Colombia Mega I Trip Report 17th January to 15th February 2016 Mottled Owl by Trevor Ellery Trip report by tour leader: Trevor Ellery RBT Trip Report Tour Name & Number 20YY 2 Tour Summary Introduction. Although we fell well short of the hoped for 1000 total, recording 917 species, we did most importantly have a wonderful birding adventure, quite literally across the length and breadth of Colombia. From the high Paramos of the eastern Andes to the sweltering jungles of Mitu and from the arid semi-desert of the Guajira peninsula to the humid cloud forest covered slopes of the western Andes, it was quite a ride. We managed to record a huge number of endemics and specialties and simply a wealth of great birds with everything from the bold and flashy such as Guianan-cock-of-the-Rock, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow and Northern Screamer – to the small and Spotted Puffbird by Trevor Ellery dainty such as Tody Motmot, Rusty-breasted Antpitta and Booted Rackettail. Everywhere we went there were birds – and often lots of them. Combine that with some wonderful scenery and some wonderful mammal experiences, which included a soaking wet Brown-throated Sloth at Paujil, a wonderful troop of Venezuelan Red Howlers in the Santa Marta foothills and a Spiny-Speckled Tree Rat facing off with a large Boa on the Caribbean coast and you have the perfect recipe for what turned out to be a sensational trip. Day 1: Chingaza NP and Siecha Gravel Pits. We started with an early morning, birding the windswept Paramos above Bogota. Despite the biting winds we were soon picking up a nice selection of high Andean birds including fine views of Plushcap, Plumbeous Sierra Finch and Pale-naped Brush Finch. We also enjoyed extended views of the near endemic Bronze-tailed Thornbill, which perched up and allowed itself to be scoped. Other hummers included Shining Sunbeam, Glowing Puffleg, Great Sapphirewing, Black-tailed Trainbearer and several Purple- backed Thornbills. The day soon warmed up and, in the, at times, hot and cloudy conditions, things became tough but we persevered and soon added Andean Pygmy Owl, Rufous Wren, Golden-fronted Whitestart, Hooded, Scarlet-bellied and Black-chested Green-backed Trogon by Trevor Ellery Mountain Tanagers, White-banded, White-throated and Black- capped Tyrannulets and the near endemic Rufous-browed RBT Trip Report Tour Name & Number 20YY 3 Conebill. Dropping further down we found Andean Guan, Pearled Treerunner, both Rufous- breasted and Brown-backed Chat Tyrants, Blue-backed Conebill and a fantastic group of White- capped Tanagers, which made several close fly pasts. By mid-afternoon we were thinking of heading on to our next site but not before adding our third Chat Tyrant, Crowned and a couple of skulking Silvery-throated Spinetails. In the mid-afternoon we made a trip to the Siecha Gravel pits where we added Noble and Wilson’s Snipe, Andean Teal, Spot-flanked Gallinule, Grassland Yellow Finch, White-tailed Kite and on dusk an obliging Bogota Rail. Day 2: Parque La Florida and Urania Community Mitu. An early start found us standing next to the reed beds at La Florida in the morning gloom. The recent very clear weather meant that there was something akin to a light frost – an occurrence almost unheard of in Colombia, even in the cool highlands. We were soon Yellow-crowned Manakin by Trevor Ellery scoping a female Merlin that was clearly looking for its breakfast and we also added a fly by Black-crowned Night Heron and plenty of fly over Bare-faced Ibis. After a short wait we found an Apolinar’s Wren which showed well. The population here may be down to just one individual. The walk back to the van produced Andean Ruddy Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Purple and Common Gallinules, Yellow- hooded Blackbird and a vagrant group of 4 Lesser Scaup. We then managed a quick look at the endemic Silvery-throated Spinetail, before heading to the airport having packed all this in before 7.15am. We departed to Mitu where we arrived around mid-day and during the wait to receive our luggage, added Yellow-browed Sparrow, Cobalt-winged Parakeet, Plumebous Kite and five high soaring Anhingas. A quick look at the river near the hotel produced Drab Water Tyrant and Little Blue Heron and then we headed off to the Urania community. Here, we quickly found Black-chinned Antbird, Cherries Antwren, Amazonian Inezia, Spotted Puffbird, American Pygmy, Green and Amazon Kingfishers and Green-backed Trogon. Walking on up through the community produced a whole plethora of new species including Epualet Oriole, Greater Yellow- headed Vulture, Scaled Pigeon, Black Caracara, Blue- ground Dove, Grey-rumped, Short-tailed and Neotropical Palm Swifts, Swallow-winged Puffbird, Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, Maroon-tailed Parakeet, Sulphury Flycatcher, Black-tailed Tityra, Blackpoll Warbler, Olive Dwarf-tyrant Manakin by Trevor Ellery RBT Trip Report Tour Name & Number 20YY 4 Oropendola, Silver-beaked and Swallow Tanagers, Yellow-bellied Dacnis and Chestnut-bellied Seedeater. We also found our main target and obliging group of Azure-naped Jays. We finished the day back at our jeeps, where a couple of Bronzy Jacamars were an added bonus. Day 3: Mitu Cachivera and the Pipeline Trail. This morning we headed out on the Mitu Cachivera Trail. The birding was great right from the start as we added Blackish- grey Ansthrike, Yellow-crowned Manakin, Coraya Wren, Speckled Chachalaca, Rusty-fronted and Yellow-browed Tody Tyrants, Chestnut-crowned Becard, Mealy Amazon and Black-capped Parrot before we had even left the community. We were soon into the Whitesand forest and steady birding produced Versicolored Emerald, Scarlet Macaw, Amazonian Antshrike, Spot-backed Antwren, Imeri Warbling Antbird, Slender-footed Tyrannulet, White- eyed Tody Tyrant, Dusky-chested Flycatcher and Dwarf- Tyrant, Blue-crowned and Black Manakins. As the day warmed up and the activity dropped, the high temperatures Black-faced Antbird by Trevor Ellery that the drought-like conditions had produced (it hadn’t rained in Mitu for weeks) began to take their toll and we opted to return to the hotel for a break. We headed out again in the afternoon, birding the pipeline trail. This produced Chestnut- bellied Seed Finch Yellow-throated Flycatcher, White-breasted Wood Wren, Yellow-billed Jacamar, Yellow-green Grosbeak and both Purple and Red-legged Honeycreepers. Day 4: Ceima Cachiver and Mitu area. We started the morning at the Ceima Cachivera community, where we quickly found Black- throated, Black-faced, Grey and Dusky Antbirds, Black-faced Dacnis, Great Jacamar, Ivory-billed and Many Banded Aracaris, Chestnut Woodpecker, Grey- crowned Flatbill, Slate-colored Grosbeak and a singing Lawrence’s Thrush. We then found a fruiting tree which was quite literally full of Manakins holding Western- striped, Blue-crowned, White-bearded, White-crowned and Golden-headed Manakins. It also attracted several species of Tanager including Flame-crested, Paradise Yellow-bellied Puffing Snake by Trevor Ellery RBT Trip Report Tour Name & Number 20YY 5 and Yellow-bellied while we managed to find Turquoise, Green-and-gold and Opal-crowned Tanagers during the morning’s walk. We then continued on to the Cock-of the Rock lek where, after a wait, we saw several fine male Guianan Cock-of-the-rock. Further birding in the forest produced Reddish Hermit, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Amazonian Motmot, Fasciated Antshrike, Pygmy Antwren, Yellow-browed Antbird and a great mixed flock which held Speckled Spinetail, Dusky-throated and Spot-winged Antshrikes and Grey Antwren. It was already past our lunch time and with the intense heat building up, we headed back to our Jeeps, adding an obliging pair of Rufous-capped Antthrushes en route. The group once again opted to take a long afternoon break due to the heat and we made a short late afternoon excursion to several sites on the outskirts of the town to look for Point-tailed Palmcreeper and Amazonian Umbrellabird – neither of these could be found but we did add Red-throated Caracara, Green Oropendola, Striped Amazonian Trogon by Trevor Ellery Woodcreeper and Crimson-crested Woodpecker. Day 5: Bocatoma Trail and Mitu area. We spent the morning birding along the Pipeline trail – this produced Grey-bellied Antbird, White-browed Purpletuft, King Vulture, Amazonian Trogon, Spangled Cotinga, Citron-bellied Attila, Dot-backed Antbird, Helmeted Pygmy Tyrant, Saffron- crested Tyrant Manakin, Screaming Piha and Red-rumped Cacique. Most of the guests then opted to take the afternoon off with some short birding around Mitu adding Red-bellied Macaw. Day 6: MCH and Pueblo Nuevo. This morning we headed out very early and made a fairly long drive to the MCH road. This proved well worth it as we were in position, at dawn, to enjoy a spectacular display of several male Fiery Topaz over a quiet black water stream. We followed this with a Tawny Tufted Toucanet and then also found Ruddy Spinetail, White-fronted Nunbird, Red- stained and Scaly-breasted Woodpeckers, Wedge- billed Woodcreeper, Cinereous Antshrike, Common Scale-backed Antbird and Red-crowned Ant Tanager. While some headed back to the hotel, others continued birding through the afternoon, picking up Paradise Jacamar, Pied Puffbird and Yellow- throated Woodpecker as well as Negro Stipple- throated, Rufous-tailed Plain-throated and Long- winged Antwrens, Black-bellied Cuckoo, Tawny- crowned Greenlet, Curve-billed Scythebill and Wing-barred Piprites by Trevor Ellery RBT Trip Report Tour Name & Number 20YY 6 Wing-barred Piprites. Day 7: Urania Road. Our final morning in Mitu was spent birding near the town which added Silvered Antbird, Amazonian Streaked Antwren, Green Ibis, Plain-breasted Ground Dove. Orange-cheeked Parrot, Mouse-colored Antshrike, Blue Dacnis and Golden-bellied Euphonia. We also enjoyed further views of both Bronzy and Paradise Jacamars, Spotted Puffbird and our first views of a perched Scarlet Macaw.