By dawn we were standing in a blind on the world famous Antpitta refuge watching the spectacular Andean Cock-of-the-Rock display. The bright red males flapped their wings and bobbed their heads and made loud raspy 'rrrr-aaee-rrrr' calls as they fought for the attention of the female. After the Cock-of-the-rock show was over we enjoyed close scope views of Toucan Barbet and Crimson-rumped Toucanet as they took fruit from a feeder. Our attempts to see the main star, Maria the Giant Antpitta, failed, but Yellow-breasted Antpitta briefly came out in the open, and Dark-backed Wood-quail were more cooperative allowing me to shoot over a minute of video as they fed on worms that our guide tossed to them. The endemic Orange-breasted Fruiteater was found in a mixed flock. This bird blended in very well when its green back was facing us, but stuck out really well when its orange breast was facing forward. The gorgeous Flame-faced Tanager and the endemic Black-chinned Mountain-tanager were new additions to the list. The Flame-faced has a Blackburnian orange forhead surrounded by yellow and black facial marks along with a pale green chest and rump with blue-green stripes on a black wing, making it the best looking tanager I have seen so far on the trip. The colorful Velvet-purple Coronet made an appearance at the hummingbird feeders along with several Empress Brilliants and Violet-tailed Sylphs and other regular species.
While searching for flocks in the afternoon we only turned up one really spectacular flock. A Golden-headed Quetzal perched motionless in the top of a tree for a good amount of time, the same tree also had a toucanet. Nine species of tanagers, including more Blue-winged Mountain, Flame-faced, and Western Hemispingus were in the mix as well as Streak-necked Flycatcher and Black and white Becard. Collared Inca, ,Speckled Hummingbird, and Gorgeted Sunangle were hummingbirds we saw int he upper valley that were not present at the feeders. After a while the flock died off and it seemed like only Dusky-bush Tanagers remained.
At the lodge I stayed near the feeders to watch the little hummers up close, getting Violet-ears, Buff-tailed Coronets, and Fawn-breasted Brilliants to land on my finger.
 Brown Inca
 Crimson-rumped Toucanet
 Empress Brilliant
 Flame-faced Tanager
 Orange-breasted Fruiteater
 Violet-tailed Sylph |
