Author Archives: Richard

Cabanas San Isidro

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After some last minute hummingbird feeder checks, we boarded the bus for another scenic but windy trek featuring trailer trucks and buses and blind curves and “watch for birds, not the road ahead.” Off to the south the massive peak of Antisana – elevation 18,714′ showed itself.

Shortly, a “stop the bus” called came as one of our best spotters, Liz, saw two Torrent Ducks cavorting in the rushing water. We saw dippers, sandpipers, and other birds as we lined up along the highway with scopes and binoculars in action.

Cabanas San Isidro is a sister lodge to Guango and has a wonderful array of cabins and trails in a very birdy setting.

On our first bird walk the next day, we came across this Quetzal who posed for us in the fog. It was a great way to start the day.

The lodge had some nice resting places.

From where you could see one of the “it’s everywhere” birds, the Chestnut-collared Sparrow.

 

Guango Lodge

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Located next to a busy highway and disturbed by recent pipeline work, Guango Lodge was not our favorite stay, although the food and accommodations were fine. We opted out of the bus trips and spent several nice walks on the trails.

The lodge had a wonderful river running past it.

 

 

And nice views

While watching the antics of Inca Jays, we also noticed some lovely flowers.

This private suspension bridge was a little to high for my comfort level but not Sally’s

Returning, we enjoyed some of the hummers flitting about the lodge feeders.

Crossing the Andes

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We left the lush western slope of the Andes, heading toward Quito. As we descended into arid conditions caused by the mountains and warmed up for the first time in days as we took a short walk, spotting among other things, a Giant Hummingbird.

Further down the highway, we pulled off into a small community where the original monument marking the Equator stands. There is a larger one in Quito, aimed at tourists, but this apparently is the real deal.

Sally took some photos of the little community.

Crossing through Quito, we started a major climb up the eastern slope of the Andes, pausing for lunch where we met these school kids returning home.

Turning off the major highway, we explored the paramo, the higher terrain above the tree line where we encountered several new species, including Andean Hillstar hummingbird and this uncommon Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant. (Love that name)

We were climbing up to Papallacta Pass to try to find the Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe.

The pass is over 13,000 feet and was pretty raw and foreboding.

The view southeastward

It was an effort to get out of the bus and trek behind our guide but we all took our time and soon, just as we were thinking of heading back, a shout up ahead announced a sighting. We saw two seedsnipes — this shot pushed the limits of the SX-60 point and shoot.

A Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe at about 13,500′ msl

We did it and were soon back on the warm bus and backtracking down the windy dirt road to continue our journey to Guango Lodge. It was great to get down to an altitude where the air had some meat to it.

We arrived at the new lodge to find a new group of humingbirds – no rest for the weary.

A Trip to Paz de las Aves

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Well before dawn, we boarded the bus for a trip to Refugio Paz de las Aves, where Angel Paz, a local farmer, has developed a modest but spectacular birding site. We arrived early to see the Andean Cock-of-the-walk display on the lek and sure enough, we heard the raucous calls and saw the brilliant birds as we approached. The photos were tough given the foliage and constant movement but it was unforgettable.

Here’s lookin’ at you, kid

This place is sometimes known as “the antpitta farm” since Angel has gained the trust of some normally rare and shy forest species by offering them juicy worms. Here he is bringing out a family for us to see. (These birds are impossible to spot on your own.) 

Two parents and two youngsters showed up for a short visit

This female Masked Trogon sat just far enough away to make photos difficult.

The reserve has several fruit-feeding blinds where spectacular birds show their stuff.

Blue-winged Mountain Tanager

Angel, and several helpers, called in several other antpittas that they had trained to come for food.

Chestnut-crowned Antpitta in poor lighting

Rufous Antipitta

On the way back, we got our first taste of the fast & furious nature of a big mixed-species flock and this lovely Tropical Kingbird (TK in tropic birding jargon) just hanging out.

Photos by Sally

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On our second day at Tandayapa, Sally decided to spend a day birding at the lodge and took some great photos with her IPhone.

Four hummers at the feeder

Sally watched this Toucanet snatch and devour a hummingbird — “That’s nature.”

When we returned to the lodge, everybody had a chanc to hand-fed hummingbirds – quite an amazing experience.

Tandayapa Lodge -1

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We arrived at Tandayapa Lodge, a lovely site located within the verdant cloudforest on the western slope of the Andes. In spite of a long day of birding already, we spotted the wonderful balcony with many feeders and dozens of hummingbirds. We were slow to check into our rooms with all the action underway.

Many of us had not seen Pufflegs before.

Throughout our stay, hummers came for hand-feeding. These found Sally’s Iphone and finger  intriguing. Photo credit: Kate Thompson

As would be our habit, we were up for breakfast and on the bus before light. It was cool and foggy but just after we got to our hiking spot and had started to walk, our guide heard and then spotted the bird of the day, a Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan.

The yellow rectangular plate on the upper bill helps differentiate this toucan from most others.

Plate-billed Mountain-Toucans inhabit a restricted range and are listed as near threatened. They are threatened both by deforestation and subsequent habitat loss, and by illegal capture for the pet trade.

After birding a couple of hours, we boarded the bus and were descending this winding dirt road when the guide yelled “stop”, we bailed out to seeing him holding an earthworm.

This worm was docile on a chilly morning, just trying to cross the road.

That’s my size 15 boot for comparison. We left him in the bushes unharmed.

We no sooner had loaded back up and driven a kilometer when the bus stopped and off we trooped to see a big, bad tarantula crossing the road. We watched her – she was almost the size of my hand.

 

A purple tarantula

One of the things we did on this foggy day, since the birds were relatively quiet, is to delight in the flowers we encountered. I’ll share them with you in the next post. Adios, amigos.

Yanacocha Reserve, Ecuador

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After rendezvousing in Quito with our group and our guide Andreas, and our driver, Roger, we launched in a small bus upward out of the city toward the nearby Yanacocha Reserve, with its  spectacular views over the summit of Pichincha Volcano and to more distant volcanoes.

The habitat is mainly high altitude (10,500′) Polylepis forest, of a type which is severely depleted throughout the Andes due to agriculture and charcoal production.

We had a 3 K trek, with steep overlooks and challenging walking due to the altitude out to a feeding station with many hummingbirds and other new species to see. Here are some examples of what we saw:

The area is known for the Swordbill hummer.

This Spectacled Whitestart snuck up to the feeder and left at once.

The Hooded Mountain Tanager is a species we frequently saw in the Western Andes.

These were foraging in the fog along the trail as we returned. Not sure of ID.

Several Shining Sunbeams were a highlight of our return trip. Striking on the front and back.

Our bus was waiting to take us on a winding back road journey to our first lodge.

Enroute, we stopped near this roadside shrine and were treated to an overflight by a rare Black-chested Buzzard Eagle.

 

 

Birding in Ecuador

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We arrived in Quito Sunday night and have spent a couple of days at the Tandayapa Lodge from where we have visited several local hotspots. Here are just a few shots to give an idea of the neat birds we are seeing.

The back of a Shining Sunbeam hummer

A striking Toucan Barbet

The front of a Shining Sunbeam

Plate-billed Mountain Toucan

Black-capped Mountain Tanager

Tomorrow we head eastward to new environs and a whole array of new bird species.