Amazona lilacina

For all those who haven't heard it yet: I'm searching another bird that's critically endangered do get extinct. Seems to get my profession. This time, it's the Lilacine Amazone (Amazona lilacina). The population is estimated to be around 500-600 animals. But nobody really knows where this estimates come from because apart from one population next to Guayaquil little is known about in which places the parrots occur and how many of them really are in those places. What's is kind of handy is, that the amazones rely on the mangroves because they sleep in them over night. And mangroves are known to be at the ocean. Therefore I search the whole coast north of Manta and check every little mangroveswamp that's left. And I'm able to search the whole time for surfspots aswell, hehe.

so always start in the middle of the night in the mornings, here with Alfredo....
 

...and in the evenings be there for sunset aswell

Quito - Bahía de Caráquez

Along the Ring of Fire and through the Páramo to the ocean.

Quito offroad II

Well, on sundays you can't get paperwork done in Quito. Therefore back into the mountains with Diego...

Quito offroad

With Diego, my mecanic from Mariscalmotos off the streets close to Quito. Best weather and free sight to Cotopaxi. That's the way to fight boredom while waiting for papers.

Buenaventura VII

Here a few pics without a hand for size comparison. Hannes didn't want to put his next to this one (about 1,5- 2m) even thought it isn't even poisonous

With this one it's a different thing, because it can be deadly if the antiserum isn't injected quickly

Buenaventura VI

Pictures from the search of the El Oro Tapaculo

            

as always fighting with the shrubs and the slopes

Here for a better impression of the slopes a picture shot parallel to the ground

like everything the slopes have some advantages aswell 

Well roared II

Alright, now with Sound:

Inspector Rudeboy investigates

During the Search for Tapaculos: under a big overhanging stone (after inspection declared as not suited for bouldering)...

leftovers...

and different leftovers..

on the way footprints all over

Left as suspect is only the Puma. Boring crime-story but a nice experience.

Buenaventura V

The last week searching for the El Oro Tapaculo in Buenaventura started. After that it's finally back to the ocean again. Whereas looking for Tapaculos is nice aswell...

Buenaventura IV

 

Buenaventura III

Thats the way the earthworms look like over here:

a long-tailed hummingbird at the bar

Fotos from the archives II

The speed squeeze (all captures Nayya)

sequence here: