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Birding in the Morracoy (dry) area
26 Feb 2010 (morning)
We then drove to the dry coastal forest of Morrocoy National Park. A walk along a broad track produced a Streaked Saltator busily eating berries, Ochre-lored Flatbill, Red-billed Scythebill, Black-crowned Tityra, Straight-billed Woodcreeper (we were just beginning to get the hang of woodcreepers by this time) and Russet-throated Puffbird. A singing White-bellied Antbird caught Cecilia’s attention and we crept through the trees until we saw it singing low down just a few metres away - a stunning bird. Shortly after we found more antbirds - Black-backed Antshrike and Rufous-winged Antwren. At another place, having heard the call, we succeeded in finding a Caribbean Hornero a Scaled Piculet and a Grey-necked Wood Rail.
We then returned to the hotel for lunch.
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Birding in Morrocoy dry forest area |
 Russet-throated Puffbird - Restricted to Colombia and Venezuela and the only Puffbird found in arid habitats. |
 White-bellied Antbird - A fairly widespread species in S America. Click here to view video clip |
 Streaked Saltator - The only bird of this species seen during the trip. This species has a very restricted range in NW Venezuela. |
 Red-billed Scythebill - A widespread species in S America although we only saw this individual during our trip.
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Click here to see a video clip of this species taken at Las Lapas |
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26 Feb 2010 (afternoon)
After lunch we set out for the savanna area of Las Lapas. Here, appropriately enough, we saw several Savanna Hawks from the bus as well as an Aplomado Falcon sitting on a fence post, a Laughing Falcon sitting in tree and, at close range, a Rufescent Tiger Heron stalking through reeds and a Whistling Heron by a pond. We stopped by the road and immediately encountered Chestnut-fronted Macaws and Green-rumped Parrotlets. In a tree with the ubiquitous Smooth-billed Anis was a much larger Greater Ani while nearby several White-eared Conebills mixed with various tanagers, including Hooded. And finally, after hearing one calling in the distance, we saw a Lineated Woodpecker.
We returned to the hotel at the end of a day when birds seemed to appear wherever we stopped. We had seen 127 species.
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Birding at Las Lapas |
 Liniated Woodpecker - A widely distributed species in S America. Click here to view a video of this bird. |
 Green-backed Heron - |
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27 Feb 2010
The plan for the day was: the morning birding, return to hotel, pack, shower, have lunch, drive to airport, fly home. As usual we up and away before dawn. Our destination was an area of large cattle-grazed fields, some wet areas and hilly forest called Cerro Mision.
We walked along a quiet road through pasture and scattered trees where we quickly picked up a pair of flying Red-and-Green Macaws, the first of several encounters with these superb birds, a number of hummingbirds high in the flowering trees, including our first White-necked Jacobin, and a Cattle Tyrant. Then, probably a kilometre away, we saw two Horned Screamers on the top of a palm. We could hear their calls even at that distance. In a marsh we saw a pair of Black-capped Donacobius while, under the canopy of a tree, we found a Dwarf Cuckoo.
The road turned into a track and we climbed a gentle slope alongside the forest. A Bat Falcon sat in the top of a tree and all members of the group managed to see a Lance-tailed Manakin, a female unfortunately. The Masked Yellowthroat in the scrub below the road eluded at least one member of the group (the writer). The screamers had meanwhile increased to six and we could hear their distant calls from across the palm-scattered savanna. It seemed an appropriate ending to a great trip.
We drove the four and a half hour journey to Caracas, said goodbye to Cecilia and Leo, passed through the modern version of Dante’s Seventh Circle of Hell, known prosaically as flying, and arrived home to rejoin reality.
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Birding at Cerro Mision |
 The open habitat at Cerro Mision. The tall Palm trees held Red and Green Macaws and Horned Screamers. Click here to see a video clip of Horned Scremer. |
 Birding at Cerro Mision |
 Dwarf Cuckoo - Seen on edge of forest. The only one seen. |
 Black-capped Donacobius - A pair seen in a marshy area. |
 Vermillion Flycatcher - Although apparently common and widespread in N Venezuela, we did not encounter this species until the last to days when we were in more open country. We saw a good number on our last day. Click here to view video clip. |
 Yellow-headed Caracara - Common species seen on most days. |
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Black-throated Mango - Click here to see a video of this species
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