Birding in the Ecuadorian Andes–Milpe Cloud Forest Reserve

      Comments Off on Birding in the Ecuadorian Andes–Milpe Cloud Forest Reserve

(October 8)
As always, click on the photos to see a larger view.

I was able to get a few birds at the entrance…
Capped Conebill-1354
Capped Conebill
Capped Conebill-1356

Western Emerald (f) White-necked Jacobin (m)-1401
Western Emerald (female) and White-necked Jacobin (male.)
Oriole (q)-1422
This appears to be some sort of oriole, though I can’t quite match it to any of the pictures in my fieldbook.
Milpe Cloud Forest-1099
This is tropical forest (i.e. “jungle”) which turns out to be a frustrating place to use a telephoto lens. Most of my attempts to shoot birds were foiled by intervening branches.
Milpe Cloud Forest-1435

Milpe Cloud Forest-1465
But there are always the hummingbird feeders near the entrance.
Bananaquit-1490
This one’s being occupied by an Bananaquit.
Bananaquit-1498
Here he is again in the bushes.

Back home you can watch a hummingbird feeder for hours and maybe see one hummingbird. In Ecuador if you watch a hummingbird feeder for 5 minutes you’ll probably see 5 or 6 different kinds fighting over it.

Wire-crested Thorntail (f)-1517
Wire-crested Thorntail (female.)
Wire-crested Thorntail (f)-1525
The reserve includes a cultivated garden of tropical plants.
Milpe Garden

Milpe Garden-2

Milpe Garden-3

All posts from this trip.