(Obviously, the pics are pirated from the web. I hope the photographers don't mind.)
Tyrian Metaltail
As I am writing this, I can see Eloy, a local Metaltail, on the clothes line resting between trips to the fuscia bush. One morning I found Eloy on my doorstep, cold and nearly lifeless. I took him inside and placed him in a cardboard box with a cap full of sugar water. An hour later I returned and he was impatiently waiting for me to let him out. Now he hangs around my yard and watches me when I garden. I like to think we’re pals.
Sparkling Violetear
A larger hummingbird than the metaltail, this bird has a brilliant purple mask and belly. They like to frequent the fuschia bush outside of my kitchen window, and most mornings while I wash dishes I see one getting his/her early morning fix for the day.
Black/Glossy Flowerpiercer
This sassy bird is fairly inconspicuous save for it’s predilection to chase the hummingbirds from the fuschia bush by my clothesline. It also likes to hang upside down while it drinks nectar.
Masked Flowerpiercer
Related to the Black Flowerpiercer, the Masked Flowerpiercer is a bit more colorful, and likes higher altitudes. I see them feeding when I run to Nonopungo in the mornings.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
For a few weeks a single swordbilled hung around the pine tree that grows along the edge of our property bordering the river. I could just barely make out its ridiculously long beak from my window when it rested for the night on a pine branch. Occasionally I will see one feeding when I walk the dogs in the morning along the river road.
Southern Yellow Grosbeak
There is a pair of these birds that nest somewhere in our property. Right now they have fledglings and are wreaking havoc on our corn. Being large and colorful they are a favorite with the tourists. I see several pairs around town, usually not far from a corn patch.
Turquoise Jay
These birds usually travel in pairs or small groups, and, in the nature of jays, make their presence known. But I’m always glad when they do. Slightly larger than the American Blue Jay, they have lovely turquoise feathers with a roguish black mask.
Andean Pygmy Owl/Cloud Forest Pygmy Owl
I don’t see my owl pair much anymore, since the land where the owls roost has been barbed-wired off, and I usually do some damage to my pants when I try to slip through. But one of these days I’ll risk my clothes to endure the abuse of those two and try and get a photo. They don’t like visitors much, least of all my dogs, and a shouting match usually ensues between the two groups when we pass by.
Rufous-naped brush finch
I see these birds in the brush along the road I run in the mornings. They have a beautiful song, which always takes me by surprise. With their orange mohawk I expect something more harsh and reminiscent of a rebellious teenager.
Tropical Mockingbird
I just found out that a pair of these birds live in the park downtown. They are fairly rare and have only been seen in one other area in northern Ecuador.
Black-tailed Trainbearer
This unique hummingbird has a distinct buzzing call that is very useful in alerting me to the fact that one is nearby. How they manage to weave through tree branches without getting their tails caught is just another wonder of mother nature.
These are the birds I see on a semi-regular to regular basis. Here’s a few which I’ve only seen once, and treasure that experience!
Nono
Collared Inca
Buff-winged starfrontlet
Unicolored Tapaculo
Scarlett-Bellied Mountain Tanager
Spectacled Whitestart
Crimson Mantled Woodpecker
Guallabamba
Vermillion Flycatcher
Blue-and-yellow Tanager
Pappallacta
Shining Sunbeam
