El Dorado Eco Lodge and the Sierra Navada Mountains, Colombia

Our first full day we went with the forest ranger up the mountain at 4:30am. It was really foggy and at that elevation was quite chilly so I am glad we dressed for the weather. It was difficult to see birds at first with the fog and poor lighting. We drove up and then walked down with a short stop at the lookout point. It was foggy the entire time we were there but apparently you should be able to see the peak of the Sierra Navada mountains on a clear day.

El Dorado Eco Lodge and the Sierra Navada Mountains, Colombia

El Dorado Eco Lodge and the Sierra Navada Mountains, Colombia

El Dorado Eco Lodge and the Sierra Navada Mountains, Colombia

El Dorado Eco Lodge and the Sierra Navada Mountains, Colombia

The birds we saw were:
Santa Marta Warbler
Santa Marta Brush Finch
Sierra Navada Brush Finch
Broad-winged Hawk
Band-tailed Pigeon

Band-tailed Pigeon

Brown-rumped Tapacula (only heard but so very close to us in the brush)
Rusty-headed Spinetail
Streak-capped Spinetail
Mountain Elaenia
White-throated Tyranulet
Montane Woodcreeper
Santa Marta Bush-tyrant
Yellow-bellied Bush-tyrant
Black Flowerpiercer

Black Flowerpiercer

Paramo Seedeater
Yellow-crowned Redstart
Santa Marta Parakeet
Scarlet-fronted Parakeet
Scaly-naped Parrot

Scaly-naped Parrot

Red-billed Parrow
Sparkling Violetear

Black-backed Thornbill

Tyrian Metaltail


White-tailed Starfrontlet
Mountain Velvetbreast
Red-billed Emerald
Santa Marta Wood Wren
Great Thrush
Santa Marta Mountain Tanager
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Tennessee Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

 White-lored Warbler

I also had the chance to find a small scorpion up the mountain.

Along the road on the way down we passed this large rock formation with packed dirt at the entrance and there were large cat prints.  The 'cat cave' appeared to go pretty deep and had multiple entrances.

After lunch I saw Black-chested Jays and Emerald Toucanets eating in the trees around the lodge property while the guan and aguti rained the compost heap and the hummingbirds fought over territory.

Emerald Toucanet

We walked down the road to look for Quetzals again and got lucky enough to find a mixed flock coming across the road. We also had a great view of woodpeckers, trogon and the female quetzal. Some of the new things for the day that we didn't see up at the top of the mountain were:

Black and White Warbler
Crimson Crested Woodpecker

Crimson Crested Woodpecker

Blackburnian Warbler
Bay-headed Tanager
Black-striped Sparrow
White-tipped Dove

White-tipped Dove

Black-hooded Thrush
Crested Orupendula
White-tipped Quetzal

White-tipped Quetzal

Strong-billed Woodcreeper
Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner
Masked Trogon
Yellow Warbler
Slate-throated Redstart

We walked the quetzal loop trail up to above the cabins where we sat and watched the sunset over the mountains. Now it was finally clear enough to see the peaks of the mountains beyond and we could see the ocean at Barranquilla. The clouds came in as we watched the sunset and encompassed the mountains below in this odd poisonous green coloured mist. It was quite lovely and peaceful to watch as the scenery changed colour before us.

El Dorado Eco Lodge and the Sierra Navada Mountains, Colombia

El Dorado Eco Lodge and the Sierra Navada Mountains, Colombia

El Dorado Eco Lodge and the Sierra Navada Mountains, Colombia

El Dorado Eco Lodge and the Sierra Navada Mountains, Colombia

Walking back we didn't see any more herps by the creeks than the few brown frogs that were around during the day and some Pristimantis. Even those few frogs were silent. The amazing rock face with 3 snake skins had no live snakes. The bats however got incredibly active and two different sizes, one massive and one much smaller were flying up and down the trail around us.

That night after dinner two species of monkeys, Kinkaju and Night Monkeys came to be fed. The night walk had a lot less even though there were only three of us on it. It was just so dry and we only saw the endemic frog Pristimantis santamartae and the endemic tarantula Kankuamo marquezi. The little salamander was even further tucked into its bromeliad as much of the water had evaporated.