Ecuador: The Northern Andes
July 9-17, 2011 Leaders: Brian Rapoza and a local leader
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| Toucan Barbet |
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Brian Rapoza and a local leader, arranged through
Tropical Birding Tours,
lead this nine-day, eight-night trip to the northern Andes of
Ecuador, beginning and ending in Quito. This trip involves seven full
days of birding, and is designed for intermediate to advanced birders.
Group size will be no more than eight (8) participants.
This tour is based in the best northern Andean lodges in Ecuador,
Tandayapa Bird Lodge
in the western Andes and
Guango Lodge and
Cabañas San Isidro
on the east side. It offers a great introduction to Ecuador's
amazing cloud forests and abundant birdlife, yet is fairly easy, safe,
and the areas visited have very pleasant and cool climates. Tropical
Birding Tours can also add an optional extension to an Amazon lodge or
the Galápagos for anyone who wishes to stay longer.
Costs: $2,295.00 per person double occupancy, $140.00 single
supplement. Cost includes transportation, meals, lodging and guides.
Not included is round-trip air fare to Quito, tips, laundry costs and
other incidental expenses.
Daily Itinerary
Day 1, July 9: Arrival in Quito
Most flights into Quito arrive rather late in the evening. You will be
met at the airport and taken to the four-star
Hotel Sebastian for the
night. If any of the group wishes to arrive a day early, Tropical Birding would
be happy to make the reservations in the hotel, and help arrange an
extra excursion if desired.
Day 2, July 10: Yanacocha
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| Great Sapphirewing |
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We'll start in this beautiful reserve in the elfin forest cloaking the
scenic slopes of Pichincha Volcano. Although the elevation here is
11,500 feet, walking here is on a flat, easy trail, and the birds are
amazing. There are mixed flocks of gorgeous tanagers such as
Scarlet-bellied and Black-chested Mountain-Tanagers, and the
hummingbirds rank as some of the most spectacular in the world as their
fancy names attest to: Great Sapphirewing (left), Shining Sunbeam,
Sapphire-vented Puffleg, and Rainbow-bearded Thornbill. The critically
endangered Black-breasted Puffleg can also be seen here occasionally. We
continue on down the Old Nono-Mindo Road to the superb
Tandayapa Bird Lodge,
which will be our base for the next three nights. Although we
will have seen quite a few in Yanacocha, this is THE place for hummers.
The lodge feeders are the best in the world, with up to 20 species in a
day, and often 10 species at the feeders at once.
Day 3, July 11: Tandayapa Valley
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Plate-billed
Mountain-Toucan |
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The mixed flocks of the upper Tandayapa Valley road hold a real feast of
avian delights. Up to 12 species of tanagers can be present, including
Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager, and Grass-green
Tanager. These colorful gems move through the trees with Green-and-black
Fruiteater, the gorgeous Pearled Treerunner, Streaked Tuftedcheek, and
various tyrannulets, wood-warblers, and others. This area is also home
to two species that are among the most colorful and spectacular in the
country, if not the world, the outrageous Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan
(right) and Toucan Barbet.
Day 4, July 12: Milpe Bird Sanctuary and Los Bancos
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Club-winged
Manakin |
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We'll spend a whole day in the field concentrating on the lower
elevation foothill forest at around 3600 ft (1100 m). This area has
become the focus for local conservation due to its superb bird
diversity. After a morning here you will see why it is worth protecting.
We should see a host of colorful tanagers including Rufous-throated,
Ochre-breasted, Blue-necked, and Bay-headed. This is our first chance to
encounter several of the larger and more spectacular lowland toucans,
and we have a good chance to find mixed flocks of foliage-gleaners,
flycatchers, barbets, woodcreepers, and more. The attractive Club-winged
Manakin (left) has a lek on the reserve, and we should be able to witness its
bizarre and unique display. We'll have lunch at a nearby restaurant,
which has excellent fruit feeders right outside the window. Depending on
the weather, we might bird some more around Milpe or return to Tandayapa
for more time at the hummer feeders.
Day 5, July 13: Paz de las Aves and drive to Guango
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| Giant Antpitta |
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This reserve, located between Tandayapa and Milpe, has become the newest
sensation in Northwest Ecuador. A local farmer has learned how to tempt
some normally shy species out into the open by offering them juicy
worms. Now it is possible to get great views of rarities like Giant
(right) and Yellow-breasted Antpittas, and sometimes even Dark-backed
Wood-Quail and Moustached Antpitta. If you don't mind getting up
especially early, we can also watch the dawn display of the spectacular
and iconic Andean Cock-of-the-rock from a well-placed hide. In the
afternoon, we'll drive back through Quito and up over the 13,000 ft
Papallacta Pass. If the weather is nice we may stop to bird, otherwise
we'll leave it for later in the trip and head down to
Guango Lodge,
where we spend the next night. This small lodge boasts great hummer
feeders, which attract Tourmaline Sunangel and the incredible
Sword-billed Hummingbird.
Day 6, July 14: Guango & Papallacta
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Many-striped
Canastero |
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There is great birding right near the lodge, so no need to get up early.
Forest patches nearby have Hooded & Lacrimose Mountain-Tanagers,
Turquoise Jay, Slaty Brush-Finch, Black-capped Hemispingus, and more.
After a couple of hours, we'll drive back up to the 13000 ft pass we
crossed yesterday. The surrounding terrain is wet páramo, a
high-elevation grassland with small shrubs, unlike anything else on the
tour. It can be very cold and windy up here, and a few hardy birds make
their homes in this unforgiving climate. The ptarmigan-like
Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe will be our target at the top of the mountain,
but can be tough to find if the weather is bad. We'll also look for
Andean Tit-Spinetail, Many-striped Canastero (left), Tawny Antpitta,
Bar-winged and Stout-billed Cinclodes, Giant Conebill, Black-backed
Bush-Tanager, and others. Some lakes in the area might have Silvery
Grebe, Andean Ruddy-Duck, Andean Teal, and Yellow-billed Pintail. In the
afternoon, we'll drive about two hours to
Cabañas San Isidro, a
delightful lodge located next to beautiful old-growth cloudforest. We'll
spend two nights here.
Day 7, July 15: San Isidro
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Rufous-crowned
Tody-Flycatcher |
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We can start birding right after breakfast (or even during breakfast if
a tanager flock comes by the window) by watching the birds come in to
the streetlights to eat insects attracted over the night, such as Inca
Jay, Subtropical Cacique, Golden-crowned Flycatcher, and Barred Becard.
Later on, a worker puts out worms that might bring in Chestnut-crowned
or White-bellied Antpittas. Later on we will wander down an easy dirt
road through the cloudforest, where there will be plenty to keep us
busy. Large mixed species flocks roam widely and hold flashy birds such
as Saffron-crowned Tanager, Black-eared Hemispingus, and Rufous-breasted
Flycatcher. Cute Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatchers (right) and Long-tailed
Antbirds skulk in the bamboo but can be found with a little work. At
night we'll search for the “mystery” owl that lives near the
cabins; this bird could be an undescribed race or even a new
species.
Day 8, July 16: The Guacamayos Ridge, return to Quito
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Black-billed
Mountain-Toucan |
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About 20 minutes from San Isidro, a famous birding trail descends slowly
through lush forest. It's a bit higher than San Isidro, and home to some
super-rare and beautiful birds, such as Black-billed Mountain-Toucan
(left), White-capped Tanager, White-faced Nunbird, Slate-crowned
Antpitta, Barred Antthrush, and Greater Scythebill. This is likely the
hardest birding on the tour, but with a week of experience in Ecuador
you should be ready for the challenge. After lunch, we'll return to
Quito, but can have another chance to bird Papallacta if we had bad luck
with the weather the first time around. We'll spend the last night in
the
Hotel Sebastian.
Day 9, July 17: Departure
Most airlines depart early in the morning. We'll transfer to the airport
in plenty of time to check in and pass through immigration and
security.
Reservations
For a detailed itinerary and trip application, with reservation
requirements, email Brian Rapoza
at fieldtrips@tropicalaudubon.org
Tropical Birding Tours
can also arrange the following extensions:
Natural History of the Galápagos
Pre or Post-trip Extensions on the Yate Fragata.
Rates: 8 days/7 nights: $2576 per person in double/twin room accommodation, plus $420 return airfare + $100 park entry fee.
Dates: July 1-8, 2011 or July 18 - 25, 2011.
Additional Info: http://www.yatefragata.com/.
Amazon Post-trip Extension: Sacha Lodge
Rates: 5 days/4 nights: $920 per person in double/twin room
accommodation + $120 return airfare, or 4 days/3 nights: $729 per person
in double/twin room accommodation + $120 return airfare.
Expert bilingual bird guide is included.
Dates: Beginning July 18, 2011
Additional info:
http://www.sachalodge.com/eng/homeenglish.php.
Airport transfers and extra night's accommodations in Quito can be
arranged, if necessary, for participants opting for trip extensions.
Other Galápagos cruises, as well as extensions to other Amazonian lodges
may also be available.
Email Tropical Birding
for details.
A selection of relevant birding books and songs are available from
the TAS Amazon Store. See below.