Stout-billed cinclodes

Stout-billed Cinclodes is a terrestrial, high elevation bird of northwestern South America. It is found in paramo and other wet, sparsely vegetated areas between 3300 and 5000 meters in elevation. Found in the Andes of central Colombia and Ecuador.

I ran onto this guy at 14K ft (roughly about 4,300 meters) elevation gasping for air trying my best to hold my breath to steady my rig so as not to get any out of focus frames...Well as luck would have it I chased (walked very slowly stopping every ten to fifteens steps to bring in oxygen to my starving lungs.) as he continued to torcher me by flying away as I continually lost momentum. He originally was in the tundra of Antisana range with wheat-grass a bit over his head. So focusing was slim to none in this scenario!! Try as I might I could not get a shot in focus where I originally saw him.

Then the photog Gods smiled down upon me and he flew to a post within 30 ft of me. And as Paul Harvey used to say:

This is: "The rest of the story!"

 

Thanks for all your continued support. and once again make it a great day, as it IS a conscious choice.

Done