I had enjoyed my Oilbird excursion so much that Albert helped me hire the driver again for a morning trip a little outside of Sabanalarga. We did not go far, just a little ways outside of town, but a distance I could likely not have got to on foot. The guy actually knew his birds fairly well, and with Albert's help translating I was able to get the gist of what he was saying. For instance at one point he could hear what he knew was a Toucan calling, but then it was up to me to find it on a vast expanse of hillside.
It was good birding of the sort I have come to expect on quiet rural roads in South America. Pishing was incredibly effective, and I added Dusky Antbird, Cinnamon Becard, Purple-throated Euphonia, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Brown Jacomar, Purple and Green Honeycreepers, Grey Seedeater and Buff-throated Saltator to my Casanare list. Best of all was Magpie Tanager, a bird I couldn't find in the guide for ages simply as I didn't equate it with Tanagers.
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| Albert birding |
The birding did not last however. As we pulled up to a bridge over the river and I got out to have a look for birds I felt an uncontrollable urge to be sick. You will know the feeling no doubt, I can only describe it as "When you know, you know". Sure enough a few seconds later I was bent double at the roadside getting rid of my breakfast. Albert had been snoozing in the car as early morning birding isn't really his thing, and leapt out! Well, maybe neither early mornings nor birding are his thing, and together they are definitely not! But he was awake now! Turns out that some kind of bug had afflicted the household as various people were having the same thing. We returned to town where I spent the rest of the day comatose in my room getting rid of whatever had assailed me. What a bummer!
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| The Sabanalarga tree |
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