A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain
Ecuador Birding – Where Every Feather Tells a Story
From October 26, 2025 through November 8, 2025 I joined 5 other adventurers and an outstanding photographer and birding guide (Liron Gertsman) with Eagle-Eye Tours to Ecuador. This blog series highlights the animals (mostly birds), people and locations we encountered over the 14 full days in this beautiful land.
DAY 1 – Dinnertime
- My Ecuador Species Count as of the official start jumps up to: 63 (45 lifers)
- Primary eBird Public Hotspots: None
By evening, the day’s birding adventures gave way to anticipation of what lay ahead. At 6:30 pm, our Eagle‑eye Tour group gathered in Mercedes’ patio dining area, a warm and welcoming space where introductions quickly turned into lively conversation. Around the table sat Jim and Pat from Minnesota, Chris and Darby from Michigan, Alex from British Columbia, myself from California, and our birding and photography guide, Liron, also from British Columbia. Though we hailed from different corners of North America, we were united by a single passion: the pursuit of birds through the lens of a camera.
It was immediately clear that this was a group of dedicated photographers, each with their own approach and tools of the trade. Liron, Alex, and I all carried Canon bodies, each of us wielding a different model suited to our style. Jim V had his OM System (formerly Olympus), sleek and efficient, while Chris brought a Nikon setup, its sturdy build a reminder of the brand’s long legacy in wildlife photography. The variety of gear sparked easy conversation—comparisons of lenses, debates over autofocus speed, and shared stories of missed shots and lucky captures. It was the kind of camaraderie that birding groups form almost instantly, built on shared obsessions and mutual respect.
As we chatted, Mercedes appeared with dinner: a beautifully prepared breaded sea tilapia, crisp and golden, accompanied by an arugula salad dressed with olive oil and avocado, and a side of lentils rich with earthy flavor. The meal was simple yet elegant, nourishing both body and spirit after a long day in the mountains. Between bites, laughter and stories flowed, weaving together the beginnings of friendships that would carry us through the days ahead.
Later, we retired to our rooms, where the gentle patter of rain on the roof became our lullaby. It was a spectacular end to the day—one of those quiet, reflective moments when the weight of adventure settles in, and you realize just how much you’ve already experienced on a trip that has only just begun. The Eagle‑eye Tour was officially underway, and with it, the promise of countless birds, photographs, and memories waiting just beyond the dawn.
NEXT UP: EB#15 “Puembo Garden Surprises Before Taking Off for Coca“
Previous Ecuador Birding blog posts will be linked below.
- EB54 – Life in the Whitewater: Torrent Ducks of the Papallacta River
A breathless, high‑altitude chase along the river turned into a triumphant, hard‑won encounter with Torrent Ducks, ending the day at Guango Lodge with the exhilaration of finally photographing one of the trip’s most coveted species. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador. - EB53 – Back to the Cloudforest: A Gentle Afternoon at Guango Lodge
In October 2025, Jim Gain joined a birding tour in Ecuador, exploring its rich biodiversity and stunning landscapes over 14 days. The blog series chronicles his experiences with birds and nature. - EB52 – High Hopes in High Places: A Visit to the Andes Páramo
The climb from Guango Lodge into the fog‑shrouded páramo unfolded as a dramatic journey through wind, altitude, and high‑Andean specialists—culminating in rare encounters, fleeting moments of luck, and a gradual descent back into the familiar embrace of the cloudforest. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador in October 2025 - EB51 – Back to the Feeders: New Colors in the Gardens of Guango Lodge
The lower gardens at Guango Lodge offered a gentle, intimate finale to the morning, where warblers, tanagers, thrushes, and a trio of hummingbirds created a quiet tapestry of color and motion. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador. - EB50 – Called From the Mist: Gray‑breasted Mountain‑Toucan at Guango
A steep climb above Guango Lodge led to an unforgettable encounter with Gray‑breasted Mountain‑Toucans and Pale‑naped Brushfinches. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador. - EB49 – Turquoise Jay: The Andean Jewel of Ecuador
At Guango Lodge, the Turquoise Jay’s explosive burst of color and the challenge of photographing its shifting blues transformed a rich morning of cloudforest birding into a defining moment that propelled us up the trail in search of the next Andean treasure. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador.
>>Ecuador Birding Blog Home Page Link https://reflectionsofthenaturalworld.com/ecuador-birding/
*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.
**Unless otherwise indicated in the image caption, all photographs (>99%) are mine.
Reflections of the Natural World 
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