Saturday, March 27, 2010

Quito Botanical Garden: March 27, 2010

Aimee and I are headed to Southern Ecuador during Semana Santa, with plans to bird the Bombuscaro entrance of Podocarpus National Park and the Cordillera del Condor with bases at Cabañas Copalinga and Cabañas Yankuam, respectively (yes, I'm going after the Orange-Throated Tanager again). Before heading south, though, we made an early morning visit today to the Quito Botanical Garden in search of unusual migrants. Roger Ahlman has been recording some unusual sightings here during the last few years, including a Great Crested Flycatcher last year, and he tipped us on to a Northern Waterthrush that is wintering here. With a bit of playback, we were on the bird just a few minutes after arrival, noting little more than a lethargic Swainson's Thrush and a bold Plain-Breasted Hawk during the rest of our brief visit.

Notable birds seen: Plain-Breasted Hawk, Black-Tailed Trainbearer, Swainson's Thrush, Northern Waterthrush.