NatureTrek Colombia
December 1-11, 2008



Guides: Ben Freeman, Luis Eduardo Uruena

Participants: Dave and Anna Stewart, Tim Harris, Anders Sjaastad, Mick Parry, Bill Plumb

The inaugural NatureTrek trip to Colombia was a smashing success. We had a fantastic trip with a great group ? all skilled birders, and, more importantly, very good company. Weather was very cooperative throughout (although it is pouring as I write this, the day after the trip), and logistics (handled by EcoTurs, the ground agent for this tour) were rather uncomplicated, making the trip that much more pleasant.

We packed a lot into eleven days, covering habitats along the Caribbean coast from the coastal mangroves, lagoons and xerophytic scrub to the foothill, subtropical and temperate forests of Santa Marta Mountain. During the second portion of our trip, based in Bogotá, we explored subtropical forests and dry foothill forests, páramo and temperate forests and finally a local wetland. This diversity of habitats was reflected in a diversity of birds; our official tally was 376 species (17 heard only), including 26 endemics and many near-endemic, threatened and endangered species.

A clear highlight was our three full days on Santa Marta Mountain, where we stayed at the excellent El Dorado Lodge. The beautiful views from this site were matched by the excellent birds, including an absurd amount of endemics: we had 18 during our stay there, including the bird of the trip, the recently discovered and undescribed Screech Owl that can be found at the lodge.
The rest of our top ten:
2) Bogota Rail: this rare and very localized bird showed well on our last morning
3) (tie) Hooded Mountain-Tanagers engaging in display at close range & four male White-tipped Quetzals in one tree on Santa Marta Mountain
5) The smashing pair of Crimson-mantled Woodpeckers at close range at the Brown-breasted Parakeet site
6) (tie) Fantastic views of Plushcap at Chingaza, Santa Marta Parakeets on Santa Marta, and a pair of Black-crested Warblers engaged in a broken-wing display at the Brown-breasted Parakeet site
10) (tie) A pair of Andean Pygmy-Owls in the open at Chingaza and the Rufous Antpitta at Santa Marta, perched at close range in a gap in the bamboo.

Without further ado, the day-by-day run down?

December 1, 2008

Everyone arrived to Bogota in plenty of time to make our internal connection to Barranquilla, located on the humid Caribbean coast. We immediately checked in to our luxurious hotel, which we had precious little opportunity to enjoy, as the fun began early the next day!

December 2, 2008

We saw our first bird of the trip ? Great Kiskadee ? at the hotel and then successfully navigated traffic out of Barranquilla and to the headquarters of Isla de Salamanca National Park, which protects a huge system of lagoons and mangrove forests. We were greeted by nesting Bicolored Wrens and cooperative Brown-throated Parakeets, glowing in the morning light. We spied several Sapphire-throated Hummingbirds, including one individual that appeared to have far more blue than a Sapphire-throated should, albeit not approaching a Sapphire-bellied. A debate already! We then entered the mangroves where Prothonotary Warblers outnumbered the mosquitos, a testament to the density of Prothonotaries at this site. Although the trail system has fallen into disrepair at this site, there is still some access to really interesting mangrove forest, chock-full of flycatchers and migrant warblers. We saw Bicolored Conebills, Black-crested Antshrike, Northern Scrub Flycatcher, Solitary Sandpiper and a rare Louisiana Waterthrush among the Northerns. A Chestnut Piculet gave a brief view before disappearing, much to our chagrin. Waterbirds abounded in the lagoons and along the road, where various stops gave us good numbers of herons, shorebirds and terns. A quick stop featured the likes of Little Blue and Tricolored Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Collared, Semipalmated and Black-bellied Plovers, Whimbrel and Savanna Hawk. The Wattled Jacana subspecies hypomelaena, with all black wings, was a new one for most of the group, while Bill spotted a Gull-billed Tern among a group of Royal and Caspian Terns.

The heat and truck traffic convinced us to move onwards, and we proceeded to climb up the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to Minca, where a huge iguana, a Red-billed Emerald, and a lunch with eminently pleasing portions all awaited us. We continued to climb the extremely rough road, stopping at a small Labidus ant swarm for our first Santa Marta endemics: Santa Marta Brush Finch and White-lored Warbler. Also nice to see was a confiding Black-and-white Warbler. We soldiered onwards, ever higher on the difficult road, and were pleasantly surprised, as I always am, to arrive at the excellent El Dorado Lodge. The lodge sits perched 1950 m above the Caribbean, and we arrived in time to see the sun set and the lights of Cienaga and Barranquilla below begin to twinkle in the dark. We even had time to spot a Blossomcrown among the Violet-crowned Woodnymphs at the reserve feeders, before it was off to dinner and bed.


December 3, 2008

An early breakfast preceded our first ascent of Cuchillo San Lorenzo, the ridge upon which El Dorado lodge is perched. The lodge is the flagship ProAves reserve (a Colombian bird conservation NGO which operates over 14 reserves throughout the country). This is the only access to the endemic-fest that is Santa Marta Mountain, and we would explore both the upper and lower sections of forest during our stay at El Dorado. Our first stop this morning was unplanned: three Band-tailed Guans were cumbersomely feeding in the top of a fruiting tree. We continued up the mountain, stopping when Anders spied a low-foraging pair of Yellow-crowned Whitestart, portents of a nice mixed flock which included excellent studies of Santa Marta Mountain Tanager, Streak-capped Spinetail, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant and others. Scaly-naped Amazons winged overhead. We were delighted to have excellent vistas of the central peaks from the high portion of the ridge, but rather less excited about the strong and persistent winds. Nonetheless, we found a mixed flock, foraging in a subdued fashion in the lee of the wind. This was a welcome discovery, as a Santa Marta Warbler loafed amicably at arm?s length in the Chusquea bamboo, and a juvenile Plushcap, lacking the yellow frontal patch, hung off the Chusquea close by as well. A couple male White-tailed Starfrontlets whizzed by before we spied one feeding on a tall red tree bromeliad; a vigil at this location resulted in repeat views of the flashing Starfrontlet, who did not take kindly to a Green Violet-ear that attempted to feed on the bromeliad as well. Unfortunately, I was the only one to get a glance at a passing Santa Marta Woodstar. The wind was really affecting bird activity, and with Rufous Antpitta and Brown-rumped Tapaculo heard only, we decided to drop to lower elevations. Mixed flocks here boosted our list, and it was down to the lodge for a respite. However, no sooner had some of us entered our rooms than we were drawn back out by a pair of unconcerned Santa Marta Toucanets, foraging deliberately very close to the balcony ? excellent!



While the morning was windy, the afternoon was foggy. Nonetheless, we found several Lined Quail-Doves, the last of which was even kind enough to allow for a brief close-range view, instead of immediately scurrying off into the mist. Walking down the road also led us to a mixed flock with some different constituents, including several woodcreepers that had us flummoxed. One was finally heard calling and was pinned down as a Black-banded Woodcreeper, while our attention was distracted by three Crimson-crested Woodpeckers in the same binocular view and several additional White-lored Warblers. Black-fronted Wood-Quails were heard chortling in the distance. Rain set in, and after a brief let-up, resumed in earnest, forcing us back to the cabins for a nice dinner. A fantastic gathering of moths attracted to the reserve?s lights led some of us to search for more nocturnal creatures; we were rewarded with a calling Brachyacephalid frog.

December 4, 2008

Our wishes for better weather seemed to be answered, as the morning dawned clear and still, with Red Howler Monkeys doing what they do so well ? howling ? in the distance. Breakfast was interrupted for excellent perched views of a pair of Barred Forest-Falcons at the lodge ? these were to be the first of a raptor-filled start to the day. Indeed, our first stop down the road produced no fewer than six White-rumped Hawks soaring overhead, white underwings glinting in the sun. To our delight, they were then briefly joined by both Plain-breasted and Broad-winged Hawks. Top rate stuff!

Continuing down we had excellent views of Gray-throated Leaftossers, some aloof Stripe-headed Brush-Finches, a group of Black-chested Jays, and a mixed flock with a nice male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, our best views of Golden-breasted Fruiteaters, a family of yellow-thighed Blue-capped Tanagers and a pair of Black-and-white Becards. We also had a brief view of a Blossomcrown feeding on roadside flowers before getting good studies of a pair of Santa Marta (Ruddy) Foliage-gleaners near the site where they nested in May 2008. A snack break was livened up by the presence of Dull-colored Grassquits (well, perhaps livened is not really the word for the grassquits?) and pairs of both Rusty Flowerpiercers and Yellow-billed Toucanets, while Red-billed Parrots screeched by. Lower on the road, a female Masked Trogon ate a 5 cm caterpillar before our eyes, seeming quite stunned by its meal until shaking itself and eventually flying off fully recovered. This was but a prelude, however, to the sight of the day: four male White-tipped Quetzals foraging in two adjacent fruit trees ? a beautiful sight. With that sight etched on our retinas we returned to the lodge for a late lunch, where a flock 15 strong of Blue-naped Chlorophonias and a lone Black-capped Tanager awaited us. Sheer class.


We had a delicious lunch, and spotted a nice Anolis lizard outside the lodge restaurant, a lovely green animal with distinct black dorsal barring. Lacking a suitable guide to Santa Marta?s herps we christened the animal Santa Marta Anole, as so much of the fauna here seems to be preceded by this prefix. Our late afternoon walk was initially quite slow, before a flock with Black-throated Tody-Tyrants passed by. We had previously heard the distinctive kiskadee-like call of the endemic Rusty-headed Spinetail, but now it was time to see the furnariid, and we did see them well. Finally, a Santa Marta Antpitta came excruciatingly close in response to playback, but did not show. While we wondered if the dearth of vocalizing skulkers was a bad sign, we made our plans for our third and final day ? another ascent to the upper portion of the ridge in search of Santa Marta Parakeets and more.

December 5, 2008

Our last day on Santa Marta Mountain ? our last chance to observe the mountain?s endemics. Weather seemed to cooperate early, and the morning started off in stunning fashion; a pair of Band-winged Nightjars sallying over the road and perching in full view in the rising light. Some more Santa Marta Toucanets and a Sickle-winged Guan passed by shortly thereafter, and this act was followed by a male Black-hooded Thrush posing on the road. This was the start to the day we desired, but birding the upper forests was initially slow. We added Band-tailed Pigeon, Sparkling Violet-ear, Black Flowerpiercer and Mountain Velvetbreast to our list, enjoying watching the Black Flowerpiercer chase off White-sided Flowerpiercers at a flowering tree. A female White-tailed Starfrontlet briefly fed at a bromeliad, and we heard a flock of Santa Marta Parakeets far below, but unfortunately did not see them, while Brown-rumped Tapaculos and Rufous Antpittas continued to refuse to show. Things were looking down, but at least the weather was good.


We decided to slowly walk down the road, and soon found a nice mixed flock with Santa Marta Warblers. Two pairs of the delightful Yellow-crowned Whitestart were engaged in mutual aggressive displays at a territory boundary, engaging in brief chases and shivering their wings and fanning and shaking their tails. Then Jaynor, one of our drivers, came panting around the bend ? a group of parakeets had flown in just 100 m up the road! We hustled up the road to scan the Eucalyptus where they had been perched in dismay ? not a parakeet to be seen. But we were wrong! They had flown down to some flowering bushes not 15 meters in front of us, and for the next 15 minutes we had absolutely stunning views of twelve Santa Marta Parakeets feeding on the flowers ? a wonderful thing to behold. When finally they flew off we excitedly returned to the mixed flock we had been watching for cracking views of Santa Marta Mountain Tanager, Santa Marta Warbler, Santa Marta Brush-Finch and more ? nice when half of the flock are endemics! I heard the mellifluous call of the Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant and soon we had scope views of this rare tyrannid perched atop an umbrella-shaped tree. It got even better when our persistence paid off and a Rufous Antpitta showed wonderfully, perched at very close range in a gap among the bamboo for nearly a minute. The subspecies here, spatiator, is almost surely a good species (very different vocalizations from ?normal? Rufous Anpittas?) and will likely be split whenever this taxa is treated. This was followed by a delicious packed lunch and we were off again, in search of more goodies.

The events of the late morning had us on a high, but Brown-rumped Tapaculos did much to test our cheery demeanors. In the end we had the most fleeting of glimpses of this skulker, but it was a recalcitrant beast at best. While engaged in the tapaculo search we had more views of Santa Marta Parakeet and walk-away views of Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant. Then Bill was the first to get on a Black-throated Green Warbler in a mixed flock, a very rare northern migrant to Colombia. We also added Andean Siskins in a pine copse, where the males called from bare treetops. The day was a success, but not over yet. Santa Marta Antpittas still refused to show despite our efforts, and we had another brief look at the Band-winged Nightjars. Our final dinner was tasty as usual, and we decided to have a final go for the undescribed screech-owl which has been seen around the lodge ? for now it goes by the name ?El Dorado? Screech-Owl. A large tarantula scurried across the path and we entered the forest, where my ?mouse-in-distress? calls worked like a charm and the El Dorado Screech Owl promptly flew in for fantastic views ? too nice! This screech-owl taxa was first discovered around 2005, and to this day only a handful of pairs are known. It is in the process of being described as a new species endemic to Santa Marta Mountain, likely endangered with an unknown distribution. A breathtaking end to an excellent day, and we fell asleep to the toots of the screech-owl.


December 6, 2008

We sadly bid our adieus to El Dorado lodge, one of the clear highlights of the trip. After a last good meal and views of a foraging Band-winged Nightjar we headed down the mountain. Our first stop was full of activity, and we found a nice pair of Yellow-backed Orioles, American Redstart, White-necked Thrush, Venezuelan Tyrannulet and Black-headed Tanager among the many more common birds. We also picked up the endemic Santa Marta Tapaculo, showing well enough to see the white crown ? much easier than it?s higher elevation congener (Brown-rumped Tapaculo)! With the tapaculo, we wrapped up the Santa Marta endemics and it was down to the coffee belt above Minca, where we saw Sooty-capped Hermit, Grey Hawk, Long-tailed Antbird and more excellend Black-headed Tanagers. While continuing down the slope we found a pair of soaring King Vultures, Short-tailed Hawks, White-chinned Sapphire and excellent studies of a pair of Black-backed Antshrikes. Our lunch stop was also being patronized by a high school graduation ceremony, and we were delayed slightly by this unforeseen occurrence.

However, we still arrived to the desert scrub outside Camerones in time to lure in a fantastic calling Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, with attendant pissed-off Prothonatory Warblers, White-fringed Antwrens and White-whiskered Spinetails, an exquisite bird which is far lovelier than illustrated. A Grey-necked Wood Rail ran across the road, while our first Bare-eyed Pigeons and Green-rumped Parrotlets winged overhead. The skies also held Wood Storks soaring into their roosting locations and, as dusk crept in, scores of Lesser Nighthawks. Our Riohacha hotel was quite suitable, with geckos in the bathrooms (a plus for sure!), and Anders updated us on the state of European football


December 7, 2008

We spent dawn on the Camerones beach, where we watched the waterbirds on the lagoon. Water levels were very high, so birds were very dispersed and waterbird numbers were rather low. Nonetheless, we had Roseate Egrets, White and Scarlet Ibises, a very close fly-by from a Greater Flamingo, American Oystercatchers, Sandwich Terns, Roseate Spoonbill and a nice variety of other waterbirds. Breakfast consisted of Yellow-crowned Night-Herons and Collared Plovers on one side and Glaucous Tanager, Yellow Oriole, Slender-billed Inezia and Black-crested Antshrike on the other ? very nice.

Anna?s sharp eyes spotted a female Vermillion Cardinal, and a pair of calling Russet-throated Puffbirds (restricted to the Guajira and adjacent NW Venezuela, recently split from Two-banded) came close for good looks. Continuing onwards we added Buffy Hummingbird, Pied Water-Tyrant, Slate-headed Tody Flycatcher and Scaled Dove. As the day began to heat up and our flight back to Bogota neared, a family group of Rufous-vented Chachalacas stole the show by parading back and forth across the road ? a very pleasing end to a morning full of birds. Moreover, the thick cloud cover had maintained temperatures at merely hot ? we did not have to deal with the sometimes oppressive Guajira heat.

A quick lunch at the Riohacha hotel and a relaxing flight back to Bogota, and we checked into our comfortable hotel in the fashionable Calle 93 neighborhood, where we met EcoTurs Colombian guide Luis Eduardo Uruena, who would accompany us for the next four days. After a bit of an afternoon rest we strolled around Park Calle 93 enjoying the elaborate Christmas lights and decorations, accompanied by what seemed like half of Bogotá ? what a crowd! A tasty Sinú style dinner followed, and it was off to get some rest before beginning the second portion of this tour

December 8, 2008

Our first morning out of Bogotá was an early one, and we arrived to the forest near Laguna Pedropalo just after dawn. Colombian Chachalacas called on the distant hillside, and we eventually lured out a pair of Whiskered Wrens. Their high thin whistles led us to a pair of Moustached Puffbirds that posed ever so nicely for us. Our first mixed flock contained Acadian Flycatcher, Rufous-naped Greenlet, Streaked Xenops, Canada Warbler and Blue-and-black Tanager (very low elevation for this bird) among others. A thick tangle held a Sooty-headed Tyrannulet and both Mourning and the rare Connecticut Warbler, quite a surprise to me!

We moved up the road to an open hillside with many large trees, where we were privy to an amazing show of swirling tanagers. Over fifty individuals of ten Tangara sp. comprised the majority of this flock, including Speckled, Metallic-green and Scrub, while Ash-browed Spinetails and a tremendous number of Blackburnian Warbler moved quickly through the trees as well. A pair of Acorn Woodpeckers fed in the open, and a Black Inca made a short but satisfying appearance at some red flowers before we went back to the main highway to lunch at Rincon del Jairo. The typical food (bandeja de paisa) was filling and delicious, and then we spent an exciting hour watching their banana feeders. The quantity of birds was impressive, and we picked out Tropical Parulas, more Scrub Tanagers, and a Large-billed Seed Finch among the more common open country species.

Eventually we tore ourselves away from the avian spectacle and returned to watch the flocks, which seemed to be everywhere. Dave found a drab bird in a treetop, and while we tried to identify the bird its? brilliant blue mate flew in and erased all doubt- a Turqouise Dacnis! A pair of Moustached Brush-Finches finished off the excellent day, and we returned to Bogotá content, our drive much easier due to both lanes of the highway going uphill to the capital (typical for the end of a three-day weekend).


December 9, 2008

A very early departure ensured that we arrived at Laguna Tabocal in La Vega shortly after dawn, albeit after stopping for a perched female Merlin below the laguna. We immediately heard a pair of Rosy Thrush-Tanagers and soon were watching a pair of these sparkling denizens of the undergrowth flying back and forth in thick tangles. A nice parade of birds were moving around a clearing with nesting Ash-browed Spinetails, and we had our first good looks at Swainson?s Thrush and Scrub Greenlet. I was very pleased to find a striped male of the near-endemic Bar-crested Antshrike showing well, and even more delighted to spot a male Slate-colored Seedeater, quite an uncommon bird. Spectacled Parrotlets were rather common, while a White-bearded Manakin foraged in a fruiting bush, and mixed flocks contained Red-rumped Woodpecker (we could see the red rump!) and Olivaceous Piculet.

Weather conditions must have been right, as we had five swift species flying overhead including brief views of Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift. A pair of Least Grebes held domain over the laguna itself, while its distinctive vocalizations led us to a female Velvet-fronted Euphonia, a localized endemic of Upper Magdalena dry forests. We added to our warbler list with Rufous-capped, Buff-rumped and Gray-throated Warblers, the latter of which is nearly endemic to Colombia. We also found some excellent antbirds, with a cooperative White-bellied Antbird female and a pair of foraging Dusky Antbirds. Eduardo had a brief glimpse of a calling Rusty-breasted Antpitta which eluded the rest of us, while a White-throated Crake was slightly more cooperative.

We lunched just outside the lagoon, where we tried our hands at the typical Colombian games of Rana and Tejo. Tejo is a very popular game that consists of throwing a stone puck (the tejo) at an inclined clay target where two explosive chips are placed. We struggled to explode the chips until finally Eduardo and our driver Alberto showed us how it was done, and we finished lunch with an explosion and drifting smoke.

A short afternoon stop below the lagoon was extremely productive, and we added the near-endemic Short-tailed Emerald, Cinereous Becard, Plain-colored Tanager and Band-backed Wren among others. The traffic back to Bogotá was eminently manageable, and we had a delicious dinner at Crepes & Waffles.

December 10, 2008

I had changed the itinerary for this day from the tour description, and now it was time to see if this newly-planned day would go as I hoped. We were delayed by a brief hotel mix-up, before we climbed out of Bogota and up into Chingaza National Park. An hour from Bogota we were perched in the middle of beautiful páramo in the morning sun, complete with frailejones (Espeletia) dotting the landscape. A juvenile Red-backed Hawk flew by, and a Black-chested Buzzard Eagle hovered above a distant rock outcrop. A spectacular site, we found the birds to be just as spectacular. An adult Plushcap, complete with yellow frontlet, perched in the open for scope studies, a stunning bird. We saw wheeling flocks of Andean Siskins, a bathing Pale-naped Brush-Finch, our first brilliant Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanagers, Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanagers, Glossy and Masked Flowerpiercers, Plumbeous Sierra-Finches, the near-endemic Rufous-browed Conebill and more, while also enjoying the interesting plants of the area.

Continuing onwards, we saw a silvery Andean Fox cross the road and some extremely tame White-tailed Deer along the roadside. An Andean Pygmy-Owl session attracted a Bronze-tailed Thornbill for brief views, and then Tim spotted the pygmy-owl itself! The next half hour was wonderful, as we had fantastic close views of a pair of pygmy-owls calling in extremely strange fashion, more akin to a hummingbird?s chips than the pygmy-owl tape which initially attracted the birds. We also got decent views of the endemic Matorral Tapaculo, wrapping up our skulkers for the trip.

Finally we arrived at the site for the day, the ProAves Brown-breasted Parakeet study site. Here, adjacent to Chingaza National Park, ProAves maintains a nestbox program for these endangered endemic parakeets. Thanks to these efforts, there is a large population in the area and the parakeets are generally easy to see. We walked down to the site, getting a frustratingly brief glimpse of a Red-crowned Cotinga. Then it was on to a fantastic overlook, where we had a very nice pair of the incredibly vivid Crimson-mantled Woodpecker. Not to be outdone, a showy pair of Hooded Mountain-Tanagers landed above our heads and engaged in a very interesting display, vocalizing while throwing their heads back. They were close enough to see the vivid red eyes that give these huge tanagers a rather sinister look.

A Black-billed Mountain-Toucan perched up in some bare branches, and when we were finished enjoying this bird we found a White-browed Spinetail in a bamboo patch. A near-endemic Golden-faced Whitestart was a good find, and then a flock of Brown-breasted Parakeets arrived through the fog? seven perched in a tree. After a nice packed lunch it was back up through the forest, where a flock of Black-collared Jays foraged at close distance. A mixed flock held Blue-backed Conebill, Northern Mountain-Caciques, Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant, Smoky Bush-Tyrant and others. Then the Red-crested Cotinga reappeared for scope studies, while a pair of Black-crested Warblers engaged in an intense and prolonged broken-wing display ? we must have been close to a nest of theirs. Finally, there were Andean Guans everywhere we turned on the drive back to Bogotá ? we spotted 34 in the first 3 km from the study site- incredible! It was a fantastic day and I was very pleased that the weather had held and we were able to enjoy so many splendidly-plumaged temperate and páramo birds.


December 11, 2008

We woke up early again ? as usual ? to visit Parque La Florida near the Bogota airport, in hopes for the Bogota marsh endemics. The flat plateau on which Bogota sits was once a large lake, and, as has happened so frequently throughout the world, the mazy marshlands have been converted into farmland and asphalt. Thus, the Bogota marsh endemics are largely restricted to scattered wetlands that remain.

It was a chilly morning, but a foraging flock of Rufous-browed Conebills boosted our spirits, and soon after we were watching a pair of calling Silvery-throated Spinetails. While their throats are actually rather dusky, it was good to see this localized endemic. We then meandered down to the lagoon to have our breakfast in the company of hordes of American Coots, including one with a large white patch on its? chest. It was off to the marshes where we immediately heard calling Bogota Rails. Soon thereafter Mick spotted one slinking around in the reeds. To our delight, it began to forage in the open and we enjoyed excellent views of this secretive endemic. Yellow-hooded Blackbirds winged around the marsh, and four Bare-faced Ibises flew overhead. Then Eduardo spotted another rail, this one catching the sun at the edge of the reeds, allowing for prolonged studies of its coral legs and bill. What a bird! Apolinar?s Wren were not as obliging, but we did eventually see our final endemic of the trip. For good measure, a Spot-flanked Gallinule with its lime-green bill gave us a close swim-by.


We braved extreme traffic to get back to our hotel for the trip wrap-up and a tasty lunch at a fashionable Calle 93 restaurant. Traffic had abated by now, and our trip to the airport was smooth. The first NatureTrek Colombia tour was a fantastic success and I want to thank the tour participants ? a great group of people! May the memories of this trip remain etched on your retinas for a long time?