After barely a few weeks back from Peru, I was returning to the Amazon again, although this time in Ecuador, my current home country. This time it was at the invite of La Selva Lodge (http://www.laselvajunglelodge.com/?gclid=CMak98zzsLMCFQ70nAodTUIAXw). There are a handful of luxury lodges accessible from the Napo River in Ecuador, although this was one of the few I had not been to. The lodge had recently undergone a significant re-investment and development under new ownership, and the new main lodge building was magnificent, with a dramatic scene overlooking a scenic blackwater lagoon, named Garzacocha.
A short afternoon walk with Cristina, Desiree (two friends from the Tropical Birding office who were also on this FAM trip), on a hot, sunny afternoon was fairly quiet. Highlight bird-wise was a citrus and violet Amazonian (formerly Violaceous) Trogon, and a Common Scale-backed Antbird. A Variegated Tinamou toyed with me again, showing little interest in responding to my playback, and remains well and truly off my life list! Best sighting was this odd looking frog which Desiree managed to find.
In the evening we enjoyed a magical canoe ride around Garzacocha, where we saw Sand-colored Nighthawk gliding above it a short time before dusk, and we also managed to get up close with several Common Pauraques calling incessantly along the lake edge. Many other night birds and night sounds could be heard, making this a great experience including Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, Crested Owl, and Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl.
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