Venezuela - Part 5 Cerro Montalban & Mt San Isidro

Fairly close to our base at Casa Maria were 2 mountains that proved to be worthwhile trips, Cerro Montalban & Mt San Isidro. 4 wheel drive was the only way to navigate the steep and rocky terrain. A small cloud forest adorned the top of each mountain as well as patches of dry arid land that provided a few contrasting birding habitats.

Both cloud forests bagged us some real skulkers. 

Identifying by call is one thing but actualy getting to see some of these birds was testing.... none more than this Stripe- Breasted Spinetail

 although this Grey Breasted Woodwren did eventually show quite well even if it meant me being on both hands and knees ..... and boy can it sing!

another skulker.... but worth the effort

Whiskered Wren

and unfortunatly birding megas such as the Black Faced Ant thrush never made it onto the camera but the experience and excitment of eventually seeing it cant be taken away

It wasnt all hard work though!

We would have been happy enough with just a single sighting of 

White Tipped Quetzel

 however around half a dozen individuals showed well for us - it was just a pity the cloud got lower and thicker just at the wrong time.

Other species seen and not always captured were Short Tailed Ant thrush,

Violet fronted Brilliant, Smoke Coloured Pheobe

Scarlet fronted Parakeet, Bat Falcon, Eastern Meadowlark, Green Jay.

 Black faced Tanager

we were treated to a large flock of these wonderful birds

Scale Crested Pygmy Tyrant

Three Striped Warbler

Grassland Sparrow

White Tailed Hawk

and the best  just at the last

Burrowing owl

A single Owl stood on guard outside its nest hole

it kept an eye on us......

then overhead passed a solitary eagle and White Tailed Hawk, the Owl immediatly became edgy and went to higher ground just to make sure there would be no unwelcomed raptors visiting