Michael‘s Seventh Year

[xelas]

Flying past the 641, Super-Michael! Congratulations!!

[michael-ibk]

Thanks @TonyQand @xelas. What about 641, is that your record, Alex? Or Fred´s BY record? (Too lazy to look it up.)

[michael-ibk]

671/EC140) Streaked Flycatcher (Myiodynastes maculatus) / Süd-Fleckenmaskentyrann

 

Rio Silanche, 11/8/2022. After the tower fun we enjoyed our packed lunch on terra firma. Tandayapa always did a good job with these, very tasty stuff. Some birds kept us company, including this widespread Flycatcher.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

672/EC141) Blue Dacnis (Dacnis cayana) / Blaukopfpitpit

 

Rio Silanche, 11/8/2022. Looking more like a Green Dacnis? It´s the female.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

673/EC142) Black-Striped Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus lachrymosus) / Schwarzrücken-Baumsteiger

 

Rio Silanche, 11/8/2022. Hooray, a recognizable Woodcreeper. Very distinctive for this family.

 

 

 

[xelas]

10 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

What about 641, is that your record, Alex?

Mine, from 2018, birding on 3 continents. Looks like now birding on 4 continents is needed to surpass your (upcoming) 4-digit number.

Edited September 11, 2022 by xelas

[michael-ibk]

674/EC132) Bay-Headed Tanager (Tangara gyrola) / Rötelkopftangare

 

Rio Silanche, 11/8/2022. A stunning Tanager, but not a feeder guest so not very photo-friendly.

 

[michael-ibk]

5 minutes ago, xelas said:

Looks like now birding on 4 continents is needed to surpass your (upcoming) 4-digit number.

 

Any excuse to travel is a good one.

[michael-ibk]

675/EC144) Choco Tyrannulet (Zimmerius albigularis) / Chocókleintyrann

 

Rio Silanche, 11/8/2022. If you are in the Choco region there has to be a Choco Tyrannulet.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

676/EC145) Wedge-Billed Woodcreeper (Glyphorynchus spirurus) /Keilschnabel-Baumsteiger

 

Rio Silanche, 11/8/2022. After lunch we explored one of the tracks. Did not get too much (well, it was mid-day so not an ideal time for birding).

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

677/EC146) Lanceolated Monklet (Micromonacha lanceolata) / Streifenfaulvogel

 

Rio Silanche, 11/8/2022. I was really impressed how our guide found this one. Heard it and after a long time finally spotted it. A tiny thing high up in the trees. Since it´s a Puffbird it stayed still and we all had great looks in the scope.

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

678/EC147) White-Whiskered Puffbird (Malacoptila panamensis) / Weißzügel-Faulvogel

 

Rio Silanche, 11/8/2022. I was despairing with this one. Everybody was telling me "It´s right in front of you Michael, eye-level!" Did not see a thing. As so often angle was the issue. Since I am just a bit taller than everybody else in the group it was concealed for me. Squatting was the solution.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

679/EC148) Choco Toucan (Ramphastos brevis) / Küstentukan

 

Rio Silanche, 11/8/2022. The signature bird of this area, and supposedly common. But it just refused to show up. A last-minute save, just as we were leaving. Extremely similar to Yellow-Throated Toucan with a more blackish lower mandible. And their voice is very different.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

680/EC149) Dusky-Faced Tanager (Mitrospingus cassinii) / Rußgesicht-Stärlingstangare

 

Rio Silanche, 11/8/2022. Just before we left for our long drive back we found a last mixed flock. Much of the same but a few new ones among them.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

681/EC150) White-Shouldered Tanager (Tachyphonus luctuosus) / Weißschulter-Haubentangare

 

Rio Silanche, 11/8/2022. I almost deleted all photos of this one (stellar as they are) because I though Flame-Rumped Tanager. But no, it´s a female of this much rarer species.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

682/EC151) Russet Antshrike (Thamnistes anabatinus) / Rostameisenwürger

 

Rio Silanche, 11/8/2022. One of my more remarkable ebcs. Well, it´s an Antshrikeantwrenskulkerbird, so what did you expect?

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

683/EC152) Hook-Billed Kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus) / Langschnabelweih

 

Rio Silanche, 11/8/2022. Last bird from this day, and a very cool one. Could just about open the van door and get a shot in before it flew off.

 

 

 

[PeterHG]

Another very good batch of Ecuador birds! Like you I recognize some of our Costa Rica or Colombia trip, but many would have been lifers. That Hook-billed Kite is a cool one indeed, very colourful!

[pedro maia]

Lots of cool birds and a few pictures I could have taken, I like those .

 

And congrats on the record!!

[TonyQ]

I had missed that you passed the record score - well done 👏 

[Galana]

The makings of an epic BY indeed. Following along and admiring your patience on two fronts. First the bloomin skulkers. I got so fed up in Ecuador with peering into black bushes looking for dark birds I was glad when it was time to move on and find something I could actually see. Second was when you had to concede a closer bird shot "just to keep the rest of the group happy". 

A superb collection of tempting portraits and even your ebcs are achieving now benchmarks. More please.

 

Footnote . I totally agree and approve of your new presentation in date order rather than in species. I don't think I could stand more than two Tyrant/Flycather/Antbirds in succession let alone the lovely hummers. Keep it up.

[michael-ibk]

Thanks, @PeterHG, @pedro maia, @TonyQand @Galana!

 

18 hours ago, pedro maia said:

and a few pictures I could have taken, I like those 

 

More of those coming up!

 

7 hours ago, Galana said:

I got so fed up in Ecuador with peering into black bushes looking for dark birds I was glad when it was time to move on and find something I could actually see.

 

I agree that sometimes birding was super-tough (case in point: the morning coming up next) and I was very happy we visited so many feeder places where we enjoyed easy to see, colourful birds in abundance.

 

7 hours ago, Galana said:

Second was when you had to concede a closer bird shot "just to keep the rest of the group happy". 

Just to clarify, nobody ever said I should or could not get a photo. That was more me not wanting to keep the others waiting. It´s the nature of a group to compromise a bit, and like I said before the others were very patient with me and Alex (the other serious photographer). Certainly more so than the other way around. And it was only a Scrub Blackbird after all.

 

7 hours ago, Galana said:

Footnote . I totally agree and approve of your new presentation in date order rather than in species. I don't think I could stand more than two Tyrant/Flycather/Antbirds in succession let alone the lovely hummers.

 

Yes, that was my main reason. It would have been dozens of Hummingbirds or Tanagers in a go. A bit of a waste. And on the other side of the spectrum a long line of extremely ebcy shots of Woodcreepers, Leaftosser, Antbirds and equally super-interesting stuff.

[michael-ibk]

684/EC153) Yellow-Bellied Chat-Tyrant (Silvicultrix diadema) / Gelbbauch-Schmätzertyrann

 

Bellavista/Upper Tandayapa Valley, 12/8/2022. Since we were discussing difficult conditions - we started early morning in the forest here. Rio Silanche last morning had been challenging but this was impossible photo-wise. The forest was much denser, and while it was a beautiful day the sun would only start to hit where we were much, much later. Lots of stuff going on but mostly fast-moving tiny ones in the canopy. All just black things hopping around. I confess I did not enjoy this too much.

 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2022 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

685/EC154) Sharpe´s aka Sepia-Brown Wren (Cinnycerthia olivascens) / Rostzaunkönig

 

Bellavista/Upper Tandayapa Valley, 12/8/2022. @pedro maia, I hope this one is satisfactory.

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

686/EC155) Blue-and-Black Tanager (Tangara vassorii) / Schwarzblautangare

 

Bellavista/Upper Tandayapa Valley, 12/8/2022. Probably a beautiful Tanager. I would not know.