(altitude c2800 m) we broke our journey towards
the Western Cloudforest (see previous blogs!)
with a visit to the Yanacocha reserve (at c3500m)
http://www.fjocotoco.org/reserves-Yanacocha.html
....where surrounding cloud created a moody
atmosphere..
...to cloak the distinctive Polylepsis woodland
that clung on the reserve's mountain slopes
above and below its main trackway.
..while smaller vegetation clung
on the rocks..
Of birdlife the most charismatic were
the hummingbirds such as the "buff-winged
starfronlets"....
or the accurately named sword-billed hummingbird
with its c.9.5 cm bill (total body length 13.5cm)!
The flowers which the bird
aims to include in its sword-swallowing act are
long tubular ones such as this...
In another visit to the highlands we encountered
hummers blessed with equally elegant growths:
this time in the tail department! Here we have
a black-tailed trainbearer which posed very
obligingly for us..
For the ultimate highland experiences we ventured
east from Quito up into the Papallacta pass.
(the road through the pass reaches just over 4000m)
This terrain is refered to as the paramo, a land
for small varieties of pampas grasses and slow
growing, ground hugging flora such as these..
And here it is the highlight of highlights. A bird
that is iconic of the Andes, described as looking
like a flying barn door with three meter wingspan
- and the largest flying bird in the world.
A bird that I, or any of us, would have been thrilled
to have spotted as a distant speck in the sky......
an Andean Condor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To be watching this (juvenile) condor soaring
around us, only tens of meters away at times,
at the highest point of our tour was a thrilling
privelige. Even William, our Ecuadorean guide
had never before enjoyed such a moment.
It was truly stunning.
If my grin doesn't seem big enough to reflect
what I have just said that is because the moment
hadn't happened when this was taken. I was already
dead chuffed to be up in the Andes as it was!
After all that excitement our overnight lodging
at the Papallacta Hotsprings resort, with relaxing massages
and hot water pools on offer, was a very welcome treat.
http://www.ecuaworld.com/ecuador_hot_springs.html
And next morning we awoke to excellent views
of Antisana volcano as we contined a downhill
journey towards eastern cloudforest.
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