Met Sandros at 4am as he considered pre-dawn the best time to try and see Rufous Potoo. We climbed a nearby ridge and briefly heard one calling but unfortunately it soon fell silent before we could find it. We returned to the lodge and were soon watching a group of Saddle-backed Tamarins and more-importantly a male Fiery Topaz that performed well along the blackwater river. We then set off along the same trail as yesterday afternoon and found a large antswarm. I thought I could hear a Reddish-winged Bare-eye so used playback and a male called back just a few metres away and we were soon watching it approaching us until it crossed the trail between us. Whilst it never left the dark shadows its size, black body plumage and rufous on its wings were readily apparent. Despite remaining interested repeatedly calling back to playback it never performed so well again. We spent nearly the entire morning watching a succession of birds attending the antswarm with pride of place going to 2 Scale-backed Antbirds, 2 Sooty Antbirds, 4 White-plumed Antbirds and 2 White-cheeked Antbirds. On following the moving ants to a nearby ridge Sandros heard a Yellow-billed Jacamar call and we were soon watching it in the mid-canopy. I brushed against a hairy caterpillar that resulted in a burning rash through my shirt that thankfully only lasted c.10 minutes. We returned to the lodge for a brief siesta but spent most of the time birding the clearing seeing Black Hawk-Eagle, Lemon-throated Barbet, Chestnut Woodpecker and a male Flame-crested Tanager. We then returned to the area of the antswarm but the ants had moved-on so we continued along the trail but it seemed much quieter today albeit the Hairy-crested Antbirds were heard churring again but we left them in peace today. We returned to the lodge along the road but it proved very quiet too. We took a drive first further east and then back west but hardly saw a bird. After dark we headed out for an hour or so again looking for Rufous Potoo but drew a complete blank. The day wasn't quite over as I heard a distant humming whilst eating our evening meal and mentioned wondering if it was members of the Huaorani tribe...
Greater Yellow-headed Vulture 1
Black Hawk-Eagle 1
FIERY TOPAZ 1 male
YELLOW-BILLED JACAMAR 1
Lemon-throated Barbet 1 male
Many-banded Aracari 2
Chestnut Woodpecker
Short-billed Antwren 4
Black-faced Antbird 2
Warbling Antbird 4
Scale-backed Antbird 2
Sooty Antbird 2
White-plumed Antbird 4
White-cheeked Antbird 2
Hairy-crested Antbird h
REDDISH-WINGED BARE-EYE 1 male
Eastern / Western Wood-Pewee 1
Social Flycatcher 1
Grey-capped Flycatcher 1
Tropical Kingbird 6
Screaming Piha h
Blue-crowned Manakin 1
Violaceus Jay 1
Buff-rumped Warbler 1
Green Honeycreeper 1
Thick-billed Euphonia 1 female
Opal-rumped Tanager 4
Green-and-gold Tanager 2
Blue-grey Tanager 2
Palm Tanager 1
Silver-beaked Tanager 4
Flame-crested Tanager 1 male
Yellow-rumped Cacique 12
Red-rumped Cacique 6
Russet-backed Oropendola 15
Male Short-billed Antwrens at Gareno Lodge
Female Short-billed Antwren at Gareno Lodge
Yellow-billed Jacamar at Gareno Lodge
Greater Yellow-headed Vulture at Gareno Lodge
Black Hawk-Eagle at Gareno Lodge
Female Thick-billed Euphonia at Gareno Lodge
Grey-capped Flycatcher at Gareno Lodge
Male Flame-crested Tanager at Gareno Lodge
