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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ovenbird43" data-source="post: 2003289" data-attributes="member: 64478">29 Dec - CorazonThis day we had opted for a day of hiking, and we ended up being placed with a small group of people who wanted to climb nearby Corazon.  Our agendas didn't quite mesh, although we all got along fine- but Tom and I had been hoping for something more leisurely, while several others in the group were on a mission to summit the mountain.  We were driven in the back of a pickup through some winding back roads through farmland, eventually reaching natural paramo vegetation and getting dropped off by a gate where we began our hike up.  I tried not to fall too far behind, so I let many tantalizing calls and rustles slip by.  Hours into the hike we reached a plateau covered in a patchwork of grasses and puddles, and an Andean Snipe flushed- wow!  A few Paramo Pipits flew by, and in the distance I saw large numbers of small birds moving about- how frustrating not to be able to stay and explore this area!  At this point, Tom began to suffer altitude sickness and began to lag far behind.  Even I was beginning to get a headache, have opted to carry the heavy Ridgley and Greenfield guide along with both our lunches and waters, and another man in the group was also feeling ill.  Our guide was forced with a difficult decision, and later complained that there should have been at least one other guide for the trip.  He split the group up- Tom, me, and this other dude were to wait while the rest went for the summit.  I wasn't feeling too bad, so I took the opportunity to wander around leisurely in search of some birds.  I found a few Paramo Ground-Tyrants, and watched a Stout-billed Cinclodes feed a fledgling.  A Giant Hummingbird zipped by, and I got a good look at a male Ecuadorian Hillstar.  My headache started to worsen, so I went to sit by Tom and wait for the group.  As we watched the group summit in the distance and begin to descend, dark clouds began to roll in and thunder rumbled ominously.  I began to feel impatient, wishing I could get Tom to a lower altitude (his rapid breathing worried me), and beginning to worry about the weather.  Luckily the storm passed us by, and eventually the group reunited and we began our descent.  Partway down I stopped and tried to find the source of a curious call- a hooting whistle, "Toot! toot-toot."  I eventually gave up and ran to catch up with the group, but had I known at the time that it was a Tawny Antpitta, nothing would have torn me away without seeing it first!Below, some pictures of Corazon and a sampling of the bizzare paramo plants.</blockquote>

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