Ecuador Day 9; Playa de Oro - Day 2

  For our first day in Playa de Oro we had hoped to go out with a group of Ecuadorian guides that were also staying at the lodge. Sadly, Lia awoke and felt incredibly unwell so we pulled the plug on that original plan and so decided to stay around the lodge while Lia stayed in bed. While this did mean that we missed a number of interesting species that the group saw, we saw a few nice bits of our own.

  In the morning we had fantastic views of a Black Hawk-Eagle flying low over the hotel after we heard it calling far over the forest. In the afternoon we found a nice group of Antbirds following an ant swarm, including Spotted Antbird, Bicolored Antbird and also Dot-winged Antbird. Since for the most part I was birding on my own, I struggled to get to grips with the brief views I was restricted to on many occasions.

  While we obviously lost a day, it did not feel so much like it. The birding was difficult but still enjoyable. 

Species List:
Playa de Oro: Dusky Pigeon, Squirrel Cuckoo, White-collared Swift, White-whiskered Hermit, Neotropic Cormorant, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Swallow-tailed Kite, Black Hawk-Eagle, White-tailed Trogon, Black-throated Trogon, Stripe-billed Aracari, Laughing Falcon, Rose-faced Parrot, Southern Mealy Amazon, Black-crowned Antshrike, White-flanked Antwren, Dot-winged Antwren, Dusky Antbird, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Bicolored Antbird, Spotted Antbird, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, White-bearded Manakin, Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher, Olive-striped Flycatcher, Social Flycatcher, Grey-capped Flycatcher, Snowy-throated Kingbird, Tawny-faced Gnatwren, Stripe-throated Wren, Tawny-crested Tanager, Lemon-rumped Tanager, Golden-hooded Tanager, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Purple Honeycreeper, Buff-throated Saltator, 

Ecuador Day 8; Playa de Oro - Day 1

  Today we traveled to the remote Playa de Oro reserve deep in the lowland Choco forest between the Andes and Pacific Ocean. The reserve is only accessible by boat and arranging access is something of a challenge. That said, through contacts of Lia we were able to reserve three nights in the reserve and we were extremely excited!

  We got the boat mid-morning and traveled for over an hour to the lodging. On the way we saw Fasciated Tiger Heron, which was a new species for me. Once we arrived at the lodging we found ourselves deep in the forest, and so everything was very basic in its setup. We had lunch and then set off out into the forest for the afternoon.

  The birding here was very very difficult. Lots of noises and calls that we heard but did not recognise at all. Many of the birds we did see were restricted to the top of the canopy and the others were limited to the understory darkness. That said, we enjoyed a number of new birds and quite a few of those were South American lowland Choco endemics, such as; Stripe-billed Aracari and Scarlet-browed Tanager.

  In the evening we found that a group of guides from the Mindo valley were also staying at the lodge, and they invited us to come with them the following day, and this would undoubtedly help us get to grips with the species at the site. 

Species List:
Playa de Oro: Dusky Pigeon, Squirrel Cuckoo, White-collared Swift, Band-rumped Swift, White-whiskered Hermit, Neotropic Cormorant, Snowy Egret, King Vulture, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Roadside Hawk, Ringed Kingfisher, Stripe-billed Aracari, Choco Toucan, Laughing Falcon, Chestnut-backed Antbird, White-bearded Manakin, Scale-crested Pygmy Tyrant, Long-tailed Tyrant, Grey-capped Flycatcher, Piratic Flycatcher, Snowy-throated Kingbird, Lesser Greenlet, Tawny-crested Tanager, Lemon-rumped Tanager, Palm Tanager, Golden-hooded Tanager, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Green Honeycreeper, Scarlet-browed Tanager

Ecuador Day 7; Awa Road

  Today was more of a travelling day than a birding day as we first dropped Giselle off at the airport in the morning as she was returning to Argentina. Then Lia and I completed a few errands in the city of Quito before setting off down the Andes to visit a lowland Choco forest reserve that we were extremely excited to visit. This journey would take five hours, and since we did not start it until late morning we had already reached the conclusion that most likely we would not be birding today.

  But we made good time on our travels and as such we decided to call off at the Awa Road, a track that runs through an area of forest that we planned to visit on our return journey. Since we had time we made a short visit, although the rain would likely hinder our birding.

  The main target here was Choco Tapaculo, a Scytalopus species that is endemic to the lowland Choco here. Normally these birds and difficult and elusive, so we were prepared for a difficult time, but as it happened we found one singing almost immediately and with some playback it showed incredibly well. Its movements were erratic but it would often reveal itself before diving back into the undergrowth.

  Other birds on the road included Choco Toucan and Purple-crowned Fairy, but once we had our main target, and with rain still coming down, we decided to call it a day and complete our travelling for the day. 

-Choco Tapaculo

Species List:
Awa Road: Ruddy Pigeon, Purple-crowned Fairy, Choco Toucan, Blue-headed Parrot, Choco Tapaculo, White-bearded Manakin, Tropical Kingbird, Tawny-crested Tanager, Lemon-rumped Tanager, Blue-black Grassquit, Thick-billed Seed Finch, Variable Seedeater, 

Ecuador Day 6; Reserva Amagusa

I think it is safe to say that this was the best day of our time in Ecuador. The birding was simply fabulous with loads of different birds on offer. We had travelled over the mountains to another birding site to the north the previous evening, so we were well placed to arrive early at our next birding site; the Mashpi Road. This road cuts through a pristine area of Choco forest as the access road to the very prestigious Mashpi Lodge, that was quite simply well out of our price range.

The birding along the road was excellent with a number of interesting birds encountered. The mixed species flocks were large and had a huge diversity of species within them. The bird I really wanted to see here was the Moss-backed Tanager, a very range-restricted species, and we very quickly found a few in the flocks along the road. In the understory we also had brilliant views of Zeledon’s Antbird, which remained remarkably chilled out when we were watching it.

Halfway along the road we found the private Reserva Amagusa, which has feeders for both hummingbirds and tanagers. We chatted to the owner and since the reserve was cheap we headed in where we had phenomenal views of many species of hummingbirds including the stunning Empress Brilliant, Violet-tailed Sylph and Green Thorntail. The tanager feeders had many species visiting, including the Moss-backed Tanager which would happily sit while we watched and photographed them. There was also Glistening-green Tanager and the Choco endemic Rufous-throated Tanager. A Crimson-rumped Toucanette also stopped by briefly. And that wasn’t all, as the fruiting trees in the garden provided food for Rose-faced Parrot, and a feeder on the ground hosted a White-throated Quail-Dove.

And the feeders were not all that we got for our visit, as the reserve manager also guided us during the afternoon, showing us our much wanted Club-winged Manakin, a juvenile male, as well as other Choco species such as Indigo Flowerpiercer, Rufous-rumped Antwren, Choco Tyrannulet and distant views of Yellow-collared Chlorophonia. Sadly in the afternoon the rain set in, and although we were able to continue birding by simply watching the feeders, we struggled to find many more birds in the forest. That said though, this was without a doubt our favourite day birding during our time in Ecuador. It was phenomenal! 

Species List:
Reserva Amagusa: White-throated Quail-Dove, Squirrel Cuckoo, Green Thorntail, Violet-tailed Sylph, Brown Inca, Velvet-purple Coronet, White-booted Racket-tail, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, Empress Brilliant, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Andean Emerald, Turkey Vulture, Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Golden-olive Woodpecker, Rose-faced Parrot, Bronze-winged Parrot, Rufous-rumped Antwren, Zeledon's Antbird, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Pacific Tuftedcheek, Red-faced Spinetail, Slaty Spinetail, Club-winged Manakin, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Barred Becard, Cinnamon Becard, Streak-necked Flycatcher, Slaty-capped Flycatcher, Bronze-olive Pygmy Tyrant, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Ornate Flycatcher, Choco Tyrannulet, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Black-billed Peppershrike, Choco Vireo, Chivi Vireo, Blue-and-white Swallow, House Wren, Bay Wren, Sepia-brown Wren, Grey-breasted Wood Wren, Andean Solitaire, Black Solitaire, Yellow-collared Chlorophonia, Thick-billed Euphonia, Orange-bellied Euphonia, Yellow-throated Bush Tanager, Black-striped Sparrow, Chestnut-capped Brushfinch, Choco Brushfinch, Tropical Parula, Choco Warbler, Slate-throated Whitestart, Lemon-rumped Tanager, Moss-backed Tanager, Black-chinned Mountain Tanager, Glistening-green Tanager, Blue-grey Tanager, Palm Tanager, Rufous-throated Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Flame-faced Tanager, Golden Tanager, Golden-collared Honeycreeper, Indigo Flowerpiercer, Variable Seedeater, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Black-winged Saltator, Slate-colored Grosbeak, 

Ecuador Day 5; Bellavista

Today was our last day in this area of the Choco Andes of the Mindo area, as tonight we would lodge in another small village just over an hours drive away to target a new selection of birds in the morning. Although we had many species we still wanted to see, the big one was still Tanager Finch. And so we headed back to Bellavista and try and find the bird that had so far eluded us.

And it eluded us again, without us having a sight or sound of the bird during our final day birding along the road here. The forest was lively with lots of birds around including a new species for us in Turquoise Jay, which was absent on our last visit but appeared very common this time. Otherwise the overall composition was very similar, only we were unable to tape out any Ocellated Tapaculos, although the ever-abundant Spillmann’s Tapaculo was much more performative on this occasion, with a few individuals actually showing quite well.

In the evening we met up with Jacob Drucker, an old friend from Israel who had provided various bits of advice on how to maximise our birding in the area, since he was conducting his PhD research there. It was fun to hear him chat about his work and reminisce on old times, before we headed off to our next location. 

Species List:
Bellavista: Plumbeous Pigeon, Lesser Violetear, Gorgeted Sunangel, Speckled Hummingbird, Collared Inca, Buff-tailed Coronet, Golden-headed Quetzal, Masked Trogon, Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, Red-billed Parrot, Streak-headed Antbird, Spillmann's Tapaculo, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Montane Woodcreeper, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Lineated Foliage-gleaner, Striped Treehunter, Azara's Spinetail, Rufous Spinetail, Golden-winged Manakin, Streak-necked Flycatcher, Cinnamon Flycatcher, White-tailed Tyrannulet, Tawny-rumped Tyrannulet, Smoke-colored Pewee, Turquoise Jay, Mountain Wren, Plain-tailed Wren, Great Thrush, Thick-billed Euphonia, Dusky Bush Tanager, Choco Brushfinch, Three-striped Warbler, Russet-crowned Warbler, Spectacled Whitestart, Blue-capped Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager, Blue-and-black Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Capped Conebill, Masked Flowerpiercer, Slaty Finch, 

Ecuador Day 4; Reserva Yanacocha

  Today did not start well that’s for sure. Not only did we get lost on our way to the reserve, but a random log in the middle of the highway caught me off-guard and I put a hole in the hire car which added significant expense to our already quite expensive trip. Nevertheless, we enjoyed a really nice day birding one of the most well known reserves in the area, the upland site of Yanacocha.

  This reserve is a border between the Paramo and the Cloud Forest. The reserve is set up with numerous feeding sites home to a wide variety of Tanager species and especially Hummingbirds. There were two new species for me here, the Sapphire-vented Puffleg and the Golden-breasted Puffleg. But the highlight was undoubtedly the Great Sapphirewing which will always be one of the most spectacular species of Hummingbird I have ever seen. The tanager species variety was more limited but Black-chested Mountain Tanager was new for me and it was very docile around the feeders, and it was nice to see great numbers of Black Flowerpiercer there was well.

  Other birds were also good, with nice views of both Equatorial and Tawny Antpitta near the road. A pair of Carunculated Caracara flew overhead giving fantastic views, and there was a very smart pair of White-browed Spinetail to enjoy. Barred Becard was another new species for me that we encountered today.

  Jacob Drucker, an old friend from Israel who was working in the area, provided us with a tip to find a very rare and endemic hummingbird here, but this was during the afternoon when the fog set it. We descended down a steep winding path, and then realised we had run out of time and had to ascend at speed which resulted in Lia becoming quite unwell with altitude sickness. Still we managed to make it out of the reserve without too much trouble, only we did not find the hummingbird for which we went to such great lengths.

Species List:
Reserva Yanacocha: Andean Guan, Tyrian Metaltail, Sapphire-vented Puffleg, Golden-breasted Puffleg, Shining Sunbeam, Buff-winged Starfrontlet, Mountain Velvetbreast, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Great Sapphirewing, Carunculated Caracara, Equatorial Antpitta, Tawny Antpitta, Pearled Treerunner, White-browed Spinetail, Barred Becard, White-banded Tyrannulet, Rufous Wren, Great Thrush, Grey-browed Brushfinch, Spectacled Whitestart, Superciliaried Hemispingus, Black-chested Mountain Tanager, Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, Golden-crowned Tanager, Blue-backed Conebill, Glossy Flowerpiercer, Black Flowerpiercer, Masked Flowerpiercer,

Ecuador Day 3; Bellavista

  Now that our only true reservation in the area had been done, our time was a lot more flexible. We decided to go to the forest reserve around Bellavista as this was an area of pristine forest is home to a number of Choco endemics. Our most wanted of these was the Tanager Finch, a strange bird that has a very restricted range.

  Sadly we were unable to find it during our day birding there, but there were plenty of other species to enjoy as we walked along the road. We had fantastic albeit very obscured views of an Ocellated Tapaculo that refused to come out more into the open. There were also many Spillmann’s Tapaculos along the road but they were mostly reluctant to come to show. A brief White-throated Quail-Dove was another nice species for the elusive birds list, even though the encounter was brief and the views really poor. 

  In terms of the species that are key targets at this site, besides the Tanager Finch, we managed good views of Plate-billed Mountain Toucan which showed extremely well in the forest canopy. There were also a few Plain-tailed Wrens, plus a few Rusty-winged Barbtail and Western Hemispingus. Although it was not a key target, it was also nice to have good but brief views of Plushcap. Gorgetted Sunangel was a target I feared we would miss since we were not staying at the lodge and thus could not visit the feeders. Fortunately, there was nothing to worry about, as we encountered many on our walk along the road.

Species List:
Bellavista: Plumbeous Pigeon, White-tipped Dove, White-throated Quail-Dove, Gorgeted Sunangel, Speckled Hummingbird, Collared Inca, Buff-tailed Coronet, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Roadside Hawk, Golden-headed Quetzal, Masked Trogon, Toucan Barbet, Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Streak-headed Antbird, Ocellated Tapaculo, Spillmann's Tapaculo, Montane Woodcreeper, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Rusty-winged Barbtail, Pearled Treerunner, Azara's Spinetail, Streak-necked Flycatcher, Cinnamon Flycatcher, White-tailed Tyrannulet, Tawny-rumped Tyrannulet, Golden-crowned Flycatcher, Brown-capped Vireo, Mountain Wren, Plain-tailed Wren, Sepia-brown Wren, Grey-breasted Wood Wren, Glossy-black Thrush, Orange-bellied Euphonia, Dusky Bush Tanager, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Three-striped Warbler, Russet-crowned Warbler, Slate-throated Whitestart, Spectacled Whitestart, Western Hemispingus, Blue-capped Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Palm Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager, Blue-and-black Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager, White-sided Flowerpiercer, Plushcap, Slaty Finch, 

Ecuador Day 2; Angel Paz & Mindo

  For our first full day in Ecuador, we went to visit the famous Angel Paz reserve, home to no less than five different Antpitta feeding stations, including Maria the Giant Antpitta which can’t be seen on any other reserve. This was the most exciting stop on the northern section of the trip, so it we were super hyped about visiting.

  We started the morning with a visit to a lek site of the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. Here there was a lek of around 12 individuals, although most of the birds were females or juvenile males. Due to the early morning light it was difficult to make out the birds, but they were loud and raucous enough that it did not matter, and when a male did appear, they absolutely glow and were unmistakable. At the same location, a Dark-backed Wood-Quail came to feed on a banana that was left out for it, so we got phenomenal views of this very range-restricted species. And just on the road above here was a pair of roosting Rufous-bellied Nighthawks, sleeping on a branch above the road.

  Next, we began our Antpitta tour. Maria the Giant Antpitta had not put in an appearance for just under a week so we did not fancy our chances, but we were in luck and she was there waiting at one of the three feeding sites for her. She then proceeded to scoff worms out on the feeding branch right in full view of us. Of all the photos I lost, my photos of Maria will be the ones I miss the most. Next we headed up for Yellow-breasted Antpitta, which also showed well, followed by Moustached Antpitta and Ochre-breasted Antpitta in the same area, and finally wrapped up with Chestnut-crowned Antpitta. These final four were not new for me, but it was still exciting to see them all again after a few years away.

  For the rest of our time at the reserve we birded the fruit feeders for Tanagers. We had a lot of fun with mostly common species, but with fantastic views of feeding Toucan Barbet which occasionally stopped by the feeders. There were also White-winged Brushfinch, Golden-naped Tanager and Flame-faced Tanager that were the best of the Tanager species that visited. The hummingbird feeders were also lively with fantastic Violet-tailed Sylph and White-booted Racket-tail. Also birding the nearby area yielded Scaled Fruiteater and Crested Guan, both new for us.

  In the evening we birded around the town of Mindo. Although there was nothing different or specific to target we still had fun doing some more relaxed birding, and it yielded a couple of new birds for me; Black-winged Saltator and the wonderful Dull-coloured Grassquit. It was a fantastic first-day birding in the area, and we had done really well with all of our targets!

Species List:
Refugio Paz de las Aves: Sickle-winged Guan, Dark-backed Wood Quail, Rufous-bellied Nighthawk, White-collared Swift, Sparkling Violetear, Brown Violetear, Lesser Violetear, Speckled Hummingbird, Violet-tailed Sylph, Brown Inca, Velvet-purple Coronet, White-booted Racket-tail, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Purple-throated Woodstar, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Andean Emerald, Western Cattle Egret, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Golden-headed Quetzal, Toucan Barbet, Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Giant Antpitta, Moustached Antpitta, Chestnut-crowned Antpitta, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Ochre-breasted Antpitta, Spillmann's Tapaculo, Lineated Foliage-gleaner, Spotted Barbtail, Pearled Treerunner, Azara's Spinetail, Green-and-black Fruiteater, Scaled Fruiteater, Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Ornate Flycatcher, White-tailed Tyrannulet, Torrent Tyrannulet, Smoke-colored Pewee, Black Phoebe, Tropical Kingbird, Brown-capped Vireo, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, House Wren, Mountain Wren, Glossy-black Thrush, Thick-billed Euphonia, Orange-bellied Euphonia, Dusky Bush Tanager, Rufous-collared Sparrow, White-winged Brushfinch, Tropical Parula, Three-striped Warbler, Slate-throated Whitestart, Lemon-rumped Tanager, Blue-capped Tanager, Blue-grey Tanager, Palm Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager, Black-capped Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Flame-faced Tanager, Golden Tanager, Masked Flowerpiercer,
Mindo: White-collared Swift, Purple-throated Woodstar, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Southern Lapwing, Snowy Egret, Western Cattle Egret, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Ringed Kingfisher, Bronze-winged Parrot, Red-faced Spinetail, Torrent Tyrannulet, Black Phoebe, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, House Wren, Thick-billed Euphonia, Orange-billed Sparrow, Tropical Parula, Lemon-rumped Tanager, Blue-grey Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Saffron Finch, Bananaquit, Dull-colored Grassquit, Black-winged Saltator, 

Ecuador Day 1; Arrival & Bellavista

I arrived in Ecuador and met up with Lia very early in the morning of the 12^th having spent almost 24 hours flying from Heathrow to Quito. The following morning we out to collect the car we had hired, to find out that the company had tried to par us off with a smaller vehicle than we had originally hired. In the end, it took up most of the morning to rectify this issue, and we were not free for birding until after lunch.

We spent our evening birding the road near the famous Bellavista Lodge where we hoped to find some Choco species. We did manage a few nice birds, although there was only one new bird for me, Flavescent Flycatcher. We had brief views of a Spillman’s Tapaculo, always a highlight, and there was a few Gorgetted Sunangel Hummingbird along the road. The birding was restricted by the late afternoon fog descending and very much limited visibility. Still, it was a lively start to our time in this wonderful country.

Species List:
Reserva Oreothraupis: Eared Dove, Gorgeted Sunangel, Speckled Hummingbird, Collared Inca, Buff-tailed Coronet, Golden-headed Quetzal, Spillmann's Tapaculo, Montane Woodcreeper, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Flavescent Flycatcher, Smoke-colored Pewee, Blue-and-white Swallow, Mountain Wren, Great Thrush, Dusky Bush Tanager, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Tropical Parula, Three-striped Warbler, Hooded Mountain Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Golden Tanager,