Synopsis: A visible journey via the cool, moss‑laden slopes of the japanese Andes and the birds that outline them.
Ecuador Birding – The place Each Feather Tells a Story
From October 26, 2025 via November 8, 2025 I joined 5 different adventurers and an excellent photographer and birding information (Liron Gertsman) with Eagle-Eye Excursions to Ecuador. This weblog collection highlights the animals (principally birds), folks and places we encountered over the 14 full days on this stunning land.
A Reflections of the Pure World Weblog Put up Sequence by Jim Achieve
**Because of the excessive decision and high quality of the pictures on this weblog collection it’s extremely really helpful
that readers view posts in Panorama Mode on a desktop PC from the precise blogsite at Ecuador Birding**
Japanese Andes
The East Andes welcomed us with a way of depth and thriller, starting at Wildsumaco, the place the forest rose in steep, shadowed layers and each department dripped with moss, orchids, and the fixed motion of birds. From there, the panorama shifted into the cool, mist‑laden world of Cabañas San Isidro, the place mornings unfolded in gentle grey gentle and birds emerged like flashes of shade from the fog. Farther upslope at Guango Lodge, the forest tightened right into a lush hall of dashing rivers and hummingbirds that glowed like sparks towards the inexperienced. Every cease alongside the japanese slope revealed a special temper, a special rhythm, a special means of seeing the cloudforest. These images mirror that ambiance — intimate, moist, and full of quiet marvel.
Japanese Andes Foothills at Wildsumaco
The foothills at Wildsumaco rose in steep, humid layers of cloudforest, the place heat air carried the scent of rain and vegetation. Mist drifted via the bushes in gradual, shifting bands, softening the perimeters of the forest and revealing flashes of shade as birds danced across the feeders. It was a panorama alive with moisture, depth, and fixed quiet movement.
Transient stops alongside Papango Rd and Loreto Rd whereas heading in direction of our subsequent vacation spot introduced new species with a slight change in habitat and naturally, extra showers.
Cabañas San Isidro, Napo Province
San Isidro sat within the cool, mist‑laden coronary heart of the japanese slope, the place mornings unfolded in gentle grey gentle and the forest felt shut and respiration. Managed day‑to‑day by Carmen Bustamante and her husband Mitch, the lodge displays their regular care and deep connection to this cloudforest panorama. Moss‑draped branches, dripping leaves, and the regular hush of cloudforest air created an environment each intimate and historical. Each path appeared to vanish right into a world formed by shadow and moisture.
For the next two places, Wayra Reserve and La Brisa, the two,000+ photographs I took at these places have been destroyed when my SD Card received washed… However I did additionally take photographs of the places with my iPhone and luckily, these survived.
Wayra Reserve
Wayra Reserve unfolded throughout 350 hectares of steep, humid japanese‑slope forest, the place mist drifted via the cover and each department appeared draped in moss, orchids, and quiet motion. The air carried the cool, damp breath of mid‑elevation cloudforest, shifting continually between gentle gentle and drifting shadow. Owned and managed by native farmers Graciela Erazo and José Vega, the reserve displays their deep dedication to defending this panorama and permitting it to mature right into a thriving refuge for wildlife. Trails wound via dense vegetation and sudden openings, every providing a special temper formed by elevation, moisture, and the rhythm of the forest. It was a spot the place the Andes felt intimate and alive, revealing its secrets and techniques slowly and with nice care.
La Brisa (hummingbird feeders)
La Brisa’s feeders have been tucked right into a pocket of lush mid‑elevation forest, the place cool air and filtered gentle created good situations for hummingbird exercise. Owned and managed by native resident and passionate birder Philippe Jeannin and his household, the small reserve displays their deep look after the land and its wildlife. The encompassing vegetation held a continuing sheen of moisture, and the mist rolling off the slopes gave the place a quiet, suspended feeling. It was a small clearing alive with shade and motion.
And now, again to profitable fowl pictures
El Quetzal Bosque Protegido
El Quetzal Bosque Protegido, a 22-acre reserve on the east slope, is run and managed by Pedro (a seasoned naturalist information), Andrea (a chef and nature fanatic), and their daughter, Analia, which lays inside a stretch of dense, humid cloudforest the place the cover rose excessive and the understory stayed dim and moss‑coated. The air was cool and heavy with moisture, carrying the scent of moist earth and orchids. It felt like a protected pocket of the japanese Andes, formed by elevation, rain, and deep forest silence.
Alongside the way in which to our keep at Guango Lodge we stopped briefly alongside Borjas Rd.
And at Río Quijos
Guango Lodge
Guango Lodge sat alongside a dashing Andean river, surrounded by cool, excessive‑elevation cloudforest the place the air stayed crisp and the vegetation thick with moss and bromeliads. Mist drifted via the valley in lengthy, quiet waves, giving all the panorama a gentle, subdued glow. Managed by Irene Bustamonte, it was a spot the place the forest felt each energetic and serene, formed by water and altitude.
NEXT HIGHLIGHTS POST: From there, the highway climbed larger towards the open, wind‑carved páramo of the Excessive Andes, the place a wholly completely different world awaited us.
NEXT UP: EB#98 “Ecuador – Favourite Photographs from the Excessive Andes Páramo“
Earlier Ecuador Birding Weblog Posts:
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EB97 – Ecuador – Favourite Photographs from the Japanese Andes
by Jim Achieve
A visible journey via the cool, moss‑laden slopes of the japanese Andes and the birds that outline them. This weblog collection chronicles Jim Achieve’s experiences with birds and nature.
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EB96 – Ecuador – Favourite Photographs from the Amazon Lowlands
by Jim Achieve
A group of my favourite photographs from the Amazon Basin, the place water, gentle, and life intertwine in one of many world’s most vibrant ecosystems. This weblog collection chronicles Jim Achieve’s experiences with birds and nature.
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EB95 – Reserva Yanacocha: Ending Ecuador Birding on a 3500m Excessive Observe
by Jim Achieve
A late morning at Reserva Yanacocha revealed a robust mix of conservation triumphs and excessive‑Andean species, highlighted by a last lifer that introduced the journey full circle. This weblog collection chronicles Jim Achieve’s experiences with birds and nature.
By my lens and prose I hope to instill a larger sense of awe, compassion and inspiration as I uncover new creatures, discover fascinating habitats, and achieve knowledge concerning the pure world that’s throughout us. It’s my hope that readers are motivated to study extra about our surroundings and its inhabitants, and develop into passionate advocates for conservation.
>>Ecuador Birding Weblog Dwelling Web page Hyperlink https://reflectionsofthenaturalworld.com/ecuador-birding/
*This Ecuador Birding weblog submit was formed and polished with the help of Microsoft Copilot, serving to convey readability and a constant stream to my discipline notes and dictated recollections.
**Except in any other case indicated within the picture caption, all images (>99.9%) are mine.