23 February 2017 - Columbia Caribbean Coast, Part 2

Today (Day 4) we started early at the lovely beach-side hotel. Our destination was Taironaka Park and the Rio Don Diego. (Okay, is it just me, or does Don Diego make you think of Zorro?)  We arrived with high expectations and with many target birds on our list. The park did not disappoint! Here are a few of the best birds. 

Rufous-tailed Jacamar                       Gartered Trogan

                                                       
White-necked Puffbird       Common Tody-flycatcher

Collared Aracari


Keel-billed Toucan

We walked the park, toured the museum of the Tairona Civilization. had a wonderful lunch, waded and swam in the Rio Don Diego, then took a slow boat ride down to where the river empties into the ocean.  This was a wonderful day. 

                    

Even in the boat with the incredible scenery, the birding was non-stop.

Just around the sandbar is the ocean.   

The next morning (Day 5) we took a walk up the very long drive from the Hotel Hukumeizi to a secondary road. It winds through some mangrove swamps and large fields that used to be farmed. We usually start before the sun comes up, so it is hard to get photos with the humidity mist and not a lot of light. Nevertheless, the birds are up and singing and we manage to see a lot of them. 

Orange-crowned Oriole

Barred Antshrike. Wonderful spiky crest!

Rusty-margined Flycatcher  

 
Southern beardless tyrannulet 

Crimson-backed tanager

Blue-gray Tanager

Russet-throated Puffbirds  

Day 6 took us to the desert and dry forest area to look for scarlet ibis and flamingos.  Dry forest is very interesting. You find a mix of cactus, scrubby trees and vines.  

A six inch long grasshopper was a big surprise!

If I lived here, a cactus fence would definitely be on my short list! 

These power poles were worrisome. 








 














Even though we were in an area considered to be desert, it connected with a bay into the ocean.

There were only five minutes of rain during the entire trip, and it happened while we were standing here checking out the gulls and terns in this inlet. 

Vermillion Flycatcher (male and female) 

Vermillion Cardinal (female)

Lesser Kiskadee                      Orinocan Saltator

White-whiskered spinetail

White-fringed antwren  

Ibis. This was quite interesting. Here are a Scarlet Ibis, a White Ibis and the pink one is a hybrid of the two.

 American Flamingo

Another fabulous day of birding. 

Note below. I am having fits with this post. As soon as I hit update, it changes my font to a small size.