All day on the forest trails
23rd December .Pre-dawn breakfast and then we headed out onto the forest trails of the national park. We were surrounded by even more birds than the previous day and enjoyed several mixed feeding flocks. Justa few of the highlights included Lafresnaye´s Picculet, Western Striped Manakin, Blue-rumped Manakin, Chestnut-crowned Gnateater, Foothill Elaenia and Foothill Antwren. We met a couple of young birders, Philip Chaon and his mate, from the States, who we´d also met back in May at the Cape May World Series of Birding. We called in at the lodge for a welcome cool drink at the hottest part of the day, and were lucky enough to time our visit to coincide with a handsome male Spangled Coquette hummingbird visiting the flowering shrubs right in front of the dining area. Late afternoon we birded the old road adding Olivaceous Greenlet and Cliff Flycatcher, both new for our list, and we also enjoyed great views of Fasciated Tiger-Heron and White-capped Dippers.Bird species total: 4259Posted Loja, Ecuador