Ecuador; Day 21 - Guayaquil & Departure

 Our final day in Ecuador was mainly spent in the hotel in Guayaquil before we headed back home. In terms of birds, we had a confiding Ecuadorian Ground Dove in the airport car park, and a Great-tailed Grackle in the same area was a trip-tick, so that was something at least.

However, the most exciting event of the day happened early in the morning, when we were awoken at 12:30 by the room violently shaking. Although it was quite apparent what was happening, it took a second to realise that I was living through my first-ever earthquake. After about 20 seconds it passed, and once the adrenaline had worn off we were able to get back to sleep. A check of the news in the morning showed that it had been an Mw5.3 strength, with the epicenter a few kilometers to the south of the city. 

And that final piece of action sees our trip round the south of Ecuador end. In total we recorded 444 species, which was better than we could have hoped, given we were only in the area for less than three weeks. It just goes to demonstrate the immense diversity on offer in tropical South America. 

Species List:
Guayaquil: Feral Pigeon, Ecuadorian Ground Dove, Eared Dove, Grey-cheeked Parakeet, Tropical Kingbird, Grey-breasted Martin, Scrub Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, Blue-grey Tanager, 

Ecuador; Day 20 - Manglares Churutes

 This would be our final full day in Ecuador, rounding off a trip that has been truly excellent. There have been some brilliant birds, and fortunately few misses on a busy itinerary that has taken us all around the south of this, really rather small, but incredibly diverse country. Our final destination was the site of Manglares Churutes, an area of coastal forest and mangroves and hour south of the city of Guayaguil. Initially we had not included this in our itinerary due to the target species here being difficult and that there were other species we would rather try to see. However, as we had gained time and species on our itinerary, we were able to make space to try our luck here.

We started the morning birding the forest trail, where people look for the rare Pacific Royal Flycatcher. In our experience, outside the breeding season, which we were, Royal Flycatcher species are very difficult to locate, and as such we were not super optimisitic about our chances. However, we were willing to do our best, and in addition hopefully gain other species for our trip. We started extremely well, with good views of Black-headed Antthrush, followed by fantastic views of Howler Monkeys, calling right above us. The male even tried to poo and urinate, on us, with his bollocks hanging precariously low, but fortunately he missed.

We had almost finished our loop on the trail when Lia spotted something orange moving out of the corner of her eye. Immediately we put on a tape for Royal Flycatcher, and the bird came charging out of the bushes at us. It perched extremely well, but never for extended periods, so photos were initially lacking before our immediate adrenaile wore off and we were able to finally get some shots. The coverts of the bird seem hooked, so its likely this was a juvenile, and perhaps explains why we were lucky enough to find this species so out of season.

Buzzing from that, we next tried to mangrove boardwalk to find some of the areas other targets. Frustratingly the tide was high, and the chances of finding the birds we wanted were slim. As such we decided to bird elsewhere and come back early afternoon when the time would be lower. This did transpire, but we still failed to find any of our missing targets. That said, we had a pair of very confiding Mangrove Yellow Warblers, which were a nice bonus.

In between, we headed to an area of fields along the edge of a large river not too far away. Here there were chances of some open country birds, and we did indeed enjoy a few additional lifers; Peruvian Meadowlark, Ecuadorian Ground Dove and Chestnut-throated Seedeater were all good birds to see. But none of these were the highlight of our time there, as I finally got to see Pied Plover, with a stunning pair roosting on a sandbank in the middle of the river.

But even this was not the highlight. We had incredible views of a pair of Striped Cuckoo perched extremely conspicuously right next to our car. Although a common bird, to actually see a Striped Cuckoo is no mean feat, and to see two is really quite special. But what happened next caught us both completely off guard. The display of the Striped Cuckoo is rarely seen, so when the two birds started protruding their alulas, the ‘tiny hands’, we were left in absolute disbelief at what we were seeing. They then proceeded to drop to the ground, where they would presumably continue their display, but we sadly lost them. To witness this behavior is truly something special.

After a lunch of Burger King in Guayaquil, we decided to try a final stop on the coast. However, we had only just made it out of the city when we were stopped by the police, who told us they would need to confiscate the car due to a tyre fault. Although we eventually were able to negotiate our release, completely thanks to Lia, we decided to not risk anything further and returned to Guayaquil. Helpfully on the way, another police checkpoint tried to give us a speeding ticket when we were well under the limit. He quickly changed his mind however, once Lia began to speak to him in Spanish, and he let us go again. Not a nice way to round off the days events, for sure.

And that brings us to our final night, resting and relaxing in Guayaquil before flying home the next day. 

-Manglares Churutes

-Pacific Royal Flycatcher

-Black-headed Antthrush

-Mantled Howler Monkey

-Jet Antbird

-Superciliated Wren

-Mangrove Warbler

-Striped Cuckoo

-Chestnut-throated Seedeater

-Pied Plover

-Yellow-tailed Oriole

-Green Iguana

-Androgeus Swallowtail

Species List:
Manglares Churutes: Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Feral Pigeon, Pale-vented Pigeon, Ecuadorian Ground Dove, White-tipped Dove, Groove-billed Ani, Striped Cuckoo, Squirrel Cuckoo, Limpkin, Black-necked Stilt, Pied Plover, Wattled Jacana, Spotted Sandpiper, Magnificent Frigatebird, Anhinga, Cocoi Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Western Cattle Egret, Striated Heron, American White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Snail Kite, Savanna Hawk, Roadside Hawk, Grey-lined Hawk, Pacific Pygmy Owl, Ringed Kingfisher, Grey-cheeked Parakeet, Pacific Parrotlet, Plain Antvireo, Jet Antbird, Black-headed Antthrush, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Pacific Hornero, Pacific Royal Flycatcher, Masked Water Tyrant, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Social Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Chivi Vireo, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Trilling Gnatwren, White-browed Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Superciliated Wren, Ecuadorian Thrush, Thick-billed Euphonia, Orange-billed Sparrow, Peruvian Meadowlark, Yellow-tailed Oriole, Shiny Cowbird, Scrub Blackbird, Tropical Parula, Mangrove Warbler, White-shouldered Tanager, Blue-grey Tanager, Saffron Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Chestnut-throated Seedeater, Variable Seedeater, Buff-throated Saltator, Streaked Saltator, 

Ecuador; Day 19 - Parque Nacional El Cajas

 For our penultimate full day in Ecuador we were visiting the absolutely stunning Cajas National Park high in the Andes at just below 4000 meters below sea level. The Paramo habitat here is absolutely pristine, with stunning montane lakes settled in between the peaks. The weather was a little hit and miss, with periods of heavy rain, but generally just a low cloud with mercifully limited fog.

The only frustration for the day was the very limited access to the park. There were only about three car parks in the whole area, and roadside parking was extremely limited. Although generally I guess this would not be an issue, we unfortunately decided to visit on a Sunday. Our first visit was early enough that it wasn’t an issue, but when we tried to find somewhere to bird after lunch, it became apparent quickly that we would struggle, and this probably cost us a good hour of birding.

We started birding at the ‘Tres Cruxes’ car park, which was the only park open before 08:00 in the morning. While the views were spectacular, the birding here was quite limited, with both Stout-billed Cinclodes and Chestnut-winged Cinclodes being the only birds of note. However, we only had to stay in this area for a couple of hours before the main car park at Laguna La Toreadora opened, so that was where we went.

This location was much more productive. The bushes in front of the visitor center had many Tit-Like Dacnis showing well, as well as a very nice and confiding Blue-mantled Thornbill. We had heard many Tawny Antpitta during the morning, but here was where we saw our first individual, the first of many I should add. The Dacnis especially was a highlight, as its stunning colours had made it one of the birds I had most wanted to find on our trip. Expanding our search into the surrounding area we found a lively mixed flock that contained a good number of species for such a high-altitude habitat. Giant Conebill and Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager were both new for me, with the Conebill being another species that we really wanted to find here.

After a couple of hours birding in the bushes around the visitor center, we decided to search the Paramo on the other side of the road where there were more flowers for hummingbirds. This was also a good decision as we soon found a stunning male Ecuadorian Hillstar which showed nicely despite the first drops of drizzle for the morning.

Satisfied with almost all of our targets wrapped up at the higher altitude, we descended to the lower lake at Laguna Llaviucu where we hoped to find another species high on our list, the Ecuadorian Rail. The rain had really set in by the time we arrived in the park, and we hoped that this might keep the site free from the public, but sadly not. Despite the good habitat, we did not hear any rails until about halfway round, when one finally responded. Lia then quickly spotted the bird swimming across a small channel between patches of vegetation, and then it scuttled back into the reeds. Despite our best efforts, this was our only sighting.

After lunch we decided to return to the high Paramo to try track down our few remaining targets. The aforementioned parking situation did not help in the slightest, but we did eventually find a spot to park up but still ultimately failed to find our outstanding species. We headed down from the park at the end of the afternoon, the drive taking us from almost 4000 metres to almost sea level in less than two hours.

-Parque Nacional El Cajas

-Ecuadorian Hillstar

-Blue-mantled Thornbill

-Tit-like Dacnis

-Tawny Antpitta

-Ecuadorian Rail

-Buff-breasted Mountain Tanager

-Plumbeous Sierra Finch

-Giant Conebill

-White-capped Dipper

-Chestnut-winged Cinclodes

-Andean Tit-Spinetail

-Andean Tapeti

Species List:
Parque Nacional El Cajas: Yellow-billed Pintail, Andean Teal, Andean Duck, Sparkling Violetear, Ecuadorian Hillstar, Blue-mantled Thornbill, Tyrian Metaltail, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Ecuadorian Rail, Andean Coot, Andean Lapwing, Andean Gull, Variable Hawk, Tawny Antpitta, Chestnut-winged Cinclodes, Stout-billed Cinclodes, Andean Tit-Spinetail, Many-striped Canastero, White-banded Tyrannulet, White-throated Tyrannulet, Paramo Ground Tyrant, Red-rumped Bush Tyrant, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, Turquoise Jay, Grass Wren, White-capped Dipper, Great Thrush, Hooded Siskin, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Yellow-breasted Brushfinch, Russet-crowned Warbler, Spectacled Whitestart, Superciliaried Hemispingus, Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, Buff-breasted Mountain Tanager, Giant Conebill, Black Flowerpiercer, Tit-like Dacnis, Plumbeous Sierra Finch, Plain-colored Seedeater, 

Ecuador; Day 18 - Cerro de Arcos

 Due to our itinerary being both very successful, and having to cut out one site due to a potential security risk, we basically had this date free. Initially, early in the trip, we wanted to ascend to the Cerro dos Arcos, a mountain peak home to a hummingbird only discovered as recently as 2017, and already Endangered; the Blue-throated Hillstar. However, our attempts to reserve a place at the hostel atop the mountain had been unsuccessful due to the aforementioned hostel being closed due to the state of the road up the mountain. As such we had skipped this site, usually a traditional stop on a south Ecuador itinerary, assuming the road would be impassable. However, a little research after the fact, found that groups of birders had visited, and since we were still staying in Saraguro, a town with access to the mountain, we decided to give it a go.

It did not start well, as Google maps decided to try take us on some elaborate and simply unmanageable dirt roads, before we realised there was a perfectly good tarmacked road just around the corner. As such we managed to make it to the top of the mountain for 07:30, just two and a half hours after we set off. However, we still had to stop three kilometres short of the reserve, as the road was simply not manageable. But, after a short walk, we then realised that there was another alternative and better road that we could manage, and this took us right to the entrance of the reserve.

We were extremely blessed with the weather. Many reports mentioned strong winds and poor visibility in their visits up the mountain, such are the problems at 3600m above sea level, but we had bright, clear conditions, with a cover of cloud that gave way to clear blue skies by mid-morning. This worked well for us in terms of finding birds. No sooner had we entered the reserve itself did we find Black-tailed Trainbearer, Shining Sunbeam and Viridian Metaltail hummingbirds all visiting the flowering bushes we were monitoring in the hopes of the Hillstar.

And it did not take long for a male Hillstar to arrive. Lia spotted it first, but it then flew to where I was watching from, before it then shot off down the hillside. The next visit was not much better, with the bird landing distantly on the far side of the area containing the flowers. It was beginning to appear that the bird might remain constantly distant and wary, but on its third visit to the bushes it landed right in front of us and began feeding without any concern. It did this two additional times over the next hour allowing us truly phenomenal views of this stunning bird.

The supporting cast on the mountain was not bad either. Along the fence-line of the reserve was a flycatching Paramo Ground Tyrant, an unexpected bonus. A marshy area yielded Chestnut-winged Cinclodes and as Lia was walking through an area of grass she flushed two Jameson’s Snipe, which are known to be on the mountain but can be extremely difficult to locate. And then on our descent we found a pair of Paramo Pipit that were carrying food. Our morning could not have gone any better, and we were thoroughly impressed with the day.

And so it is perhaps not surprising that our good luck ended there! On our way back down to Saraguro, and the highway to our next destination, we encountered a recent landslide, perhaps just an hour before we arrived, that had filled the road with debris. While we were weighing our options however, from a safe distance as material was still falling, the passengers from a local bus on the blindside of the mountain, had moved most of the material, and so in less than an hour we were on our way.

Since we had descended the mountain by mid-afternoon, despite the setback, we planned to try again for the Red-faced Parrots we had missed the previous day. Sadly though, once we arrived at the forest, it was clear that the fog was far too thick to allow us any birding. Plus the rain had just started. And so we decided to make do, and spent the afternoon completing the two-and-a-half-hour drive north to the city of Cuenca, where we would stop the night before birding the Cajas National Park tomorrow. 

-Cerro de Arcos

-Blue-throated Hillstar

-Shining Sunbeam

-Paramo Ground Tyrant

-Aplomado Falcon

-Jameson's Snipe

-Chestnut-winged Cinclodes

-Paramo Pipit

-Glossy Flowerpiercer

-Tufted Tit-Tyrant

Species List:
Cerro de Arcos: Blue-throated Hillstar, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Viridian Metaltail, Shining Sunbeam, Jameson's Snipe, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Mountain Caracara, Aplomado Falcon, Chestnut-winged Cinclodes, Many-striped Canastero, Mouse-colored Thistletail, Tufted Tit-Tyrant, Paramo Ground Tyrant, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, Brown-bellied Swallow, Grass Wren, Great Thrush, Paramo Pipit, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Glossy Flowerpiercer, Plumbeous Sierra Finch,