The Santa Marta Mountains

Following a night near the city of Santa Marta we were up early to drive into the neighbouring mountains. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta reaches a height of 5,700 m, yet the peak is only 42 kilometres from the coast. This means that these are some of the highest coastal mountains in the world.

We arrived at a dirt road outside of the town of Minca just as the sky began to lighten. We were here at an early hour for a reason. Military Macaws roost in trees on the opposite hillside.

We were still hearing a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl and a Common Pauraque when the first Military Macaw squawked from across the way. Eventually, it was light enough to see as a few flocks lifted off and traversed the airways near to us. Sometimes, a small group would pass low enough that their colours could be appreciated against the forested background. 

Military Macaws - Minca area, Magdalena, Colombia

We finished breakfast and strolled up the road for an hour or so as the dry forest came alive with sound. A pair of Bicolored Hawks was the highlight for some, though mine was the great view that we had of a singing Black-backed Antshrike. Sooty Grassquit was perhaps our rarest find, though his plumage could not compare to the Keel-billed Toucans that lit up whichever branch they were perched on.

Keel-billed Toucan - Minca area, Magdalena, Colombia

A brief stop at the Minca Hotel provided necessary refreshments of coffee and hot chocolate while dozens of hummingbirds zipped by all around us.

White-vented Plumeleteer - Minca, Magdalena, Colombia

Our plan was to arrive at the El Dorado Lodge for lunch but we still had a few birding stops to make. At one location we lucked into a singing male Rosy Thrush-Tanager. This species is well known not only for its ridiculous plumage, but also for how difficult it can be to see. Luckily, this one did not get the memo.

Rosy Thrush-Tanager - Minca area, Magdalena, Colombia

We stopped a little further up the road at a place called Bellavista where two of the endemic hummingbirds, the Santa Marta Woodstar and Santa Marta Blossomcrown, often visit the numerous orange flowers along the roadside and in front of the property. Unfortunately our mid-afternoon vigil was fruitless but we were sated with excellent encounters with butterflies, a Coppery Emerald, and a quick flyby of a Black-and-Chestnut Eagle. A Broad-winged Hawk also appeared near the feeders, clutching in its talons a dead Lined Quail-Dove.

Corinna Daggerwings - El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia

We reached the El Dorado Lodge and enjoyed a hearty lunch, while trying not to get distracted by the hummingbirds on the feeders outside.

From a distance Brown Violetears came appear rather boring, but in the right light they are dazzling.

Brown Violetear - El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia

This is the Solitaire Anole (Anolis solitarius), a species endemic to the Santa Marta mountains. In my experience they can be common around the El Dorado Lodge.

Solitaire Anole (Anolis solitarius) - El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia

Solitaire Anole (Anolis solitarius) - El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia

A small flock of Blue-naped Chlorophonias were attendant at the feeders. How's that for a goldfinch!

Blue-naped Chlorophonia - El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia

Blue-naped Chlorophonia - El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia

Following a well-deserved rest for the group, I scheduled a mid-afternoon hike from the lodge. Since we were closer to 2000 m in elevation the species diversity would be a little different when compared to the other, much lower areas we had visited earlier in the day.

Black-chested Jay - near El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia

The walk started off great with a nice flock of Black-chested Jays and a single Groove-billed Toucanet right beside the lodge. The toucanet was even a new one for me!

We enjoyed great looks at a few of the endemics - Santa Marta Brushfinch, Sierra Nevada Brushfinch and White-lored Warbler. One nice mixed flock contained a few Black-capped Tanagers, Bay-headed Tanagers, various migrant warblers and several species of Furnariids.

Sierra Nevada Brushfinch - near El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia

A little later, we visited a mirador just above the lodge to experience the golden rays of the late afternoon. Scarlet-fronted Parakeets and Scaly-naped Parrots flew past, while a Collared Forest-Falcon called from somewhere unseen. Just as we were about to leave, I spotted our target bird - a White-tipped Quetzal teed up on a distant tree. As the sun lowered in the sky we watched two individuals feeding in the canopy of this tree, perfectly illuminated for us.

Scarlet-fronted Parakeet - near El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia

The El Dorado Lodge and environs are perfect for searching for nocturnal life. Unfortunately due to our 4 AM wakeup time the next morning, Laura and I only had a little bit of time to poke around after dark. But just around the cabins we found some real beauties, including these two endemic species: Savage's Salamander (Bolitoglossa savagei) and Kankuamo marquezi, a species of tarantula that was recently described from this area.

Savage's Salamander (Bolitoglossa savagei) - Cuchillo San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

Kankuamo marquezi - Cuchillo San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

February 1 was a day I had highly anticipated for quite some time, as we would be exploring the San Lorenzo ridge, home to most of the endemic bird species of the Santa Marta Mountains. But it is not just the birds that make this place awesome. The view of the sunrise as it crests the snow-capped peaks is one of the best in the world as far as I am concerned. I have yet to see a "better" sunrise.

 Cuchillo San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

 Cuchillo San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

 Cuchillo San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

Part of what makes this place so special is that it is not exactly easy to visit. We left the lodge at 4:30 AM in the Land Cruisers for a very rough and bumpy ride up the boulder-strewn path. Most 4x4s would not be able to make it. We arrived on the ridge just before sunrise.

Once we had a chance to take in the view and enjoy the first hot chocolate of the morning it was time to search for birds! Luckily we were able to find a small flock of Santa Marta Parakeets relatively close to where the Land Cruisers had parked. This Endangered species likely numbers less than 3000 individuals and the population continues to decline. Much of this decline can be attributed to habitat loss, as less than 15% of the natural vegetation cover in these mountains remains. The forest is being cut down for additional livestock grazing and the planting of non-native tree plantations (eucalyptus and pine, mainly).

Santa Marta Parakeet - Cuchillo San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

Santa Marta Parakeets - Cuchillo San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

Santa Marta Parakeet - Cuchillo San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

Approximately 1/3 of the bird species that we came across during the morning are endemic to these mountains - a staggering ratio. Below are two of the endemic species that can sometimes be rather shy. The Santa Marta Warbler and the Hermit Wood-Wren.

Santa Marta Warbler - Cuchillo San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

Santa Marta Warbler - Cuchillo San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

Hermit Wood-Wren - Cuchillo San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

Hermit Wood-Wren - Cuchillo San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

While the Great Thrush is a widespread species throughout the Andes, the local subspecies here is endemic to the Santa Marta mountains.

Great Thrush - Cuchillo San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

I was quite excited to see a few Black-cheeked Mountain-Tanagers for two reasons. First, because who doesn't love mountain-tanagers? And second, because on my only other visit here five years ago, our views of this endemic species were fleeting and photographs were not acquired.

Black-cheeked Mountain-Tanager - Cuchillo San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

A Bat Falcon was perched on one of the transmission towers that runs along the ridge.

Bat Falcon - Cuchillo San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

Our time on the ridge was over too soon but it was everything we had wanted and more. But the excitement of the day was far from over. We hopped back into the vehicles and headed down the mountain to the Estacion Experimental San Lorenzo. In recent times they have had success feeding Santa Marta Antpittas worms out of a bucket.

We waited patiently for around 15 minutes, but eventually the pair arrived. We could not ask for better views!

Santa Marta Antpitta - Estacion Experimental San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

Santa Marta Antpittas - Estacion Experimental San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

Santa Marta Antpittas - Estacion Experimental San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

Santa Marta Antpittas - Estacion Experimental San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia

We drove a little further down the mountain, eventually disembarking to walk the rest of the way back to the lodge. It was late enough in the morning that the butterflies were out in full force in the sunny patches.

Lymanopoda caeruleata - near El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia

Orange Mapwing (Hypanartia lethe) - near El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia

The birding was a little slower, as expected at this time of day. But we watched a distant White-rumped Hawk, picked through a mixed flock, and craned our necks to observe a pair of Golden-breasted Fruiteaters.

Golden-breasted Fruiteaters - near El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia

A siesta was next on the agenda, followed by a late afternoon stroll down the road. I unfortunately had to bow out of that one due to a nasty virus that had hit me but Laura and Cristian had an enjoyable walk with the group. That evening, they led a night walk as well which was also quite successful, capped off with a serenading Santa Marta Screech-Owl. I managed to summon enough strength that evening to stumble onto our porch and hear the owl as well.

Following breakfast, we hit the gravel road back down the mountain. Unfortunately the trip was nearing its conclusion but there was still some time for exploration.

We stopped the Land Cruisers at several stops along the road to search for particular species. All things considered this was a highly successful venture with most of our main targets acquired. These included the Spectacled Tyrannulet, Black-headed Tanager, Santa Marta Blossomcrown, Santa Marta Woodstar and Santa Marta Antbird. Others were heard only - the Santa Marta Tapaculo, Rusty-breasted Antpitta and Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner.

Santa Marta Blossomcrown - Bellavista, Magdalena, Colombia

Heliconius clysonymus - Bellavista, Magdalena, Colombia

White-lored Warbler - Bellavista, Magdalena, Colombia

Santa Marta Antbird - Finca Cincinati, Magdalena, Colombia

We made one final stop in Minca to check the feeders and to have lunch and then it was downhill onto better roads, to the town of Santa Marta for our afternoon flight. That evening we landed in cool and misty Bogotá and it was hard to believe that we had begun the trip here, just twelve days earlier. We had covered so much ground and seen so much of the diversity that Colombia has to offer. I have to say, the tour was a big success and I am looking forward to doing it again next year!