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We start with a visit to the Guajira Peninsular that holds a number of regional endemics shared with nearby Venezuela, not forgetting the coastal lagoons with large numbers of shorebirds and Terns. The Santa Marta mountains rise, it seems, straight out of the Caribbean and it is a spectacular mountain range with a hatful of localized endemics of which we will see the vast majority. We base ourselves at the very comfortable El Dorado Lodge where several of the endemics can be seen in the garden.
| Day 1: |
| If joining for this section only on arrival in Bogota and connect with the flight to Santa Marta (overnight in Bogota can be arranged). Note also there is the option of the daily Avianca Airlines flight from Miami to Barranquilla (3;00pm/4:40pm). If coming from the Andean endemics tour, its long travel day with some stops. We’ll leave at 3:30 am to avoid the traffic and get to Santa Marta in time for lunch and meet other folks joining us for the Santa Marta Tour. Breakfast en route Drive to Santa Marta and Rodadero beach in time for lunch and stay in our beachside hotel there. Afternoon free to relax B:L:D
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| Day 2: |
Field Breakfast. Morning around Salamanca for Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird and Chestnut-winged Chachalaca. Other birds include Bare-eyed Pigeon, Russet-throated Puffbird and Chestnut Piculet, Bicolored Conebill and Panama Flycatcher. Lots of Herons, Shorebirds/Waders ands coastal species here, and as the day heats up we’ll head east of Santa Marta to Riohacha and bird the afternoon at suitable desert habitat and the Los Flamencos reserve. Specialties here include White-whiskered Spinetail, Blue-crowned Parakeet, Buffy Hummingbird, Black-backed Antshrike, Stripe-backed Wren, Black-faced Grassquit, Vermillion Cardinal, Tocuyo Sparrow and Oriinocan Saltator. Night in Riohacha. FB:L:D |
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| Day 3: |
| Morning again birding the Los Flamencos area picking up what we may have missed As the day heats up we’ll head for the cooler Santa Marta Mountains and lunch in Minca. Bird lower elevations near Minca in the afternoon looking for Red and White Wren, Venezuelan Tyrannulet, Black-backed Antbird, Rusty-breasted Antpitta, Santa Marta Tapaculo (endemic), Blossomcrown, Rufous-capped Warblers, Swallow Tanagers, Coppery Emerald Royal Flycatcher, Golden-winged Sparrow and more. We’ll arrive at the El Dorado Lodge at dusk. This new lodge is extremely comfortable with a very birdy garden with many endemics visible from the balcony. FB:L:D
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| Day 4 - 5: |
| Two full days on the San Lorenzo Ridge birding different elevations for different species. One day we’ll take our 4 wheel drive jeeps to the higher elevations of the San Lorenzo ridge. Endemic targets include Santa Marta Parakeet, Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant, Santa Marta Seedeater, Santa Marta Warbler, Santa Marta Mountain Tanager, Santa Marta Brush Finch, White-lored Warbler, Yellow-crowned Whitestart, Rusty-headed Spinetail, Streak-capped Spinetail, White-tailed Starfrontlet, Santa Marta Antpitta, Santa Marta Warbler, Black-backed Thorntail (rare) and Santa Marta Woodstar. Others include White-tipped Quetzal, White-rumped Haw, Black-fronted Wood-Quail, Golden-breasted Fruiteater, Grey-throated Warbler and Lined Quail-Dove. A recently described species of Megascops Owl – the El Dorado Screech Owl is to be seen here too! Nights at the El Dorado Lodge. B:L:D
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| Day 6: |
After an early breakfast we’ll drive to Santa Marta Airport, with some birding above Minca, for the 1:00pm flight (arriving at 2:40pm) to Bogota and international connections home (or to baranquilla if flying from there to Miami). Day use or overnight of a hotel in Bogota may be arranged on request.
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