Bird Watching at Antisana

During our Easter break we got to go bird watching just outside of Quito with a wonderful friend, Sheila.......  well.... the truth is that our friend took Sebastiao bird watching and we were allowed to tag-along.  As you will see from the photos, Sebastiao was surgically attached to the binoculars all day and Bella was just trying to keep herself entertained....  Buckle up because this is a LONG post with LOTS of pictures. 

This was the happiest I could get them together all day.....He had much more important things to do than pose....... Just one reason I might not be invited on the next bird outing!

Ecuadorian bluebonnets

Antisana from a distance with clouds covering the peak.  Antisana is a stratovolcano of the northern Andes, in Ecuador. It is the fourth highest volcano in Ecuador, at 5,704 metres (18,714 ft)

Black-Faced Ibis-  the first bird on our list

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Sheila and Sebastiao checking out the Andean Gulls-  who knew gulls lived in the mountains and not just near the ocean stealing hotdogs?

Rumiñahui  is a dormant, heavily-eroded stratovolcano 4,721 metres (15,489 ft) above sea level.
The volcano is named after Rumiñahui, who was an Inca general at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire.

Venerable Hawks

Isabella with a Lupine bush (REALLY big bluebonnets)

 And finally we get to why we really went o Antisana...... CONDORS or at least one.  Ok, I promise there is a condor in this picture below, but once it took flight we were so excited that we didn't get any pictures, but he is sitting on a landing in this picture.  Amazingly cool thing to see.