Collared Trogon
Mashpi Lodge has an attached viewing platform that is manned by naturalists from 6:00 to 7:00 a.m. for early rising birders. I got there at 6:30, enjoyed a cup of coffee, and was treated to two more life birds.
Collared Trogon
Long-wattled Umbrellabird
Blue-and-white Swallow
We met our naturalist guide at the front of the lodge at 8:00. I saw another trogon there. One of the staff told me that it was a Chocó Trogon, but I think that the red eye-ring and under tail feather pattern made it another Collared Trogon.
Collared Trogon
We boarded a van for a ride up to higher elevation where the lodge had hummingbird feeders (and more bananas for tanagers). During the next two hours, there was a constant stream of hummingbirds, and I was able to identify 11 hummingbird species.
Andean Emerald
Booted Racket-tail
Male Empress Brilliant
Male Empress Brilliant
Female Empress Brilliant
Green-crowned Brilliant
Female Green Thorntail
Male Green Thorntail
Male Purple-bibbed Whitetip
Female Purple-bibbed Whitetip
Velvet-purple Coronet
Velvet-purple Coronet
White-necked Jacobin
White-whiskered Hermit
Purple-throated Woodstar
Violet-tailed Sylph
And the birds coming to the bananas weren't bad, either!
Glistening-green Tanager
Golden Tanager
Golden-naped Tanager
Rufous-throated Tanager
Flame-faced Tanager
Orange-bellied Euphonia
Crimson-rumped Toucanet
Crimson-rumped Toucanet
Toucan Barbet
Toucan Barbet
In the nearby trees, I spotted another Tropical Parula, a Three-striped Warbler, and a Barred Hawk flew by before I could get a photo of it. A bat landed on the viewing area roof.
Tropical Parula
Three-striped Warbler
Bat
Well, that was fun! Next, our guide and I hiked about a mile down the gravel road, and searched for avian species in the dense cloud forest trees along the road. We frequently caught glimpses of mixed flocks of birds.
Black-billed Peppershrike
Chocó Warbler
Chocó Warbler
Broad-billed Sapayoa
Orange-breasted Fruiteater
Ornate Flycatcher
Pacific Tuftedcheek
Pacific Tuftedcheek
Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner
Slaty-capped Flycatcher
Three-striped Warbler
Rufous-rumped Antwren
Rufous-rumped Antwren
Yellow-collared Chlorophonia carrying nesting material
Yellow-collared Chlorophonia carrying nesting material
Yellow-green Bush-Tanager
Female Orange-bellied Euphonia
Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager
Army Ants
In the afternoon, we took a ride on the 2 kilometer (each way) "Dragonfly" canopy gondola. We got looks at tree-top flowers, and closer looks at some avian species that I had seen at a distance from the Life Center the day before.
"Dragonfly" canopy gondola
"Dragonfly" canopy gondola
In the tree-tops
In the tree-tops
Black-tipped Cotinga
Bronze-winged Parrot
When we returned to the lodge, I spotted a Slate-throated Redstart.
Slate-throated Redstart
There was a night hike planned that we decided to skip, but heavy rain cancelled that hike.
Click here to continue on the next day at Mashpi Lodge