Michael‘s Seventh Year

[michael-ibk]

595/EC64) Grey-Hooded Bush Tanager (Cnemoscopus rubrirostris) / Rosaschnabeltangare

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. Quite a uniqe Tanager with an incessant tail-wagging habit.

 

[michael-ibk]

596/EC65) Silver-Beaked Tanager (Ramphocelus carbo) / Purpurtangare

 

Guango Lodge, 9/8/2022. Rare at this location, another one flagged by ebird. Much more common later in the East where I was on my own after the group trip ended.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

597/EC66) White-Chinned Thistletail (Asthenes fuliginosa) / Graubauchcanastero

 

Papallactas Pass, 9/8/2022. Our very productive time at Guango Lodge ended, and we started the drive back West to Quito. Again getting high up, and tried for some high altitude specials. At first the weather was just brutal, icy cold and even haily but after we came down from the summit conditions got better. Mostly still rainy and cloudy but just for a few minutes the area teasted how beautiful it was.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

598/EC67) Tawny Antpitta (Grallaria quitensis) / Grauwangen-Ameisenpitta

 

Papallactas, 9/8/2022. Antpittas are notoriously hard to see in general but this one is an exception. In this habitat up here it´s more likely to come into the open. Still very skulky. Common though and very vocal, heard it all the time.

 

[michael-ibk]

599/EC68) Blue-Mantled Thornbill (Chalcostigma stanleyi) / Schwarzkopf-Glanzschwänzchen

 

Papallactas, 9/8/2022. It´s much more difficult to get Hummer species not attending feeders like this one. Involved quite a bit of running up and down and left and right until it sat still for a short while.

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

600/EC69) Rufous-Bellied Seedsnipe (Attagis gayi) / Rotbauch-Höhenläufer

 

Papallactas, 9/8/2022. So what had we been searching for at the summit in rain, wind and hail? I have to confess after a while I had enough and retreated to the (wonderfully warm) car. But our youngest team member (Alex) was adamant, he really wanted to find the special bird we were trying here for. And after about an hour or so his stubborness paid off:

 

 

Seedsnipes are quite weird birds. While they look more like Grouse they are essentially waders - but have adapted to a herbivorous diet. A very rugged bird, they range up as far as to the snowline, about 5500 m.

 

It was extremely foggy when we saw the bird, one could not see much farther than five or maybe 10 metres. Fortunately the bird was quite approachable, trusting in its camouflage.

 

 

Kudos to Alex for finding this one!

 

And when going down we were rewarded with another Spectacled Bear sighting - yeah! Another distant one but a bit closer than the ones yesterday.

 

 

We spent this night in Quito. I was quite surprised that Tropical Birding had booked a Five Star Hotel for this night. Wonderful hot shower after this very cold day up the Andes, and a really sumptous dinner. I was quite surprised about my onion soup which was supposed to be a starter. Huge, served in bread, with a lot of cheese. And a really nice Ceviche (a cold and raw fish dish, delicious). And dinner was not bad at all either - we certyainly were not starved. :-)

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 8, 2022 by michael-ibk

[TonyQ]

Well done on 600! The Inca Jay is stunning.

 

[pedro maia]

Quite a special bird for #600, I like grouses so that one has my vote on this batch (even if it’s not a grouse).

Edited September 8, 2022 by pedro maia

[Galana]

Truly beautiful markings on the Seedsnipe and a good subject for your 600. Another Spectacled Bear too.

[janzin]

Congrats on the Seedsnipe! I've been up Papallacta twice searching for it with no luck (like you, tons of fog!)

 

[Zim Girl]

Congratulations on getting to 600 and great sighting of the Spectacled Bear.

[Kitsafari]

Just up to page 22: awesome condor sightings!

 

highlight of the day - bears!

 

 

[Kitsafari]

Yay 600! you're going to have the mother of all BY years, aren't you? Congrats! and the markings on the seedsnipe are just stunning. 

 

Edited September 9, 2022 by Kitsafari

[michael-ibk]

Thanks!

 

3 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

you're going to have the mother of all BY years, aren't you?

 

I don´t know about that but it´s safe to say I will top my previous best result of 600 something.

[michael-ibk]

601/EC70) Chestnut-Naped Antipitta (Grallaria nuchalis) / Rostnacken-Ameisenpitta

 

Reserva Zura Loma, 10/8/2022. So far we had been East of Quito but this was just the extension. The main trip itinerary covered an area only West of the capital. Our first station was another high altitude location on the way to our base for the next six nights. After a nice drive up the moutains we reached Reserva Zuro Loma. This is one of surprsingly many ecotourism spots that seem to be everywhere in the cloud forests West of Quito. A very nicely done one - and with some cool attractions.

 

 

As mentioned before one just does not see Antpittas normally. But some places have started to wormfeed them, with astounding success. It did not take long for this one to hop in.

 

And after it was happy with its meal and left junior soon followed suit.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

602/EC71) Sapphire-Vented Puffleg (Eriocnemis luciani) / Langschwanz-Höschenkolibri

 

Reserva Zura Loma, 10/8/2022. Of course they also have Hummer feeders here. They did a nice job here of adding a lot of "natural"-looking perching spots for them. We had a discussion about how "fake" these feeder places are but we all agreed they are incredibly enjoyable.

 

Edited September 9, 2022 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

603/EC72) Andean Guan (Penelope montagnii) / Andenguan

 

Reserva Zura Loma, 10/8/2022. Banana Feeders (with very well hidden Bananas) make sure other species attend as well. To my surprise this would remain the only Guan species of the trip.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

604/EC73) Blue-Capped Tanager (Thraupis cyanocephala) / Blaukopftangare

 

Reserva Zura Loma, 10/8/2022. A fairly large mostly Andean Tanager.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

605/EC74) Buff-Breasted Mountain Tanager (Dubusia taeniata) / Silberbrauen-Bergtangare

 

Reserva Zura Loma, 10/8/2022. This one made it quite clear that no, not all Tanagers are posers. Abolutely refused to come out.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

606/EC75) Glossy Flowerpiercer (Diglossa lafresnayii) / Stahlhakenschnabel

 

Reserva Zura Loma, 10/8/2022. One of three Flowerpiercer species at this location.

 

Juvenile:

 

 

Adult:

 

 

 

 

 

[Tdgraves]

Congrats on 600

[michael-ibk]

607/EC76) Sparkling Violetear (Colibri coruscans) / Großer Veilchenohrkolibri

 

Reserva Zura Loma, 10/8/2022. A pretty common species at most of our locations. 

 

Edited September 9, 2022 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

608/EC77) Superciliaried Hemispingus (Hemispingus superciliaris) / Augenbrauentangare

 

Reserva Zura Loma, 10/8/2022. Occurs from around 2,200m up to treeline. The only sighting.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

609/EC78) White-Sided Flowerpiercer (Diglossa albilatera) / Schieferhakenschnabel

 

Reserva Zura Loma, 10/8/2022. The only sighting of this species.

 

[michael-ibk]

610/EC79) Cinereous Conebill (Conirostrum cinereum) / Weißstirn-Spitzschnabel

 

Reserva Zura Loma, 10/8/2022. The third - but not last - Conebill this trip.