April 13 - 17, 2022. We left Copalinga for a long drive, arriving late morning well off the beaten path at Cabañas Yankuam and the Maycu Reserve, in the beautiful Nangaritza Valley. Few birders or bird groups go this far out of the way. The reserve is protection for some of the last remaining forest habitat of the Orange-throated Tanager. This species is hard to find and see but we hoped with the extra effort we would be successful. Shortly after arrival we took the short drive up the mountain into the reserve and started our search. And then the rain came. Not the kind of rain you can reasonably continue birding in, but the kind of rain that chases you back to the vehicle. It was lunch time so we took the opportunity. After the downpour our driver Nestor took us back up the hill to a spot he figured was better than most for seeing the tanager (drivers tend to be really good bird finders as they go on lots of these trips). We spread out and started searching, and soon had a flock nearby. Finding a mixed species flock is always a big plus when birding in the tropics as often some of the best birds can be in a flock, and without one you are often left looking at an empty forest. Flock = good. The next thing we know Nestor is calling us and jumping up and down with excitement, waving frantically for us to come to where he is. Sure enough, he has a pair of Orange-throated Tanagers in the part of the flock he's looking at. The next 15 minutes is pandemonium as we see the tanagers, and try and identify the other myriad of birds in the flock. Definitely one of the highlights of the entire trip.
Nestor navigates some slippery mud on the road to get us to the lodge
Cabañas Yankuam
Rainforest birding in the rain
The lovely Nangaritza Valley
Orange-throated Tanager
We had another day set aside for tanager hunting, just in case, so continued to bird the reserve and surroundings. Birding was good, between the rain storms, and we picked up many other new species.
Moving day again and we were headed to the crown jewel of the Jocotoco Foundation's reserve system, Tapichalaca Reserve. This was the first reserve created, which all started with the discovery of a new species - the Jocotoco Antpitta in 1997, by Dr. Robert Ridgely during a sound recording expedition. In a rain-soaked, bamboo choked steep mountain forest, Ridgely heard a bird that he had never heard before. It sounded somewhat like a known owl species from the region, but not exactly. He recorded it and played it back through a speaker. Sneaking through the forest toward him was an antpitta species that had never been described to science. Some call it the most exciting ornithological discovery of the 20th century. [Read more with this link] Within a year the Jocotoco Foundation had been created and 90,000 acres of forest purchased to protect much of the last remaining habitat of this critically endangered bird. Casa Simpson is the lodge on the reserve, and that would be our base for the next few days.
To help birders have a chance at seeing this rare bird, and to generate revenue for the foundation at the reserve, the lodge rangers maintain an antpitta feeding station high up on the mountain. Every day a ranger hikes up and places a few native worms on the ground in an a small forest clearing. The local pair of antpittas are well trained to this regular source of supplemental food and are willing participants each day. Even thought the weather was less than ideal the first morning, we eagerly joined the ranger for his early morning trek to the spot.
Orchid
A quick stop on the side of the road before starting our hike
The weather was really awful, but this is where the birds live
The trail was just a little wet...
The mountainside where the antpitta, and lots of other birds live
Susan was the envy of all with her really cool "Chicken Boots"
A tiny orchid that grows at the tip of a leaf
This orchid grows inside a fold in the leaf
And yes, we saw the antpitta, and lots of other birds too. Other than the mud and rain soaked hike, it wasn't too difficult to see the bird as it was patiently waiting for us to show up. The hardest part for me and a few images, was getting the bird away from the worms and the low dismal light.
We spent two mornings hiking the reserve trails, especially looking for the other endangered species there - Golden-plumed Parakeet. This bird is easiest to find by standing in an open area on the high ridge and watching for them flying about the forest below. But with such dismal visibility that was only a dream. On the fist morning we heard one fly by. On the second day during lunch, Susan and I were lucky enough to see a couple of parakeets land in a tree next to the lodge.
In a true Dr. Ridgley moment, we were walking along the trail the second morning when we heard a sound in the forest that even our guide Andres couldn't identify. It sounded like a screech-owl, sort of, and stumped us all. I recorded it on my phone and played it back out loud. Within seconds a Jocotoco Antpitta came up the hill to check us out. We all just shook our heads and laughed.
Each afternoon we headed down the mountain to the lowlands for different birds and to try and dry out a little. On the way down we stopped at a spot where local ranger Diego had seen a rare Chestnut-crested Cotinga. This would be a life bird for Andres, and obviously us too. Cotingas as a family tend to perch prominently on the tops of tall trees. After a bit of scanning, we all had our lifer.
Chestnut-crested Cotinga
Lower down we found lots of great birds, even if it did pour on us on the second afternoon.
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