Scenes and "non-birds" from our Ecuador trip - February, 2023

Once again, I took fewer "non-bird" shots than I had planned, so I want to thank Bill and Nelson for sharing some of these photos.


Bill and I at Casa Simpson waiting for the Jocotoco Antpitta to appear. You can tell by the look on our faces that there is nothing we would rather do in retirement!



One of countless beautiful mountain views we enjoyed throughout the trip.



We didn't see a lot of mammals, but this young Armadillo was a nice surprise.



Nelson had recently acquired a beautiful new SUV with four wheel drive. This vehicle and his driving skill got us over some very sketchy mountain roads with ease. This shot shows a frequent obstacle when birding in Ecuador.



We were very lucky with the weather; rains were brief and seldom affected our birding. In fact, we had many days with plenty of sunshine.



We also saw very few reptiles on this trip - no snakes or turtles, so this lizard was a welcome sight.



Our happy little group at the unique Cerro de Arcos Lodge (front to back- our terrific guide Nelson Apolo, John Cassady, and Bill Sharkey).



Nelson inside unique Cerro de Arcos Lodge. This remote lodge was built right over a rock ledge. At over 10,000 ft. elevation, we had the odd combination of lots of hummingbirds and very cold temperatures.



Our primary target at Cerro de Arcos was the critically-endangered Blue-throated Hillstar. Despite some thick fog and a challenging hike, the bird rewarded us with incredible views. This was truely one of the top highlights of a great trip!



A shot of the Blue-throated Hillstar on the back of my camera



Our great guide, Nelson Apolo working hard to find us every bird possible.



Bill Sharkey in his happy place.



Beautiful Cerro Toledo Road was a birder's paradise!



It was (almost) a shame we spent so much time concentrating on birds and pretty much ignoring all the butterflies.



We came across this huge beetle while birding one of the roads.



Ecuador is a beautiful country, covered in lush foliage and beautiful flowers.



It is easy to understanding why there are so many hummingbirds when you see the wide variety of flowers.



While waiting for the ultra-rare Jocotoco Antpitta to show up, I looked up and saw this very bad omen! Fortunately, the antpitta must not have seen it, and put on a great show!