Back to Paz...ECUADOR (22 Feb.)

The following day with the landslide crews having fixed their machinery, and mudslides and landslides swept off the roads, and rivers having receded to more normal levels our birding plans were a little smoother. We finally broke through to visit Paz de las Aves a dream for photographers and birders alike near Mindo. As my guys were the former we strided with vigor down the trail to the blind for the Andean Cock-of-the-rock and watched on as three different scarlet males danced in the depths of the cloudforest. By 7.30am it was all over the males having fled to feed, and so our next crop of close up birds was on the agenda. Unfortunately not Angel's famous Giant Antpitta "Maria" that has atypically gone AWOL in the last few months, but the regular covey of Dark-backed Wood-Quails bustled onto the trail snatching every worm that they could (this included the two adults and their one surviving juvenile that looks much like the adults birds now except for a buffy stripe down the center of the bill) This is a rare Choco species that is very hard to find anywhere but here....

More from Paz de las Aves to come...