**Due to the high resolution quality of the images in this blog series it is highly recommended to
view posts in Landscape Mode on a desktop PC from the actual blogsite at Ecuador Birding**
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.
A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain
DAY 5 – Mid-Afternoon
- My Ecuador Species Count including the visit to El Retiro and San Roque jumps up to: 185 (130 lifers)
- Primary eBird Public Hotspot: Sani Lodge
Soon it was time for our final late‑afternoon circuit around the lagoon. But before stepping into the canoe, I couldn’t resist photographing yet another Hoatzin—this one perched confidently on the thatched roof, its spiky crest and prehistoric profile making it look like a relic from another age.
We pushed off and glided into the flooded blackwater mangrove channels. This was a true auditory immersion. The forest around us pulsed with life: the chattering of Squirrel Monkeys leaping through the branches, the rich, bubbling duets of Black‑capped Donacobius, and the deep, resonant hoots of an Amazon Motmot, heard but never seen. The stillness of the canoe, the soft drip of water from the leaves, and the layered chorus of the forest created a moment that felt suspended in time—one of those rare experiences that imprint themselves forever.
As we emerged from the side channel, a Spot‑breasted Woodpecker posed beautifully on an open branch above the water, its spotted breast and bold facial stripes glowing in the late‑day light.
Off to our left, the lodge reflected perfectly in the calm lagoon, bathed in warm afternoon sun. It was a spectacular ending to our final afternoon at Sani Birding Lodge—a farewell wrapped in color, sound, and the quiet magic of the Amazon.
NEXT UP: EB#35 “Goodbye Amazon, Hello East Andes“
Additional Photographs and Video
Previous Ecuador Birding Blog Posts:
- EB34 – One Last Cruise Around the Calluacocha Lagoon
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. - EB33 – A Quiet Afternoon Spent Shooting on the Sani Lodge Grounds
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. - EB32 – Afternoon Birds, Bats, Butterflies and a Really Cool Pair of Owls at Sani 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. - EB31b – An Avian Hodgepodge of Misplaced Species at San Roque
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. - EB31 – Unexpected Sentinel: Burrowing Owl on a Floating Forest Island
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. - EB30 – Napo River Wings: Skimmers, Screamers and Other Surprises
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.
>>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