Fly Catcher

Ecuador: Birds of the High Andes 9


 ... continued from yesterday....

The long haul flight from Quito to Amsterdam went without a hitch.  At this stage I realised that there had been a major fire at Heathrow and that British Airways flights were in disarray. Fortunately I was flying KLM to Bristol and touched down at 4:35pm in the UK without any difficulties.  

Having been on the go since Thursday morning the first thing I did, once I'd said hello to Cathy was to race off and grab a shower and a change of clothes. It is great to be away - but it is always so nice to get home.

Rather than blip a shot of an airport or similar I've given you a Pale-edged Flycatcher complete with the moth that it had just caught.

I really enjoyed the Cloud Forest - and I hope that those of you that have followed these entries from the start on the 13th March have enjoyed them vicariously.  The  bird life in the Ecuadorian Andes is fascinating and incredibly varied.  Not all of it is easy to find or see clearly, let alone photograph - but I enjoy that challenge.  I've learned a few things from the trip:

1.  Assume that your hold luggage is going to be delayed and ensure that your hand luggage has everything you need to survive at least a couple of days.

2.  It rains a lot in this part of the world and keeping photography kit dry can be a challenge.  If I do this again I will probably invest in a bespoke lens coat for the 400mm f2.8, that also protects the camera.  Yes, the kit I'm using is weather sealed, but you can be in very wet conditions for hours on end.

3.  Always take insect repellent with you - even on rainy days - fortunately it is only my hands that have been bitten, but they are still itching a week later.

4.  When moving down in altitude you need to watch out for changes in temperature and humidity that will cause lens fogging.  I might investigate chemical hand warmers or similar that would allow me to warm a cold lens more quickly.