Michael‘s Seventh Year

[michael-ibk]

777/EC246) Dark-Backed Wood Quail (Odontophorus melanonotus) / Schwarzrückenwachtel

 

Paz de las Aves, 15/8/2022. The last day of the group trip had arrived. Supposed to be a big highlight, we visited Refugio Paz de las Aves, a well-known place for several hard-to-get species. But it did not really start the way we would have liked. The Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek experience was hugely disappointing, we barely saw the birds, and when we did they were very far away and mostly concealed in the canopy. Certainly not the kind of experience all those photos online made me think we´d have. Won´t even post a picture about the Cocks. This Wood Quail was a consolation prize, amazingly it came out of the forest when lured with worms by Angel.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

778/EC247) Rufous-Bellied Nighthawk (Lurocalis rufiventris) / Andennachtschwalbe

 

Paz de las Aves, 15/8/2022. Virtually impossible to see in the canopy if you don´t know it´s there.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

779/EC248) Ecuadorian Thrush (Turdus maculirostris) / Tumbesdrossel

 

Paz de las Aves, 15/8/2022. We were waiting for Angel to find a Giant Antpitta but that did not work out. While waiting I could finally snatch a picture of this quite common bird.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

780/EC249) Chestnut-Crowned Antpitta (Grallaria ruficapilla) /Rostkappen-Ameisenpitta

 

Paz de las Aves, 15/8/2022. So far the morning had not exactly been a rousing success but it got much better. We moved a bit higher up, and Angel and his helpers started to lure out Antpitta after Antpitta.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

781/EC250) Moustached Antpitta (Grallaria alleni) / Grauscheitel-Ameisenpitta

 

Paz de las Aves, 15/8/2022. It was almost impossible to really see Antpittas not too long ago. Angel was the very first one to try to attract them with worm-feeding, and he had sensational success. Many other places have started to copy him, and as I understand many lodges have hired him to teach their staff how to do this.

 

And I was quite surprised how he does it. You would expect this to be a very calm and subtle affair, nobody moving, just whispering. Certainly did not expect him to shout his heart out in the forest, scream "Venga, venga" (Come, come"), "subi, subi (get up, get up) at them with surprising volume.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

782/EC251) Ochre-Breasted Antpitta (Grallaricula flavirostris) / Ockerbrust-Ameisenpitta

 

Paz de las Aves, 15/8/2022. The smallest of the Antpittas we saw, and my favourite. Really funny to watch, because it is constantly moving its backside, like a dancer. Angel has named all his Antpittas, and this one is - Shakira! Really bootilicious!

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

783/EC252) Golden-Crowned Flycatcher (Myiodynastes chrysocephalus) / Andenmaskentyrann

 

Paz de las Aves, 15/8/2022. After this impressive parade of Antpittas we picked up some other new forest dwellers. A fairly large Flycatcher of the Andes.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

784/EC253) Plumbeous Pigeon (Patagioenas plumbea) / Weintaube

 

Paz de las Aves, 15/8/2022. One for the numbers - really care much about most Pigeons.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

785/EC254) Lineated Foliage-Gleaner (Syndactyla subalaris) / Streifenblattspäher

 

Paz de las Aves, 15/8/2022. A Folliage-Gleaner we actually saw, hooray!

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

786/EC255) Yellow-Breasted Antpitta (Grallaria flavotincta) / Gelbbrust-Ameisenpitta

 

Paz de las Aves, 15/8/2022. After we enjoyed a very good breakfast at Angel´s he tried again for "Maria", the Giant Antpitta. Unfortunately Maria did not want to play today. This was our consolation prize, the newest Antpitta in Angel´s collection.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

787/EC256) Orange-Bellied Euphonia (Euphonia xanthogaster) / Gelbbauchorganist

 

Paz de las Aves, 15/8/2022. Afterwards we had some leisure time at the fruit feeders - which were very productive. The most common Euphonia on this trip. But it´s a tiny bird, so you really need to see them quite close to get a decent photo. Male and female.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

788/EC257) Blue-Winged Mountain Tanager (Anisognathus somptuosus) / Blauflügel-Bergtangare

 

Paz de las Aves, 15/8/2022. A chunky and very colourful Tanager.

 

 

Groundworks for the next generation:

 

[michael-ibk]

789/EC258) Yellow-Bellied Seedeater (Sporophila nigricollis) / Gelbbauchspelzer

 

Paz de las Aves, 15/8/2022. Well, we can´t all be spectacular, can we?

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

790/EC259) Black-Capped Tanager (Tangara heinei) / Schwarzscheiteltangare

 

Paz de las Aves, 15/8/2022. A Tanager with quite distinct dimorphism.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

791/EC260) Streak-Backed Canastero (Asthenes wyatti) / Strichelrückencanastero

 

Diogenes Paredes, 15/8/2022. And then it was time to get back to Quito. One more stop to get some new ones, the habitat here (high up, quite barren) was distinctive. But what we saw was not very cooperative.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

792/EC261) Ash-Breasted Sierra Finch (Phrygilus plebejus) / Aschbrust-Ammertangare

 

Diogenes Paredes, 15/8/2022. Actually a Tanager but certainly not pretty enough to carry that name.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

793/EC262) Purple-Collared Woodstar (Myrtis fanny) / Türkisehlelfe

 

Diogenes Paredes, 15/8/2022. A distant and fleeting sighting of this habitat specialist, it likes dry, scrubby high altitude places.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

794/EC263) Band-Tailed Sierra Finch (Phrygilus alaudinus) / Lerchentangare

 

Diogenes Paredes, 15/8/2022. One more from my popular "Through the car windows" beauties. Another clandestine Tanager.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

795/EC264) Pied-Billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) / Bindentaucher

 

Quito Airport Pond, 15/8/2022. In the next five posts I will really show you what I can do as a photographer. Watch out @Galana, gonna give you a run for your money now. Our youngest (and most driven) tour member was just short of reaching 400 for his list (unlike me he was also including "Heard-Onlys") and we all agreed he really could not leave Ecuador without getting there. So we did something only (fairly stupid) birders can do - we stopped on the motorway, passed our lane on foot, and took position on the narrow grass strip between the lane, staring through the fence at the fairly distant airport pond. Which is quite a magnet, not a lot of waterbodies around.

 

The first of my brilliant "photos". Super-common for my American friends but a lifer for me.

 

[michael-ibk]

796/EC265) Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) / Großer Gelbschenkel

 

Quito Airport Pond, 15/8/2022. The Amercian answer to our Greenshank.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

797/EC266) Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) / Olivenscharbe

 

Quito Airport Pond, 15/8/2022. Great, right? Well, you should see my Wilson´s Phalarope.

 

[michael-ibk]

798/EC267) Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) / Schmuckreiher

 

Quito Airport Pond, 15/8/2022. The Little Egret twin.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

799/EC268) Harris´s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) / Wüstenbussard

 

Quito Airport Pond, 15/8/2022. Bird Nr 400 for Alex, and so he could leave Ecuador in peace.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

800/EC269) Toucan Barbet (Semnornis ramphastinus) / Tukanbartvogel

 

Tandayapa Bird Lodge, 13/8/2022. Well, could not have one of the airport birds for the century, so saved this one.

 

Spectacular bird, another one I had really wanted to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TonyQ]

The airport pond helped both of you, but it is good you saved such a spectacular bird for your 800. Congratulations.

The Antpittas are surprisingly pretty when you can see them