Synopsis: 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.
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 11 – Mid-Afternoon
As we made our way back toward Tandayapa Lodge, the forest seemed to exhale, trading the bold colors of tanagers for the quicksilver motion of hummingbirds. We had arrived late the previous evening and slipped out before dawn that morning, barely glimpsing the grounds—yet now, in the soft return of afternoon light, the place revealed itself. A fruit platform stood just below the main building, still carrying the quiet energy of the morning’s visitors; farther downslope, the moth light hung like a small beacon where night creatures had gathered only hours before.
Around the corner, a broad patio opened into a swirl of feeders, each one alive with wings slicing the air in rapid, iridescent arcs. Before the flash setups came into play, we birded these grounds while Liron prepared for the upcoming session, capturing the hummingbirds as they truly lived in the moment—suspended between light and motion in the natural glow of the Andean foothills.
Purple-bibbed Whitetip
From the dim understory, a tiny violet spark lifted into view, its white‑tipped wings flashing like signals in the shade…
The Purple‑bibbed Whitetip is a study in subtle iridescence—dark, velvety plumage that suddenly ignites with a flash of amethyst when the light hits its throat just right. Its crisp white tail tips flick like punctuation marks as it hovers, giving the bird a sharp, almost staccato presence around the feeders. Despite its small size, it defends its favorite flowers with surprising ferocity, darting in and out like a tiny shadow edged in violet fire.
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Then came a burst of warm color—a fiery tail cutting through the green as a Rufous‑tailed Hummingbird claimed its corner of the garden…
Bold, brash, and endlessly energetic, the Rufous‑tailed Hummingbird is the unapologetic bully of the feeders. Its coppery tail flares like a warning flag as it charges at anything that dares approach its chosen perch. The emerald body glows with a metallic sheen, and its constant chattering adds a lively soundtrack to the garden’s chaos.
Green-crowned Brilliant
A moment later, a larger shape swept in, the Green‑crowned Brilliant glowing like polished emerald in the softened light…
The Green‑crowned Brilliant lives up to its name—large, powerful, and gleaming with deep emerald tones that seem carved from rainforest light. Its bold white leg puffs give it a regal, almost ornamental look as it perches upright, surveying the feeders like a guardian. When it takes flight, the wings beat with a deliberate, muscular rhythm that sets it apart from the smaller, jittery species.
White-booted Racket-tail
Just above the feeders, a White‑booted Racket‑tail flickered past, its twin paddles dancing behind it like ornaments in motion…
Few hummingbirds are as instantly charming as the White‑booted Racket‑tail, with its tiny white “boots” and long, delicate tail streamers ending in perfect spatules. It moves with a dancer’s grace, hovering in place with effortless poise before drifting sideways like a drifting petal. The males often perform quick, pendulum‑like swings, flashing their tail ornaments in a quiet show of elegance.
Andean Emerald
From the edge of the patio, an Andean Emerald drifted forward, its glassy greens catching every stray thread of afternoon sun…
The Andean Emerald is a clean, luminous bird—snow‑white underparts paired with a shimmering green back that catches even the faintest light. It approaches the feeders with a gentle, almost cautious manner, dipping in and out with precise, economical movements. Its soft presence offers a moment of calm amid the frenetic energy of the larger species.
Buff-tailed Coronet
With a sudden whir of wings, a Buff‑tailed Coronet arrived—bold, brassy, and utterly unbothered by the commotion around it…
The Buff‑tailed Coronet arrives like a burst of kinetic energy, wings whirring loudly as it flares its buffy tail and flashes its rusty wing linings. It often perches boldly on exposed branches, pumping its wings in a rapid, fluttering display that seems equal parts territorial and theatrical. Its deep green plumage glows with a bronzy sheen, giving it a rugged, mountain‑forged beauty.
Brown Inca
Out of the shadows, a Brown Inca materialized, its dusky plumage absorbing the light until a single white crescent gave it away…
The Brown Inca is understated but elegant, cloaked in velvety chocolate‑brown feathers that absorb the cloud‑forest light. A small white shoulder patch stands out like a signature mark, and its calm, deliberate movements give it a monk‑like serenity. It often hovers quietly at the edges of the feeders, avoiding conflict while still holding its own.
White-necked Jacobin
Then, in a flash of clean blue and crisp white, a White‑necked Jacobin swept through like a streak of sky pulled into the forest…
The White‑necked Jacobin is pure spectacle—sapphire‑blue head, crisp white collar, and a gleaming white belly that flashes like a beacon as it darts through the clearing. It flies with bold, sweeping arcs, often pausing mid‑air to pivot dramatically before diving toward a feeder. Its confidence is unmistakable, and its presence always seems to elevate the energy around it.
Fawn-breasted Brilliant
From a shaded perch near the patio feeders, a Fawn‑breasted Brilliant eased into view, glowing with the warm light of late afternoon…
The Fawn‑breasted Brilliant carries a quiet radiance, its warm buffy chest catching the soft cloud‑filtered light like a banked ember. Iridescent greens along the crown and back shift subtly as it turns, revealing flashes of deeper brilliance beneath its otherwise gentle palette. It moves with a calm, deliberate confidence—never as aggressive as the coronets, yet never timid among the swirl of feeders. When it hovers, the contrast between its warm breast and shimmering upperparts becomes almost luminous, a soft glow suspended in motion. In the late‑day hush of Tandayapa, it felt like one of the forest’s more contemplative jewels, content to shine without demanding attention.
Brown Violetear
From the dim edge of the balcony, a soft whirr announced a visitor cloaked in subtle shimmer…
The Brown Violetear is a study in understated elegance—mostly earthy browns at first glance, but alive with hidden iridescence when the light catches just right. Its violet ear patches flash like tiny amulets, appearing and disappearing as it turns its head. At Tandayapa, it often perches a bit farther back than the bolder species, surveying the feeders with a calm, almost regal patience. When it finally moves, it does so with smooth, deliberate confidence, slipping between shadows and sunbeams as though it belongs to both worlds at once.
Purple-throated Woodstar
Finally, a tiny blur hovered into place—a Purple‑throated Woodstar, more firefly than bird, suspended on impossibly rapid wings…
Tiny, bumblebee‑like, and impossibly quick, the Purple‑throated Woodstar zips through the air with a soft, insect‑like hum. When it pauses, the male’s throat ignites with a brilliant violet glow, a jewel‑bright flash that vanishes as quickly as it appears. It often hovers motionless for several seconds—an uncanny stillness—before shooting off in a blur.
As the last of the hummingbirds drifted back into the forest shadows, the light around the lodge began to soften into the cool, blue tones of late afternoon. Our group gathered once more on the patio, the air buzzing with talk of iridescent throats, tail streamers, and the impossible speed of wings we could barely see. That was precisely why we were here. In just a few minutes, we would step into a different kind of hummingbird world—one shaped not by natural light, but by the frozen brilliance of high‑speed flash photography. It was time for Liron’s class, and time to learn how to capture these tiny miracles in ways the human eye could never witness on its own.
NEXT UP: EB#70 “Behind the Scenes: My Photo Processing Process — From Download to Gallery Display“
Additional Photographs
Previous Ecuador Birding Blog Posts:
- 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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