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 2 – Early Morning
- My Ecuador Species Count including this morning at Puembo Garden jumps up to: 66 (48 lifers)
- Primary eBird Public Hotspots: Puembo Birding Garden
The first light of morning began beneath the familiar veil of light showers and brooding gray skies—weather that had already become a defining rhythm of the trip. There was a charged stillness in the air—a sense of anticipation so tangible it felt almost electric—as if the forest itself were holding its breath, waiting for us to begin our descent. After days in the thin, windswept heights, the promise of warm, humid air rising from the lowlands carried its own thrill, stirring a mix of excitement, curiosity, and quiet awe. It was the kind of morning that made you feel wide awake in every sense, ready to step into the unknown and let the Amazon reveal its secrets one layer at a time.
After another wonderful breakfast prepared by Mercedes, I found myself with a few quiet minutes to wander her garden, camera in hand, hoping to capture whatever birds might appear before our ride to the airport. A WESTERN EMERALD hummingbird hovered like a tiny shard of green fire, its iridescent plumage flashing brilliantly each time it pivoted in the dim morning light. Nearby, a small group of SHINY COWBIRDS strutted across the lawn, their glossy purple‑black feathers catching the faintest hints of color even under the overcast sky.
Then one of my target species emerged—the SCRUB TANAGER, a subtly beautiful bird whose soft blue‑gray tones and warm buff highlights seemed perfectly suited to the quiet, misty garden.
Before long, the vans arrived and we loaded our gear for the short ride to Mariscal Sucre International Airport. The morning felt unhurried yet full of anticipation, as if the day were quietly gathering momentum. Soon we were airborne, lifting away from the high Andean valley for a quick thirty‑minute flight eastward. Our destination was the Francisco de Orellana Airport in the town of Coca—gateway to the vast Amazon Basin and the next chapter of our adventure.
Since no roads reach the Sani Isla community deep in the Amazon lowlands, our journey continued with a short drive to the river dock, where members of the Sani community greeted us warmly. They moved with practiced efficiency, helping load our luggage and gear onto the Mama Lucy, the long, narrow river vessel that serves as the main transport for travelers heading down the Napo.
The boat—steady, powerful, and unmistakably part of life on this great river—would carry us from Puerto Francisco de Orellana (Coca) downstream toward Sani Isla and the renowned Sani Birding Lodge.
NEXT UP: EB#16 “The Mama Lucy and Canoe Transit to Sani Birding Lodge“
Additional Photographs and Video
Previous Ecuador Birding Blog Posts:
- EB100 – Epilogue – Full of Wonder and Gratitude
This epilogue looks beyond the individual bird highlights to the deeper meaning of the journey, capturing the wonder, gratitude, and renewed perspective that Ecuador left within me. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature. - EB99 – Ecuador – Favorite Images from the West Andes
This epilogue looks beyond the individual bird highlights to the deeper meaning of the journey, capturing the wonder, gratitude, and renewed perspective that Ecuador left within me. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature. - EB98 – Ecuador – Favorite Images from the High Andes Páramo
A visual tribute to the páramo, where the Andes reveal their rawest beauty and every moment feels carved from wind and light. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature. - EB97 – Ecuador – Favorite Images from the Eastern Andes
A visual journey through the cool, moss‑laden slopes of the eastern Andes and the birds that define them. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature. - EB96 – Ecuador – Favorite Images from the Amazon Lowlands
A collection of my favorite images from the Amazon Basin, where water, light, and life intertwine in one of the world’s most vibrant ecosystems. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature. - EB95 – Reserva Yanacocha: Ending Ecuador Birding on a 3500m High Note
A late morning at Reserva Yanacocha revealed a powerful blend of conservation triumphs and high‑Andean species, highlighted by a final lifer that brought the journey full circle. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature.
>>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.
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