Mary and Steve documenting their presence at Urraca Lodge

A pair of Red-masked Parakeets in the trees near the Urraca Lodge, Jorupe Reserve, Ecuador

Outside Steve and Mary's cabin, this male Collared Antshrike hopped around in the bushes.

Collared Antshrike near cabin #3

Male Collared Antshrike

Collared Antshrike

On the morning walk, Mary and Steve stood under a Kapok tree that could have been a dinosaur.

Mary under the Kapok tree

Can you see the sooty crown of this Sooty-crowned Flycatcher?

Sooty-crowned Flycatcher taking flight

Scarlet-backed Woodpecker

Scarlet-backed Woodpecker

Scarlet-backed Woodpecker

Back view of the Scarlet-backed Woodpecker

Fasciated Wren

Fasciated Wren

We took the road to the left at the bottom of the hill.
Steve, Ann, Jerry, Patty, Allan, et alia

Clouds rolling in

Another interesting Kapok tree posing with Ann, Allan and David

Carolyn and Ann with the Kapok tree

More posing and photographing with the Kapok tree

Mary photographing Steve photographing Ann, Allan and David at Kapok tree

And on we go

Uphill grade

One of Mary's canopy meditations

Kapok tree seed pods

Kapok seed pods

Flowering plant
Gliricidia brenningii
a member of Legumes Family Fabaceae

Red flower

Bougainvillea

Grey-and-gold Warbler

Grey-and-gold Warbler

Grey-and-gold Warbler

Plain Antvireo

Plain Antvireo

Plain Antvireo

Rear view of Plain Antvireo

Plain Antvireo

Plain Antvireo

Plain Antvireo

Plain Antvireo

Plain Antvireo

White flower

Plain Antvireo

Down in the valley

We just couldn't take enough Kapok tree photos.

See

Bromeliads in the top of a tree

Tropical Parula on a Kapok tree

Thick-billed Euphonia and bromeliad

How many hands does it take to hold an old oriole nest?

Pacific Pygmy-Owl

Pacific Pygmy-Owl

Pacific Pygmy-Owl

Leo explained that the base of this Kapok tree was too small and it was too heavy at the top, so "un poquito viento"--a little wind--blew it over and across the road where it had to be cut back.

Lelis showed Leo how he was counting rings--close to 80.

Lelis, Allan, Jerry and Kannan inspect the fallen giant.

Carolyn (foreground), Steve, Lelis, Leo, David (behind), Allan, Jerry and Ann (behind)

Pacific Parrotlet

Pacific Parrotlet

Waiting for the next bird

Speckle-breasted Wren

Speckle-breasted Wren

Speckle-breasted Wren

Swallow-tailed Kite

Swallow-tailed Kite

Harris's Hawk

Harris's Hawk

Harris's Hawk

Harris's Hawk in flight

Harris's Hawk

Red-masked Parakeet

Red-masked Parakeets

Orange flower

Grey-cheeked Parakeet

Grey-cheeked Parakeet

Grey-cheeked Parakeet

Grey-cheeked Parakeet

Grey-cheeked Parakeet

Ann, Carolyn and Allan catch up with the rest of the group as the sun comes out briefly.

Pink flower along the road

Pink flower on a 3-foot stalk

Grey-backed Hawk perched in the distance...

...the far distance

A young Kapok tree

Orange flowers

One of the Kapok tree seed pods

Pods seemed to be a favored method of seed distribution; here's a much smaller one found on the road

Small seed pod

Leo shows the inside of a Kapok tree seed pod; the fluff material was used in flotation devices in World War II

Kapok tree seeds

Kapok tree seeds

Kapok tree fluff

White flower

Dried seed heads

White flower

Seed heads

Boat-billed Flycatcher

Its bill is broad, as well as boat-sized.

Kapok tree fluffs

Another Kapok tree

Lavender flower with fuzzy leaves

Yellow-tailed Oriole

Colorful valley flora

Giant Cowbird with Scrub Blackbirds in a distant tree in the valley

More seed heads

Back at the lodge, this Guayaquil Woodpecker was spotted in a tree near the deck.

Guayaquil Woodpecker

Guayaquil Woodpecker

Guayaquil Woodpecker

Same pink flower seen on the morning hike; this one was 6'-8' tall and below the path between the lodge and cabins

Pink flower

Yellow flowers

Yellow flowers

Yellow flowers

Pacific Elaenia

Pacific Elaenia

Pacific Elaenia

Pacific Elaenia

Southern Beardless Tyrannulet

Fritillary butterfly on tropical verbena

Under side of Fritillary butterfly on tropical verbena

Amazilia Hummingbird

Yellow-tailed Oriole

Yellow-tailed Oriole

Yellow-tailed Oriole

Yellow-tailed Oriole

Female (brown) and male (blue) Blue Ground-Doves eating corn at the Urraca Lodge feeder

White-tipped Dove

Golden Grosbeak

Zebra butterfly on pink flowers

Zebra butterfly on pink flowers

Long-tailed Skipper on tropical verbena

Bougainvillea

Guayaquil Squirrel getting a drink of water

After leaving Jorupe Reserve, we rode north toward Buenaventura Reserve. We stopped along the highway at a few places to look for birds. At the first stop, we saw these three Long-tailed Mockingbirds holding their places in the mountain wind.

Long-tailed Mockingbird

Long-tailed Mockingbird

Jerry, Allan, Patty and Lelis listening, watching and waiting

We stood at the side of the highway and looked across the way for birds.

Barbara stayed by the van; some of us climbed on the pile of rocks for a better view.

Moss growing on a tree across the highway

Patricia, Bruce (behind), Steve, Allan, Patty, Kannan, David, Lelis

At the second highway stop, we saw this Scarlet-backed Woodpecker.

We also saw this Collared Antshrike.

Collared Antshrike

Tropical Gnatcatcher at our second highway stop

Besides the birds, there were some goats grazing along the highway.

Goats along the highway

The Ecuadorian highway had no real shoulder, so the van had to be parked partly on the road.

Looking for birds along the highway
David, Allan, Bruce, Carolyn, Patty, Kannan (behind), Steve, Jerry

The view across the mountains showed the area was very dry.

As we drove to higher altitudes, our way became very foggy--or cloudy--either way, the visibility was pretty bad for a while.

Outside of the next town, there was a pond where we saw these Black-bellied Whistling Ducks.

We also saw Comb Ducks.

Comb Duck

Female Comb Duck at the edge of the pond

Comb Duck

Comb Ducks

Comb Ducks

Comb Ducks

Comb Ducks

Comb Duck

Comb Duck

Comb Ducks

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

We had seen these brightly colored yellow trees on the trip and had not gotten photos while we were stopped, so I tried to take a few shots from our moving van.

The photos are impressionistic, but the colors are there.

Flowering trees along the highway

By the time we got settled in and had supper at Buenaventura Lodge, it was after dark, so we took photos of moths instead of birds.

Moth on screen at Buenaventura Lodge

Another moth

Cracker moth on screen

The Cracker moth was about 3" across; the little guy, about a 1/4".

A variety of moths resting on the side of the lodge

This moth was 1.25"-1.5" across

This is the list of rules for the reserve we found posted in our room.