Michael‘s Seventh Year

[michael-ibk]

814/EC283) Chestnut-Bellied Seedeater (Sporophila castaneiventris) / Rotbauchspelzer

 

Loreto Road, 16/8/2022. A stop at the petrol station gave me this bird and the next one.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

815/EC284) Yellow-Browed Sparrow (Ammodramus aurifrons) / Gelbwangenammer

 

Loreto Road, 16/8/2022. Found in grassy patches in urban and agricultural areas.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

816/EC285) Social Flycatcher (Myiozetetes similis) / Rotscheitel-Maskentyrann

 

E20 heading South-East, 16/8/2022. We stopped at a river hoping to pick up some Kingfishers. No luck there but this familiar bird posed on the wire. Another old friend from Costa Rica.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

817/EC286) Southern Rough-Winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx ruficollis) / Zimtkehlschwalbe

 

Old Quarry Loreto Road, 16/8/2022. Common and widespread through the Neotropics.

 

[michael-ibk]

818/EC287) Green-Backed Hillstar (Urochroa leucura) / Blaukehl-Andenkehlkolibri

 

Old Quarry Loreto Road, 16/8/2022. Quite limited range on the Eastern Slopes.

 

 

A closer look from the next day at Wild Sumaco:

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

819/EC288) Cliff Flycatcher (Hirundinea ferruginea) / Schwalbentyrann

 

Old Quarry Loreto Road, 16/8/2022. As the name implies it occurs around cliffs, landslides, and even buildings.

 

 

This old quarry here is a good habitat for it.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

820/EC289) Blackish Nightjar (Nyctipolus nigrescens) / Nyctipolus nigrescens

 

Old Quarry Loreto Road, 16/8/2022. Almost always found at a landslide or rocky slope at the forest edge or in clearings. Byron knew exactly how close I could get without flushing it.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

821/EC290) Russet-Backed Oropendola (Psarocolius angustifrons) / Breithauben-Stirnvogel

 

Wild Sumaco Road, 16/8/2022. It was already past 17:00 when we finally got to the entrance road to the lodge. It´s a long drive - at least five hours from Quito without stops.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

822/EC291) Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola peruvianus) / Andenfelshahn

 

Wild Sumaco Lodge, 16/8/2022. I was in a very good mood when we arrived at the lodge. It had been a very productive day. Byron was not only a really fantastic birding guide (one of the best I ever had) but also a really nice guy. I had really regretted saying Good Bye to my extremely nice tour group comrades but now felt, that yes, also my solo days would definitely be enjoyable. And just to reaffirm this, THE bird of the Andes decided to wait in the lodge garden just for me:

 

 

 

Certainly made up for the extremely disappointing lek experience from the day before!

 

 

The female, saying Hi the next afternoon.

 

Wild Sumaco, here I come!

 

 

[TonyQ]

A great bird to round of this section and to introduce the new lodge.

[PeterHG]

I’m glad you got such good views of the Cock-of-the Rock ! Such an amazing bird.

[michael-ibk]

Thanks @TonyQand @PeterHG. It would have felt wrong to leave Ecuador without a good look at this iconic bird!

[John M.]

4 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

 

Thanks for popping in John! Yes, I do feel lucky having discovered safaris ten years ago and birding a bit later but still feel I wasted a lot of good years.

I got into birds a bit late, too. My first Africa photography was so ordinary that as well as buying decent equipment, I had to practise a lot... and birds were the most common subjects back home.

Edited October 11, 2022 by John M.

[Peter Connan]

Astounding Michael! So many truly beautiful birds and photos!

[Galana]

Good to see you got the Cock of the Rock after all. No visit should be without that. Getting one in the Lodge grounds is a bonus.

Sounds like a few days solo is paying off already.

[Dave Williams]

The Cock of the Rock is indeed a bit special!

[xelas]

That is one cocky bird !

[michael-ibk]

19 hours ago, John M. said:

My first Africa photography was so ordinary that as well as buying decent equipment, I had to practise a lot... and birds were the most common subjects back home.

 

Similar for me - I only got interested in local birding after I had found out birds are fun in the Pantanal and India!

 

Thanks @Galana, @Peter Connan, @xelasand @Dave Williams!

[michael-ibk]

823/EC292) Western Fire-Eye (Pyriglena maura) / Feueraugen-Ameisenvogel

 

Wild Sumaco, 17/8/2022. I had booked Byron for the full day. We started early, and first spent some time at the moth sheet. This one used to be White-Backed Fireeye but is not one of three species that one has been split into. It was still very dark, and here flash was definitely not allowed, but they were close enough for some photos in the dim mothsheet light. Great fun to watch!

 

Male:

 

 

Female:

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

824/EC293) Black-Billed Treehunter (Thripadectes melanorhynchus) / Schuppenkehl-Baumspäher

 

Wild Sumaco, 17/8/2022. Another skulker which took advantage of the caught moths.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

825/EC294) Rufous-Tailed Foliage-Gleaner (Anabacerthia ruficaudata) / Olivrücken-Blattspäher

 

Wild Sumaco, 17/8/2022. Apart from the two species posted nothing else showed up, so we were off to the forest. Wild Sumaco has an extensive trail network.

 

 

 

We covered a lot of ground, and I really enjoyed this. Always love walking in the rainforest. But of course it is quite dark in here, and most birds were pretty high up, so I only got embarrasingly bad photos for the most part. Beware, it´s getting much worse than this Foliage-Gleaner!

 

[michael-ibk]

826/EC295) Plumbeous-Crowned Tyrannulet (Phyllomyias plumbeiceps) / Graukronen-Kleintyrann

 

Wild Sumaco, 17/8/2022. An uncommon Flycatcher only safely IDed by voice.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

827/EC296) Spectacled Bristle-Tyrant (Pogonotriccus orbitalis) / Augenring-Laubtyrann

 

Wild Sumaco, 17/8/2022. You see, I really was not exaggerating about the "quality" of my photos!

 

[michael-ibk]

828/EC297) Montane Foliage-Gleaner (Anabacerthia striaticollis) / Weißbrillen-Blattspäher

 

Wild Sumaco, 17/8/2022. Another spectacular photo.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

829/EC298) Fulvous Shrike-Tanager (Lanio fulvus) / Goldbrust-Würgertangare

 

Wild Sumaco, 17/8/2022. A female here.