Window to Wildlife

 I woke to the melodic notes of a Rufous Collared Sparrow singing outside our bedroom window, and peeping through the curtains, found it perched on a post at the edge of the garden. Tim then spotted an Eared Dove roosting in the middle of a tree across the road. Merlin picked up a Sparkling Violetear, and eventually I managed to spot it foraging at the top of the same tree, twitching its tail rhythmically as it called. Then a pair of Great Thrush came into view and perched on the telephone wire - tall, leggy birds with orange legs, bill and eye ring making them quite distinctive. Next, Tim spotted a Shiny Cowbird as it alighted on the top of the same tree, a fairly large black bird, with glossy purplish hues highlighted by the early morning sun. And finally, to complete our pre-breakfast tally, Tim also found a Tropical Mockingbird perched between the telegraph poles. Not  a bad start to our Ecuador birding. Shining Cowbird Quito is located at a high elevation, so to help accl...