Chicaque NP Colombia (1 Viewer)

[Aliks]

Thanks all for the IDs on my previous post. It just goes to show that even with great local guides, you don't always get accurate identification on the spot, sometimes you need the photo to study in detail.

Anyway, the same day in November 2021 we finished up in Chicaque National Park and I got a few very poor shots, silhouetted/obscured:

Bird a: Actually from Sumapaz - very distant shot
Bird b: Chicaque, some sort of warbler?
Bird c: Really poor shot, hardly worth keeping, but just for the record, some sort of treecreeper?
Bird d: No idea but photo should be enough to get an ID
Bird e: Looks like hummingbird, but I can't match it to the Chicaque bird lists

Thanks in advance.

 

[mjh73]

a try Plumbeous Sierra-finch

b looks like a tyrannulet?

c is a toucanet, possibly Crimson-rumped? Although ebird seems to say Southern Emerald Toucanet is more common at Chicaque

d is a female flowerpiercer, White-sided?

e try White-vented Plumeteer

 

[THE_FERN]

b looks like a tyrannulet?

First thought for b) was white-throated tyrannulet

 

[AveryBartels]

1. Plumbeous Sierra-Finch
2. White-throated Tyrannulet
3. Southern Emerald Toucanet - Crimson-rumped can be ruled out by elevation
4. White-sided Flowerpiercer
5. Tourmaline Sunangel - too high for WV Plumeleteer

 

[Aliks]

I'm not sure about 5 being a Tourmaline Sunangel or Plumeleteer - the colouring doesnt seem to match any images I can find online. Here is another image of the same bird.

Also, can 3 really be a Toucanet? The bill seems too sharply pointed. I redid the image to an extreme, see attached, maybe this is useful.

 

[mjh73]

What do you think they are @Aliks ?

 

[Butty]

can 3 really be a Toucanet? The bill seems too sharply pointed.

Yes. You're seeing the bill from almost directly underneath.

 

[MiddleRiver]

Aliks, do you have write up of trip elsewhere? Would be interested in hearing overall review, suggestions, insights into Col visit.

 

[THE_FERN]

I'm not sure about 5 being a Tourmaline Sunangel or Plumeleteer - the colouring doesnt seem to match any images I can find online. Here is another image of the same bird.

Also, can 3 really be a Toucanet? The bill seems too sharply pointed. I redid the image to an extreme, see attached, maybe this is useful.

Plausibly tourmaline sunangel: many hummingbird colours are structural rather than pigments. They often look black or grey from some angles. This is what you're seeing in your image. Needless to say, people generally choose to photograph the birds from angles which show the "true" colour. Things to check with hummingbirds include bill shape (which matches the sunangel).

 

[Aliks]

Aliks, do you have write up of trip elsewhere? Would be interested in hearing overall review, suggestions, insights into Col visit.

I'm still ploughing through the photos 3 months later, so no write up yet. The trip was with Rockjumper and I think they are supposed to provide some kind of after trip report, but I havent seen anything yet. I did 1 week starting in Bogota and the Upper Magdalena Valley, and a second week in the Central and Western Andes.

Judged as a birding trip, it was excellent, and we spent time in some truly memorable lodges run by dedicated birders. We had glimpses of a lot of hard to find endemics, but I couldnt get focus on some birds as they were just too shy (think tapaculos).

Judged as a bird photography trip I have to say it was disappointing. Not because of the organisation and people, as they did the best they could in the face of rough weather and traffic jams. I took 3200 photos in 11 days and have already dumped 2000 very low quality shots. Unfortunately, we had a lot of rain (El Nino/La Nina I think) and this gave awful, awful lighting, and I mean day after day of mist and rain in the Central Andes.

General insight is that the roads are rough, and there are lots of long drives to get up to the National Parks, but when you get there its usually well worth it. The Andean scenery is always remarkable!! But you have to be prepared to take the rough with the smooth - we lost a day due to a mountain tunnel being closed for weekend maintenance, forcing all traffic onto the old mountain road - 14 hours in a tailback from 5am to 7pm and then 2 hours to get to our hotel.

Will I go back? Yes - there are so many good habitats and I would love to see Santa Marta and the Caribbean coast. As always - YMMV!!

 

[Aliks]

What do you think they are @Aliks ?

Sorry didnt mean to sound like a know-nothing-amateur doubting more experienced folk. I guess I should have phrased my question along the lines of "which characteristics pointed you towards IDing the birds as Toucan and Sunangel"

Anyway, here is my better Tourmaline Sunangel shot from the Observatorio de Colibries

 

[MiddleRiver]

I'm still ploughing through the photos 3 months later, so no write up yet. The trip was with Rockjumper and I think they are supposed to provide some kind of after trip report, but I havent seen anything yet. I did 1 week starting in Bogota and the Upper Magdalena Valley, and a second week in the Central and Western Andes.

Judged as a birding trip, it was excellent, and we spent time in some truly memorable lodges run by dedicated birders. We had glimpses of a lot of hard to find endemics, but I couldnt get focus on some birds as they were just too shy (think tapaculos).

Judged as a bird photography trip I have to say it was disappointing. Not because of the organisation and people, as they did the best they could in the face of rough weather and traffic jams. I took 3200 photos in 11 days and have already dumped 2000 very low quality shots. Unfortunately, we had a lot of rain (El Nino/La Nina I think) and this gave awful, awful lighting, and I mean day after day of mist and rain in the Central Andes.

General insight is that the roads are rough, and there are lots of long drives to get up to the National Parks, but when you get there its usually well worth it. The Andean scenery is always remarkable!! But you have to be prepared to take the rough with the smooth - we lost a day due to a mountain tunnel being closed for weekend maintenance, forcing all traffic onto the old mountain road - 14 hours in a tailback from 5am to 7pm and then 2 hours to get to our hotel.

Will I go back? Yes - there are so many good habitats and I would love to see Santa Marta and the Caribbean coast. As always - YMMV!!

Many thanks for taking time to elaborate. Hope someone posts detailed trip report.
I love Col... need to get back and visit. My fluency helps but I think for serious birding I'd want guides.

May I ask what camera gear typically?

 

[Aliks]

Many thanks for taking time to elaborate. Hope someone posts detailed trip report.
I love Col... need to get back and visit. My fluency helps but I think for serious birding I'd want guides.

May I ask what camera gear typically?

Handheld Canon EOS R6 body with lens Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II .