We left Minneapolis just as a decent snow was setting up to mess with airports around the country.
The lounge in Houston made the 6 hour layover a bit more tolerable but still sleep eluded me. We finally left the States at midnight, arriving in Caracas at about 6:30 am local time. (Their time zone is a whole ‘nother story.) My dad, sister and Tina were smart and took the van to a beautiful hotel with a view of the Caribbean Sea for a hot shower, some sleep and some food.
Mom and I hired David A for an extra day of birding in a place called Colonia Tovar. With little sleep and a shot of espresso, we drove up to 6,000 feet making for a somewhat difficult morning. Our first birds were once again proving this was going to be a difficult photography experience.
Lots of new birds including two Antpittas made for a wonderful day, in spite of my photography skills. After a stop in the German town of Colonia Tovar, we visited the surrounding cloud forests of Pico Codazzi Natural Monument.
Near the end of the day, a Black-crested Warbler came out for long beautiful views and even sat (relatively) still for his photo. A truly magical day….
Saying good bye to the area, we joined the rest of our party in Caracas.
22 Species for the day. (11 life birds)