Six weeks in Colombia (1 Viewer)

Rgallardy · Jan 29, 2017

Hi all,

I just got back from a six week trip to Colombia (9 Dec - 22 Jan). It was an absolutely fantastic trip visiting almost all of the major areas except the amazon lowlands. In total I found 790 species including 75 out of 76 possible endemics on the itinerary. Including all of the endemics (Blue-bearded Helmetcrest and Santa Marta Wren included!), other highlights were the Perija specialties, Recurve-billed Bushbird, Double-banded Graytail, Yellow-browed Shrike-Vireo, Black-billed Flycatcher, Black Antshrike, White-bidded Manakin, Slaty-winged Foliage-gleaner, Saffron-headed Parrot, Black Oropendula, Blue-lored Antbird, Yellow-headed Manakin, Black Solitare, Choco Vireo, Bicolored Antvireo, Hooded Antpitta (17 antpittas in total!), Colombian Screech-Owl, and Green-bellied Hummingbird.

The following areas were covered:
Guajira Peninsula
Santa Marta (San Lorenzo side)
Santa Marta (San Pedro side)
Perija Mountains
Ocana
Cerulean Warbler Reserve
El Paujil
Victoria
Juntas
Otun
Santa Rose de Cabal
Rio Blanco
Rio Claro
Nevada de Ruiz
Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve
Urrao (Dusky Starfrontlet Reserve)
Tangaras
Montezuma
Santa Cecilia
Sumapaz
Monterredondo
Soata
La Florida

I've already written rough drafts of all the blog posts so hopefully I'll be able to get them all posted soon. I'm also just starting to write the trip report which I hope to have done within the next two to three weeks. If anyone is heading that way soon though, all my checklists in ebird have detailed comments and GPS coordinates for endemic and "good" birds.

More to come soon!

Ross

Rgallardy · Jan 29, 2017

Ok, so here's the first blog post covering the Caribbean coast and Minca area.

https://budgetbirders.com/2017/01/28/birding-colombia-the-caribbean-coast-minca/

Rgallardy · Feb 2, 2017

Hey all,

I just finished the second blog post from my recent trip to Colombia. This one covers the 2 1/2 days I spent in the Perija mountains as well as a few days on the San Lorenzo side of Santa Marta.

The Perija mountains was absolutely fantastic and although the first day was very windy, over the 2 1/2 days there I was able to see all of my targets including Perija Thistletail, Perija Metaltail, "Perija" Golden-bellied Starfrontlet, Perjia Brushfinch, "Perija" Yellow-breasted Brushfinch, and Perija Tapaculo. The place is a bit remote but there's a recently constructed ProAves lodge (very expensive), but I was able to stay at a local's house in El Cinco which made the trip very affordable. All of the birding is done for a public dirt road so there's no real reason to stay at the lodge.

https://budgetbirders.com/category/trip-adventures/colombia/

Best,

Ross

dandsblair · Feb 6, 2017

Sounds like a great trip

Really comprehensive itinerary and look like first couple of areas went really well. Look forward to seeing the rest of the report.
Certainly another trip to Colombia for us is required.

Rgallardy · Feb 8, 2017

Blue-bearded Helmetcrest

Hi All,

Just finished a blog post of my trek up into the Santa Marta mountains for the critically endangered Blue-bearded Helmetcrest and Santa Marta Wren. It was an amazing 6 day trek. Not only did we get both target birds, the other Santa Marta endemics were also very common.

https://budgetbirders.com/2017/02/07/oxypogon-in-the-sky-a-search-for-one-of-the-worlds-rarest-hummingbirds/

I hope you enjoy!

Rgallardy · Feb 11, 2017

Ocana and Cerulean Warbler Reserve

Hey all,

Below is a link to the time I spent at Ocana and the Cerulean Warbler Reserve. Ocana is home to the near endemic Recurve-billed Bushbird and the Cerulean Warbler Reserve is an absolutely fantastic area home to a number of range restricted endemics as well as some very hard to find birds including Double-banded Graytail.

https://budgetbirders.com/2017/02/11/birding-colombia-ocana-and-the-cerulean-warbler-reserve/#more-2318

Ross

temmie · Feb 12, 2017

Great stuff Ross!

Rgallardy · Feb 14, 2017

Mid-Magdalena Valley, Tolima, and Fuerte's Parrots

Hey all,

Over a four day whirl-wind trip, I was able to visit Victoria, El Paujil, Juntas, and Santa Rosa de Cabal and see all of my targets including a number of endemics, range-restricted specialties, and the critically endangered Fuerte's Parrot.

https://budgetbirders.com/2017/02/14/birding-colombia-mid-magdalena-valley-tolima-and-fuertes-parrots/#more-2468

I hope you enjoy the post!

Ross

Dortmundbirder · Feb 14, 2017

Awesome Tripreport and another Mark on the World Map I have to bird once.

lewis20126 · Feb 15, 2017

Ross

Excellent report - many thanks for posting. The Santa Marta trek looks stunning and one which I'd love to do for those two birds at the top - I might need to lose a few kg before that though!

cheers, alan

Larry Sweetland · Feb 15, 2017

Absoloutely mindblowing as usual, and with so much effort to try to give others exactly the information we need to find the birds ourselves. :t::t:

Rgallardy · Feb 16, 2017

Rio Blanco, Nevado de Ruiz, and Rio Claro

Hey all,

Thanks for the comments. I'm glad you all are enjoying the posts. Just finished up with the post cover Rio Blanco, Nevado Ruiz, and Rio Claro.

Trip Report is about finished too. Should be out tomorrow!

https://budgetbirders.com/2017/02/16/birding-colombia-rio-blanco-nevado-ruiz-and-rio-claro/#more-2470

Ross

Rgallardy · Feb 17, 2017

Trip Report!

Hey all,

I just finished the trip report for my 42 day trip to Colombia. The report covers a significant number of the birding locations in Colombia with directions, maps, and GPS coordinates for most spots. I was a bit rushed writing it (I leave for Brazil in two weeks and needed to plan that trip!), but hopefully it'll still be a lot of use to most. I tried to proofread it a few times, but I can't promise there won't be a few errors!

Here's a link to the report section of my website. Click on the Colombia Dec 2016-Jan 2017 report to view it!

https://budgetbirders.com/trip-reports/

Best,

Ross

Rgallardy · Mar 1, 2017

Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve and beyond

Hey all,

Sorry its been a few days with no new posts about the Colombia trip. I've been busying sorting out the final details for my next trip!

Anyways, the blog post covering the Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve, La Romera, and Jarden has just been posted. It was a fantastic few days including numerous looks at the piha along with a surprise Pavonine Cuckoo at the Piha Reserve, great looks at Yellow-headed Manakin at La Romera, and of course the Yellow-eared Parrots at Jardin!

https://budgetbirders.com/2017/02/28/birding-colombia-chestnut-capped-piha-reserva-la-romera-jardin/

Best,

Ross

simmojunior · Mar 12, 2017

Superb! Definitely will be making use of your trip report in the next couple of years!

Rgallardy · Apr 14, 2017

More Colombian Blog Posts

Hi all,

Sorry it has taken so long to finish the blog posts for this trip, they've actually been written since the end of January, I just never had time to proof-read and post due to a trip to NE Brazil getting in the way!

Anyways, if you're interested, the link below shows all the blog posts for Colombia. The last four are new.

Urrao/Bolombolo: Dusky Starfrontlet, Antioquia's Wren

Otun/Las Tangaras: Hooded Antpitta, Colombian Screech-Owl, Black Solitaire, Choco Vireo, etc

Montezuma/Santa Cecilia: Bicolored Antvireo, Munchique Wood-Wren, Gold-ringed Tanager, Baudo Oropendoloa

Bogota Area: Cundinamarca Antpitta, Mountain Grackle, Bogota Rail

https://budgetbirders.com/category/trip-adventures/colombia/

Hope you enjoy!

foresttwitcher · Apr 14, 2017

Epic, as always.

Six weeks in Colombia (1 Viewer)

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

David and Sarah

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Virtually unknown member

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread