It was raining when we woke up at 6AM, so instead of birding and drone-flying, we started gathering our scattered belongings and packing our tents. Callie’s black Pelican case was to be sent home early with the morning team of porters, so we had to make hard decisions about what camera equipment to do without for the day.
Read MoreIt was a bittersweet morning, as today was the day the Reserva Expedition team would be leaving camp for good. At least, that’s what we thought, right up until the moment we heard the dulcet tones of our trusty satellite telephone. It was a colleague from Chical, calling to deliver the news that strikes in the nearby town of Tulcán were escalating, and that many of the surrounding roads had been blockaded.
Read MoreI woke up, and as I stood, the smell of smoke overwhelmed me. I thought that something had burned down, but thankfully it was just the fire that kept us warm in the night. I went to see if Lucy and Callie were awake, and much to my surprise, they were already out and about with Daniel, birding. I went outside and stood among the clouds for a bit, listening to nature, before taking out my drone to start collecting aerial photos of the campsite.
Read MoreWe awoke feeling a little worse for wear on Monday morning—our many hours spent traversing muddy slopes in torrential rain were finally beginning to take their toll on our poor muscles… It was excitement that would spur us on to tackle our next challenge: an 8 kilometre trek across some equally wet, slippery terrain to our newest base; a remote field station nestled in the heart of the Ecuadorian Chocó.
Read MoreWe woke up at 7:00 and went downstairs for rice and eggs We were able to speak to Javier about the day ahead and as usual, he was super excited. He explained to us that we were going to a beautiful river that ran with heavy water and spectacular creatures roaming around. We all got pumped up about the hike, immediately got our shoes and rain gear on, and hopped in the car.
Read MoreSaturday was a particularly exciting one for the Reserva Expedition team. Following a spot of pre-breakfast birding, we’d follow a remote trail up to an elevation of almost 1,700 metres, eventually reaching the mountain ridge that runs along the upper edge of our site. The hike would provide us with our first intimate glimpse of the forest we’re working to protect and, more specifically, of the astounding array of life that it supports.
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