Birding Sani Lodge

Birding Sani Lodge will be the highlight any birder’s trip to Ecuador.  Reached only by river canoe, it is far from cars, power lines, city lights and plate glass windows.  The birds seem to appreciate this nearly pristine habitat.  And the birders on our PIB/Neblina organized trip certainly appreciated the birds.  Here are some I managed to capture by camera: This is a Long-billed Woodcreeper who moved about the area near the dining hall.  And displayed ther beak for which he was aptly named.

While we’re talking big beaks, take a look at this big beaker. The White-throated Toucan.  In our brief stay at Sani we got to see five members of the Toucan tribe. Here’s my best shot of a Many-banded Aracari seen from the Sani Canopy Tower, one hundred feet up.

And thirdly, an Ivory-billed Aracari.  Also shot from eye level atop the canopy.  I show these pics, not because they are much good, but they do prove that I wasn’t dreaming.  The birds really were there, in profusion.

And there were a quartet of Trogons as well.  Here’s my only medicore shot, but any birder knows these guys are serious lookers, and rarely easy to spy.  But our guides were top-notch, always a  key to good Neotropical birding for us Norte Americanos.

My Blue-crowned Trogon up high.

It’s the right time to plan your 2011 birding trip to Ecuador with Partnership For International Birding and Neblina Forest Tours.

Here’s our schedule for next year.

Tags: Amazonia, aracari, canopy tower, long-billed woodcreeper, Neblina Forest Tours, parakeets, Sani Lodge, toucan, trogon