On August 30, I flew down to Quito for my twelth visit to Ecuador in the last four years. Our first top, with my old guide, Rudy Gelis, was Pululua Crater, about an hour and a half from Quito. Never been here before. We did see Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanagers, but, as usual, they proved difficult to photograph. Came to the playback, but avoided full exposure!
Next it was back to the Harmony Cabins in Mindo that served as our base for three days. From there we visited Milpe, Mashpi and Angel Paz’s farm. The latter was the first person who has “trained” antpittas to come for worms. This time in addition to the Giant, the Moustached and the Yellow-breasted, he had a lovely little Ochre-breasted.
I really wanted that bird, but the light was really low in the cloud forest and flash is not permitted. I did not make a publishable image, unfortunately.
Adjacent to Angel’s farm is a pig farm. There was an Orange-breasted Fruiteater nesting here a few weeks before, but the young had fledged. Rudy found the fruiting tree where they were feeding at some distance, and we watched over a long period, as both the male and female fed and flew across the road. Finally, Rudy saw the male just sitting in a small tree up a steep bank on the opposite side of the road.
We found an access point and climbed the bank and found the bird sitting next to a recently fledged young. We waited him out and he finally came into full view and I made some very nice images of this colorful bird. We had spent 3.5 hours working and waiting this bird!
We visited Milpe Reserve three times. There was a nice flock of Swallow Tanagers there, working a small fruited tree. But most of the time they sit high in trees and when they come down, they make it a habit of hiding behind leaves! I made a few serviceable images.
At PVM, the closest town to Silanche Reserve, we checked into a roadside motel that charged a whopping $7 per night, which included plenty of hot water, a comfortable bed, and a fan. Best value anytime, anywhere. The U.S. ought to have such values!
We saw a lot of birds at Silanche, but most provided only fleeting looks for a photograph. One excepton was the gorgeous White-tailed Trogan, that posed near the tower.
From there we headed through Quito and out to the east, stopping at Papallacta Springs. We got nice rooms with individual fireplaces (which were needed!) for a modest price. In the morning we first worked the birds in the immediate area. Rudy called in a Buff-breasted Mountain Tanager, and after many tries, he sat in the top of a small tree and vocalized, as if we had posed him.
We then headed up the road into the national park, gaining elevation all the way. Unfortunately, my lens fogged up in the very chilly morning and I stupidly tried to rid the fog by pointing the lens towards the sun. That worked, but it fried my D300s camera body. I had to work with my backup 300 for the rest of the trip.
We saw plenty of birds in mixed flocks up that road, but they were feeding and moving very fast, making the photography a real challenge. I did make some pretty good images of the Scarlet-bellieds.
On the way to Yanayacu Research Station, we stopped at Guango, where Rudy found a Grey-breasted Mountain Toucan, a bird that I have never seen before. Unforunately, he would not come close enough for a decent shot, albeit in the rain!
Two birds at Yanayacu were winners: a Noble Snipe that had recently bred nearby and a gorgeous male Torrant Duck in the Alder River. Rudy, Jose and I tromped a cow field for a half-hour or more to find the snipe. Once found, it did not fly far and I was able to make multiple images.
The Torrant Duck we spotted from a bridge and Rudy went far upstream to guide him back down. He posed nicely on a rock with white water behind him after he returned to the vicinity of the bridge.
Rudy also found a fruiting tree, after being alerted by Jose, near the road, where Quetzels were feeding. The following morning, we parked ourselves by the spot as Rudy worked his playback. Finally, a couple of Crested Quetzels came out to trees close enough for photography. I had never made a single shot of this spectacular bird, and made a few good ones that morning.
Our last stop was Tena, where two rivers come together to form the Napo, a major tributary of the Amazon. We were there to look for the Oriole Blackbird, which was located in the riparian area along the Napo. While we saw several birds, they never got anywhere close enough for photography.
We did visit the home of a friend of Rudy’s, perhaps fifteen miles downstream. It was pouring as we staked out the backyard where various good birds fed, from a second floor deck. I was able to make very nice images of a male Scarlet-crowned Barbet, despite the weather. Made a passable image of a thoroughly soaked Orange-backed Troupial!