News

Merry Christmas to all birders around the world!

22 - 12 - 2018

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Merry Christmas to all birders around the world!

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News

Second birding trip to Colombia for Ernest Bradley & Dale Brinker (November 19 – December 03, 2018).

04 - 12 - 2018

Ernie & Dale had been lingering for a second birding trip to Colombia and this time they opted for the Eastern Andes, including the best birding sites near Bogota. Birding Tours Colombia had been running Eastern Andes tours for years, and it was very easy to agree on a magnificent 15-day itinerary.

Near Bogota, we visited Laguna de Pedro Palo, Chicaque Nature Reserve, Chingaza National Park, the Hummingbird Observatory at La Calera and the Siecha gravel pits. Moving north, we birded Paramo Grande above Guasca and the colorful Vereda Concepción with La Guajira & Bioandina Nature Reserves. We kept traveling north, visiting Laguna de Fúquene, the gorgeous colonial town of Villa de Leyva and Rogitama Nature Reserve before reaching the dry Chicamocha Canyon in Soata. Naturally, we birded the scenic Paramo de La Rusia and the beautiful Oak forests along the road to Onzaga.

On our return to Bogota, we decided to visit the reservoir of La Copa near the town of Toca for one morning. We then dropped to the Magdalena Valley and enjoyed the hummingbirds at the Enchanted Gardens of San Francisco, and birded thoroughly the rich Tabacal Lagoon near La Vega and Bellavista Forest above Victoria before returning to Bogota.

As a result, Ernie obtained 67 lifers, and Dale had a slightly bigger figure. We saw well the endemics Bogota Rail, Brown-breasted (Flame-winged) Parakeet, White-mantled Barbet, Black Inca, Chestnut-bellied & Indigo-capped Hummingbirds, Beautiful Woodpecker, Silvery-throated Spinetail, Apical Flycatcher, Niceforo´s Wren, Sooty Ant-Tanager, Mountain Grackle and Velvet-fronted Euphonia. Also, the near-endemics Bronze-tailed Thornbill, Coppery-bellied Puffleg, Golden-bellied & Blue-fronted Starfrontlets, Red-billed & Short-tailed Emeralds, Bar-crested Antshrike, Pale-bellied (Matorral) Tapaculo, Scrub Tanager, Rufous-browed Conebill, Black-headed & Moustached Brush-Finches, and the Golden-fronted Whitestart.

We enjoyed hundreds of glamorous birds, such as the Black-and-chestnut Eagle, Black-hawk Eagle, White-rumped Hawk, Spot-flanked Gallinule, Noble Snipe, Spectacled Parrotlet and the Andean Pygmy-Owl. Among the hummingbirds, we had spectacular views of the Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Black-tailed & Green-tailed Trainbearers, Purple-backed Thornbill, Glowing Puffleg, Gorgeted Woodstar and Lazuline Sabrewing. Other great birds included the Golden-headed Quetzal, Black-billed Mountain-Toucan, Red-rumped & Crimson-mantled Woodpeckers, Black-crowned Antshrike, Dusky, Jet & White-bellied Antbirds, Rusty-breasted Antpitta, Ash-browed & Stripe-breasted Spinetails, Black-billed Peppershrike, White-bibbed Manakin, Black-faced & Metalic-green Tanagers, Band-tailed & Paramo Seedeaters, Black-backed Grosbeak and Andean Siskin, among many others.

From left to right: Dale Brinker, Ernest Bradley, Daniel Uribe & Roberto Chavarro. A retired MD (Anesthesiologist), Roberto is one of the most prominent conservation pioneers in Colombia. His commitment to conservation and his prodigious work restoring the barren land that he bought some 35 years ago is truly amazing. Today, the gardens & forests of Rogitama are home to hundreds of bird species, including the endemics Black Inca, Golden-bellied Starfrontlet, Silvery-throated Spinetail and Pale-bellied Tapaculo, and near-endemics Short-tailed Emerald, Moustached Brush-Finch, Scrub Tanager and Golden-fronted Whitestart.

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Merry Christmas to all birders around the world!

Second birding trip to Colombia for Ernest Bradley & Dale Brinker (November 19 – December 03, 2018).

Birding Colombia: an explosive extension into the Santa Marta Mountains, Guajira pensinsula & Perijá Mountains (October 18 – 27, 2018).

The Eastern Andes near Bogota: private birding tour for Tony Menart, Thomas Heatley & Dale Manor (October 9 – 18, 2018).

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The Eastern Llanos at Hato La Aurora (January 11 – 13, 2018).

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Birding the Central & Western Andes of Colombia with Anthony Collerton (July 14 – 23, 2017).

Andean Endemics tour with British crew: from the Eastern Andes to the mid-Magdalena Valley & Central Andes of Colombia (March 1 – 14, 2017).

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The Eastern Andes from Bogota to Soata: birding trip for recordist Terry Morgan & Karen Walz (November 18-30, 2016).

Second birding trip for Katy Krigbaum & Birgit Felser: the Western & Central Andes of Colombia (September 1-20, 2016).

Birding for much desired targets with Keith Betton, Andrew Herbert (UK) and Rainer Kopa (Germany) (April 17-May 7, 2016).

Birding the Western & Central Andes with Richard & Jennifer Kershaw from UK (March 10-31, 2016).

Second birding trip for Steve Huggins & Glenn Giacinto from Chicago, Illinois (January 23 – February 2, 2016).

Birding along the Western & Central Andes of Colombia with Bob & Katie Self from the UK (November 9 – 26, 2015).

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Bird photo tour for photographers from Taiwan & China: The Western & Central Andes of Colombia (July 18 – August 8, 2015).

Second birding trip for Debby Reynolds & David Copas (UK), and Jane Andrews (USA) (January 20 – February 6, 2015).

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Andean Endemics tour for David & Nancy Massie from the UK (October 23-November 6, 2014).

Medium length birding trip through the Western & Central Andes of Colombia with Bruce Webb, Jeanne Conry & Peter Gent from USA (May 18 - 27, 2014).

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The Santa Marta Mountains with Juan José Arango & Anabel Vanin (December 2 - 8, 2013).

Bird photography trip for Francesco Veronesi from Italy (August 16 – September 01, 2013).

Bird photography trip to the Eastern Andes of Colombia for Juan José Arango & Anabel Vanin (July 31 - August 04, 2013).

Guiding for a British crew traveling through Ecoturs (July 16 - 27, 2013).

Short birding trip with Freddy & Adela Drews (March 31st – April 3rd, 2013).

Back to Colombia for a second time: Peter Hawrylyshyn & Bob Lewis search for more hummingbird species and bird specialties at new birding sites (February 15 – March 03, 2013).

Central Andes short tour with Happy Warblers touring company from New York (February 5 – 13, 2013).

More Andean endemics with magnificent birding crew from USA, UK & Canada (Dec. 28, 2012 to Jan. 5, 2013).

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Touring for Central Andes Endemics: how good birding in Colombia can be (October 6 – 15, 2012).

Bird photography trip for Peter Hawrylyshyn, Bob & Hanno Lewis with emphasis on hummingbirds (August 22 – September 9, 2012).

Birding for one day – and it was great! (August 17, 2012).

Birding Otún-Quimbaya Wildlife Sanctuary for some bird images with Juan Jose Arango and Anabel Vanin (August 3 – 5, 2012).

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Birding with Dominic Mitchell – Managing Editor of Birdwatch Magazine (UK) (November 27 – December 4, 2011).

Guiding and operating for Birding Adventures TV episodes in Colombia (November 27 – December 4, 2011).

Birding the Central Andes with Fred Ertl & Andrew Vallely (July 26 – 30, 2011).

Marvelous Crescent-faced Antpitta (Grallaricula lineifrons) in Caldas (July 23, 2011).

Birding with Jonathan Levy and Mary Jane Thomas from Oregon, USA (January 31 – February 8, 2011).

Birding with Phyllis Morris (December 14 – 16, 2010).

Month: December 2018

Merry Christmas to all birders around the world!

Featured Tours

Second birding trip to Colombia for Ernest Bradley & Dale Brinker (November 19 – December 03, 2018).

Featured Tours