Avian Procession...ECUADOR (14 Jan)

After our red letter arrival with the owl night before, it was hard to see how this can be topped right? Wrong; very wrong. The feeders at the Fundacion Jocotoco Jorupe reserve were on fire, and provided the perfect start to our day within this reserve. After a pre-dawn breakfast, myself, Pablo Cervantes (co-guiding with me), and the Houston Audubon Society group pulled up a chair, and watched the electric action unfold. Of course, one of the first birds to wander casually in was the abundant White-tipped Dove, of which 10 or so graced the feeding station. A Whooping Motmot was not far behind and glowed as he wolfed down the freshly laid out papaya. 

However, it was then the real stars showed up: the rare and normally shy Pale-browed Tinamou brazenly strolled out in the open, like tinamous are NOT supposed to do. It still showed signs of furtiveness whipping in and out of the surrounding forest to pick up corn. The procession of doves continued (white-tipped), when suddenly a couple of duller ones were in the midst and another shy rarity was on view: Ochre-bellied Dove, of which four turned up eventually, with a backdrop of Guayaquil Squirrels munching on corn. 

Others to show their faces at the feeders were a noisy mob of marauding Red-masked Parakeets, which were most amusing when they settled on the ground, begun munching corn and the clicking could be heard as their beaks cracked open the husks. All the while they were deadly silent bar this strange sound. 

Occasionally the rusty form of the Pacific Horneo homed into view, one of the most pleasantly common birds of southwest Ecuador.

There were even squabbles among the birds with a parakeet taking offence at a motmot that was perched on its favored fruits!  Arguably though the best looked in this choice crowd was a group of White-tailed Jays that came in for a while-resplendent in blue, white and black.

After the feeder frenzy had slowed, we took off into the woods for the morning to seek yet more birds special to this Tumbesian region, one of the most endemic-rich regions in South America...

Into the Tumbesian region...ECUADOR (13 Jan)

We arrived at the Fundacion Jocotoco reserve of Jorupe, just as dusk was falling on the reserve, and so got little in the way of diurnal birds. However, after a fine dinner, at this wonderful new reserve, we went on the hunt for the Peruvian Screech-Owl which we were told was hanging around cabin 1 (ironically named "Peruvian Screech-owl"!). Unfortunately, though, despite hearing a few low purring calls from the owl, it remained unseen, and the tired group I was with from Houston Audubon, decided to retire to bed. I was still smarting from hearing this tiny owl so close and not being able to find it, that I lingered on a little longer, then finally decided it had beaten me and began walking back to my nearby cabin (number 2 - named "Red-billed Scythebill"), at which point I inadvertently flushed the owl which must have been sitting quietly closeby the track. I quickly scanned around for it, and my spotlight fell on this rusty bird sitting on an open branch, and glaring back at me with those angry looking owls, and that fierce stare that seems to be unique to owls. I was entranced with it for a moment, then quickly realised the members of the group were likely still up and awake. I ran to each cabin, reassembled the group, and again found this diminutive owl sitting quietly on its chosen branch, where it remained to ogle at length.

The next day we were to spend the whole day exploring the Jorupe reserve, which comes complete with a unique set of bird feeders, attracting species found at no other feeders in the country...

LIFE HUMMER...Ecuador (12-13 Jan)

Could not, not post a photo of the wonderful White-vented Plumeleteer, and my lifer plumeleteer, from Zaruma in the "Gold Country" of southern Ecuador...After leaving with this hummer, umbrellabird, attila, and the parakeet in the bag, we travelled south towards the frontier with Peru. Here we stopped in at El Empalme (which seems to be little more than an intimidating looking military checkpoint), to pick up some Tumbesian birds, most notable among them being White-headed Brush-Finch, Tumbes Sparrow, and this Tumbes Hummingbird which took fierce objection to my playing a tape of Pacific Pygmy-Owl in its presence!

Next stop the Fundacion Jocotoco reserve of Jorupe, near the border/party town of Macara...

Buenaventura...ECUADOR (12-13 Jan)

After stopping off near the coast in Guayaquil and getting a taste of the Tumbesian realm (a bioregion in Ecuador filled with endemic birds), we headed up into the wet foothills of the Andes, and the fine Fundacion Jocotoco reserve of Buenaventura. Our first stop of the morning, (after a night which had yielded a Black-and-white Owl hunting by the lodge-my long-time bogey bird/nemesis), was, of course for the bird for which the lodge is named, the umbrellabird. We started down the trail just after dawn had lit up the forest, if only slightly, and as we descended our ears were greeted by the low mooing sound of the Long-wattled Umbrellabird; they were lekking (displaying for females). On arrival at "the spot" there it was, sat at eye level with a huge wattle dangled to full length and spread-eagled to full width, every so often he would dip his head and emit the low mooing sound that drew us towards him. Fantastic. Next up was Ochraceous Attila, a ginger flycatcher, which flew in right on cue. Then a visit to an unspectacular looking next box brought us spectacular views of a group of 8 El Oro Parakeets attending the nest. This was followed by a visit to a town for lunch, but not just any lunch. Lunch with a plumeleteer, White-vented Plumeleteer, which clearly seemed to enjoy the attention. We finished off with further views of the rowdy mob of Rufous-headed Chachalacas that hang around the lodge and entertain listers hungry for this on their precious world lists! What a day.

More photos from Buenaventura to come...

Heading south for the winter...ECUADOR (11 Jan)

After meeting a group of birding friends from Texas, (a group from the Houston Audubon Society no less), in Ecuador's big southern city, Guayaquil, we were soon on the road. The marshes surrounding Guayaquil were packed with birds: Snail Kites adorned many posts, Wattled Jacanas, Roseate Spoonbills, and White Ibis foraged in the ditches, Mangrove Warblers fed in the, ahem, mangroves, and some White-cheeked Pintails dabbled in the ponds. However, frankly, we were not there for them, fun as they were. We moved on to Manglares Churute, where their famous mangroves were avoided for the dry woodlands, which yielded Jet Antbirds aplenty, and a princely pair of Pacific Royal Flycatchers. While we feasted on the flycatchers, a troop of howler monkeys entertained us with their noisy vocals and comic antics too. After picking up some rather massive Horned Screamers and a Gray-capped Cuckoo en-route we were on our way to El Oro province to the south.

Next up was Buenaventura reserve, and the intriguingly named Umbrellabird Lodge....

"Cream Tea" Birding...UK (30 Dec)

Spent the day with the "Cream Tea Birder" (cream teas are a big feature  of the cuisine in the southwest of England), Chris Townend, scouring East Devon for birds. With news of a first year Iceland Gull we checked the shore for it mid-morning, did not find it, so went on a "Cirl hunt" instead, picking up 3 Cirl Buntings, a bit of a Devon specialty. Nice to see after THREE years of not visiting this area. The news came through that somehow we had managed to miss the Iceland Gull and it was indeed there. Returning with a grudge burning deep inside  we found it this time, although the harsh light made it tough to shoot. This was the best I could manage. However, we were less fortunate with a flock of "jedwoods" or (Bohemian) Waxwings at Exeter which had departed before we got there. All we saw was a bird-less berry tree just begging for a waxwing to be present. We finished with a brief Eurasian Woodcock and a flock of Fieldfares heading to roost on a windtorn heathland.

Some final East Devon birding beckons tomorrow before I head back to "Big Smoke" (i.e. London), where I really hope I connect with some of those blasted waxwings!

2012 FLASHBACK: Formosan Pheasants...TAIWAN (May)

After the madness of spring migration at Magee, watching warblers in the company of thousands of other joyful birders, I WAS to switch to something entirely different; I say was as China, and more specifically, the Chinese government, put paid to these plans. My original intention was, after a long spring season in the US, to have some downtime-a whole week in fact-watching cool Asian birds on the island of Taiwan, or "Formosa" (meaning beautiful), as the Portuguese called it. However, what was originally planned as a week had to be seriously cut back-to a mere few days-when the Chinese government closed a key site for my Sichuan tour that followed directly after my Taiwan time. So instead of a leisurely week mopping up the island's endemics, I had just two days chasing around with now-Taiwan resident, Keith Barnes, before I had to jump ship to the Chinese mainland early to do some last minute scouting for a Sichuan tour that had been put seriously off kilter with the actions of the government!

Keith very generously donated his time to show me some of "his" beautiful island, where we focused on the cloudforests of Da Xue Shan, as he reckoned, quite accurately as it turned out, we could rack up endemics at pace there, even in the limited time available. We arrived to truly awful weather. Apparently the climate had been balmy up until that day, when the heavens opened and remained open, and pouring, for my entire time on the mountain. Keith's phone packed up due to water damage, and his mood darkened with each new, ever more intense, wave of rain, but we ploughed on and got quite the list of birds (over 20 endemics!) Of course, my main targets were the kings of the mist, the gaudy pheasants that the mountain is famed for. Da Xue Shan supports two endemic pheasants, both of which had become easy in recent times due to two feeding stations set up for them by the local rangers. However, Keith and I were horrified to discover bright shiny new signs warning that feeding of birds was now prohibited, and would be accompanied by a hefty fine! I would have been prepared to pay the fine ordinarily, but it was simply too steep to contemplate doing. Nervously, we approached one of these feeding areas at the given time, 4pm, and walked straight into the real "king of the mist" a male Mikado Pheasant, who clearly had trouble reading the signs and was wandering the area searching for any scrap of food it could find! It was extremely approachable, and extremely beautiful decked out in deep, glossy blue, and sporting a bright scarlet eye patch....

The following morning, and after having bumped into a further 2 male Mikados as we descended towards our lodge the previous afternoon, we were to try for another pheasant, at another former feeding area (which also boasted another prominent sign warning against feeding them). Would this one be so oblivious of the changing nature of the feeding area, and be put off by the blatant lack of sustenance there? I waited in the dull light of dawn, which revealed another gloomy day of rain interspersed with heavy mist and fog was to be upon us once more. With the dingy weather my mood darkened and my pessimistic streak rose prominently to the surface, being very far from  what could be described as "contained"! For some reason, Keith though, was positively upbeat, and optimistic that the Swinhoe's Pheasants would be oblivious of the ever-changing park rules, immune to park bureaucracy, and turn up anyway. I hoped beyond hope he was right; I had dreamed of this pair of delectable Asian pheasants for many long years, and did not relish the other option: scouring trails for a brief glimpse of a glamorous tail disappearing into the bush at high speed. While I sat there mentally biting my nails to a nub, Keith looked coolly on, without a whimper of despondency in him. This quickly turned to knowing satisfaction when a gorgeous male Swinhoe's Pheasant walked out from the forest and stood stock still on the roadside. TWO magical pheasants in two days, the two undoubted top draw endemics of Taiwan, in just two whirlwind days on the island. I was more than happy, and left with memorable memories, captured to flashcards to enjoy time and again when I look back at two wet, wet days on Formosa, which really is a very beautiful island....

Next up, the Chinese mainland awaited...and Sichuan with its lure of tasty cuisine, and even tastier birds...