Colombia; El Paujil & Victoria

Day 23 06.12.2019

So begins our penultimate day in Colombia. Having failed to find El Paujil last night before dark, we set off again in the morning feeling a little wiser but still not knowing exactly where we were heading. We followed what instructions we thought we had picked up from asking locals, before we got lost again. However in the end we did finally manage to arrive at the site. Once we finally found the right road it became significantly easier, and we were finally able to make good progress. We were on site by half 8. The road once again went through some wet farmland, and we had fantastic views of a number of different species but especially Northern Screamer and Rufescent Tiger Heron.

-Yellow-crowned Amazon

-Greater Ani

-Wattled Jacana

-Rufescent Tiger Heron

-Crested Bobwhite

-Northern Screamer

-Pied Water Tyrant

Once at the reserve we were making good progress to where we thought our number one target, Blue-billed Currasow would be, before being accosted by the reserve wardens. Although we were fine to continue, they accompanied us for the rest of the morning. We had made it some 50 meters from the reserve buildings, where our new guides threw some bread out for a mob of some 9 different Blue-billed Currasows. They were incredibly tame, completely not fussed about our presence. Once we were satisfied with out views here we were taken around the reserve, although we missed a number of our targets we did see a few Black-billed Flycatchers along the riverside. Then, as we were walking out, Paul and I had at least two Marbled Wood-Quail, which was something of a bonus for our trip.

-Blue-billed Currasow

-Boa Constrictor

-Black-billed Flycatcher

-Crimson-headed Woodpecker

We wrapped it up around half 12, and spent the rest of the day travelling towards Victoria, our next destination. We had a few more nice birds on the drive, Pied Water Tyrant being the standout.

Species List:

Drive to Puerto Pinzon: Northern Screamer, Colombian Chachalaca, Crested Bobwhite, Ruddy Ground Dove, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Greater Ani, Grey-necked Wood Rail, Purple Gallinule, Southern Lapwing, Wattled Jacana, Solitary Sandpiper, Rufescent Tiger Heron, Great Egret, Western Cattle Egret, Striated Heron, Bare-faced Ibis, Russet-throated Puffbird, Yellow-headed Caracara, Yellow-crowned Amazon, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Pied Water Tyrant, White-headed Marsh Tyrant, Cattle Tyrant, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Grey-breasted Martin, Red-breasted Blackbird, Yellow-hooded Blackbird, Saffron Finch, Blue-black Grassquit,

El Paujil: Colombian Chachalaca, Blue-billed Curassow, Marbled Wood Quail, Pale-vented Pigeon, White-tipped Dove, Greater Ani, Pauraque, White-collared Swift, Great Egret, Western Cattle Egret, King Vulture, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Swainson's Hawk, Gartered Trogon, Green Kingfisher, Citron-throated Toucan, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Lineated Woodpecker, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, White-bearded Manakin, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Black-billed Flycatcher, Pale-edged Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Thick-billed Euphonia, Lesser Goldfinch, Crested Oropendola, Bay-breasted Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Crimson-backed Tanager, Palm Tanager, Golden-hooded Tanager, 

Day 24 07.12.2019

We had a few hours birding a small patch of forest just outside Victoria before we would have to head to Bogota for our evening flight. The forest patch was extremely small but we stil managed a few nice species including Sooty Ant-Tanager and two new Wren Species; Sooty-headed and Black-bellied. There were also nice views of commoner species such as Black-faced Tanager, which I had only seen once before in Brazil.

-Rufous Motmot

-Streaked Saltator

-Yellow-bellied Elaenia

-Common Tody-Flycatcher

-Black-crowned Antshrike

-Spectacled Parrotlet

-Black-faced Tanager

-Spot-breasted Woodpecker

-White-breasted Wood-Wren

-Anole

-Sooty-headed Wren

Our drive to Bogota passed without incident, which made for a nice change, but unfortunately upon arriving at the airport we found our flight was delayed by a whole day. After a short while however we were transferred to a flight to London, and from there instructed to take an internal flight. Although it took some sorting with logistics, eventually we made it home without further incident, bringing and excellent few weeks to a close.

Species List:

La Victoria: Colombian Chachalaca, Ruddy Ground Dove, Squirrel Cuckoo, Western Cattle Egret, Black Vulture, Roadside Hawk, Rufous Motmot, Citron-throated Toucan, Olivaceous Piculet, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Blue-headed Parrot, Spectacled Parrotlet, Black-crowned Antshrike, Northern White-fringed Antwren, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Pale-breasted Spinetail, White-bearded Manakin, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Social Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Rufous-naped Greenlet, Red-eyed Vireo, House Wren, Sooty-headed Wren, Black-bellied Wren, White-breasted Wood Wren, Tropical Mockingbird, Swainson's Thrush, Pale-breasted Thrush, Black-billed Thrush, Thick-billed Euphonia, Orange-billed Sparrow, Tennessee Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Buff-rumped Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Sooty Ant Tanager, Black-faced Tanager, Grey-headed Tanager, Crimson-backed Tanager, Blue-grey Tanager, Palm Tanager, Golden-hooded Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager, Plain-colored Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Purple Honeycreeper, Green Honeycreeper, Saffron Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Grey Seedeater, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Bananaquit, Streaked Saltator,