kb57
Well-known member
One of my 'bucket list' birding experiences is seeing a cock-of-the-rock lek...I don't mind which species, Andean or Guianan.
Unlike some of the other species on my wish-list, this aspiration isn't particularly shared by my partner, so this would be a solo venture.
A window of possible opportunity has arisen in a 10 day to 2 week time window in March of this year, so I'm looking for advice on recommended countries / sites which might be feasible at short notice.
I've never been to the Neotropics, and don't speak Spanish - I'm not exactly a seasoned world traveller, although I have travelled independently in South and east Asia in the past. My preference would be sites I could get at or near enough to under my own steam, although I'd be more than willing to pay for guides / local transport - as a Neotropical neophyte, almost everything would be a 'lifer', so my ID skills will be limited.
My thoughts are maybe Colombia - fly to Bogota / Medellin, bus to Jardin for the Andean C-o-R lek there, add on yellow-eared parrot and other goodies. Downside is I'm not sure how safe this would be, or how easy to navigate without Spanish skills - I don't want to end up in a hostage situation, there's no Irish embassy in Colombia!
I'd be happier with a guide, but according to websites seem to operate on a 2 person minimum - this may seem like a stupid question, but would guides take 1 person if I paid 2 person fee? If feasible I'd also look into maybe taking day tours from Cali and Bogota for other species- internal flights / city hotels look reasonable, as are flight prices from Newcastle via Paris. The short notice might also cause problems if the guides are all booked up of course.
Am I right in thinking that Ecuador might be easier for the independent traveller using public transport, with a better established birding infrastructure? The downside is it seems to cost 2x the price of Bogota flights to get to Quito, and lodges are relatively expensive (and bearing in mind my lack of Neotropical experience, I'd still probably need a guide to get the most out of it).
Another option is a flight to Cayenne in French Guiana...I've read about a Guianan C-o-R lek to the east of Cayenne; I speak passable French, flights are reasonable, and car rental seems straightforward. However, based on my previous experience in France 'outre-mer' (Reunion) and from what I can glean on websites, I fear birding infrastructure would be next to non-existent, leaving me alone in the rainforest with very little clue what I'm looking at or how to find it.
Any thoughts / advice gratefully received!
(and in case your wondering why, I saw one on a cigarette card when I was a kid and thought they were the epitome of exotica (can't remember which species was illustrated though))
Unlike some of the other species on my wish-list, this aspiration isn't particularly shared by my partner, so this would be a solo venture.
A window of possible opportunity has arisen in a 10 day to 2 week time window in March of this year, so I'm looking for advice on recommended countries / sites which might be feasible at short notice.
I've never been to the Neotropics, and don't speak Spanish - I'm not exactly a seasoned world traveller, although I have travelled independently in South and east Asia in the past. My preference would be sites I could get at or near enough to under my own steam, although I'd be more than willing to pay for guides / local transport - as a Neotropical neophyte, almost everything would be a 'lifer', so my ID skills will be limited.
My thoughts are maybe Colombia - fly to Bogota / Medellin, bus to Jardin for the Andean C-o-R lek there, add on yellow-eared parrot and other goodies. Downside is I'm not sure how safe this would be, or how easy to navigate without Spanish skills - I don't want to end up in a hostage situation, there's no Irish embassy in Colombia!
I'd be happier with a guide, but according to websites seem to operate on a 2 person minimum - this may seem like a stupid question, but would guides take 1 person if I paid 2 person fee? If feasible I'd also look into maybe taking day tours from Cali and Bogota for other species- internal flights / city hotels look reasonable, as are flight prices from Newcastle via Paris. The short notice might also cause problems if the guides are all booked up of course.
Am I right in thinking that Ecuador might be easier for the independent traveller using public transport, with a better established birding infrastructure? The downside is it seems to cost 2x the price of Bogota flights to get to Quito, and lodges are relatively expensive (and bearing in mind my lack of Neotropical experience, I'd still probably need a guide to get the most out of it).
Another option is a flight to Cayenne in French Guiana...I've read about a Guianan C-o-R lek to the east of Cayenne; I speak passable French, flights are reasonable, and car rental seems straightforward. However, based on my previous experience in France 'outre-mer' (Reunion) and from what I can glean on websites, I fear birding infrastructure would be next to non-existent, leaving me alone in the rainforest with very little clue what I'm looking at or how to find it.
Any thoughts / advice gratefully received!
(and in case your wondering why, I saw one on a cigarette card when I was a kid and thought they were the epitome of exotica (can't remember which species was illustrated though))
