Green tailed Trainbearer, Observatorio de Colibries, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
Andean Siskin (life bird #1700), La Calera, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
Golden-fronted Redstart (Yellow-fronted), Junin, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
Cinnamon Flycatcher, Monterredondo, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 15, 2022Gray throated Warbler, Laguna El Tabacal, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 14, 2022
Swainson's Thrush, Laguna El Tabacal, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 14, 2022
Moustached Puffbird, Laguna El Tabacal, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 14, 2022
Bare faced Ibis, Laguna El Tabacal, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 14, 2022
Black billed Thrush, Laguna El Tabacal, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 14, 2022
I met Oswaldo and the driver Sebastian at 5AM and we headed to Laguna El Tabacal with the main target there being Gray throated Warbler. After a long drive off to the northeast through terrible traffic in the city and a stop for breakfast we made it there around 7:30 and started walking first the road and then the trails. My first lifer of the day was a small group of Spectacled Parrotlets fly over and added another lifer with a flyover Bare faced Ibis. Once we got on the trails we had a single Gray throated Warbler fairly quickly but it disappeared after showing briefly. We then spent hours trying to get better photos of the warbler but never really got any great shots. Nonetheless I got some great looks at the warbler plus had a ten other life birds along the way. It was a great way to spend nearly six hours for sure.
Golden fronted Redstart (Yellow fronted), Alto de Vino, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 14, 2022
Black crested Warbler, Alto de Vino, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 14, 2022
White sided Flowerpiercer, Alto de Vino, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 14, 2022
After lunch we headed up to Alto de Vino on our way back to Bogota. We walked along various parts of the road and turned up some fantastic looks at Golden fronted Redstarts (yellow fronted subspecies) as well as other birds. Another lifer was also present among a horde of other species with a calling Black billed Peppershrike. We ended birding for the day as thunderstorms moved in but not before getting great looks at some Black crested Warblers. The end of the day saw us spending lots of time in the horrible Bogota traffic and I finally got back to the hotel around 6:45. It was a fantastic way to begin the trip with both target species seen and a total of 13 life birds for the day.
Magpie Tanager, Finca Las Hermanas, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 15, 2022
Blue necked Tanager, Finca Las Hermanas, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 15, 2022
Scaled Piculet, Finca Las Hermanas, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 15, 2022
Golden-crowned Warbler (Cabanis's), Finca Las Hermanas, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 15, 2022
Mountains, Monterredondo, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 15, 2022
Golden naped Tanager, Monterredondo, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 15, 2022
Booted Racket Tail, Monterredondo, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 15, 2022Montane Foliage Gleaner, Monterredondo, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 15, 2022
Cinnamon Flycatcher, Monterredondo, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 15, 2022
Collared Inca, Monterredondo, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 15, 2022
Giant Cowbird, Finca Las Hermanas, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 15, 2022
Russet backed Oropendola, Finca Las Hermanas, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 15, 2022
Tuesday was another early 5AM start out of Bogota heading off to the southeast with the final destination being Monterredondo. The guide for this day and the following day was Camilo Orjuela. Thankfully the traffic out of the city was a bit better than the previous day. We made it to the start of the road up the mountain a bit before 8AM and immediately had a life bird for the day with a small group of Magpie Tanagers. We then continued up the hill with various stops along the road, steadily gaining elevation and with it new species of birds. The big target bird for the day was the Cabanis’s subspecies of Golden crowned Warbler which is considered a full species by some and is then known as Cabanis’s Warbler. We had a pair fairly early on but then spent nearly an hour and a half trying to get a photo. We got brief but good looks of the warbler but this is another skulking species that spends all its time down low in thick tangles and just would not cooperate for photos. I eventually got a few partial body shots and a few blurry photos but that would have to suffice. The rest of the morning into the afternoon was spent moving steadily higher up. We ran into a few mixed flocks and added more species for the day. We eventually got into the clouds and although the visibility was poor, thankfully we had no rain. The area is known as being the location where Cundinamarca Antpitta was first discovered in the early 1990’s. The entire range of the species is in the area where it was first discovered and is a Colombia endemic. The area became inaccessible for years as the location was a FARC controlled area so was a no go zone until a peace treaty was signed and the area opened back up. A bit before three we headed back down the mountain and started the long drive back to Bogota with a few brief stops along the way back down. The traffic was bad but not as bad as Monday and we made it back to my hotel around 6:30. Another long but productive day. Eight life birds overall plus a few new subspecies.
Bogota Rail, Guasca wetland, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
On my last full day in Colombia we headed out early once again. This time we headed east from the city. On our way to the reserve we made a brief stop at a small wetland in the hopes of turning up a Bogota Rail. Neither of us had too much hope finding it in this area but we figured we would give it a try anyway. We not only heard it but saw it briefly as it came out of the vegetation briefly before disappearing. Bogota Rail is a rare endemic species and not one that is easy to find away from just a few known areas.
Golden-fronted Redstart (Yellow-fronted), Junin, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
Masked Trogon, Junin, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
Black billed Mountain Toucan, Junin, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
Ochre breasted Brushfinch, Junin, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
As we climbed the mountains heading to the reserve the clouds grew thicker and the rain moved in with visibility down to just perhaps fifty feet at times. We were both worried we would be birding in these conditions all day. Thankfully when we arrived at the beginning of the road into the reserve the fog lifted and the visibility increased a lot. The first stop turned out to be a productive one with great looks at a number of species including Masked Trogon, Black billed Mountain Toucan, Ochre breasted Brushfinch and others.
Andean Teal, Reserva Bosque Guajira, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
Bare faced Ibis, Reserva Bosque Guajira, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
Andean Guan, Reserva Bosque Guajira, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
We then worked out was steadily upward with multiple stops along the way where we turned up a few mixed flocks as well as notable sightings including a couple each of Yellow headed Caracara and Bare faced Ibis (both species flagged in eBird). On our last stop before heading down we found three Andean Guans and added another lifer for the day. We made a brief stop midday in paramo and although the birding was slow the views were great as the clouds that limited visibility to just a few dozen feet had cleared.
Andean Siskin (life bird #1700), La Calera, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
Silvery throated Spinetail, Observatorio de Colibries, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
Green tailed Trainbearer, Observatorio de Colibries, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
Green tailed Trainbearer, Observatorio de Colibries, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
Tyrian Metaltail, Observatorio de Colibries, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
Glowing Puffleg, Observatorio de Colibries, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
Blue-throated Starfrontlet, Observatorio de Colibries, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
Black tailed Trainbearer, Observatorio de Colibries, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022 Scarlet bellied Mountain Tanager, Observatorio de Colibries, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
Black Flowerpiercer, Observatorio de Colibries, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022
We finally made it down to just outside Bogota where we had a very late but delicious lunch. Once we were totally stuffed we made another stop before going back to the city. Our destination was a small hummingbird observatory. Even before we made it to the observatory the road in produced some great sightings including a lifer Rufous browed Conebill and great looks at a few Andean Siskins (species #1700 for me). The observatory was fantastic for hummingbirds with ten species including two new ones for me (Blue fronted Startfrontlet and Glowing Puffleg). The stop also produced some great non hummingbird highlights including a pair of Silvery throated Spinetails building a nest and a flyby Black backed Grosbeak (both lifers). The last day of the whirlwind tour ended a bit before seven at my hotel after another eventful trip through Bogota traffic.
Overall for trip I found 194 species (plus multiple new subspecies) with 32 of them lifers including all my target species (and subspecies) for the trip bringing my world wide total up to 1706. My Colombia list now stands at 305 species after just two short trips there. The guides were superb and I would highly recommend using Bogota Birding if planning a trip to the area.
Link to warblers on the trip here.
Great blog!
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