Monklets

Ecuador: Birds of the High Andes 4

 ... continued from yesterday....

By now, the 4:15am starts have become a bit of a fixture and the pattern of our days is becoming established.  Today we are leaving at 5am so as to get to the target reserve by about 6:30am by which time there should be enough light for us to get started.  We're going lower today.  The Andes split into a western and eastern range in Ecuador with a sort of plateau valley between the two.  As it is lower it is warmer, and unfortunately that means that there are a lot more biting insects.  Duly warned by Louis our guide, we all opt for long trousers, long sleeves, hats and chemical protection in the form of insect repellant.

Our mini-bus was driven by the extremely able Edwin, who took the other Ecuadorian drivers in his stride, navigating unmade roads with the same quiet competence that he applied to the tarmacked highways.  On the way to our destination we took a quarry road and forded a river, all without fuss.

When we arrive at the Rio Silanche Bird Santuary near Pedro Vincente Maldonado the light is still quite dim under the tree canopy and the air is misty.  After a short walk we arrive at our destination, a 20m high tower that takes us up to the level of the tree canopy.

Unfortunately the difference in temperature between our lodge and the top of the tower is quite considerable and my camera and lens are still quite cold and the warm moist air immediately starts to condense on the camera and lens.  Fortunately I've experienced this before, when photographing deer, so I'm at least familiar with the issue and have the kit with me to resolve it. After about half an hour of hugging the damn thing to warm it up, things have improved enough for me to be able to wipe the lens dry without it fogging up again.  

Despite the tower position, it's surprisingly difficult to get clear shots of the many birds that we do see.  There's a lot of foliage in the way and the birds are generally no where near as close as I want them to be.  In a perfect world I'd have brought the 600mm lens with me, but it is too big and heavy to carry on the sort of walking at height that we are doing on this trip. 

But my persistence is eventually rewarded when we spot a male Lanceolated Monklet on a branch, and then a little to his left a female.  I had the birds nicely targeted in the viewfinder when, with almost no warning the male joined the female and they started mating and I got this shot.

After that, the day continued in spectacular form.  The opportunities did not come thick and fast, but when they did arrive I got some great shots that I'm really rather pleased with.  In the meantime Luis's warning about insects proved accurate and we were constantly plagued by little biting things. 

The good news was that I only got bitten on my hands, but the bites only ever turned out to be slightly itchy, so all in all I got away lightly.

For the last hour of our time in the Pedro Vincente Maldonado area we stopped in at the wonderfully named Sandero Frutti Tours bird garden, which was set up with feeders and produced an enormous number of different hummingbirds.

On the way back to the Gyuyacapi Lodge, we passed an accident where a car had left the road, taking out a roadside pole supporting the overhead electricity cables.  The car was a mess,  but the driver and passengers all appeared OK and the police and emergency services were in attendance.  The traffic was having to take Iit in turn to negotiate the single carriageway that was now available, but 100yards up the road a second car had attempted to revert back to the correct side of the road too early and had driven over and become entangled in the overhead cables. 

So it was perhaps no surprise when we got back to our lodge shortly before 7pm to find that the emergency lighting was on, as there was no power.  We were to end up dining by candlelight - which while not romantic was rather entertaining.  Completing the checklist by torchlight was a bit trickier.  The real downer was however,  the lack of hot water.  Although the water was heated by gas, the system needed electricity to send hot water to the showers.  So it was a question of gritting one's teeth and settling for a quick cold shower before bed - brrrr!

I've given you the Broad-Billed Motmot and Golden-Olive woodpecker as my extras today.