How many birds?!
“Segua Marsh is an important wetland system in Manabí Province, located just a few minutes southwest of the city of Chone. While the area is intensively farmed for rice and fished for shrimp, there is a remarkable variety of ducks, grebes, shorebirds, and herons to be found here, making it a worthwhile visit for any birder looking to boost his country list.” from Birding Ecuador Blogspot/2009
La Segua/Chone/Ecuador – When friends Luis and Peter invited me to join them for a second Global Big Day at La Segua near Chone, I was a bit torn; “If I spend the day with the two of you in the Segua, then the birds of Poza Honda will miss their chance for the country list.” Reaching an easy compromise, we spent the morning at La Segua, then traveled two hours east to observe the Poza Honda birds!
At dawn as we loaded the truck, a Tropical Kingbird provided a cheerful ‘Buenos Dias’ greeting, a good omen that almost-clear skies would replace the pre-dawn rains!
Peruvian Meadowlark
We stopped half a dozen times to confirm various species before we reached the Segua headquarters. Tricolored Heron, Peruvian Meadowlark, Snail Kites, White-cheeked Pintails, Purple Gallinule, Common Gallinule, wow – a Limpkin!
A bad image is better than no image of the Limpkin!
White-cheeked Pintail
Peter and Luis confirmed as I photographed and then scribbled the various species names in a notebook!
Common Gallinule?
Tri-colored Heron
La Segua Welcome Center
“Water which is too pure has no fish.” Ts’ai Ken T’an
“Lisa, you are going to cry,” Luis warned me before parking at La Segua, a large alluvial flood plain or Rios Chone and Tosagua.
“Thanks for the warning,” I replied, “… but I’ve seen the excavators working in the past… more shrimp ponds?”
Last year water lilies dotted this pond and provided cover and habitat for many species.
6 a.m 2017 -La Segua Parking area
New shrimp ponds claim those water-lily areas, although the tree-lined route to the pier remains bird friendly. The birds adapt, and some of the wetland areas are healthy ecosystems.
2017
2018
2018
Last year I photographed waterlilies and a White-throated Crake in this spot.
Wattled Jacana seems happy here!
Snail Kite
Although more-sterile shrimp ponds replaced the water-lily setting, there were many lovely vistas, still-intact wetlands and a great diversity of birds.
Purple Gallinule
Masked Water Tyrant on nest
Snowy-throated Kingbird
What does she see?….
“Lisa! Come here, quick….shhhhh!” ((The staff is on site seven days a week, and they are happy to assist in spotting the birds!)
There’s a White-throated Crake!
Pacific Parrotlets
Golden-olive Woodpecker
Up close from the tower!
From the tower
Fulvous Whistling Ducks
Perhaps the Cocoi has a nest there?
Does that gull have a crayfish?
A slightly-better view of a Limpkin!
Shrimp-farm workers taking a breakfast break!
Cocoi Heron
Look up!
Amazilia Hummingbird
Common Tody Flycatcher
Rufous-browed Peppershrike
Black-necked Stilts
By late morning our list reached 69 birds; we agreed that it would be nice to finish with 70.
I asked Luis, “What bird would you like to see to reach that magic 70?”
“An Osprey…”
A few minutes later, Peter exclaimed, “Osprey!” and pointed overhead:
What’s one more bird on your wish list? Osprey!
Luis uploads data to ebird!
Before returning to town, we walked a short section of the highway and finished the morning with a few more birds for the list, including hundreds of whistling ducks!
Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks
Peruvian Meadowlark
Long-tailed Mockingbird
Pearl Kite
The finale, before heading to Poza Honda, was a delicious (and greatly-anticipated) lunch wrapped in a banana leaf!
Tonga Lunch – What’s inside? ‘Seco de Pollo’ – braised chicken, rice and gravy…
More information via Wilkipedia: La Segua Wetlands
Anhinga drying its feathers/ la Segua
(Next stop – Poza Honda!)
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
Many very beautiful picture!😊 Lovely birds.
Thank you! I’m still seeing birds when I close my eyes!
What an amazing morning you had. Luis looks very pleased with all the photos that he was uploading. I wonder what your afternoon was like. My best to Luis as well as congratulations on the beautiful shots. Your camera is perfect for the artist’s eye?
Although I seldom comment, I always enjoy your posts. This one is incredible and your pictures truly tell the story of your morning. My favorite is the shot of the black necked stilts.
Marcia, you are so wonderful to add your feedback, which is always appreciated! Thank you so much, and also for adding which image you liked most.. Another person said that she liked the stilts!
Delightful, as usual. I just love the bright colors in your part of the world!
Hi Hugh! Thanks, and I wish that you could zip down here for a ‘Timeout’ from all that’s happening in the USA – no television is a blessing – not to be bombarded by negative news!
I’m still offline almost full time, but either I’m not getting new notifications or you’re in an incubation mode! Suffice to know, you’re missed even when there’s no time to comment!
I would say your artists eye knows exactly when to snap the shot!! loving these pictures…I have been birding for years and years and this year to both our enjoyment Edmund has joined me and is having a great time as well…his sister Victoria has been here three times and we go out looking at birds with binoculars, books and now I guess I will have to get a camera…
Edmund built a lovely purple martin house and a gorgous bird house for any bird…eastern blue birds and carolina hickadees have taken up residence…in that one…we have summer tanagers, so many different woodpeckers, including the pileated…unhuh!! and so many others…we sit in the morning and drink coffee serenaded by the bird songs throughout our property…anyway loved this post and the amazing birds thanks so much for sharing. ❤
The chickadees are especially sweet, though I’m sure you’re enjoying all of the birds in your new area! Thank goodness you can enjoy so many species!
Happy to see all those species – despite everything, they are there. Great series and job well done!
Thank you my dear friend! I’ve not checked to see what was uploaded from the Galapagos – surely they covered the species there>
Such a diversity of colourful feathers, Lisa, and so beautifully told and photographed!
I cannot help but worry though about the destruction of the wetlands for commercial gain and understand why you were warned that you’d be sad as well. Obviously, many birds adapted to the changed environment but I am sure many others didn’t. I can just imagine what a paradise it must have been in its natural state.
Thank you for your empathy, and yes, there seems to be three or four options for ‘attitudes’ about our planet.. Those who passionately care, those who care but not enough to be proactive, those who could care less, and — hmmmm those who are irritated by those who care passionately?
You definitely understand the need tor protecting what’s left….
How amazing to see and identify so many birds. What a satisfying outing.
Yes, we had an amazing outing! I’ve not checked all of the stats but have the country list saved and will look at it when at the house… I suspect that your country added some great birds to the list.
Thank you!
I will go check that list
Beautiful! We have cormorants here that dry their feathers in the same way that the Anhinga does. Same crooked neck, too. Could they be related?
Surely they’re related, but |I’m not sure! Will check that and let you know next week! About to be offline again!
What a terrific day you had! Thanks for sharing Amiga 🙂
You’re welcome! Wonder Warrior Woman stays in the kitchen and greets me every morning and also at the end of each day.. You are here in spirit!
Thanks for all your efforts on our behalf, Lisa. So noble of you. 🙂 And the meal sounds delicious.
janet
I’m really hungry right now, so the meal would be double great! Thank you, and yes, those birds were amazing!
Lisa! What energy you have! To do a Big Day and take all those photos? Come one, that’s exhausting! I have been enjoying your bird photos for years, and this time is no exception. How cool that you all saw Limpkins, I’ve never seen one. I was very excited to see a Gallinule once or twice, int he south…not up here! 😉 We’ve had some good spring rarities lately but I’ve missed seeing them – a stilt, an avocet and a Long-billed curlew, all very unusual here. Your stilt photo is remarkable…are you thinking of making that into a painting one day? It is such a gorgeous composition, so elegant. Speaking of elegant, the Masked Water tyrant sure is lovely. Your Meadowlark is so collorful! It’s interesting to see the context photos, hear about the shrimp farming, and see the people interspersed with the birds. Not to mention lunch. That Anhiunga is a fine parting shot, too. I look forward to seeing what you found in Poza Honda!
I’ve only seen the Limpkins at the Segua, and it’s really easy to get close to the Gallinules and Jacanas… they are skittish in many areas, but at the Segua and at the Poza, they must be ‘desensitized’ to humans! Lucky us!
|I’ve painted the Stilts before – oversize- but yes, | love them too – they are elegant, and yes, so are the Water Tyrants.
We saw lots of Meadowlarks along the highway – the most I|’ve seen in — forever!!! Ditto for the Vermillion Flycatchers, which are dwindling in numbers here – at least for me… I note the acacia trees being cut, and the vermillion flycatchers always hung out in those trees…
We had a great time at Poza Honda!
(I meant, “Come on, that’s exhausting). 😉
It’s fun to see how many birds we share: the black-necked stilts, the anhinga, the purple gallinule, the osprey, the fulvous and black-bellied whistling ducks. I’ve only seen one fulvous duck, but they’re apparently more common down the coast, in the area around Port Aransas and Corpus Christi. And isn’t that a yellow-crowned night heron, that you didn’t name? They’re all around right now, even in the ditches along the roads.
I’d say your day went wonderfully well, and the photos are great. I wonder — do you have one of those humongous lenses, or are you able to approach some of these birds more closely than we can here? Or, is it a case of there being more birds generally, which makes it easier to capture their images?
How well I remember my father uttering not-so-pretty words about the coots that were swimming in his favorite fishing hole! Would you believe that the American Coot is assumed ‘extinct’ in Ecuador? It’s always nice to observe the old friends, and the anhings is one I had heard about but never seen in person… Yes, we have yellow and black-crowned night herons – so beautiful….
Many of these birds are very close – or they allow me to get closer and closer – ha, a bit like you approached that crab! and with each inch closer, I sent silent ‘Thank yous’ to the bird or butterfly or animal I was stalking!
The camera is a Panasonic Lumix, cost between 3 and 400 dollars with bells and whistles which are just that, bells and whistles but did little to enhance the basic camera! Those extras are like confetti!
When I miss some special shots, I utter beneath my breath and am wistful for the simple cameras of long ago, with exposure meter and manual focus— and |I realize that one of these days I’ll take the bite and upgrade….
What a wealth of birds. A pity about the shrimp farm.
Yes, you are right about the shrimp farm; we also observed and discussed the ongoing deforestation in the area we drove through. it’s changing rapidly…. you understand totally about the need to recover/rebuild after an earthquake, and firing bricks takes ‘firewood’ – one of several reasons the landscape is changing… or if one needs money, can you blame them for cutting down trees for the timber?…
It’s a difficult balance.
Your beautiful feathered friends never cease to amaze me Lisa! Thanks for bringing a smile to my morning.
And you bring a smile to my heart as well! Thank you!
Z,
This may be an interesting oportunity to work toguether….
Henry, She is The Zeebra!
Saludos,
Miguel Rendón Fontaine
Whats app: +593999405678
Skype: miguelrendon
De: Zeebra Designs & Destinations Responder a: Zeebra Designs & Destinations Fecha: lunes, 7 de mayo de 2018, 14:56 Para: Miguel Rendon Asunto: [New post] Humedal_La_Sabana – La Segua Wetlands
Playamart – Zeebra Designs posted: ” “Segua Marsh is an important wetland system in Manabí Province, located just a few minutes southwest of the city of Chone. While the area is intensively farmed for rice and fished for shrimp, there is a remarkable variety of ducks, grebes, shorebirds,”
Once again, I am amazed about the variety of species and birds in and around your habitat. I really enjoy looking at the birds you have captured in these photos.
Thank you, Otto! Yesterday I returned from a walk, and while taking off my boots I watched a hummingbird nearby… so rapt with interest in the hummingbird, I did not see the rare Orange-fronted Barbets having a feast in the same tree the hummingbird was perched! It was very easy to get some great images of the Barbets!
I loved your recent post that showed candid shots of your students in the Cuba workshop. The lady with the morracas gave me a great chuckle, and in person, I’m sure you all had great laughs!
Oh Wow Lisa I know I am late arriving, was on holiday the date you posted this. And still have not really caught back up with everyone..
What stunning images and Oh so loved that the Universe granted Luis that Wish, showing just how aligned you are my friend. And by the smile on his face it made his day.
What a delight to see so many varieties of birds and the progress being made in these wetlands..
I was in my own seventh heaven.. And what a well spotted find among the reeds too as you got your photo of the White-Throated Crake.. Wonderful…
It is always a breath of fresh air when ever I land upon your blog Lisa..
Its Fathers Day today here, and our daughter has just been and brought her Dad new species of Dahlia’s, and a new hoe he has been wanting, With lots more goodies to open on his B’day on the Solstice.
She came a walk down to the allotment garden and went home with Peas, Cabbage and Broad-beans..
It is a picking day tomorrow I think. As lots of Peas and Redcurrents now ready.
Nature never fails to GIVE..
And I so thank you for giving so much pleasure with your amazing photography ..
Much Love to you Lisa.. ❤
Sue xxx