Mitú - Sendero Bocatoma

March 2, 2022

Mitú is well-known as a place to search for a number of white-sand Amazonian species. These birds have a restricted range in the northern Amazon, only occurring in the stunted forest types that grow on this nutrient poor substrate. Luckily, white-sand forest is relatively easy to access near Mitú and several large patches of it can be found near the community of Mitú Cachivera, only a few minutes south of Mitú. Two parallel trails head south: one from the community proper leading towards a hill called Cerro Guacamaya, and another that is a little further east of here called Sendero Bocatoma (or Linea Bocatoma, according to to Miguel). 

Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

We arrived at the trailhead for Sendero Bocatoma at dawn and sipped our hot chocolate while watching the first birds of the morning. A flock of parrots alighted in a nearby tree, containing a mixture of Cobalt-winged Parakeets and Orange-cheeked Parrots. The latter species is an attractive medium-sized parrot that occurs in the western Amazon basin. I had never photographed it before so I took a few distant snaps as record shots. 

Orange-cheeked Parrots - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

As we started down the trail, two of the first birds that we laid eyes on were Yellow-billed Jacamars, an adult and a youngster. The one in the foreground is the baby. It shows a darker breast, a paler spot in front of the eye and a slightly shorter bill. And, well, it just looks all cute and derpy like a baby bird.

Yellow-billed Jacamars - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Yellow-billed Jacamars - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

A distant bird call caught my ears and so we stopped to listen. A Chestnut-capped Puffbird, calling from somewhere unseen behind some tall trees. We listened to it for a few minutes, tried some playback in vain, and continued on. This was another new puffbird species for us and it continued the trend of starting the day with a lifer heard-only puffbird. Not how I like to encounter puffbirds as they are some of my favourite birds, but we’ll take what we can get. 

Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

We were glad that we had purchased rubber boots in January near the start of our travels in Colombia. While they sat in our big backpacks for several weeks taking up space (and valuable weight) without being used, here they were indispensable. The trail acted as a waterway for large stretches, with a steady torrent flowing down it.

Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

One of the main target species in Mitú is the Gray-bellied Antbird, one of maybe 50 “ant-things” that reside in this area. The Gray-bellied has a very restricted range in northwestern Amazonia, finding habitat in stunted white-sand forests. Luckily, we did not have to wait too long to find this species. A bit of speculative playback in an area suggested by Miguel paid off big time as a male and female responded. The light was very low at this early hour and my Nikon D7500 is not suited to high-ISO, low-light photography, but the views of the pair were quite good. We watched them walk around on the ground, only a few meters from us, for a little while. 

Gray-bellied Antbird - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Gray-bellied Antbird - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Spurred on from that success we had a little more spring in our step. Several other specialties of the area soon appeared: a Saffron-crested Tyrant-Manakin (another white-sand specialist), followed by the duidae subspecies of Fuscous Flycatcher. This form was only first discovered in Colombia a decade earlier by some intrepid birders visiting this very area. 

Saffron-crested Tyrant-Manakin - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Fuscous Flycatcher (duidae ssp.) - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Hummingbirds were relatively scarce but hermits were a regular sight. Most were Reddish Hermits, seen briefly as they blasted through the forest. Hermits always seem like they are late for something since they don’t stick around very long. Luckily, one of the Reddish Hermits perched on a trailside twig to have a preening session following a bath in the creek that flowed over the trail. 

Reddish Hermit - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Birding white-sand forest can be a little challenging at times. It really is a matter of quality over quantity. Bird-life can be scant, and sometimes you will go fifteen minutes without sighting a single bird. But the few species that are around are worth waiting for! Having knowledge of vocalizations is vital for a birder anywhere, but in white-sand forest, especially so. Miguel picked up on the distinctive calls of a Ringed Antpipit (which is actually a type of flycatcher), followed by an Ocellated Woodcreeper. We tried to gain a visual of the antpipit since it was a new species for us, but we had to settle for just audio recordings. At least the Ocellated Woodcreeper showed itself briefly. 

A clearing along Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

But there are always things to observe in a forest like this even when the birds are playing hard to get. Anoles rest quietly on leaves, squirrels scamper up trunks and a variety of insects of every shape and colour populate the landscape, if one knows where to look (or gets lucky). 

Anolis sp. - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Guianan Squirrel - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Erotylina scita - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

A little while later we encountered a pair of vocal Spot-backed Antbirds in the understory. Since my Amazonian birding experience was rather limited and mainly confined to seasonally-flooded varzea forest types, some of the common terra firme birds were new for me in Mitú. The Spot-backed Antbird was one of them. 

Spot-backed Antbird - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

What a bird! We enjoyed spending several minutes with this attractive couple. 

Spot-backed Antbird - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Spot-backed Antbird - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Finding a mixed flock is always cause for excitement in the tropical lowlands. The forest may be silent for twenty or thirty minutes, with nary a bird to be seen or heard. But as you round a bend, you heard the telltale chips and buzzes signaling that a flurry of activity is nearby. And before long you are surrounded, trying your best to get on as many birds as possible before the birds pass through.  

Cinereous Antshrike - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

We only came across one reasonably sized mixed flock all morning but it contained a number of interesting species. These included two species of woodcreepers that were new for us – Elegant and Spot-throated – and I was able to obtain photos of both, luckily. 

Elegant Woodcreeper - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Spot-throated Woodcreeper - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Long-winged and Gray Antwrens, Rufous-tailed and Olive-backed Foliage-gleaners, and Cinereous and Plain-winged Antshrikes were some of the other notable species in the flock. 

Olive-backed Foliage-gleaner - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

A little while later we noticed the distinctive call of a Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock. A flash of orange blasted across the path and alighted in a nearby tree. What a ridiculous bird!

Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

My last life bird for the day was a Rusty-breasted Nunbird – heard-only, frustratingly – as we turned around and made our way back to the trailhead. It had been a productive morning with many of our target birds, as well as a nice selection of other wildlife. 

Hercules Skimmer (Libellula herculea) - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Linnaeus's Joker (Cyllopoda jatropharia) - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Common Melwhite (Melete lycimnia)

The walk back was less busy with birds than the walk out had been but we kept our eyes low for other curiosities. Here are a few of the herps and insects we were able to find. 

Calycopis sp. - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Manaus Spiny-backed Frog (Osteocephalus taurinus) - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Melipotis fasciolaris - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Telchin licus - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Anolis sp. - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Molchina hopei - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

We finished the walk with around 85 species of birds; a solid total for a morning in white-sand forest! While waiting a couple of minutes for Felix to appear with the tuk-tuk, I photographed a couple of dragonflies near a wet area at the start of the trail. 

Red-faced Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax fusca) - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Scarlet Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax castanea) - Sendero Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Laura and I had a siesta for several hours in the afternoon and then headed back out again with Miguel and Felix at 3 PM. We chose to return to the Cruce Bocatoma area since Miguel thought it would be a worthwhile site to search for the Orinoco Piculet. Laura and I had seen one in Inírida but it had escaped before we could properly appreciate it (or photograph it). 

Our walk was relatively birdless but we still had a few interesting sightings. A pair of Bronzy Jacamars provided us with incredible views. This species is much less common here in Mitú than in Inírida, where Laura and I saw handfuls of them. 

Bronzy Jacamar - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Interestingly, this Bronzy Jacamar exhibited a pale bill tip. Normally, the whole bill is black. 

Bronzy Jacamar - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Laura often scans for herps on the ground and in the undergrowth, especially when the birding is a little slow. It paid off once again as she spotted a snake on the road which we quickly apprehended. I believe that this is a Short-nosed Groundsnake (Taeniophallus brevirostris), a species that seems to prefer terra firme forests in the northern part of Amazonia. 

Short-nosed Groundsnake (Taeniophallus brevirostris) - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Short-nosed Groundsnake (Taeniophallus brevirostris) - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

But that was not all that we would get from the snake gods. I spotted a serpentine shape near the edge of a creek – a Sipo (Chironius) of some kind! With a bit of stealth I was able to catch the nearly four-foot long snake, and managed to complete the task without getting bit, either! 

Brown Sipo (Chironius fuscus) - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

This gorgeous snake is a Brown Sipo (Chironius fuscus), a diurnal species that preys mainly on lizards and small rodents. It never seemed to settle down throughout our fifteen minute encounter, keeping a wary eye on me, and so I used a stick to facilitate easy handling of the animal without allowing the possibility of getting bit. This species is completely harmless, but a large individual like this can cause quite a nip, which I like to avoid if possible. 

Brown Sipo (Chironius fuscus) - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Brown Sipo (Chironius fuscus) - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Felix arrived a few minutes later to pick us up. It turns out that he was quite the snake enthusiast and was thrilled about our two snake finds. He knew the latin names for many of the snakes in the area and so we spent the rest of the ride back to town discussing snakes of Mitú, at least as best as I could in my broken Spanish! The snakes were just a great finish to an excellent day. 

Mitú - First Full Day, Visiting Cruce Bocatoma And Urania Bridge

 March 1, 2022

Our first morning began with a little bit of miscommunication. I had mentioned to Miguel that I wanted to visit a site close to town called Sendero Bocatoma, which provides access to high quality white-sand forest. However, a dirt road just east of Cerrito Verde is sometimes referred to as Cruce Bocatoma. The site that I had wanted to explore (near Mitú Cachivera) is called Linea Bocatoma by the locals. 

Despite this small setback, we enjoyed an excellent morning of birding at Cruce Bocatoma and we found several species that we did not observe anywhere else in Mitú, so it all worked out in the end. 

Green-backed Trogon - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

We arrived at dawn with our tuk-tuk flushing a couple of Common Pauraques off the road to signal the transition from night to day. Immediately, we heard a distant but distinctive bird vocalization. A Collared Puffbird! Laura and I hastily downed our packed breakfast (scrambled eggs and cheese on an arepa and a thermos of hot chocolate) and headed off down the muddy trail to find the puffbird. You may recall that the Collared Puffbird was one of our misses from Inírida. 

Amasonia sp. - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Unfortunately, the puffbird was neither heard nor seen again, but we were quickly distracted by another vocalizing species: a Striped Woodhaunter. This one we managed to track down for good views and poor photos!

Striped Woodhaunter - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

The trail cut through tall secondary forest interspersed with cleared areas. Though it wasn't the highest quality forest we had ever witnessed, it was full of birds. An unusual vocalization that piqued my interest morphed into a cute Collared Gnatwren, while our first White-cheeked Antbirds appeared in a mixed flock. It was cool to see this Amazonian counterpart to the Bicolored Antbird, a species which we encounter quite often west of the Andes. 

Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

The Imeri Warbling-Antbird is a somewhat local species that prefers white-sand habitats in northern Amazonia. Though we had heard this species in Inírida, we had never seen one before. A pair were teed up beside the trail, singing away.

Imeri Warbling-Antbird - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Though the Pavonine Quetzal is a relatively widespread species in the Amazon, it was a big target of mine. Quetzals are objectively awesome, and this was the only member of this genus (Pharomachrus) that I had never encountered before. We did not have to wait long before we heard one crying out in the distance. It soon flew in, giving us amazing views!

Pavonine Quetzal - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

The great birding continued and lifers came frequently. The only problem was that most of them were heard-only, including Brown-winged Schiffornis, White-throated Tinamou, Black-headed Antbird, Yellow-throated Antwren, Dusky-capped Greenlet and Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher. Luckily, we would turn most of those "heard-onlies" into "seen-well and photographed" later on in the trip. 

Owl-Butterfly (Caligo sp.) - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

There are always various insects to admire in the Amazon, though of course they are more noticeable when the birding is a little slow. Owl-Butterflies (Caligo spp.) are always impressive to see, while Lubber Grasshoppers in the genus Chromacris can be quite showy.

Chromacris sp. - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Some shrill twittering calls from high up in the canopy proved not to be avian in origin, but mammalian. A little troupe of Mottle-faced Tamarins passed through the treetops. Several Black Titi monkeys were in the area as well.

Mottle-face Tamarin (Saguinus inustus) - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Most of the day's photos had been low quality record shots up to this point. Not that I am complaining - it comes with the territory when birding tall forest in the Amazon. Good photographic opportunities just do not present themselves too often. I finally turned things around when we found a Dwarf Tyrant-Manakin right beside the trail. These tiny fluffballs generally hang out high in the canopy so this was a nice surprise!

Dwarf Tyrant-Manakin - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Dwarf Tyrant-Manakin - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Around the same time, we found our lifer Yellow-billed Jacamar. This beautiful species is found mainly in the northern and western parts of the Amazon basin, and it prefers tree-fall gaps within tall forest. 

Yellow-billed Jacamar - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

The hits just kept coming. First, we watched a few White-browed Purpletufts, then we spotted a Great Jacamar, and a little while after that we found some cooperative Moustached and Spot-backed Antwrens. 

White-browed Purpletufts - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Great Jacamar - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

The sky had threatened rain all morning and it finally delivered on that promise, forcing us to break out our umbrellas and ponchos. It was a short-lived spell of precipitation and we were soon back to birding. An Amazonian Barred-Woodcreeper obliged us by perching on a sapling right beside the trail. I love the intricate barring that this species shows!

Amazonian Barred-Woodcreeper - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

The rest of our hike was relatively slow from a birding perspective, no doubt because the humidity and heat had been dialled up after the rain. We were happy to reach the tuk-tuk and feel the breeze on the drive back to town.

Heliconius xanthocles - Cruce Bocatoma, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

That afternoon, Laura, Miguel, Felix and I visited a site very close to town called the Urania bridge. This is at the end of the road north of town, though a footbridge crosses the river here and one can continue on foot (or moto) to the indigenous town of Mituseño Urania. There is an entrance fee for foreign birders to visit this community and we had planned on visiting this site later on, but for this afternoon we simply birded the area just before the bridge.

Urania Bridge, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

The sky was threatening once again and the wind had picked up, keeping the bird activity to a minimum. Most of the species that we found are fairly widespread Amazonian birds, but great to see regardless. 

Yellow-tufted Woodpecker - Urania Bridge, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Many-banded Aracari - Urania Bridge, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Many-banded Aracari - Urania Bridge, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

We noted a few specialties of the area including Bronzy Jacamar, Double-banded Pygmy-Tyrant and Black-throated Antbird. We both picked up a single lifer, the spectacularly beautiful Amazonian Scrub-Flycatcher. 

Amazonian Scrub-Flycatcher - Urania Bridge, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

With the sun setting, we reconvened with Felix to ride back to town. Several stops were made along the way, wherever we could find large stands of Moriche Palms, since the specialized Point-tailed Palmcreeper frequents these trees. Unfortunately, we came up empty and had to be happy with Sulphury Flycatchers and Moriche Orioles instead. 

Epaulet (Moriche) Oriole - Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Sulphury Flycatcher - Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

It had been an excellent first full day in Mitú and we were excited for what else was in store!

Mitú - Introduction And Arrival

The town of Mitú is situated deep in the Colombian Amazon, not far from the Brazil border. This remote outpost is the capital of Vaupés department, a region consisting of vast rainforest populated with small villages along some of the major waterways. Though it is the capital of Vaupés, Mitú is not that large of a town with an estimated population of 30,000 people. Given its location deep in the jungle it is no surprise that the only way to visit Mitú is to take a flight from Bogotá or Villavicencio, routes that Satena flies a few times per week. 

Mitú is most well-known for the FARC attack in November of 1998 in which insurgents captured the city for several days. Hundreds of people died; civilians, soldiers and police officers in Mitú, as well as hundreds of FARC members who died when the city was re-taken by the military. Some of the captured police officers remained in captivity for years. A few escaped, some were released during the peace negotiations many years later, and others died while in captivity. Security in Mitú increased dramatically following the attack. It is said that Mitú is now the safest town in Colombia due to the hundreds of police officers and soldiers stationed here, ensuring that the events of November 1998 never happen again. 

Mitú is also famous among birders due to the high diversity of species that find home in the white sand forest and terra firme surrounding the town. It is only in the last decade that birding tourism has really taken off here. Now, several tour companies visit Mitú, typically for 4-5 days as part of a longer tour in Colombia. 

Chestnut-belted Gnateater - Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Mitú has always been on my bucket list. My first visit to Colombia was in 2015, and some of the friends that I traveled with also visited Mitú during that trip. Alas, I had a full-time job at the time and could only devote so many weeks to the Colombia adventure and so I had to back out of the Mitú portion. I have returned to Colombia on two occasions in recent years but haven't had the time to squeeze in a Mitú expedition. I was not going to let Mitú slip through my grasp once again and so Laura and I made plans to spend a week here in early March, 2022 after finishing my tour of Colombia for Worldwide Quest. 

Mitú has some overlap with Inírida regarding habitats and species, but with enough differences that the two locations complement each other well. Inírida is situated near the Venezuela border and is technically located within the Orinoco basin. Mitú is several hundred kilometers southwest of Iníirda, near the Colombia/Brazil border and within the Amazon basin. Both sites are located within an Important Bird Area (IBA) known as the Orinoco Negro White Sand Forest, and many of the birds that are highly coveted in Mitú (and Inírida) are endemic to this region. They include the Gray-legged Tinamou, Orinoco Piculet, Spot-backed Antwren, Yellow-backed Antwren, Chestnut-crested Antbird, Gray-bellied Antbird, Azure-naped Jay and White-naped Seedeater (though the latter species is rarely recorded from Mitú these days). One difference between the two sites is that Inírida is surrounded by seasonally flooded igapó/varzea forest, while Mitú is located near high-quality terra firme. 

Orinoco Piculet - Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

Everything that I had read in past trip reports made it seem like organizing a Mitú expedition was a bit complicated. In truth, I found the opposite to be true. It was very easy to book lodging, food, reliable transportation, and a local guide (required for most of the trails). Local Colombian birders Luis Urueña and Diego Calderon helpfully gave me to the contact information for the hotel I stayed at (Hotel Brasilia), as well as the guide that I used (Miguel Portura). 

And now, a few logistics details for those planning a Mitú trip:

We booked our flights with Satena in early January but truthfully, we should have booked sooner. All of the dates in January and early February were sold out, meaning that we had to book the flights from February 28 to March 7 and extend our time in Colombia by a week or so. It is much better to give yourself two months in advance of your anticipated dates of travel. Also, note that Satena only flies to Mitú on a few days each week. 

Chestnut-crested Antbird - Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

We stayed at Hotel Brasilia, located on the east side of the airport and only a 10-minute drive to some of the main birding areas (Mitú Cachivera to the south, and Urania bridge to the north). Monica from Hotel Brasila can be reached on Whatsapp at +57 3187673142. The rooms were comfortable and contained an AC unit, and they cost 90,000 pesos a night (around 30 Canadian dollars). Monica and the other staff at the hotel were incredibly attentive and willing to make all of our meals for us, for the modest price of 15,000 pesos per person per meal. This included packed hot breakfasts every morning, even though our departure time from the hotel varied from 4:20 AM to 5:30 AM. The meals were delicious and we had no need to try any of the restaurants in town!

Laura and I typically refrain from hiring guides when traveling, simply because we like saving money and enjoy the thrill of self-discovery when on the trails. However, a local guide is necessary for many of the good birding sites in Mitú since the sites occur on indigenous territories, and they require a local guide to accompany any visitors. The exceptions include a few sites such as the Urania bridge and the Bocatoma (Pipeline) trail. All other sites required permission from the local indigenous community as well as the payment of a fee, which varied between communities. 

Birding with Miguel Portura

Miguel Portura is one of two local birding guides that live in Mitú. Miguel resides in Mitú Cachivera and he is a member of the Tucano indigenous community. In the past, most birders utilized the services of Nacho, a local guide familiar with all the trails but who knew nothing about any of the birds. Fortunately, Miguel has been guiding in Mitú for a number of years now and he is an excellent birder who knows most of the vocalizations and territories for a lot of the specialties. I figured if we needed to have a local guide with us to access all of the trails, we might as well have a guide who was familiar with the birds of the region. His fee is more expensive than Nacho’s, but at 180,000 pesos a day (around 60 Canadian dollars) it fit within our budget. We found Miguel to be a reliable and professional guide who was easy to get along with. He was a sharp birder and knew most of the vocalizations, though he made a few mistakes with some of them (I think this is because he does not have access to any of the bird vocalizations on his phone). He does not speak English, so one must have at least a basic grasp of Spanish. I would highly recommend Miguel’s services. 

Common Lancehead (Bothrops atrox) - Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia

All of the trails can be reached by tuk-tuk (3-wheeled moto-taxi), so shelling out the extra cash to hire a 4x4 vehicle is not necessary. Miguel found a tuk-tuk and driver for us, the affable Felix. Other birders have mentioned in the past the problem with sourcing a reliable driver that is always on time. We did not have to worry at all with Felix – he was always early to pick us up. While Felix’s rates may have been a bit higher than some of the other tuk-tuk drivers, we were happy to pay a little more for the reliability, ensuring we made it to the forest by dawn each morning. 

There is one community (Santa Marta) that is located on the far side of the Río Vaupés. If one wishes to visit this area, they (or their local guide) will have to sort out a boat to take them across and then pick them up again. We inquired with Miguel about the possibility of visiting Santa Marta but he insisted that it wasn’t a good idea due to problems in the community and a poorly-maintained trail. I see via eBird that others birders have been there relatively recently so maybe it is not as complicated as Miguel made it out to be. But we had enough sites to visit that could be reached by tuk-tuk, so we did not bother trying to visit Santa Marta.  

February 28, 2022

Our flight from Bogotá to Mitú was delayed by 2-3 hours (this is standard!) and so the sun was low in the sky as we touched down on the runway in Mitú. Felix was waiting for us at the airport and he took us to the hotel, where Monica from Hotel Brasilia showed us our room. That evening, Laura and I went for a quick stroll around the neighbourhood at dusk. We didn't see anything too interesting but noted some migrating Fork-tailed Flycatchers, a pair of Green Ibis on the runway, some Red-bellied Macaws flying to their roost and several Moriche Orioles.