Sparklers of the Andes...ECUADOR (Jan. '11)

We finished up our time at Paz de las Aves with some quality time with some hummingbirds. As usual the action was frenetic, birds zipping in and out for a shot at the sugar water. The two most striking species present were also the celebrity ones, the Choco endemics. The amazing Velvet-purple Coronet shot in and out regularly (top), turning from a seemingly uninteresting black hummingbird into a glittering jewel of violet and sapphire when the light hit it just right. The other notable one was the largest one present, the Empress Brilliant, that seems to be just another green hummer until sun caught it just so and the throat shimmered pink, and the belly glowed gold (bottom)....

Next stop for me is southern Ecuador, and the lure of Tumbesian endemics and highland rarities. Posts to come soon from "down south"...

More colorful fruiteaters...ECUADOR (Jan 2011)

With a stop at the hummer feeders obligatory after all that feeder action at Paz de Aves, we were drawn away sooner than intended from the glittering and glistening hummer species present by a shout from one of the other members of the Paz family, who drew us to yet another fruit-eating bird. Sadly though this one has yet to make a star appearance at the fruit feeders, though they have been dangerously close at times, it seems they have yet to appreciate the humble banana. However, that did not stop us getting first rate looks at both the male (top) and female (bottom) Orange-breasted Fruiteater...

Back to focus on the hummers at the feeders next...

In your face toucans...ECUADOR Jan. '11

While the so-called celebrity birds at Paz de las Aves like Toucan Barbets and Black-chinned Mountain-Tanagers squabbled with each other for a place at the bananas, this emerald green Crimson-rumped Toucanet slipped in almost unnoticed. Of course, when the earlier posted Dark-backed Wood-Quails came bustling nervously across the trail, we almost forgot to look at the feeders altogether. The trials of where to look first, one of the wonderful burdens of birding on “the bird continent” of South America! There are numerous small green toucans, or toucanets, in Ecuador and South America, although just this species occurs on the western slope of the Andes in Ecuador.

More was to come as we left those fruit feeders behind and checked out the hummer feeders, where various “jewels” were present…

Clown of the Andes...ECUADOR (Jan. '11)

Even with the large absentee of Giant Antpitta looming from our morning at Paz de las Aves, things were still pretty sweet when the mere whiff of a banana brought frugivorous birds raining down on their incredible feeders. The hungry mob included this technicolor Toucan Barbet, a Choco endemic (only occurs in that region of NW Ecuador and W Colombia) from a small family that it shares with only the significantly less colorful Prong-billed Barbet of Central America. They are so colorful I like to call them the clown of the Andes. No one else has caught on yet!

More feeders birds to come...

Wot no Antpitta! ECUADOR (Jan 2011)

Dropped in at Paz de las Aves, a refuge near Tandayapa famous for its "collection" of habituated antpittas, and especially for the ultra-rare Giant Antpitta that is often just inches away from visitors at feeding time. However, the days shock news was a no show by this antpitta, only the second time in five years I had not seen it. All was not lost though as plenty of other birds were on offer, including this confiding Dark-backed Wood-Quail, another rare Choco endemic species that has been habituated in the reserve...

More to come from Paz de Aves soon...

Tandayapa Trogon ECUADOR (Jan. '11)

There was more than just stacks of colorful hummers and technicolor tanagers during my visit to Tandayapa Lodge, as this tame trogon was there too. One of a resident pair of Masked Trogons that regularly hawks insects immediately around the lodge, this brown-backed bird is a female (the male's back is green). As usual she was quite approachable, and continued to grab bugs mid-air right in front of me.

Next up was another visit to the "antpitta farm", Paz de Aves refuge near Mindo in NW Ecuador...

Another "Crown Jewel of the Incas" ECUADOR (Jan. '11)

Here is another of Tandayapa Lodge's all star cast of hummingbirds. This glistening green gem is the Western Emerald, a tiny green hummer that is only found in western Ecuador and western Colombia. The species used to be considered part of the widespread Blue-tailed Emerald, although is now recognized as a full species in its own right. It is pretty common at Tandayapa, and makes for a great photo subject as they often sit still for long periods like this one (unlike many other hummers that are constantly fidgeting and are bundles of nervous energy!)

More from Tandayapa shortly-this time NOT a hummer!...

Hummingbird Bonanza ECUADOR (Jan. '11)

Of course the all-star cast of hummingbirds at Tandayapa was one of the reasons my group were here. Here is one of the regular "characters" there, the amazing Booted Racket-tail, that sports not only a strange motmot-like tail, but a pair of gleaming white boots here on the western slope of the Andes. However, over on the eastern side of the Andes the same species has buffy-colored boots.

Some other "crown jewels of the Incas" (hummingbirds) to follow...

Tanagers come to the plate...ECUADOR (Jan '11)

The fruit feeder at Tandayapa Lodge was just great, one minute Red-headed Barbets dropped in (see post below), then the next minute a wave of tanagers would descend onto the feeders, including Flame-rumped Tanagers, Blue-winged Mountain-Tanagers (top photo), Golden-naped Tanagers (middle photo), Black-capped Tanagers, and Golden Tanagers (bottom photo). Then every so often the tanagers would scatter as a Red-tailed Squirrel would drop down onto the feeder, leaving little room for these colorful birds to get a look in. A photographers dream, and a birder's delight!

More from Tandayapa Lodge to follow...

Tanagers Vs. Barbets: ECUADOR

Spent the last few days around Tandayapa Bird Lodge, that is rightly famous for hummingbirds, arguably being the best hummingbird lodge on earth. However, there is a lot else besides, and right now the fruit feeders are on fire, bringing in regular tanagers and barbets battling it out for a place at the papayas and bananas. Here is a shot of both male (top) and female (bottom) Red-headed Barbets from there.

See more of my photos from Ecuador and around the world at my PBase site

Tanager photos to come from Tandayapa next...

Ibis-fest and camera trouble!...ECUADOR (8 Jan. '11)

Perhaps the best that came out of our short time at Antisana though in the high Andes of Ecuador, was a wonderful approachable pair of Black-faced Ibis, that were loosely associated with another four birds in the area (photos). Such great views were captured on camera, even if my Canon 50D does continue to challenge me regularly, and not take a shot for much of the time. I just kept clicking the shutter until finally, and rather belatedly, it jumped into action and thankfully the birds were co-operative enough that they remained long enough for my camera to work, and me to sneak a shot before and as they took majestic flight over the paramo...

Next up was a return visit to Tandayapa Lodge, where the fruit feeders were lively, and another visit to the remarkable Paz de Aves with some "hot" fruit feeders of their own...

Up onto the Paramo...ECUADOR (8 Jan. '11)

My first birding of the year was a half-day visit to the windswept paramo grasslands of Antisana, high in the Andes of Ecuador. Although, only a short drive out of Quito, and welcome relief from an extended period in the city. It was great to be back in the field, and as we emerged up onto the upper grasslands we were greeted by the usual site of hundreds of Carunculated Caracaras roaming the "plains" in search of food. Here is a flight shot of one of these (top photo). Also the normal tame high Andean species were in evidence: Plumbeous Sierra-finches (middle photo), both Stout-billed and Chestnut-winged Cinclodes, and even a Paramo Pipit gave the feeling of spring despite the bitterly cold wind that was in evidence, as it sung from a fence post (third photo). Although a little more camera-shy (i.e. I failed comepletly to get a shot) were Antisana largest residents, the enormous Andean Condor, several of which were seen gliding low overhead.

More from Antisana shortly...

Hummingbird Royalty on the Tepui...ECUADOR (27 Dec '10)

This day was spent on the fantastic Tepui Trail, that leaves almost from the door of Yankuam Lodge. The reason for our visit there? It is home to many rare Ecuadorian species that are found largely only there in Ecuador and just over the border in Peru. I personally had five main targets on this intriguing trail: Bar-winged Wood-Wren, Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, Roraiman Flycatcher, Royal Sunangel, and Cinnamon-breasted Tody-Tyrant, all of which would be lifebirds, not bad after five years in country. The trail is steep and very tricky, with treacherous tree roots, and loose rocks creating a challenging route that is therefore rarely walked in this remote corner of Ecuador. Three hundred meters up the trail we ran into another male Zimmer's Antbird, and then things went real quite as we edged our way higher. We had the main objective of reaching the ridge-top that held the promise of a rare blue hummer, the Royal Sunangel. We were under the impression that this was at a substantial 1600m elevation (considering the starting point is a mere 840m this promised to be quite a climb for us). Unfortunately as we neared 1600m and there was no sign of the ridge top we discovered the ridge was actually over 1800m, and another steep climb lay in front of us! We stuck to the task though and were rewarded with four of my target birds. The first to fall was a Rufous-browed Tyrannulet that turned up at around 1600m near the upper camp, and then seven different Bar-winged Wood-Wrens were seen, including one very confiding bird (bottom photo). Pushing higher we eventually (some six or so hours later) reached the ridge top and collapsed in view of an intriguing looking set of red-and-yellow blooms, that as we'd hoped drew in first a male and then a female Royal Sunangel while we ate our lunch among the stunted shrubbrey up there. On the way down we found two more male sunangels (top photo), managed to get a great look at a Cinnamon-breasted Tody-Tyrant after it toyed with us for a while, and found a flock with a Vermilion Tanager glowing within. A memorable day with five lifers (that included a rather embarrassing "tart's tick"/nemesis bird: Northern White-crowned Tapaculo). The supposedly common Roraiman Flycatcher managed to avoid me all day, remaining unheard and unseen, meaning that someday soon I will have to return to the dreaded Tepui Trail!

Next up will be an early Jan visit to the high Andes of Antisana in Ecuador: Condors, caracaras and ibis...

Orange-throated beauty...ECUADOR (26 Dec '10)

After 5 years in Ecuador enough was enough, I simply had to see an Orange-throated Tanager. It was not embarassing not to have seen it thus far, after all it is very rare and local, and as yet I had not been to the area. A plan was hatched with Nick Athanas and Iain Campbell, (who had both seen one already) to visit Yankuam Lodge in extreme southeast Ecuador, in the shadow of Peru... The lodge has been established for years and is the known best site in the world for this tanager, although an exciting new road into forest on the far side of the river had recently opened up new birding areas and led to interesting exciting new discoveries. We simply could not resist. This also meant a bumpy ride (and a strange ferry crossing) was now all that was needed to connect with the tanager, instead of the famed muddy, difficult hike of old.

We reached the spot, after several delays due to devious hitch-hikers who took us off route , and straight after leaping out of the car the tanagers were heard overhead. A little playback brought a small group of these stunning Orange-throated Tanagers into a near tree, for poor photos to be obtained (photos). The photos may be bad, although the bird is so breathtaking I hope the sheer beauty of this rare bird shines through nonetheless?! After sleeping off the middle of the day in the car we set off for other scarce birds once the day had cooled a little. Nick went one way I went the other, and when we met up we swapped sightings. I managed to find a vocal pair of Blackish Pewees one way (my 2nd lifer of the day), and Nick had found a White-bellied Pygmy-Tyrant, only very recently found at this site as a first record for Ecuador. We raced back for the pewees just as rain started to slash down, and swiftly after (amid fears we would be cut off from returning back across the river ), we set off for the pygmy-tyrant, and enjoyed smashing views of this tiny rare flycatcher. After tracking an antwswarm that had Hairy-crested Antbird and Zimmer's Antbird in attendance we returned to the lodge with no ferry problems, elated after a landmark day in Ecuador, that brought me 3 lifers, even after five years in the country!

More to come from the Yankuam area, and the famous Tepui Trail, that held the promise of more rare "Peruvian" species...