Ecuador Birding Trip

Friday, January 23

Barbara’s Notes

Once again Sachatamia was drippy from an all night rain. Today was a more civilized 6am start - no rare Andean Cock-of-the-Rock to seek. We headed over to the lodge for coffee. We birded across the highway where low lying mist looked like a giant lake. As we hiked around the “lake” the mist rose revealing shrubs and trees, full of elusive birds. Giant mountain peaks appeared. The scenery is breathtaking. I concentrated on scenic photos and flowers. Bill concentrated on searching for birds. Vinicio is expert with rapid scoping so we did get some views of colourful tanagers, warblers...

Returning to the lodge for breakfast, we found it hard to reach the door. The forest was alive with sounds and the feeders were buzzing with hummingbirds.

Orange-bellied Euphonia

Before we headed out for more birding after breakfast, I hung out our still-very-wet laundry from two days ago on the front porch of our cabin. Humidity is 100% most of the time here in the cloud forest. Vinicio says the only things that can dry wet clothes are the sun and the wind. More rain late morning so we packed a bag of wet clothes – now strung out on my portable stretchy line in front of the window back here at our hotel in Quito.

For our after breakfast morning in Sachatamia, we drove to a nearby back country road where we hiked along, seeing some large kites and black vultures as well as the usual small bright rapidly moving specimens. For a few hours it was sunny and hot, so we delayered to short sleeves – the first time since our arrival in Ecuador. We dropped into a nature reserve, Milpe, which is the home of the very elusive Club-winged Manakin. Vinicio tried calling it in from a low point on a narrow path. We squatted down – 13 pairs of binonculars searching the ground and low level bushes. We did see a few fast fly pasts (very small fast moving bird). Joan saw it perch for a moment.

Golden-crowned Flycatcher

Masked Water-tyrant	Swallow-tailed Kite

Black Vulture

Blue-gray Tanager	Social Flycatcher

	Green-crowned Brilliant male

Green-crowned Brilliant female	Green-crowned Woodnymph

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird	Green-crowned Brilliant female

Green-crowned Brilliant male	Andean Emerald

Tropical Kingbird	Violet-tailed Sylph

Booted Racket-tail female	Velvet-purple Coronet

Back to Sachatamia for a hot lunch and packing. We rinsed off our muddy boots – will need them again in the jungle.

Then we headed back to Quito, about a two hour trip. Raining again. We did stop at ranch-like spot, Pedro Vicente Maldonado, for more birding – great sightings of a kestrel. Then we hit the very congested Quito rush hour.
Our group decided to have a pizza dinner together at a nearby spot – just perfect for a tired group.

Tomorrow, off to the jungle.