Still feeling pretty weak and unfortunately not up for a full day out, I decided to get a bus up to the trailhead on Guacamayos Ridge so spend another morning there. Slowly meandering down the trail, I came across a couple mixed flocks, containing the usual suspects such as Grass-green Tanagers, Slate-throated Redstarts, and Common Chlorosphingus. With another sunny day, the birds were pretty quiet after the first couple hours of light, and most of the activity occurred within the first half hour there. A pair of Barred Becards looked like they might be gathering nesting material, though I don’t yet know anything about the breeding habits of Barred Becards in this area. (So many things to learn some day!)
The two best birds of the day however, I found all by themselves further along.
When I rounded a bend (and fortunately was looking down at the trail and not up in the trees where most of my attention was generally focused), I spotted a large bird right in the trail! A White-throated Quail-dove stood looking towards me, and luckily I was far enough away that it proceeded to stand there while I quietly managed a few identifiable photos. Then it decided I was too scary, and walked quickly off around the next bend. It was already a good morning and this experience made it even better. Quail-doves are notoriously difficult to see, and I have spent quite a few mornings and evenings on previous trips to the neotropics wandering trails quietly hoping for such an encounter without any luck. Which just made this extra satisfying!
Later on, and just as I was about to turn back, I noticed movement in the underbrush up on the bank above me. After some searching, I got my binoculars on a small round thing perched on a branch. First I noticed a rufous head and brown back, and started to get excited that this was something I wasn’t familiar with. Then it turned and I saw the face, and the white frontside streaked with black. A Peruvian Antpitta! Wow! I had seen one of these with Marcelo a few days earlier, but this was a much more rewarding experience, since I had found it myself, without the use of playback and without hearing it call. After this amazing experience, I turned back and started the hike back to the road.
