Day 5 and 6

Collared Trogo

There was no Internet available the last few days so I have to cover a lot of ground.

On day 5 we went on up to Bellavista Lodge to see if we could add anything to Pearl’s list. After talking to several people at the reserve we weren’t given much encouragement but we led to believe that there was a possibility of seeing the White-faced Nunbird along the Research Station road. Not to be discouraged we parked along the road and began walking. After playing some birdsong we began to get a response. 

Although the Nunbird continued to answer it would never show itself. After about an hour of unrewarding communication we decided that our efforts were futile and returned to the car. Pearl was a distance behind me and I decided to call on more time. A Nunbird answered directly in front of her and she waited patiently to see what might transpire. She was rewarded when the White-faced Nunbird appeared briefly and then slipped quietly back into cover.

Club-winged Manakin

After this small victory we decided to head down past Tandayapa and see what birds we might encounter. Along the route we saw several species including a Barred Hawk. Collared Trogon, Rufus Motmot and Red-billed Parrot were some of the other finds for the day. The afternoon rains came in and we spent the afternoon recounting our day’s work.

Day 6 was spent at Milpe Bird Sanctuary. The Club-winged Manakins were very active as usual, as were the Rufous Motmot. This was another damp morning with misty rain creating a slippery environment. We were particularly interested in the Yellow-collared Clorophonia that had been observed there within the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately they did not show as we spent the day observing Toucan Barbets, Crimson-rumped Toucanets and Masked Trogon. By the end of the day Pearl’s total target birds were at 11 and we had several days left to search. I will continue tomorrow, filling in the gaps and the rare finds at Mangaloma and Rio Silanche.