In addition to Tapichalaca Reserve’s stellar resident, the Jocotoco Antpitta, many fine hummingbirds buzz around the feeders at Casa Simpson. The robust Chestnut-breasted Coronets dominate, certainly in numbers. They have the distinctive habit of holding their wings open for a moment when they alight. Chestnut-breasted … Continue readingTapichalaca’s Hummingbirds
We’ve come to Tapichalaca Reserve in southeastern Ecuador to meet a legend. The Jocotoco Antpitta (Photos by Narca) The Jocotoco Antpitta was only discovered in 1997, when ornithologist Robert Ridgely and a local guide were exploring the upper Chinchipe River drainage and heard an unfamiliar … Continue readingThe Jocotoco Antpitta
Before we leave this remote corner of southeastern Ecuador, I want to show you a few of the butterflies that appear during intervals between rain. If anyone can help with identifying the ones I don’t know (or correcting the ones I think I know), please … Continue readingDigression: Butterflies in the Cordillera del Cóndor
After our boat trip, we’re eager to head to the forest, even though it’s already late afternoon. Maycu Reserve is only about 3 km up the road from Cabañas Yankuam. And it has a spectacular resident –– the Orange-throated Tanager. I wasn’t able to photograph … Continue readingSaga of the Orange-throated Tanager
We drive for several hours, navigating small villages and heading into ever more remote reaches of Ecuador, until eventually we arrive at Cabañas Yankuam, 3 km from the village of Orquídeas and very close to the Peruvian border. At long last! We have arrived in … Continue readingA Boat Trip on the Río Nangaritza
I had long wanted to visit immense Podocarpus National Park, renowned as a park of megadiversity, even within a megadiverse country. It is truly a jewel of Ecuador’s park system. Cloud forest at Podocarpus National Park (Photos by Narca) Just how great is this diversity? … Continue readingPodocarpus National Park
Lake Llaviucu lies at the lowest edge of Cajas National Park––at a mere 10,000 feet!––and is ringed by a lovely, well-maintained trail, perfect for easy hiking. The trail traverses marshy grassland, mature montane cloud forest, and some secondary forest––and is the abode of spectacular mountain … Continue readingBirding Lake Llaviucu, Ecuador
It’s hard to stay away from a country as intriguing and diverse as Ecuador––and the birding is fabulous! Since I was last there, Quito has built a fine new international airport, quite a distance from the city. (The old airport was basically in town.) Here’s … Continue readingEcuador, again!
Imagine: you’re immersed in the early-winter splendor of the Chiricahua Mountains. Dawn light on the Chiricahua Mountains (Photos by Narca) The air is brisk and glorious, and, hiking up South Fork, you settle into the depths and subtleties of the season… into the drifts of … Continue readingWinter’s Subtleties
What finer sight is there than a giant California Condor, soaring in thermals in a sky of peerless blue, above the painted rocks of canyon country, and the immense chasm of the Grand Canyon? Gravitas: California Condor (Pen and ink by Narca) We –– the … Continue readingFor Condor Enthusiasts!