Today we traveled to the remote Playa de Oro reserve deep
in the lowland Choco forest between the Andes and Pacific Ocean. The reserve is
only accessible by boat and arranging access is something of a challenge. That
said, through contacts of Lia we were able to reserve three nights in the
reserve and we were extremely excited!
We got the boat mid-morning and traveled for over an hour
to the lodging. On the way we saw Fasciated Tiger Heron, which was a new
species for me. Once we arrived at the lodging we found ourselves deep in the forest,
and so everything was very basic in its setup. We had lunch and then set off
out into the forest for the afternoon.
The birding here was very very difficult. Lots of noises and
calls that we heard but did not recognise at all. Many of the birds we did see
were restricted to the top of the canopy and the others were limited to the
understory darkness. That said, we enjoyed a number of new birds and quite a
few of those were South American lowland Choco endemics, such as; Stripe-billed
Aracari and Scarlet-browed Tanager.
In the evening we found that a group of guides from the Mindo
valley were also staying at the lodge, and they invited us to come with them
the following day, and this would undoubtedly help us get to grips with the
species at the site.
Playa de Oro: Dusky Pigeon, Squirrel Cuckoo, White-collared Swift, Band-rumped Swift, White-whiskered Hermit, Neotropic Cormorant, Snowy Egret, King Vulture, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Roadside Hawk, Ringed Kingfisher, Stripe-billed Aracari, Choco Toucan, Laughing Falcon, Chestnut-backed Antbird, White-bearded Manakin, Scale-crested Pygmy Tyrant, Long-tailed Tyrant, Grey-capped Flycatcher, Piratic Flycatcher, Snowy-throated Kingbird, Lesser Greenlet, Tawny-crested Tanager, Lemon-rumped Tanager, Palm Tanager, Golden-hooded Tanager, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Green Honeycreeper, Scarlet-browed Tanager
No comments:
Post a Comment