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 – Late Afternoon
- My Ecuador Species Count through the end of the day at the Sani Lodge jumps up to: 103 (71 lifers)
- Primary eBird Public Hotspots: Sani Lodge
The Hoatzins lingered in our minds long after their croaking calls faded behind us, their prehistoric silhouettes still etched against the still Amazon water. But as we settled back into the rhythm of Sani Lodge—the soft lap of the lagoon, the rustle of palms, the distant chatter from the canopy—the surreal slowly gave way to the familiar. A species from my time in Costa Rica, Belize and Mexico soon appeared. A pair of BLUE-GRAY TANAGERS perched in the open, this subspecies instantly recognizable by the crisp white edging along its wings that contrasted beautifully with its soft powder‑blue body. Nearby, another familiar friend, a PALE-VENTED PIGEON settled onto a branch, its gentle gray tones and rosy wash on the chest giving it a calm, understated elegance.
As the sun slowly began dipping toward the horizon, painting the lagoon in warm amber light, a pair of new species for the day emerged. A VIOLACEOUS JAY announced itself with loud, raucous calls, its deep indigo plumage shimmering each time it shifted in the fading light. Next up, a SHORT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER appeared—more subdued in color than the others, with earthy browns and soft yellows, but full of personality as it flicked its tail and scanned for insects.
Soon I found myself drawn back to what would become my favorite rainy‑day refuge—the open‑air bar overlooking the black‑water lagoon. It wasn’t the tropical drinks that pulled me in, but the sweeping view: a vast mirror of dark, tannin‑rich water framed by towering palms and the soft rustle of evening settling over the forest.
I snapped a few photos, but the sky soon stole my attention—golden light spilling across the water, turning the entire lagoon into a sheet of molten color. I raised my trusty landscape camera—my iPhone 16 Pro—to capture the moment, and just as I framed the shot, a Hoatzin glided awkwardly into view, photobombing the sunset with perfect comedic timing.
And that was how my first afternoon in the Ecuadorian Amazon came to a close: warm light fading, strange birds calling, and a grin stretching across my face, already knowing this place had its hooks in me.
NEXT UP: EB#19 “Day Three Opens with a Riverbound Trip to El Retiro“
Additional Photographs and Video
Previous Ecuador Birding Blog Posts:
- 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. - EB48 – Moth Lights and Mountain Birds: A New Chapter Begins at Guango Lodge
Arriving at Guango Lodge felt like entering a cooler, quieter Andean world where dawn birds and the forest’s layered rhythms created a timeless, living welcome woven from mist, movement, and the murmur of the Río Papallacta. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador. - EB47 – Ascending Into Mist and Mountain Air at Río Quijos EcoLodge
Climbing from El Quetzal toward Río Quijos, the day unfolded as a seamless blend of roadside surprises, river‑edge targets, and cloudforest color, each stop adding new species and renewed momentum as the journey pressed on toward Guango Lodge. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador. - EB46 – El Quetzal Bosque Protegido: Songbirds of the Afternoon
An afternoon walk through El Quetzal revealed a calmer, more contemplative side of the forest, where understated songbirds and familiar species offered quiet beauty and character before the journey carried us onward toward new habitats and fresh surprises. 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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