Overview
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4 - 26 Oct 2024. |
With Mike Danzenbaker and Lee Hung. This private trip was arranged through Bird Bolivia. As we'd birded South America extensively, though never Bolivia, our itinerary was built around a consolidated target list concentrating on Bolivian endemics and specialities. Our local guide, Sandro Valdez, was very good.
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To say this trip was fraught with logistical issues would be an understatement. Due to smoke pollution from Amazonian burning, resulting in airport closures across the region, and road blockades caused by the ongoing political machinations by supporters of the previous president, Evo Morales, the itinerary had to be reorganised almost on a daily basis. Bird Bolivia did a superb job of reorganising flights, hotels, vehicle and drivers on the fly. Despite October reckoned to be the best birding month in Bolivia, the Amazonian drought of this year, combined with extensive burning, and smoke blanketing the lowlands, had led to incredibly dry forests. |
We found bird activity poor in all lowland areas, and spent long periods struggling to find our targets, a number of which we failed to find.
Road blockades also caused havoc with our itinerary, leading to very little time available to bird any Yungas forests. Despite these issues, we enjoyed the trip and saw some rare species infrequently encountered by others. Of the 17 species generally considered to be endemic to Bolivia we saw ten and heard one. Note that birding in Bolivia involves many early morning starts, above average driving times to access good habitat, and plenty of walking, often at high altitude.
Flight options to Bolivia from the US, Europe or Asia were pretty dire. With Santa Cruz, in the lowlands, being the usual starting point, all possible routings involved lengthy connections or even airport changes en route. At the time of our trip, possibilities included connections through Panama City, Lima, Sao Paulo or Buenos Aires, none of which offered smooth routing.
Itinerary
2 - 4 Oct. A lengthy journey on Bangkok Airways, KLM and GOL with routing Chiang Mai - Bangkok - Amsterdam - Sao Paulo - Santa Cruz. A 14 hour connection in Sao Paulo was spent at the convenient airport transit hotel. However, this was far from straightforward due to KLM announcing on arrival at Sao Paulo, that all passengers, regardless of their destination or baggage tagging, would have to pass through customs and immigration and recheck baggage. This of course was complete bull manure, and, as discovered later, only applies to Brazilian domestic connections. After the long immigration queues and an hour spent in the lost baggage office, finally crashed out for some much needed sleep. Despite all flights being 30 - 60 minutes delayed, lengthy connection times resulted thankfully in the baggage actually arriving at Santa Cruz. On arrival met up with Bird Bolivia's local staff, guide and driver. Securing a local SIM card proved bureaucratic and time consuming, even using Sandro's Bolivian ID card. Having changed money to local Bolivianos, we headed to a simple hotel near the airport for an overnight stay. Greater Rhea and Burrowing Owl were present along the airport entrance road. Mike and Lee arrived via Panama City late evening, or rather early morning, with US citizens having to endure a lengthy visa on arrival process - more bureaucracy, for which a fee of US$170 was charged.
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5 Oct. A bleary-eyed, early 05:00 start, into the field around Lomas de Arena. Temperatures of around 21°C to start the day were already up to 36°C by 10:00 when we left the area due to recent forest destruction within the reserve area, and few birds. Clearly rampant corruption has led to land sell-off within the park boundaries in recent months. White-bellied Nothura certainly gave us a runaround. Other species recorded included Gilded Sapphire, Snail Kite, White Woodpecker, Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Chotoy Spinetail, White-banded Mockingbird, and our only Wood Stork of the trip. |
On our return to town for lunch, we discovered our flight to Trinidad tomorrow morning had been cancelled as the airport there had been closed due to smoke. This meant a return to the hotel, check out, and taking the overnight bus, ten hours to Trinidad. As the bus did not leave until 20:00, at least it gave us time, late afternoon, to visit the Santa Cruz Botanical Garden in search of Bolivian Slaty Antshrike. We also connected with Green-cheeked Parrot, Black-banded Woodcreeper, Plain Inezia, Unicoloured Blackbird and Saffron Finch. The night bus turned out to the the deluxe version, and very comfortable, though not much sleep was had.
6 Oct. Arriving at Trinidad bus station by 07:00, we met up with our new driver and completed the 40 minutes to our accommodation on the shore of Laguna Suárez. Plenty of waterbirds in evidence, with Jabiru, good numbers of Maguari Stork, Plumbeous Ibis, Buff-necked Ibis, Bare-faced Ibis and a single Capped Heron.
We then departed to the now very dry várzea forest around Puerto Julio. Almost our first bird here was Plain Softtail, but our search for Unicoloured Thrush was unsuccessful - not surprising given its rarity. Back at the lake after lunch and in the heat of the day we investigated the shoreline, where we found four Upland Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, several other waders and a pair of Rusty-collared Seedeater. Late afternoon we headed north along Highway 9 toward San Javier in search of pampa habitat for various seedeaters and seed finches. However, the terribly arid conditions, combined with rampant habitat destruction meant we could only find a couple of small patches of original habitat. Birding from the roadside with clouds of dust from passing vehicles was not pleasant, and we managed only a single flyover of Great-billed Seed Finch.
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7 Oct. An early start in dry forest near La Tuna with success for Unicoloured Thrush - a scarce, endemic, and infrequently recorded species. Not much chance of a photo though as very shy as flighty. The birding then had to be cut short again, as another change of plan was forced upon us. |
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Since Trinidad airport was still closed from the prevailing smoke, it meant that we'd now have a eight hour drive to Barba Azul Reserve. Effectively lopping at least another half day off our birding. We left at 09:00 for Santa Ana where, including two ferry crossings, we arrived four hours later. Lunch in town, then a changeover to our hastily arranged 4x4, in order to complete the three hour drive to the reserve. A couple of fortuitous stops along the way, at one or two of the few pools of water we encountered, were good for Cock-tailed Tyrant, Black-masked Finch and Sharp-tailed Tyrant. It was nice to finally arrive, and although the air was slightly clearer, it was definitely not great. And even worse, with no supplies having been flown in during the past week, the beer stock was out! As our stay at the reserve was for three nights we were hoping for rain to clear the air or else we'd be in for an extremely long drive out. 8 Oct. The setup at the reserve is very pleasant with open savanna and grasslands interspersed with lowland forest. Temperatures were very hot. Surprisingly, given all the grassland and the amount of walking we did, we encountered no chiggers. However, small ticks were very prevalent. For our first morning, we took a short boat ride across the river and walked several kilometres along, and within, the forest, searching for Blue-throated Macaw. At this time of year, numbers of this species in the vicinity are low, as the birds are breeding elsewhere. During our morning we had distant views of around ten birds, though none came particularly close. Later in the morning we investigated the wetter areas of the river edge finding Pantanal Snipe, Southern Screamer, Brazilian Teal, Jabiru, Solitary Sandpiper, Roseate Spoonbill, Buff-necked Ibis, Rufescent Tiger Heron, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture and Long-winged Harrier. |
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After lunch and a short siesta from the heat, we walked the forest directly from the lodge. The biggest surprise was Razor-billed Curassow. Despite the threatening clouds and persistent thunder it remained dry. Most welcome on our return to the lodge was the arrival of cold beer, as one of the drivers had done the six hour trip to town for a restock. |
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Give that man a bonus! Around the buildings at night we heard Tropical Screech Owl, Great Potoo, Common Potoo and Pauraque. At 21:00 the long threatening heavy rain and strong winds finally arrived, although they lasted only a couple of hours.
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9 Oct. We took a pre-dawn walk to the airfield in the hope of Giant Anteater or Maned Wolf. We found footprints of the former and briefly saw a single Maned Wolf running over the savanna. We then retraced our steps from yesterday over the river for another shot at Blue-throated Macaw. Marginally more successful this morning, with a closer flyby. Another lengthy walk in the forest produced almost nothing, largely on account of the heat and very dry conditions. Despite the rain of last night the air was probably even smokier than yesterday, so it was still looking unlikely a plane would be able to land tomorrow. Late afternoon we again worked the track to the airfield, where in the the grassland we encountered Ibera Seedeater. This happened to be the personal milestone of 9,000 species, as well as a new bird even for Sandro the guide. This species has only recently been recorded in Bolivia, but seems to now be resident. For species 9,000 it could have been something a little more exotic! Other birds found in the grassland included Tawny-bellied Seedeater, Dull-coloured Grassquit, Wedge-tailed Grassfinch and Orange-backed Troupial. 10 Oct. The good news of the morning was that a flight was possible. Relief. We walked to the airfield early, and again checked the savanna and woodland edge, but nothing new was recorded. Although the plane was due at 09:00, a technical delay meant it arrived an hour late. Squeezing in all four passengers and baggage proved tricky. |
Finally we were under way for our one hour flight to Rurrenabaque, after which we had a further 90 minutes drive to Sadiri Lodge, within the Madidi National Park. A short walk late afternoon gave us Yellow-shouldered Grosbeak - a nice find. The lodge was comfortable and we enjoyed our stay here. Some interesting moths around the restaurant lights at night. Again, the forest was incredibly dry, which made the birding difficult.
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11 Oct. All morning birding the road and forest edge from the lodge. Both Bolivian Recurvebill and Brownish-headed Antbird gave us a runaround, with only brief views of the former and none of the later. After lunch we descended to a lower altitude, which was again mostly hot, dry, and birdless, but some late afternoon activity produced Yellow-shouldered Grosbeak, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Pink-throated Becard, Slaty-capped Shrike-Vireo, Red-billed Pied Tanager, White-rumped Sirystes and Yellow-lored Tanager, as well as a particularly annoying Southern Nightingale-Wren we failed totally to see. Band-bellied Owl was vocal at the lodge that evening. 12 Oct. Early, around the lodge, a distant Subtropical Pygmy Owl called. This species is a nemesis for all of us, and again it was way too distant to track down. We birded the roadside toward Rurrenabaque with another unresponsive Southern Nightingale-Wren, but did have views of Yungas Tyrannulet, Curl-crested Aracari and Brown-winged Schiffornis. Late morning we again tried for Brownish-headed Antbird, with similar results to yesterday. Mid afternoon we birded an area about ten kilometres from the lodge which, despite excellent forest, was mostly birdless. Disappointing and frustrating. 13 Oct. The early part of the morning was spent chasing Starred Wood Quail and Brownish-headed Antbird, both of which were vocal, but failed to materialise. A Brown Tinamou gave excellent views. Also Spix's Guan. White-browed Hermit, King Vulture, White Hawk, White-necked Puffbird, Black-throated Toucanet, Ochre-throated Foliage-gleaner, Cinnamon-faced Tyrannulet, and Scaled Fruiteater heard. Rather than taking a siesta, and with the sun out, a three kilometre walk down from the lodge, investigating the few damp areas and stream crossings, produced an excellent selection of butterflies. Around 15:00 we descended to very low elevations toward Rurrenabaque. This small area had excellent forest, and was allegedly good for macaws, but with the horrendously dry conditions - the road was two centimetres think in powdered dust - the forest was dead. After an hour, finding only a single Slate-coloured Hawk, we cut our losses and returned to the lodge. A Tayra ran across the road near the lodge. During the night we were awoken by the powerful smell of burning forest. Just in case, as not knowing how close or in which direction it might move, there were some midnight preparations for a quick getaway. 14 Oct. An early start back to Rurrenabaque airport. As we descended into the very smoky lowlands it seemed unlikely our flight would operate. And, as expected on arrival at the airport, we were informed that "a decision on whether the flight would operate would be made later". |
Well at least it had not been cancelled. Amazingly, it was announced eventually that the flight would actually land, so we finally headed to Santa Cruz only a couple of hours late. It would have been at least a day or more's drive by public transport if this flight had failed to operate. Having reunited with Miguel, we managed late afternoon birding around Urubo. This is a supposed hotspot for seedeaters, but due to the terribly dry conditions we failed to find any, and the birding was hard going. We did finally manage good views of White-bellied Nothura, as well as Greater Ani, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Campo Flicker, Orange-winged Amazon, Rufous Casiornis and Red-crested Cardinal. Air quality remained miserable, with an AQI 2.5 nm. reading likely over 300 ppm. Enough to do northern Thailand and Chiang Mai proud! 15 Oct. A start at stupid o'clock to drive three hours to Refugio Los Volcanes, where we birded the access road. Despite the slow start the morning picked up, with us finding Yungas Dove, Bolivian Tapaculo and a distant White-throated Piping Guan calling. Also Black Hawk-Eagle, Ocellated Piculet, Green-cheeked Parrot, Military Macaw, Black-capped Antwren and Saffron-billed Sparrow. A nice haul. A further hour's drive brought us to the very touristic town of Samaipata. In local scrub and forest edge we eventually found our main target, Huayco Tinamou. As with most places we visited, recent clearance had degraded the habitat so finding the bird was harder than expected. We also added Yungas Guan, Andean Tinamou, Spot-breasted Thornbird, Straneck's Tyrannulet and Variable Antshrike. Overnight in town. 16 Oct. Breakfast in the field at Laguna Esmeralda, with driver, now cum chef, Miguel producing bacon sandwiches and hot coffee as if by magic. Our first morning's birding above 2,000 metres, so rather cool at 15°C, damp and breezy, with a low fog rolling in and out. We spent the morning along the trail around the back of the laguna, as well as birding the dirt road descending the mountain, with a roadside lunch produced by Miguel again. |
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All in all a reasonable collection through the morning, including Straw-backed Tanager, Rust-and-yellow Tanager, Brown-capped Whitestart, Golden-winged Cacique, Plush-crested Jay, Rufous-breasted Thrush, Scalter's Tyrannulet, Bolivian Tyrannulet, Yungas Dove and Red-faced Guan. Also hundreds of Mitred Parakeet. We left at 12:00 for the longish drive to the Paraba Frente Roja reserve. where we arrived later than planned, after dark. This was due mainly to an extended stop near El Palo for Bolivian Earthcreeper which we failed to locate, though we did score with Cream-backed Woodpecker and Black-capped Warbling Finch. |
17 Oct. Another nicely set up reserve, with local staff and guides, integrating the local communities within its operation. Compared to the efforts required at the Blue-fronted Macaw reserve to see that species, finding the Red-fronted Macaw here is simplicity itself. At 05:30 we walked from the lodge, directly across the dried out river to the adjacent imposing cliffs - not much more than 200 metres. Recently, the rangers have started to feed the macaws early morning with quite a congregation coming for the free peanuts. Good views can be had of birds in the surrounding trees, and the rangers have built a natural screen to allow close viewing. However, the design of the screen has to be the world's worst, as the viewing windows are about 30 centimetres from the floor, requiring viewers to either lay in the dust or kneel and contort the body sideways! Sandro was going to have words with the rangers on an imminent redesign. We were also informed that the river bed was dry the first time ever - birding in the surrounding hills was going to be challenging. Back for a quick breakfast, and then out again to walk though the village to check field edges and scrub. A group of Grey-hooded Parakeet were an interesting find. Others included White-tipped Plantcutter and Straneck's Tyrannulet. By 10:15, with temperatures already in the mid thirties, we returned to the lodge to spend most of the day birding, and photographing, from the verandah, which produced a string of species - Cliff Parakeet, Bolivian Blackbird, Southern Martin and White-fronted Woodpecker being of note. Late afternoon we took the vehicle into the surrounding hills to search for Bolivian Earthcreeper, which we again failed to find it. After much effort we did locate Streak-fronted Thornbird, plus Greater Wagtail-Tyrant, Stripe-crowned Spinetail and Sooty-fronted Spinetail. Late afternoon till dusk we scanned from the top of the cliffs opposite the lodge, with many Red-fronted Macaw going to roost as well as Turquoise-fronted Amazon and Blue-crowned Parakeet. |
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18 Oct. Before heading off, we started with a quick repeat on the cliff top for flyby macaws, but this proved to be unsuccessful. En route to Comarapa we made a successful stop for Bolivian Earthcreeper, also finding Glittering-bellied Emerald, Chaco Puffbird, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Suiriri Flycatcher and Pampa Finch. We then continued to Comarapa, and once having dropped baggage at our simple hotel, we headed to the hills above town. It was refreshing to be back in the cool mountain air again, at around 2,500 metres. We birded several spots on the way up, as high as La Siberia. Despite the reasonable weather the birding was slow; not helped by us finding yet more habitat destruction in an area alledgedly good for Bolivian Warbling Finch.
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Good habitat once again cleared for cows, eucalyptus and agriculture. Higher up a vocal Rufous-faced Antpitta proved elusive, though we did find Scaled Metaltail, Grey-bellied Flowerpiercer and Andean Slaty Thrush. Back in town we discovered the power was out; followed ten minutes later by a massive hail storm and torrential rain. Good that we were not still on the mountain. 19 Oct. An 05:00 start to drive back to higher elevations, where we spent the morning. At 12°C it was a cool start, but the birding was fine, other than more failure with Rufous-faced Antpitta and Trilling Tapaculo. Other sightings included Bolivian Brushfinch, Blue-capped Puffleg, Red-tailed Comet, Bar-bellied Woodpecker, Light-crowned Spinetail, Olive-crowned Crescentchest, Tufted Tit-Tyrant, Cinereous Tyrant, Barred Becard and Red-crested Cotinga. Later, at higher elevation, we had great views of the endemic Black-throated Thistletail, then finally, lower down, Bolivian Warbling Finch. Following a surprise of being able to find pizza for dinner in this rather small town, a major spanner was thrown into our itinerary again, in the form of road blockades which would now prevent us driving to Cochabamba as planned. Following some hasty replanning by Bird Bolivia, it was decided we'd have to return, the six hour drive, to Santa Cruz, and from there fly to Cochabamba, picking up a new vehicle and driver. Political tensions had been brewing for several days now with the blockades spreading. |
20 Oct. Today was basically lost in travel to Cochabamba, rather than birding along the road driving there. We left at 05:00 arriving at Santa Cruz airport for our early afternoon flight. Here we sadly had to say goodbye to Miguel, who should have been with us the remainder of the trip, and was an excellent driver. The temperature on arrival at Cochabamba was surprisingly hot at 32°C, given that the altitude is 2,600 metres. With a couple of hours of light remaining we drove an hour along the road we would have come into Cochabamba on, and in the last 30 minutes of sunlight managed to find the scarce Wedge-tailed Hillstar - the bird saving the day. Late arrival back at the hotel. |
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21 Oct. We set out early toward the Yungas forests, which should have been about a two hour drive northeast of the city. However, disaster stuck 90 minutes out in the form of a new road blockade! So there went our Yungas forest endemics up in smoke. Retracing our steps back to Cochabamba, we ascended the Cochabamba to San Miguel road, seemingly the only birding site now accessible. We birded the whole day along this dirt road, including travelling up as high as the puna at 4.500 metres.
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At lower elevations we found the sought after Cochabamba Mountain Finch and Rufous-bellied Mountain Tanager, as well as Red-tailed Comet, Bare-faced Ground Dove, Tawny Tit-Spinetail, Brown-capped Tit Spinetail, Maquis Canastero and Rufous-sided Warbling Finch. Up on the puna were Andean Goose, Yellow-billed Teal, Crested Duck, Aplomado Falcon, Slender-billed Miner, Citron-headed Yellow Finch and Glacier Finch. However, the biggest surprise was finding a reptile active at 4,500 metres - Lenz's Iguana. On the way down, we finally managed to connect with Rock Earthcreeper. |
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Back at the hotel, we discovered that the road we'd just been on was now also blockaded. That was close! Being stuck the wrong side of one of these blockades would be a total disaster. So what about tomorrow, given that all routes into and out of Cochabamba were effectively closed down? The situation was somewhat resolved in a discussion between Sandro and the hotel manager. As an active off-road biker he reckoned that the back dirt roads to the Yungas forests might be slow going, but were passable and unlikely to be blocked, hence we might still be able to access the area tomorrow. 22 Oct. So, putting this to the test we indeed took the back roads into the mountains, though it took a few wrong turns before we left town on the correct road. It seemed we were not alone in this, with many other minibuses using the same route. The canny villagers had also cottoned on to this and were charging small tolls to all passing vehicles since we were suddenly using "their" roads. The journey took three and a half hours, but we finally arrived. Almost the first bird we found was Black-hooded Sunbeam, and in a couple of kilometres walk, we managed Tawny-rumped Tyrannulet, Golden-browed Chat-Tyrant and Puna Tapaculo. We also had incredibly close Stripe-faced Wood Quail and Rufous-faced Antpitta calling, but again could not be seen. However, all this excitement was cut short within a couple of hours when we caught whiff of the imminency of the back road route also being blockaded, so undertook a hasty retreat back to Cochabamba, just managing to arrive back before the road was indeed blocked. The rest of the day at leisure due no possibility to access any birding site. |
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23 Oct. With no birding possible all we could do was mope around the hotel. We did try to change our late afternoon flight to La Paz to an earlier time, but with the roads blockaded, all flights out were full. At least we were able to drive to the airport and take the La Paz flight, arriving 17:00, from where we drove the 90 minutes to Lake Titicaca. A last minute scan of the lake, at dusk, produced a Titicaca Grebe in the gloom. Along the drive we'd noticed massive queues of 200 - 300 vehicles at all fuel stations, even though they were all closed. Apparently no fuel was currently available and everyone was waiting for one of the infrequent deliveries. Fortunately our driver had been prudent, or lucky enough, with a full tank and a spare jerry can on the roof. Hopefully enough to get us through the next few days. A day of queuing at a fuel station would have been the final straw on our continuing logistical nightmare! 24 Oct. At 6°C this was the coolest start to any of our days, and yet again, it didn't go to plan. Our intention had been to start early, a quick drive over the mountain to Millipaya for Berlepsch's Canastero, back for an 08:30 breakfast, grab some nice photos of Titicaca Grebe, then head to the Yungas forests along Death Road for the afternoon. Ha! On arrival at Millipaya we found the whole area to have been torched recently, with no habitat remaining. So we then had the spend three hours hacking up and down adjacent slopes, where we eventually obtained poor views of a single Berlepsch's Canastero. Due to the late arrival back at the lake Titicaca Grebe were no longer close to shore, so for some strange reason, which seemed like a good idea at the time, we decided to organise Titicaca's first ever pelagic - 300 metres out and 40 minutes long. We did indeed obtain some reasonable photos of Titicaca Grebe, as well as the only other pelagic species on the lake - Andean Gull. We then drove to Death Road, arriving around 16:00 by which time the forest was cool and dead. And to make matters worse, the accommodation we'd planned to use, directly at Death Road, the owner had taken an emergency absence and closed the accommodation, necessitating us to drive 90 minutes down the mountain to Coroico, effectively adding a further six hours driving to our itinerary over the next couple of days. |
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25 Oct. The simple plan for today was to start at the bottom of Death Road and bird the way up in the morning, and down in the afternoon. What could possibly go wrong? Having started at 04:30 and driven 45 minutes up from the bottom we ran into a landslide that was not supposed to be there. |
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Evidently this had been there some time (a few weeks by the look of things), but it caught everyone unawares. Our driver had previously checked with locals who'd said the road was open. That meant a two hour drive back around the long way to access the forest just a few kilometres in front of us. So whilst our driver retraced the route back and up the new road to arrive at the other side, we set off on foot birding the other side. Throughout the morning we had steady stream of good birds, with Grass-green Tanager, Yungas Warbler, Bolivian Brushfinch, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Andean Solitaire, Mountain Wren, Yungas Pygmy Owl, Yungas Manakin, Scimitar-winged Piha, Unadorned Flycatcher, Upland Antshrike and Blue-banded Toucanet. Mid afternoon, cloud and rain rolled in, forcing our return to town. |
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26 Oct. Early morning at Death Road for antpittas, was the usual heard only, with none even close, though the thick fog and heavy rain didn't help. By 08:30, due to the weather, we abandoned our attempts, and headed to Pongo, where we had excellent views of Scribble-tailed Canastero in between some light hail showers. Our final stop was on the puna at La Cumbre, where we attained the highest elevation of our trip, at 4,830 metres.
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A lengthy walk here produced Taczanowski's Ground Tyrant, Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe heard, Grey-breasted Seedsnipe, Mountain Caracara, Andean Swallow and Glacier Finch. Our final birding. |
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From here we drove the short distance back to La Paz, where our Santa Cruz flight was three hours delayed, so late arrival there. Overnight near the airport. 27 Oct. A sleep in, a leisurely breakfast, then a midday departure to Sao Paulo with onward connections. Despite all the logistical hassles our final tally was 570 species, but with only 10 of the 17 Bolivian endemics found. Will we be back? Certainly not until the political situation improves, and definitely not at the end of the dry season. |
Bird images from this, and other, birding trips.