Birding in Colombia #14: End of the Road

Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, Valle de Cauca

I mentioned in my last installment that we had traded out a night at La Florida - Bosque de Las Aves for a night at the Yotoco Lodge, despite them being only four miles apart. While I would have relished another night in La Florida - Bosque de Las Aves, Yotoco was charming.

Built on the steep, steep, steep side of a mountain, we had a lovely view of the valley below. It was unlike most of the rural or wild areas we had stayed. Basically, we were in a suburb of Cali. So, the songs of the birds were interspliced with sirens, automobile engines and a persistent car alarm at a business down the hill from us.

Still, a nice view

Despite constant highway noise, the feeders on the balcony attracted some great birds, many, as one would assume this far into the tour, repeats.

Blue-gray Tanagers

Thick-billed Euphonia

Palm Tanager

Green Honeycreepers

Golden Tanager

Scrub Tanager

Red-headed Barbet

White-lined Tanagers

Western Emerald (my only shot of this bird) 

There were three lifers in the feeder area (although they all stayed in the dense foliage behind the feeders ...

 

A Red-faced Spinetail

A Whiskered Wren, that I saw, but didn’t photograph ...

And, an Andean Sisken that I photographed – poorly

Plus, we saw additional birds on the trees that stretched down the slope in front of us ...

Acorn Woodpeckers

Yellow-headed Caracara

A couple of endemic Apical Flycatchers (lifer!)

The Yotoco Lodge was comfortable with good food and, as I already showed, a nice patio with feeders. The driveway in was not for novice drivers; watching Hernan turn the van around certainly inspired respect.

I have only one quibble: the lodge’s owner was a heavy smoker and he smoked it the public spaces. That was not pleasant.

The next morning, we left early for our final outing.

Heading toward Cali

Punto 6 - Rubi, Valle del Cauca

We started the morning at a fruit farm with some hedges that attracted Hummingbirds. eBird called it Punto 6 - Rubi, Valle del Cauca, which I think was the address.

The farm grow avocados, bananas, papayas and other exotic fruits

Specifically, we were looking for the Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, which is found throughout Central and South America. 

Gorgeous

Its name is an accurate description of the Male’s brilliant iridescent feathers that flash red, orange, gold and olive. The female doesn’t share the flash and glitz.

These little guys were fast, but I did capture a few

Plus …

Steely-vented Hummingbird

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Where there are Hummingbirds, there are often Butterflies; this spot had a bumper crop ... 

Banded Orange Heliconian Butterfly

CW: Ocola Skipper, Leucadia White Butterfly, Monarch Butterfly, Athesis Clearista 

Giant Sicklewing Butterfly

And, an Oil Bee getting in on the action

In the trees around the shrubs, we found a pretty good variety of birds. The two lifers I photographed were total opposites ... 

The Dull-colored Grassquit, with his sad name and accurately described plumage

The Ultramarine Grosbeak, which is a deep rich blue

We also saw …

A Scrub Tanager and a Apical Flycatcher

A Cocoa Woodcreeper and a Yellow-faced Grassquit

After spending time in the orchard, we walked back to the road, birding a few spots along the route. I photographed a lifer, the Dark-billed Cuckoo, as it preened in a tree.

Dark-billed Cuckoo

Alejandro said that they are usually much more secretive

I finally got nice shots of Spectacled Parrotlets after multiple tries. So, here are multiple photos of these very cool birds.

Top of the tree

And then there were two (but there were actually more)

A closer look

The road also delivered ...

Pretty views

Common Ground Doves (not on the ground, how uncommon!)

Smooth-billed Ani

Streaked Saltator

More Spectacled Parrotlets

Tropical Mockingbird

Another Ruby-topaz Hummingbird

Can you find the Yellow-headed Caracara?

In the grass, we saw a Rainbow Whiptail ...

I found it odd that we didn't see many lizards or snakes, but birds seem to rule

I also photographed a Fierce Black Polybia Wasp Nest. 

Another sculptural nest

When I posted that photo, my brother, who lives in Colombia, confirmed that these Wasps are indeed fierce. He had personal experience. 

Throughout the day, I saw a bunch of birds I didn’t capture: Colombian Chachalaca, Black and Turkey Vultures, Crested Caracara, Bar-crested Antshrike, Mouse-colored Tyrannulet (Northern), Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Great Kiskadee, Rusty-margined Flycatcher Eared Dove, Tropical Kingbird, Blue-and-white Swallow, Black-billed Thrush, Black-winged Saltator and a lot of Tanagers: Crimson-backed, Blue-gray and Black-capped, plus Green Honeycreeper, Saffron Finch, Blue-black Grassquit and Bananaquit. Among the not photographed group were also three lifers: Hook-billed Kite, Pale-breasted Spinetail and Orange-crowned Euphonia. Maybe I was tired.

This stop was the hottest, stickiest and buggiest (I am so glad I had lots of repellant on; I still got bitten on my hands), which, of course, meant that we were a little wilted for our flight back to Bogota.

But, it was pretty

We returned to Yotoco, repacked for the flight and headed into the chaos of Cali traffic (not as bad as advertised) to the airport. Of course, my cameras were packed, so I didn’t get to photograph a couple of Buff-necked Ibises that were standing on the taxiway. I tried with the cellphone through the not-all-that-clean window, but they were not close enough.

The Cali airport turned out to be our last real gathering of the full group. We said goodbye to our trusted driver here; he would be returning the van and not flying back.

Heather and Hernan at the Cali airport

When we arrived in Bogota, we had to drive through horrible traffic (worse than advertised). We had been told the hotel for this evening and Heather’s and my last night after our extension was closer to the airport than our first hotel. But, it was not. It was nice, but definitely a pain for getting to and from the airport.

Two minutes (not really!) vs. 40 minutes (also not really!)

We got in so late that we scrapped plans for dinner, instead we were told we could order room service. I was too tired to even wait for that, so I dined on plantain chips and juice from the mini bar.

The next morning, we met early for breakfast. We saw the other PIB tour group, most of whom were flying out that day for their extension to Santa Marta.

Bob and Enid headed to the airport for flights home. And, Heather, Alejandro and I headed out for our extension trip to Rogitama. But, that’s the next blog.

Another lifer! Find out what it is in the next blog

I thoroughly enjoyed Colombia's Endemic Rich Birding: Cauca and Magdalena Valleys and I would certainly return to Colombia. Heather and I are even discussing Santa Marta!

Tour dates: March 7-28, 2026