Colombia Birding Trip 2019

The question this time wasn't really which country to go to but rather to which region. Our minds were pretty made up since last year's trip that we were going back to Colombia. It is a tall order to top the birds of Santa Marta mountains. After all, the region is known in the international birding circle to be one of the best birding locations in the world. After some painstaking research, we decided to visit a region of Colombia better known for drug trafficking than bird watching!!!? Medellín is the second largest city in Colombia nestled in the valley of great Andes Mountains. The city was made famous by the notorious drug lord, Pablo Escobar, during the late 70s and the 80s. Fortunately for us, Medellín has turned from its violent past and is now a vibrant city with thriving economy and rich culture. What's not known is that the city can provide us centralized access to many of the surrounding premier birding spots.

Birding Route

NOVEMBER 21, 2019 free upgrade!

Our alarm went off at 4:30am. We were catching our direct flight to Medellín leaving JFK at 7:55am. Our driver from New Golden Horse met us promptly at 5am. We had used this Chinese owned car service twice and we highly recommend it: Their rate is competitive and the service is, so far, very reliable.

Noel waiting at JFK Our Avianca airplane Almost there... Closer...

After 4 hours and 48 minutes of uneventful flight, we arrived at the city of Medellín. We were expecting hot and humid tropical air but it was surprisingly mild and comfortable at around 70 degrees. We passed through immigration and custom in a breeze. First order of business was to pick up our rental car from Avis located right outside of the arrival gate. Once we took care of the paperwork, the guy from Avis took us to their parking lot and gave us the key to a SUV. Honest individual I am, I said to him that I rented a compact car. He then told us that we were getting a free upgrade because they ran out of compact cars. Awesome!!! This upgrade proved to come in real handy in much of our trip. We then got some cash from an ATM machine. If you are driving, be sure to get some cash at the airport as Colombia's main highway has some hefty tolls. With our businesses taken care of, we were off to our first hotel, Llanogrande Inn, about half an hour from the airport. Our choice of navigation app was Sygic since this app provided us accurate offline navigation during the two of our past trips. Unfortunately, for the first time, Sygic failed us. We went around in circles over and over and finally decided to use Google Map although we had to pay International data usage fee. Llanogrande Inn was a small charming hotel situated in a quiet residential area. I could not believe that the stay at this lovely hotel cost us a mere $36. We drove to a nearby shopping mall to do some grocery shopping and had dinner there as well. The shopping mall was as modern as any mall in the U.S. Later we learned that the area we were staying was one of the most exclusive neighborhoods around Medellín. We also bought a TIGO SIM card with talk and 2GB of data for 24,000 pesos ($7) at a mobile kiosk. We arrived back at the hotel which had a lovely garden with some common but pretty birds. But sadly, it was already too dark to watch birds. It was a very busy and productive first day though we have not yet gotten serious about the birds. We were beyond exhausted and were fast asleep before 8pm.

Llanogrande Inn Llanogrande Inn Llanogrande Inn Our rental car

Day 1 total species: 6
Black Vulture, Blue-grey Tanager, Cattle Egret, Rock Pigeon, Saffron Finch, Tropical Kingbird

NOVEMBER 22, 2019 Edwin the man

We left Llanogrande Inn before 6am in a hurry. We were driving to Niquía Metro Station in Medellín to pick up our bird guide, Edwin Acevedo from Native Birding Colombia. Unlike the Santa Marta region we visited last year which was quite birder-friendly, it was a bit of a struggle to find a bird guide for this trip. It's a long story how we found Edwin but basically he was referred by another guide who was referred by Cristian, who was our guide in Minca last year. We, of course, missed a few turns here and there but made it to the terminal before 7:30am. Just between us, I was quite nervous meeting him since we would be spending next six days birding with him. What if he was a jerk? Worse what if he was a bad bird guide!!!? Then Edwin tapped our car window and introduced himself to us. He was super nice and we both took an immediate liking to him. We drove out of Medellín in a jiffy and there began our birding adventure.
Today, we were driving about 3.5 hours north to our first birding destination, The Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve, while making a few birding stops along the way. We hadn't had a breakfast yet so we stopped at a roadside restaurant to get my favorite Colombian food, Papas Rellenos (stuffed fried potato balls). Let me tell you they were out-of-this-world good! We drove for about 1.5 hours to a small farm on El Tarpon Road. Unlike Medellín, the area was hot, dry and, most importantly, birdy (made-up word by yours truly, simply means 'a ton of birds'). The highlight definitely was seeing a few Black-capped Donacobiuses. This comical looking bird is the sole member of the Donacobius family and is widespread in open pastures of many South American countries. Seeing it should bring a smile to anyone's face, it certainly brought a huge smile to us.

Farm on El Tarpon Road Black-capped Donacobius Common Tody-Flycatcher Bare-faced Ibis Black Vultures Yellow-bellied Elaenia

We drove for another half an hour before making a stop by a bridge over the Porce Dam. It was here we encounter our first *near endemic* species, Bar-crested Antshrike. *Near endemic* refers to birds whose range is almost entirely restricted to Colombia. It was also nice to see a gorgeous Broad-billed Motmot sitting pretty on a branch. Meanwhile, a group of Cotton-top Tamarins were checking us out behind a tree.

Bar-crested Antshrike Bar-crested Antshrike Broad-billed Motmot Blue-gray Tanager Great Egret Cocoi Heron Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture Streaked Flycatcher Green-and-black Fruiteater Cotton-top Tamarin Butterfly Swallow Tanager

Time does fly when birding: It was already lunch time so we made a quick stop to get some Empanadas and, yep you guessed it, Papas Rellenos. The going rate for a Papas Rellenos was 2,000 pesos which is about 60-cent. Just too good to be true in terms of its deliciousness and affordability. Another hour or so of driving, we were almost at our final destination, The Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve. We were told that the road to the reserve used to be so bad that it required a 4x4 vehicle; however, half of the road was paved and the unpaved portions were smooth for the most part when we drove. Any passenger car would have made it although having a high-clearance vehicle made the ride a lot more comfortable. We made a few more stops around the area and birds just kept coming. We were utterly overwhelmed and overjoyed by the sheer volume of bird species. Oh how much I love birding in Colombia.

Tropical Mockingbird Blue-necked Tanager Cattle Tyrant Crimson-backed Tanager Golden-hooded Tanager Ruddy Ground Dove Rusty-margined Flycatcher Rufous-capped Warbler Buff-throated Saltator Shiny Cowbird Squirrel Cuckoo

It was already getting dark when we finally made it to The Chestnut-capped Piha Lodge at around 5:30pm. The lodge is owned and operated by Colombia's leading non-profit organization, ProAves, whose sole purpose is to protect birds and their habitats. Stay at ProAves lodges does not come cheap at around $250 full-board a night for two but knowing the proceeds go to protecting birds, it was money well spent. In dimming light, we still managed to enjoy the views of beautiful hummingbirds at the feeders. Staff there were very helpful and the dinner was delicious. Weather condition was perfect at around 55-70 degrees. The place sure was a birders' version of heaven. Tired from all the fun and excitement looking at birds, we tucked ourselves in before 9pm.

The Chestnut-capped Piha Lodge The Chestnut-capped Piha Lodge Dining Room Room Garden

Day 2 total species: 56, lifer 2:, endemic: 1, near endemic: 2
Bananaquit, Bar-crested Antshrike (ne), Bare-faced Ibis, Bi-colored Wren, Black Phoebe, Black Vulture, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Black-capped Donacobius, Blue-and-white Swallow, Blue-gray Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager, Broad-billed Motmot, Bronze-winged Parrot, Buff-throated Saltator, Cattle Egret, Cattle Tyrant, Cinnamon Becard, Cocoi Heron, Colombian Chachalaca (e), Common Tody-Flycatcher, Crimson-backed Tanager, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Golden-hooded Tanager, Great Egret, Green Hermit, Green Honeycreeper, Green-and-black Fruiteater, Lemon-rumped Tanager, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Lineated Woodpecker, Palm Tanager, Purple-throated Woodstar (ne), Red-headed Barbet, Ringed Kingfisher, Roadside Hawk, Ruddy Ground Dove, Rufous-capped Warbler, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Saffron Finch, Shiny Cowbird, Smooth-billed Ani, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Squirrel Cuckoo, Streaked Flycatcher, Striated Heron, Stripe-throated Hermit, Summer Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Tropical Kingbird, Tropical Mockingbird, Wattled Jacana, White-lined Tanager, White-tipped Dove, Yellow-bellied Elaenia

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 feeding frenzy

Our day began at 5am getting ready for the 5:30am breakfast at the lodge. The Colombian style breakfast was simple yet delicious. We ate at the charming outdoor dining room facing the garden. Like most birding lodges, the garden had many hummingbird and bird feeders. However, unlike other ordinary eco-lodges, the quality of the bird species coming to their feeders was off the chart. Easily one of the best I had seen. When does one get to see a Barbet, 6 different *good* tanager species, a Saltator and a Euphonia, throwing in a Jay and a Chachalaca lurking in the background, at the feeder ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!? That just was INSANE. Edwin had to pull us away from the feeders as we had a lot of exploring to do in the woods today.

Colombian Chachalaca Crimson-rumped Toucanet Red-headed Barbet Red-headed Barbet Female Black-capped Tanager Bay-headed Tanager Silver-throated Tanager Scrub Tanager Speckled Tanager Orange-bellied Euphonia Orange-bellied Euphonia Swainson's Thrush

It was now time for us to venture into the thick dark forest in search of one bird (among many others). Our (or anyone visiting this reserve) main objective was to see a drab gray bird called Chestnut-capped Piha. As suggested by its name, the reserve was created by ProAves in 2006 to protect the habitat of this seriously threatened bird species. Unlike the roadside birding we had been doing so far, birding in a dense tropical forest is highly challenging but, often times, very rewarding. In the video below, you can see how thick the vegetation was. Finding a tiny bird in this environment really wasn't easy.

With high hopes, we labored up a steep hill to get to higher altitude. The forest was, surprisingly, very birdy. They were chirping all around us but were extremely hard to spot. Unlike us, Edwin was amazing at finding and identifying those secretive little birds frittering on top of the canopy or underneath thick vegetation. We must admit that it would have been an extremely frustrating affair without the keen eyes and ears of Edwin. We birded non-stop from 6am to 1pm and it was time for lunch. The ranger from the reserve kindly met us on a trail and handed us our packed lunch. Oh, it tasted so good!

Lunch

Within 20 minutes, we were on our way to find more birds. Edwin looked many places for Piha but it was, unfortunately, nowhere to be found. However, we found this one bird which to us was as exciting if not more as seeing a Piha. This ridiculously cute creature hopped onto a small rock not far from us. I whispered to Edwin..."Is that...a gnateater????" and he goes "Yes, it is"! Oh my god, a gnateater!!! We have never seen this family of bird. We really weren't expecting to find this little guy on this trip. We silently stood there enjoying the view of this insanely adorable bird till it decided to hop away.

Chestnut-crowned Gnateater

By the time we got back to the lodge, it was almost 5:30pm. Unfortunately, it gets dark around 5:30pm in Colombia. I wish the sun stayed up longer so we could bird more... Our first day at the Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve completely exceeded our expectations and we couldn't have been happier, Piha or not.

Pale-edged Flycatcher Yellow-throated Bush Tanager Parker's Antbird Female Uniform Antshrike White-winged Becard Moustached Puffbird After a long day...

Day 3 total species: 99, lifer 14:, endemic: 2, near endemic: 4
Andean Emerald, Bay-headed Tanager, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-capped Tanager, Black-chested Jay, Black-winged Saltator, Blue-necked Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Canada Warbler, Chestnut-capped Brush Finch, Chestnut-crowned Gnateater, Collared Trogon, Colombian Chachalaca (e), Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Golden Tanager, Golden-faced Tyrannulet, Golden-winged Manakin, Gray-breasted Wood Wren, Greenish Puffleg, Green-crowned Brilliant, Green-crowned Woodnymph, Indigo Flowerpiercer (ne), Marble-faced Bristle Tyrant, Moustached Puffbird, Orange-bellied Euphonia, Ornate Flycatcher, Pale-edged Flycatcher, Parker's Antbird (e), Plain-brown Woodcreeper, Purplish-mantled Tanager (ne), Purple-throated Woodstar (ne), Red-headed Barbet, Scrub Tanager (ne), Russet-backed Oropendola, Slate-throated Redstart, Slaty Antwren, Silver-throated Tanager, Sooty-headed Wren, Southern House Wren, Speckled Tanager, Streaked Xenops, Summer Tanager, Swainson's Thrush, Three-striped Warbler, Tropical Kingbird, Uniform Antshrike, White-crowned Tapaculo, White-winged Becard, Yellow-breasted Antwren, Yellow-throated Bush Tanager,

NOVEMBER 24, 2019 partay with the manakins

Like clockwork, we woke up at 5am and had our breakfast at 5:30am. Sadly, we had till about 2pm before we drove back to Medellín. As soon as the ranger put out bananas, the feeders were packed with hungry birds. We spent a little time enjoying this spectacular close-up view of birds then headed back to the forest trail in search of Piha for the last time.

Feeders Colombian Chachalaca Golden Tanager Silver-throated Tanager Bay-headed Tanager Black-capped Tanager Blue-gray Tanager Orange-bellied Euphonia Palm Tanager Red-headed Barbet Scrub Tanager Andean Emerald

As soon as we set our foot into the forest, we heard chirping from all directions. Though slightly less than yesterday, bird activity was still quite high. It felt good to know what antbirds/antwrens/antvireos species we saw. Without Edwin, they would all have been named as *that little interesting brownish bird*... For birders, there is nothing more frustrating than not knowing the bird species. We could tell Edwin was trying harder than ever to locate the Piha as we had a little time left at the reserve. Well, it just wasn't there that day and we were totally OK with that. I believe one of the many factors that make birding tick is uncertainty, the thrill of not knowing whether you will see it or not.

Trail Sign Green Jay Ornate Flycatcher Three-striped Warbler Plain Antvireo Plain Antvireo Female Plain Xenops Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant Slaty Antwren Yellow-throated Bush Tanager Strange Insect Blue-crowned Motmot Waterfall

We ate our last meal at the lodge while enjoying the close-up views at the feeders. Then we heard Edwin hollering at us to come over. Whenever Edwin called, we always ran as fast but quietly as we could to his side as we knew that he had found something good. This time, he told us that he heard White-mantled Barbets nearby. Yeess, the bird was on top of my must-see list! A few seconds later, Edwin found them foraging on top of their favorite fruiting tree. What a way to end our stay at this amazing lodge! We thanked the ranger and our wonderful chef for taking good care of us.

Delicioso Soup Andean Emerald Green-crowned Brilliant Green-crowned Woodnymph Purple-throated Woodstar White-necked Jacobin Brown Violetear Bay-headed Tanager Golden Tanager Orange-bellied Euphonia Orange-bellied Euphonia Female Red-headed Barbet White-mantled Barbet

Reluctantly, we started our drive back to Medellín. Not too far from the lodge, we made a stop to bird the roadside as Edwin thought that the area could have some good birds. Well, this little spot turned out to be our gold mine. We quickly spotted a handsome White-crowned Manakin followed by a White-bibbed Manakin both perched pretty in the same tree. Thinking today must be our lucky day to find two different Manakin species in one tree, we yet spot another dazzling Golden-winged Manakin. Three manakins in one tree? Get outta here (as a New Yorker would say). Wait, we were not done yet. Finally, a gorgeous Stiped Manakin burst into the view. Even Edwin said that he had never seen anything like this: FOUR manakin species in one tree!!! Oh what a view it was!!! We didn't know which manakin to turn our binoculars to.

Golden-headed Manakin White-bibbed Manakin Striped Manakin Lineated Woodpecker

The rest of the drive back to Medellín was long and uneventful. We dropped off Edwin near his home in Bello, north of Medellín. We must tell you that the drive without Edwin always turned into a nightmare. Medellín traffic was dreadful with a few accidents along the way. Worse, I almost ripped the front bumper off if it wasn't for the neighborly Colombian telling us that a wire was stuck on the bumper. That fiasco happened all due to Google Map instructing us to turn into an impossibly narrow and insanely steep dead-end street where I had to make a U-turn! It was well after 9pm when we finally made it to our hotel, Hacienda la Extremadura, located in south of Medellín city. No one at the hotel spoke English but we managed to check in using Google translator. Needless to say, we were beyond exhausted and slept like a rock that night.

Day 4 total species: 121, lifer 22:, endemic: 4, near endemic: 5
Andean Emerald, Bananaquit, Bay-breasted Warbler, Bay-headed Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-capped Tanager, Black-and-white Warbler, Black-winged Saltator, Blue-crowned Motmot, Blue-gray Tanager, Brown Violetear, Canada Warbler, Chestnut Wood Quail (e), Chestnut-capped Brush Finch, Chestnut-crowned Gnateater, Collared Trogon, Eastern Woodhaunter, Fulvous-breasted Flatbill, Golden Tanager, Golden-headed Manakin, Golden-winged Manakin, Gray-breasted Wood Wren, Green Jay, Green-crowned Brilliant, Green-crowned Woodnymph, Green-fronted Lancebill, Lineated Foliage-Gleaner, Lineated Woodpecker, Montane Woodcreeper, Orange-bellied Euphonia, Ornate Flycatcher, Palm Tanager, Parker's Antbird (e), Plain Antvireo, Plain Xenops, Purple-throated Woodstar, Red-headed Barbet, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Scarlet-and-white Tanager (ne), Scrub Tanager (ne), Silver-throated Tanager, Slate-throated Redstart, Slaty Antwren, Spotted Woodcreeper, Striped Manakin, Swainson's Thrush, Three-striped Warbler, Tropical Kingbird, White-bibbed Manakin, White-crowned Manakin, White-mantled Barbet (e), White-necked Jacobin, Yellow-breasted Antwren, Yellow-throated Bush Tanager

NOVEMBER 25, 2019 killing me softly with his song

Correction. I said that we slept like a baby last night. Make that a singular. Noel said that he woke up a few times at night due to intense itching. It is fairly common for us get bit by mysterious bugs overnight even though we always sleep in a thin sleeping bag liner with insect repellent.

Mysterious Bug Bites

This morning, we allowed ourselves to be up later at 6am. Before breakfast, I quickly scanned the hotel ground and found some nice garden birds. I picked the hotel for two reasons: its proximity to the park we were visiting today and the nice outdoor space it offered. Edwin met us at the hotel at 6:30am for a *late* breakfast.

Hacienda la Extremadura Hacienda la Extremadura Southern Lapwing Eared Dove Black-billed Thrush Tropical Kingbird

About an hour drive south of the Medellín city center (15 minutes from our hotel), La Romera Ecological Park sits on 450 acres of municipal land and is a must-visit for any birder. This is the place to see the endemic Red-bellied Grackle and possibly other prized birds such as Yellow-headed Manakin and Stile's Tapaculo. The park certainly stood up to its reputation: The road to La Romera was packed with birds. There were nice mixed flocks of tanagers, warblers, spinetails and brush finches every few minutes and we were already loving this place. Edwin told me to stop the car by a ravine and that's where we saw our first birder in Colombia. I did get the impression that birding was not a very popular pastime in Colombia (despite the fact that the country boasts the most bird species in the world!!!). There Edwin immediately spotted a stunning Yellow-headed Manakin. Wow, that was easy. I guess our Manakin-streak was still alive and well. Right then, Edwin heard Stile's Tapaculo close by. Actually, we heard it a few times at The Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve as well but were unable to locate it so we knew that this was our last chance to see this elusive little creature. Although it responded well to our callback and came within arm's reach, we still had no sighting. Tapaculos are dark-colored obscure minuscule ground birds fairly common but rarely seen in tropical forests. This bird really knew how to test one's patience. We gave up on finding the Tapaculo and moved upwards. On our way, we saw a group of gorgeous Red-bellied Grackles foraging in trees.

La Romera Ecological Park Common Bush Tanager Blackburnian Warbler Yellow-throated Vireo Azara's Spinetail Rose-breasted Grosbeak Golden-faced Tyrannulet Acadian Flycatcher Pale-edged Flycatcher Tropical Kingbird Emerald Toucanet Yellow-headed Manakin Red-bellied Grackle Blue-crowned Motmot

The visitor center sits on well-maintained open pasture located all the way on top of the park. We spent some relaxing time there looking at garden/grassland birds. On our way down, we stopped at a few places to look for tapaculos and managed to see the non-endemic Blackish Tapaculo but the endemic Stile's Tapaculo just refused to show itself to us today.

Visitor Center Visitor Center Horses View Field Black-billed Thrush Rufous-collared Sparrow Yellow-faced Grassquit Tropical Kingbird Cattle Egret Southern Lapwing Green Jays Black-winged Saltator Blue-crowned Motmot Slate-throated Redstart Swainson's Thrush Russet-crowned Warbler Sleeping Potoo La Romera

It was almost 2pm and we were all starving. Edwin suggested that we visit Medellín Botanical Gardens and have late lunch there and also see some common but interesting birds. The botanical garden was lovely and seemed quite busy for a Monday. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to explore the entire grounds but it was a nice break from hardcore birding we had been doing.

Ruddy Ground-Dove Black-billed Thrush Eared Dove Saffron Finch Iguana Vermillion Flycatcher Orange-chinned Parakeet Rusty-margined Flycatcher Red-crowned Woodpecker Bare-faced Ibis Neotropic Cormorant

We drop Edwin off at the metro station and drove back to our hotel in Sabaneta. As usual, driving without Edwin turned into a horror show with so many missed signs and turns. We somehow made it back to the hotel in one piece. Before going to bed, we decided to ask Edwin to stay with us for two additional days. He had been an absolutely amazing bird guide and a friend to us and we were happy to hear that he could come with us. After quick dinner, we were in bed before 9pm, hoping to see Tapaculos dancing in our dreams.

Day 5 total species: 148, lifer 25:, endemic: 5, near endemic: 6
Andean Emerald, Bananaquit, Azara's Spinetail, Bare-faced Ibis, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Blackish Tapaculo, Black-billed Thrush, Black-capped Tanager, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Black-throated Mango, Black-winged Saltator, Blue-and-white Swallow, Blue-crowned Motmot, Blue-gray Tanager, Broad-winged Hawk, Cattle Egret, Common Bush-Tanager, Eared Dove, Emerald Toucanet, Golden-faced Tyrannulet, Great Egret, Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant, Neotropic Cormorant, Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Pale-edged Flycatcher, Palm Tanager, Red-bellied Grackle (e), Red-crowned Woodpecker, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Ruddy Ground Dove, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Russet-crowned Warbler, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Saffron Finch, Slate-throated Redstart, Southern House Wren, Southern Lapwing, Summer Tanager, Tropical Pewee, Vermilion Flycatcher, White-naped Brush-Finch, Yellow-headed Manakin (ne), Yellow-headed Caracara, Yellow-throated Vireo

NOVEMBER 26, 2019 worth it!

We had another busy day ahead of us. For the last time, we decided to try to find the sneaky little Stile's Tapaculo before leaving for the Chocó Department. We tried three different locations in La Romera Park and none had provided us a sighting even though the bird was actively singing/taunting us at each location. When Edwin took us to the fourth spot, we had almost given up seeing this bird. Then this little guy FINALLY hopped onto a dead twig on the ground for about three seconds giving us a good open view. We spent many hours looking for this one and had a look at it only for three seconds but you know what? It was all worth it! Satisfied, we say good-bye to Medellín and began our long drive to the legendary Las Tangaras Reserve in search of Chocó specialities. First, we made a lunch stop at El Rancherito in Amaga with very good bird feeders and food. We love restaurants with good feeders.

El Rancherito Spectacled Parrotlet Summer Tanager Acorn Woodpecker Black-billed Thrush Blue-gray Tanager Flame-rumped Tanager Great Kiskadee Palm Tanager Thick-billed Euphonia Thick-billed Euphonia Female Yellow-bellied Seedeater

We drove for another two hours to get to our next birding stop near the town of Bolombolo. This little spot produced a few of extremely hard to see birds starting with an Antioquia Wren. In fact, this endemic wren was discovered in 2010 by a professor of Edwin at his university.

Alder Flycatcher Black-crested Antshrike Female Antioquia Wren Blue-headed Parrot

Past the town of Ciudad Bolívar, we climbed up and down the paved but narrow curvy roads with intermittent oncoming truck traffic without street lights in the dark till we finally got to our next birding destination, another ProAves owned Las Tangaras Lodge. It was almost 7pm and we later learned that staff there was pretty worried about us. Well, it was so easy to lose track of time with so many eye-popping sightings. After the lovely dinner at the lodge, we went straight to bed. Since our room was missing a glass in the window in the bathroom, there were lots of bizarre insects in the room but we were too tired and too excited to worry about bugs at that point.

Las Tangaras Lodge Las Tangaras Lodge

Day 6 total species: 163, lifer 31:, endemic: 7, near endemic: 6
Acorn Woodpecker, Alder Flycatcher, Antioquia Wren (e), Bar-crested Antshrike (ne), Bay-headed Tanager, Black-crowned Antshrike, Black-throated Mango, Blue-gray Tanager, Blue-headed Parrot, Cattle Egret, Flame-rumped Tanager, Golden-faced Tyrannulet, Great Kiskadee, Palm Tanager, Red-bellied Grackle, Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Slate-throated Redstart, Smooth-billed Ani, Southern House Wren, Spectacled Parrotlet, Steely-vented Hummingbird, Stile's Tapaculo (e), Streak-headed Woodcreper, Summer Tanager, Thick-billed Euphonia, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Yellow-bellied Siskin, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Yellow-headed Manakin (ne)

NOVEMBER 27, 2019 big day

We were finally birding the much anticipated Las Tangaras Reserve today. The reserve is located about an hour drive from the lodge. Usually, a 4x4 vehicle is required to reach the reserve but we were told that the road was recently groomed. So thankful that we got that free upgrade from AVIS. Otherwise, we would have had to rent a jeep for $45 a day with a driver (which wasn't too bad a deal though). As usual, we had our breakfast at 5:30am and immediately set out to our first birding adventure into the Las Tangaras Reserve. The road to the reserve wasn't bad at all. It was so good that even a regular passenger car possibly could have made it although the ride would be quite uncomfortable. We drove for about 40 minutes and made our first stop by the ProAves sign. Edwin then immediately heard a Yellow-breasted Antpitta calling. Another one of those skulking creature which makes our knees weak while pulling our hairs in frustration at the same time. Well, Antpittas are very much like Tapaculos. Easy to hear but extremely difficult to see. After 20 minutes of playing hide and seek, we finally got an open view of the antpitta for about two seconds, so worth it. From that point on, we barely had a time to breathe as birds just kept coming one after another. The quality and quantity of bird species at this reserve was UNREAL. The only negative aspect of the reserve was the weather. It sits on one of the wettest areas in Colombia and it basically rains every day. Luckily for us, it was not raining in the morning but we began to be covered by heavy fog which made seeing birds much more challenging.

Basically, we kept moving locations in order to avoid fog and luckily birds seemed to be everywhere, foggy or not. This reserve truly represented Colombia birding at its best and we could not be happier.

Broad-winged Hawk Azara's Spinetail Cinnamon Flycatcher Long-tailed Tyrant Saffron-crowned Tanager Smoke-colored Pewee Silver-throated Tanager Bronze-olive Pygmy-Tyrant Red-faced Spinetail Golden-olive Woodpecker Golden-faced Tyrannulet Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager White-headed Wren Golden-crowned Flycatcher Black-and-gold Tanager Black-billed Peppershirke Tyrannine Woodcreeper Mustached Puffbird Glistering-green Tanager Bluish Flowerpiecer Yellow-browed Flycatcher Rufous-throated Tanager Yellow-breasted Antwren Buff-fronted Foliage-Gleaner Gray-breasted Wren

As usual, we were having lunch in the field. Kindly, the caretaker's son brought us lunch on his motorbike. By then, raindrops were starting to fall. Equipped with rain gear, we braved the weather and birded in the rain. Luckily, the rain turned into more of a drizzle before it turned back into rain. We took advantage of the small window between the rains to bird in the forest where we encountered the largest mixed flock of the trip. It felt like the entire forest was covered with birds from top to bottom. The best sighting of this flock was a breath-takingly beautiful male Crested Ant-Tanager, what a stunner he was!

Scaly-throated Foliage-Gleaner Crested Ant-Tanager Montane Woodcreeper

It was after 4pm and the rain was falling continuously so we decided to take refuge on covered benches at the hummingbird feeding station. Though enjoying the delightful views of various hummingbirds, we were still in a daze from today's non-stop excitement. It was by far the best birding day of the trip!

Hummingbird Feeder Station Hummingbird Feeder Station Bench Booted Rackettail Velvet-purple Coronet Brown Inca Violet-tailed Sylph Female Purple-bibbed Whitetip Species List

Since I didn't want to drive the mountain road in the dark, we left the reserve around 5pm and got back to the lodge before 6pm. We celebrated our monstrous birding day at the dinner with nice cold local beer.

Day 7 total species: 201, lifer 42:, endemic: 9, near endemic: 11
Azara's Spinetail, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Black Phoebe, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-and-gold Tanager (e), Black-billed Peppershrike, Bluish Flowerpiercer, Blue-crowned Motmot, Blue-naped Chrolophonia, Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager, Booted Racket-tail, Broad-winged Hawk, Bronze-olive Pygmy-Tyrant, Brown Inca (ne), Buff-fronted Foliage-Gleaner, Canada Warbler, Chestnut-breasted Chrolophonia, Cinnamon Flycatcher, Crested Ant-Tanager (e), Empress Brilliant (ne), Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Glistering-green Tanager (ne), Golden Tanager, Golden-crowned Flycatcher, Golden-faced Tyrannulet, Golden-olive Woodpecker, Gray-breasted Wood-Wren, Greenish Puffleg, Handsome Flycatcher, Indigo Flowerpiecer (ne), Lemon-browed Flycatcher, Lemon-rumped Tanager, Long-tailed Tyrant, Masked Flowerpiecer, Moustached Puffbird, Montane Woodcreeper, Orange-bellied Euphonia, Ornate Flycatcher, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, Purplish-mantled Tanager (ne), Red-faced Spinetail, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Rufous-throated Tanager (ne), Russet-backed Oropendola, Russet-crowned Warbler, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Scaly-throated Foliage-Gleaner, Sickle-winged Guan, Silver-throated Tanager, Slate-throated Redstart, Slaty Antwren, Smoke-colored Pewee, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Squirrel Cuckoo, Three-striped Warbler, Tricolored Brush-Finch, Tyrannine Woodcreeper, Uniform Treehunter, Velvet-purple Coronet, Violet-tailed Sylph (ne), Wedge-billed Hummingbird, White-headed Wren, White-naped Brush-Finch, White-sided Flowerpiercer, White-tailed Hillstar, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Yellow-breasted Antwren

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 we deserved it!

We woke up full of hope that today would be as good as yesterday if not better. We gobbled up breakfast and left the lodge in a hurry. By the time we reached the reserve, it was already starting to drizzle and the forest was noticeably quieter. Time and time again, we learn the hard way that there is no predictability in birding. The drizzle soon turned into full-on rain. We took a refuge in the car during the heavy rain but still managed to bird in the rain as much as we could. Rain is bad not because we get wet but because birds generally avoid rain by tucking themselves under some cover which make them virtually undetectable. It was a really tough day for us especially knowing that all the good birds were all around us but out of our sight. We do have to give it to Edwin: He was a true hard-core birder and never stopped trying. Most bird guide would have suggested to take a break but he just kept marching on trying to find any bird in the rain. Well, we did find Edwin's favorite bird in the rain, Toucan Barbets. Good deeds never go unrewarded.

Las Tangaras Green-and-black Fruiteater Palm Tanager Masked Flowerpiercer Ornate Flycatcher Collared Trogon Female

It was almost one o'clock and was, sadly, the time for us to leave Las Tangaras for our next destination. Edwin asked me to stop the car by the reserve sign for the last time. Ironically, the rain started to let up a little and it was then that I spotted a group of Purplish-mantled Tanagers foraging in a fruiting tree next to us at eye-level. We had seen them multiple times but always on top of some tall trees but at eye-level, really!? Then Edwin quickly noticed three Black-chinned Mountain-Tanagers casually preening themselves in the same tree. Two near-endemic species were literally *hanging* out with us and they weren't going anywhere. It is the moment like this that us birders relish in. We enjoyed the company of our very special feathered friends for as long as we could before starting our drive back to the lodge. What Edwin said in the car summarized so perfectly our last moment at Las Tangaras, "WE DESERVED IT". It was a difficult day but we persevered and were rewarded handsomely in the end.

Purplish-mantled Tanager Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager

We enjoyed our last lunch at the lodge accompanied by the always entertaining hummingbirds. It was then time to bid adieu to this magnificent reserve and start our 3+ hours drive to beautiful town of Jardín.

Lunch at Las Tangaras Greenish Puffleg Andean Emerald

When we got to Ciudad Bolívar, Edwin asked me to stop the car a few times to ask local people something. We were a bit perplexed if he was asking for directions or needed something else. Then he asked us to stop the car by a school in front of big tall bucaro trees. Edwin always had something good up his sleeve so we knew that we were in for a treat! We didn't see any special birds in the big trees but I guessed from the way Edwin was looking that we were looking for an owl. Bingo, Edwin told us that there was a report of a Spectacled Owl roosting in the tree. Edwin must have asked about ten locals and they all pointed to the same exact tree. We looked and looked for the owl in all of those trees but it just wasn't there. Spectacled Owl is a large owl about 40 inches tall so it was quite hard to miss (perhaps possible for us but no way Edwin could miss such a large bird). After about twenty minutes, three local kids came to help us look for it. They also pointed the same tree first but couldn't find it either. Then the littlest one said that his friends at school had seen it in the Mango tree! There was only one Mango tree so once we knew that, it was really easy to find the owl (as soon as we knelt down to their height). We would have never found it if it wasn't for the kids! Together we all enjoyed the view of this majestic owl and we gave each of them a little reward for their assistance.

Kids showing us the owl Spectacled Owl

The road to Jardín was narrow and curvy (what's new) and I had to drive in the dark again. Exhausted, we arrived at the lovely colorful colonial town of Jardín. Immediately, we checked into Hosteria El Paraiso and then hit one of the local Colombian restaurants for dinner. Needless to say, we were beyond exhausted by the time we went to bed.

Restaurant in Jardín Hostería El Paraíso Hostería El Paraíso Hostería El Paraíso Hostería El Paraíso

Day 8 total species: 207, lifer 45:, endemic: 9, near endemic: 13
Beryl-spangled Tanager, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-and-gold Tanager, Black-billed Thrush, Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager, Blue-capped Tanager, Blue-crowned Motmot, Blue-gray Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager, Broad-winged Hawk, Collared Trogon, Empress Brilliant, Flame-rumped Tanager, Glossy-black Thrush, Golden Tanager, Gray-breasted Wood-Wren, Green-and-black Fruiteater, Nariño Tapaculo (ne), Purplish-mantled Tanager (ne), Red-bellied Grackle, Red-headed Barbet, Roadside Hawk, Russet-backed Oropendola, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Spectacled Owl, Toucan Barbet (ne), White-sided Flowerpiercer

NOVEMBER 29, 2019 another big day!?

Today we were visiting another ProAves owned Yellow-eared Parrot Reserve. The reserve was created to protect once thought to be extinct Yellow-eared Parrots. Following the rediscovery of 88 parrots by a group of researchers in 1999, this reserve was established in 2006 to protect this critically endangered species. Since then, the parrot population rebounded to almost 1,500 individuals and the parrot’s comeback has become one of Latin America’s great conservation success stories.

Yellow-eared Parrot Reserve ProAves

Since we had missed the Chestnut-capped Piha at the Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve, we were praying to see this majestic parrot. Extra-motivated, we left our hotel at 5:10am and stopped at a local bakery to get a quick breakfast (coffee and pastries) and took out some pastries and bread for lunch. I could not believe the total for all that food (breakfast and lunch for three people) was less than $4! The road to the reserve was unpaved but in very good condition. We drove for about 40 minutes and made our first stop by a small house. Oh wow, the place was bustling with birds. Is there any place in Colombia that's not birdy!? Due to reserve's high elevation, it was pretty chilly but we were warm from running around to catch a glimpse of some new faces around us. It felt like every time we stepped out of the car, we were greeted by flocks of birds. We made numerous stops by the roadside and there were just birds after birds, many unfamiliar faces indeed (yeeees!). It was here we met another one of our trip favorites, Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant. This little guy was friendly and gorgeous and he just melted our hearts. In case, you haven't noticed, we definitely have a thing for cute little creatures.

Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant

Then we had our very first Conebill sighting ever. As if that wasn't enough, Edwin heard a group of Yellow-eared Parrots and there they were, foraging in a tall tree probably at least a quarter of a mile away. Even with the distance, we were able to observe its fine colors and features. What a magnificent creature it was and we are forever grateful to those working hard to protect them. Our day at the reserve, so far, had been way more than we had expected. We thought we would never say this but this reserve surely was as birdy and magical as Las Tangaras if not more.

Mirador Alto de Ventanas Mirador Alto de Ventanas Emerald Toucanet Band-tailed Pigeon Speckled Hummingbird Green-and-black Fruiteater Grass-green Tanager Masked Flowerpiercer Cinnamon Flycatcher Yellow-eared Parrot Mountain Cacique Black-throated Tody-Tyrant Superciliaried Hemispingus Great Thrush Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager Golden-fronted Redstart Blue-and-black Tanager Blue-backed Conebill Tyrian Metaltail Steak-throated Bush-Tyrant Collared Inca

We fought the stop and go rain from about 11am until we finally made it up to the ranger station around 2:30pm when it started raining yet again. The rain is not appreciated but usually we are rewarded with a flurry of feeding excitement when the rain stops. The ranger station was closed so we took refuge from the rain under the station sign but soon decided to brave the weather as the rain was at interval. Again with the bad weather, bird activity slowed down a bit but we still managed to collect multiple sightings of interesting species. Time flies like none other when birding. It was well after 5pm and sadly it was time for us to leave the reserve. One last time, as dusk approached, we enjoyed watching the parrots flying above us in an open field in the rain. Then Edwin heard a gang of Black-billed Mountain-Toucans nearby. It felt like the birds didn't want us to leave. We, of course, jumped right back into the field to look for the mystic mountain-toucans. We enjoyed their company for a while and it was really the time for us to leave.

Ranger Station Ranger Station Gate Group Selfie Green Violetear Tourmaline Sunangel Red-crested Cotinga Red-crested Cotinga Female Streaked Tuftedcheek Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager Crimson-mantled Woodpecker Black-billed Mountain-Toucan

It took us almost an hour to get back to Jardín and we were starving. We tried another Colombian restaurant for dinner to celebrate yet another epic birding day. It was a bitter sweet evening for us though. The birding was great but we were sad that it was our last night with Edwin. Words could not describe how amazing he had been. We were pretty much his helpless children and he took care of us beyond his call of duty. We shared many great moments and none would have been possible without him. We felt like he was not only an outstanding bird guide but a friend. We hope he enjoyed our company as much as we did.

Edwin Church in Jardín Funny bathroom sign

Day 9 total species: 237, lifer: 56, endemic: 10, near endemic: 14
Band-tailed Pigeon, Band-winged Nightjar, Blackburnian Warbler, Blackish Tapaculo, Black-billed Mountain-Toucan, Black-capped Hemispingus, Black-throated Tody-Tyrant, Blue-and-black Tanager, Blue-backed Conebill, Blue-capped Tanager, Blue-crowned Motmot, Brown-capped Tyrannulet, Cinnamon Flycatcher, Collared Inca, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Crowned Chat-Tyrant, Emerald Toucanet, Golden-fronted Redstart (ne), Grass-green Tanager, Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager, Great Thrush, Green-and-black Fruiteater, Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager, Lesser Violetear, Masked Flowerpiercer, Mountain Cacique, Red-crested Cotinga, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Sharpe's Wren, Sickle-winged Guan, Slaty Brush-Finch, Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant, Speckled Hummingbird, Spillman's Tapaculo, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant, Superciliaried Hemispingus, Tourmaline Sunangel, Tyrian Metaltail, White-sided Flowerpiercer, Yellow-eared Parrot (e)

NOVEMBER 30, 2019 farewell, Edwin...

Our last order of business while in Jardín was to visit the renowned Gallito de Roca Preserve. This reserve is a private residence with an Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek in the backyard. A lek is an area where birds congregate for communal courtship display. In fact, the owner of the house bought the house and the surrounding land and created a small reserve where people could visit and observe this most eccentric bird species while providing them a safe haven. An appointment was needed to visit the reserve which had already been taken care of by Edwin. We arrived exactly at our appointment time of 6:10am and the owner of the house greeted us at the door. We could already hear the birds' harsh loud mating calls coming from the back. Once getting to the garden area, we must have seen at least eight of them doing their peculiar mating dance at close distance. One juvenile bird perched within a few feet of us. They sure are one of the most bizarre looking birds we had ever seen. As we were leaving the reserve, the owner showed us two Tropical Screech Owls roosting side by side high above the tree.

Gallito de Roca Preserve Andean Cock-Of-The-Rock Andean Cock-Of-The-Rock

We then spent an hour or so birding around the reserve till it was really the time to leave Jardín.

White-throated Brush-Finch Bananaquit Rose-breasted Grosbeak Orange-chinned Parakeet Yellow-bellied Seedeater Crimson-backed Tanager Smooth-billed Ani Yellow-backed Oriole Scrub Tanager Female Green Honeycreeper Female Palm Tanager White-lined Tanager Female Black-billed Thrush

It was a long drive with no birding stop due to two landslide cleanup road closures on the route starting at 7pm so we sadly had no time left for birding. After 4 long hours of driving, we got to Medellín and finally the time had come to say good-bye to Edwin. We dropped him off at a bus terminal and sincerely thanked him for everything he had done for us. I hope our paths will cross somewhere in the future. We still had 3.5+ hours of driving to our destination, Río Claro Reserve, where we would be spending the next two nights. The reserve is known to be a location to see many endemics with relative ease. The room was nice but had no hot shower. Even though the reserve was hot and humid due to the low elevation, taking a cold shower always is a challenge. Exhausted, we were in bed before 9pm. As we were falling asleep, we noticed a cute gecko keeping us company.

Río Claro Reserve La Mulata Lodge La Mulata Lodge La Mulata Lodge Río Claro Restaurant Gecko

Day 10 total species: 240, lifer: 57, endemic: 10, near endemic: 14
Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Bananaquit, Black-billed Thrush, Black-winged Saltator, Blue-and-white Swallow, Blue-crowned Motmot, Blue-gray Tanager, Bronze-winged Parrot, Crimson-backed Tanager, Flame-rumped Tanager, Golden Tanager, Green Honeycreeper, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Red-bellied Grackle (e), Red-headed Barbet, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Palm Tanager, Scrub Tanager (ne), Summer Tanager, Tropical Screech-Owl, White-lined Tanager, White-naped Brush-Finch, Yellow-backed Oriole, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Yellow-faced Grassquit

DECEMBER 1, 2019 life without Edwin

Today's plan was to walk with our *nature* guide from 6am to 9am then spend the rest of the day on our own exploring the reserve. Evidently, we wanted to hire a bird guide but the reserve only had a Spanish speaking nature guide. We met our guide at 6am at the restaurant. He was a very pleasant young man and, as previously told, did not know much about birds at all. We walked from the restaurant to the entrance of the reserve. We could hear birds singing from all directions and we have to admit it was extremely frustrating not knowing who those birds were. The road was very birdy and we saw a few nice birds. Although our nature guide was truly clueless about birds, he did show us a Blue-headed Parrot chick inside a tree trunk and that was a nice surprise. We thanked him for the walk and headed straight to the restaurant for a late breakfast.

Buff-rumped Warbler Common Tody-Flycatcher Streak-headed Woodcreeper Thick-billed Euphonia Streaked Flycatcher Black Phoebe Cattle Tyrant Orange-chinned Parakeet Long-tailed Tyrant Black-billed Thrush Black-crowned Tytyra Bi-colored Wren Southern House Wren Yellow-rumped Cacique Red-rumped Woodpecker Broad-billed Motmot

Thankfully, Edwin drew us a map of the reserve with places to bird so we had two options for the rest of the day: to go to the cave to see the Oilbirds or to walk the Mulata Trail in search of endemics. As much as we love the Oilbirds, we decided to try the trail partly because we heard that we would have to walk across waist deep Río Claro to get to the cave. Plus, seeing the endemics sounded more exciting to us than seeing the Oilbirds (no offense, Oilbirds!). What we didn't know was that the trail was guarded by three menacing dogs.... Well, not exactly "guarded"... There was a house right above the trail entrance and like everyone else in Colombia, the inhabitants of the house owned three guard dogs, mean dogs indeed. As we passed by the house, the dogs came running, barking and growling at us. Uh ah, terrified, we moved very slowly and quietly as not to provoke them any more than they already were and also made sure not to make any eye contacts. As soon as we were away from the house, the dogs left us alone. The trail was packed with beautiful yet obscure birds and it was really exciting and painfully frustrating at the same time to see them fritter away one after another without knowing their identity. Oh, how much we missed Edwin's presence. He would have been able name all the mystery birds we saw in a flash.

Edwin's Map Dusky-faced Tanager Gartered Trogon Wedge-billed Woodcreeper

As we marched on, we hit a little stream which was just deep enough to get our feet wet. So we took our shoes off and walked across bare-foot, a much better option than walking with shoes.

Many torturous unidentified sightings later, we finally found birds easily recognizable. A gorgeous male Golden-headed Manakin was perched on a tree top branch next to the trail. Then we saw another then another. We counted eight males but there could have been more. Yes, we ran into a Golden-headed Manakin lek! On this trip, we had been blessed with many amazing Manakin sightings and this sure was one of them.

Golden-headed Manakin Golden-headed Manakins

We spent the rest of the day frantically looking for endemics (or any identifiable bird for that matter) on the trail. In the end, we heard and saw many birds without a name and inevitably, no endemics.

Piratic Flycatcher Bay-breasted Warbler White-tailed Trogon Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant Eastern Wood-Pewee Orange-crowned Oriole

Day 11 total species: 256, lifer: 58, endemic: 10, near endemic: 14
Bananaquit, Bay-breasted Warbler, Bi-colored Wren, Blue-gray Tanager, Black Phoebe, Black-billed Thrush, Black-chested Jay, Black-crowned Tityra, Broad-billed Motmot, Buff-rumped Warbler, Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner, Cattle Tyrant, Cinerous Becard, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Crimson-backed Tanager, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Dusky-faced Tanager, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Gartered Trogon, Golden-headed Manakin, Golden-hooded Tanager, Gray-headed Tanager, House Wren, Long-tailed Tyrant, Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant, Northern Waterthrush, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Olivaceous Flatbill, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Orange-crowned Oriole, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Red-rumped Woodpecker, Streaked Flycatcher, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Summer Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Swainson's Thrush, Thick-billed Euphonia, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, White-tailed Trogon, Yellow-rumped Cacique

DECEMBER 2, 2019 shout out to all the bird guides in the world!

Fortunately our plane was leaving at 11:30pm so we had another full day to bird. Determined to find at least one endemic species, we packed our own breakfast of some fruits and snacks and left the room at 5:45am to bird the Mulata Trail again. We were hoping to catch the early morning feeders before it got hot later in the day (and boy did it get very warm and humid in these lowlands); however, the trail was somewhat quiet until the clouds cleared and the sun came out at around 9am. Time and time again, we learned the hard way that birds' behavior just was very unpredictable. We did have a nice encounter with two of the very special Antbirds, Chestnut-backed Antbirds and Bare-crowned Antbirds. Definitely, the highlight of the day was seeing a stunning Blue Cotinga perched way up in the highest treetop. We enjoyed the last hours of birding at Río Claro and it was time for us to say good-bye. We had our last meal there at 1:30pm. Unlike all other places we had eaten, I would say the food there was mediocre at best, not that it bothered us. We could be eating just rice and beans and be happy as long as we were seeing good birds. Leaving the Río Claro Reserve without a single endemic species, our biggest take away was our newfound respect for all the birds guides who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make finding birds look so easy.

White-fronted Capucin Chestnut-backed Antbird One-colored Becard Female Rufous-tailed Jacamar Blue Cotinga Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher Yellow-throated Toucan Black-chested Jay

On our drive back to the airport in Medellín, we made our last birding stop recommended by Edwin at a lovely restaurant, El Palacio de Los Frijoles. The restaurant was delightful with a beautiful view of the scenery and the birds.

El Palacio de los Friojoles El Palacio de los Friojoles El Palacio de los Friojoles Cat @ El Palacio de los Friojoles El Palacio de los Friojoles View from El Palacio de los Friojoles

After finishing our light meal, we immediately headed to the dirt road adjacent to the restaurant. Oh my, the road was loaded with birds! The area was dry and more open so it was much easier to bird than Río Claro's thick tropical jungle. We were running around like two headless chickens chasing one bird after another. Before we knew it, it was after 5:30pm and was getting too dark to see birds.

Colombian Chachalaca Bar-crested Antshrike Female Yellow-bellied Seedeater Common Tody-Flycatcher Blue-necked Tanager Tropical Kingbird Gray Seedeater Blue Black Grassquit Common Ground-Dove Olivaceous Piculet Cinerous Becard White-mantled Barbet Black Phoebe Streaked Flycatcher Mourning Warbler Lemon-rumped Tanager

We reluctantly started our final drive back to Medellín. All the *highways* we took in Colombia were curvy, steep and had one-lane on each direction. There usually were many slow trucks so one must pass them unless you were willing to drive at 10 miles per hour. Generally I am a safe slow driver so would not think of passing a car in one-lane traffic; however, it was a necessary evil driving in Colombia. Here is a clip of me passing a truck barely missing an oncoming truck! I still say that drivers in Colombia were much more defensive than drivers from other Latin American countries we had visited.

Oh what a trip it was! It was waaaaay more than what we had asked for and we cannot wait to be back again. As a final note, we would like to sincerely thank Edwin for making our trip truly enjoyable and thank you, Colombia, for being the home to so many breath-taking birds. By the way, Edwin was recently on a television show about La Romera Park and specifically the Red-bellied Grackle. Below is the episode (hopefully you speak Spanish), enjoy.

Day 12 total species: 271, lifer: 63, endemic: 10, near endemic: 14
Bananaquit, Bare-crowned Antbird, Black Phoebe, Black-bellied Wren, Black-billed Thrush, Black-chested Jay, Blue Cotinga, Blue-black Grassquit, Blue-gray Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager, Buff-throated Saltator, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Collared Aracari, Colombian Chachalaca (e), Common Tody-Flycatcher, Crimson-backed Tanager, Gray Seedeater, Green Honeycreeper, Lemon-rumped Tanager, Mourning Warbler, Olivaceous Piculet, One-colored Becard, One-colored Becard, Orange-billed Sparrow, Palm Tanager, Piratic Flycatcher, Ruddy Ground-Dove, Rufous-capped Warbler, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, White-mantled Barbet (e), Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Yellow-throated Toucan