Ecuador was a spectacular country to visit. From the incredible diversity of birds to the wonderful lodges and friendly people, traveling in Ecuador is a fantastic experience. I'll be making several posts about my trip over the next couple of weeks.
After meeting my Sabrewing business partner, Brian, in Atlanta, we boarded our flight Quito. Our friend and guide for the trip, Edison BuenaƱo, met us at the airport and took us to Hotel Quito for the night. I had heard that the hotel property was decent for finding a few birds so I was up early the next morning to see what I might be able to find. After some time on the balcony, I added a few life birds such as the very common Great Thrush as well as Black-tailed Trainbearer.
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The view from the top floor of Hotel Quito at sunrise. |
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My first Sword-billed Hummingbird of the trip at Yanacocha. |
Our final stop of the day was at a bird feeding station that a local has set up behind his house. Since Edison said that place was pretty new, we weren't sure what to expect but it turned out to be awesome! The hummingbird feeders were very active and Sickle-winged Guan came in for a banana late in the afternoon. Our first day ended with 71 lifers!
Once it was too dark to continue birding, we made our way to Septimo Paraiso which would be our home base for the next 3 days. Check back soon to read about out time birding on the Western Slope.