Angel Paz and his Antpittas.
A very early call had us up and on the road by 5.00am heading for Angel Paz Reserve where there is an almost guaranteed Cock-of-the-Rock Lek and 4 species of Antpitta which Angel calls in with handfulls of worms. The road up to the reserve is challenging but we arrived in one piece and set off down the hillside to arrive at the hide with about a dozen others. We stood looking down through the jungle to be rewarded by 2 or three birds although most views were through the vegetation.
After about an hour it was time to move on so we filed out and started our way back up. There were several stops for Giant, Moustached, very shy, and Ochre-breasted Antpittas and a family party of dark-backed Wood-quail all called out by Angel.
There were times I really questioned the sanity of birders who are willing to get up in the middle of the night, trek up and down vertiginous hillsides all for the enjoyment of watching a few birds. Would I have missed it? Not in a million years.
We spent some time walking round the trails looking for Quetzals, not lucky, and any flocks of tanagers and finches that passed by. We managed good views of another male Cock-of -the-Rock and heard lots of unidentified (by us) sounds. We were provided with a late breakfast which was delicious, consisting of traditional plantain dishes and tea or coffee. There was a lovely view from the balcony which included a tract of forest that belonged to our guide Jorge's grandfather.
We returned to the Lodge for lunch and then went for a walk round one of the trails - very difficult looking up through the jungle canopy, but we did manage to see a trogon through the bushes.
A very early call had us up and on the road by 5.00am heading for Angel Paz Reserve where there is an almost guaranteed Cock-of-the-Rock Lek and 4 species of Antpitta which Angel calls in with handfulls of worms. The road up to the reserve is challenging but we arrived in one piece and set off down the hillside to arrive at the hide with about a dozen others. We stood looking down through the jungle to be rewarded by 2 or three birds although most views were through the vegetation.
After about an hour it was time to move on so we filed out and started our way back up. There were several stops for Giant, Moustached, very shy, and Ochre-breasted Antpittas and a family party of dark-backed Wood-quail all called out by Angel.
There were times I really questioned the sanity of birders who are willing to get up in the middle of the night, trek up and down vertiginous hillsides all for the enjoyment of watching a few birds. Would I have missed it? Not in a million years.
We spent some time walking round the trails looking for Quetzals, not lucky, and any flocks of tanagers and finches that passed by. We managed good views of another male Cock-of -the-Rock and heard lots of unidentified (by us) sounds. We were provided with a late breakfast which was delicious, consisting of traditional plantain dishes and tea or coffee. There was a lovely view from the balcony which included a tract of forest that belonged to our guide Jorge's grandfather.
We returned to the Lodge for lunch and then went for a walk round one of the trails - very difficult looking up through the jungle canopy, but we did manage to see a trogon through the bushes.
After lunch a few
birds were seen around the lodge including Red-faced Spinetail and Dusky
Bush-tanager.
In the afternoon we
walked a circular trail around the lodge grounds. There were very few birds to
be seen but a couple of spots provided some new birds including Lineated and
Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaners, Uniform and Strong-billed Woodcreepers,
White-tailed Tyrannulet, Ornate Flycatcher, Flavescent Flycatcher,
Gray-breasted Wood-wren, Chestnut-capped Brush-finch, Tri-coloured Brush-finch
and lots of Three-striped Warblers.
On return to the lodge
just before dark David found a Masked Water-tyrant feeding on the football pitch.
Day 3 - Silanche
We made a couple of stops along the road out of Silanche with the first producing a Buff-rumped Warbler. The second stop around an area of small dwellings was very productive with two Pacific Parrotlet, Smooth-billed Ani, ten Pacific Horneros and lots of Variable Seedeaters.
An early start for
what turned out to be a full day at Silanche at around 300-350m, We started
with a session around the reception area then spent the morning on the Canopy Tower
On the way in we saw a
Laughing Falcon,
Highlights of the
Reserve were Dusky Pigeon, Blue-headed and Bronze-winged Parrots, Green
Thorntail, Blue-chested, Purple-chested and violet-bellied Hummingbirds, Choco
and White-tailed Trogons, Red-headed Barbet, Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Choco
Toucan, Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Pale-mandibled Aracari, Black-cheeked
Woodpecker, Golden-olive Woodpecker, Cinnamon Woodpecker, Lineated and
Guayaquil Woodpeckers, Western Woodhaunter, Plain, Wedge-billed and Spotted
Woodcreepers, Dot-winged Ant-wren, Sooty-headed Tyrannulet, Choco Tyrannulet,
Olive-striped Flycatcher, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Scale-crested Pygmy-tyrant,
Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Social Flycatcher,
White-ringed Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, Boat-billed Flycatcher,
Snowy-throated Flycatcher, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Purple-throated Fruit-crow,
White-bearded Manakin, Masked Tityra,
We made a couple of stops along the road out of Silanche with the first producing a Buff-rumped Warbler. The second stop around an area of small dwellings was very productive with two Pacific Parrotlet, Smooth-billed Ani, ten Pacific Horneros and lots of Variable Seedeaters.
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