Rain at dawn kept us in the vicinity of the lodge for the first hour of daylight where we saw a pair of Plain Antvireos and a pair of Cerulean Warblers. Alan Wilkinson had kindly told us the day before that he'd seen a Chestnut-crowned Gnateater along the Waterfall Trail that had proved very gripping, so needless to say, that was our first port of call once the rain had eased. Unfortunately it seemed incredibly quiet along the trail and we failed to see or hear the Gnateater. We then spent a while at the worker's house Hummingbird feeders but despite a very nice selection of species were attending none of the hoped-for new species showed-up despite lots of activity when the feeders were refilled. We then heard a Lined Antshrike calling and soon taped a male into view. Whilst watching it we first heard and then saw 3 Dusky Spinetails and then picked-out 3 Scaled Pigeons sat in a nearby tree. Suddenly, three new birds seen in as many minutes! We then decided to walk the Piha Trail where not far along the trail I noticed a movement in some low stems that proved to be a Thrush-like Antpitta that moved from stem to stem before crossing the trail and into a thicket. Whilst still looking for the Antpitta a male Blackish Antbird appeared in the same area. We then began the steep descent but before reaching the bottom of the hill I heard a Yellow-throated Spadebill call just the once. Being one of my remaining most-wanted species at Wild Sumaco I used playback with some trepidation, but it came straight in and performed for the camera - superb! We then headed back to the Research Station Hummingbird feeders and were eventually rewarded with a male Gould's Jewelfront and a Rufous-tailed Foliage-gleaner nearby proved a welcome bonus. Running out of daylight we opted to walk the Lodge Loop Trail and halfway round heard an interesting call from what sounded like our final big target species at Wild Sumaco, and sure enough, we were soon watching a pair Chestnut-crowned Gnateaters that lived-up to expectations! Even by Ecuador's high standards it felt like a spectacular day but it wasn't quite over yet. I joined a group of Swede's for a brief session looking for Owls that disappointingly proved fruitless. However, an hour or so later whilst back in our room I heard a Band-bellied Owl calling. I set out but it had fallen silent and not surprisingly I couldn't find it. An hour later I heard it again, so back out of bed and this time success, although in my haste, I'd only taken a small torch so it proved impossible to photograph but at least I had seen it and now knew where one was hunting.
Black Vulture 4
Turkey Vulture 1
SCALED PIGEON 3
Military Macaw 2
Chestnut-fronted Macaw 2
Red-billed Parrot 3
BAND-BELLIED OWL 1
Short-tailed Swift 2
Pale-tailed Barbthroat 1
Green Hermit 2
Napo Sabrewing 4
Brown Violetear 15
Sparkling Violetear 12
Violet-headed Hummingbird 2
Wire-crested Thirntail 8
Fork-tailed Woodnymph 2
Golden-tailed Sapphire 20
Many-spotted Hummingbird 6
Black-throated Brilliant 2 males
GOULD'S JEWELFRONT 1 male
Peruvian Racket-tail 3 males
Collared Trogon 4
Gilded Barbet 3
Red-headed Barbet 1 male
Black-mandibled Toucan 1
White-throated Toucan 1
Yellow-tufted Woodpecker 3
DUSKY SPINETAIL 3
RUFOUS-TAILED FOLIAGE-GLEANER 1
LINED ANTSHRIKE 1 male
Plain Antvireo 2
BLACKISH ANTBIRD 1 male
THRUSH-LIKE ANTPITTA 1
CHESTNUT-CROWNED GNATEATER 2 - a pair
Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant 3
Common Tody-Flycatcher 1
YELLOW-THROATED SPADEBILL 1
Ornate Flycatcher 3
Olive-sided Flycatcher 3
Dusky-capped Flycatcher 2
Tropical Kingbird 2
Andean Cock-of-the Rock 1 male
Swainson's Thrush 2
Black-billed Thrush 5
Cerulean Warbler 2
Blackburnian Warbler 4
Canada Warbler 4
Slate-throated Whitestart 2
Bananaquit 1
Black-faced Dacnis 1 male
Golden Tanager 6
Blue-necked Tanager 10
Paradise Tanager 4
Green-and-gold Tanager 1
Bay-headed Tanager 3
Blue-grey Tanager 2
Palm Tanager 1
Silver-beaked Tanager 1
Scarlet Tanager 2
Crested Oropendola 4
Russet-backed Oropendola 4
Giant Silkworm Moth at Wild Sumaco
Male Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks at Wild Sumaco
Male Collared Trogon at Wild Sumaco
Female / juvenile Collared Trogon at Wild Sumaco
Canada Warblers at Wild Sumaco
Male Plain Antvireo at Wild Sumaco
Dusky-capped Flycatcher (I think!) at Wild Sumaco
the eastern form M.t. tuberculifer is described as relatively small with a sepia-brown crown
Butterfly at Wild Sumaco
Brown Violetear at Wild Sumaco
presumably it relies on being passed off as a dead leaf
presumably it relies on being passed off as a dead leaf
Male Wire-crested Thorntails at Wild Sumaco
Male Napo Sabrewing at Wild Sumaco
Male Black-throated Brilliant at Wild Sumaco
Male Peruvian Racket-tail at Wild Sumaco
Sparkling Violetear at Wild Sumaco
Dusky Spinetail at Wild Sumaco
Scaled Pigeons at Wild Sumaco
Chestnut-fronted Macaw at Wild Sumaco
Male Gilded Barbet at Wild Sumaco
Male Blackish Antbird at Wild Sumaco
Yellow-throated Spadebill at Wild Sumaco
Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant at Wild Sumaco
Its wingbars look a little ochraceous but presumably not enough for it to be a Variegated Bristle-Tyrant?
Rufous-tailed Foliage-gleaner at Wild Sumaco
An unhelpful leaf spoils what would have been a nice image although it still reveals the all-important neck-side flammulations and brown uppertail-coverts of the species.
Gould's Jewelfront at Wild Sumaco
