10 - Wild Sumaco

Day 10- Wild Sumaco

Drive to Wild Sumaco with stops on the way.
Jorge buys a 9-banded long-nosed armadillo
Settled into Wild Sumaco - Brilliant views, feeders - walk for owls, no joy.

The first hour or so was spent around the lodge then we drove south to Wildsumaco stopping at the Guayacamos Ridge and at a couple of sites along the Loreta Road. We arrived at Wildsumaco at 1400 and birded the entrance road till 1600 when we checked in. Thereafter on the lodge balcony in pouring rain and fog.

 San Isidro

Similar birds to yesterday morning but with superb views of Masked Trogon and Crested Quetzal and the addition of Long-tailed Antbird and Rufous-crowned Tody-flycatcher.

We stopped en route at the Guayacamos Ridge and walked the trail for about 2kms. Two Powerful Woodpeckers, a brief Green-fronted Lancebill, an Ocellated Tapaculo gave fantastic views as it displayed above us, a Sepia-brown Wren, Rufous-breasted Flycatcher, Streak-necked Flycatcher, Green and Black Fruiteater, Chestnut-bellied Thrush, Grass-green Tanager and Black-headed Hemispingus were all seen.

Loreta Road

Short-tailed Swift, Golden-collared Toucanet. Long-billed Starthroat, Cliff Flycatcher, Golden-eared Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Olivaceous Siskin.

Nine-banded Armadillo,

 Wildsumaco

Scaled Pigeon, Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Maroon-tailed Parakeet, Green Hermit, Brown Violet-ear, Wire-crested Thorntail, Booted Racket-tail (orange boots), Gorgeted Woodstar, Fork-tailed Wood-nymph, Many-spotted Hummingbird, Golden-tailed sapphire, Gilded Barbet, Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, Plain Xenops, Olive-backed Woodcreeper, Variegated Bristle-tyrant, Eaastern Wood-pewee, White-necked Thrush, Magpie Tanager, Purple Honeycreeper, Black and White seedeater, Chestnut-bellied Seedeater, Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Day 9 - San Isidro 2

Day 9 San Isidro

All day spent around the San Isidro area including a couple of pitta feeding sessions, a drive through cloud forest along the Sierrazul road, a dusk trip out for Andean Potoo and a post dinner walk for San Isidro Owl. The first hour or so around the lodge lights was excellent and as usual the hummingbird feeders provided plenty of entertainment at various times during the day. Heavy rain during the mid afternoon period.

Birds seen included three Sickle-winged Guans, a Broad-winged Hawk, 14 Southern Lapwings, several flocks of White-capped Parrot (but not seen well), an adult Black-banded Owl with a presumed juvenile calling nearby, an Andean Potoo, two Green Violet-ears, lots of Sparkling Violet-ears, Speckled Hummingbirds, Long-tailed Sylphs, Bronzy and Collared Incas, ten Chestnut-breasted Coronets and Fawn-breasted Brilliants, Golden-headed and Crested Quetzals, a Masked Trogon, two Emerald Toucanets, a Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, five Pearled Treerunners, a Montane Foliage-gleaner, two Olive-backed and six Montane Woodcreepers, two Chestnut-crowned and one White-bellied Pittas, one Blackish Tapaculo, a Torrent Tyrannulet, a Streak-necked Flycatcher, three Rufous-crowned Tody-flycatchers, ten Cinnamon Flycatchers, a Fork-tailed Flycatcher, ten Pale-edged Flycatchers, two Andean Solitaires, two Glossy Black Thrush, Black-eared Hemispingus, Saffron-crowned and Flame-faced Tanagers, two Bluish Honeycreepers, a Black-and-white Warbler, five Canada Warblers, three Black-crested Warbler and Russet-backed Oropendulas.

Day 8 - San Isidro

Day 8 - Guango Lodge and environs.

The morning began with a pre-breakfast stroll down to the river, along to the road and back to the Lodge. A session watching the feeders was then followed by a longer walk along the river and the oilpipe track. Another short session watching the feeders before leaving at 1510 for San Isidro.

The Torrent Ducks took some finding but eventually two were found just below the lodge where they should have been. The feeders produced loads of Tourmaline Sunangels and White-bellied Woodstars, a few Long-tailed Sylphs, four Sword-billed Hummingbirds, two Mountain Avocetbills, 12 or so Chestnut-breasted Coronets, three Mountain Velvet-breasts (with another on the river) with smaller numbers of Collared Inca, Buff-winged Starfrontlet, Tyrian Metaltails, Speckled hummingbird and a Buff-tailed Coronet.

Birds seen along the river included a Spotted Sandpiper, two Masked Trogons, four Torrent Tyrannulets, five White-capped Dippers, two Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrants, a Lacrimose Mountain-tanager, lots of Hooded Mountain-tanagers, a couple of Gray-hooded Bush-tanager and Black-eared Hemispingus, five Pearled Treerunners, Mountain Wren, Turquoise Jay, Canada Warbler, a Chestnut-capped and two Pale-naped Brush-finch and Northern Mountain Cacique.

 

A short diversion just north of San Isidro into some good cloud forest proved very productive with Golden-headed and Crested Trogons, Emerald Toucanet, Powerful Woodpecker, Shining Sunbeam, Long-tailed Sylph, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Inca Jay and Subtropical Casique.

 

An evening patrol of the San Isidro lodge produced a juvenile San Isidro Owl.

Day 7 - To Guango

Day7 Quito to Guango

A more leisurely start to the day saw us being picked up at 6.30 and heading out of quito towards Antisano. We stopped at a site to look for condor and within a few minutes we were watching an adult and a juvenile on a rock on the other side of the valley. Eventually the adult flew off and we looked around for other birds.
On the wires above our head a Tainbearer flaunted its tail, a Shining Sunbeam was flitting round a bush and Variable Hawk sailed over the hills.

On and up through the entrance barrier and our first stop was to watch a Roadside Hawk on a fencepost near a river bridge with a female ecudorian hillstar. We also saw Broad-winged and
Stout-billed Cincloides, Plumbeous Sierra-finch, as well as Many-striped Canestero.

As we carried on uphill we stopped at a ‘forest’ of ***  We walked through the bushes and were about to give up when a male Ecuadorian Hillstar popped up on the top of a bush giving very short but close views. There were a few flowers growing among the grasses between the bushes.

Further up we drove across the grassy paramo where we found many Carrunculated Caracara, Black-faced Ibis and another condor flying away towards the Antisana Volcano. There was a flock of Andean gulls, the only gulls we saw. Onto Lake Micah where we walked along the lake side with Silvery Grebe, Andean Ruddy Duck and coot. On the shore we found Andean Lapwing, and sandpiper.

We returned the way we had come, stopping at a picnic site near the condor rocks and had a picnic lunch watching the Condors gliding round the rock face.

We then went on to Pappallacta Pass, driving up to the radio masts through the fog. On the way up we saw a white-tailed deer grazing At the top we got out and walked slowly and carefully up through the mist. Edwin, the driver found an Andean Fox curled up and we spent some time watching it until it got up and walked away. While we were there 2 seedsnipe flew around the summit, calling and Edwin and Jorge watched until they settled, we then clinmbed further up to the masts themselves where we found the seedsnipe on the grass. We stood on the summit watching them and as the mist cleared the birds were in the sun and the view was spectacular.

Eventually we made our way down to Guango Lodge.

Day 6 - Yanacocha

Day 6 Yanococha to Quito

A reasonably early start with a quick look at the feeders saw the expected hummers but also Purple-bibbed White-tip and Western Emerald along with a Striped Treehunter and a very close Masked Trogon. We drove over the old Quito road to Yanococha reserve, where the warden had been feeding Rufous Antpittas and we had to be there for 9.30. The weather was grey and murky but it stayed dry.

We made a couple of stops en route to Yanococha. The first stop on the R.Alambi where we found our first pair of White-capped Dipper and the second high in the mountains was excellent with Sword-billed Hummingbird, Rufous-breasted Chat-tyrant, Barred Fruit-eater, Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager and Red-crested Cotinga.

 

Arriving at the entrance our guide sorted out our entry and then we set off for a 2km walk along the old Inca trail path towards the feeding area.  

Yanococha was eventually spoilt by the heavy cloud/light rain but some of the birding was excellent. Greater Sapphirewing and Buff-fronted Starfrontlet were seen at the entrance gate. We then walked the flat Inca Trail at about 3700m seeing Andean Guan, a White-browed Spinetail, two Spectacled Redstarts, Glossy Flowerpiercers and Blue-capped Conebills on the way. We then waited for a few seconds for two Rufous Pittas to come to the “venga, venga” call of the warden which then showed down to a few feet for five minutes, We walked up to the feeders where we saw at least three Sword-billed Hummingbirds, several Tyrian Metaltails, Golden-breasted and Sapphire-vented Pufflegs, a couple more Greater Sapphirewings and lots more Buff-winged Starfrontlets. Glossy and Masked Flowerpiercers were also visiting the feeders and at the higher station two Yellow-breasted Brush-finches feasted on the feeders.

The walk back to the entrance was delayed by an excellent mixed flock which included a Bar-bellied Woodpecker, a Red-headed Barbet, four Rufous Wrens, two Streaked Tuftedcheeks, Whte-throated Tyrannulet, more conebills, lots of Black-chested, Hooded and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-tanagers, Blue and black Tanagers, Superciliaried Hemispingus, two stunning Golden-crowned Tanagers and a Stripe-headed Brush-finch.

We returned to the entrance for a second antpitta session, this time with Tawny Antpitta, but the man had locked up and gone – Jorge went up the track and called 'venga, venga' and a tawny antpitta duly showed up giving excellent views, even walking round the area and then climbing into a tree to call defiance to another Tawny Antpitta on the other side of the valley.

The drive back to Quito was generally quiet (due in part to the weather) but we did see a pair of Black-breasted Buzzard-eagles, a Black-tailed Train-bearer, Brown-bellied Swallows, a GrassWren and a Plain-coloured Seedeater. Three Brazilian Rabbits were also seen by the others.

 We returned to our hotel in Quito where a look from the balcony produced another new species in the form of Blue and Yellow Tanager and also three Sparkling Violet-ears.

Dinner in the hotel

Day 5 Bellavista

Day 5  Bellavista.

An early morning breakfast had us out and on our way by 6.00am and looking for lyre-tailed nightjar on the road above tandayapa village, with no luck. So we were soon on our way up to Bellavista at about 2100m and beyond. Our first stop before Bellavista produced Beautiful Jay but our main targets were above the Lodge. We arrived on site at 0620 and very quickly found a Tanager Finch and a Pale-billed Mountain Toucan along with Hooded Mountain-tanager and Rufous-headed Pigmy Tyrant. We then returned down the hill to the Lodge and spent a couple of hours around the garden. The feeders produced Gorgetted Sunangel, Collared Inca and Speckled Hummingbirds whilst other birds seen included Masked Trogon, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Cinnamon Flycatcher, Glossy Black Thrush, Masked and White-line Flowerpiercers, Rufous-breasted Tanager, Blue-capped Tanager, and Turquoise Jay.

We then walked the F and H trails to the research station road which gave good views of Red-billed Parrot, Toucan Barbet, more Plate billed Mountain Toucans, a superb Common Potoo, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Spillman’s Tapaculo, Streaked Tufted-cheek, Striped Treerunner, Spotted Barbtail, Smoke-coloured Pewee, Green and Black Fruiteater, and Capped Conebill. At the top of the trail, Black and White Becard, Grass-green Tanager, Blue and Black Tanager and a real surprise in the form of a White-faced Nunbird. Time for a Jorge jig.

Back at Bellavista we saw Flame-faced Tanagers on the roof of some of the accommodation and more hummers on the feeders.We had our lunch at the lodge where we added Fawn-breasted Tanager, Azara’s Spinetail, White-winged Brush-finch and a ridiculously tame Masked Trogon.

The return down the mountain produced Plumbeous Pigeon, White-tailed Tyrannulet and ended along the river again where we were joined by a group of other birders. As the skies  darkened a bird flew our above our heads looking more like a giant bat, then another bird was found settled on the road in front of us, a slow and careful walk forward with the bird in the torchlight gave us good views. The bird flew off but circled round and settled back on the road between us and the cars. A great end to a good day. We returned to Tandayapa where we spent some time after dinner checking out the moths on the walls under the lights which included a smart Hawkmoth.

Day 4 - On To Tandayapa

Day4 Milpe – Tandayapa

A quick look around the lodge after another early morning startbreakfast produced a Wedge-billed Hummingbird, displaying Scrub Blackbird and Lesser Greenlet before we set off on the short drive to the Milpe Forestreserve. Weather conditions were not great with constant heavy rain but we still saw plenty of birds and the feeders at the information centre provided plenty of entertainment. We then went round to the milpe garden entrance for another trail before returning to Sachatamia for lunch.

 

White-necked Jacobin, White-whiskered Hermit, lots of Green Thorntails, Violet-tailed Sylphs, Brown Inca, Velvet-purple Coronets, a couple of Empress Brilliants and Purple-throated Woodstars were amongst the hummingbirds at the feeders and a Purple-crowned Fairy was seen on the trail where we also saw Rufous Motmot, Barred Puffbird, Red-headed Barbet, Toucan Barbet, Scaly-throated and Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaners, Plain-brown, Wedge-billed and Spotted Woodcreepers, Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, Pacific Flatbill, White-bearded Manakin, Spotted Nightingale-thrush, Rufous-throated Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, White-sided Flowerpiercer, Orange-billed Sparrow, Tri-coloured Brush-finch, Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager, Ochre-breasted Tanager and Choco Warbler.

 

After lunch we spent some time watching the feeder before making our way to a trail which was owned by a family friend of our guide, Jorge. Unfortunately they were doing some road works so we abandoned that idea and we headed for Tandayapa, at 1750m in Humid ChocoForest, via the old road above Nanagalito making a couple of stops en route, one of which gave us Russet-crowned Warbler.. We arrived at the lodge and, following a 100mt climb, settled in. We checked out the feeders and walked down to where a cock-of-the-rock pair had nested on a windowsill and were raising one young.

We spent some time after dinner checking out the lights for some amazing moths.