Our arrival at Tambo Cóndor unfolded as the high Andes revealed themselves in sweeping ridges, sharp light, and the first flashes of local specialists—Sparkling Violetear, Shining Sunbeam, and Cinereous Conebill—welcoming us into a landscape shaped by wind, altitude, and vast silence. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain's experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador.