Ecuador Birding Trip

Sunday, January 25

Barbara’s Notes

It was certainly a good idea to leave a bag with fleece jackets and cold weather wear in Quito. It is a different world here in the headwaters of the Amazon. Bill says this was his best day yet. In spite of intense heat and some bugs. Some magnificent sightings.

We left our cosy little cabin at 5:20am. An amazing breakfast awaited us. I ordered a soft boiled egg (from many choices) and received two perfectly cooked 3 minute eggs in a bowl, without shells. No egg cups here. They were very easy to eat this way. Lots of fresh fruit, including delicious passion fruit.

At 6am our group set out in dugout canoes for the clay parrot licks. We reversed our route in yesterday, paddling out the narrow Anangu River to the larger Napo River where we switched to motorized canoes. Andrés and Marcello were on the lookout for birds, but we only made a few stops as we wanted to arrive at the parrot licks early (the best time).

Ringed Kingfisher	Agami Heron

Napo Wildlife Center is managed by local people (unlike two other lodges in the area owned by Americans and Swiss). They have several properties including two parrot licks. Apparently parrots in this region of Ecuador are salt-deprived. The rain leaches salt out of the clay. Birds who live closer to the ocean get salt from the vegetation, as salt spray leaves a residue as the wind moves it over the land. But the NE part of Ecuador is far from the ocean.

First we saw a good collection of green parrots at a lick right on the Napo River.

The second parrot lick was very large – accessed from the river by a short hike. A viewing blind gave us the perfect spot to watch the non-stop action of four types of parrots – lots of flashing green.

The third lick was also close to the Napo River. It was much smaller, more like a cave and a clay landing. Many green parrots were crowded into this small space. Andrés heard a macaw and, sure enough, a brilliant Scarlet Macaw settled on a large tree branch at the side of the lick. After awhile, the macaw flew to a branch at the other side of the lick. Macaws also need salt but do not come to parrot licks very often. Andrés was not sure if it would come down. A sudden flash of red and yellow, and it landed, scattering all the parrots. It sipped water from a salt puddle for a few minutes and then left as suddenly as it came. The parrots returned.

Yellow-crowned Amazon	Yellow-crowned Amazon

Blue-headed Parrot	Yellow-crowned Amazon

Mealy Amazon	Yellow-crowned Amazon

Social Flycatcher	White-winged Swallow

Tropical Kingbird	Snowy Egret

Giant Cowbird

Orange-cheeked Parrot	Cobalt-winged Parakeet

Scarlet Macaw	Scarlet Macaw

Great-billed Hermit

	White-eared Jacamar

In early afternoon we stopped at the Napo “warehouse” where a local family looks after Napo business. They prepared a shish-kebob lunch with a baked potato, macaroni and the ever present hot sauce.

We birded our way back on the Napo and Anangu Rivers. Lots of really good sightings. Bill finally got his Hoatzin photos!

Great Potoo	Long-billed Woodcreeper

Black-capped Donacobius	Limpkin

Rufescent Tiger-Heron	Hoatzin

Purple Gallinule	Spot-breasted Woodpecker

We arrived “home”about 6 and were greeted on the dock by Miguel with welcome glasses of juice again. Perfect for a rum cocktail in our cabin.

Yellow-rumped Cacique	Tropical Kingbird