Saturday, May 29, 2010

The Teleferico

The Teleferico is a big lift that brings you from 2950m to 4100m in 10 minutes. It is very close to my house and a girl from Xplorer wanted to go there today and invited us to come with her...
I was there at 11:15, eventhough we had said to meet at 11:00. Only one other girl was there and we waited 1 hour, before we went up still only the 2 of us. Half an hour later another girl of Xplorer came with her boyfriend and finally at 2PM the girl that had invited us came with her boyfriend and two more friends. We soon started and I tried to have a good time with them, and not only to bird, but when they realized there weren't anymore horses the group of us split up, I didn't know with who to stay and just walked on and in the end was alone. The idea had been to take some horses and go to the Pichincha, a volcan...
So soon I began birding, I had at least brought my equipment with me, because I was determined to go to the Pichincha, but also rather sure, my little friends wouldn't go with me. Before I had gone much it began to rain lightly, no problem for me, but as I heard thunder behind me I wasn't sure anymore to walk to the Pichincha all alone. I soon went back looking everywhere for animals. In the end I had seen many Plumbeous Sierra-Finches, but nothing more. Beforehand there had also been two Caranculated Caracaras and an American Kestrel, but the rain seemed to keep them from flying. I stumbled a rabbit, at least I think, because I just saw the high Paramo-grass move as something was running through it.
I was getting wet but it didn't matter to me. I was already back to the lift-station, only going to try getting near that pair of finches when another rabbit crossed the road. Trying to find something more I only wetted myself and was alreadey heading back to the place, where the lift was when a short view of a head of some bird got all my attention. I knew instantly there was a Tinamou and at this heights there are (I think) only two species: The Highland and the Curve-billed Tinamou. I soon got near to it, watched it through my binoculars to see it better, as I was already rather near and took some pictures of it. I had soon seen enough to identifie it. But this was to be done at home, because it looked to me like an Undulated Tinamou. Does this exist at these heights? No, it's just that the Curve-billed has a similar pattern on its back that made me doubt a bit. Looking at the pictures you can also clearly see the curved bill.
Soon after it had disappeared I also crossed the way with a huge Stout-billed Cinclodes and already on my way to the lift I flushed an Antpitta. In my opinion there were two possibilities: the Tawny or the Yellow-breasted Antpitta. I had already seen Tawny Antpitta and didn't remember a breast so brightly yellow. But does Yellow-breasted Antpitta exist at these altitudes? Consulting this at home I saw I hadn't had luck this time. Another Tawny Antpitta. My twelth already because on another trip I had seen 11 different individuals in just one day and heard about 4 times more... Doesn't matter an Antpitta is an Antpitta and they are just fascinating for me...
So I concluded this day with not very many species, but at least some very interesting ones...
That was one of the 11 Antpittas I saw at Sucus, not the one I saw this time.
The Curve-billed Tinamou, the best picture I got eventhough you only see its head...

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