Ecuador day 1

ECUADOR

Naturetrek special tour

12^th to 26^th February 2008

Tour report

Leader: Alejandro Solano. Participants: Peter Fullagar, Barbara and Eric Pilcher.

Introduction This tour was arranged at short notice by Naturetrek Ltd following the cancellation of their tours to Bolivia owing to political unrest in that country.
Naturetrek put together an itinerary with their ground agents (Neblina Forest) which was a compromise between their ‘Cock of the Rock’ and 'Choco' tours with additional sites of importance ornithologically.
The paragraphs below follow the daily program together with short notes on items of interest. Daily records of birds seen and heard can be found in detail in the accompanying spread sheet. Some photographs are included with the text but a website link to a more extensive photo-gallery is provided.

Ecuador

Topographical map showing roughly the three areas visited

Two oblique views in Google Earth showing GPS clusters from this trip.
The upper one is viewed from the NW and the lower one from the S

12 February - Tuesday. Our flight from Heathrow was delayed almost 2 hours because of fog which in turn meant a frantic rush through ‘transit’ in Miami to catch our flight to Quito.
Needless to say our luggage didn’t make it and it only caught up with us 36 hours later.
We were met and transferred to our hotel in Quito grateful for the chance to go straight to bed in this, the second highest capital in the world, at 2850 metres (9600 feet).

Grasslands (anthropogenic?) along our approach road to Yanacocha reserve

on the northern slopes of volcan Pichincha

Heading up the track to the Yanacocha reserve

Alejandro Solano - our guide

13 February - Wednesday. An early continental breakfast and departure at 6am set the pattern for most of the trip. Our leader Alejandro and driver Milton soon had us driving out of Quito and climbing the lower slopes of Pichincha, the volcano which dominates the city. We visited the Yanacocha reserve in temperate moss-clad forest seeing our first Great Sapphirewings and Sword-billed Hummingbirds at feeders - unlike them we noticed the altitude, having recorded a height of 3570 metres (11700 feet).

Our walk today in the Yanacocha Reserve on the west slopes of Pichincha.
The map is orientated with N to the right. The viewing altitude is 3km.
We walked from point 14 to point 15.

Unfortunately this was the only area explored by us in Ecuador that was covered at the time, in Google Earth, by high resolution satellite mapping. For this reason it was impossible to repeat such detailed topographic mapping of our daily activities elsewhere. The only other GPS location at such resolution was a fix on our hotel in Quito!

Our trail in Yanacocha reserve traversing some steep ridges

Sheltering from the rain at the end of the trail - Yanacocha reserve

Trumpet flowers the like of which the hummingbirds feed from (image by EJP)

We ate our packed lunch in the vehicle. Having left Quito in clear conditions with only early mist swirling among the lower slopes, heavy rain began after mid-day. Besides the early starts this was to become a more troublesome feature of the trip, repeated almost every afternoon (that is when it didn’t rain most of the day anyway!).

Start of the trail in Yanacocha reserve

In the afternoon we took the old Nono - Mindo road over the western ridge of the Andes joining the new highway towards Nanegalito in improving weather, making for the turn-off to the Maquipucuna Lodge where we were to stay for 3 nights. We made several birding stops along the way calling in for coffee and Bolones at the Café Armadillo. Bolones, we discovered (constructed rather like a large Scotch Egg) is a staple and filling snack, consisting of a core and outer covering based on corn mash with varied vegetables and some chilli.

Coffee while waiting for our bolones Armadillos Cafe

Today we saw 67 species. Some we are to encounter regularly over the next fortnight: Black Vulture, Tropical Kingbird, Southern House Wren, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Rufous-collared Sparrow and Lemon-rumped Tanager. Fifteen others we do not see again. These included, Bar-bellied Woodpecker, Sapphire-vented and Golden-breasted Pufflegs, Burrowing Owl, Rufous-naped Brush-Finch, Stripe-headed Brush-Finch, Superciliaried Hemispingus, Golden-crowned Tanager, Grassland Yellow-Finch and White-sided Flower-piercer. Also, we recorded five species which we only heard today and did not again encounter – Tawny-breasted Tinamou, Barred Fruiteater, White-browed Spinetail, Undulated Antpitta and Ocellated Tacapulo. Especially abundant on this first day was the Great Thrush but we see few of these splendid large ‘Blackbirds’ over the next week or so until we again encounter them during the last three days of the trip.

Sapphire-vented Pufflegs and Buff-winged Starfrontlets
at hummer feeders - Yanacocha Reserve

Sword-billed Hummingbird

Buff-winged Starfrontlet

Great Sapphirewing

Sapphire-vented Puffleg

Golden-breasted Puffleg

Violet-tailed Sylph

Masked Flower-piercer

Glossy Flower-piercer

Look at that bill! The Flower-piercers extraordinary bill morphology.
The hook holds the flower while the lower mandible pierces into the bloom

Burrowing-owl (image by EJP)

Ecuador day 2

Rio Santa Rosa. Three torrent species here today:
Torrent Duck, Torrent Tyrannulet, White-capped Dipper

One of the White-capped Dippers (image by EJP)

14 February - Thursday. Having arrived around 6pm last evening to comfortable rooms and a good dinner we took an early walk around the Lodge before breakfast. Running past the buildings is a fast-flowing river (the Rio Santa Rosa) – a sound not easy to sleep with if you’re not used to it! But on the credit side we found 3 ‘torrent’ species within a few minutes, namely White-capped Dipper, Torrent Tyrranulet and a female Torrent Duck. After breakfast we walked the Arrieros trail with intermittent showers until mid-morning turning to steady, heavy rain until late afternoon. We were glad to get back for lunch; not that the rain deterred the 7 species of hummingbirds visiting the feeders and the Rufous and Broad-billed Motmots nearby.

The Ballast road leading to Maquipucuna Lodge

Birding along the Arrieros trail to the east of Maquipucuna Lodge
and here above the Rio Santa Rosa

Nest with three nestlings of the Golden-crowned Flycatcher
under the bridge at entrance to Maquipucuna Lodge

Look at the mandibles on this beast!

Huge grasshopper -approx. 10cm long!

We managed a walk before dusk and were rewarded with close views of a Golden-headed Quetzal plus 3 Pacific Horneros during the day. Even at this lower altitude of 1330 metres (4360 feet) the rain kept us chilly at 18°C.

White-necked Jacobin

Green-crowned Brilliant

Green-crowned Brilliant

Buff-tailed Coronet

White-whiskered Hermit

Green-crowned Woodnymph

Rufous Motmot (image by EJP)

Our total species list for today was 93. We encountered Barred Parakeet in good numbers and would do so again over the next few days. We also see good numbers of White-necked Jacobin, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Lemon-rumped and Swallow Tanagers. Other birds which we see today and regularly over the next few days include: White-collared Swift,Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Swallow-tailed Kite, Turkey Vulture, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Ecuadorian Thrush, Bay Wren (most days only heard!). Bananaquit, Blue-grey Tanager, Palm Tanager and Buff-throated Saltator. Several species are not seen again. These include: Crested Guan, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Buff-fronted Parrotlet, Band-rumped Swift (10+ seen), Yellow Tyrannulet, Streaked Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Spotted Nightingale-Thrush (only heard) and Yellow-rumped Cacique.

Ecuador day 3

Early morning birding along the road leading into Maquipucuna Lodge

15 February – Friday. This was a repeat of yesterday - early morning walk before breakfast and the whole morning along the Main (or Forest) trail. At first it was dry with periods of hot sunshine and temperatures up to 27°C At lunch the heavy rain began again but we were able to walk part of the Wetlands trail later in the afternoon. The Maquipucuna Reserve covers some 4500ha and is characterised by steeply sloping cloud-forested hillsides covering three-quarters of the area, waterfalls and fast-flowing rivers and streams.
A feature of the day was the parties of noisy parrots flying over the canopy - Bronze-winged and Red-billed Parrots and many Barred Parakeets.

Ferns

Lantana!

Interesting dumplings!


Signage along the Main trail

Birding from a raised platform in the forest off the Main Trail

The forest viewing platform


unidentified plant


Butterfly with semi-transparent wings -approx 10cm wingspan
(lower image by EJP)


Observation point along the Main Trail - not far from the lodge
(upper image by EJP)

Close to the lodge on the return self guided loop

We saw an impressive 102 species today including our only encounters with Olivaceous Piculet, Collared Trogon, Green-fronted Lancebill, Common Nighthawk (at dusk flying over the Lodge), White-faced Bristle-Tyrant, Black-and-white Becard and Plain-brown Woodcreeper, Also heard but not seen at any other time on the trip was Wattled Guan, White-backed Fire-eye and Spotted Barbtail. Notably large number of Barred Parakeet were seen today and White-collared Swift, White-necked Jacobin, Lemon-rumped, Blue-grey and Swallow Tanagers were again numerous.

Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner

White-necked Jacobin - preening

This is why it is called the White-necked Jcobin

A Jaobin must shelter from the rain somewhere!

Not sure of this species

Buff-tailed Coronet
Wing-stretch on alighting is typical of this species and the genus Boissonneaua

Ecuador day 4

Maquipucuna Lodge

16 February - Saturday. We left Maquipucuna Lodge after an early breakfast to drive to Tandayapa, stopping during the morning to watch garden feeders for an hour at Alambe. Again it was dry at first with occasional sun breaking through the clouds. We drove on to eat our packed lunch at Pacha Quinde where an excellent array of sugar-feeders was present. By this time the rain was heavy again and we began to see the results - trees undermined, hillsides washed down on to roads, local bridges at risk. We were unaware of the serious flooding in the lowlands around Guayaquil to the south since we had seen no TV or newspapers.

Alamba


Birding along the road - Tandayapa





Vegetation along the Tandayapa road - the lower one is Selaginella sp.

Crowns of Cecropia (sp.?) in the rainforest canopy


On the equator!

We found the juvenile Common Potoo reported here perched at the top of a tall dead stump and in all today we recorded 20 species of hummingbirds. After our lunch-break the rain was relentless and we had a very wet drive to the Tandayapa Pass on the lower Nono/Mindo road and on to Los Bancos for our next 2 nights at the El Mirador del Rio Blanco.

Juvenile Common Potoo perched on a stump (EJP)

More spectacular roadside vegetation


A spectacular Butterfly - upper and underwings shown(images by EJP)

Today we saw 97 species with our only views of Spot-fronted Swift (2), Gorgeted Sunangel (2) Purple-bibbed Whitetip (4), a White-throated Quail-Dove, two Short-tailed Hawk, a Sierran Elaenia and a Tanager Finch. Four species were heard today but were not seen or heard on any other occasion. They were Green-and-black Fruiteater, Spillmann’s Tapaculo, Beautiful Jay and Black-striped Sparrow. We saw a Bran-coloured Flycatcher brooding three nestlings. Again Barred Parakeet was very numerous along with Chestnut-collared Swift, Andean Emerald, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Buff-tailed Coronet, Booted Racket-tail and Blue-and-white Swallow.

Green-crowned Woodnymph


Booted Racket-tail

Booted Racket-tail - female

Andean Emerald

Andean Emerald

Fawn-breasted Brilliant

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Assorted hummers at a feeder -Andean Emeralds, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird,
Purple-throated Woodstar & Fawn-breasted Brilliant

Green-crowned Brilliant - female

Green Violetear

Green Violetear

Purple-throated Woodstar

Purple-throated Woodstar

Buff-tailed Coronet

Collared Inca in the rain

Violet-tailed Sylph in the rain

This seems to be a Puffleg we didn't record this day?

Buff-tailed Coronet with pesky bee!

Fawn-breasted Brilliant

A Puffleg again? Is it really a Buff-tailed Coronet?

Purple-bibbed Whitetip in flight on the right

Thick-billed Euphonia female

Two Thick-billed Euphonia

Blue-grey Tanager

Golden Tanager and Orange-bellied Euphonia

Buff-throated Saltator

Glossy-black Thrush

Bran-coloured Flycatcher brooding three nestlings

Ecuador day 5

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock

The valley of Angel Paz's - Refugio Paz de Las Aves

Giant Antpitta - this is Maria. (image by EJP)

17 February - Sunday. A very early start today, leaving the lodge at 4.45am to drive to the Refugio Paz de Las Aves (also known as Angel Paz’s). Before dawn with our head-torches on, we negotiated the muddy trail down to the Cock of the Rock lek viewed from behind a low screen. In the approaching dawn we were rewarded with good views of 3 males calling and displaying. When the birds departed we walked down a forest trail and the guide (and owner of the land) who had accustomed various birds to the presence of humans by a careful program of feeding, was able to call a Yellow-breasted Antpitta into close view.

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock - male
Composite from images taken at San Diego Animal Park in 2008

Giant Antpitta comes in to feeding tray with worms

Babara and Eric on the path following our viewing of the Giant Antpitta

Back at another observation site the calling produced a pair of Giant Antpittas which one by one collected their supply of worms – and provided superb opportunities for close watching but photography was difficult in the dim light and the need not to use flash. As if on cue 5 Dark-backed Woodquail joined in the feeding a little further back up the trail (a group known as the Spice girls!) and nearby 5 Sickle-winged Guans flew quietly away at our approach.

Angel Paz's place

Ablutions block; Eric for the use of

The Mitsubishi on the left is known as 'Maria' and was paid for from the accumulated
small entrance fees charged to see the Giant Antpitta of the same name!

Barbara waiting for breakfast!

Bolones. The one at the top has a bite out of it!

By mid-morning we were ready for the al fresco breakfast which was provided, including the best Bolones yet and an amazing array of local fruits. We walked on higher ground and up a ridge following the road where Tree Tomatoes were being grown and we were lucky to see a stunning Orange-breasted Fruiteater.

Remnant and regrowth rainforest on the slopes and old pastures
or paddocks now intended for return to tropical rainforests

Rural activities along the road near Angel Paz's

Fruiting berries

Tree Tomato (upper image by EJP)

Digiscoped image of Orange-breasted Fruiteater (Canon Ixus 800IS + Leica scope)

Bromeliads everywhere!

Further along the morning walk

Returning to the El Mirador for a late lunch we watched the bird feeders, and the river 150 metres below, from the rear patio of the lodge. In spite of the rain at 4.30pm we walked part of the Milpe road area, where we planned to enter the reserve the next morning.

Our motel - El Mirador Rio Blanco (EJP)

View of the river from the motel patio - El Mirador Rio Blanco (EJP)

Black Vulture

Green Thorntail

Green Thorntail

Green-crowned Brilliant - female

Pale-mandibilled Aracari (Ecuadorian Endemic)

Choco Toucan

Plumbeous Pigeon

Black-cheeked Woodpecker - male

Lemon-rumped Tanager

Part of vesper flight of White-collared Swifts drifting past the patio at El Mirador at about 4:30pm

White-whiskered Hermit

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Green Thorntail

Green-crowned Woodnymph



Today at the hummer feeders

With a total of 107 species logged and the bonus of visiting a site with lekking Cock-of-the-Rock followed by superb views of Giant Antpitta this was undoubtedly another very good day. Birds seen only today included Sickle-winged Guan, Dark-backed Wood-Quail, Pale-mandibled Aracari, Green Thorntail, Rufescent Screech-Owl, Rufous-bellied Nighthawk, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Scaled Fruiteater, Olivaceous Piha, Giant Antpitta, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, White-winged Brush-Finch and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Not encountered at any other time but heard today were Barred Forest-Falcon, Flavescent Flycatcher and Narino Tacapulo. Specially numerous today was Barred Parakeet (again!), Bronze-winged Parrot, White-collared Swift, Green-crowned Woodnymph, Andean Emerald, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Blue-and-white Swallow, Lemon-rumped Tanager, Blue-grey Tanager and Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager.

Ecuador day 6

Milpe Bird Sanctuary entrance and building

The MCF

18 February - Monday. By 6.30am this morning we were on our way to the nearby Milpe road but this time we were able to enter the Milpe Bird Sanctuary, a project of MCF (the Mindo Cloudforest Foundation).

The road outside the MCF Milpe sanctuary

Signage at the MCF Milpe Bird Sanctuary

Here, in mist and drizzle we managed an hour of excellent birding before steady rain drove us on. Of special interest was the endemic Chocó Warbler and an amazing display by at least 2 lekking Club-winged Manakins. From the Manakins we heard the distinctive click and buzz sounds made by vibrating their wings vertically over their backs.

Trail near the Club-winged Manakin lek

Milpe is at about 1100 metres (3600 feet) and our route further into the Chocó took us via Rio Silanche (another MCF site with an observation platform deep in the forest), only 35 km NW - but already down to 350 metres (1150 feet). Overall today, in rainy conditions with occasional sunny periods, we travelled 340km via San Lorenzo towards Esmeraldas on the coast. We arrived at our next destination, the Cotinga Lodge at Tundaloma at 6pm where we would stay for 4 nights, only 20-odd Kilometres from the Colombian border.

Along the trail at Milpe

Yes, they are even here in Ecuador!

Heading north from the Milpe area

Lunch break on the way north

Birding along the highway heading north

Bat Falcons use this area. We see two of them sitting in a tree to the left of this view

This was the day of the Club-winged Manakins! The total of 103 species seen today included White-tipped Swift, Peregrine Falcon, Black-tipped Cotinga, Golden-winged Manakin, Club-winged Manakin, Russet Antshrike, Esmeraldas Antbird, Plain Xenops, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Brown-billed Scythbill, Pale-vented Thrush, Ochre-breasted Tanager, Yellow-collared Chlorophonia, and Chestnut-headed Oropendola that were only seen today. Also, White-breasted Wood-Wren and Scarlet-rumped Cacique were heard only today and not encountered at any other time. Numerous birds today included Barred Parakeet (yet again!), Bronze-winged Parrot, White-collared Swift, Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon seen while passing though towns!), Band-tailed Pigeon, Cattle Egret, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager and Lemon-rumped Tanager. We see Bat Falcon near a cliff face cave. We have now moved into the Chocó region proper.

Lineated Woodpecker - male (EJP)

Ecuador day 7

Tandaloma Lodge

19 February - Tuesday. It was cloudy this morning and it stayed that way until lunchtime with hot, sunny periods from time to time. We spent the whole day close to the lodge, breakfasting at 6am and viewing the canopy and river (Rio Mira) from the lodge balcony for the first hour or so. This really was the ‘lowlands’ – an elevation of 55 metres (180 feet) with high humidity and temperatures of 26 to 30°C.

Views around Tandaloma Lodge

Looking down from the balcony of Tandaloma Lodge across the gardens towards the river

Interesting little skink on the handrail outside PJFs cabin, Tandaloma Lodge

Another fine lizard of unknown species

Setting off on the morning walk

Alejandro scanning for birds

Heaps of mosquitoes hereabouts!

Ivory-nut Palm seeds. The lower image shows a fruit case slashed open with a machete to expose an ivory nut

The Ivory-nut Palm Phytelephas aequatorialis (or Tagua Palm) has a woody trunk which grows to 20m in height and has very long pinnate leaves. The palm is dioecious with female individuals bearing large brown conical fruits, each approximately the size of a grapefruit and covered in a hard husk. The fruits occur in clusters which can measure more than half a metre across. Each fruit usually contains four seeds. Immature fruits contain sweet edible pulp. Mature seeds are harder than wood and are encased in a bone-like shell. The endosperm is white and so hard it can be polished and carved like ivory. (these details adapted from Wikipedia).

Presumably a flower of a Strelitzia sp. seen in the forest

A fabulous fungus

Thorny spines on the trunk of another plant

A particularly fine species of butterfly seen today

Fearsome but handsome crab from one of the drains leading into the river

The Rio Mira alongside Tandaloma Lodge

Boating along the Rio Mira

Tame 'Peccary' that joined us during our late afternoon bird walk!

During the rest of the morning we walked a forest trail near the river away from the main road recording 10 species of flycatcher. Heavy rain from 1 to 3pm kept us on the balcony of the lodge again but when it cleared we went along the river and around the paddocks near the main road. The day was notable also for the 4 new parrots, 4 new woodpeckers, the splendid Blue Cotinga, Choco and Chestnut-mandibled Toucans and an array of Tanager species.

Streak-headed Woodcreeper

Blue-headed Parrot

Guayaquil Woodpecker (digiscoped images)

Poison-dart frog

Another unidentified small frog

Another good day with 106 species seen. Birds observed only today included Scarlet-backed Woodpecker, Band-tailed Barbthroat, Violet-bellied Hummingbird (female only), Blue-chested Hummingbird, Osprey, Double-toothed Kite, Little Blue Heron, Greenish Elaenia, White-ringed Flycatcher, Yellow Warbler, Scarlet-browed Tanager and Yellow-tufted Dacnis. Also, Rufous-headed Chachalaca, Bicoloured Antbird, Rufous-browed Peppershrike and Stripe-throated Wren were only heard on this the only day they were noted. Particularly numerous today was Blue-headed Parrot, Red-lored Parrot, Mealy Parrot, White-collared Swift, Black Vulture, Tropical Kingbird, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Bananaquit, Lemon-rumped Tanager, Blue-grey Tanager, Thick-billed Euphonia and Variable Seedeater.

Ecuador day 8

Choco Toucan

20 February - Wednesday. We made an early start this morning heading for the Ricaurte road and on to the Sirua Reserve which is part of the Awacachi project dedicated to raising awareness of the need to create and preserve corridors between isolated pockets of habitat (and ultimately to prevent future habitat fragmentation) from the lowlands to higher terrain in order to maintain continuity for species distribution and diversity.

The Pancho Foundation

Birding in the hollow at the reserve

Dragonfly

We were fortunate here to come upon several White-bearded Manakins lekking deep in the undergrowth. Whilst they were very difficult to see we could hear the amazing sharp ‘fire-cracker’ sounds apparently made by their wings.

Having had a relatively dry and sunny morning it rained for an hour at lunchtime and by 2pm we were on our way towards coastal wetlands at Laguna de la Cuidad. Here were our first real waterbirds – grebes and herons, Pinnated Bittern and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. Also spectacular were Vermillion Flycatchers and Peruvian Meadowlark.

With the threat of rain approaching we made a brief visit to the nearby Esmeraldas coast to look at our only true seabirds on a very grey and choppy Pacific Ocean. Rain eventually drove us back to the lodge for a 7pm dinner.

White-necked Puffbird (lower picture EJP)

Western white-tailed Trogon - back view in the shade!

Today the total species count came to 134 - our best day so far! A long list of species seen only today included many wetland and coastal species as would be expected from our itinerary, and included, Orange-fronted Barbet, Ecuadorian Ground-Dove, Blue Ground-Dove, Purple Gallinule, Greater Yellowlegs, Sanderling, Western Sandpiper, Wattled Jacana, Laughing Gull, Royal Tern, Harris’s Hawk, Laughing Falcon, Least Grebe, Cocoi Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Pinnated Bittern, Brown Pelican, Magnificent Frigatebird, Pacific Antwren, White-flanked Antwren, Lesser Greenlet, Tawny-crested Tanager, Red-breasted Blackbird, Peruvian Meadowlark and Great-tailed Grackle. Today was the first day that we had no specialities only heard! Numerous species today, other than those figuring in the list above, were Smooth-billed Ani, Pacific Parrotlet, Blue-headed Parrot, Mealy Parrot, Pale-vented Pigeon, Plumbeous Kite, Roadside Hawk, Neotropical Cormorant, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Vermillion Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Pacific Hornero, Grey-breasted Martin, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-wi