Bolivia Day 25; Trinidad & Santa Cruz

 Today we had the long, nine-hour drive back to Santa Cruz for our flight home the following day. Not the most exciting day planned, but it passed remarkably smoothly. Obviously on a day like this there is not much room for birding, and so it transpired, although a few nice bits from the car like many Greater Rhea, a single Maguari Stork and a Burrowing Owl helped pass the time. The highlight was a Crab-eating Raccoon that scuttled across the road not long after we had departed from Trinidad. Once we arrived in Santa Cruz, at around 15:30, we spent the rest of our time trying to organise ourselves and prepare for our flights the next day.

Species List:
RN9: Greater Rhea, Maguari Stork, Burrowing Owl,

Bolivia Day 24; Trinidad

  Yesterdays phenomenal success was always going to be a challenge to compete with, but we gave it our best shot again today, heading back to Puerto Ballivian for another walk along the trail to see what we could find. As yesterday, we started the day by watching the Boto river dolphins showing fantastically well once again, and this time I even descended the bank to get close to them, and got to watch them fantastically close, although as always their appearance and disappearance made it difficult to get good pictures.

  The trail was certainly less birdy than it had been the previous morning. I still managed to notch up two new bird species, with Rufous Cachalote at the start of the trail and then Plain Softail not long after we started birding. There were a few new birds for the trip as well, with Anhinga in one of the lakes and Chestnut-backed Antshrike in a mixed species flock. In addition to the two monkey species from the previous day, we also had a female Black-and-gold Howler Monkey to add to our rapidly growing mammal list.

  After a break, car wash and lunch at the hotel we headed back out to some lagoons to the south of the town of Loma Suarez. It was already quite late when we arrived here, but the birding in the afternoon was just starting to pick up. Around the lagoons there was not much happening, with some Yellow-collared Macaws being the highlight and a tick for me. From there however, we were able to located a nice trail into the forest and some open areas, and on this I had another tick in Spixs Guan, as well as more White-throated Piping Guans, a heard only Grey-breasted Crake and a few trip ticks along the way.

  Our plan for coming here was to stay until dusk to see the Band-tailed Nighthawks that apparently come in to feed here. And indeed they did, we had six feeding over the lagoons and calling at very close quarters. There was also a spectacular roost movement of ducks with 560 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and four White-faced Whistling Ducks all heading off south whilst we birded. And then to cap off another excellent day we had a South American Coati scuttle across the road on the drive home. 

Species List:
Puerto Ballivan trail: Undulated Tinamou,Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Picui Ground Dove, Smooth-billed Ani, Striped Cuckoo, Little Cuckoo, Squirrel Cuckoo, Hoatzin, Southern Lapwing, Wattled Jacana, Large-billed Tern, Wood Stork, Anhinga, Neotropic Cormorant, Rufescent Tiger Heron, Whistling Heron, Striated Heron, Great Egret, Cocoi Heron, Buff-necked Ibis, Turkey Vulture, Black-collared Hawk, Snail Kite, Roadside Hawk, Black-tailed Trogon, Blue-crowned Trogon, Amazonian Motmot, Ringed Kingfisher, Amazon Kingfisher, Black-fronted Nunbird, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Chestnut-eared Aracari, White-wedged Piculet, Lineated Woodpecker, Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Mealy Amazon, Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet, Great Antshrike, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, Bolivian Slaty Antshrike, Band-tailed Antbird, Buff-throated Woodcreeper, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Plain Softtail, Grey-crested Cacholote, Plain-crowned Spinetail, Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatcher, Plain Inezia, Euler's Flycatcher, Fuscous Flycatcher, Scarlet Flycatcher, Black-backed Water Tyrant, Rufous Casiornis, Cattle Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Purplish Jay, White-winged Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Thrush-like Wren, Moustached Wren, Fawn-breasted Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Creamy-bellied Thrush, Purple-throated Euphonia, Crested Oropendola, Solitary Cacique, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Variable Oriole, Velvet-fronted Grackle, Southern Yellowthroat, Red-crested Cardinal, Red-capped Cardinal, Orange-headed Tanager, Grey-headed Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Saffron Finch, Bluish-grey Saltator,
Loma Suárez Lagoons: Southern Screamer, White-faced Whistling Duck, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Spix's Guan, White-throated Piping Guan, Picazuro Pigeon, Guira Cuckoo, Smooth-billed Ani, Squirrel Cuckoo, Band-tailed Nighthawk, Grey-breasted Crake, White-backed Stilt, Southern Lapwing, Black Skimmer, Large-billed Tern, Neotropic Cormorant, Capped Heron, Whistling Heron, Striated Heron, Great Egret, Green Ibis, Bare-faced Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Black-collared Hawk, Great Black Hawk, Roadside Hawk, Black-tailed Trogon, Black-fronted Nunbird, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Crested Caracara, Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Golden-collared Macaw, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Bolivian Slaty Antshrike, Grey-crested Cacholote, Plain Inezia, Scarlet Flycatcher, Black-backed Water Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Black-capped Donacobius, Fawn-breasted Wren, Yellowish Pipit, Purple-throated Euphonia, Crested Oropendola, Velvet-fronted Grackle, Orange-headed Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, 

Bolivia Day 23; Trinidad

  If yesterday was the starter for our time in Trinidad, then today was absolutely the main course. It was a phenomenal day when everything seemed to fall into place, and we had an absolutely incredible day with not just birds but mammals as well. So let’s begin…

  We started the day at the town of Puerto Ballivian, just a ten-minute drive to the north of where we were staying. Here there were a few birds we wanted to see, but we had also read there was a good chance of a few mammals here. We decided to have our morning cereal at the side of the river, and hoped for an appearance from some Amazon River Dolphins. And we were indeed pleased to find at least two but possibly more Boto Dolphins in the river, hunting fish and regularly surfacing, offering great views at times. This was a mammal I really wanted to see here in Bolivia, it was great to have connected with them. In addition, there was a pair of Orinoco Geese on the bank, and some Large-billed Terns fishing the river.

  After our breakfast, satisfied with our dolphins, we walked the trail south of the village in the hopes of finding our targets. And we quickly made progress, with Velvet-fronted Grackle and Rusty-fronted Tody-Tyrant falling very quickly into our walk. It took a little longer before we found Band-tailed Antbird and on the way back I had Sulphur-bellied Tyrant-Manakin. Of course other lifers were simply from my lack of time birding the Amazon, such as Black-tailed Trogon and the unusual Hoatzin. But these birds were completely upstaged by an absolutely brilliant Pheasant Cuckoo that we taped out onto the path. Having already seen the other member of this genus on the trip, to now have the other of these rare cuckoos, we were absolutely over the moon! This was absolutely the highlight of the morning. The other standout bird was a day-roosting Great Potoo that I spotted in a dead tree, standing out an absolute mile despite its camouflage. 

  Besides the birds there were also mammals here. We could hear some Howler Monkeys early in the morning but did not get the chance to see them. However, we still managed to see two other species, both of which we encountered more than once and were feeding in the trees above us. The endemic White-eared Titi was the species we really wanted to find, and we were lucky to have a couple of different groups. The other species we had was Brown Capuchin, which while looking like every other capuchin species, is still an excellent species to see.

  Thrilled with our morning, in the afternoon we headed south of Trinidad to the vegetation surrounding the lake Laguna Suarez. It was still quite warm when we got there, so started our evening by walking the bushes near some tennis courts, where we had information there were a few Brown-throated Three-toed Sloths. It took us a little bit of time, but we did manage to find an individual slouched over a Cecropia tree low down and especially inactive. 

  For birding it was a bit of a struggle, with lots of common species but target species more difficult to come by. We had a few Hudsons Black Tyrants, which were a tick for me, but our main target, the local race of Grey-eyed Greenlet continued to elude us. Our other main species, the Mato Grosso Antbird did show itself eventually, but the birding highlight of the evening was certainly the flock of around 100 Cobalt-rumped Parrotlets that we found going into roost on the edge of the lake. 

  Towards the end of the evening, I was using the call of a pygmy owl to try and draw in birds when I happened to glance right and saw the distinctive shape of a Giant Anteater shape disappearing into the vegetation about 30 metres up the road. We rushed up to where it had entered, to see the animal disappear into the bushes and out of sight. Frustrated, but still elated at this brief encounter, I tried to find a way to track it down again. A trail that ran parallel to the direction of the animal seemed to be the best option, and by following this I was thrilled to spot the animal walking alongside me on the other side of a ditch. I called the other guys over, to try and get them onto it again, but what happened next blew our minds. 

  When they were about 10 metres from me, just as I thought I had lost the animal, I heard a rustling behind me and turned around to see another Giant Anteater walking towards me. I gestured to the guys to come quickly, before crouching down. The Anteater then walked out of the grass and stopped, just less than two metres in front of us. It stood there sniffing the air and gauging the situation for about 10 minutes, giving unbelievable views. While it was here, what should appear behind us but the Greenlet we had been looking for, we all looked at it for a second, before turning our attention back to the Anteater. After the 10 minutes the animal turned and slowly walked back into the grass, leaving us overwhelmed by our encounter. The Greenlet did show again, but not well and by this point it was nearly dark.

  We spent a short wait by our parked car while Black-crowned Night Herons came out of roost, and a Little Nightjar called behind us, taking in an absolutely incredible day while we were being eaten alive by mosquitos. What a phenomenal day! 

Species List:
Puerto Ballivan trail: Undulated Tinamou, Orinoco Goose, Speckled Chachalaca, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Smooth-billed Ani, Striped Cuckoo, Pheasant Cuckoo, Squirrel Cuckoo, Great Potoo, Hoatzin, Grey-cowled Wood Rail, Rufous-sided Crake, Southern Lapwing, Wattled Jacana, Large-billed Tern, Neotropic Cormorant, Rufescent Tiger Heron, Striated Heron, Great Egret, Cocoi Heron, Green Ibis, Bare-faced Ibis, Black Vulture, Great Black Hawk, Roadside Hawk, Black-tailed Trogon, Blue-crowned Trogon, Ringed Kingfisher, Black-fronted Nunbird, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, White-wedged Piculet, Lineated Woodpecker, White-throated Woodpecker, Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet, Great Antshrike, Bolivian Slaty Antshrike, Band-tailed Antbird, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Buff-throated Woodcreeper, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Rufous Hornero, Greater Thornbird, Sulphur-bellied Tyrant-Manakin, Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Euler's Flycatcher, Fuscous Flycatcher, Southern Scrub Flycatcher, Scarlet Flycatcher, White-eyed Attila, Cattle Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Purplish Jay, White-winged Swallow, Thrush-like Wren, Fawn-breasted Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Creamy-bellied Thrush, Purple-throated Euphonia, Crested Oropendola, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Velvet-fronted Grackle, Tropical Parula, Golden-crowned Warbler, Red-capped Cardinal, Hooded Tanager, Orange-headed Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Saffron Finch, Bluish-grey Saltator,
Laguna Suárez: Southern Screamer, Pale-vented Pigeon, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Picui Ground Dove, Guira Cuckoo, Smooth-billed Ani, Striped Cuckoo, Pauraque, Little Nightjar, Scissor-tailed Nightjar, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Gilded Sapphire, Grey-cowled Wood Rail, Southern Lapwing, Wattled Jacana, Large-billed Tern, Jabiru, Wood Stork, Neotropic Cormorant, Rufescent Tiger Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Great Egret, Cocoi Heron, Green Ibis, Bare-faced Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Black-collared Hawk, Great Black Hawk, Roadside Hawk, Blue-crowned Trogon, Ringed Kingfisher, Campo Flicker, Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Mato Grosso Antbird, Rufous Hornero, Greater Thornbird, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, White-crested Tyrannulet, Plain Inezia, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Scarlet Flycatcher, Hudson's Black Tyrant, Black-backed Water Tyrant, Cattle Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Grey-eyed Greenlet, White-winged Swallow, Grey-breasted Martin, House Wren, Creamy-bellied Thrush, Crested Oropendola, Variable Oriole, Orange-backed Troupial, Shiny Cowbird, Giant Cowbird, Greyish Baywing, Red-crested Cardinal, Red-capped Cardinal, Hooded Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Blue-black Grassquit,

Bolivia Day 22; Trinidad & Loreto

  From our base in the dump that was Yacumo, we drove along the RN3 highway towards the town of Trinidad, which is where we would spend our final days birding in Bolivia. The highway was paved and we made good time, but more importantly, we saw a lot of birds. The road cuts through a large expanse of lowland wetland which has been loosely converted to grazing land but the habitats have largely been kept intact. Because we were driving early morning, we picked up a lot of birds as they came out of roost.

  There was even a new bird for us all, when we spotted two White-throated Piping Guans perched up in a tree on the roadside early morning. A species we had cut out of our itinerary earlier on in the trip, in order to save money, we were thrilled that things had worked out this way. Of course being a wetland area we had ample herons and storks, the highlight being Roseate Spoonbill, Plumbeous Ibis, Maguari Stork and Jabiru. A few Greater Rhea were waddling through the grasses, and in the treetops we passed a couple of Toco Toucans and Speckled Chacalacas. When we did stop at an open wetland we then picked up Yellowish Pipit, Black-collared Hawk and had Chestnut-fronted Macaw fly over. Away from birds, we had our first Capybaras of the trip and a lot of Caiman resting on the banks of the numerous pools.

  There is a short boat crossing to get into Trinidad, where we hoped to find Orinoco Goose. It was not looking good with the waterway being busy and the late morning heat reducing activity, but we were fortunate enough to pick one out roosting on a sandbank. In addition, we had four Large-billed Terns and a single Yellow-billed Tern, which all boosted our trip list nicely.

  In the afternoon we drove an hour south to the town of Loreto, which is home to arguably Bolivia's most famous endemic bird; the Blue-throated Macaw. Since we were not entering the specialist reserve, and had no guide, we were more going on luck than any real plan, but after an hours waiting we heard the sound of a Macaw from a nearby patch of woodland, and on investigation had brilliant views of a pair of Blue-throated Macaws for about an hour before they noisily took off and flew right over us. Absolutely magical encounter and far better than we had hoped for.

  While we were waiting for the Macaws, we had a few hours doing other birding in the area. There were two lifers for me with Orange-backed Troupial and Pale-crested Woodpecker both of which showed reasonably well. But among the other fifty species I recorded, Rusty-collared Seedeater was nice, as were multiple Speckled Chacalaca drinking on the side of the dried out pools. White-winged Swallow was a nice surprise, with a few circling round. As we drove away at dusk we had a Great Black Hawk sat at the side of the road, and a Crab-eating Fox ahead of the car. An absolutely brilliant day birding the tropical lowlands, with two more full days still to come here. 

Species List:
RN3: Undulated Tinamou, Southern Screamer, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, White-throated Piping Guan, White-tipped Dove, Smooth-billed Ani, Limpkin, Southern Lapwing, Wattled Jacana, Jabiru, Rufescent Tiger Heron, Whistling Heron, Striated Heron, Western Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Cocoi Heron, Green Ibis, Bare-faced Ibis, Plumbeous Ibis, Buff-necked Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Vulture, Black-collared Hawk, Savanna Hawk, Black-fronted Nunbird, Crested Caracara, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Scarlet Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Purplish Jay, Yellowish Pipit, Yellow-rumped Cacique,
Loreto: Undulated Tinamou, Southern Screamer, Pale-vented Pigeon, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Picui Ground Dove, White-tipped Dove, Guira Cuckoo, Smooth-billed Ani, Striped Cuckoo, Grey-cowled Wood Rail, Wattled Jacana, Jabiru, Wood Stork, Rufescent Tiger Heron, Western Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Cocoi Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Black-collared Hawk, Roadside Hawk, Blue-crowned Trogon, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Pale-crested Woodpecker, Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Blue-throated Macaw, Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Rufous Hornero, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Scarlet Flycatcher, Black-backed Water Tyrant, Cattle Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Plush-crested Jay, White-winged Swallow, Thrush-like Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Creamy-bellied Thrush, Crested Oropendola, Orange-backed Troupial, Chopi Blackbird, Greyish Baywing, Red-crested Cardinal, Silver-beaked Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Saffron Finch, Rusty-collared Seedeater, Red Pileated Finch, 

Bolivia Day 21; Madidi National Park

  We had one more day in Madidi National Park, and still had several different birds that we wanted to find here. We started again before first light, listening to the sounds of the forest before getting started with the birding.

  Overall there seemed to be less birds than the previous day. We only encountered two large mixed species flocks before we left during mid-afternoon, but we did spend more time in the understorey today, since we found a trail that cut across the valley, providing us with another way to access the forest. On this trail I undoubtedly had both of the best birds of the morning, with a very showy and confiding White-crested Spadebill only being bettered by a Grey Tinamou, that I spotted silently scuttling off the path before sitting motionless in the vegetation, allowing me to get some photos.

  Among the flocks we did see there were a few nice birds. Pygmy Antwren was new for me, as was Yungas Tyrannulet, which was nice to finally confirm after investing a lot of effort into sorting out and identifying the various tyrannulets we encountered. In the understorey below the flocks, we had a nice Bar-breasted Piculet and on the ground there was both Hairy-crested Antbird and early in the morning, a Black-faced Antthrush.

  Sadly, we did not find our other targets, and with the day being warmer the activity died off quickly. We decided at around 14:00 to make a move and get a head start on our next destination, driving the three hours to the town of Yacumo. On the way we had a few birds from the car, including only my second Grey-lined Hawk. We ended the day at a run-down, poorly kept hotel in the town, ready to strike out again early morning.

Species List:
Madidi National Park: Grey Tinamou, Plumbeous Pigeon, Squirrel Cuckoo, King Vulture, Turkey Vulture, White Hawk, Band-bellied Owl, Blue-crowned Trogon, Collared Trogon, Gilded Barbet, Bar-breasted Piculet, White-throated Woodpecker, Barred Forest Falcon, Mealy Amazon, Plain Antvireo, Pygmy Antwren, Rusty-winged Antwren, Hairy-crested Antbird, Common Scale-backed Antbird, Black-faced Antthrush, Ochre-throated Foliage-gleaner, Blue-capped Manakin, Screaming Piha, Brown-winged Schiffornis, Sharpbill, White-crested Spadebill, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Cinnamon-faced Tyrannulet, Short-tailed Pygmy Tyrant, Yungas Tyrannulet, Euler's Flycatcher, Greyish Mourner, Tawny-crowned Greenlet, Chivi Vireo, Southern Nightingale-Wren, Andean Slaty Thrush, Tropical Parula, Riverbank Warbler, Two-banded Warbler, Slate-throated Whitestart, Tooth-billed Tanager, Red-crowned Ant Tanager, Yellow-lored Tanager, White-winged Shrike-Tanager, Yellow-bellied Tanager, Paradise Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, Green-and-gold Tanager, Black-faced Dacnis, Blue Dacnis, Guira Tanager, Yellow-shouldered Grosbeak, 

Bolivia Day 20; Madidi National Park

  Today was our first of two full days birding the lowland parts of the Madidi National Park. We awoke early and arrived at our birding area, just past the park entrance gate, before first light. After a bowl of cereal we got to work, searching for our target species. It did not take long for me to start picking up lifers, with Yellow-lored Tanager and Cuzco Warbler being first. There were a few other interesting species in the understorey as well, with Black-faced Antbird showing very well, and Pectoral Sparrow, among others.

  Birding felt a little slower than anticipated at first, but as soon as mixed species flocks started to appear we were kept very busy. We recorded multiple species of Tanager and Tyrannulets, with a number of the latter being new for me. Among these species were two species of Barbet; Lemon-thorated and Gilded, as well as White-throated Woodpecker, Pink-throated Becard, Woodcreepers and other commoner mixed flock species. Whenever we had a flock we were always kept very busy, sometimes with dozens of different tanagers.

  Between the flocks we also picked up on other birds. The highlight came in the afternoon, when a Bicolored Hawk arrived silently in the understorey, showing magnificently well for us. A White Hawk did the same, but in the canopy, perching up nicely while being mobbed by Streaked Flycatchers. And there was a delightful Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant adjacent to one of the rivers, and an amazing small bird that we had already seen once on this trip, but not as well.

  In the afternoon activity seemed to die off quite noticeably, but there were still a few bits to look at and at the end of the afternoon the day was finished off with a brief Hair-crested Antbird. In total, once final checks on identification were sorted, we had over 70 species, with myself being in double figures for new birds.

  And it was not just the birds, with a nice Agouti crossing the path in front of us mid-morning, and a wide range of butterflies keeping us busy when there were no birds around. Truly an excellent day out, and probably the best days birding on the trip so far.

Species List:
Madidi National Park: Ruddy Quail-Dove, Squirrel Cuckoo, Pauraque, White-collared Swift, White-tipped Swift, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, King Vulture, Black Vulture, Bicolored Hawk, White Hawk, Blue-crowned Trogon, Collared Trogon, Gilded Barbet, Lemon-throated Barbet, Red-stained Woodpecker, White-throated Woodpecker, White-eyed Parakeet, Plain Antvireo, Rusty-winged Antwren, Black-faced Antbird, Hairy-crested Antbird, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Elegant Woodcreeper, Inambari Woodcreeper, Blue-capped Manakin, Screaming Piha, Masked Tityra, Brown-winged Schiffornis, White-winged Becard, Pink-throated Becard, Sharpbill, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Cinnamon-faced Tyrannulet, Short-tailed Pygmy Tyrant, Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-margined Flatbill, White-lored Tyrannulet, Forest Elaenia, Small-billed Elaenia, Rough-legged Tyrannulet, Slender-footed Tyrannulet, Black Phoebe, Bright-rumped Attila, Greyish Mourner, Streaked Flycatcher, Slaty-capped Shrike-Vireo, Tawny-crowned Greenlet, Dusky-capped Greenlet, Chivi Vireo, Southern Nightingale-Wren, Moustached Wren, Andean Slaty Thrush, Pectoral Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Tropical Parula, Riverbank Warbler, Two-banded Warbler, Cuzco Warbler, Tooth-billed Tanager, Red-crowned Ant Tanager, Yellow-lored Tanager, Yellow-crested Tanager, White-winged Shrike-Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Fawn-breasted Tanager, Yellow-bellied Tanager, Paradise Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, Green-and-gold Tanager, Black-faced Dacnis, Blue Dacnis, Guira Tanager, Yellow-backed Tanager, Yellow-shouldered Grosbeak, Buff-throated Saltator, 

Bolivia Day 19; Madidi National Park

  Having finally made it back to civilization yesterday, we knew we still had an eight-hour drive ahead of us to reach the town of Tumupasa, from where we would be able to spend a few days birding in the Madidi National Park. We set off from Caranavi at 06:00 in the morning and finally reached our destination at 14:30 in the afternoon, with a few short stops for fuel and supplies. Along the way we descended from the Andes, and saw a few interesting birds on the way; a nice adult King Vulture, at least three different Laughing Falcons perched up conspicuously and a nice roadside Black-capped Donacobius.

  After arranging a hotel and sorting ourselves out for the next few days, we drove the five kilometers up to the park and began to bird the entrance road, thus saving us the 200 Bolivianos entry fee per person. No sooner had we arrived than we were met by an incredible mixed species flock, that overwhelmed us all. A few notable species we were able to pick out included White-winged Shrike-Tanager and Lemon-chested Barbet, both of which were new for me. There were quite a few common tanagers as well, plus many other birds that came through too quickly to properly identify.

  As we continued on our short walk in the area, we picked up other bits that were not part of any flocks. On the river we heard either Buff-rumped or Riverbank Warblers, but could not be certain which, and on the walk back we had brief views of a very angry Grey-throated Leaftosser, which was calling down near the river and only came into view when it charged at the playback we were using.

  We decided to stick around until after dark to hopefully track down some owls. Fortunately we did not have to wait long, and we managed to hear a Band-bellied Owl before the light had even gone. We used a tape and soon spotted the birds flying towards us against the sky. Sadly they remained high up in the trees above us, but one of the birds we were able to see in the torchlight.

  After a few days without birding as we drove down from the mountains, this made an excellent change, and we were very excited about the upcoming days and what they might hold. 

Species List:
Madidi National Park: Violet-headed Hummingbird, Band-bellied Owl, Blue-crowned Trogon, Collared Trogon, Lemon-throated Barbet, White-eyed Parakeet, Grey-throated Leaftosser, Inambari Woodcreeper, Blue-capped Manakin, Round-tailed Manakin, Screaming Piha, Brown-winged Schiffornis, Greyish Mourner, Chivi Vireo, Moustached Wren, Tropical Parula, Two-banded Warbler, Slate-throated Whitestart, Red-crowned Ant Tanager, White-winged Shrike-Tanager, Fawn-breasted Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, Green-and-gold Tanager, Black-faced Dacnis, Guira Tanager, Yellow-backed Tanager, 

Bolivia Day 18; Guanay & Caranavi

  The long drive down from Apollo continued again today. We had hoped that once we reached the town of Madiri, we would be through the worst of it but that was not the case. The rain and mud, which resulted in sliding and slow driving continued and we passed stationary vehicles and crashed cars, including a car sliding into a wagon right in front of us, continued to make progress slow. Once we finally reached the town of Guanay things improved, and although we still had around four hours driving, we finally made it to the town of Caranavi, where we would rejoin the main tarmacked road and end this two day nightmare. The only bird of any note we saw today was a distant Grey-headed Kite, which made for a nice break in an otherwise long day.  

Bolivia Day 17; Apollo & Madiri

 Sadly the hoped for better weather did not come, and it instead it got worse, with rain all night and then again all through the day. With little chance of finding the cotinga, and well aware of our predicament, with 300 kilometers of dirt road between us and the next large city, we decided to cut our losses and make a break for it. In six hours driving on muddy, slippery and foggy dirt roads, we only managed to cover 100 kilometres, before reaching the town of Madiri, where we stopped to find the town center closed for a kids scooter race, leaving us unable to pass. In the end, the barriers were lifted at 17:00, but by that time the extra day we hoped to gain had been lost, and we settled into the town for the night.

Birding-wise, the day offered very little. We tried to find the Cotinga again for an hour but in the rain and fog there was little hope. In fact we saw very little here, with a flock of Green-cheeked Parakeet being just about the only new bird for the area. Once we arrived in Madiri, some White-banded Swallows were flying around, but otherwise just common species in the town center.

Sadly today was a disappointing and frustrating day, and not one that will live overly long in the memory. 

Species List:
Atén: Speckled Chachalaca, Ruddy Ground Dove, White-tipped Dove, Smooth-billed Ani, Green-cheeked Parakeet, Pale-breasted Spinetail, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Tropical Kingbird, Purplish Jay, House Wren, Pale-breasted Thrush, Creamy-bellied Thrush, Crested Oropendola, Black-faced Tanager, Paradise Tanager, 

Bolivia Day 16; Apollo

  Having spent so much effort to get to the area, we only had one day planned to bird here and only two target species we needed to find; the Green-capped Tanager and the Palkachupa Cotinga. We drove an hour early morning to arrive just after sunrise, but sunrise never came. There was a thick layer of fog that appeared as soon as we entered the valley where we wanted to bird, and it did not budge all day, only easing off for a few hours late morning. It was devastating, especially when we left mid-afternoon, to find that it was only the area we had been birding that had been under the cloud.

  Still, we had to make the most of it, so we tried our hardest. Strangely, the target we thought would be the hardest fell within the first half an hour, when a nice mixed species flock had a Green-capped Tanager in it, along with a few trip ticks such as Guira Tanager. There was also another new Tanager for me in the flock, with a pair of Yellow-crested Tanager that showed on and off. In flowering bushes nearby there was a nice White-bellied Woodstar and a few other good birds in this first area including White-eared Puffbird and Round-tailed Manakin.

  With the cotinga still missing, we continued a bit further down the road and continued birding here. This was the period when the fog lifted a little, and we were able to have a few more birds added to our list. Yellow-tufted Woodpecker was a smart bird to see, although never close, and there were two more Green-capped Tanagers which showed much better in this new area. Still, we failed to find any sign of the cotingas, and so we decided to continue to a new area.

  Sadly it was at this point that the fog really set in. Now it was a struggle to see anything more than a few metres away. A Brown-winged Schiffornis was nice, as were a few Wedge-tailed Grassfinches, but they were all that could be mustered. In the end, we decided it was a bad job and headed back mid-afternoon. Since we have gained days on our schedule, we have the option to try again tomorrow, so fingers crossed for better weather. 

Species List:
Atén: Red-winged Tinamou, Pale-vented Pigeon, Plumbeous Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, White-tipped Dove, White-collared Swift, White-bellied Woodstar, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Black Vulture, White-eared Puffbird, Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Blue-headed Parrot, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Ocellated Woodcreeper, Cinereous-breasted Spinetail, Pale-breasted Spinetail, Round-tailed Manakin, Black-tailed Tityra, Brown-winged Schiffornis, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, White-crested Elaenia, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Chivi Vireo, Purplish Jay, House Wren, Pale-breasted Thrush, Bronze-green Euphonia, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Russet-backed Oropendola, Crested Oropendola, Tropical Parula, Black-faced Tanager, Yellow-crested Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Yellow-bellied Tanager, Green-capped Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager, Paradise Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Guira Tanager, Wedge-tailed Grass Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Bananaquit, Buff-throated Saltator, 

Bolivia Day 15; Lake Titicaca & Apollo

  From our hotel in Achacachi we set off at 06:00 in the morning, hoping to complete the 8.5 hour drive down to the town of Apollo. For various reasons, this managed to become a 12 hour drive, featuring crashed trucks, closed high streets and then extremely thick mud that almost got us stuck a number of times. All in all it was not a fun day, and there was very little actual birding involved.

  We made a short stop on the shore of Titicaca early in the morning where we found another Titicaca Grebe, as well as some Puna Teal, Cinereous Harrier and Peruvian Sierra Finch. Having failed yesterday, I tried to quickly find the Many-coloured Rush-Tyrant and succeeded in hearing a few individuals, as well as getting some distant views and a flyby. The hours we spent driving across the Altiplano were very enjoyable, with stunning scenery and brilliant views of White-capped Dipper and displaying Torrent Duck.

  Once we entered the lowlands we saw much less bird activity, and had to concentrate more on the driving thanks to the state of the roads. In the end we arrived in Apollo and had to queue an hour for fuel, so that we could have peace of mind in the morning. We did not reach our hotel until 19:00 at night, a very long day of doing very little. 

Species List:
Lake Titicaca: Puna Teal, Titicaca Grebe, Feral Pigeon, Spot-winged Pigeon, Andean Coot, Andean Gull, Black-crowned Night Heron, Cinereous Harrier, American Kestrel, Wren-like Rushbird, Cream-winged Cinclodes, Many-colored Rush Tyrant, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Yellow-winged Blackbird, Peruvian Sierra Finch, 

Bolivia Day 14; Pongo, Lake Titicaca & Sorata

  We had a few different sites to fit in today, so we needed to try and be as efficient as possible, in order to maximize our chances of finding all the birds we wanted. From our campsite on the Death Road, where I had managed to sleep an impressive 12 hours thanks to a cold that had developed, we got to enjoy half an hour of the forests morning chorus before we needed to be on our way.

  Our first stop was an alpine valley above the village on Pongo. This trail is popular with birders who want to find high-alpine species. For us, there were just a few species and we hoped to find them quickly. The valley was in shade, and a thick frost covered the ground, but we soon managed to find both Scribble-tailed Canastero and Puna Tapaculo, two of the birds we wanted to see here. After an hour of searching though, we were still unable to find the Line-fronted Canastero, so decided to give it up and continue with our day. Still, luck was on our side and as we descended we bumped into a very responsive Line-fronted Canastero, although the cold had condensed my camera so photos were not an option. Additionally, it was good to pick up White-browed Conebill here, another new species for me.

  We then drove four hours, with a couple of stops, including one to pick up Giant Coot for our trip list, to our next site, which was the impressive Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. Here we hoped to find the Titicaca Flightless Grebe, and it was easy enough, but sadly the birds were always distant. Fortunately with a bit of patience we had some luck and a bird swam much closer, even coming into the nearby reeds and calling, giving us an awesome opportunity to see the species up close.

  With an hour spent at Titicaca, we then drove an additional 45 minutes with a fuel stop to the town of Achacachi. Here we did a few errands and tried to find a hotel, yet somehow struggled. After searching for a while, we decided to call it quits and go to our birding site, 40 minutes away, see our target and then return.

  Once at the birding site it did not take long to find the Berlpschs Canastero, which can only be found just up the valley from the town of Sorata. The bird was easy enough to locate but extremely difficult to get a photo of, as it simply would not show, not one of the five individuals we found. Although this was frustrating, there were a few other birds we could appreciate at the same time, including another Black-hooded Sunbeam. And to finish it off there were also some Montane Guinea Pigs feeding on the edge of the agricultural land.

  With that wrapped up, we headed back to Achacachi at around five in the evening, satisfied with a busy day but lots of good birds seen and no targets missed. It was nice to finish the evening with a Short-eared Owl hunting over the Puna. Finding a hotel was much simpler in the evening, and we were able to get some much-needed rest. 

Species List:
Pongo — Choquetanga Valley: Mountain Caracara, Puna Tapaculo, Cream-winged Cinclodes, Line-fronted Canastero, Scribble-tailed Canastero, Grass Wren, Chiguanco Thrush, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, White-browed Conebill, Cinereous Conebill, Plain-colored Seedeater,
Lake Titicaca: Yellow-billed Teal, Andean Duck, Titicaca Grebe, Feral Pigeon, Spot-winged Pigeon, Common Gallinule, Andean Coot, Andean Lapwing, Andean Gull, Puna Ibis, American Kestrel, Wren-like Rushbird, Black Siskin, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Yellow-winged Blackbird,
Sorata: Spot-winged Pigeon, Band-tailed Pigeon, Lesser Violetear, Black-hooded Sunbeam, White-bellied Hummingbird, Turkey Vulture, Mountain Caracara, American Kestrel, Berlepsch's Canastero, White-winged Black Tyrant, House Wren, Chiguanco Thrush, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Black-throated Flowerpiercer, Band-tailed Seedeater, 

Bolivia Day 13; Death Road

  Today was the day we would be birding on the famous ‘Death Road’ of Bolivia, apparently the most dangerous road in the world due to it being extremely narrow in several places, and having sheer drops at various points. Still, the forest around the road is packed with birds, and many birders have been along to come and see the species here.

  We start the morning just off the Death Road, on a parallel trail called the Railway Track trail. Here we had hoped to find our last Yungas Bolivian endemic species, the Orange-browed Hemispingus, and it was indeed not long into our walk when we encountered an impressive mixed flock with three of these stunning Tanagers in tandem. Not only that, but the birds showed phenomenally well and we got amazing photos. In addition, the flock was full of other birds, most typical of this habitat and altitude, but some other goodies such as two Plushcap and a smart Rufous-capped Thornbill that was all too brief.

  We continued to walk here until around 10:30, at which point we walked back to the car for breakfast. Besides the flock we also had excellent views of Light-crowned Spinetail, and nice views of Red-crested Cotinga. Glossy Black Thrush was another nice one we had been able to pick up, as were both Banded and Band-tailed Fruiteater, both of which showed well. Once we had come back for breakfast, we also found a pair of extremely showy Black-chinned Thistletails right next to the car, and we were able to get some fantastic photos as they came so close we would have been able to touch them!

  After breakfast we drove down the Death Road itself about halfway, and then started to bird again. We had hoped to find a couple of other species here, but the weather that had stalked us all morning finally came, with thick fog and substantially reduced visibility. We did our best and had a few nice birds, such as brief views of Rufous-faced Antpitta, close views of Trilling Tapaculo, a pair of Golden-headed Quetzal and a nice mixture of common flock species, but we were left very frustrated with how the day had finished, after such an excellent morning.

Species List:
Railway Track: Band-tailed Pigeon, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Rufous-capped Thornbill, Tyrian Metaltail, Violet-throated Starfrontlet, Yungas Pygmy Owl, Masked Trogon, Bolivian Antpitta, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Pearled Treerunner, Black-throated Thistletail, Light-crowned Spinetail, Azara's Spinetail, Band-tailed Fruiteater, Barred Fruiteater, Red-crested Cotinga, Cinnamon Flycatcher, White-banded Tyrannulet, White-throated Tyrannulet, Sierran Elaenia, Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant, House Wren, Fulvous Wren, Chiguanco Thrush, Glossy-black Thrush, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Bolivian Brushfinch, Citrine Warbler, Spectacled Whitestart, Orange-browed Hemispingus, Rust-and-yellow Tanager, Three-striped Hemispingus, Blue-capped Tanager, Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, Chestnut-bellied Mountain Tanager, Blue-and-black Tanager, Blue-backed Conebill, Masked Flowerpiercer, Plushcap, Drab Hemispingus,
Death Road: Andean Guan, Band-tailed Pigeon, Sparkling Violetear, Long-tailed Sylph, Buff-thighed Puffleg, Golden-headed Quetzal, Versicolored Barbet, Blue-banded Toucanet, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Plum-crowned Parrot, Rufous-faced Antpitta, Trilling Tapaculo, Montane Woodcreeper, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Azara's Spinetail, Streak-necked Flycatcher, Ochre-faced Tody-Flycatcher, Cinnamon Flycatcher, White-throated Tyrannulet, Bolivian Tyrannulet, Smoke-colored Pewee, Streak-throated Bush Tyrant, Mountain Wren, Andean Solitaire, White-eared Solitaire, Glossy-black Thrush, Common Chlorospingus, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Bolivian Brushfinch, Citrine Warbler, Spectacled Whitestart, Black-backed Grosbeak, Rust-and-yellow Tanager, Blue-capped Tanager, Fawn-breasted Tanager, Blue-and-black Tanager, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Masked Flowerpiercer, 

Bolivia Day 12; Apa Apa

  Having failed the previous night, we awoke at 04:15 to spend two hours in the dark trying again for the Cloud Forest Screech Owl around Apa Apa. Although we heard at least two individuals, they would not budge from their distance singing perches, and no other owls that we tried worked, meaning we spent two hours in the dark seeing nothing. Even the Swallow-tailed Nightjar which we heard did not come into the tape.

  And it did not get much better with first light. We began walking south along the road but found very little activity despite the conditions being fine. The best birds we were able to track down were a pair of Striped Treehunters, which were the best of less than 20 species that we were able to muster on this walk. After the owl debacle, this really was a bummer.

  Fortunately, it then began to liven up. A walk north along the road on the other side from our campground brought us into contact with a mixed-species flock, and it was an incredible flock to witness, with around 20 species alone tagging along. The best of these were obviously the two new species for me; Slaty Finch and Buff-thighed Puffleg, the latter being a rare species and a good one to have got. Additionally, there was Rust-and-yellow Tanager, Versicolored Barbet and a Yungas Pygmy Owl that brought with it a few hummingbirds including Violet-fronted Brilliant and Rufous-booted Raquet-tail.

  After a short lunch we tried again walking the road south, and encountered an even more impressive flock, which may have contained even more species than the first. There was a lot of overlap between the flocks, but a male Slaty Tanager was a nice contrast to the female I saw in the morning. There was an immature Plushcap and Black-eared Hemispingus, as well as a host of commoner species. It kept us busy for an hour before we had to leave. In addition, we also had a White-throated Quail Dove cross the road in front of us.

  We then drove three-and-a-half hours to our next destination, the small town of Coroico. After such a slow start it was great to finish the day on 60 species, thanks largely due to the incredible flocks that we encountered. 

Species List:
Apa Apa: Brown Tinamou, Andean Guan, Plumbeous Pigeon, White-throated Quail-Dove, Lesser Violetear, Speckled Hummingbird, Long-tailed Sylph, Buff-thighed Puffleg, Bronzy Inca, Violet-throated Starfrontlet, Rufous-booted Racket-tail, Violet-fronted Brilliant, Black Vulture, Yungas Pygmy Owl, Masked Trogon, Versicolored Barbet, Blue-banded Toucanet, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Red-billed Parrot, Green-cheeked Parakeet, Mitred Parakeet, Variable Antshrike, Rufous-faced Antpitta, Bolivian Tapaculo, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Montane Woodcreeper, Montane Foliage-gleaner, Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner, Striped Treehunter, Pearled Treerunner, Azara's Spinetail, White-winged Becard, Streak-necked Flycatcher, Slaty-capped Flycatcher, Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet, Cinnamon Flycatcher, White-throated Tyrannulet, Smoke-colored Pewee, Brown-capped Vireo, Mountain Wren, Andean Solitaire, White-eared Solitaire, Orange-bellied Euphonia, Common Chlorospingus, Bolivian Brushfinch, Yungas Warbler, Pale-legged Warbler, Slate-throated Whitestart, Spectacled Whitestart, Slaty Tanager, Black-eared Hemispingus, Rust-and-yellow Tanager, Blue-capped Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Blue-and-black Tanager, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Capped Conebill, Rusty Flowerpiercer, Masked Flowerpiercer, Plushcap, 

Bolivia Day 11; Inquivisi & Apa Apa

  Having only managed to reach the town of Quimes the night before, we still had an hours drive to our destination, the small town of Inquivisi, home of the endemic Bolivian Spinetail. The conditions were a little gloomy, with a few spots of rain as well, but we hoped we would be able to quickly find the Spinetail and then be on our way, since we once again had a lot of hours driving to get done if we could.

  In the end it took us an hour to locate a pair of Bolivian Spinetails, but even once we had found some birds they did not want to show well and we were forced to leave with sub-par views of the species. As well as the Spinetail, there were a few other birds here, including another Ringed Warbling Finch and some Yellow-bellied Siskins.

  For almost the entire rest of the day we drove to the Reserve of Apa Apa, a cloud forest reserve with one key target, the Cloud Forest Screech Owl. We did not have time to do any afternoon birding, once we had assembled our tents and prepared for a night of owling, but we were prepared to give it everything we could to find the bird. Sadly it turned into a very frustrating evening, where we heard at least one Cloud Forest Screech Owl that would not come to tape, and then heard many other species of Screech Owl that did nothing but frustrate us, as we continued the problems from last year of just being confused by Screech Owl species. We only got one brief view of a species of Screech Owl, which was certainly not Cloud Forest but its true identity will forever remain a mystery. 

Species List:
Inquivisi: Band-tailed Pigeon, Picui Ground Dove, Mitred Parakeet, Rufous Hornero, Rusty-vented Canastero, Bolivian Spinetail, House Wren, Chiguanco Thrush, Yellow-bellied Siskin, Brown-capped Whitestart, Ringed Warbling Finch, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, Golden-billed Saltator, 

Bolivia Day 10; Cerro Tunari

  For the morning we would bird a well-known area called Cerro Tunari where there were a few montane species we needed to find, before we would commence a seven-hour drive to our next site, to be ideally placed for the following day, when we would have an eight-hour drive. We had a few brutal days coming up, but we were ready and hoped that the morning would go smoothly to save some time.

  And the morning did go reasonably smoothly, with both key target species found fairly easily; the Cochabamba Mountain Finch showed well early in the morning, before we then found the Wedge Tailed Hillstar feeding on flowers about an hour later. With both target species safely seen, we also enjoyed finding other commoner Andean species, such as the Bolivian Warbling Finch again, plus Ringed Warbling Finch, as well as Rufous-bellied Mountain-Tananger, Red-tailed Comet, Giant Hummingbird and an impressive flock of c.50 Andean Parakeet. All of these species (except Giant Hummingbird) I had only seen once before, so it was nice to see them again.

  But the highlight of the morning was undoubtedly a very showy Olive-crowned Crescentchest that came out of the bushes and sang right in front of us early morning. When I first played the tape the bird ran across the open and even perched exposed on a rock and a cactus, before taking a perch and singing unobstructed giving fantastic views.

  Sadly our drive did not go as well as the mornings birding. After four and a half hours driving we reached the town of Caracollo, to find that locals had blocked the road as a form of protest. We knew this was a risk in Bolivia, as it frequently occurs, but it was still maddening to run into. We managed to spend two hours driving on dirt roads across the puna to get around the town, but we were exhausted by this point and completely fed up, with three hours still to go to our destination. Still, we had a decent sized flock of Black Siskin on our detour, so it was not a complete loss.

  And as we were nearing our stop for the night, we passed a herd of around 30 Vicunia. So despite the setback, we were still able to make the best of our crappy situation. 

Species List:
Cerro Tunari: Andean Tinamou, Bare-faced Ground-Dove, Andean Swift, Sparkling Violetear, Red-tailed Comet, Andean Hillstar, Wedge-tailed Hillstar, Giant Hummingbird, Andean Condor, Variable Hawk, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Mountain Caracara, Grey-hooded Parakeet, Andean Parakeet, Rufous Hornero, Cream-winged Cinclodes, Brown-capped Tit-Spinetail, Streak-fronted Thornbird, Rusty-vented Canastero, Tufted Tit-Tyrant, White-winged Black Tyrant, Spot-billed Ground Tyrant, House Wren, Chiguanco Thrush, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Greyish Baywing, Ringed Warbling Finch, Rufous-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, Grey-bellied Flowerpiercer, Rufous-sided Warbling Finch, Bolivian Warbling Finch, Cochabamba Mountain Finch, Golden-billed Saltator, 

Bolivia Day 9; Corani Dam & Tawa Cruz

  We made a decision the previous evening to not return to the Substation Road where we had birded yesterday, since we had missed only a couple of difficult targets, but instead to continue with our plan to bird the area of upland habitat next to the Corani Dam, just an hour up the road. Here we would hopefully find our targets quickly, so we could continue with our day and make progress at our next site; Cerro Tunari.

  The dam was very successful. No sooner had we got out of the car did we find our main target, the endemic Black-hooded Sunbeam. We got brilliant views of several individuals, but sadly none came especially close for photos. The other target however performed excellently; Puna Tapaculo. This was my last Tapaculo in Bolivia, and it showed very nicely singing away in the open and providing an opportunity for brilliant photos, with a bit of work of course. In addition, I had my best views of both Grey-bellied Flowerpiercer and Bolivian Brushfinch so far, both of which are endemic to Bolivia.

  With our morning nearly wrapped up by 09:30 we tried to drive back to the road and head to the city of Cochabamba, but we discovered the road was now closed for construction, and we had to drive an hour detour all the way around the reservoir. While this was only a minor inconvenience, we were able to use it to pick up some common species on the water, including Andean Duck, Silvery Grebe, White-tufted Grebe and Puna Ibis, all nice species for our trip list.

  It was just after midday when we reached Cochabamaba and found ourselves a hotel for the night. Once we had organised ourselves, we drove an hour and a half up the mountain to 4500 metres to an area of Altiplano called Tawa Cruz. Here we wanted to find the high-altitude Boulder Finch, but after two hours of searching we failed to find any. Still, we had a few nice birds up here for our efforts, including a new species for me with Cinnamon-bellied Ground-Tyrant which was quite abundant. Andean Condor was also present, and it was fun to watch Glacier Finch being chased by an Aplomado Falcon, being chased by a Mountain Caracara.

  On our drive down, with the mountains already in shadow from the sunset, we added Andean Swallow to our trip list, and for me to my life list, a long overdue species. Although a less birding and more driving day, we still had a few birds, and we were ideally positioned for birding the next day. 

Species List:
Corani Dam: Crested Duck, Cinnamon Teal, Yellow-billed Pintail, Yellow-billed Teal, Andean Duck, White-tufted Grebe, Silvery Grebe, Feral Pigeon, Band-tailed Pigeon, Sparkling Violetear, Tyrian Metaltail, Black-hooded Sunbeam, Great Sapphirewing, Andean Coot, White-backed Stilt, Andean Lapwing, Greater Yellowlegs, Andean Gull, Western Cattle Egret, Puna Ibis, Roadside Hawk, Variable Hawk, Mountain Caracara, American Kestrel, Puna Tapaculo, Rufous Hornero, Cream-winged Cinclodes, Red-crested Cotinga, Chiguanco Thrush, House Sparrow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Bolivian Brushfinch, Greyish Baywing, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Grey-bellied Flowerpiercer, Pampa Finch, Golden-billed Saltator,
Tawa Cruz: Andean Goose, Yellow-billed Teal, White-tufted Grebe, Andean Lapwing, Grey-breasted Seedsnipe, Puna Ibis, Andean Condor, Mountain Caracara, Aplomado Falcon, Slender-billed Miner, Common Miner, Cream-winged Cinclodes, Cordilleran Canastero, Ochre-naped Ground Tyrant, Cinnamon-bellied Ground Tyrant, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, Glacier Finch, Plumbeous Sierra Finch, Ash-breasted Sierra Finch, Bright-rumped Yellow Finch, 

Bolivia Day 8; Miguelito Substation Road

  The previous evening we had driven half an hour down the main road to a small restaurant and hotel just ten minutes from our birding destination for the day; the Miguelito Substation Road, far enough down the valley for a range of different species to occur there. We had planned to spend the full day birding here, before returning to the hotel, and although we only had a few targets to find on the road, we hoped for some excellent birding.

  The morning started brilliantly, when our main target; the uninspiring Yungas Tody Tyrant, started calling right next to the car. We were able to see it quite easily in the end. Birding continued with pace, with our next target being the Bolivian race of Blue-winged Mountain Tanager feeding on Ceropia fruits, followed up by Bolivian Tyrannulet and Yungas Warbler. Dusky-green Oropendola were flying across the valley throughout the morning, and mixed species flocks provided plenty of entertainment. Additionally, it was good to see Bolivian Tapaculo again, this time showing better but still mobile and continued to be a tricky customer for us to actually see.

  Around mid-morning, we were exploring one of the side trails from the road, when we heard a distinctive song echo around us. I knew I had heard it before, but it took a moment for me to realise what I was hearing; Pavonine Cuckoo. The bird sounded far, but not far enough that it couldn’t be found. With playback we had no response, so decided to go into the forest in search of it. The sound came closer and closer, and when I used playback again, the bird came immediately. Sadly though, it also flushed very quickly, meaning views were frustratingly brief. This happened a second time, before the bird stopped responding to playback. Despite this, it continued to sing and we decided to track it down ourselves. After some time, we finally managed to spot the bird on its perch, where it was singing and doing its ‘tiny hands’ display. Absolutely incredible bird, and a brilliant encounter.

  By this point it was already lunchtime, so after a sandwich, we drove down the road some more, and began to encounter more mixed-species flocks. Although everything within them was common, it was good to see a nice range of Tanagers, Foliage Gleaners and Woodcreepers. Our main reason for descending the mountain was to try to find the Upland Antshrike, and in the end we managed to locate a couple of different territories, although the birds never showed particularly well.

  With that target now also seen, we decided to check out a location we had researched where there had been a territory of Scaled Antpitta. Although at first it looked like we had got nothing, it then began to respond, but after a frustrating half an hour with the bird singing at us, we were not able to locate it. Still, this time was not a complete loss, as we had a nice flock of White-tipped Swift and a pair of Torrent Ducks on the river there. By now it was already the end of the afternoon, so we decided to call it a day and headed back to our hotel, very happy with a brilliant days birding. 

Species List:
Miguelito Substation Road: Torrent Duck, Andean Guan, Plumbeous Pigeon, Smooth-billed Ani, Pavonine Cuckoo, Squirrel Cuckoo, White-tipped Swift, Lesser Violetear, Speckled Hummingbird, Rufous-booted Racket-tail, Turkey Vulture, Swallow-tailed Kite, Roadside Hawk, Versicolored Barbet, Blue-banded Toucanet, Channel-billed Toucan, Lineated Woodpecker, Golden-olive Woodpecker, Barred Forest Falcon, Scaly-naped Amazon, Variable Antshrike, Upland Antshrike, Bolivian Tapaculo, Short-tailed Antthrush, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Olive-backed Woodcreeper, Streaked Xenops, Montane Foliage-gleaner, Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner, Azara's Spinetail, Band-tailed Fruiteater, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Slaty-capped Flycatcher, Yungas Tody-Tyrant, Buff-banded Tyrannulet, Bolivian Tyrannulet, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Yellow-browed Tyrant, Long-tailed Tyrant, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Inca Jay, Purplish Jay, Blue-and-white Swallow, House Wren, Black-billed Thrush, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Bronze-green Euphonia, Olivaceous Siskin, Common Chlorospingus, Dusky-green Oropendola, Tropical Parula, Yungas Warbler, Slate-throated Whitestart, White-winged Tanager, Magpie Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Blue-capped Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Palm Tanager, Yellow-bellied Tanager, Spotted Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager, Blue-browed Tanager, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Golden Tanager, 

Bolivia Day 7; Corani Road

  From our base in Tiraque, we drove an hour down the road to the Corani Road, a dirt track which goes through an area of stunning cloud forest where we hoped to enjoy some excellent birding. The weather was on our side, meaning we had no fog or rain to contend with, but it was a little too much on our side, with not a cloud in the sky. The bright and warm conditions were perhaps the reason that we struggled so much in the morning to find birds.

  We made some progress, with a nice pair of Hooded Mountain Toucans showing well, a flock of Pale-footed Swallows blogged overhead and we were able to see a few more Black-winged Parrots. But mixed-species flocks were at a premium, and we ended up spending most of the morning trying to tape out some of the more elusive species in the understorey, all of which we heard, but none of which we were actually able to see. The only other target species I managed to connect with was Fulvous Wren, which showed nicely. It wasn’t until I checked an unidentified hummingbird I had photographed later, did I realised this was also a new species for me, being Rufous-capped Thornbill. 

  It was becoming a frustrating morning so we drove further up the valley to an open area the trip reports we were following describe as being productive. Sadly we found the forest here quite degraded by recently develop plots of land. Still, we were able to drag out the very nice Black-throated Thistletail, before finally delivering one of the main species for the morning, the superb Diademed Tapaculo. This was the one that I most feared missing on our trip, but a nice juvenile male showed extremely well here, allowing me to get some fantastic views.

  By early afternoon, and some lunch, we drove back down to the better forest we had birded in the morning. Some cloud covered arrived around midday and this brought the forest to life, with numerous mixed species flocks passing us containing all kinds of common cloud forest species, as well as others that are more unusual; Southern Mountain Cacique, Rufous-bellied Bush-Tyrant and Pale-crowned Spinetail were all new species for me. Gould’s Inca was a new hummingbird for me, which we found feeding on flowers along the road.

  And I finally managed to drag out one of the area's antpitta species that had been bothering us all day; Bolivian Antpitta. It took some time, but I finally managed to see a bird in the understorey, and it showed very well, calling throughout and offering excellent views. After such a frustrating start to the day, we finished off having had a brilliant day birding.

Species List:
Corani Road: Band-tailed Pigeon, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Long-tailed Sylph, Rufous-capped Thornbill, Tyrian Metaltail, Gould's Inca, Violet-throated Starfrontlet, White-throated Hawk, Masked Trogon, Hooded Mountain Toucan, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Black-winged Parrot, Green-cheeked Parakeet, Bolivian Antpitta, Diademed Tapaculo, Trilling Tapaculo, Montane Woodcreeper, Pearled Treerunner, Black-throated Thistletail, Light-crowned Spinetail, Barred Fruiteater, Streak-necked Flycatcher, Cinnamon Flycatcher, White-banded Tyrannulet, White-throated Tyrannulet, Rufous-bellied Bush Tyrant, Maroon-belted Chat-Tyrant, Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant, Pale-footed Swallow, Mountain Wren, Fulvous Wren, Common Chlorospingus, Bolivian Brushfinch, Southern Mountain Cacique, Citrine Warbler, Spectacled Whitestart, Superciliaried Hemispingus, Hooded Mountain Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, Chestnut-bellied Mountain Tanager, Blue-and-black Tanager, Blue-backed Conebill, Masked Flowerpiercer, 

Bolivia Day 6; Tambo, Torrecilla & Siberia

  We had a busy day in prospect today, with several sites we wanted to visit and only a finite amount of time to visit them all in. From our base in Saipina we drove forty minutes back along the highway to the small town of Tambo. Here we had just one main target, the Bolivian Earthcreeper which was easy to find on paper. And so it transpired, only half an hour after arriving at the location we had saved, we found an individual in the cactus, but it did not want to show well, no matter how hard we tried.

  Still the highlight of Tambo was not the Earthcreeper but the sheer numbers of birds feeding in the fields. We had an estimated 100 Grey-crested Finch here, as well as a few Ultramarine Grosbeak, including a smart male, a male Red-crested Finch and a smart Black-and-chestnut Warbling Finch. In addition, there were roving flocks of Grey-hooded Parakeets and a small group of five Red-fronted Macaws also flew over us calling loudly. And to cap it all off, we had an Agouti walk across the back of the fields.

  Next we drove half an hour to a small road near the town of Torrecilla, where there were a few other birds we wanted to find. It was still quite early but there were no clouds and already it was beginning to get warm. It took some time but we soon found our first target with Olive-crowned Crescentchest in the bushes, but it was typically elusive throughout. Further down the road in a small agricultural area we found many more birds of different species, including our main target for this site; Bolivian Warbling Finch. It was always elusive in the fields however, and kept company with Black-and-chestnut Warbling Finch and Rufous-sided Warbling Finch, so was not always easy to pick out. Also here, we had a pair of Grey-bellied Flowerpiercers, which is another Bolivian endemic it is good to have under our belts.

  By now it was late morning, but since our afternoon would be committed to driving, we decided to drive 20 minutes up the road to the Siberia Road, an area of forest just off the highway. Obviously it was warm but we still managed some nice birds, not least a new Antpitta with the Bolivian endemic Rufous-fronted Antpitta, which showed well but all too briefly, and a nice showy Trilling Tapaculo. Otherwise just a handful of woodland species, but still nice to see some more Bolivian Brushfinches.

  In the afternoon we drove four hours to the town of Tiraque where we spent the evening, before driving into the forests again tomorrow. 

Species List:
Tambo: Picui Ground Dove, White-tipped Dove, Glittering-bellied Emerald, White-bellied Hummingbird, Grey-hooded Parakeet, Turquoise-fronted Amazon, Red-fronted Macaw, Mitred Parakeet, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Bolivian Earthcreeper, Rufous Hornero, White-tipped Plantcutter, Greater Wagtail-Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Hooded Siskin, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Greyish Baywing, Ultramarine Grosbeak, Black-capped Warbling Finch, Grey-crested Finch, Black-and-chestnut Warbling Finch, Greenish Yellow Finch, Red Pileated Finch, Golden-billed Saltator,
Torrecilla: Least Grebe, Picui Ground Dove, Roadside Hawk, Grey-hooded Parakeet, Variable Antshrike, Olive-crowned Crescentchest, Spot-breasted Thornbird, Stripe-crowned Spinetail, White-winged Black Tyrant, House Wren, Chiguanco Thrush, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Brown-capped Whitestart, Red Tanager, Black-backed Grosbeak, Sayaca Tanager, Grey-bellied Flowerpiercer, Rufous-sided Warbling Finch, Bolivian Warbling Finch, Black-and-chestnut Warbling Finch, Pampa Finch,
Siberia Crossroads: Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Roadside Hawk, Rufous-faced Antpitta, Trilling Tapaculo, White-throated Tyrannulet, Common Chlorospingus, Bolivian Brushfinch, Pale-legged Warbler, Brown-capped Whitestart, Spectacled Whitestart,