southern Ecuador - February, 1999
Day One : Arrival at 10:00 p.m. Night at Pifo.
Day Two : Papallacta Pass. Night at Pifo.
Day Three : Pifo to Cuenca. Stop at Lago de Colta. Night in Cuenca.
Day Four : El Cajas and Gualaceo. Night in Gualaceo.
Day Five : Cuenca to Loja. Huashapamba, Cajanuma entrance of Podocarpus Park.
Day Six : Cajanuma all day. Night in Loja.
Day Seven : Loja to Zamora. San Francisco, Bombuscara, Podocarpus Park.
Day Eight : Zamora to Vilcabamba.
Day Nine : Yangana Pass, Quebrada Honda, Cerro Toledo. Night in Vilcabamba.
Day Ten : Vilcabamba to Cariamanga. Quebrada Honda.
Day Eleven : Cariamanga to Macara. Utuana.
Day Twelve : Tambo Negro, Q. Yaguana and Suquinda, Utuana. Night in Macara.
Day Thirteen : Macara to Piñas. El Empalme.
Day Fourteen : Piñas to Naranjal. Buenaventura.
Day Fifteen : Naranjal to Quito. Laguna El Canclon marshes, Tinalandia lunch.
Jonas Nilsson - leader, hired through Robert Jonsson (robertjonsson@avestravel.com)
Robert's web site : www.Avestravel.com
Carol Schumacher (wncarols@linux.winona.msus.edu)
Mark Mulhollam (mulho005@tc.umn.edu) - author of this trip report
Prologue : By my count, we saw 371 spp. and an additional 54 heard only
with a handful of glimpses not put in either category. This included an
incredible 42 spp. of hummers! This "high" number is probably more a result
of sampling a number of habitats (although no time was spent in the eastern
lowlands) than birding skill considering the longer travel times spent in the
south. Of course, there are over 1,579 spp. of birds that have been recorded
in Ecuador and counting!! [According to Ridgely, R.S., P.J. Greenfield & M.
Guerrero G. 1998. An Annotated List of the Birds of Mainland Ecuador. Fundación
Ornitológica del Ecuador, CECIA. Quito 155pp., p. vii.] ["Endemic" is used
herein in the same sense as in the "Annotated List"]
Much of this was made possible by Jonas Nilsson, a young Swede who has
lived primarily in Ecuador for a few years and birds in Peru and Bolivia as
well. He was knowledgeable and enjoyable on the long drives and he even got a
couple of lifers himself thanks to a first trip to Utuana. I highly recommend
Jonas or Robert Jonsson as birding guides.
Here is a zipped Microsoft Word version of
Rob Innes' and Chris Jones' bird list for Sumaco, Humedal del Yalare, Reserva Playa de Oro, Silanche, Rio Palenque, San Isidro, Tinalandia, Tandayapa Birding Lodge, Quebrada Honda, Podocarpus, Buenaventura and the Cordillera de Guacamayos. (69k)
Return to the Home page.
General Comments : As this was Mark's fourth trip to Ecuador, I wanted to
go to the south for the first time. I knew that this would result in longer
drives and perhaps more hassles, such as poor accommodations. But the
accommodations were quite satisfactory and in the case of the Hosteria de
Vilcabamba, opulent. Even in Zamora the hotel was adequate. There was one
place though where a pig was butchered very early in the next morning on the
street next door. It protested.
Generally, the weather was favorable. Jonas said that the rains had
started earlier than usual - this may have resulted in earlier breeding and
less singing. There wasn't alot of singing at the time of this trip.
Nevertheless, we were able to see most of the birds quite well. In particular,
I have never had a trip where I have ultimately seen ALL of the colors for as
many of the hummers as I did on this trip. In addition, I was able to pick
up one greatly wanted bird (Masked Mtn-Tanager, upper Gualaceo road) and get
great looks at some that I had seen before but not well (such as Golden-crowned
Tanagers, roadside at the Yangana Pass) and there were surprises, like the
Black-crested Tit-Tyrant at Utuana and the Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper at ...
(you'll see).
As I said, we missed some things because of reduced activity
but what we did see was often spectacular and prolonged. Such as the
Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaners at Quebradas Yaguana and Suquinda, the abundant
Tit-like Dacnises at El Cajas, Laguna Illinocha, Giant Conebill at El Cajas
and the Chestnut-naped Antpittas at Cajanuma, Podocarpus.
If you are in the area, two lesser known places which I highly
recommend are Utuana (Day 11) and the El Empalme decidous forest in the rainy
season (Day 13). Although the birds are largely the same at El Cajas and
similar habitat in the Papallacta Pass region, you are immersed in the scenery
at El Cajas and the birding is better in the sense that there are places with
low scattered trees or bushes that allow repeated and close looks at the birds.
Plus El Cajas is only 30 minutes from downtown Cuenca.
A note about the elevation reports - I have an altimeter watch which
seemed to be reasonably accurate according to known elevations but do take with a
grain of salt.
Aids to compiling this report were the aforementioned "Annotated List" and "A
Guide to Bird-watching in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands" by Brinley Best,
Robert Williams and Tom Heijnen.
Finally, due to time and space constraints, I do not attempt to list
every bird here seen. I won't, for example, recount where we saw Great
Thrushes or the swallows or the whitestarts, etc., etc., unless I think it is
noteworthy. Ditto for heard birds. I usually do not discriminate between
birds seen by only one person or by multiple people. (m/f) refers to male and
female seen, (f) only female seen, etc., and (h) means heard only.
DAY ONE : Arrival
Arrival at 10:00 p.m. in Quito, left Minneapolis around 10:00 a.m.
Unfortunately, all of Carol's checked baggage is lost by Continental somewhere
between Houston and Quito. It is my guess that it simply was not taken off
the plane in Quito and went with it to Guayaquil. Wisely, Carol had her
binocs, weather gear and bird books, etc. in carry-on so the loss was not
catastrophic. BTW, we had originally planned to fly through to Guayaquil
until Continental inexplicably raised that price by $400 each just before we
booked the tickets. It actually cost $400 more to stay on the plane and go
from Quito to Guayaquil then to deplane in Quito. Losing the luggage would
necessitate some schedule changes. Met by Jonas at airport, transport to Pifo
and Friendship Heights, Robert Jonsson's home.
Day TWO : Papallacta Pass
Originally we were to get up early and drive towards Cuenca this day.
In the hopes that the luggage was found overnight, we decided to stay in the
Quito area for a day. So we birded the Papallacta Pass region in the morning
and made various luggage arrangements and purchases in the afternoon. No
Seedsnipes at the top of the pass this time - reportedly the road up Antisana
is a good place to see them now. Robert's veritable finca (Friendship Heights
= FH below) has many flowers and a couple of feeders and quite a number of good
birds can be seen right on or near his property. Continental said the luggage
was in Houston - er, wrong continent, guys. The plan is to have the luggage
delivered to the Cuenca airport; we will be in Cuenca for the next couple of
days. The talk that evening is of the planned workers' strike which could
close everything down tomorrow including the roads. Night at Pifo. Birds seen
this day include:
Andean Teal Variable Hawk
Andean Guan (h) Andean Gull
Eared Dove Scaly Ground-Dove
White-collared Swift Chestnut-collared Swift
Sparkling Violetear (FH) Ecuadorian Hillstar
Mountain Velvetbreast Great Sapphirewing
Black-tailed Trainbearer (FH) Viridian Metaltail
Tyrian Metaltail Blue-mantled Thornbill
Long-tailed Slyph White-bellied Woodstar (FH)
Masked/Highland Trogon Stout-billed Cinclodes
Bar-winged Cinclodes Andean Tit-Spinetail (h)
Azara's Spinetail White-chinned Thistletail
Many-striped Canastero Strong-billed Woodcreeper
Tawny Antpitta Paramo Tapaculo (h)
White-throated Tyrannulet White-banded Tyrannulet
Tufted Tit-Tyrant Cinnamon Flycatcher
Black Phoebe Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant
Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant (h) Smoky Bush-Tyrant (h)
Plain-capped Ground-Tyrant Turquoise Jay
Great Thrush Grass Wren (h)
Plain-tailed Wren (h) Mountain Wren (h)
Blackburnian Warbler Slate-throated Whitestart
Spectacled Whitestart Black-crested Warbler
Russet-crowned Warbler Cinerous Conebill
Masked Flower-piercer Black Flower-piercer
Rusty Flower-piercer (FH) Scarlet-bellied Mtn-Tanager
Lacrimose Mtn-Tanager Hooded Mtn-Tanager
Black-capped Hemispingus Superciliaried Hemispingus
Southern Yellow-Grosbeak Band-tailed Seedeater
Plumbeous Sierra-Finch Pale-naped Brush-Finch
Slaty Brush-Finch Northern Mtn-Cacique
Hooded Siskin
Day THREE : Pifo to Cuenca (Lago de Colta)
Drive from Pifo to Cuenca today. Although there are lots of strike
signs, still smouldering tires and various rocks and trees laid across parts
of the road, travel is easy and unusually light. We stop at Lago de Colta,
where the reputed oldest church in Ecuador stands. Built in 1534. The drive
from Quito to Cuenca takes place in the inter-andean zone which is quite dry,
the Chiguanco Thrush replaces the Great Thrush, for instance. The Colta
provided many birds, including very close looks at a Giant Hummer perched on a
cactus. Hidden in the tall reeds lurks a Subtropical Doradito - but only Jonas sees it.
Two women in red and purple were stacking reeds on a reed boat. We continued
on through Guamote, Alausi, Chunchi, El Tambo, Biblian with its Catholic
monastery looming over the city in the mist, and Azogues. The drive from Quito
to Cuenca took about 9 1/2 hours in light traffic (not including the time spent
at Lago de Colta).
Night at the Hotel del Chordeleg. The hostal has a large sunroofed
courtyard into which most rooms open with a little restaurant just outside
your room. The restaurant was not open due to the after-effects of the
national strike.
Lago de Colta birds:
Great Egret Snowy Egret
Striated Heron Cattle Egret
Purple Gallinule Common Gallinule
Andean Coot Greater Yellowlegs
Spotted Sandpiper Lesser Rail (a possible split from Virginia)
Andean Gull Giant Hummer
Subtropical Doradito Barn Swallow
Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch Band-tailed Sierrra-Finch
Other birds seen this day :
Yellow-billed Pintail (may have been at the Colta)
American Kestrel
Sparkling Violetear
Black-tailed Trainbearer Crimson-mantled Woodpecker
Vermilion Flycatcher Blue-and-yellow Tanager (a flyby)
Day FOUR : El Cajas and Gualaceo-Limon road.
El Cajas in the a.m. and to the top part of the Gualaceo-Limon road in
the p.m. El Cajas is very beautiful with many of the same birds as the
Papallacta elevation and is dappled with Polylepis groves. Our first stop was
at the Laguna Illinocha (3775 m) which is just past the Laguna Toreadora. It
was crawling with Tit-like Dacnises (not found in the north)
(in the Gynoxys trees, mixed with Polylepis), many males chasing each other
and females. Other notables were an Andean Duck (m/f), Blue-mantled Thornbill,
Unicolored Tapaculo, Plain-colored Seedeater and Plumbeous Sierra-Finch.
Slightly lower down we had very good birding on a roadside hill which abutted
a Polylepis grove which was fenced off. This gentle hill had many flat spots
and scattered bushes and trees which afforded good looks at everything. The
elevation was 3600 m. We had fantastic looks at a Giant Conebill, which put
to shame the plate in Birds of the High Andes (sorry, a political comment, why
do all the birds therein look rain-soaked?). Other birds here included:
Carunculated Caracara (immature, very high) Ecuadorian Hillstar
Shining Sunbeam Violet-throated Metaltail
Tyrian Metaltail Andean Tit-Spinetail
White-chinned Thistletail Many-striped Canastero
Tawny Antpitta (yellowish throat) White-throated Tyrannulet
Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant
Plain-capped Ground-Tyrant Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant (h)
Red-crested Cotinga (very good looks at a pair, white on the rump)
Grass Wren (h)
I think it was a female Violet-throated Metaltail that became my basic
bird unit. This is a southern Ecuador endemic but not much to look at. Since
I am not interested in a bird list per se, I would trade 12 female V-thr
Metaltails for one male Ecuadorian Hillstar and 45 V-thr Metaltails for one
Giant Conebill, etc. At lunch outside Cuenca we added Croaking Ground-Dove and
Purple-collared Woodstar (f). Jonas also introduced the European concept of
the "Noble List" - a list for birds you have found yourself, no stake-outs.
The airport was closed so no baggage - it was Saturday! Later, Continental
claimed the luggage did get to Cuenca, but since we would be leaving Cuenca
the next morning, Sunday, the plan now was to just send it back to Quito and
pick it up on departure.
In the afternoon, we went to the upper reaches of the Gualaceo-Limon
road @ 3220 m. just over the pass. Almost immediately we saw a Rainbow-bearded
Thornbill and I caught the full colors of the beard on one turn. This was
already quite a day but we were hoping for a mythical bird pictured on the
cover of the Birds of Columbia - you should have guessed it by now. And soon
we had a little "flock" which included a pair of Masked Mtn-Tanagers with a
pretty nice bonus of Black-backed Bush-Tanagers and Glossy Flower-Piercers!
Other birds here included Neblina Metaltail, Great Sapphirewing (f), Rufous
Antpitta, Paramo Tapaculo, and Pale-naped Brush-Finch.
All-in-all, a very good first full day of birding. Night in Gualaceo
at the Hostal Molina - nice, two beds in each room, TV, gated parking. [Avenida
el Parador y Los Incas, 255-048 or 255-049] Other birds seen this day:
Andean Teal Andean Coot
Sparkling Violetear Black-tailed Trainbearer
Violet-throated Metaltail Stout-billed Cinclodes
Bar-winged Cinclodes Vermilion Flycatcher
Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant Turquoise Jay
Black Flower-piercer Rusty Flower-piercer
Buff-breasted Mtn-Tanager (h) Hooded Siskin
Day FIVE : Cuenca to Oña to Loja. Huashapamba and Cajanuma.
We made a breakfast birding stop not far outside Cuenca. Here before
jogurt we had such birds as Scarlet-bellied and Lacrimose Mtn-Tanagers,
Superciliaried Hemispingus, Rufous-naped Brush-Finch, Pearled Treerunner and
Turquoise Jays. Between Oña and Saraguro we saw our first Purple-throated
Sunangel, Peruvian Meadowlark and Groove-billed Ani. We had lunch (probably
chicken) in Saraguro on a Sunday. The people were out in their traditional
black and blue dresses and coats - very striking.
After lunch we stopped at the Bosque Nativo Huashapamba (2800 -
3000 m), a forested reserve with trails which is about 7 km south of Saraguro.
The big catch here (thanks to Carol) was a Gray-breasted Mtn-Toucan feeding
solitarily in a treetop, good thing too, it was the only one we would see.
Other birds included two Black-chested Buzzard-Eagles, Slate-crowned Antpitta
(h), Black-throated Tody-Tyrant, Crowned Chat-Tyrant (h), and White-sided
Flower-piercer.
We didn't get to the Cajanuma entrance of Podocarpus Park until
5:00 p.m. after first finding our hotel in Loja. It was a beautiful sunny
evening and we saw quite a bit this afternoon in the short time available.
It would have been a perfect day to hike up to the top on the El Mirador trail.
Birds we saw this afternoon included Bearded Guan on the road in, Band-tailed
Pigeons in fluttering flight display, Scaly-naped Amazon, Band-winged Nightjar,
Collared Inca, Rainbow Starfrontlet, Sword-billed Hummer (Carol only),
Flame-throated Sunangel, Undulated, Chestnut-crowned, Chestnut-naped and Rufous
Antpittas (all heard), Chusquea and Ocellated Tapaculo (h), Streak-throated
Bush-Tyrant, Barred Fruiteater (h), Citrine and Black-crested Warblers,
Blue-and-black Tanager, and Hooded Mtn-Tanager.
We stayed at the nice Hotel Podocarpus in Loja, it has locked parking
as did all hotels at which we stayed. [Jose Antonio Eguiguren 16 50 entre 18
de Noviembre y Av. Universitaria, 581-428, 579-776 or 584-912] Other birds
seen this day include:
American Kestrel Eared Dove
White-tipped Dove White-collared Swift
Chestnut-collared Swift Sparkling Violetear
Shining Sunbeam Mtn Velvetbreast
Gorgeted Sunangel Black-tailed Trainbearer
Crimson-mantled Woodpecker Ash-colored Tapaculo (h)
White-crested Elaenia Tufted Tit-Tyrant
Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant
Chiguanco Thrush Masked Flower-piercer
Black Flower-piercer Plain-colored Seedeater
Hooded Siskin
Day SIX : Cajanuma all day.
Back through the Cajanuma entrance this morning. It takes about 45
minutes to get from Loja to the park entrance. It was foggy and windy in the
a.m. and not very good birding. It cleared in the afternoon except on the top
where it got worse later in the day. At lunchtime Carol and Jonas went back
to town to make more calls regarding the luggage and buy some more clothes.
While they were running errands I took the opportunity to climb the El
Mirador trail to the top. As I mentioned it was reasonably clear when I got to
the top but got progressively worse while I was there. Bad enough I saw no
birds on top but the views and stunted elfin vegetation are spectacular. The
trail starts at the ranger station at 2750 m and exits forest at 2965 m and
from there is gradual, at least nearby. I highly recommend walking the trail
no matter the weather conditions. The trail on top can be quite narrow as it
goes up a ridge edge and if particularly windy could be more than you care for.
Apparently, you can "camp out" in the station if you ask, it appeared well
tended - bring your own sleeping supplies and food.
But the treat was the pair of Chestnut-naped Antpittas I watched on and
just off the trail for as long as I wished. I was first attracted to some
Russet-crowned Warblers in the area and while peering into a trailside bamboo
thicket I realized I was looking at an antpitta looking at me perched at about
two feet high with another perched slightly behind it. They eventually hopped
repeatedly onto the trail in good light until I finally walked off. BTW, one
of the warblers had a yellow ring around its left leg. Via neoorn-l listserv
I was able to track down the probable bander with the info. The Antpittas were
amazing, with silvery legs, chestnut-nape, slate bellies and darker face. They
are about 8.5" (22 cm) tall. This may have been the birding experience of the
trip for me.
We stayed at the Podocarpus Hotel again and ate at the very nice Cafe
Azul about three blocks away. Other birds we saw today included :
Bearded Guan
Andean Pygmy-Owl (on a telephone wire just outside town, seen at mid-day -
it would still be there two days later for me to see)
Mountain Velvetbreast
Buff-winged Starfrontlet (f) Rainbow Starfrontlet
Flame-throated Sunangel Glowing Puffleg
Booted Racket-tail (h) Purple-backed Thornbill (Jonas)
Tyrian Metaltail Golden-headed Quetzal (h)
Rufous Spinetail (h) Pearled Treerunner
Streaked Tuftedcheek Rufous Antpitta
Slate-crowned Antpitta (h) White-crested Elaenia
White-banded Tyrannulet Rufous-brested Chat-Tyrant
Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant Black-and-white Becard
Barred Fruiteater (h) Rufous Wren
Plain-tailed Wren Blue-backed Conebill
Masked Flower-piercer Lacrimose Mtn-Tanager
Hooded Mtn-Tanager Buff-breasted Mtn-Tanager (h)
Blue-capped Tanager Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager
Black-capped Hemispingus Black-headed Hemispingus
Grass-green Tanager Northern Mtn-Cacique
Yellow-billed Cacique
Day SEVEN : Loja to San Francisco to Zamora. Bombuscara, Podocarpus Park.
We left Loja early to stop at San Francisco (2100 m), which has an old
ranger station of sorts and trails and lies along the road between Loja to
Zamora. It is part of Podocarpus Park. Birders frequently stop here because
it apparently represents an elevation difficult to access elsewhere in the
park. The trails are narrow and steep in places. It rained quite a bit while
we were there so we didn't see much. Highlights were Collared Inca, very good
looks at Amethyst-throated Sunangel, a possible Chestnut-breasted Coronet,
Long-tailed Slyph, Golden-headed Quetzal (h), a probable Emerald Toucanet
diving through the forest, Streaked Tuftedcheek (h), Strong-billed Woodcreeper
(h), Rufous-crowned Tody-Tyrant (h), Flavescent Flycatcher, Slaty-backed
Chat-Tyrant (h), Andean Solitaire, Plain-tailed Wren (h), Blackburnian
Warbler, Russet-crowned Warbler, Beryl-spangled, Saffron-crowned and
Flame-faced Tanagers. We also saw Russet-backed Oropendolas along this road.
We reached Zamora around noon and got rooms at the Hotel Gimyfa which
was in the process of redecorating but had cable and 2 beds per room. There is
a discoteque on the ground floor but it was not operating while we were there.
However, due to the celebration of Amazonas Day there was music in the town
square until early in the a.m. We had dinner at Don Pepe's, a short walk from
the hotel, which was very good with large proportions.
After lunch we went to the Bombuscara entrance of Podocarpus Park.
Keep your entrance fee receipt from either Bombuscara or Cajanuma - one fee is
good at both and they will check. This was our first birding at this low of an
elevation and most of the birds were new. The birding is surprisingly good
here considering how close to the town and forest edge the entrance and trails
are. This afternoon's highlights were
White-breasted Parakeet (an endemic which we saw well both days here)
Wire-crested Thorntail Fork-tailed Woodnymph (f)
Andean Emerald (tiny but in a scope) Ecuadorian Piedtail (singing and displaying)
Violet-fronted Brilliant Collared Trogon
Coppery-chested Jacamar (poor looks) Chestnut-tipped Toucanet
Yellow-tufted Woodpecker Mottle-backed Elaenia (good looks)
Ornate Flycatcher White-breasted Wood-Wren
Orange-bellied Euphonia Black-faced Dacnis
Buff-throated and Grayish Saltators Black-and White Seedeater
Chestnut-bellied Seedeater Yellow-browed Sparrow
Tanagers : Orange-eared, Paradise, Green-and-Gold, Golden, Spotted,
Golden-eared, Blue-necked, Bay-headed, Swallow, Blue-gray, Silver-beaked,
Summer, White-lined, Ashy-throated Bush-, Yellow-throated Bush-, and Magpie.
Other birds seen at Bombuscara include:
Squirrel Cuckoo Green Violetear (h)
Dark-breasted Spinetail (h)
White-backed Fire-eye (h) Blackish Tapaculo (h)
Northern White-crowned Tapaculo (h) Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet
Ochre-bellied Tyrannulet Slaty-capped Flycatcher
Olive-chested Flycatcher (h) Black Phoebe
Social Flycatcher Piratic Flycatcher (h)
Tropical Kingbird Green Jay
Brown-capped Vireo Olivaceous Greenlet (h)
Swainson's Thrush Black-billed Thrush
White-necked Thrush (h) White-banded Swallow
Tropical Parula Bananaquit
Bronze-green Euphonia (h) Blue-black Grassquit
Orange-billed Sparrow (probable heard)
Subtropical Cacique (h)
Day EIGHT : Bombuscara a.m., drive to Vilcabamba in the p.m.
We started the day back at Bombuscara. I will only mention birds for
this day that were not seen the previous afternoon. Many good birds were seen
but not by everyone for on the gentle wooded trails we spent significant time
apart. We met two American couples spending a month traveling and birding in
Ecuador the day before. They were back this morning but one fellow had to stay
in the vehicle nursing a bad stomach - don't eat food cooked on a street cart!
Of note were the three White-breasted Parakeets that landed in view
below the canopy. The previous day we saw them at the big overlook.
Thereafter, Jonas had a stake-out for a Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper which was
nesting under a little waterfall. I saw it in flight once, low above the
water, and very briefly when it landed on an exposed rock with a single fern
leaf to obscure it. This bird is difficult to find in this part of Ecuador.
And then, in order, one or another of us saw an Amazonian Umbrellabird (f), a
Highland Motmot on the handrail of the little bridge which crosses the small
creek, Black-streaked Puffbird, and Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (f) - which landed
very close to me for a couple of minutes while I was sitting quietly waiting
for the Puffbird to move.
That's four pretty special birds - I remain amazed at the selection of
birds at this place so close to the city outskirts. I also saw an Olive Finch
when by myself (Jonas teased me later when I described the bird, that I hadn't
got the others, but in my defense they walked away from me when we were still
seeing birds - I didn't realize this is a difficult bird to find). We also saw
a female Scale-backed Antbird and two male and one female Blue-rumped Manakins.
Other new birds for the day were Ruddy Pigeon, Blackish Nightjar, Booted
Racket-tail (h), Black-billed Treehunter (h), Wedge-billed Woodcreeper,
Blackish Antbird (h), Short-tailed Antthrush (h), White-capped Dipper (I'm
still not sure I believe they don't go underwater?), Barn Swallow, and
Buff-rumped Warbler.
We then made our way to Vilcabamba by way of Loja and Malacatos picking
up Torrent Tyrannulet on the way. In Malacatos, the painted sign gives you the
year-round temperature, 19 degrees C, and the altitude, 1700 m. Malacatos
calls itself the "Valle de la Eterna Primavera." Along the way we saw
Plain-breasted Hawk and that Andean Pygmy Owl was still perched on the
telephone line on the outskirts of Loja for me. We reached Vilcabamba and our
base for two nights at 4:00 p.m. We stayed at the luxurious Hosteria de
Vilcabamba with huge rooms in a separate building for all of $12 per night per
person. [P.O. Box Loja 107, Vilcabamba-Loja-Ecuador; (593-7) 580-271 or 272;
fax: -273] The only bad note was their habit of washing down the stone floors
of the restaurant with gasoline - sit near the door if they are still doing
this! The food was excellent. On or near the Hosteria grounds themselves were
Saffron Finch, Amazilia Hummer, White-bellied Woodstar, Yellow-tailed Oriole
(h), Pacific Hornero, Scrub Blackbird, Shiny Cowbird and Ecuadorian Thrush (h).
Day NINE : Yangana Pass, Quebrada Honda and above Valladolid.
Yangana Pass is between Vilcabamba and Quebrada Honda and lies at
approximately 2700 m. It is roughly 45 minutes from Vilcabamba. We had good
weather in the morning and saw three Golden-crowned Tanagers right along the
roadside. I had seen these before but only from a distance and not well as
they seem to like to forage quite low in bushy areas. The Golden-crowned is
one of the most beautiful of tropical birds in my estimation. Deep velvety
purplish-blue backs and bellies, black head, chestnut vent and golden skull
caps. We also heard Mouse-colored Thistletails and Rufous Antpittas and saw
White-sided Flower-piercers and Black-headed Hemispingus here.
We continued on to Quebrada Honda, home to the Jocotoco Antpitta.
This bird was only recently discovered, it is one of the large
Grallaria - white bellied and cheeked, black on the rest of the head and back,
kind of like an Emperor Penguin - I am judging from the Fundación Jocotoco,
Limite de la Reserva signs that mark the borders of the reserve set aside for
protection of its habitat. Jocotoco is the local name for the bird based on
its call, a low repeated "hoot". Unfortunately, this bird of the trip (or
millenium) never materialized - although I heard a cow imitating its call once,
does that count? There were a lot of mules carrying fresh wood planks up the
trail the two days we were there. Also possible here are White-capped Tanagers
and Red-hooded Tanagers. We took the trail opposite the cinder block hut at
2530 m.
Birds we did see or hear were
Bearded Guan (h) Golden-plumed Parakeet
Collared Inca Amethyst-throated Sunangel (great looks)
Flame-throated Sunangel Tyrian Metaltail
Long-tailed Slyph Crimson-mantled Woodpecker
Azara'a Spinetail Pearled Treerunner
Chestnut-crowned and -naped and Rufous Antpittas (all h)
Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant
Rufous-crowned Tody-Tyrant Black-throated Tody-Tyrant
Cinnamon Flycatcher (h) Smoke-colored Pewee
Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant (higher)
Dusky-capped Flycatcher (h) Green-and-black Fruiteater
Mountain Wren Tropical Parula
Blackburnian Warbler Bluish Flower-piercer
Blue-and-black Tanager Lacrimose and Hooded Mtn-Tanagers
Buff-breasted Mtn-Tanager (h) Blue-capped Tanager
Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager Superciliaried Hemispingus
Grass-green Tanager Rufous-naped Brush-Finch
Northern Mtn-Cacique (h) Yellow-billed Cacique
It was also here that Mark perfected his umbrella imitation of Gray-breasted
Mtn-Toucan wingbeats (as identified by Jonas!).
We continued on to the town of Valladolid and beyond for lunch and more
birding. The area beyond and above Valladolid is where Paul Greenfield found a
Chestnut-crested Cotinga on a tour a few years back. We didn't see that but
did see Red-billed Parrot (perched), White-capped Parrot (perched),
White-crested Elaenia, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Bananaquit, Capped Conebill,
Yellow-whiskered Bush-Tanager (h), Yellow-browed Sparrow and Giant Cowbird.
BTW, we had no trouble finding marmalade for the rest of the trip. ;^))
We headed back towards Vilcabamba intending to find the road to Cerro
Toledo this afternoon to take early the next morning. At the Yangana Pass area
we again saw the Golden-crowned Tanagers. The Cerro Toledo road is just past
the little town of Yangana (as you head towards the pass) on the left side of
the road. The locals were familiar with the road. Having found the road, the
first part is not good but it soon becomes quite acceptable. Unfortunately,
there had recently occurred a small landslide which prevented passage. If this
has not been cleared when you get there, I would recommend parking here and
walking the remaining distance to the forest, which I would roughly estimate at
an hour's quick walk on a very gently sloping road to the beginning of the
forest. The Cerro Toledo forest looks very good. Optionally, with shovels,
the landslide could be made passable in an hour's time by a couple of people
(using 4WD). We changed our plans to try Quebrada Honda again in the morning,
but in retrospect, I would recommend trying to get up to Cerro Toledo - of
course, I've never been there so ...
Night at Hosteria de Vilcabamba after coasting into town on our first
flat tire. Other birds seen this day include:
Broad-winged Hawk Ruddy Pigeon
Scaly-naped Amazon Glowing Puffleg
White-banded Tyrannulet Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet
Common Tody-Flycatcher Black Phoebe
Green Jay Andean Solitaire (h)
Glossy-black Thrush Fasciated Wren
Citrine Warbler Black-crested Warbler
Russet-crowned Warbler Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager
Superciliaried Hemispingus Rufous-naped Brush-Finch
Subtropical Cacique (h) Northern Mtn-Cacique (h)
Hooded Siskin (h)
Day TEN : Quebrada Honda, drive from Vilcabamba to Cariamanga
We got up at 4:40 a.m. to drive straight to Q. Honda. This takes about
1 1/2 hrs. We tried the same trail. No Jocotoco and only a few new birds for
this area, notably Bearded Guans seen, the Golden-plumed Parakeets were heard
today, Amethyst- and Flame-throated Sunangels seen again, Emerald Toucanet (h),
Powerful Woodpecker (h), Barred Antthrush (h), Tawny-rumped Tyrannulet,
Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant, Turquoise Jay (h), Rufous Wren, Plain-tailed Wren
(h), Capped Conebill, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Black-capped Hemispingus, and
Plushcap (always a stunner with its neon yellow headlamp).
Upon returning to Yangana on the way to Vilcabamba, we saw a
White-throated Hawk. Between Yangana and Vilcabamba, there are some beautiful
eroded cliffsides with acacia-like trees in the foreground. The material
appears to be a soft stone that has formed many spires of different heights.
Although we had planned another day in Vilcabamba, we were always
trying to gain some of the time lost due to the luggage problems, so we headed
off to Cariamanga and into the deep south of Ecuador. We definitely took the
back way on a little dirt road that took us through Purunuma (~ 2000 m) and
Gonzanama. This passed through gradually rising dry scrub habitat in the heat
of the day and yielded Eared Dove, Croaking Ground-Dove, White-tipped Dove,
Pacific Parrotlet, Groove-billed Ani, Elegant Crescent-chest (h), Chiquanco
Thrush, Long-tailed Mockingbird, Tropical Gnatcatcher, and Saffron Finch.
We stayed the night in Cariamanga. Other birds seen this day include:
White-capped Parrot (h) Amazilia Hummer
Mountain Velvetbreast Purple-throated Sunangel
Golden-olive Woodpecker Vermilion Flycatcher
Smoky Bush-Tyrant (h) Fasciated Wren
Masked Flower-piercer Blue-black Grassquit
Day ELEVEN : Cariamanga to Utuana to Macara.
Utuana was our first birding stop of the day. It is about 1 hour from
Cariamanga. There are a number of specialty birds here on which we were
fortunate to do well. The area lies at 2500 meters elevation. I think the
entrance road is some 700 m from the edge of town.
One of the first birds we saw was a Black-crested Tit-Tyrant which
could be the trip bird on most trips and was for Carol on this. It has a
black-streaked white breast and many black sprigs of feathers spiking up and
then falling over atop its white crest. It was very beautiful sitting exposed
in the sun. Another of the area specialties is Gray-headed Antbird which with
a little work we saw well. Jelski's Chat-Tyrant occurs here but only Jonas saw
that. The place was crawling with Rainbow Starfrontlets and with a little
patience I was able to get incredible looks at all the colors. This bird is
about Shining Sunbeam size with a rufous body and tail, red, yellow and green
on the forehead of the otherwise green head, black throat and chest.
Well, these birds were enough but we also saw
Plain-breasted Hawk White-rumped Hawk
White-throated Quail-Dove (h) Red-masked Parakeet (probable)
Speckled Hummer Mountain Velvetbreast
Purple-throated Sunangel (many) Smoky-brown Woodpecker
Rufous Spinetail (h) Line-cheeked Spinetail
Spotted Barbtail (h) Montane Woodcreeper (h)
Chapman's Antshrike (f/m - an endemic)
Undulated, Chestnut-crowned, Watkin's and Rufous Antpittas (all h)
White-crested Elaenia
Dusky-capped Flycatcher (h) Red-crested Cotinga
Turquoise Jay (h) Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush
Black-crested Warbler Masked Flower-piercer
White-sided Flower-piercer Blue-and-black Tanager
Blue-capped Tanager
Black-cowled Saltator (another Tumbesian endemic found only in the south)
Stripe-headed Brush-Finch (h).
With that list for a morning you can see why I highly recommend Utuana if you
are at all close. Utuana can be easily reached from the Macara area - we did
just that the following afternoon.
In the afternoon, we headed towards Macara in the far south and birded
along the way. We also did some scoping out of birding spots or a river
crossing near the town of Tambo Negro. Here are some of the birds we saw
between Utuana and Macara:
Great Egret Striped Cuckoo (h)
Azara's Spinetail Rufous-necked Foliage-gleaner (h)
Golden-faced Tyrannulet (to be the "Loja" split?)
Black-and-white Becard (m)
Rufous-browed Peppershrike Brown-capped Vireo (h)
Long-tailed Mockingbird Chestnut-collared Swallow
Fasciated Wren Black Flower-piercer (h)
Saffron Finch Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch
White-winged Brush-Finch Bay-crowned Brush-Finch
Yellow-billed Cacique (h) Scrub Blackbird
Yellow-tailed Oriole
Night in Macara, Hotel Espiga - cold water only, TV, twin beds, quiet
perhaps because it rained quite hard this night. Dinner at the Restaurant
D'Marcoss was good.
Day Twelve : Tambo Negro area, Q. Yaguana, Q. Suquinda, Utuana.
We considered crossing the river, the Rio Sabianga, just downriver
from Tambo Negro - the forest across looks quite good. But with the heavy
rains the night before, we decided not. I walked across to get an idea, it
was up to my knees in places. As we were leaving, a truckful of workers
roared across. This must be the river crossing near Tambo Negro mentioned in
Best, et al. But the birding on the road between Tambo Negro and the Yaguana
Road was good.
Birds seen near Tambo Negro include:
Pale-browed Tinamou (h) Striated Heron
Great Egret Pacific Parrotlet
Ringed Kingfisher Streaked Saltator
Further along the road towards the Yaguana Road turnoff we saw:
Harris Hawk Spotted Sandpiper
Ecuadorian Ground-Dove White-tipped Dove
Pallid Dove
Red-masked Parakeet (binoc-filling views of just the head of one eating fruit)
Gray-cheeked Parakeet
Pacific Pygmy-Owls (2, one perched at roadside)
Blue-crowned Motmot Collared Antshrike (many)
Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet Tropical Pewee
One-colored Becard (f/m) White-tailed Jays (many)
Rufous-browed Peppershrike (lots at roadside eye-level, odd orange eyes)
Ecuadorian Thrush
Variable Seedeater Fasciated Wren
The main destinations for the day were the wooded ravines (quebradas)
along the Yaguana Road. The first of these is called Quebrada Yaguana. Here
we saw Rufous-headed Chachalaca chachalacking-up a hubbub, Band-tailed Pigeon,
Amazilia Hummer, Golden-olive Woodpecker, the spectacular and frenzied
Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner (bird of the trip?), Great Antshrike (h), Scaled
Antpitta (h), Rufous-winged Tyrannulet, Smoke-colored Pewee, Sooty-crowned
Flycatcher, Three-banded Warbler, Hepatic Tanager, and Yellow-rumped Cacique.
The next stop was just down the road at Quebrada Suquinda. Birds seen
at this ravine were Squirrel Cuckoo, Scarlet-backed Woodpecker, the suddenly
ubiquitous Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Gray-and-gold
Warbler, Thick-billed Euphonia, Hepatic Tanager again, and White-winged
Brush-Finch. The Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner is another rare Tumbesian
endemic. Seeing it so well now rendered the rest of the day pure gravy.
Tumbesian endemics are limited to a small portion of northern Peru and southern
Ecuador.
Possibilities for the quebradas calling for a return, i.e., misses,
include Rufous-necked Foliage-gleaner, Silver-backed Tanager, Black-and-white
Tanager and Andean Slaty-Thrush.
Lunch was in the town of Sozoranga which has Saffron Finches in the
street and Chestnut-collared Swallows nesting on the church. We also saw
Gray-breasted Martins and Rusty-margined Flycatchers here. We had planned to
try to get to the El Tundo forest patch near here - the road leaves from
Sozoranga, but we were told that due to the recent heavy rains, the road there
was impassable even for a 4WD. So we decided to drive back to Utuana it was so
good yesterday. As luck would have it, it rained heavily at Utuana, I worked
on these notes. Nothing new was seen in the little time we attemped to bird,
we did see lots of Bay-crowned Brush-Finches and a Slaty-crowned
Nightingale-Thrush and heard Stripe-headed Brush-Finches.
On the way back to Macara in the late afternoon, one roadside stop
yielded good looks at a pair of Watkins' Antpitta. These birds are
chestnut-capped, medium sized with streaking on the sides. My notes state
that they reminded me of Kookaburras - I don't remember why though. Night at
the Hotel Espiga and dinner at Restaurant D'Marcoss.
Day THIRTEEN : Macara to El Empalme to Piñas.
The primary birding destination today was the decidous forest in the
El Empalme to Celica region. Since this was in the rainy season, the trees
were leafed out and the birds were quite active. Ceiba trichistandra and an
acacia tree predominate. The ceibas have green swollen trunks and grow
scattered over the hillsides with the smaller acacia and some tall cactus
sparsely mixed in. The effect is very much one of an African dry forest,
except for the fog which drifted through in the early morning. In this season
White-headed Brush-Finches were all over the place and Elegant Crescent-chests
and Pale-browed Tinamou were calling. We also saw:
American Kestrel Croaking Ground-Dove
White-tipped and Pallid Doves Red-masked Parakeet
Pacific Parrotlet Ecuadorian Piculet (just a glimpse)
Azara's and Line-cheeked Spinetail (both h)
Collared Antshrike
Undulated and Chestnut-crowned Antpittas (h)
Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant
Vermilion Flycatcher Baird's Flycatchers
White-tailed Jay Plumbeous-backed Thrush (Carol)
Long-tailed Mockingbird Gray-breasted Martin
Fasciated Wren Superciliated Wrens in the cactus
Tropical Gnatcatchers and Parulas Black-lored Yellowthroat
Three-banded Warbler Hepatic Tanager in Celica
Saffron Finch Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch
Tumbes Sparrow Saffron Siskin (one male)
We backtracked to El Empalme, had lunch in Catacocha and continued on
our way through Chaguarpantha (perhaps my favorite place name on this trip),
Balsas, and Zapote to Piñas. Birds seen between El Empalme and Piñas included
Great, Snowy and Cattle Egrets, Swallow-tailed Kites (this summer one lingered
in southeastern Minnesota for some time, the first one seen in a long time,
they once bred in Minnesota), Eared Dove, Striped Cuckoo (h), Short-tailed
Swift, Smoky-brown Woodpecker (h), Yellow-rumped Tanager, Bay-crowned
Brush-Finch, and Shiny Cowbird.
Night in Piñas in the Hotel Las Orquideas.
Day FOURTEEN : Piñas to Buenaventura to Naranjal.
The next day we were to fly home - 10:00 p.m. flight - so we could bird
in the morning but needed to eat into the distance back north in the afternoon.
We spent the morning in the Buenaventura forest patch off the blue roadside
chapel. We could not drive very far in and hiked the main trail where we saw
some good birds including:
Gray-headed Kite Hook-billed Kite
Swallow-tailed Kite Gray-backed Hawk (perched, endemic)
Crested Caracara American Kestrel
Bronze-winged Parrot (probable) White-whiskered Hermit
Tawny-bellied Hermit White-tipped Sicklebill (alas, not by me)
Emerald-bellied Woodnymph (f) Booted Racket-tail
Violet-tailed Slyph Wedge-billed Hummer
Collared Trogon (h) Rufous Motmot (h)
Crimson-rumped Toucanet Azara's and Slaty Spinetail (both h)
Red-faced Spinetail
Pacific Tuftedcheek (hanging on a moss bundle)
Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner Uniform Treehunter
Streaked Xenops Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
Spotted Woodcreeper Great Antshrike (f)
Uniform Antshrike (h) Russet Antshrike
Slaty Antwren (f/m)
Immaculate Antbird (a beautiful female or immature seen at trailside)
Plain-backed Antpitta (h) Golden-faced ("Loja") Tyrannulet
Rufous-winged Tyrannulet Slaty-capped Flycatcher
Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant (h) Bronze-olive Pygmy-Tyrant
Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant (very active)
Common Tody-Flycatcher White-throated Spadebill (h)
Ornate Flycatcher Bran-colored Flycatcher
Smoke-colored Pewee Black-and-white Becard (f)
Golden-winged Manakins (2 males, but no Club-winged Manakins were heard)
Brown-capped Vireo
Lesser Greenlet (oh boy) Swainson's Thrush
Southern Rough-winged Swallow Whiskered Wren
Bay Wren Olive-crowned Yellowthroat
Orange-bellied Euphonia
Golden, Bay-headed, Glistening-green, Silvery-throated, Golden-naped,
Yellow-rumped, White-winged (f), Ashy-throated Bush-, and
Yellow-throated Bush-Tanagers
Buff-throated and Black-winged Saltators
Yellow-bellied Seedeater Orange-billed Sparrow
Scarlet-rumped Cacique (h) Scrub Blackbird.
Retreating to Piñas we made our way towards Machala. New birds for the
day seen on this stretch included Muscovy Duck, Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret,
Wattled Jacana, and Pale-vented Pigeon.
We drove until late, passing through Zapote, Santa Rosa, Pasaje,
Goabo and stopping in Naranjal. Here Jonas was able to talk an inn-keeper
into opening two rooms for us which would have been iffy if not for the ceiling
fans which I left on all night. The other inn in town was unacceptable and
noisy due to another local "Carnival".
Day FIFTEEN : Naranjal to Laguna El Canclon and marshes, Tinalandia to Quito.
Our last day and we had to get back to Quito for late evening flights.
We stopped at the Laguna El Canclon, part of the Reserva Ecologica
Manglares-Chirute, but there was nobody there willing to accompany us around -
an apparent necessity. We birded from the roadside which is busy and passes
through a large marsh. We were fortunate to see four Horned Screamers perched
on bushtops and many other birds including:
Least Grebe Neotropic Cormorant
Fulvous Whistling-Ducks in flight Muscovy Duck
Cocoi, Great, Snowy and Cattle Egrets
Striated and Black-crowned Night-Herons
Osprey Snail Kite
White-throated Crake (h) Purple Gallinule
Limpkin (one in flight) Wattled Jacana
Pale-vented Pigeon Pacific Parrotlet
Squirrel Cuckoo Smooth-billed Ani
Pacific Pygmy-Owl Ringed and Green Kingfisher
Masked Water-Tyrant Fasciated Wren (h)
Blue-black Grassquit Variable Seedeater
Yellow-bellied Seedeater Chestnut-throated Seedeater
Peruvian Meadowlark
We were able to make it to Tinalandia just in time for lunch. We were
the only people there - I don't think anybody was staying there either. The
place has expanded considerably since I was there some ten years ago but it is
well done. Lunch was excellent and provided a Crimson-rumped Toucanet at the
fruit feeder. We had time for some birding on the grounds before and after
lunch which yielded:
Swallow-tailed Kite Maroon-tailed Parakeet
Bronze-winged Parrot White-collared Swift
White-whiskered Hermit Stripe-throated Hermit
Green-crowned Woodnymph (f/m) Rufous-tailed Hummer
Pale-mandibled Aracari Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Streak-headed Woodcreeper Pacific Streaked-Antwren
Chestnut-backed Antbird (h) Golden-faced ("Loja") Tyrannulet
Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet (h) Slaty-capped Flycatcher
Yellow Tyrannulet Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant (h)
Common Tody-Flycatcher Black Phoebe
Gray-capped Flycatcher Purple-throated Fruitcrow (3)
Swainson's Thrush Bay Wren (h)
Choco Warbler Russet-crowned Warbler
Palm Tanager Yellow-rumped Tanager
Dusky-faced Tanager (h) Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager
Yellow-rumped Cacique
Oh, and a Pacific Hornero thanks to Carol!
Whereupon we suffered our second flat tire. The highway back to Quito
was bumper-to-bumper because someone reportedly went over the edge. We still
made it back to Quito in time for a leisurely dinner at the airport.
Continental upgraded me to first-class for the overnight to Houston. Carol got
her luggage delivered to her door in Minnesota one week later.
Epilogue : I was able to get through this without mentioning Roadside Hawk,
Tropical Kingbird or Chestnut-collared Sparrow! Oh, darn ...