This week was a little difficult.  I didn’t see a single monkey.

Nevertheless, I still went on beautiful hikes on three different trails in the cloud forest and still managed to see some cool things. For example, on the first steep hike we saw a trogan, a beautiful bird with a bright red chest, guarding her eggs in a tree hollow.

I also saw a cock-of-the-rock, which had a beautiful, bright-orange coloration. It was mesmerizing to watch the bird with its absurd, jerky movements as it looked around the forest perched on a branch, straining its neck every-which-way. Unfortunately, my camera battery also died the first day this week, so I couldn’t capture any photos. I will be sure to try and take some next week! UPDATE: Here’s a cock-of-the-rock!

Despite all of the rain this week, which made for muddy trails that I slipped on pretty constantly, there were moments of sunshine that highlighted pretty breathtaking views of the cloud forest and highlands. In these times of sunshine, beautiful butterflies fluttered all over the place, settling on leaflets and occasionally on me!

Also the last day, we were hiking when all of a sudden Fausto, our field guide, stopped to take a picture of an orchid. I asked him later about it and he said he thinks it might be a new species, since it looks quite different than another similar orchid. Just another day in the cloud forests of Ecuador! UPDATE: It turns out it’s not a new species

Though I didn’t get to see any monkeys in the wild this week, I spent Sunday in Puyo visiting a monkey rescue center. I was very impressed with how knowledgeable the volunteers were about wooly monkeys, and I spoke with them for quite a while. I wasn’t too impressed by the city though; it was very hot and the downtown area didn’t have much to offer.

The last week had the same result-no monkeys! It also rained everyday. But I saw the juvenile male cock-of-the-rock that I saw in the nest in the wild, and he was with two other females. Could it have possibly been a little family reunion?

I also saw the most beautiful butterfly on the hike out. If anyone can identify what this is I’ll be forever grateful. Update: It’s a metalmark butterfly, Rhetus Periander.

And that’s the end of my time in the cloud forest! Now I’m just hanging back in Banos, working on my paper at a hostel. I can’t believe my time in Ecuador is almost over! I’m just trying to make the most of my last weeks while I can.