Fabrice Schmitt on his just-concluded tour, Colombia: The Santa Marta Mountains

How can one find a better way to escape the boreal winter than spending a week in the tropics, enjoying wonderful Caribbean food, staying in fantastic lodges, and seeing around 300 birds species? Well..., I'm not sure you can.

A sunset at El Dorado Lodge

The Sierra Nevada Cordillera and the Guajira Peninsula are home to an amazing list of restricted-range species, and we had excellent views of (just to name a few…)  Black-fronted Wood-Quail, White-whiskered Spinetail, Chestnut Piculet, Vermilion Cardinal, White-tailed Starfrontlet, Orinocan Saltator, White-lored Warbler, Black-backed Antshrike and a long list of “Santa Marta” species, such as SM Screech-owl, SM Blossomcrown, SM Parakeet, SM Antbird, SM Tapaculo,SM Foliage-gleaner, and SM Brushfinch!

The superb White-tailed Starfronlet

Black-billed Wood-Quail enticed from their forest retreat

Beside these very local species, we also encountered a brilliant Red-billed Scythebill, Black-and-white Owls on their day roost, lovely Blue-naped Chlorophonia coming to the fruit feeders, the charismatic Russet-throated Puffbird, colorful Keel-billed Toucans, and a superb male of Golden-breasted Fruiteater, among many others!

The handsomeRusset-throated Puffbird

A party of conversing Keel-billed Toucans

A curious Golden-breasted Fruiteater

In addition to the birds we found endless pleasure in a huge selection of butterflies and moths, nice reptiles including good views of Green Iguana, and mammals such as Colombian Howler and Red-tailed Squirrel.

Just one of many spectacular butterflies

Dots and stripes work well together on this small lizard with a long name, Cnemidophorus arenivagus

The tour has great accommodations, some of them with amazing hummingbird feeders attracting literally hundreds of these extraordinary birds.

Some of the hummingird feeders were tumultuous

Last but definitely not least the Caribbean food presented to us was simply outstanding.