Tandayapa Hummingbirds

The feeders on the back porch of Tandayapa Lodge are justly famous for the 20 species of hummingbird that can be seen there on a good day–all at once! I did not witness a day like that, but the few hours I did spend watching the sugarwater frenzy were dazzling all the same.

The abundant Andean Emeralds were joined by several other common species: Buff-tailed Coronet, Purple-throated Woodstar, Western Emerald, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, and Booted Rackettail were rarely out of sight.  Purple-bibbed Whitetips were not uncommon, though most were female-plumaged birds, attractively spangled hummingbirds reminiscent of a giant rackettail. Males were much scarcer, but worth waiting for.

Aptly named!

Empress Brilliants were far from common, but each one that appeared created a real stir among the watchers.

This impressive bird shows any number of features that deserve commemoration in its common name, but “Empress Brilliant” is, I suppose, evocative, if not terribly informative.

Something of a rarity as high up as the Lodge, only a couple of Green-crowned Woodnymphs were in attendance while I was there (though we’d seen many of them at Milpe in the days before). In a world of gaudy birds, this one ranks among the gaudiest.

The females are very elegant, echoing the pattern of the males in subtle gray and green.

My favorites? The three species of violet-ears, especially Brown Violetear, a shy beauty slipping around in the trochilid throng, never staying long but always the source of gasps when it did show up.

This may be the best picture I took in Ecuador, or at least the one I like most.