Chris Lansdell's Birding & Nature Diary: Colombia, Day 5, 25 July 2011 - Sierra de los Nevados & Natural Parque Manizales

Our main destination for the day was to be the highland paramo habitat of the Sierra de los Nevados National Park above Manizales. Suitably attired in warm clothes we climbed the road in the minbus, stopping at intervals for a walk before moving higher up and doing the same. This tactic proved to be rather productive. Within the first couple of stops we'd seen Paramo Tapaculu, Brown-backed Chat Tyrant, White-throated Tyrannulet, Black-crested Warbler, Sedge Wren, Paramo Seedeater and Red-crested Cotinga. Further up we then stopped for a little longer and were rewarded with Pale-naped Brushfinch, Black-backed Bush Tanager, Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, Black Flowerpiercer and Viridian Metaltail. Top prize however was reserved for the rare endemic Rufous-fronted Parakeet of which we saw a small group on a hillside in the swirling mist. A large Great Sapphirewing came a very close second. Moving further up towards the reserve centre we had a roadside Stout-billed Cinclodes and then in a walk around the reserve centre and surrounding grassland enjoyed amazing views of 2 Tawny Antpittas and a pair of Plumbeous Sierra Finches followed by a Purple-backed Thornbill near the end of the road .