To all my family and friends and acquaintances, here are my best bird photos from this year in Ecuador. The first third or so are quite local to where we live. In early July we bought home, and then a car, and so were free to go for jaunts and do some exploring. We hope you enjoy them.
 |
| LONG-TAILED MOCKINGBIRD |
 |
| SAFFRON FINCH |
 |
| EARED DOVE |
 |
| PERUVIAN PYGMY OWL |
 |
| BLUE-GREY TANAGER |
 |
| GROOVE-BILLED ANI |
 |
| PACIFIC HORNERO |
 |
| GOLDEN GROSBEAK |
 |
| TROPICAL KINGBIRD |
 |
| BLUE-BLACK GRASSQUIT - FEMALE |
 |
| AMAZIILIA HUMMINGBIRD |
 |
| ELEGANT CRESENTCHEST |
 |
| GOLDEN-OLIVE WOODPECKER |
 |
| WHOOPING MOTMOT |
 |
| GIANT COWBIRD |
 |
| WHITE-TAILED JAY |
 |
| HEPATIC TANAGER |
 |
| YELLOW-TAILED ORIOLE |
 |
| WHITE-TAILED JAY |
 |
| RUFOUS-HEADED PYGMY-TYRANT |
 |
| WHOOPING MOTMOTS |
 |
| SAFFRON FINCH |
 |
| SCRUB BLACKBIRD - BLOWING A BUBBLE! |
 |
| BOAT-BILLED FLYCATCHER |
 |
| BLUE-AND-BLACK SEEDEATER - POST BREEDING MALE |
 |
| CHIGUANGO THRUSH |
 |
| FASCIATED WREN |
 |
| HOOK-BILLED KITE - FEMALE |
 |
| SOCIAL FLYCATCHER |
 |
| THICK-BILLED EUPHONIA |
 |
| FASCIATED WREN |
 |
| ONE-COLORED BECARD - FEMALE |
 |
| YELLOW-TAILED ORIOLE |
 |
| MARANON TYRANNULET |
 |
| SQUIRREL CUCKOO |
 |
| BLACK PHOEBE |
 |
| TROPICAL KINGBIRDS |
 |
| PALE-LEGGED HORNERO |
 |
| COLLARED ANTSHRIKE - FEMALE |
 |
| COLLARED ANTSHRIKE - MALE |
 |
| SPARKLING VOILETEAR - HEAD WELL POLLINATED |
 |
| LINED ANTSHRIKE |
 |
| MONTAINE FOLIAGE GLEANER |
 |
| SCARLET-RUMPED CACIQUE |
 |
| CHESTNUT-BREASTED CORONET |
 |
| WHITE-BROWED GROUND TYRANT |
 |
| SPECTACLED WHITESTART |
 |
| AMETHYST-THROATED SUNANGEL |
 |
| COPPERY-CHESTED JACAMAR |
 |
| YELLOW-TUFTED WOODPECKER |
 |
| RUDDY DOVE |
 |
| PARADISE TANAGER |
 |
| ORANGE-BELLIED EUPHONIA |
 |
| BLACK-MASKED DACNIS |
 |
| GREEN-BACKED BECARD |
 |
| GOLDEN-FACED TANAGER |
 |
| BLUE-WINGED MOUNTAIN TANAGER |
 |
| SLATE-COLORED GROSBEAK |
 |
| CINNAMON FLYCATCHER |
 |
| CHESTNUT-HEADED COTINGA |
 |
| RUFOUS-FRONTED THORNBILL |
 |
| STRIATED PUFFBIRD |
 |
| ROADSIDE HAWK |
 |
| HOODED SISKIN |
 |
| SAFFRON-HEADED TANAGER |
 |
| CLIFF FLYCATCHER |
 |
| MONTAINE WOODCREEPER |
 |
| GOLDEN-FACED TYRANNULET |
 |
| FLAME-FACED TANAGER |
 |
| LONG-TAILED TYRANT |
 |
| YELLOW-BREASTED BRUSHFINCH |
 |
| LACRIMOSE MOUNTAIN TANAGER |
 |
| RED-MASKED PARAKEETS |
 |
| PERUVIAN MEADOWLARK |
 |
| PACIFIC PARROTLET |
 |
| BAIRD’S FLYCATCHER |
 |
| AZARA’S SPINETAIL |
 |
| MASKED TROGON |
 |
| TURQUOISE JAY |
 |
| CHESTNUT-WINGED CINCLODES CINCLODES FEEDING JR |
 |
| CHESTNUT-WINGED CINCLODES - GETTING READY TO FEED JR |
 |
| BROWN-BELLIED SWALLOW AT NEST |
 |
| COLLARED-ANTSHRIKE. FEMALE |
 |
| COLLARED ANTSHRIKE. MALE |
 |
| SCARLET TANAGER. MALE. ACCIDENTAL WHERE I LIVE |
 |
| SUMMER TANAGER - FEMALE |
 |
| GLOSSY FOWERPIECER |
 |
| THIS IS WHY THEY ARE CALLED FLOWERPIERCERS |
 |
| HOODED MOUNTAIN TANAGER |
 |
| MOUSE-COLORED THISTLETAIL |
 |
| BROWN-BELLIED SWALLOW |
 |
GLOWING PUFFLEG SCRATCHING HIS NECK. NOTICE
THE LARGE “PUFF” OF WHITE FOR WHICH THEY ARE NAMED |
 |
BARRED FRUITEATER - FEMALE
THIS PIC WAS TAKEN WITY MY CELL
PHONE AT CLOSE RANGE. |
 |
| LITTLE SUNANGEL |
 |
| COLLARED INCA |
 |
| AMETHYST-THROATED SUNANGEL |
 |
| CHESTNUT-BREASTED CORONET |
 |
| JOCOCTOCO ANTPITTA |
 |
| RUFOUS-CAPPED TODY TYRANT |
 |
| MOUNTAIN WREN |
 |
| BLACK-AND-GREEN FRUITEATER |
 |
| WHITE-COLLARED SWIFT |
 |
| BLACK-AND-BLUE TANAGER |
 |
| AMERICAN KESTREL - REMINDER OF HOME |
 |
| LINE-CHEEKED SPINETAIL |
 |
| PURPLE-THROATED SUNANGEL |
 |
| RED-CRESTED COTINGA |
 |
| MASKED KESTREL |
 |
| BLUE-BACKED CONEBILL |
 |
| GOLDEN-CROWNED TANAGER |
 |
| GREAT THRUSH |
 |
| GREAT SAPPHIRE-WING |
 |
| SHINING SUNBEAM |
 |
| PLAIN-COLORED SEEDEATER |
 |
| MANY-STRIPED CANASTERO |
 |
| BLACK-BILLED SHRIKE-TYRANT |
 |
| BARRED BECARD |
 |
| TAWNY ANTPITTA |
 |
| MOUSE-COLORED THISTLETAIL |
 |
| TURQUOISE JAY |
 |
| PEARLED TREERUNNER |
 |
| BLACK-HEADED HEMISPINGUS |
 |
| CHESTNUT-BELLIED COTINGA |
 |
| PLUMBEOUS RAIL |
 |
| PLUMBEOUS SIERRA FINCH - MALE |
 |
| PLUMBEOUS SIERRA FINCH - FEMALE |
 |
| LONG-BILLED STARTHROAT |
 |
| GROOVE-BILLED ANIS |
 |
| DRAB SEEDEATER |
 |
| CHESTNUT-THROATED SEEDEATER |
 |
| CROAKING GROUND DOVE AND PACIFIC PARROTLET |
 |
| PACIFIC PARROTLET |
 |
| BLUE-AND-BLACK SEEDEATER - POST BREEDING MALE |
 |
| PARROT-BILLED SEEDEATER - POST BREEDING MALE |
 |
| CHESTNUT-COLLARED SWALLOW |
 |
| BLACK-CHESTED BUZZARD EAGLE |
 |
THE SAME BUZZARD EAGLE IN THE AIR
IT APPEARS HE HAD A RUN IN AFFECTING HIS WING. |
 |
| BLACK-CAPPED TYRANULET |
 |
| BLUISH FLOWERPIERCER |
 |
| CHAPMAN’S ANTSHRIKE - FEMALE |
 |
| HEPATIC TANAGER - MALE |
 |
| ALDER FLYCATCHER. THIS IS ONE FOR THE EXPERTS TO ID |
 |
| BLACK-AND-CHESTNUT EAGLE |
The above picture may be the best bird photo I’ve ever taken. By chance I was ready for him as he soared by. Notice his back feathers are being ruffled by the wind. Also notice the shadow of his wing feathers farther in on the same wing.
I saved the best til last. The top bird I’ve wanted to see in Ecuador has been the Fork-tailed Flycatcher. This bird is an austral migrant, meaning it comes north to escape the winter season in the south, and so is typically found in Ecuador from February to September, but rarely. The day before this pic was taken I took a jaunt an hour east to the Catamayo area (where the airport is) and had seen 2 Eastern Kingbirds, migrants now arriving from the north. These look quite similar to the Fork-Tailed Flycatcher. So on October 14, I was sitting on my back porch and saw a bird land on top of my neighbor’s avocado tree. Without binoculars I could see his gleaming white body with a black head, so assumed it was another Eastern Kingbird, and went in to get my camera to document it for reporting. Luckily it was still there when I came out, so I snapped a quick burst. When I began moving closer to get better pictures, the bird took off, flying away from me and disappeared over some trees. I never did see it with binoculars, nor did I see his long tail as it was mostly obscured by leaves and I did not see the long tail when he flew off. And when I downloaded the pics onto my iPad, I assumed it was a Kingbird and did not even look for the long tail. I cropped one pic which left most of the tail out and emailed it to my friend John in town, and when he responded later that day, he said, “This is a Fork-tailed Flycatcher!” So I looked over the photos again, and fortunately the long tail was visible. All I can say is “Wow!” I only wish I knew it at the time I saw it.
 |
| FORK-TAILED FLYCATCHER |
And wouldn’t you know, 3 days later this bird (below) showed up at my place. And of course, when I first saw it, the tail was obscured by some foliage, and so I’m thinking the Fork-tailed Flycatcher is back! I better call John in Vilcabamba. But when he flew I could not see a long tail. You can see how similar in appearance they are.
 |
| EASTERN KINGBIRD |
No comments:
Post a Comment