Ecuador 2011
February 12 - Tapichalaca Reserve and Tapicahlaca Lodge to Copalinga Lodge
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Supplement
Bird List
Our second day at Tapichalaca Reserve, focused mainly on lower elevation zones down to a small village of Chaco at the valley bottom. It's much drier down at the valley bottoms than in the cloud forest at the top, resulting in different birds. Lunch back at Tapichalca, which I was very sorry to leave.

The afternoon was spent mostly on the long drive from Tapichalcaca to Zamora. There were delays and and detours - one tour group was apparently stranded overnight on their bus between two mudslides - but mostly it was just a long drive.

Our lodgings tonight are the Hotel Orillas del Zamora, reportedly the best in Zamora. When your has coin-operated condom disensers in the lobby and rents rooms by the hour, well, you know it's going to be an interesting evening. Our room windowlooked out on the Rio Zamora, running bank-full and lapping against the hotel foundation. Still, I prefer the honest semi-sleazy hotel and Pine-Sol™ bouquet to the surly types and Izhcayluma. There was a street fair under way as well, with truck-sized outdoor speakers. Presumably Carnival, but Ecuadorans never need an excuse for a party.

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Bearded Guan

Beryl-spangled Tanager

Blackburnian Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Golden-naped Tanager

Silver-backed Tanager

All photos and text © 2011 Jim & Nancy DeWitt / Frozen Feather Images