Re: post #52.
Wow, congratulations on the Rail and the Wren at La Florida, those are tough birds to get! (dipped on both when I was in Bogotá - different wetland though).
What was difficult about access to La Florida, if I may ask? Was it tricky to get to from the airport? I looked into this a bit before my Colombia trip, and it did not appear that there was any easy way to do this, so we didn't even try...
Thanks, Peter! Yeah we arrived before 6am at the wetlands and posted up in a spot where Diana (
http://www.birdingbogotaandcolombia.com/birding-bogota/) knows both Bogota Rail and Apolinar's Wren to be seen and heard regularly. She was very knowledgable and helpful - also affordable for what I was looking for, just a few hours in the morning birding before my flight. We dipped on Subtropical Doradito (near endemic I believe?), but nabbed pretty much every other target bird of the day.
The rails were going crazy! Calling all over the place, and we got incredible looks (and photos). Conservative count estimate was 8 individuals. The wren sadly was alone, started his morning calling to us and came close briefly for a minimal photo shoot. But Diana confirmed that they only ever see one bird here ("Last of the Mohicans" as she called it), and it's been that way for a while in these wetlands. Pretty devastating.
La Florida itself is quite isolated from the city - despite how much park activity there is by 9am (guards, staff, bicycles, park-goers, etc.). It's only accessible by one road that crosses the Bogota River, and this entry road is terribly maintained. Four wheel drive is almost mandatory to traverse the endless potholes and divots - and excess rainfall further amplifies it as a muddy, aquatic driving experience (this is where having a local / guide who brings the right vehicle helps). Not that I know Bogotá by any means, but a taxi would never take you there, and you'd never get one back. Upon arrival, the wetlands area where the rail and the wren both reside is closed off to the general public, access only for "Aviturismo" thankfully, but entry is only granted after 8/9/10am unless you know the guards - which Diana of course does. I'm all about discovering birding locales on my own, but I couldn't imagine accessing this location any other way - particularly with my tight timeframe.