Synopsis: 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.
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
**Due to the high resolution and quality of the images in this blog series it is highly recommended
that readers view posts in Landscape Mode on a desktop PC from the actual blogsite at Ecuador Birding**
DAY 8 – Mid-Afternoon
- My Ecuador Species Count up to but not including Cabañas San Isidro jumps up to: 214 (149 lifers)
- Primary eBird Public Hotspots:
The road toward San Isidro rose and fell through folds of cloud‑draped forest, each bend revealing another pocket of green mystery. Our first stop was Via Papankú, a quiet stretch of roadside forest where the morning light filtered through the mist like a soft veil. It was there that we encountered one of the strangest and most unforgettable sights of the entire trip: a solitary Great Potoo chick, perched motionless on a broken snag. With no adult in sight, the youngster relied on its remarkable camouflage—fluffy, pale, and ghostlike, blending seamlessly into the weathered wood. The forest around it felt hushed, as if holding its breath for this odd, vulnerable creature.
As we continued along the route, the forest began to stir with hummingbird activity. A Green Hermit swept through the understory in long, deliberate arcs, its decurved bill perfectly shaped for deep forest flowers. Nearby, a Gray-breasted Sabrewing flashed broad wings and metallic greens as it defended a favored perch. The ever‑present Fork-tailed Woodnymph added its own sparkle to the scene, weaving through shafts of light with effortless grace. These moments of color and motion contrasted beautifully with the stillness of the morning mists, each bird a tiny ember in the cool, gray air.
By midday we reached Loreto Road, a stretch known for its rich mix of foothill and montane species. The forest here felt alive in a different way—denser, more humid, and full of hidden voices. A pair of Band-bellied Owls peered down from a shadowed branch, their barred chests and wide eyes giving them an almost regal presence. Moments later, a Blue Dacnis lit up the canopy like a dropped gemstone, its electric blues and greens glowing against the muted forest backdrop. It was one of those sightings that stops you mid‑step, reminding you how startlingly vibrant the Andes can be.
A little farther along, the forest opened into a sheer cliff face that seemed to spill birds into the sky. We pulled over to watch Swallow-tailed Kites carving effortless arcs above the ridge, their long forked tails slicing through the mist with acrobatic precision. Closer to the rock wall, a pair of Cliff Flycatchers—a high‑value target for many birders—darted out to snatch insects midair, their rusty wings flashing against the pale stone. Overhead, Blue-and-white Swallows swirled in a restless cloud, dozens of them looping and diving in tight formation. They stayed just far enough away to elude the camera, but their movement added a lively, swirling energy to the cliffside scene, a reminder of how dynamic these Andean edges can be.
As the day unfolded, the mountain’s beauty collided with a more personal challenge. I began to feel the unmistakable onset of severe stomach distress and dehydration, a combination that quickly drained my energy and focus. The altitude, the humidity, and the constant movement suddenly felt heavier, and each stop required more effort than the last. Yet even through the discomfort, the wildlife along the road to San Isidro continued to offer moments of wonder—small flashes of color and life that carried me through the day, reminding me why these mountains are worth every challenge they present.
NEXT UP: EB#40 “Early Morning Wings at the Moth Light Feeders of Cabañas San Isidro“
Additional Photographs and Video
Previous Ecuador Birding Blog Posts:
- 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. - EB45 – Midday Birding Adventures in the El Quetzal Protected ForestEl Quetzal Bosque Protegido unfolded as a lush, hummingbird‑filled sanctuary where the cloudforest’s color, motion, and quiet magic set the stage for a vibrant midday interlude before the forest shifted toward an entirely new cast of characters. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador.
- EB44 – Warm Light in a Cool World: The Cinnamon Flycatcher of San Isidro
A gentle, steady presence in the cloudforest, the Cinnamon Flycatcher became the quiet emblem of renewal—its warm glow and unhurried grace mirroring the author’s own return to clarity and grounding. 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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