Our carriage awaited our departure from the hotel Saturday morning after our 8:30am breakfast (so late because some of us didn't get to bed till 1:30am after delayed flights).

Some of the colorful houses jammed together on the hillside above the hotel

A closer look at some of the hillside housing

Some of the group had gotten out after breakfast to look for birds along the hotel.

This Eared Dove, with all its identifying wing marks hidden by the pipe, is all I managed to photograph before we left.

The view inside our van

Inside the van as we started our trip

As we crossed the Bridge of National Unity, we looked back across the bay to where we had spent the night, just left of the 'twisted' tower.

Looking across the bay to the center of Guayaquil

Across Guayaquil Bay from the bridge

As we drove into the suburbs, we passed many roadside markets and foodstands.

Roadside market outside Guayaquil, EC

More street scenes in small towns along the way

More street scenes in small towns along the way--street vendors

More street scenes in small towns along the way--waiting for the bus

More street scenes in small towns along the way--narrow streets

More street scenes in small towns along the way--several towns had a recreational area like this volleyball 'court' where people gathered to play and watch

Our first stop was along the Rio Bulu Bulu; this plant was growing in the sand riverside.

Kannan and Steve went down to the river under the bridge to look for a swallow.

Our guide, Lelis Navarrete, watches from the bank above.

We crossed to the other side of the road and passed this three-wheeled motorcycle taxi.

A Snail Kite surveyed the river from a power line.

Southern Rough-winged Swallow on a wire above the river

Gray-breasted Martins perched under the bridge

Great Kiskadee

Scrub Blackbird

Scrub Blackbird on a rock along the Bulu Bulu River

Boat-billed Flycatcher

Southern Rough-winged Swallow

Gray-breasted Martin

Interesting flower and fruit along the river

Close-up

Black-necked Stilts on a sandbar in a river.

The staff were serious about recycling at the Reserva Ecologica Manglares Churute.

The main building at Reserva Ecologica Manglares Churute

Map of a trail we did not walk

A second building--both were of rock and bamboo construction

Close-up

At the reserve visitor center, we got good looks at Gray-cheeked Parakeets.

Gray-cheeked Parakeets

Gray-cheeked Parakeet

Gray-cheeked Parakeet

A cluster of Gray-cheeked Parakeets

Gray-cheeked Parakeets

Gray-cheeked Parakeets lined up on a branch

It looks like one Gray-cheeked Parakeet is feeding another--are they offspring and parent?

We rode in the van to another part of the reserve where we saw this Wattled Jacana.

Wattled Jacana

Savanna Hawk in the foreground and possible Snail Kite in the background

Snail Kite soaring overhead has a white rump band

Snail Kite

Snail Kite with its hooked bill for retrieving snails from their shells

Striated Heron in a pond at the side of the road
(taken through the van window)

Wattled Jacana
(also through van window)

Steve focusing on something

'Propeller' seed pod

Mary holding propeller seed pod

Tropical Gnatcatcher

Yellow-olive Flycatcher

Pacific Elaenia

Chivi Vireo (variety of Red-eyed Vireo)

Squirrel Cuckoo

Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant

Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant

Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant

Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant

Seed pods on the Kapok tree

Bananaquit

Orange flower

Orange and pink flowers

Tropical Gnatcatcher?

Orange and pink flowers

Tropical Parula

Tropical Parula

Pacific Elaenia

Amazilia Hummingbird

Pacific Elaenia?

Patty, Michael, Lelis (behind), Allan, David, Kannan, Carolyn, Bruce, Ann, Jerry, Mary

Crab fisherman with his tools on his back

Ghost Crabs

Superciliated Wren

Superciliated Wren

Superciliated Wren

Superciliated Wren

Mary, Bruce, Jerry, Carolyn, Kannan, Allan, Patty, David, Michael at the entrance to the mangrove trail

Building at the head of the mangrove trail

Mangrove trailhead

We walked down to a concrete observation deck that was decorated with imbedded stones.

David, Patricia, Patty (behind), Allan, Lelis, Carolyn, local guide at the observation deck looking for the Jet Antbirds

The ceiling of the observation deck was covered with wasp nests.

Wasp nests at observation deck

Mangrove

Pirogues in the mangrove

Shoulder emblem of the Environment Department staff person at Manglares Churute Reserva

Orange and purple flowers

?

Crab in the mud of the mangrove

Crab

Fiddler Crab?

Tropical Gnatcatcher

Sign showing the Mangrove Ghost Crab

Mangrove Ghost Crab

Mangrove Ghost Crab at its hole

Mangrove Ghost Crab

Mangrove Ghost Crab

Back at the main headquarters for the reserve. There was no air conditioning in this main building, but they did have a small unit in a conference room in the back where we ate our packed lunches.

Savanna Hawk

Croaking Ground-Dove

Five Croaking Ground-Doves roosting together

Croaking Ground-Doves

Striated Heron

Limpkin far out in a field

White Ibis near the Limpkin

Ecuadorian Ground-Dove

Roseate Spoonbills in the distance near the limpkin

Neotropic Cormorants

Wattled Jacanas through the van window showing the yellow on their wings in flight

Horned Screamer

Horned Screamers

Horned Screamers mating

Horned Screamers

Horned Screamers

Horned Screamers

Horned Screamers on the L, Black Vultures on the R

Ecuadorian Ground-Doves

Ecuadorian Ground-Dove

Ecuadorian Ground-Doves

Pinnated Bittern

Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant

Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant

Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant

Chestnut-throated Seedeaters--male and two young or female

Osprey

Osprey

Female (brown) and three male Ecuadorian Ground-Doves

We backtracked to get back to the highway and got better looks at this Savanna Hawk.

Savanna Hawk

Black-necked Stilts on a pond with White-cheeked Pintails in the right foreground

Black-necked Stilts, Lesser Yellowlegs, White-cheeked Pintails, Snowy Egret, sandpipers

Closer look at the distant Snowy Egret, with Lesser Yellowlegs, in a distant pond

Lesser Yellowlegs

White-cheeked Pintail with Lesser Yellowlegs

This Fulvous Whistling Duck flew away from the pond at the side of the road as we were leaving the reserve

Fulvous Whistling Duck in flight

This Female Green Kingfisher flew up to a small tree at the edge of the pond as we left the reserve.