Trip with: Andreas E and Bauke.
Tour Leader: Alejandro Pinto
The eastern Andes in Colombia is home of many endemic and range restricted birds; The division of the Andes into 3 branches, with deep valleys creating a biogeographic barrier, makes each branch of the Andes somehow unique. the eastern Andes is the widest and longest one. to the east, the foothills eventually ends in the lowlands of the savannas or eastern plains, locally known as the llanos - to the south turning into Amazon forest -.
During the trip we explore the highlands of the Andes from 8000-1000 ft and eventually we moved towards east to the foothills and at the end to the north into the flooded savannas from 2000-800ft, where the peculiarity is that they remain flooded part of the year, the dry season - from november trough march - creates a congregation of birds and other animals near the oversummer wetlands and ponds giving chances for several species, including some restricted to the Orinoquia.
We started the trip visiting two different localities in the buffer area of chingaza national park. the high andean forest, sub paramo and paramo here are home of very good birds. once we leave the car on our very first morning we got a mix flock passing by very quick but we were able to spot the near endemic Rufous-browed Conebill and the beautiful Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, few minutes later the endemic Muisca Antpitta started to sing and eventually gave us a quick but good moment, another endemic in the pocket. we spotted other birds like: Merlin -in the paramo - a couple of Black-chested Buzzard Eagle, Hooded Mountain Tanager and Barred Becard.
One of the best moments of the day was 3 Golden-crowned Tanager foraging in the forest edge, a couple of Crimson-mantled Woodpeckers and super views of the near endemic Pale-bellied Tapaculo, what a way to start a trip!
Our second day, also another locality in the buffer area of Chingaza national park started really good. We made a stop on the way and once we leave the car we were fascinating with a mixed flock which includes the very rare Black-chested Mountain Tanager and the near endemic Rufous-browed Conebill, but also Bluish Flowerpiercer, Great Sapphirewing and Northern Slaty Brush Finch not even 5 minutes later we were in a rush after heard the Andean Pygmy Owl which was spotted in a small tree in the top of a hill, several hummingbirds were around including Longuemare´s Sunangerl and Bronze-tailed Thornbill...we were enjoying the moment when a car on the road made a stop to asked us what we were looking for, we answered back: birds. and he say: oh, we just saw two Spectacled Bears not far from here, rush hour again!
We drove about 15 minutes on the road and we spotted a female Spectacled Bear eating Puya - a type of spiny leaves bromelia that lives on the Andes and it is one of the main food source for the bears in the Paramo - we kept our distance but follows the Bear while was eating quietly and we enjoyed it for about 1 hour, having incredible views, eyes contact and just watching her behavior, finally she left us to keep walking inside the bushy areas in the paramo. after our incredible early morning we drove for about 30 minutes more to Observatorio de Aves Andinas, a place with birds feeders. in the garden we saw some new species the hummingbirds for our trip: Blue-throated Starfronlet, White-bellied Woodstar and Tyriant Metaltail. in the forest, Fredy - the local guide - fed the near endemic Pale-bellied Tapaculo, who was incredible cooperative, after that Black-billed Mountain Toucan in the nest, the endemic Muisca Antpitta and a mix flock with: Grass-green Tanager, Rufous Wren and Chesnut-breasted Chlorophonia...we could not ask for more, what a day!
First stop in the eastern slope of eastern Andes, a bit lower elevation than the previous days surrounded by beautiful cloud forest. As usual our day started with a mix flock - we were feeling so lucky! - some Tanagers like Beryl-spangled, Saffron-crowned and Blue-capped to warming up! The morning was really amazing and was loaded with birds, we were able to have views of the Long-tailed Tapaculo and Lined Quail Dove, two very elusive birds but also several new species for the trip in the flocks. Some of the highlights: Black-capped Hemispingus, Grey-hooded Bush Tanager, Lineated Foliage Gleaner, Sharpes Wren among others. Also in the forest edge two little beauties: Rufous-headed Pygmy Turant and Red-crowned Tody-Flycatcher. We heard several times the Cundinamarca Antpitta but not views - yet -
During the afternoon we visited Casa Hillebrand in a lower elevation area , the shade-grown coffe farmhouse is also home of nice birds. The best moment was to spot the rare Band-bellied Owl, here is the northernmost distribution for that bird. We saw a female in a nesting site with a little one but also the male not far from the area roosting in a bamboo tree. Other nice looking birds in the farmhouse: Magpie Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Green Jay, Spectacled Thrush and Yellow-tufted Woodpecker.
Tororoi reserve
In this wonderful private reserve run by a family dedicated to protect the Cundinamarca Antpitta we enjoyed a delicious breakfast and the we observed 2 Cundinamarca Antpitta's at close range. We headed in the beautiful cloud forest with the families son and daugther, both enthousiastic birdwatchers and observed Emerald-bellied Puffleg and some other bird species.
Fortunately Fondacion Camana is working on protecting a larger area of cloud forest in the same area to protect more of the endangered Cundinamarca Antpitta's cloud forest habitat.
On the way down we had a crazy moment when an adult Black and Chestnut Eagle soared right above our heads!
We arrived at Rancho el Camana in the late afternoon. This private reserve has excellent feeders that attract some really nice birds. We observed Brumback's Night Monkeys deep inside a giant bamboo.
The next 2 days we spent bird and mammal watching in the Andean Foothills, at Ranco el Camaná, Bosque Bavaria and surroundings.
Bosque Bavaria was very productive - early morning, before the heat! - we started our day with a White-chinned Jacamar female catching insects in the forest edge and a couple of Black-faced Antbirds foraging, a female White-bearded Manakin along the road and two Double-toothed Kites perched high but exposed in the canopy. Suddenly we recognized a tree full of birds, a lot of different species were going back and forth while getting little berries: Golden-headed Manakin, Striolated Manakin, Yellow-bellied Tanager, Masked Tanager, Turquoise Tanager, Many-banded Aracari, Honecreepers among others. We stayed around the tree for about 1 hour! Late morning during the walk we spotted a couple of Yellow-billed Nunbirds when noticing something weird in the tree behind the Nunbirds were perched, a Great Potoo! Our last adding to the morning was a very nice Amazonian Motmot, a Grey-chinned Hermit perched inside the forest and a Fork-tailed Woodnmph visiting some flowers.
Afternoon in Rancho Camaná área: Lettered Aracari! -3rd Aracari speciesout of 3- and we spotted some new birds for the trip: Violaceous Jay, Swallow Tanager, a couple of Least Grebes and to end the day a couple of Epaulet (Moriche) Oriole!
Two mammal species added today: Colombian Squirrel Monkey and Brown Capuchin Monkey
Last full day in the foothills we started with two big targets. Early morning we visited a 40 hectares ranch where the owners protect the last patch of galley forest in the area, this forest used to be a corridor to connect lowlands forest with the mountains unfortunately the connection is gone but few mammals managed to call this home, including the beautiful Ornate Titi Monkey, we saw a small family of three of them while foraging in the forest. Late morning our last stop in Bosque Bavaria with only two target birds, the Pectoral Sparrow which was seen in the forest and last minute we heard the call of the White-chested Puffbird a beautiful small and chunky bird and managed to get good views of this special bird!
During our last couple of hours in the late morning we depart to the east and explore the rural roads to spotted the last superb mammal target of the trip! The Giant Anteater was very cooperative while was looking for food in a grassy open area and we also enjoyed Red-bellied Macaws, Yellow-crowned and Orange-winged Amazon, Brown-throated Parakeets, Speckled Chachalaca among others. Now heading north to the flooded savannas!
Last portion of the trip took place in the open savannas, we visited Hato La Aurora, a 17.000 hectares ranch. The 3 hours drive was amazing and we started to watch several species but no only birds, our first sight in the morning was 2 Giant Anteaters near the road, they were feeding from termites nest and gave us a show! During the drive we spotted over 70 birds species! Having several highlights like Jabiru, Sharp-tailed Ibis, Orinoco Goose and the elusive Capped Heron.
Once in the ranch we keep adding and adding more species to our trip and the day ended with over 100 species!
Full day Safari ride! Another great day: Spectacled Carmen, Orinoco Corcodile, Pale Headed Jacamar, White-bearded Flycatcher, Scarlet Ibis, Scarlet Macaw, Black Agouti… we made a short break in the main house of the ranch in the hammocks when we heard:'I found an Anaconda!' We quickly woke up, put on our boots and ran to a creek behind the house, a big 4 meters (12 feet) Anaconda was swimming slowly upstream and we enjoyed it for a while! On the way back the Crab-eating Fox and the White-tailed Nightjar!
Our second day in Hato la Aurora was wonderful, we started with a Safari ride but this time focused on few species we missed the previous days. We not only got some of them but also better views of other beauties like the Aplomado Falcon and a pair of White-tailed Hawks soaring above us. We added to the list the Dwarf Cuckoo and the elusive Yellow-browed Tyrant. We spotted a couple of Chestnut-fronted Macaws in a nesting site and enjoyed beautiful views of a flock of Blue-crowned Parakeets. During the afternoon we went into the gallery forest to try the Wire-tailed Manakin, despite our efforts we could not see it, as a compensation we spotted a Collared-forest Falcon! during the dinner, we heard the people of the kitchen on a hurry, a Boa constrictor was around, probably catching bats, what a way to end the day!
Last day in the field, last chance for the Wire-tailed Manakin. we boarded the boat at 6am and ride upstream for few minutes, once in place we walked inside the gallery forest, the melodical song of the Rufous and White Wren and the calls of the Buff-breasted Wren to warming up, in the back we heard the distinctive call of the Manakin! we walked closer to the area and boom! 2 males jumping very active in the branches around a female passed by quickly and those little guys dance and jump even more, we enjoyed them for a while, the Striped Woodcreeper interrupted the scene and finally the Red Howler Monkeys above us howling out loud, those 20 or 30 minutes were the perfect ending for such a trip.
330 bird species were recorded in 12 days in the field and 12 mammal species, including 5 monkey species. Also several impressive reptile species were seen.
Spectacled Bear, Colombian Squirrel Monkey, Ornate Titi Monkey, Brown Capuchin, Brumback's Night Monkey, Colombian Red Howler Monkey, Giant Anteater, Capybara, Black Agouti, Red-tailed Squirrel, Crab-eating Fox and White-tailed Deer.
Green Anaconda, Red-tailed Boa, Golden Tegu, Green Iguana, Spectacled Caiman, Orinoco Crocodile, Savanna Side-necked Turtle, Double-banded False Coral Snake.
Top Birds: Golden-crowned Tanager, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Andean Pygmy Owl, Muisca Antpitta, Pale-bellied Tapaculo, Hooded Mountain Tanager, Black-chested Mountain Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Cundinamarca Antpitta, Band-bellied Owl, White-chested Puffbird, Yellow-billed Nunbird, White-chinned Jacamar, Striolated Manakin, Many-banded-, Lettered- and Chestnut-eared Aracari, Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, Lined Quail Dove, Black-and-Chestnut Eagle, Jabiru, Hoatzin, Capped Heron, Two-banded Puffbird, Orinoco Goose, Crestless Curassow, Pied Lapwing, Aplomado Falcon, Horned Screamer, Dwarf Cuckoo, Masked Cardinal, Pale-headed Jacamar, White-tailed Nightjar, Collared Forest Falcon, Wire-tailed Manakin.
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Trip report:
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