---

Blog Post #3 “First Light Birding at Puembo Birding Garden“

A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain

DAY 1 Sunrise

As I got dressed, the first birds of the trip announced themselves outside my window: Rufous-collared Sparrows with their sweet, whistled songs, and the soft, inquisitive calls of Southern Beardless-Tyrannulets. When I stepped outside, ready to begin the day, I met Mercedes and Alex, my birding partner for the day—and once again had to be gently shushed for being too loud at such an early hour. It turned out our driver had mixed up the pickup time, so we had a little while to explore while breakfast was being prepared.

I wandered the grounds to get my bearings. At one point I followed the wrong path and ended up somewhere guests weren’t supposed to be, but after a quick correction I retreated to the beautiful patio area. It held a long dining table, comfortable chairs, and a small library of bird field guides and local natural history books.

Beyond the patio, the garden opened into a lush mix of shrubs and flowering plants, dotted with hummingbird feeders, whole‑seed feeders, and cracked‑corn trays. The flowers, though, seemed to be the real draw for the hummingbirds.

The first bird I saw—and photographed—was a SPARKLING VIOLETEAR, shimmering emerald and violet as it hovered from bloom to bloom. It was remarkably vocal, giving its sharp, metallic calls as it worked every flower on every bush.

Next came a familiar friend: a BLUE-GRAY TANAGER, drawn to the bananas on the fruit feeders. I’d seen this species many times in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Costa Rica, but it was still a welcome sight.

Alex pointed me toward the cracked‑corn feeders at the back of the garden, where several EARED DOVES and CROAKING GROUND DOVES were feeding. Their soft coos and low, frog‑like calls blended into the morning air.

Soon they were joined by a small flock of SAFFRON FINCHES, their bright yellow plumage glowing against the cool Andean morning.

The day had barely begun, and already the birds were delivering.

---

NEXT UP: Unofficial Sidetrip to Zuro Loma

Previous Ecuador Birding blog posts will be linked below.

• EB3 – FIRST LIGHT BIRDING AT PUEMBO BIRDING GARDEN
• EB2 – AN AIRPORT WELCOME AND ARRIVAL AT PUEMBO BIRDING GARDEN
• EB1 – PROLOGUE TO MY TRIP OF A LIFETIME TO ECUADOR

*This Ecuador Birding blog post was shaped and polished with the assistance of Microsoft Copilot, helping bring clarity and a consistent flow to my field notes and dictated memories.