Michael‘s Seventh Year

[michael-ibk]

1 hour ago, xelas said:

 No, you don't !

Oh, for my mad quest to #1000 I absolutely do! 

[janzin]

Well you know I never really look at Big Year threads but I had to check this one out after your Ecuador trip and I'm glad I did--especially since you said you won't do a full trip report (that said, I think we've had several "just birding" trip reports, nothing wrong with that Look forward to more!

 

 

 

 

[pedro maia]

2 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

Oh, for my mad quest to #1000 I absolutely do! 

I bet you have another trip booked for that quest, India perhaps?

[michael-ibk]

18 hours ago, janzin said:

especially since you said you won't do a full trip report (that said, I think we've had several "just birding" trip reports, nothing wrong with that

 

Glad to lure you in Janet. Yes, quite true about a "birding report", but it would essentially just be the same as what I´m doing here so a bit redundant.

 

18 hours ago, pedro maia said:

I bet you have another trip booked for that quest, India perhaps?

 

Well, not specifically for that quest, but yes, I still have a Zimbabwe trip coming up - hopefully.

[michael-ibk]

561/EC30) Tyrannine Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla tyrannina) / Tyrannenbaumsteiger

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022.  We stayed one night at Guango Lodge quite high up. A nice place with good food and excellent birding. It was cold however! They did have a fire in the dining room but the rooms were just icy. I think we all used all the blankets we could find, and the hot water bottle provided was most welcome.

 

 

We startet the morning at the moth sheet. A lot of places are doing this, positioning some white sheet somewhere and light it to attract lots of moth and other insects. Which results in a very festive banquet for many birds in the morning. Worked splendidly, the birds were having an excellent time, and we saw a lot. Problem was - this was very early morning, it was a very cloudy (and sometimes rainy) day and since the spot is in the forest it was awfully dark. Most of the times I could not even focus. But for some birds I got surprisingly decent results. Like this Woodcreeper (a species I would not see again). Shutter 1/160, ISO 16000!

 

 

[michael-ibk]

562/EC31) Strong-Billed Woodcreeper (Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus) / Starkschnabel-Baumsteiger

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. But this was rather the exception. As magical as processing has become there´s a limit to what it can do when you are shooting fast moving subjects in the dark.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

563/EC32) Mountain Wren (Troglodytes solstitialis) / Andenzaunkönig

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. Very much looking like our European Wren. Another decent result for 1/160 and ISO 16000.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

564/EC33) Grey-Browed Brushfinch (Arremon assimilis) / Schmalschnabel-Buschammer

 

9/8/2022, Guango Lodge. One of four Brushfinches we saw here - quite a hotspot for them.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

565/EC34) Chestnut-Capped Brushfinch (Arremon brunneinucha) / Braunkopf-Buschammer

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. The second one from this family. Quality going down, but still stellar compared to the next one coming up!

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

566/EC35) Pale-Naped Brushfinch (Atlapetes pallidinucha) / Zimtstirn-Buschammer

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. Yeah, really proud of this one. Saw it again much later in perfect light but mistakenly believed I already "had" it and did not try for it. Well, I guess this is the more entertaining photo anyway!

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

567/EC36) Russet-Crowned Warbler (Myiothlypis coronata) / Goldscheitel-Waldsänger

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. Small bird with a surprisingly loud and very beautiful song. Would hear it again now and then but never saw it again. Not sitting still for one split-second, this little bastard, and overtaxing my autofocus in these conditions. It was not the only one. Missed a few birds for the BY I saw perfectly well (like a Rufous Wren) but just could not lock on.

 

 

Phew, we´re leaving the hide now. Back to (a little more) light.

[xelas]

Flash photography was not allowed?

[michael-ibk]

568/EC37) Torrent Duck (Merganetta armata) / Sturzbachente

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. We walked down to the river and almost immediately were rewarded with a highlight. Torrent Ducks are pretty rare. Due to their cool looks and their interesting behaviour they are always high on visiting birders´wishlists.

 

Male:

 

 

Female:

 

 

Their habitat:

 

[michael-ibk]

1 minute ago, xelas said:

Flash photography was not allowed?

 

No, and I had not brought an external flash anyway.

[janzin]

Just now, michael-ibk said:

 

No, and I had not brought an external flash anyway.

Interesting...I guess that was the tour company policy? It's not a lodge policy...As I certainly used flash at Guango Lodge and others in Ecuador.

[michael-ibk]

11 minutes ago, janzin said:

Interesting...I guess that was the tour company policy? It's not a lodge policy...As I certainly used flash at Guango Lodge and others in Ecuador.

 

Hm, I honestly do not remember. But it was said we should not use flash. Well, I could swear the guide said so - but nobody should ever trust my memory. But I distinctly remember that Wild Sumaco Lodge had a huge "no flash" sign at their moth sheet hide.

Edited September 6, 2022 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

569/EC38) Long-Tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus kingii) / Himmelssylphe

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. We decided to go to the feeders a bit later, hoping for some better ligth. But really could not pass by this beauty. Quite like the German name - means "Heavenly Sylph".

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

570/EC39) Masked Trogon (Trogon personatus) / Maskentrogon

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. The first Trogon of the trip (not the last). A crowd-pleasing bird familiy but this one was too far away for a satisfying sighting.

 

 

The female a bit later was more obliging.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

571/EC40) Rufous-Crowned Tody-Flycatcher (Poecilotriccus ruficeps) / Rostkappen-Todityrann

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. A very cute little bird, and (unusual for Tody-Flycatchers, learnt to hate some of them!) quite obliging. Rare at this location apparently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

572/EC41) Smoky Bush-Tyrant (Myiotheretes fumigatus) / Rußbuschtyrann

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. Less cooperative, pretty distant and high up. Only seen here.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

573/EC42) Slaty Brushfinch (Atlapetes schistaceus) / Graubrust-Buschammer

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. Brushfinch Nr. 4 in two hours. Absolutely refusing to come out.

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

574/EC43) Black-Crested Warbler (Myiothlypis nigrocristata) / Schwarzscheitel-Waldsänger

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. Gave me an opening just for a second, but just this once this was enough.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

575/EC44) Spectacled Redstart aka Whitestart (Myioborus melanocephalus) / Brillenwaldsänger

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. Quite a common bird throughout the trip. I find it quite hilarious that apparently the birding authorities can´t make up their mind where the "start" of a bird is. Redstart, Whitestart - please make up your mind, folks!

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

576/EC45) Hooded Mountain-Tanager (Buthraupis montana) / Blaurücken-Berttangare

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. Tanagers are a wonderfully colourful and diverse family, the first of many representatives of this family.

 

 

It started to rain more heavily and we reluctantly returned to the lodge. Reluctantly becaue we still had not found our main target, the Mountain Toucans. And - spoiler - would unfortunately miss them entirely. We passed some forest workers on the way back who claimed to just have seen Tapir. I ran through the mud to the spot but of course nothing was there.

[michael-ibk]

577/EC46) Tourmaline Sunangel (Heliangelus exortis) / Grünband-Sonnennymphe

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. But really nothing to complain about when Hummer after Hummer is waiting at the lodge feeders!

 

Male:

 

 

Female: