More birds at Yunguilla

This week -- March 22, 2010 -- we have seen these:

Golden Tanager
croaking ground dove
Saffron Finch
Southern yellow grosbeak
rufous collared sparrow
yellow tailed oriole
scrub blackbird
blue and white swallow
Vermilion Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Blue Grey Tanager
Great Thrush
Longbilled starthroat
Crested cuckoo
Hooded Siskin
Peruvian Meadowlark
black Vulture
Pacific Hornero
Groove-billed Ani
Rock Dove (!)
House Wren
an unidentified small bird with black head and black belly (not in the Birds of Ecuador Field Guide)

The casita is nearing completion. It is quite nifty and we are digging a pond in the back yard ... for the birds.

We also added a new sighting: a little flock of Hooded Siskins, very much like goldfinches, fluttered about the mandarin trees below the big house.

Work continues on the casita. The tile roof will be returned to its former "glory." A new door has been cut between the two rooms and the bathroom replaced. The walls are about two feet thick and the restoration is being done with fresh adobe and rough timbers.



New addition to the "life list" is the Golden Olive Woodpecker.

Hacienda Tabachiri -- Asuncion, Azuay, Ecuador

Reconstruction of our 70 year old adobe complex has begun.



-building the puerta

.

-sunset over the Andes (from our front porch)

We are restoring La Casita first which will be our living quarters while working on La Casa Huespedes--the guest house.

new roof, adobe wall restoration

Meanwhile, we are sighting birds from the front porch including:

1. Pacific Parrotlet
2. Pacific Hornero
3. Vermillion Flycatcher
4. House Wren
5. Tropical Kingbird
6. Peruvian Meadowlark
7. Groove Billed Ani
8. Turkey Vulture
9. Chiguanco Thrush
10. Great Thrush
11. Amazilia Hummingbird
12. Blue-Gray Tanager
13. Green Kingfisher
14. White-Tipped Dove
15. Scrub Blackbird
16. Croaking Ground-Dove
17. Gray-backed Hawk (?)

Pacific Parrotlet

Peruvian Meadowlark