Colombia - October 2018

These photos are from a trip to Colombia in October 2018.  The first ones are From a birding trip I went on led by Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT), on which a group of us birded in one of the wildest and least explored parts of Colombia:  the Choco region along the northwest coast.  The habitat was coastal and lowland rain forest, and is one of the rainiest regions in the world.  Its unique habitats and isolation have resulted in many endemic birds, plants, and animals, and beautiful scenery.  The trip was led by Steve Hilty, author of the comprehensive Guide to the Birds of Colombia and perhaps the foremost authority on birds in Colombia, as well as a great leader/ teacher.  After the Choco, I arranged a short private birding extension in the western Andes and the Magdalena River valley.  That was led by Christain Daza of Manakin Nature Tours, who was also the local guide on the VENT Trip.  My full trip began and ended in Bogota and its surrounding areas.  The photos below roughly follow the order of this amazing and unforgettable trip.