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 3 – Late Afternoon
- My Ecuador Species Count including the entire day at Sani Lodge and Canopy Tower jumps up to: 162 (85 lifers)
- Primary eBird Public Hotspots: Sani Lodge
Thus far we had managed to dodge the unpredictable major Amazonian showers, or at least get our rain gear on before the skies opened. But as we neared the lodge, a deep crack of thunder rolled overhead, and dark clouds gathered with unmistakable intent. We quickened our pace for the final hundred meters, the first drops beginning to fall just as the landing platform came into view. We stepped onto the boards only seconds before the sky unleashed its full fury—a roaring wall of rain that hammered the lagoon and drowned out every other sound. Grateful for our narrow escape from yet another torrential downpour, we watched as a canoe farther out on the water paddled desperately toward the dock, its passengers completely exposed and getting thoroughly soaked before they could reach shelter.
While we relaxed at the lodge—snacking on popcorn, sipping tropical drinks, and listening to the rain pulse on and off against the thatched roof—we still managed to add a few more treasures to our growing collection of bird photographs. A pair of SOUTHERN LAPWINGS strutted boldly across the open lawn, their striking black‑and‑white faces and sharp, metallic calls giving them an air of perpetual indignation. SMOOTH-BILLED ANIS gathered in loose, sociable clusters, their glossy black plumage and oversized ridged bills making them look like a troupe of curious, slightly disheveled onlookers.
A lively LESSER KISKADEE perched nearby, its bright yellow belly and crisp black‑and‑white facial pattern glowing even under the muted, rain‑washed light. From the edge of the lagoon, a magnificent WHITE-TROATED TOUCAN appeared, its enormous bill and bold contrast of black, white, and lemon‑yellow making it look like a living emblem of the Amazon. And then, as if to crown the moment, one of my top target birds—the VIOLACEOUS JAY—swooped in, its deep indigo plumage shimmering with purples and blues that seemed to shift with every movement. It was the perfect finale to a rain‑soaked afternoon at the lodge.
By this time, exhaustion had settled over all of us—a pleasant, satisfied tiredness earned through a full day of exploration. Still, none of us were quite ready to retreat to our cabins. We gathered for a few minutes at the bar, raising a quiet toast as the sun slipped behind the treetops and the nocturnal chorus began to rise: frogs trilling, insects buzzing, and distant night birds calling from the darkness. It was the perfect ending to a long Amazonian day.
NEXT UP: EB#25 “Avian Action en Route to the Sani Canopy Tower“
Additional Photographs and Video
Previous Ecuador Birding blog posts will be linked below.
- 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. - 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.
>>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 
Leave a comment