Today was all about the Hummingbirds, with a mind boggling total of 26 species seen, along with an impressive array of other colourful species.
After a typically early start, leaving at 5.30 AM, we arrived at Zuroloma Reserve around 7 o clock. A mixture of Blue and White and Brown-bellied Swallows were noted on the way up the valley, perching and twittering noisily on the overhead wires. The scenery was wonderful, with verdant, green pastures, nestled amongst high volcanoes shrouded in cloud, and the sun was shining. We climbed the road steadily, eventually reaching the reserve at a height of approximately 10,000 feet.
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| Zuroloma Reserve |
We had barely left the car before Roberto was pointing out a pair of stunning Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanagers which flew into a bush just yards from the path. Taking a short descent, we reached an array of hummingbird feeders, with a dazzling blur of activity. Hummers were everywhere darting about at great speed and we stumbled over the names as we tried to grasp the many different species and their distinguishing features. The Swordbill was obvious, with a ludicrously long bill leading Tim to complain he could barely get it all in his picture! Velvet-purple Coronet looked generally dark in the shadows, but in sunlight the colours transformed into stunning purple hues, with beautiful chestnut underwings held aloft, a characteristic feeding behaviour of all Coronet species. The Sapphire-vented Puffleg looked like it was wearing fluffy yeti boots, the Shining Sunbeam sported a colourful rainbow rump and the White-bellied Woodstar was tiny. Other species seen included Gorgeted Sunangel, Collared Inca, Speckled Hummingbird, Tyrian Metaltail, with a bronze sheen clearly inspiration for its name, Buff-winged Starfrontlet, with distinctive buff coloured squares on the wings, and Mountain Velvetbreast.
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| Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager |
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| Collared Inca |
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| Sword-billed Hummingbird |
A round nectar-filled dish attracted a variety of Flowerpiercers, with hooked bills. Masked Flowerpiercers were abundant, with six noted at this dish at one time. White-sided and Glossy Flowerpiercers visited too, though much less frequently. They could also be seen foraging at the flowers around the area.
A small feature pool nearby also attracted a number of brilliant birds. We were thrilled by the reappearance of the Scarlet Mountain Tanagers, giving fantastic views, then Hooded Mountain Tanagers, with a bright blue mantle and striking red eyes popped in to feed on some nearby bananas. We had several sightings of Yellow-breasted Brushfinch, a big colourful bird, often seen foraging at quite a low level. A pair of Grey-browed Brushfinch also came to drink at the pool. In a distant bush, Roberto spotted a Red-crested Cotinga, generally grey, and rather uninspiring, but the crest became obvious when it turned its head to the side, and the red eye also showed well.
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| Hooded Mountain Tanager |
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| Yellow-breasted Brushfinch |
One feature of the reserve was the enticement of Antpittas into view by calling them in and arranging a treat of worms on a mossy branch. We obtained point blank views of both Equatorial then Chestnut-naped varieties. Later, we took a walk to another location within the reserve in search of Chestnut-crowned Antpitta, but sadly this striking species did not show for us. However, as small compensation, we had decent views of a Black Flowerpiercer feeding on flowering shrubs on the way, and decidedly less decent views of a furtive Plain-tailed Wren that crept silently up a dense, tangled vine as we waited in vain for the Antpitta.
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| Equatorial Antpitta |
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| Chestnut-naped Antpitta |
Back at the pool a Black crested Warbler appeared, bold egg yolk yellow plumage, with a rather unobtrusive black crown stripe. Superciliaried Hemispingus foraged in the tree, and a colouful Spectacled Redstart landed on a branch just above our heads. A Black-chested Mountain Tanager also popped in briefly for a snack on the bananas.
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| Superciliaried Hemispingus |
We had a fantastic morning with a tally of thirty species at this site, with the bright sunshine really bringing out the vibrant colours of this array of fantastic birds. We departed late morning, travelling through lush, tropical vegetation and a backdrop of steep-sided tree-covered slopes. Birds were not extensive here, but we did encounter White-tipped Dove and some of us had a startling red flash of an Andean Cock-of-the-Rock as we travelled. Black Phoebe, Tropical Kingbird and graceful Swallow-tailed Kites were also found as we approached the restaurant Roberto had chosen for lunch.
The Mirador restuarant proved to be another great location for birds, with more nectar feeders and strategically placed fruit attracting a variety of both hummers and tanagers. At this lower elevation, this included many species we had not encountered this morning. A large billed female Red- headed Barbet was a striking addition to our species list, and we quickly added both the black male and rufous female White lined Tanagers, as well as Blue-grey and Palm Tanagers, all species familiar to us from previous trips to South and Central America. A male Flame-rumped Tanager put in an appearance, together with the brilliantly coloured Golden-naped, Silver-throated and Blue-necked Tanagers,with spectacular plumage markings, a Bananaquit, with distinctive curved bill and bold eye stripe, a female Summer Tanager, and both Thick-billed and Orange-bellied Euphonia.
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| Red-headed Barbet, f |
New hummingbirds encountered here included many White Jacobin, a White-Whiskered Hermit, zipping in to feed briefly at the feeders, before disappearing from view, dainty Andean Emeralds, with green backs and clean white bellies, the large but fairly dull plumaged Brown Violetear, and White-booted Racket-tail, with gorgeous blue shuttlecocks at the end of long, slim tail-streamers.
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| White-necked Jacobin |
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| Andean Emerald |
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| White-booted Racket-tail |
Next we visited the Alambi Hummingbird Garden, a superb destination just a short distance from the restaurant, with vast numbers of feeders dotted across a fairly small, flower rich garden. The nectar feeders were helpfully numbered, enabling everyone to point out or query the identification of different hummingbirds. Here we added more species, with highlights including a single White-throated Daggerbill, spotted by Roberto nectaring on a row of verbenas, and a diminutive Green Thorntail with needle-like tail. A couple of Pallid Doves crept surreptitiously beneath some banana plants at the back of the garden, but didn’t stay in view long enough for a decent photo.
After drinking in all this activity, we took a woodland trail, where in just a few yards we encountered a White-winged Tanager, which flew across the path, a Red-faced Spinetail, clinging acrobatically to the vegetation, and a Chivi Vireo flitting amongst the leaves. The trail led to a bubbling river where we found a pair of Ornate Flycatchers, sallying over the water from an overhanging branch. A pair of White-throated Dippers were spotted bobbing on a rock, but disappeared too quickly upstream for Tim to get a photo. Roberto led us to a spot where the path ended beneath a bridge, and with a torch it was possible to make out a female Cock of the Rock, apparently sat on a nest. From here we took an alternative path back to the garden, noting a Montane Woodcreeper ascending a tall tree, and a huge swarm of White-collared Swifts circling overhead.
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| Dippers were here! |
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| Ornate Flycatcher |
Back at the feeders we continued to observe the hummingbirds for a while, and added a Buff-throated Saltator and a spectacular Violet-tailed Sylph, with a long, iridescent purple-blue tail, to our impressive daily species tally, before heading off to our overnight accommodation at Guaycaupi Lodge.
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| Buff-throated Saltator |
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