17 March – El Paujil
I’d arranged breakfast for 07:00, and took advantage of the relative cool of the morning to explore a few of the short trails near the reserve buildings beforehand – first the riverside, then a circuit of a pond located in the opposite direction, just off the main access track.
A group of Greater Ani were again one of the most obvious species around the reserve centre, but a close-up Grey-necked Wood Rail in the reserve garden was an unexpected treat…so unexpected it had legged it into the undergrowth before I managed to focus my camera. The riverside produced Black-chested Jay, but it was difficult to get clear views of them in the dense forest.
The pond trail does a circuit of a large pond with a wooded island in the middle; I disturbed a couple of Bare-necked Ibis which flew onto the island, before a Pauraque flushed from right next to me, perched briefly on a branch, plumage looking beautiful in the morning sun, before disappearing into the forest before I had a chance to aim my camera. I think this was the first time I’ve ever seen a daytime nightjar of any species. A groups of swifts then arrived over the pond, feeding for a while low over the water, the sunlight providing good dorsal-side views and confirming their identity as Band-rumped Swifts. I also added Fork-tailed Flycatcher to the list from this area, perched high up on a tree, while some Lesser Kiskadees were foraging low in bushes overhanging the water.
The curassows made another appearance as I returned for my substantial breakfast, one of them doing a swift about turn as it saw me, while the other two were unconcerned…good enough for me to tick then! They hung around for breakfast, allowing me to photograph an adult female feeding a young bird…surprising as I assumed they would be precocial – however, they weren’t around that lunchtime or evening, suggesting they aren’t always a nailed on certainty here if you just make a short visit.
I had thought of trying to ask the warden (who has little or no English) if it was safe to access the opposite bank of the river by the rather dilapidated suspension bridge – the opposite bank is supposed to be good for both Bare-headed Antbird and Beautiful Woodpecker, both of which I’d missed out on at Rio Claro. However, I was a bit wary of striking out alone in the rainforest after my Mulata Trail experience, and an extended vantage point session in the tower seemed like a more chilled way to spend the heat of the day, with the hope of adding some parrots to the list. This is located further down the entrance track from the pond, opposite the ‘Oro’ trail which goes uphill through secondary forest and scrub. I decided to explore a little way along this trail first, and was pleased I did, as a Collared Aracari more or less flew right past me, perching on a tree up ahead and giving distant but acceptable views.
The tower has a number of hummingbird feeders around its base, which attracted a different suite of species to those of more elevated locations – White-necked Jacobins were the most abundant, with Black-throated Mango and Rufous-tailed Hummingbird also present. I have to say I found hummingbird ID quite challenging, it was as if they were so far outside of my experience that I didn’t have any points of reference to compare…so there may have been other species too which I didn’t photograph.
The tower is located on a hillock, giving good views over the surrounding forest – this extends over the hills in three directions, with the fourth – in the direction of Puerto Pinzon – closer to the forest edge where it borders agricultural land. Bananaquits, Blue-grey Tanagers and Palm Tanagers were foraging in the trees around the tower, the latter consisting of a pair that appeared to be nesting nearby. Tyrant flycatchers were giving me ID problems, currently resolved in favour of Lesser Kiskadee and Rusty-margined Flycatcher by Bird Forum, although a putative Brown-crested Flycatcher will have to remain a Myiarchus sp. My attention was drawn by a loud call nearby which I first assumed must be emanating from dense cover, so it took me a little while to home in on the pair of Colombian Chachalacas out on an open branch, around the same level as the top of the tower. Their calls were echoed by three other pairs further away in the forest. Feeling pleased to have had such a good view of this endemic, as well as getting some decent photos, I stayed in the tower for the rest of the morning, trying my best to stay in the shade. I added Swallow Tanager, Thick-billed and female Fulvous-vented Euphonia to the list, and got good views of a pair of calling Red-crowned Woodpeckers, but the undoubted highlight was a flypast of two Blue-and-yellow Macaws – fairly distant but superb.
Eating my enormous lunch in the shade of the dining hut, I added more species around the garden – good views of White-tipped Dove, which I must admit I hadn’t paid much attention to until now, Buff-rumped Warbler, Scarlet-backed Tanager, and Cinnamon Becard - which provided close-up views, although just like the wood-rail, failed to stay around long enough for an in-focus shot. I noticed a pair of Streaked Flycatchers were nesting in a box next to the dining hut, then an unexpected Nearctic migrant then walked into view in the middle of the trail leading from the garden towards the riverside – Northern Waterthrush.
I spent some time in the dining hut catching up with my ID and writing notes, before returning to the tower for what I hoped would be a late-afternoon bird rush. This didn’t materialise, but the session wasn’t without interest. Flocks of cattle egrets, which had been flying over the river valley throughout the day, passed close to the tower, while an unidentified parakeet (not a parrot…) provided an all too brief view. Black-chested Jays were glimpsed frequently, but remained elusive. I ended up adding only two new species to the list – Plain-colored Tanager, which isn’t as plain as it sounds, and a fairly distant Turkey Vulture. However, I did finally get a Black-chested Jay out on an open branch and posing for a photo, as well as more distant views of Golden-hooded Tanager.
Deciding I needed to stretch my legs again before nightfall, I headed up the ‘Oro’ trail to see if I could get a little further. Coming upon a small pond, I was surprised to see a close-up Striated Heron - last seen by me in Chitwan, Nepal in 1989, I hadn’t realised they were so widespread. The trail petered out before reaching the ridge, with fallen branches blocking the way, and I realised I wasn’t going to see much in the dense undergrowth, so headed back to the reserve centre, feeling a little unlucky not to have seen at least one species of parrot here, if not Saffron-headed – although the macaws were some compensation!
During another three-course meal, I told the warden and his wife I’d need to leave early in the morning, as I planned to catch the 07:00 chiva from Puerto Pinzon, in order to give myself enough time to get to Bogotà. I reckoned I’d need to set off by 05:30 if I was going to walk it…however, he kindly offered to give me a lift up at 06:00 on his motorbike. I declined his wife’s offer of breakfast, saying I’d be happy just with a coffee, but this exemplified how well looked-after I felt here.