2025 (Part 1)

Another year has come and gone. Below are some of the pictorial highlights of my year from a nature perspective. Let's get into it. 

January

For most of January I was home in Hamilton, Ontario. Even though much of my time was spent indoors prepping for a big trip (more on that in a second), I managed to go birding frequently. I also chased a few rare birds found by others, such as a Tufted Duck in Toronto and a Harris's Sparrow in Blenheim. I checked in on the very late American Redstart that had been present for over a month in Oakville. Towards the end of the month I led a two day private tour to Amherst Island and back. It was a smashing success with quite a few owls seen (mainly Snowy, but also Barred, Long-eared and Great Gray in nearby Peterborough). We also saw stakeout rarities like Harris's Sparrow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow and Common Eider, plus had fun observing species like Snow Bunting, Northern Shrike and Merlin. Just a fantastic winter weekend. 

January was also a good month for hybrid ducks. On New Year's Day I discovered a Mallard x American Wigeon hybrid in Dartmouth Nova Scotia, while in late January I found a hybrid Mallard x Northern Pintail in Toronto that stuck around for quite a while, allowing many others to see this interesting combo. 

Tufted Duck with Greater Scaup - Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Toronto

American Redstart - Oakville, Halton Region

American Coot - Burlington, Halton Region

Short-eared Owl - Blenheim, Chatham-Kent

Long-eared Owl - Blenheim, Chatham-Kent

Harris's Sparrow - Blenheim, Chatham-Kent

Hooded Merganser - Bayfront Park, Hamilton

Snowy Owl - Wolfe Island, Frontenac County

Northern Shrike - Amherst Island, Lennox and Addington County

Mallard x American Wigeon hybrid - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Mallard x Northern Pintail hybrid - Toronto

February

Since returning home to Canada in the spring of 2023 (after several years of travel, mainly in Latin America), Laura and I have had to transition back to a more traditional lifestyle in which we are working consistently. However, it remains a priority for us to dedicate a solid block of time to travel each year, and the month of February is typically when that happens. This year, we spent February traveling throughout Ecuador. 

Laura and I first ventured down the east slope of the Andes from Quito to a reserve tucked into pristine foothill forest called Río Bigal Biological Reserve. This is likely my favourite reserve in Ecuador, consisting of pristine foothill forest that holds an interesting mix of Amazonian and Andean species. It was great to explore this area with Laura for the better part of the week. Many of the prized species at Río Bigal were new for her. I also managed to catch up with a few that I missed on my previous stay here, including Red-winged Wood-Rail and Fiery-throated Fruiteater. Of course, the herping and mothing were off the charts, too!

For the rest of the trip, Laura and I rented a car from Guayaquil in southern Ecuador to explore the south of the country for the first time. Laura and I have visited Ecuador on many previous occasions, but those trips typically focused on areas in the northern half of the country. We had a fantastic trip without any issues, and we found most of the birds that we were targeting. Some highlights included the Long-wattled Umbrellabird lek, hiking with a researcher to a remote corner of the Andes to observe the little-known Ecuadorian Viscacha (a species on the brink of extinction), finding a South American Bushmaster and several Orange-throated Tanagers at Reserva Maycú in the far southeastern corner of Ecuador, discovering a pair of Jocotoco Antpittas in a new location after "dipping" at the typical site, and finally connecting with the recently discovered Blue-throated Hillstar in its own remote corner of the Andes. Laura also found a Mountain Tapir while we were looking for Neblina Metaltails at Cerro Toledo. Ecuador is amazing and I can't wait for the next trip, whenever it may be. 

Green Forest Rainfrog (Pristimantis omeviridis) - Río Bigal, Orellana, Ecuador

Taeniotes relucens - Río Bigal Biological Reserve, Orellana, Ecuador

White-throated Woodpecker - Río Bigal Biological Reserve, Orellana, Ecuador

Cithaerias pireta - Río Bigal Biological Reserve, Orellana, Ecuador

Bolitoglossa sp. - Río Bigal Biological Reserve, Orellana, Ecuador

Fiery-throated Fruiteater - Río Bigal Biological Reserve, Orellana, Ecuador

Syngamilyta apicolor - Río Bigal Biological Reserve, Orellana, Ecuador

Various moths - Río Bigal Biological Reserve, Orellana, Ecuador

Black-mantled Tamarin - Río Bigal Biological Reserve, Orellana, Ecuador

White-plumed Antbird - Río Bigal Biological Reserve, Orellana, Ecuador

Pink-throated Brilliant - Río Bigal Biological Reserve, Orellana, Ecuador

Foothill Screech-Owl - Río Bigal Biological Reserve, Orellana, Ecuador

Speckled Forest Pit Viper (Bothrops taeniatus) - Río Bigal Biological Reserve, Orellana, Ecuador

Histioea bellatrix - Río Bigal Biological Reserve, Orellana, Ecuador

Hemprich's Coralsnake (Micrurus hemprichii) - Río Bigal Biological Reserve, Orellana, Ecuador

Long-wattled Umbrellabird - Reserva Buenaventura, El Oro, Ecuador

El Oro Parakeet - Reserva Buenaventura, El Oro, Ecuador

Hussain's Eyelash-Viper (Bothreichis hussaini) - Reserva Buenaventura, El Oro, Ecuador

Anthony's Poison Arrow Frog (Epipedobates anthonyi) - Reserva Buenaventura, El Oro, Ecuador

Bomarea obovata - Reserva Buenaventura, El Oro, Ecuador

Choco Daggerbill - Reserva Buenaventura, El Oro, Ecuador

Black-and-white Tanager - Via Achima, Loja, Ecuador

Pacific Parrotlet - Via Achima, Loja, Ecuador

Heath's Tropical Racer (Mastigodryas heathii)- Via Achima, Loja, Ecuador

Jelski's Chat-Tyrant - Reserva Utuana, Loja, Ecuador

Rainbow Starfrontlet - Reserva Utuana, Loja, Ecuador

Purple-throated Sunangel - Reserva Utuana, Loja, Ecuador

Ecuadorian Viscacha - Quilanga, Loja, Ecuador

Ecuadorian Viscacha success!

Large-flowered Curly Orchid (Cyrtochilum macranthum

Mouse-colored Thistletail - Parque Nacional Podocarpus, Loja, Ecuador

Plumbeous Rail - Malacatos, Loja, Ecuador

Rainbow-bearded Thornbill - Cerro Toledo, Loja, Ecuador

Masked Mountain-Tanager - Cerro Toledo, Loja, Ecuador

Mountain Tapir - Cerro Toledo, Loja, Ecuador

Neblina Metaltail - Cerro Toledo, Loja, Ecuador

Chestnut-naped Antpitta  - Reserva Tapichalaca, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador

Jocotoco Antpitta  - Reserva Tapichalaca, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador

Coppery-chested Jacamar - Parque Nacional Podocarpus, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador

White-necked Parakeet - Parque Nacional Podocarpus, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador

Orange-throated Tanager - Reserva Maycu, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador

Stripe-chested Antwren - Reserva Maycu, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador

South American Bushmaster (Lachesis muta) - Reserva Maycu, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador

Royal Sunangel - Reserva Maycu, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador

Gray Tinamou - Reserva Maycu, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador

Spangled Coquette - Natentza, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador

Roraiman Flycatcher - Reserva Zarza, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador

Red-faced Parrot - Reserva Huashapamba, Loja, Ecuador

Agile Tit-Tyrant - Cerro Acacana, Loja, Ecuador

Blue-throated Hillstar - Cerro de Arcos, Loja, Ecuador

Cerro de Arcos, Loja, Ecuador

Fasciated Tiger-Heron - Reserva Yunguilla, Azuay, Ecuador

Pale-headed Brushfinch - Reserva Yunguilla, Azuay, Ecuador

Oleria padilla - Reserva Yunguilla, Azuay, Ecuador

Giant Conebill - Parque Nacional El Cajas, Azuay, Ecuador

Ecuadorian Hillstar - Parque Nacional El Cajas, Azuay, Ecuador

Tit-like Dacnis - Parque Nacional El Cajas, Azuay, Ecuador

Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant - Parque Nacional El Cajas, Azuay, Ecuador

Brown Setwing (Dythemis sterilis) - Manglares Churute, Guayas, Ecuador

Mangrove Yellow Warbler - Manglares Churute, Guayas, Ecuador

Common Pauraque - Manglares Churute, Guayas, Ecuador

March 

Upon returning home from Ecuador I had about a week to prep for my next trip as I led a tour of the central Andes of Colombia for Quest Nature Tours. This is a classic tour that we have run for a few years now and it visits many of the top sites. Bird diversity is very high as we spend time in a number of different ecosystems and forest types from the lowlands to the páramo above 4000 m in elevation. Following the tour, I joined several of the travellers on the tour extension to Hato La Aurora, located in the eastern lowlands. Here, in "the pantanal of Colombia" we found between 110 and 140 bird species daily, including specialties of this region like the White-bearded Flycatcher, Orinoco Goose and Crestless Curassow. The herping was good with species like Orinoco Crocodile, Green Anaconda (including a huge female that was over 5 m in length!) and Cryptic Golden Tegu. But my undisputed highlight was encountering a Jaguar with the group, late one afternoon on a game drive across the savannah. Incredible...

Moustached Puffbird (with Anolis antonii) - Otún Quimbaya, Risaralda, Colombia

Torrent Duck - Otún Quimbaya, Risaralda, Colombia

Black Phoebe - Otún Quimbaya, Risaralda, Colombia

Grayish Piculets - Hotel Tinamú, Caldas, Colombia

Blue-lored Antbird - Hotel Tinamú, Caldas, Colombia

Argyrotaenia citharexylana - Hotel Tinamú, Caldas, Colombia

Eois camptographata - Hotel Tinamú, Caldas, Colombia

Long-tailed Sylph - Owl's Watch, Caldas, Colombia

Grass Wren - Hacienda El Bosque, Caldas, Colombia

Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant - Hacienda El Bosque, Caldas, Colombia

Crescent-faced Antpitta - Hacienda El Bosque, Caldas, Colombia

Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan - Hacienda El Bosque, Caldas, Colombia

Sickle-winged Guan - Hacienda El Bosque, Caldas, Colombia

Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant - Hacienda El Bosque, Caldas, Colombia

Buffy Helmetcrest - Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados, Tolima, Colombia

Paramo Tapaculo - Hotel Termales del Ruíz, Caldas, Colombia

Senecio formosus - Hotel Termales del Ruíz, Caldas, Colombia

Tawny Antpitta - Hotel Termales del Ruíz, Caldas, Colombia

Chestnut-naped Antpitta - Reserva Mirador El Roble, Caldas, Colombia

Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatcher - Reserva Mirador El Roble, Caldas, Colombia

Bar-crested Antshrike - Finca Bambusa, Antioquia, Colombia

Oilbirds - Jardín, Antioquia, Colombia

Red-bellied Grackle - Jardín, Antioquia, Colombia

Green Jay - Jardín, Antioquia, Colombia

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock - Jardín, Antioquia, Colombia

Moustached Puffbird - Jardín, Antioquia, Colombia

Yellow-headed Manakin - Reserva Natural La Romera, Antioquia, Colombia

Equatorial Mussarana (Clelia equatoriana) - Reserva Natural La Romera, Antioquia, Colombia

Pale-headed Jacamar - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Scarlet Macaws - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Sunbittern - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Masked Cardinal - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Orinoco Geese - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Black Vulture - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Orinoco Crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius) - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Savanna Side-necked Turtle (Podocnemis vogli) - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Burrowing Owls - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Nacunda Nighthawk - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Capybaras - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Wire-tailed Manakin - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Black-crested Antshrike - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus) - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Venezuelan Troupial - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Jaguar - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Double-striped Thick-knee - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Fork-tailed Flycatcher - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Cowboy roping a young bull - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Rufescent Tiger-Heron - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Horned Screamers - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Sharp-tailed Ibises - Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia

Sunrise at Hato La Aurora, Casanare, Colombia