22 Feb 18 - Colombia: Walking Out Of The Otun-Quinbaya Reserve

After lunch at the Otun-Quinbaya Reserve, we loaded up the minibus & started walking out along the entrance track. At one point, we got back in the minibus & drove further along the track, before disembarking again. There was a good selection of species along the entrance track, but overall not the same quality as during the morning. This was especially true as the further we went from the reserve accommodation, the more the habitat was broken up with small farms, between the wooded areas.

Initially, the track went through reasonable habitat: Janos, Brian & Pirjo (left to right)

Collared Trogon

Acorn Woodpeckers

Strong-billed Woodcreeper

Acadian Flycatcher: The last one I saw was the Dungeness individual (the first UK record)

Acadian Flycatcher

Red-ruffed Fruitcrow: This species has an interesting distribution and occurs in parts of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela & Guyana. There is a separate population in SE Brazil, Paraguay & NE Argentina

Red-ruffed Fruitcrow: This is the granadensis subspecies which occurs in the Eastern & Central Andes of Colombia and Western Venezuela

Bright-rumped Tanager: Male. The taxonomy of this species is debated & it is sometimes split into Flame-rumped Tanager and Lemon-rumped Tanager by some authorities including IOC

Golden Tanager: A widespread Tanager which occurs from Colombia & Venezuela, to Ecuador, Peru & Bolivia

Slowly, the habitat opened up as we reached a number of small farms & open fields.

Rich trying to blend in with the locals

Cattle Egret

Southern Lapwing

Shiny Cowbird

A few butterflies put in an appearance.

Butterfly sp.

Butterfly sp.

Butterfly sp.

Finally, we reached a bridge over a fast-flying river which added a few new species for the trip.

The river

Torrent Duck: Male. It's always worth checking these fast-flowing rivers in South America

Broad-winged Hawk

White-capped Dipper

Finally, it was time to get into the minibus as we an hour & a half drive to our next hotel in Santa Rosa. This proved to be a surprisingly pleasant new hotel set in pretty grounds. They weren't serving food, but just after dark, we walked for about ten minutes to a fast food restaurant where they were cooking a pre-booked meal for us.

The Hotel Matisses: Photo taken the following lunchtime

The first Owl of the trip: but not tickable

20 Feb 18 - Colombia: Laguna Pedropalo & La Mesa

We had enjoyed a good morning, but there was still some time for a bit more Birding as we walked back along the main track at Laguna Pedropalo for another hour. 

Birding along the track

The main track lead past a few hotels with nice gardens, as well as, fields & scattered patches of trees, which had a good selection of species.

Spectacled Parrotlet: I won't win any competitions with these photos, sitting in an isolated tree

Black Phoebe

Golden-faced Tyrannulet: Clements lumps this with Coopmans's Tyrannulet: the latter occurs in the Santa Marta Mountains and nearby Venezuela

Golden-faced Tyrannulet: Whether it is lumped or not is academic from my viewpoint as it was Tick

Black-billed Thrush: This is a common South American species which occurs from Colombia to Venezuela and South to Peru & Bolivia

Streaked Saltator

As we were in open grassy fields & hedges, then it was no surprise we also saw a few junk habitat species.

Yellow-bellied Seedeater

Shiny Cowbird

One of the endemic species we had been unsuccessful in seeing during the morning was Black Inca: a West slope of the Eastern Andes endemic Hummingbird. By this point, the minibus caught us up & Janos decided to try another Black Inca site near to La Mesa. This turned out to a track between a lot of small farmsteads and houses with large gardens and was probably only a shadow of its former self. Unfortunately, we didn't see any Black Incas. The highlight was some closer views of Spectacled Parrotlets, but otherwise a selection of more junk habitat species. We only spent about an hour here, before moving on.

Spectacled Parrotlet: A pity it isn't sharp

Great Kiskadee: A large and widespread Tyrant-flycatcher that is worth getting to know, given there are a few similar looking species. It occurs from Texas to Central Argentina

Social Flycatcher: Another smaller & less colourful common Tyrant Flycatcher which occurs from Mexico to Central Argentina

Palm Tanager: This is always a sign of degraded habitat

Saffron Finch: Male. This must be one of the most intense yellow species

Saffron Finch: Female. There are far more subtle coloured, but still a nice-looking species

Summer Tanager: This species from the United States winters as far South as Amazonian Brazil and Bolivia

Butterfly sp.

These red berries look like they will be nice & poisonous

It was time to move on. We had a two hour journey as well as, a food stop before we reached our final destination, Payande, for the late afternoon.