SANTA MARTA MOUNTAINS – ENDEMIC BIRDS TOUR

Trip Report –  February 2024 – By Felipe Villalobos

Day 1
Our adventure to explore the endemic wonders that the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta holds began in Bogotá, where we met the delightful group of six photographers and birdwatchers from Denmark at El Dorado Airport. From there, we took a two-hour flight to the city of Santa Marta, where our private transportation awaited us, perfectly suited for the challenging terrain we would encounter in the following days, ascending from sea level to where the mountains touch the clouds. We were welcomed with a comforting hot dinner at the lodge, where we would spend the next four nights.

Day 2
We awoke to the cold mountain breeze, the singing of the Band-tailed Guan, a wonderful view of the Caribbean Sea, and the delightful feeders on the terrace of our hotel. The encounters with unique species were immediate, particularly the Black-headed Tanager and the Santa Marta Brush-finch, the first two endemic birds on our list. After breakfast, we took a short walk with our driver and knowledgeable bird guide Luis, in the surroundings of the lodge, where we were able to observe the Rusty-breasted Antpitta and the Sierra Nevada Brush-finch. After a light rain, we headed to family-run feeders located at mid-elevation, where we were able to see the Blue-napped Chlorophonia up close, as well as the Grooved-billed Toucanet and the inquisitive Hermit Wood Wren. Unfortunately, the rain returned with greater intensity, so we had to call it a day. We headed back to the hotel, where we rested peacefully after an exhaustive review of what we had observed during the day.

Day 3
This day started very early, as our goal was to reach the highest altitude on the San Lorenzo Ridge. Our journey began at 4:00 AM when it was still dark. During our drive in the darkness, we heard the Santa Marta Screech Owl, so we stopped to listen and search for any signs of its presence. Although its call was getting closer, we couldn’t spot it. So, we continued our ascent. Once it was light, we found ourselves at the highest point, where our encounter with the high-altitude species began. We were greeted by a rather unshy Yellow-crowned Redstart that even perched on the rearview mirror of our vehicle. Other notable species included the Black-cheeked and Buff-breasted Mountain Tanager, the Santa Marta Warbler, and a fleeting encounter with a flock of Santa Marta Parakeets in flight. After these wonderful encounters, we headed to our meeting with Pepita, the name given to Santa Marta Antpitta by her caretaker. We patiently waited for her to respond to the gentle call of her caregiver and protector, until finally, she allowed us to photograph her. Once our mission of photographing Pepita was complete, we began our return to the lodge. During this journey, we made a brief stop at a small shop with hummingbird feeders, where we were fortunate enough to observe the female Santa Marta Woodstar. Another endemic species we encountered on our way down was the female White-tipped Quetzal, which posed for us on a well-lit branch. Our long day concluded at the lodge, where we admired a beautiful sunset as the sun disappeared into the sea—an experience from another dimension.

Day 4
This was our last day in the Sierra. We woke up early to take advantage of the descent and revisit some feeders in search of missing endemic species. We were able to find the Santa Marta Blossomcrowned sipping nectar from some flowers at the edge of the road, and further down, on our way to Minca, we briefly encountered the Santa Marta Antbird and the Golden-winged Sparrow. We had our lunch at a local pizzeria and then headed to our hotel, where we enjoyed the hummingbird feeders and the visit of a Whooping Motmot.