Wednesday, June 8

The day started clear from the outset. Getting started at 6:45, I quickly birded the grounds of La Vispera. The usual suspects were found (House Wren, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Eared Dove, Saffron Finch), but it was decidedly less birdy than the day before. Working the hillside, I found a White-bellied Tyrannulet, Purple-throated Euphonia, and Red-tailed Comet. After breakfast, I decided to walk the Pipeline Road rather than the valley behind La Vispera since the mountains north of Samaipata had deciduous trees, while the latter seemed to have mostly scrub vegetation. Walking toward Samaipata, the bushes along the dirt road were quite active with Black-capped Warbling-Finch, Sayaca Tanager, a female White-tipped Plantcutter, and Ringed Warbling-Finch.

Instead of turning left toward the town square, I headed right to explore a less developed road. After a short distance, a Yellow-and-Blue Tanager was singing and quite happy to let me approach closely. Continuing around the east side of town (toward Santa Cruz), a large flock of Guira Cuckoo moved through the trees and Blue-and-white Swallows swooped about. At a patch of cone-flowers, I had a wonderful view of a Glittering-bellied Emerald, which I had seen previously at La Vispera, but could not successfully photograph. Immediately after the Emerald departed, a Slender-tailed Woodstar arrived.

Glittering-bellied Emerald (300mm, f/4 1/1600, ISO200)

Slender-tailed Woodstar (300mm f/4 1/1600, ISO200)

Blue-and-Yellow Tanager (300mm f/4 1/640, ISO400)

Seeing the pipeline on the north side of the main highway from Santa Cruz, while driving into Samaipata, I turned north down a dirt road by the stone-cutter, toward the evangelical church. I then crossed a river and headed toward the mountain ranges of Amboro reasoning that this would lead me to Pipeline Road. Not to ruin the ending, but I was mistaken. Although this area was not described in any of the trip notes I possessed, it nevertheless turned into a fairly successful hike. Since this is the dry season, the river bed was barren, leaving a slow-moving creek or small ponds with lily-pads. The birds along this stretch of river included Epaulet Oriole and Picui Ground-Dove.

The road turned right toward the mountains and a group of three workers. I held up my camera to inspect a pair of Burrowing Owls, which attracted their attention. They asked if they could look through the camera to see the birds and not without hesitancy, handed over $3000 of equipment. They seemed to enjoy the opportunity and informed me these were known as Palomas. The road then swung left and upward with large, and usually beautiful, haciendas along the right side. Although the hillside below the road was mostly untouched scrub-oak, there was no bird activity.

Climbing steadily into the direction of the sun, I started to tire during the early afternoon. I stopped for lunch at a junction. A road branched off towards the right and up a ridge. I decided to continue straight on the dirt road, which leveled from that point forward. Soon, the main dirt road came to a fork. A small path branched left up and over a small hill. A barbed-wire gate blocked this direction. To the right, a dirt path lead toward the mountains of Amboro. I turned down this road. Almost immediately, the birding improved: an Apolomado Falcon passed overhead. With thicker vegetation on both sides, activity was evident. Three to five large black birds that behaved like Chachalaca flushed from the trees, but I was unable to make a better identification. Several Two-banded Warbler were also spotted along this path. An Andean Condor circled in front of the raising moon.

The path began to descend into the valley. After losing elevation, the path made a steep sharp turn toward the right, then again to the left. At this second turn, the path flattened, sun flooded in and birds filled the trees. At this spot alone, I saw Tataupa Tinamou (I will forever regret that the lens was in MF, so a blurry picture of its end is all I managed from a view of him crossing the path in broad daylight), Two-banded Warbler, Tropical Parula, Black-backed Grosbeak, Blue-crowned Trogon, Saffron-billed Sparrow, Brown-capped Whitestart, Blue-and-Yellow Tanager, and a stunning display by an Olivaceous Woodcreeper.

Blue-headed Trogon (300mm f/4 1/800, ISO200)

Olivaceous Woodcreeper (300mm f/4 1/4000, ISO4000)

Returning toward Samaipata, the dirt track yielded more Two-banded Warblers and Squirrel Cuckoo. The main road produced a flock of Purplish Jay in the trees and Mitred Parakeet overhead, along with numerous Turkey and Black Vultures. Many Epaulet Oriole and Baywing were located near (and in) the ponds before the river, while a Vermillion Flycatcher was perched on the highline wires. A Grey-necked Woodrail was skulking through the river and many passerines (Blue-and-Yellow Tanager, Epaulet Oriole, Saffron Finch, Great Kiskadee) could be seen along the banks.

Ben, Kris and I enjoyed pizza and ice cream for dinner as my last night in Samaipata.

Bird Tally 38 total, 19 new, 18 lifers