I was feeling a little out of it today, so most of the morning was a blur. Dawn was spent watching Immaculate Antbirds catching moths from a blind. The midsized dark birds with blue eye rings would creep up to a light with moths, take one, then retreat to eat it while strongly pumping their tails. While on the trails around the lodge we got our first, but very distant Toucan Barbet. Cooperative birds this morning included a very rare Black Solitaire, the hard to detect Olivacious Piha, and the stunning Golden-winged Manakin. Golden-capped might have been a better name for this bird whose golden cap is always visible, rather than an occasional look at his golden wings in flight.
Lunch was spent with the hummingbirds back at the lodge, and the afternoon was in the upper valley again. Flocks of tanagers were more common and Golden Tanager and Western Hemispingus were added to the list with the Blue-winged Mountain and Grass Green Tanagers which were also encountered today. For the Choco Endemics we did really well with excellent looks at Toucan Barbets and Plate-billed Mountain-toucans. Crimson-rumped Toucanet and Sickle-winged Guan were also highlights of the afternoon. While working a tanager flock, a male Collared Inca came in and flashed his white chest and tail before darting away. One last highlight was a Chestnut-crowned Antpitta, and odd looking, round, ground bird, which quickly ran across the road.
 Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager
 Fawn-breasted Brilliant
 Booted Racket-tail
 Sparkling Violet-ear
 Purple-bibbed Whitetip |
