their nest hole in a telegraph pole and a Reddish Egret feeding in a lagoon. Another path to a large pond was very productive as we saw a pair of awesome Vermilion Cardinals, Grey Kingbird, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, another Northern White-fringed Antwren, Orinocan Saltator, a confiding Baird’s Sandpiper, Black-faced Grassquit, some flyover Magnificent Frigatebirds, Buffy Hummingbirdand Bicoloured Wren.

Vermilion Cardinal

Grey Kingbird

Baird's Sandpiper

Orinocan Saltator

Lunch was at a fabulous setting along a palm-fringed beach where a flock of American Flamingo’s flew by.

We finished our birding at a huge lagoon with numerous shorebirds and terns roosting in front of us. There were many Cabot’s Terns, as well as Least, Common, Gull-billed and Royal Terns too. 

Cabot's Tern

An American White-faced Ibis skulked below some bushes at the water’s edge, several Laughing Gulls patrolled the area, but our main focus were the shorebirds. There were Semipalmated Plovers, a pair of huge Wilson’s Plovers, Semipalmated and a Western Sandpiper, Willet, a group of Short-billed Dowitchers, Ruddy Turnstone, both Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, American Oystercatcher, and a breeding-plumaged Dunlin. A distant Cocoi Heron was scoped, a Western Osprey flew by. And that was us done and we had to leave and head towards the Santa Marta Mountains. At the base of the mountains we were met by a couple of four-wheel drive vehicles for a short drive up to Minca, stopping along the way to scope a bunch of Military Macaws at their roost.

Salamanca

Our day began with a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl calling away from a large tree right outside the front door of the hotel. We then headed over to the port area and as soon as we got out of the minibus a Chestnut-winged Chachalaca was seen in a bare tree and it was soon joined by another bird and they began uttering their raucous call. 

Chestnut-winged Chachalaca

A Glaucous Tanager was scoped, whilst Grey Kingbird, Yellow Oriole, Yellow Warbler, Ringed Kingfisher, Greyish Saltator and Common Ground-Dove all appeared around us. Several groups of Brown-throated Parakeets flew by, with a few birds landing on the bushes nearby, whilst a cracking pair of Bicoloured Wrens showed well and began singing quite close to us. From here we moved on to a trail an hour’s drive away which led into open country and some lagoons. A Caribbean (Pale-legged) Hornero was the first bird seen, quickly followed by a pair of stunning Stripe-backed Wrens and a trio of Black-crested Antshrikes. 

Black-crested Helmetshrike

Walking along we were getting very sweaty as it was such a hot day but the birds kept appearing with Cattle Tyrant, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Snail Kite and Yellow-headed Caracara. The first of three stunning Rufous-throated Puffbirds to be seen today was next up, along with Greater, Smooth-billed and Groove-billed Anis, Purple Gallinule, Wattled Jacana, Scaled Dove, Pied Water-Tyrant, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Spotted and Solitary Sandpipersand a perched Green Kingfisher. 

Pied Water-Tyrant

A large lagoon was productive with White-cheeked Pintail,Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, Greaterand Lesser Yellowlegs, a superb Stilt Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Black-necked Stilt, Yellow-chinned Spinetail and White-tipped Dove. A short drive from here took us to Salamanca Reserve where a shortish walk gave us Pale-tipped Inezia, Pied Puffbird, Northern Waterthrush, American Pygmy Kingfisher, Lineated and Golden-green Woodpeckers, and a day roosting Lesser Nighthawk. 

Lesser Nighthawk

A longish drive was made more problematical by the ever-present Colombian roadworks and also a car accident that stalled us for an hour in a long queue. But after lunch and another drive we walked a side track where we heard a Little Tinamou, and saw Trinidad Euphonia, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Yellow-green Vireo, another American Pygmy Kingfisher, Buff-breasted Wren, Rufous-tailed Jacamar and a rather flighty Bright-rumped Attila. Dinner was taken at a nice seafront restaurant.

Jardin to Barranquilla

We left our lovely hotel at the edge of Jardin town square and went to Finca Bambusa for breakfast, which is actually Jose’s mothers house. Upon arrival we could see there were some feeders in the garden and they attracted a pair of Blue-necked, lots of Palm, a pair of White-lined and a few Scrub Tanagers, Thick-billed Euphonia, Ruddy Ground-Dove, and a Clay-coloured Thrush. 

Blue-necked Tanager

Clay-coloured Thrush

Ruddy Ground Dove

Around the edges of the garden there were Social and Streaked Flycatchers, Great Kiskadee and a Squirrel Cuckoo. The hummer feeders enticed Steely-vented, Western Emerald and for a short period a superb Green Hermit fed. 

Green Hermit

Western Emerald

A major surprise was the family of endemic Colombian Chachalacas that came in twice to feed. Wow! Oh and we also dashed down the lane to see a pair of endemic Parker’s Antbirds too. 

Colombian Chachalaca

Tearing ourselves away after a fine breakfast we drove down the lane and found at least 9 Bronze-winged Parrots feeding in some nearby trees, before heading out on the long drive to Medellin. 

Bronze-winged Parrot

Along the way we stopped along the road and surprisingly found quite a few new trip birds such as Chivi Vireo, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-margined Flycatcher, Ruddy-breasted Seedeater, Golden-crowned Warbler, Common Tody-Flycatcher and even our first Turkey Vulture. An endemic Greyish Piculet also appeared, before we homed in on another two endemics. First up was a pair of Apical Flycatchers, followed by a skulky Antioquia Wren which took a bit of finding. 

And then we set out on the 4 hour drive to Medellin, arriving with just an hour to spare before our flight to Barranquilla. Upon arrival we drove straight to our hotel and enjoyed another fine meal in a nearby restaurant. There’s no way any of us are losing weight on this tour!

The Magic Jardin...!

We headed up into the hills at 5am, with a Rufous-bellied Nighthawkand Band-winged Nightjarseen on the drive up before reaching the Yellow-eared Parrot Reserve. We stationed ourselves at a particular spot and sure enough we could see flocks of Yellow-eared Parrots heading across the sky, all at some distance. 

Yellow-eared Parrots

Fortunately one group headed our way and we had brilliant views as they flew right over our heads. We decided to linger here and luckily a Chestnut-naped Antpitta began calling and as we tried to work out which direction it was in a second bird ran across the track in front of us. After some careful manoeuvring we laid eyes on a pair that came out onto the verge beside the road and lingered for ages. 

Chestnut-naped Antpitta

Unbelievably this was our 9^th species of antpitta so far. Elated with this we decided to walk down the road a couple hundred metres to where we had heard an Ocellated Tapaculo calling on the drive up. Well, they were still in the same place calling away but it took a lot of persistence to get any sort of view on this notorious skulker. But eventually everyone had tickable views, along with a Tanager Finch initially found by Lia. 

Tanager Finch

With breakfast calling we walked back up the hill, but a few of us stragglers then had crippling views of an Ocellated Tapaculo calling away from an open area of moss-covered trees. Wow! Walking back a Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant was also seen. Over breakfast we had a superb Black-and-Chestnut Eagle and a Short-tailed Hawk fly over us, followed by superb looks at a Smoky Bush-Tyrant. 

Ocellated Tapaculo

Smoky Bush-Tyrant

From around 9am the forest became very quiet and for 3 hours until lunch we actually didn’t see anything new although Black-capped Tyrannulet, Lacrimose Mountain-Tanagerand Golden-xx Whitestart etc were seen. So we headed to the other side of the mountain for our picnic lunch at noon and our luck changed. First a pair of Northern Mountain Caciques appeared above us and them Jose picked up the stunning Chestnut-crested Cotinga feeding on berries at the top of a tree below us. We watched this bird for ages before driving lower in search of the endemic Red-bellied Grackle. We made a few stops seeing Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Inca Jay, Russet-backed Oropendola, Scarlet-rumped Cacique and White-capped Dipper. 

Inca Jay

But with time pressing we had an appointment with the local Jardin Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek and what a great time we had here. There were between 9 and 14 males displaying right in front of us. 

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock

This is one of nature’s most memorable sights and sounds as these bright crimson birds make a variety of pig-like squealing and grunts. It truly is a sight to behold. 

Red-bellied Grackle

Amazingly there were a bunch of Red-bellied Grackles feeding in the garden as well, along with Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Black-winged Saltator, Bay-headed and Scrub Tanagers, Streaked Flycatcher, Western Emerald, and Golden-olive Woodpecker. 

Bay-headed Tanager - common but stunning...

Black-winged Saltator

Walking back to the car a pair of Grey-throated Toucanets and a White-lined Tanager were seen. 

Grey-throated Toucanet - an interesting taxonomic situation