By way of Aleksandar Topalov
A protracted-distance transfer and a talk over with to a picturesque little seashore the city on New Zealand’s east coast woke up a deep interest that lasts to this present day. Aleksandar began birdwatching when he was once 10, after a face-to-face come upon with an Erect-crested penguin. Since then he has traveled the globe, his interest for birds rising with every new come upon. A birder through day and astrophotographer through evening his exploration of the close to and a ways in reality by no means stops.
Don’t you simply love getting up on the witching hour to catch a three a.m. flight? Going to mattress at 9 best to stand up at the hours of darkness with a view to hurry to the airport on time feeling misplaced in time and house, forgetting which town, nation, and even planet you’re on. One explanation why that I will be able to call to mind for subjecting myself to the sort of torturous enjoy is that if I’m going birdwatching. Oh yeah, I virtually forgot. I stuck traveler’s diarrhea 4 days in the past within the jungle (Imodium to the rescue, however simply slightly).
I had simply ended my ten-day birding journey in Ecuador (which is a tale for over again) once I made up our minds, since I had an excellent time, to extend my travel a little bit longer sooner than heading again to Europe. So I figured why now not make a stop-over in Bogota since that was once my best possible and logical reference to my flight again house. I had by no means been to Colombia sooner than so didn’t know the most productive birding spots within the neighborhood of the capital. I contacted Luis Garcia, my guide-to-be, from Mutar ECO Environmental who was once really useful to me prior to my travel and he agreed to select me up on the airport at 5 a.m. I requested him if there have been any excellent part/one-day places as regards to town and he answered that Bogota is certainly one of THE capitals of the sector for such quick tours. There have been in reality quite a few wonderful choices to choose between however since I had spent the closing week wandering throughout the sizzling and humid Amazon jungle he advised we move as much as Sumapaz, the most important paramo on the planet. I fancied a little bit of chilly and recent air after the sizzling and from time to time suffocating warmth of the lowlands. In order that was once that and simply sooner than I used to be to board my airplane he despatched me a textual content pronouncing that there was once a wonder looking ahead to us on the Reserva Chiguaza, their hub so as to say the place we might have our breakfast and from the place we might head as much as the paramo. So an advantage on my one-day travel. I love bonuses.
As agreed, Luis picked me up at 5 and we began down Avenida El Dorado. It was once raining. I used to be very drained and nonetheless a little bit nauseous from the tummy ailment. For only a cut up 2d I felt down and gloomy and didn’t maintain birding one bit. I simply sought after to lie down and if conceivable totally blackout. However happily that didn’t occur as a result of once we climbed as much as Chiguaza the rain stopped. My abdomen was once nonetheless cursing and growling however the rapid I were given out of the automobile and noticed my first chook I didn’t care anymore; it must wait till this present day was once over. Perched on best of a close-by narrow tree was once a Black-backed Grosbeak (Pheucticus aureoventris).
With my first Colombian chook secured in my pocket, I used to be in a position to devour. As we entered the typical room Luis pointed to a desk the place a variety of other folks have been already having their breakfast and stated: “There’s your wonder”. Sitting amongst them was once none instead of the legend of Colombian birding, Diego Calderon.
After a hearty and inviting breakfast ready through Luis’s mother and a brief chat with Diego, we began once more, riding upper and better towards the paramo.
A Colombian paramo is principally a high-altitude moorland nestled in mountains between the treeline and glaciers. Extensively, the time period might consult with various alpine tundra ecosystems. The Sumapaz paramo has a in reality inhospitable chilly and rainy local weather with very fast adjustments from quick sessions of heat local weather to freezing chilly. It virtually jogged my memory of southern Patagonia minus the robust winds. Fortunate for me it was once now not chilly that day and the elements was once typically calm and now not threatening. Having a look over the tundra with its green-grey stunted crops I requested Luis why didn’t other folks hike around the moor?
“For an green customer, there’s a risk of falling into chupaderos (drainages) and drowning. On account of the excessive humidity, the bottom stays soaked and coated through our bodies of water and sticky dust right through the 12 months. They’re tough to identify as they’re continuously coated with dense, flat crops. And there also are antipersonnel mines from the battle in some spaces of the park however the ones spaces are closed to guests.”
As my ideas lingered on Luis’s resolution he slowly tapped me at the shoulder and pointed his finger to a cluster of trees now not a ways from us. A curious Tawny Antpitta (Galleria quitensis) confirmed itself on a horizontal department …
… and a weird-looking White chinned Thistletail (Asthenes fuliginosa) landed on a tree simply subsequent to our automobile offering nice perspectives.
The similar tree additionally hosted a relatively shy Plumbeous Sierra Finch (Phrygilis unicolor), one of the most featureless South American birds. The antpitta then hopped on best of a useless Espeletia subshrub and simply stood there. An antpitta out within the open! After Ecuador’s many eye-straining moments at nighttime to get a glimpse of them, this was once one thing else. An out of this world sight. A pair extra have been later observed like this so this was once now not an exception. On a hill slope at the back of us, a leucistic Nice Thrush (Turdus fuscater) perched proudly on a lichen-covered department. For me, the sensation you get when seeing a leucistic chook is sort of like seeing a lifer.
A number of Shiny Flower Piercers (Diglossa lafresnayii) have been flying backward and forward the entire time. The paramo was once beginning to disclose its curiosities.
Even though paramos can’t boast of getting a excessive species depend, however they simply make amends for that with very singular and maximum attention-grabbing species. What’s extra, they host somewhat a variety of endemics, each animal and plant. As we handed through a small frame of water a few Apolinar’s Wrens (Cistothorus apolinari) skittered in between the stalks of grass and certainly one of them even form of displayed on best of a small plant with its tail raised excessive up.
We have been repeatedly searching for the elusive and skulking Bogota Rail however sadly, none have been to be observed that day. To make amends for that loss we have been rewarded with shocking attractions of the well-known Inexperienced Bearded Helmetcrest (Oxypogon guerini), every other Colombian endemic with an excessively restricted vary. With their pointed inexperienced strip at the throat bordered through a spiky black and white crest, the ordinary men have been observed foraging at flowering paramo shrubs, who prefer the espeletia subshrubs.
Accompanying them have been Shining Sunbeams (Aglaeactis cupripennis) and Bronze-tailed Thornbills (Chalcostigma heteropogon).
Our subsequent give up was once on the Laguna de Los Tunjos, one of the freshwater lakes within the park. We have been greeted through an exquisite view of the lake and feature Andean waterfowl, particularly Andean teals and geese, in conjunction with a dozen or so American coots. Two park rangers have been to be our guides as we left the street and began on foot up a winding slim trail that took us to the highest of one of the most many rocky hills within the park. The entire panorama appeared like one thing from a Jules Verne novel with weird-looking crops and extraordinary creatures by no means gazed upon through human eyes. As we walked parallel to a rock face at the left, a suspicious set of eyes adopted us from the precipice above. It was once a Simple-capped Floor Tyrant (Muscisaxicola alpines). We noticed every other person on a lichen-covered rock someday later.
A Black-chested Buzzard Eagle (Geranoaetus melanoleucus) rotated above us and a variety of Brown-bellied Swallows (Notiochelidon murina) have been observed. From the windy hilltop, the view opened on wild rolling hills all dotted with whitish-looking shrubs which at a distance resembled small patches of snow. A solitary Black-tailed Trainbearer (Lesbia victoria) flew from flower to flower on the lookout for nectar. One attention-grabbing factor concerning the paramos is that despite the fact that they could appear an easy birding location missing dense lowland crops, you’ll be able to nonetheless simply pass over many species when you don’t seem to be alert. I spotted that on our manner downhill when our tempo slowed. All of sudden I spotted new birds. Many Striped Canasteros (Asthenes flammulata), Brown-backed Chat-Tyrants (Ochthoeca fumicolor), Light-naped Brushfinches (Atlapetes pallidinucha), and Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanagers (Anisognathus igniventris) have been throughout us perched or foraging. Luis stated they have been all there at the manner up, he simply stored them for later.
Army checkpoints outdoor of towns are a not unusual factor in Colombia. One in every of them was once very particular to me. On our long ago we have been stopped at one such checkpoint through 3 absolutely armed squaddies. As they mentioned one thing with Luis I appeared out the automobile window and noticed a impressive sight, now not ten meters from the place we have been stopped. Perched on best of a leafless low tree was once a Purple-crested Cotinga (Ampelion rubrocristatus). To look any cotinga perched this shut and within the open is a fantastic enjoy. Instinctively and with lightning pace I raised the digicam lens however paused pondering my hasty motion may purpose alarm with the warriors. Ah, what the heck! What’s the worst that may occur? So I opened fireplace silently. With a foolish vast smile on my face, I used to be one glad birder as we persisted our manner slowly downhill and again in opposition to the capital.
