BELLAVISTA

3/19/21 

BELLAVISTA

Had to leave at 04:30 this morning and head to the cloud forest lodge of Bellavista, to the south from the Tandyapa Valley.  I’d been here once before for a few hours in 2009 and saw a Grass Green Tanager from about 10 feet.  He was stunning!  This time I wanted a photo of him.  The other bird I was hoping for was the enigmatic Tanager Finch.  

We took the back way there, but I’m at a loss to describe such, only that we came down it the other day when we left the Birdwatcher’s House.  I could not see the stars, but at least it was not raining.  And as we approached the cloud forest it was not socked in with clouds.  While I don’t mind a little mist or drizzle, without such was not the best sign for birding since the birds prefer the wetness of such.  

At the highest elevation there is a junction where we stopped and walked downhill away from the lodge.  There were a few birds here and there and it seemed like a challenge to get a visual on them.  Eventually we found a large mixed flock and ended up staying with them for a good half hour.  We saw the following then: Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, Montaine Woodcreeper, Lineated Foliage-Gleaner, Pearled Treerunner, Brown-capped Tyrannulet, White-tailed Tyrannulet, Turquoise Jay, Mountain, Rufous and Sharpe’s Wrens, Dusky Chlorospingus, Blackburnian Warbler, Slate-throated Redstart, Russet-crowned Warbler and Blue-winged Mountain Tanager.    It was a challenge enough getting on most of them, and I was ready for photography, but they did not allow it.  Such it would be the whole morning. 

A little farther along and Javiar found an Andean Pygmy Owl, a pretty good find for the area, and the first he’d seen there.

Andean Pygmy Owl

Andean Pygmy Owl

We took a short side trail and played the song for the Tanager Finch, but no response.  We did see a Black Flowerpiercer though, a pretty good bird for the area.  

The next 4 pics are of the scenery up there.  Pretty amazing forest and views.

We next retraced our route to the junction and headed the 1.4 km to the lodge.  Along the way we found a Scaly-throated Foliage-Gleaner, which was new to me.  Richard Parsons, owner of Bellavista, was there to greet us and offered coffee, so we accepted.  We sat there watching the hummers and chatting with Richard.  I wanted to photograph the male Booted Rackettail, but he was a no show.  I did get good pics of the Masked Flowerpiercer though. 

The common Masked Flowerpiercer

Great Thrush

Female Violet-tailed Sylph

Female Booted Rackettail

When Richard understood that I had been there 12 years ago, he said that a lot of changes had taken place since then, so he offered to show me the new dining room and modern rooms one could rent underneath it, which basically had a penthouse view overlooking the cloud forest.  He also showed me a picture of a Olinguito, a new mammal discovered in 2013 and was the newest mammal to be described by science in the Americas in 35 years.  It was discovered on his property, and it just so happens they feed it every night at a feeding station outside the old dining room.  Another consistent animal coming is the kinkajoo.  

By now the sun was shining in all his strength, so it was warming up and time for us to head down the mountain.   We had to mosey along due to the condition of the road, but that was OK.  The scenery was great.  We did stop for an Olive-streaked Flycatcher.

Olive-streaked Flycatcher

Close to where the Tandayapa road meets the highway, there was a plugged culvert which some workers were trying to unplug.   There was a small pond on the side of the road due to the water backing up.  Two men were poking bamboo rods at the clogged part, trying to unclog it.  In short order one guy jumped in and it was over his head.  He then dove under trying to unclog it, but I don’t think he had any success.  Due to the situation it looked like we were going to be waiting a bit, so Javiar and I walked on by birding.  But in about 10 minutes our taxi driver showed up, so we resumed the jaunt back to Mindo.  

Can you see the man in the shade?  He was under water..........

It was a good morning for birding and great scenery.  Was nice to return to a place I had visited before some 12 years ago.