Peter James Fullagar: Ecuador day 11

Yahuarcocha Lake from NE side

23 February - Saturday. We walked the lodge grounds again for an hour at 6.30am. In the clear early morning we could see snow-capped Andean peaks on two sides of us. A check on the altitude revealed we were at 2200 metres (7200 feet) so the cool air was not so surprising.

Cobbled entrance to Chorlavi Lodge - Ibarra

Tethered Alpaca and the Andes

This evil-eyed Alpaca was about to spit on me they say.
It's really only the effect of early morning light and my flashgun!

Front office - Chorlavi Lodge Ibarra

(Above three images by EJP)

Views round the extensive gardens and buildings of Chorlavi Lodge

Anyone for tennis?
Federer, Nadal or the Williams sisters would love those cracks in the surface!

Good 'wasteland' birding area within the grounds

Wall decorations - Chorlavi Lodge

The Chorlavi brand?

Flatirons

Mist and cloud soon hid the peaks as we made for breakfast but at 8.30 we drove to the nearby Yahuarcocha Lake (Blooded Lake) in warm sunshine with fine-weather white clouds. Over the next 3 hours we drove around the lake stopping at good viewing points, one of which finally yielded good views of an Ecuadorian Rail in an area of reeds. Back at the lodge we spent another hour birding the grounds before lunch, finding several Black-and-white Seedeaters.

First views of Yahuarcocha lake
There is a motor racing circuit to the left of this area!

Views round the southern side of the placid lake

Under the Peppercorn tree - just like home in Australia for PJF!

Heading down to where we expect to find the Ecuadorian Rails

Rail habitat! Some sort of Eleocharis we presume

There is a rail in there somewhere!

Grazing cattle didn't make seeing the rails any easier

The low bank from which we called up the rails.
Just like Woodhens! Typical of Rallus sp. of course!

More excellent rail habitat

Looking back across the lake towards Ibarra

Vermilion Flycatcher - looking away! (image by EJP)

Neotropical Cormorants (image by EJP)

Andean Coot (image by EJP)

Unidentified marsh plant (image by EJP)

Habitat of the Ecuadorian Rail (image by EJP)

Unidentified blossom (Images by EJP)

Early in the afternoon we drove back to Quito, stopping on the way at a large street market in Otavalo for some souvenir shopping. The selection of brightly coloured cloth and woven or knitted articles was amazing; much of it picking up on traditional Inca designs which we have come to recognize in Europe.

Street market in Otavalo

Milton admiring the stalls

More views at the street market - Otavalo

We arrived at our previous hotel in Quito (Hotel Embassy) with lightning resounding about the mountains and as a result we opted for an early dinner and bed.

Views from Hotel Embassy in the rain

Today the total count was our lowest of the trip with only 34 species being recorded but only one of them was heard only. A total of eight species was seen today and only today and they were Blue-headed Sapphire, Purple-collared Woodstar, Ecuadorian Rail (a highlight), Slate-coloured Coot, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Golden-rumped Euphonia, Scrub Tanager (the only endemic from the central valley of Ecuador) and Black-and-white Seedeater. However, we saw several species in much larger numbers including Eared Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Slate-coloured Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, Cattle Egret, Black Vulture, Vermillion Flycatcher, Blue-and-white Swallow, Hooded Siskin, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Blue-and-yellow Tanager and Southern Yellow Grosbeak.