Colombia: The Central & Eastern Andes Feb 19—Mar 07, 2011
Posted by Steve Hilty
Steve Hilty
Steve Hilty is the senior author of A Guide to the Birds of Colombia, and the recently published Birds of Venezuela, both by Princeton University Press. Other credits inclu...Related Trips
This trip was classic Colombia—some itinerary rearrangements, some long curvy roads and a few bumpy roads, some out-sized meals for carnivores, beautiful cloud forest, and birding that proved challenging (fast-moving mixed species flocks) and rewarding (beautiful tanagers, Black-billed Mountain-Toucans, Tanager-Finches, etc.).
Despite being unable to visit one scheduled site (security issues near Anorí), and having to negotiate a major landslide to visit the upper portion of another site (Yellow-eared Parrot reserve), we met our goals of this trip, missed a couple of endemics because of itinerary changes, and missed another perhaps because of inclement weather, but overall did well with hummingbirds (including 7 species at one site without the use of artificial feeders), tapaculos (7 species of which 6 were seen), chat-tyrants (4 species), wrens (14 species), wintering North American migrant warblers (9 species including 3 Cerulean Warblers), and brush-finches (6 species). We also did well with antpittas and other groups, and were fortunate in being able to find most endemics, and bonuses such as the male Yellow-headed Manakin and the Colombian Screech-Owl.
How did this trip proceed? We began with a day of car alarms (Mundo Nuevo trucks) and views of Flame-winged Parakeets; on day 2 we found Black Incas and Short-tailed Emeralds and spent much of the day driving; on day 3 we enlisted local help with Mountain Grackles and celebrated with local rum; on day 4 we also celebrated with rum (this happened several more times); on day 5 we visited a golf course but played only bird songs, and later some of the group fell ill from a meal in Medellín, but not before seeing endemic Red-bellied Grackles and a Yellow-headed Manakin; on days 7 and 8 we were confronted with an immense landslide which resulted in creative hiking and some spectacular birds including perched Yellow-eared Parrots and Chestnut-crested Cotingas and Andean Cocks-of-the-rock late in the day; on day 9 we visited dry lowland forest which boosted our list nicely (piculets, antshrikes, flycatchers, greenlets, and wrens); and on day 10 we observed three species of antpittas at the feeding site, as well as a gorgeous Purple-backed Thornbill, many tanagers, and a pair of Black-billed Mountain-Toucans; on day 11 we struggled with wind, fog, and rain (and chilly early morning temperatures) on Nevado del Ruiz, but who will forget the brave Tawny Antpitta perched up with the wind blowing his neck feathers, a cute Andean Tit-Spinetail, agua-panela and chocolate drinks at a roadside restaurant and lunch at the Potro Rojo (Little Horse) Restaurant with simultaneous music and television, and another landslide delay in the afternoon; on day 12 we caught sight of the elusive Fawn-breasted Brilliant, blanched at our enormous truck-stop meals, and watched noisy White-capped Tanagers outside our rooms late in the afternoon; day 13 was the day of the fruitcrows (also some guans) and other neat stuff, a flat tire, and recitations on Sir William Jardini, Brother Apolinari, and John Gould; day 14 was the day the "El Cedral" cat went birding with us, yet another elusive Multicolored Tanager, and that night was the night of owls (finally).
We concluded our journey through Colombia's mountains by sharing the tiny hotel Chico restaurant with another birding group (fun), a guy who refused to move (much to the inconvenience of about 16 other people), and some pleasant conversation and recollections of this memorable trip.