Our next stop was Guango Lodge where we spent three nights photographing  hummingbirds.  The lodge was located about 2,700 meters above sea level on the eastern slope of the Andes, surrounded by a 300 -hectare reserve in an area classified as a humid temperate forest.  I would have classified it as a really rainy and cold  cloud forest.  The lodge had a very  large room  which included a dining room and a lounge area.   Even better was the wood fireplace and stove that kept us nice and warm.  In order to get to our rooms, we had to climb some outdoor stairs which opened to a seating area with a wood stove and a great place to leave the cameras and tripods.   There was no heat in the bedrooms but we were given hot-water bottles at night and they sure worked ( I took two).  I have to say that I had the best sleeps at this lodge- the beds were amazing.  The food was also pretty good- I loved the  hot soups they served at all of the meals.  It rained pretty much on and off during the time we spent here but there was a covered pavilion with bird feeders so we always had a dry place to photograph the birds.  In the evening it  was great to spend some time by the fireplace and play cribbage, edit photos or just relax by the fireplace.

20150109_Ecuador_0001 One of the birds that Guango is well known for is the Sword-billed Hummingbird.  Not a big surprise but this bird is the only species to have a bill longer than the rest of its body(excluding its tail).  The bird has adapted that way so that it can feed on flowers with long corollas such as the Passiflora mix.  The tongue is therefore also unusually long.  Another interesting note,  the bird's bill is so long, it grooms itself with its feet.  This hummingbird is one of the largest of the species averaging 14 cm  (5.5 in) in length, not counting the 10 cm (4 in) + bill.  The bird weighs around 10-15 grams (.35-.52 oz).  By the way you can see the streaks of rain in the background.

20150109_Ecuador_0002 More streaks of rain!  The Chestnut-breasted Coronet getting wet.

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20150110_Ecuador_0005 Tourmaline Sunangels ( hummingbirds).

20150110_Ecuador_0006 A Buff-tailed Coronet.

20150110_Ecuador_0001 A female Collared Inca.  The female is slightly lighter green overall than the male and has a slightly smaller-chest patch.

20150110_Portfolio Photos_0090 Manfred pointed out this Hooded Mountain Tanager  to us while some of us were photographing hummingbirds in the pavilion area.  I was lucky to get in one quick shot before it flew off.  The bird measures around 23 cm (9.1 in) and weighs around 85 grams (3 oz) so they are much larger than hummingbirds.  Actually, this is one of the largest tanagers. I love how its  bright red eyes stand out.

20150110_Ecuador_0010 Another  Buff-tailed Coronet.

20150110_Ecuador_0011 Another Chested Breasted Coronet

20150110_Ecuador_0001 A Tourmaline Sunangel (female).  These hummingbirds are territorial and fairly aggressive.

20150110_Ecuador_0013 Glowing Puffleg. This stunning hummingbird was very elusive and didn't stay in site for very long.  We were hoping it would fly to a nicer perch but no such luck.  

20150110_Ecuador_0017 In the afternoons we photographed hummingbirds in flight using flash.   A  White-bellied Woodstar in flight.

20150110_Ecuador_0018 Collared Inca in flight.

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20150110_Ecuador_0020 Buff-tailed Coronets in flight.

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20150110_Ecuador_0023 This photo shows just how tiny these hummingbirds (Glowing Puffleg) are.  They seemed to be totally unafraid of humans, often landing on fingers, heads, cameras etc.  

20150110_Ecuador_0025 More birds and some landscape at Guango Lodge to follow.