Day 5 - El Paujil - Colombia

Wading thrugh the mud

Our last day at El Paujil reserve, and a more overcast and humid day than before.   This morning we took the same trail as yesterday out of the lodge and tried again for bare-crowned antbird and black antshrike.   Neither bird responded so we moved off to a new trail running alongside a river, however we needed to cross the small stream before we could start.   Muddy and slippy, with a bit of help from Colin and Trevor our guides we all made it up the slope safely, then it was level walking through forest for short distances until we crossed the stream once more.   After four crossings we carried on walking down stream, thank goodness for our wellies!
Eventually the walk took us up hill through denser forest and finally back onto the road that we had walked yesterday.

Our bird highlights for the morning were:  striated heron on the pond, cattle egret flying from their night roost, rufous-tailed hummingbird, violet-bellied hummingbird, bartered trogon (a split from violaceous) black-breasted puffbird, white-whiskered puffbird, white-mantled barbet, crimson-crested woodpecker, northern barred wood creeper, ochre-bellied flycatcher, purple-throated fruitcrow, plain-coloured tanager, near the end of our morning's walk we finally caught up with beautiful woodpecker - a lovely bird and well worth waiting for.   As we neared the lodge, the children met us as they walked home from school, and they looked at photographs we had taken, and walked back with us.

Wood still being cut in the unprotected forest

At lunchtime and over our siesta time we spotted common tody flycatcher and I had great views of both pale bellied and rufous breasted hermit.   At 4 pm,  when the temperature had abated a little (humidity was over 80%), we walked to a mirador where we added swallow-tailed kite, barred puffbird, long-tailed tyrant and a crested oropendola flew over.   As we watched for any other new birds Trevor heard bare-crowned antbird, we shot off down the track back onto the main trail where we had already tried 3 times before, but this time the bird responded immediately, and I had great views.

By now it was time to return to the lodge, and several of us celebrated with a beer - a fine puff bird and endemics day.   I took video of Phil trying to remove Colin's wellies for him.    Laughing falcon was calling in the distance.

Rufous-tailed Jacamar

As we did the checklist paraque called, but sadly no hint of an owl tonight, John had a great lizard on the outside of his cabin which I took photos of.