The view from the porch of our lodge at Milpe, that fog hangs over the plants which in turn overhang the roaring, unseen Milpe River at the bottom of the deep, steep gorge.  This was the rainiest portion of our trip.  The high volume of water matched by the high volume of new bird species.

 

 

 

 

 

The morning was quite rainy so my best photo subjects were insects gathered on the lodge’s porch and dining area where they could keep their wings dry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our birding in the rain paid off, however.  Some the birds we saw: Squirrel Cuckcoo, Buff-rumped Warbler that we chased around the lodge’s garden at dawn, Choco Trogon, Chestnut-collared Swift, Chestnut-collared Toucan, Pale-eyed Thrush, Choco Warbler, Immaculate Antibird who really was stunning in a family of drabsters, Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Tawny-faced Antwren, Smokey-brown Woodpecker, Ornate Flycatcher again, One-color Becard, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper (not related to our North American creeper), Scaly-throated Woodcreeper.  You get the idea there are lots of drab birds movinmg through the dense jungle eating insects and other small critters.  Right.  My dearth of bird pictures testifies to the dark conditions, sloppy weather and foliage that allowed peeks and glances, birds that rarely posed, etc. etc.  I have the utmost respect for any photographer who sit long enough a damp blind to capture a picture of an antibird or woodcreeper of any species.

At this reserve we saw our Club-winged Mannikin on its lek.  We heard its wing pops, but never got to see the male perform.  He was silent when in view, then would duck under cover to make his sweet music for the female mannkins.

Here is Mindo Cloudforest Foundation’s website. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 After lunch we travelled two gruelling hours over roads a donkey would avoid.  But at the end: birding bonanza.  First this handsome Golden olive Woodpecker met us at the ranch house near the bottom of the MIra valley, northwest of Quito.

From the ranch house it was a ten minute tractor ride (seen above) to the start of a narrow, forests trail that slipped down a ravine side to the bottom, and then we picked our way past rocks and trees to see this gorge before us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside the gorge is a colony of oilbirds.  So named because NAtvie American and earluy Spanish colonists used their oily bodies for lighting and fuel.  Some have survived in these remote, hard to find spots, mostly caves.  Here they are vaguely seen because there was almost not light where they perched on ledges far up in the darkest parts of the gorge.  They appear roughly like small alcids and only come out of their lair at night to hunt.  BOthy in their hideouts and in flight they are often loudly growling and screaming.  We heard a bit of that over the roaring little torrent at the bottom of their gorge. They are about 18 inches long and plump, with oil presumably.  They are fruit eaters.

Oilbirds are not abundsant anywhere.  The BIRDS OF ECUADOR range map shows thirteen little black dots for the known colonies in that entire country.  Their nearest relatives are the potoos, also nocturnal feeders.

This is the nest and the back of the Pacific Hornero, we spotted bird and nest in a bean field on our way back to the ranch house from OIlbird Gorge.  Picture taken from bouncing wagon behind lurching tractor.  I get one point for that.

For some fine, professional pics, check out the Bella Vista website picture galleries.