This was not a photographic tour and, as a result, these images are a record of some of the birds and other wildlife we saw, as well as places we visited, rather than perfect portraits of the some of the birds of Ecuador. There were few opportunities to stop and spend time with a subject in an effort to get the perfect shot – there was so much we wanted to see. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy the slideshow. There may be mistaken identifications, although I’ve done my best to be accurate, and there may be no caption because I don’t know what the subject was. If you can help fill the gaps, especially the invertebrates, please do get in contact and let me know.
Itinerary:
27th June 2013 Flight from Bristol via Amsterdam to Quito with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to San Jose Garden Hotel, Quito.
28th June 2013 Met Randy, our guide, & driver Jose. Drove to Papallacta Pass (4400m asl), Papallacta Thermales, Guango Lodge.
29th June 2013 Guango ridge trail and riverside, drove the Pass of Baeza, and on to San Isidro Cabanas, where we walkde the Antvireo trail. Night owl prowl.
30th June 2013 Drove to Sendero Jumandy (Antisana) trail aka Guacamayo’s Ridge trail, Cabanas San Isidro, Los Caucheros Road.
1st july 2013 San Isidro Cabanas Antpitta feeding stations, then drove to Papallacta Lagoon and Pass, and on to San Jose Garden Hotel, Quito.
2nd July 2013 Flew from Quito to El Coca (25 mins), then by boat down the Rio Napo (2.5 hrs) to Sani Lodge. Challuacocha Lagoon & forest walk at night.
3rd July 2013 Sani Lodge treetop tower for 4hrs (100ft up) & 3hr trail walk.
4th July 2013 River Islands on Rio Napo. Felt ill later in the day.
5th July 2013 In bed all day very ill with dysentry & campylobacter. Alan did the parrot lick & a trail.
6th July 2013 Sani Lodge back to El Coca (Puerto Fransisco de Orellana) by boat (4 hrs), flight back to Quito & overnight in hotel San Sabastian.
7th July 2013 Drove to World Land Trust Yanacocha reserve for a 5km trail walk , lunch at Tandyapa Lodge in the Bellavista cloud forest, then down hill to Sachatamia Lodge, Mindo.
8th July 2013 Another pre-dawn start to Rio Silanche Bird Sanctuary to walk a trail and bird from a platform in the morning, and into Mindo in the afternoon at Rodney Garrido’s wonderful El Descanso hotel balcony watching hummers. It’s Randy’s home town so we also looked around the patch a bit before dinner.
9th July 2013 A pre-dawn visit to a Cock-of-the-Rock lek then Paz de Los Aves in the morning, and Mindo area in the afternoon.
10th July 2013 A 3 hr drive up to Antisana at 4000m , and a distant look over La Mica reservoir, then back to San Jose Garden Hotel, Quito, for flight home tomorrow afternoon.
Bird list:
Torrent Duck 4+, Andean Teal 6, Yellow-billed Pintail 3, Andean Ruddy Duck ferruginia c.20, Sickle-winged Guan 2+, Andean Guan 5, Spix’s Guan 1, Blue-throated Piping Guan 2, Silvery Gerbe 4, Rufescent Tiger-heron 1, Fasciated Tiger-heron 1, Least Bittern 1, Striated Heron 1+, Cattle Egret +, Great Egret 2, Capped Heron 1, Snowy Egret +, Black-faced Ibis branickii 5, Turkey Vulture +, Greater Yellow-headed Vulture +, Black Vulture +, Andean Condor c.20, Hook-billed Kite 1, Swallow-tailed Kite 48+, Double-toothed Kite 1, Plumbeous Kite +, Cinereous Harrier 2, Semicollared Hawk 1juv f., Plain-breasted Hawk ventralis 2, Crane Hawk 1, Slate-coloured Hawk 1, Barred Hawk 1, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle 1, Roadside Hawk 3+, Variable Hawk 4, Laughing Falcon 1, Barred Forest-falcon 1, Carunculated Caracara +, Yellow-headed Caracara +, American Kestrel 3, Bat Falcon 2 at nest, Limpkin 1, Slate-colored Coot 1+, Sungrebe 1, Sunbittern 1, Southern Lapwing 8, Andean Lapwing +, Collared Plover 2, Lesser Yellowlegs 2, Andean Gull 5, Yellow-billed Tern 5, Large-billed Tern 1, Common Ground-Dove +, Black-winged Ground-Dove +, Rock Pigeon +, Band-tailed Pigeon 38+, Pale-vented Pigeon +, Ruddy Pigeon 1, Eared Dove 6+, White-tipped Dove 6, White-throated Quail-Dove 3, Blue-and-Yellow Macaw 4, Chestnut-fronted Macaw +, Red-bellied Macaw +, White-eyed Parakeet 2, Dusky-headed Parakeet +, Cobalt-winged Parakeet +, Black-headed Parrot 3, Bronze-winged Parrot +, Orange-winged Parrot +, Scaly-naped Parrot 80, Hoatzin +, Little Cuckoo 1, Squirrel Cuckoo 4, Greater Ani +, Smooth-billed Ani 4+, Tropical Screech-Owl 1, Black-and-White Owl 1, Black-banded Owl 1, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl 1, Great Potoo 3, Common Potoo 1, Common Pauraque 1, Ladder-tailed Nightjar 2, Lyre-tailed Nightjar 1, Whihte-collared Swift 70+, Fork-tailed Palm-Swift 2+, White-necked Jacobin +, White-whiskered Hermit 1, Green-fronted Lancebill 1, Brown Violetear +, Green Violetear +, Sparkling Violetear +, Black-throated Mango +, Gorgeted Sunangel +, Tourmaline Sunangel +, Green Thorntail +, Speckled Hummingbird +, Long-tailed Sylph +, Violet-tailed Sylph 2+, Ecuadorian Hillstar 1f., Mountain Avocetbill +, Black-tailed Trainbearer +, Purple-backed Thornbill 2, Blue-mantled Thornbill 1, Tyrian Metaltail +, Viridian Metaltail 1, Sapphire-vented Puffleg +, Golden-breasted Puffleg +, Shining Sunbeam 2, Bronzy Inca +, Collared Inca ++, Buff-winged Starfrontlet +, Mountain Velvetbreast 1+, Sword-billed Hummingbird +, Great Sapphirewing +, Buff-tailed Coronet +, Chestnut-breasted Coronet ++, Velvet-purple Coronet +, Booted Racket-tail +, Purple-bibbed Whitetip +, Fawn-breasted Brilliant +, Green-crowned Brilliant +, Empress Brilliant +, White-bellied Woodstar +, Purple-throated Woodstar +, Green-crowned Woodnymph +, Olive-spotted Hummingbird 2, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird +, Andean Emerald +, Purple-chested Hummingbird +, Golden-headed Quetzal 2+, Blue-tailed Trogon (Choco Trogon) +, Black-tailed Trogon 1, Green-backed Trogon (Amazonian White-tailed Trogon) 1, Blue-crowned Trogon 2, Masked Trogon 3, Ringed Kingfisher +, Amazon Kingfisher +, Rufous Motmot 1, Andean Motmot (Highland Motmot) 1, White-eared Jacamar 1, Brown Jacamar 1, Great Jacamar 1, Black-fronted Nunbird 1, Yellow-billed Nunbird +, Swallow-winged Nunbird +, Scarlet-crowned Barbet +, Gilded Barbet +, Red-headed Barbet +, Toucan Barbet +, Chestnut-mandibled Toucan swainsonii +, White-throated Toucan +, Channel-billed Toucan +, White-throated (Andean) Toucanet albivitta 4, Crimson-rumped Toucanet +, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan 2, Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan 2, Pale-Mandibled Aracari erythropygius +, Many-banded Aracari +, Ivory-billed Aracari +, Yellow-tufted Woodpecker +, Red-rumped Woodpecker +, Scarlet-backed Woodpecker 1, Golden-olive Woodpecker +, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker 6, Cinnamon Woodpecker 1, Lineated Woodpecker 1+, Crimson-crested Woodpecker 1, Chestnut-winged Cinclodes (Barred-winged Cinclodes) +, Stout-billed Cinclodes +, Pacific Hornero cinnamomeus 1, Andean Tit-Spinetail 1, White-chinned Thistletail 1, Azara’s Spinetail 1+, Slaty Spinetail 1+, White-bellied Spintail +, White-browed Spinetail +, Red-faced Spinetail 1, Ash-browed Spinetail 1, Many-striped Canastero +, Pearled Treerunner 2+, Streaked Tuftedcheek +, Lineated Foliage-gleaner +, Plain Xenops +, Streaked Xenops +, Tyrannine Woodcreeper 1, Plain-brown Woodcreeper 1, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper +, Cinnamon-throated Woodcreeper 1, Straight-billed Woodcreeper 1, Spotted Woodcreeper +, Streak-headed Woodpecker +, Montane Woodpecker +, Great Antshrike +, Plain-winged Antshrike 1, Cocha Antshrike +, Castelnau’s Antshrike +, Cinerous Antshrike 1, Pacific Antwren 1f., Dot-winged Antwren +, Black-faced Antbird 1, Plumbeous Antbird +, Dot-backed Antbird +, Rufous-capped Antthrush 1, Barred Antthrush H, Giant Antpitta H, Cheshnut-crowned Antpitta H, Chestnut-naped Antpitta H, White-bellied Antpitta 1, Rufous Antpitta H, Tawny Antpitta 2, White-lored Antpitta +, Ochre-breasted Antpitta 3, Slate-crowned Antpitta H, Chestnut-belted Gnateater 1, Blackish (Unicolored) Tapaluco 1, Long-tailed (Equatorial Rufous-vented) Tapaluco H, Spillman’s Tapaluco 1+, Sooty-headed Tyrannulet +, Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet +, Brown-capped Tyrranulet 1, White-tailed Tyrannulet 1+, White-banded Tyrannulet +, Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet +, Agile-Tit-Tyrant 1, Torrent Tyrant 4, Lesser Wagtail-Tyrant +, Choco (Golden-faced )Tyrannulet (west) +, Red-billed Tyrannulet +, Slender-footed Tyrannulet +, Golden-faced Tyrannulet (east) +, Streak-necked Flycatcher +, Slaty-capped Flycatcher +, Ornate Flycatcher +, Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatcher 1, Spotted Tody-Flycatcher 1, Yellow-margined (Yellow-margined Flatbill (west)) Flycatcher +, Gray-crowned (Gray-crowned Flatbill) Flycatcher 2+, Flavescent Flycatcher +, Cinnamon Flycatcher +, Handsome Flycatcher 2 at nest, Smoke-colored Pewee +, Black Phoebe ++, Riverside Tyrant 1, Plain-capped (Paramo) Ground-Tyrant 11+, Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant 1, Smoky Bush-Tyrant 4+, Masked Water-Tyrant 1, Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant 1, Rusty-margined Flycatcher +, Social Flycatcher +, Great Kiskadee +, Lesser Kiskadee +, Golden-crowned Flycatcher 1+, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher 1, Streaked Flycatcher +, Boat-billed Flycatcher +, Crowned Slaty Flycatcher 1, Snowy-throated Kingbird +, Tropical Kingbird ++, Dusky-capped Flycatcher 1+, Short-crested Flycatcher +, Pale-edged Flycatcher 3+, Cinnamon Attila +, Green-and-black Fruiteater +, Black-chested Fruiteater 1, Andean Cock-of-the-rock 20+, Purple-throated Fruitcrow +, Amazonian Umbrellabird 8+, Plum-throated Cotinga 1, Dusky Piha 2, Bare-necked Fruitcrow +, Blue-crowned Manakin 3, White-bearded Manakin 1, Wire-tailed Manakin 1, Masked Tityra 3, Varzea Schiffornis 1, Cinereous Mourner 1, White-browed Purpletuft 1, Cinnamon Becard +, Black-billed Peppershrike +, Brown-capped Vireo 1, Red-eyed Vireo 1+, Lesser Greenlet +, Turquoise Jay 15+, Violaceous Jay +, Inca Jay yncus 3+, Blue-and-white Swallow +, Brown-bellied Swallow 5+, White-banded Swallow+, White-thighed Swallow 1, Southern Rough-winged Swallow +, Brown-chested Martin +, Gray-breasted Martin +, White-winged Swallow 4+, House Wren +, Mountain Wren 5+, Rufous Wren 3, Gray-breasted Wood-Wren 1+, Black-capped Donacobius +, White-capped Dipper 3, Andean Solitaire +, Ecuadorian Thrush 1+, Black-billed Thrush +, Great Thrush +, Glossy-black Thrush +, Magpie Tanager +, Black-capped Hemispingus +, Western Hemispingus (west) ochraceus +, Black-eared Hemispingus (east) melanotis +, Gray-hooded Bush Tanager +, Orange-headed Tanager +, White-shouldered Tanager +, White-lined Tanager +, Masked Crimson Tanager +, Silver-beaked Tanager +, Lemon-rumped Tanager icteronotus +, Blue-gray Tanager ++, Palm Tanager +, Blue-capped Tanager 1, Blue-and-yellow Tanager 1, Hooded Mountain-Tanager 6+, Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager +, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager +, Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager +, Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager +, Grass-green Tanager +, Fawn-breasted Tanager +, Scrub Tanager 1, Blue-necked Tanager +, Blue-and-black Tanager +, Beryl-spangled Tanager +, Turquoise Tanager +, Bay-headed Tanager +, Saffron-crowned Tanager +, Flame-faced Tanager +, Golden Tanager +, Silver-throated Tanager +, Black-faced Dacnis (east) +, Yellow-tufted Dacnis (west) egregia +, Yellow-bellied Dacnis +, Purple Honeycreeper 2, Green Honeycreeper +, Cinereous Conebill +, Blue-backed Conebill +, Glossy Flowerpiercer 2+, Black Flowerpiercer 1, White-sided Flowerpiercer +, Rusty Flowerpiercer 1, Masked Flowerpiercer ++, Bananaquit +, Black-winged Saltator +, Grayish Saltator 2, Rufous-collared Sparrow ++, Yellow-browed Sparrow +, Plumbeous Sierra-Finch +, Variable Seedeater +, Yellow-bellied Seedeater +, Chestnut-bellied Seedeater 3+, Orange-billed Sparrow +, Chestnut-capped Brush-Finsh +, Pale-naped Brush-Finch +, Slaty Brush-Finch 1, White-winged Brush-Finch +, Common Bush-Tanager +, Dusky Bush-Tanager +, Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager +, Tropical Parula 1, Slate-throated Redstart (Slate-throated Whitestart) +, Spectacled Redstart (Spectacled Whitestart) +, Black-crested Warbler 4+, Russet-crowned Warbler +, Three-striped Warbler +, Russet-backed Oropendola +, Crested Oropendola +, Yellow-rumped Cacique +, Golden-shouldered Cacique (Northern Mountain-Cacique) leucoramphus 6+, Pacific Cacique (Scarlet-rumped Cacique (west)) pacificus +, Subtropical Cacique (east) uropygialis +, Orange-backed Troupial 1, Scrub Blackbird 2+, Oriole Blackbird 4, Hooded Siskin c.15, Olivaceous Siskin 1, Yellow-bellied Siskin 1, Thick-billed Euphonia +, Golden-bellied (White-lored) Euphonia +, Orange-bellied Euphonia 2+.
White-tailed Deer 2, Amazonian Red-tailed Squirrel, Black Agouti, Night Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Black-mantled Tamarind, Red Howler Monkey, Pygmy Marmoset (in care), Proboscis Bat, Greater Bulldog Bat.
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