Chestnut-Breasted Coronet
I’ve been home in body for almost three weeks, but my soul remains in Ecuador.
Cotopaxi Volcano
Coming back to a busy work schedule, holiday pressures, choir commitments has made it challenging to get through the photographs. I still have to ferret out most of the bird pictures, although I have been reviewing them every chance I get to put up on Field Guides’ webpage, since I feel an obligation to the group as I was the primary picture-taker. On top of that pressure is the reality that it takes twice as long to process the pictures on my newer MacBook Pro, designated the “travel laptop,” which is where the bulk of the pictures reside. We’ll be visiting those pictures soon, I hope. In the meantime, here is a sampling of what I downloaded to my older laptop after I got home.
The irresistible landscape is part of Cayambe-Coca National Park, which we visited on our way from Quito to our first night’s stay at Guango Lodge in Papallacta. Guango was the magical place I stayed at for one night last year on the way down to the Amazon.
I could easily return to this part of the world just to explore the plant life.
In this quick post I am adding a few bird photos of species we saw practically every day. Below on the left is a Speckled Hummingbird.
Not a hummingbird, but an irresistible flycatcher, the Cinnamon Flycatcher was also on the list almost every day.
Below is a tiny leaf-colored insect on a large leaf to give you an idea of scale, and a closer crop of the creature itself.
More amazing plant life from the paramo and montane cloud forest. According to Wikipedia there are over 100 species of endemic plants here.
A couple more hummer photos…
Chestnut-Breasted Coronet
Fawn-Breasted Brilliant
Bronzy Inca
Below, a Chestnut-Breasted Coronet emerging from the flowers.
And a Fawn-Breasted Brilliant, Chestnut-Breasted Coronet and a mystery bird with its back to us at the feeder.
I will be back soon, the three-day weekend will offer more time to get caught up here and try to visit everyone else’s blogs I have not managed to see. I wish you all a joyous and peaceful holiday.