Mitú - Return To Pueblo Nuevo

March 5, 2022

We made the decision to return to the Pueblo Nuevo area for a second full day. Despite the success from our first visit, we had barely scratched the surface for what is possible there. I relented and allowed Laura a 4:15 wakeup (instead of 3:30, which I had suggested). While dawn had broke during the last few minutes of the drive, it still afforded us quite a few hours of high quality birding before the heat of the day shut things down. 

While previously we had explored a tract of forest on the east side of the road, this time we walked through the town of Pueblo Nuevo to visit a trail on the west side of the road. Our first lifer of the day occurred barely minutes into our walk when Miguel pointed out a vocalizing Lawrence's Thrush. It sounded a ways off and so we did not pursue it. 

Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

Moments later, another great bird was heard, when the mournful song of a Gray-legged Tinamou caught our ears. This is another one of the Mitú specialties. In typical tinamou fashion, it remained out of sight and so we continued on. 

We cut across some open areas and along a hedgerow to reach a patch of forest that was a little further out of town. Along the way we stopped when we heard a nondescript trill that was easy to pass off as insignificant. Good thing Miguel didn't, since it belonged to an Orinoco Piculet!

Orinoco Piculet - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

While Laura and I had seen an Orinoco Piculet briefly in Inírida, that one escaped on us before we could fully appreciate it (and before I could photograph it), while this one lingered for a few minutes. The key identification feature with the Orinoco Piculet (compared to other piculets of the region) is that it does not show any scalloping on its back. 

Orinoco Piculet - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

The Orinoco Piculet inhabits light woodland and forest edge habitats within its small range, with includes eastern Colombia and just over the border into adjacent Venezuela and Brazil. 

Orinoco Piculet - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

Orinoco Piculet - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

Before entering some taller forest, a strange vocalization caught our ears. The culprits were a pair of Black Titis. 

Black Titi - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

The forest was alive with birdsong and we quickly added thirty or more species to the day list in the minutes after entering the forest. These included another Chestnut-crested Antbird and this Black-faced Antbird. 

Black-faced Antbird - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

Over the next two hours the birding was incredible. One lifer followed another, sometimes with only a couple of minutes in between them. First up were two new antshrikes for us, the White-shouldered and Pearly Antshrikes. The White-shouldered is fairly widespread in the Amazon but can be shy. We were pleased to see a male very well, and I managed a couple of photos, too. 

White-shouldered Antshrike

The Pearly Antshrike is a rarer species, finding habitat only in Western and Central Amazonia. For some reason it isn't encountered too often, and due to its behaviour it is photographed far less frequently. We were in luck and followed a male and two females around for a good 10 minutes as they foraged and flit around in the middle levels of the forest. 

Pearly Antshrike - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

A Ruddy Spinetail was the next new species for our life lists. After some patience we were rewarded with good views of this skulker. Obtaining even a poor-quality photo was tough going, though!

Ruddy Spinetail - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

The next find was one of the more exciting birds of the day. A distinctive rattly trill sounded off beside the trail and I immediately considered the possibility of a Chestnut-belted Gnateater. I had never seen any type of gnateater before, which is a type of short-tailed, terrestrial bird that looks like a cross between a wren and an antpitta, and whose closest relatives are the two species of Pittasoma (Black-crowned Antpitta and Rufous-crowned Antpitta). The only gnateater I had ever crossed paths with was a vocalizing Chestnut-crowned Gnateater at the Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve in Colombia. 

Luckily, Laura and Miguel quickly spotted the gnateater close to the ground and after a frustratingly long amount of time, they finally got me on it. Success!

Chestnut-belted Gnateater - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

We watched the little dude for quite a while. I managed a nice photos, no easy feat given the equipment that I use and the inopportune lighting conditions in the dark forest interior. 

Chestnut-belted Gnateater - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

Chestnut-belted Gnateater - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

Minutes after our "walk away views" of the gnateater, the next lifer appeared. As far as parrots go these ones aren't the most thrilling, and our views consisted of watching their butts as they foraged high in the canopy right above us. But considering that they are usually only seen in flight, I was pretty happy to actually lay eyes on my first Sapphire-rumped Parrotlets. 

Sapphire-rumped Parrotlet - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

Our excellent little run of lifers continued when we heard a strange sputtery bird song a few dozen meters off of the path. Slowly, Miguel and I crept up to the edge of a large downed tree and peaked over. I was surprised to learn the identity of the anonymous vocalist. It was a Short-billed Leaftosser doing a long-version of the typical song; a series of squeaks and trills that went on for over a minute in duration. This is another secretive Amazonian species that is rarely photographed in the wild, one that we were thrilled to see (me more so than Laura, I think!). 

Short-billed Leaftosser - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

 

Our run of lifers would end there. But the birding continued to be good and we enjoyed sifting through mixed flocks in the tall forest and searching for herps in the leaf litter. 

White-crested Spadebill - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

Catonephele acontius - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

Forest Whiptail (Kentropyx pelviceps) - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

Forest Whiptail (Kentropyx pelviceps) - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

We spotted this snake while it was basking beside the path. I have identified this as Drymoluber dichrous, also known as the Northern Woodland Racer. 

Northern Woodland Racer (Drymoluber dichrous) - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

Northern Woodland Racer (Drymoluber dichrous) - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

The bird activity gradually quieted down as the sun rose higher in the sky. We slowly navigated the forest trail back to the town where Felix would be picking us up. Laura remained focused on finding snakes and lizards, while I kept an eye (and ear) out for mixed flocks. Some of the bird highlights near the end of our walk included a Fiery Topaz vocalizing from the canopy, great views of a Pavonine Quetzal, a Rufous-backed Stipplethroat, and our first Black-tailed Flycatcher of the year. Additionally, Miguel and I spent some time with a small mixed flock that included a Wing-barred Piprites and this mystery bird. 

Unidentified antwren - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

It looks like an antwren of some kind, but I am thoroughly stumped with its identification. If anyone reading this recognizes this bird, please let me know!

Unidentified antwren - Pueblo Nuevo, Mitú area, Vaupés, Colombia

It had been a long morning of birding and we had been hiking for nearly eight hours. But it was so productive with around 120 bird species and a number of other interesting things. Pueblo Nuevo was awesome and I wish that we had more time than just the two days to do it justice.