Friday, June 10

 Friday, June 10

I finally made it to Jardin Botanico. Since it doesn't open until 9am, I enjoyed a slow breakfast and negotiated a taxi fare of Bs25, arriving just before 10am. This is truly an amazing birding area given its proximity to the city. Not quite Parque Metropolitano in Panama City, but nevertheless, quite good.

The laguna was not particularly populated, but I did see my first Least Grebe, Wattled Jacana and Common Moorhen of the trip. Rufous-browed Peppershrike and Rufous Hornero were in the trees and hillside. I started to walk toward the Moorhen for a better view when I noticed an Aligator (not a log) just to its right. A Roadside Hawk was perched beautifully at eye-level and did not flush while I shot closer and closer. A Yellow-tufted Woodpecker perched exposed in the top branches of a tree, while a House Wren moved through the middle branches.

I meandered through the extensive trail system that crosses varied types of forest habitats. This variety made the garden highly productive throughout the day. Along the fence-line, I found Thrush-like Wren, a female Purple-throated Euphonia, Sayaca Tanager, and Hooded Tanager. Moving into the woods, Woodcreeper became abundant, including Straight-billed Woodcreeper. An opening in the canopy was the perfect setting for a Black-fronted Nunbird to perch in the sunlight. 

Black-fronted Nunbird (300mm f/4 1/400, ISO200)

This section of trail held Creamy-bellied Thrush, which given my previous misses I had started to believe would be a bird I missed to migration. I also found the male Purple-throated Euphonia and Tropical Parula. Perhaps the most interesting bird of the day was the Red-billed Scythebill, who quite actively picked way at tree trunks. The low brush yielded Black-capped Antwren and Bolivian Slaty-Antshrike. Other birds included Silver-beaked Tanager, Fawn-breasted Wren. The day ended with a better shot of a Purplish Jay, Crested Oropendola and Yellow-chevroned Parakeet.

Red-billed Scythebill (300mm f/4  1/400, ISO200)

I returned to the hostel via a trufi taxi and then set off for the bus terminal. Bus terminals are undoubtedly the hardest part of traveling in a foreign language. I was not entirely sure what kind of ticket I had purchased, but I reiterated “cama, cama, cama” as often as possible. I came to expect an old school bus, but was pleasantly surprised that I actually had purchased a place on a cama bus (Bs70). The rumors about how cold they become were true, and every Bolivian was prepared with a blanket. I threw my fleece over me, pulled my hat down, turned on some music and slept fairly well over the course of the night.

Bird tally: 15 new, 11 lifers