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:
- EB72 – Drawn to the Flame: Photographing New Birds at Tandayapa’s Moth Light
At dawn beneath the moth lights at Tandayapa Lodge, we shifted from the previous night’s flash‑photography lessons into a challenging but magical low‑light session that revealed a Three‑striped Warbler and a quartet of Funariidae woodcreepers and treehunters. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature. - EB71 – Freezing Wings in Mid‑Air: An Afternoon Flash Photography Class
Our late afternoon at Tandayapa Lodge transformed into a masterclass in high‑speed flash photography, where we learned to freeze hummingbirds in mid‑air and reveal details the human eye could never catch on its own. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature. - EB70 – Behind the Scenes: My Photo Processing Process — From Download to Gallery Display
This behind‑the‑scenes look walks through my complete post‑processing workflow—from organized hard‑drive folders and Lightroom edits to eBird documentation and SmugMug gallery uploads—showing how each image travels from field capture to final presentation. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature. - EB69 – Illuminating the Iridescence: Hummingbirds of Tandayapa Lodge Through Forest Light
A late‑afternoon return to Tandayapa Lodge offered the perfect chance to capture hummingbirds in their natural light—iridescence glowing, wings blurring, and the cloud‑forest atmosphere turning every moment into a fleeting spark of color. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature. - EB68 – More Colorful Songbirds at Guaycapi
As the hummingbirds faded into the background, a fresh wave of brilliantly colored tanagers swept through Guaycapi Lodge, setting the stage for an afternoon of dazzling forest jewels This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature. - EB67 – Brilliants, Woodstars, Coronets and More: A Hummingbird Spectacle at Guaycapi
A late‑morning surge of iridescent wings transformed Guaycapi Lodge into a living kaleidoscope, as a vibrant wave of hummingbirds swept in to claim the stage just moments after the tanagers faded into the canopy. 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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