Synopsis: After days of illness and frustration, a clear morning at San Isidro brought a surge of color, energy, and photographic inspiration, marking a joyful return to presence and purpose as the journey moved forward toward new wonders.
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 – Early Morning
- My Ecuador Species Count through the morning at Cabañas San Isidro jumps up to: 260 (172 lifers)
- Primary eBird Public Hotspots:
The next morning felt like stepping out from under a storm cloud. After days of dehydration and foggy thinking, I woke with a steadier stomach, a clearer head, and the sense that the forest around San Isidro was offering me a quiet reset. Cool air drifted through the trees, the understory glistened with dew, and for the first time in what felt like ages, I felt fully present—ready to lift the camera again without hesitation.
My new SD card clicked into place with a reassuring certainty, and as the first light filtered through the canopy, the day seemed poised to welcome me back into its rhythm.
The forest didn’t make me wait long.
A Blue-winged Mountain Tanager burst into view like a living palette, its golden-yellow belly glowing beneath wings of electric blue and deep black. It hopped confidently through the canopy, calling with a bright, ringing note that felt like a personal greeting.
And then a louder, bolder presence swept into the scene.
Moments later, a Scarlet-rumped Cacique appeared, its glossy black plumage offset by a rump so vividly red it looked almost unreal. The bird moved with the swagger of a species that knows it commands attention, weaving through branches with a mix of elegance and mischief.
Then came a familiar face from far to the north.
A softer beauty followed in the form of a Canada Warbler, a familiar migrant whose bright yellow breast and delicate black “necklace” stood out against the mossy understory. Seeing it here—so far from its breeding grounds—felt like meeting a friend from home in an unexpected place.
But the forest had saved one of its most elegant residents for the next act.
Then the forest offered one of its true gems: a Masked Trogon, perched like a jewel suspended in the shadows. The female’s warm cinnamon belly glowed softly beneath her rich olive‑green back, and her dusky mask framed eyes that seemed to hold the entire forest in quiet contemplation. She sat motionless for long stretches, as trogons often do, blending into the dim understory with an elegance that felt almost otherworldly. When she finally shifted, she glided to a new perch with a silent, effortless grace—an apparition moving through the filtered light of the cloudforest.
Stillness gave way to motion in an instant.
In contrast, the Slate-throated Redstart brought pure kinetic energy—flashing its lemony yellow belly and fanning its tail in crisp, snapping motions as it danced through the midstory. Its foraging style was a burst of motion and color, a tiny flame flickering through the greenery.
And then, a hummingbird arrived with all the confidence of a creature carved from light.
The morning crescendoed with the arrival of a Chestnut-breasted Coronet, a hummingbird sculpted from polished metal. Its rich chestnut breast and gleaming green upperparts caught the light with every wingbeat, and when it hovered, its tail flared in a dramatic fan that made it look twice its size. Bold and territorial, it charged the feeders with fearless determination, its wings producing a sharp, buzzing hum that cut through the quiet air.
By the time the sun crested the ridge, I realized I had taken more photographs in a single morning than I had managed in days. The forest had opened itself again—offering color, movement, and renewal in every direction—and with each click of the shutter, I felt myself settling back into the joy of the journey. The heaviness of the previous day loosened its grip, replaced by a quiet sense of gratitude for simply feeling well enough to keep pace with the birds. And with that renewed clarity came the promise of a small but unforgettable encounter—the Cinnamon Flycatcher, a bird whose moment deserved its own space to shine.
NEXT UP: EB#44 “Warm Light in a Cool World: The Cinnamon Flycatcher of San Isidro“
Additional Photographs and Video
Previous Ecuador Birding Blog Posts:
- EB43 – A New Day of Luck and Light at Cabañas San Isidro
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. - EB42 – The Day the Photos Disappeared at Cabañas San Isidro
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. - EB41 – Same Jay, New World: Discovering the Inca Green Jay of Ecuador
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. - EB40 – Early Morning Wings at the Moth Light Feeders of Cabañas San Isidro
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. - EB39 – Wildlife and Mountain Mists on the Road to San Isidro
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. - EB38 – Sunlit Surprise: The Golden‑Tailed Sapphire’s Rainbow Glow
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 
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