Hummingbirds, tanagers and more
hummingbirds! . . . and still cold!
hummingbirds! . . . and still cold!
Golden tanager |
Halfway to the bar once, well before dawn, in near pitch blackness
I had to return to the room to get something. I left Lynne to carry on to the
dining room. I was quick, and I was surprised that Lynne had managed to get so
far ahead of me without a torch! She wasn’t at the bar so I retraced my steps
to find her almost in tears after she had taken the wrong path! Here is our
chalet:
Our chalet at Sachatamia Lodge |
And a carved wooden ‘Yumbo’ hunter outside the bar:
A Yumbo hunter at Sachatamia Lodge |
It was still pretty cold at this altitude, even at the Equator! Survival depended on being well tucked up in bed each night!!
Our first morning at Sachatamia involved getting up before 06.00 and being ready to start at 06.30. The carpark had a strong light that burned all night, attracting many moths and other insects which landed and stayed on the main pole of the light and on the surrounding bushes. At dawn, birds would come to feast on the unsuspecting insects.
Our first morning at Sachatamia involved getting up before 06.00 and being ready to start at 06.30. The carpark had a strong light that burned all night, attracting many moths and other insects which landed and stayed on the main pole of the light and on the surrounding bushes. At dawn, birds would come to feast on the unsuspecting insects.
Red-eyed vireo |
After breakfast we drove to various places/reserves. We
had morning coffee in a café with a lovely garden where fruit was left for the birds.
Green thorntail (a hummingbird) |
There was also the obligatory battery of hummingbird feeders. It was really
relaxing. Drinking coffee and watching all manner of hummingbirds, tanagers and
other birds. What could be better? The tanagers are a large group of colourful
birds. I love them!
Brown violetear (another hummingbird) |
Café 'Jardin de Orquideas' |
Lemon-rumped tanager |
We never got up later than 06.00 and sometimes it was an
hour or two earlier depending how far we had to go! Certainly, every day involved
a very early start so I won’t bother to mention it each time from now on!
Swallow tanager |
We didn’t mind these early starts (well, I didn’t mind;
not sure about Lynne) because until we got used to the time difference we found
ourselves awake by the small hours anyway. It was no big deal then just to get
up!
Blue-grey tanager |
More early-morning birdwatching around the lodge on
Sunday before setting off for Quito again for the night.
White-whiskered hermit (another hummingbird) |
Burrowing owl |
My comrades had pushed another couple of hundred metres
along and they called and gesticulated to me. I went to join them and saw the
shrike-tyrant further up the hill. It was rather distant, so the photo is not too good.
White-tailed shrike-tyrant |
We went back to the same hotel in Quito for a relaxing shower, a very pleasant evening meal, a lovely bottle of red wine – followed by. . . . . another pre-dawn start!
Ecuador - Part 1
Ecuador - Part 3
Ecuador - Part 4