Magpie Tanagers  are commonly seen in the more open areas around Sacha Lodge.

This was Tropical Birding's inaugural Ecuadorian Amazon tour. As Francis and Judith were the only two participants in the tour, they were able to set the pace that they preferred. They chose to have a fun, fairly relaxed tour, getting good looks at many of the Amazonian gems without wearing themselves out trying to build a huge list. Sacha Lodge was the perfect place for this, as it offers a degree of luxury available in few other remote rainforest lodges. Also included in the tour was a day trip to the high Andes above Papallacta, and here we lucky enough to see an Andean Condor!

Day 1: Since Francis & Judith were already in Quito after finishing Tropical Birding's South American Introtour, we chose to leave for Sacha Lodge early, postponing the trip to Papallacta until the end. We caught a short flight from Quito to the city of Coca on the Río Napo. It was a mostly clear day and we flew right over the magnificent snow-capped peak of Volcán Cayambe along the way. Once in Coca, we hopped onto a boat, heading down-river towards Sacha. It was mid-day and not much was around but we did see some Yellow-billed Terns, a Black Caracara, a Drab Water-Tyrant, and various herons, egrets, and swallows. After disembarking we spent some time in the shade of the covered building in 'the finca', the small farm next to Sacha's dock on the Napo. Birds always seem to be active here even in the hottest weather, and we were soon looking at swooping Swallow-winged Puffbirds, a pair of confiding Scarlet-crowned Barbets, lots of punkish Mottle-backed Elaenias,  a beautiful Red-capped Cardinal, some Black-fronted Nunbirds, and a whole bunch of different flycatchers. An unusual sight was a Straight-billed Woodcreeper that managed to catch a tree frog and then didn't quite know what to do with it. It banged it against the trunk a few times before flying off with the prize. After leaving the finca, we headed towards the boardwalk, spotting a Brown Jacamar in a tree and a few Pied Plovers on a sandbar. The boardwalk crosses some nice várzea (seasonally flooded) forest on the way to a small oxbow lake called Pilchicocha. We boarded a dugout canoe and paddled across the lake to the lodge itself, where we were greeted with a welcome cocktail and shown to our cabins. The food at Sacha is always good, but this week it was truly spectacular, and we had the first of many lovely meals in the dining hall before retiring to our comfortable beds.

Day 2: We had the first of many 5AM breakfasts. The weather had been so hot recently that it was best to get up early and take advantage of the cool morning hours. We headed for the canopy tower this morning, joined by Sacha's best bird guide Oscar Tapuy and also Jim Adair, whom Oscar had been guiding over the last few days. We climbed to the top of the 40 meter (130 ft) tower soon after sunrise, and there was not a cloud in the sky to alleviate the heat of the tropical sun. Activity was not great due to the weather, but a nearby fruiting tree attracted a constant stream of frugivores, especially tanagers. We saw Paradise, Opal-crowned, Opal-rumped, and Masked Tanagers as well as lots of honeycreepers, dacnises and euphonias. Many-banded, Lettered and Ivory-billed Araçaris all passed by, and a striking Cream-colored Woodpecker clung to a nearby tree, allowing great scope views. Other nice birds seen this morning were Cinnamon-throated Woodcreeper, Plum-throated Cotinga, and Fasciated Antshrike. Once it became too hot, we descended the tower and canoed back to the lodge along a beautiful channel called 'Orquideas' (Spanish for 'orchids'). We quickly had one of nicest surprises of the trip when Oscar spotted a Chestnut-capped Puffbird perched nearby. A little further on we got a nice a look at an Orange-crested Manakin, a species that was considered endemic to Ecuador until it was recently discovered in Peru. We had a nice lunch and took a break during the hottest part of the day before crossing Pilchicocha and spending some time birding the boardwalk. We managed to find a pair of White-chinned Jacamars and had a nice look at a White-bearded Hermit on its nest before continuing on to the finca. Along the way we had our first of many sightings of Speckled Chachalacas as a couple of birds flew clumsily from tree to tree. In the finca were many birds seen yesterday, but a Chestnut-eared Araçari and a skulking male Red-breasted Blackbird added some color to the afternoon. On the way back to the lodge for another satisfying dinner we had a brief look at a Tropical Screech-Owl.

Day 3: Oscar was between groups and was happy to accompany us on his free day. He suggested that we bird the south side of the Napo, so we headed off down the river towards the parrot lick in Yasuní National Park. However, we first stopped at a young river island for an hour and tried to find as many island specialists as we could. Things were reasonably cooperative and Orange-headed Tanager, Castlenau's Antshrike, and Little Cuckoo were not too difficult. We had a harder time with Fuscous Flycatcher, Black-and-white Antbird, Lesser Hornero, and White-bellied Spinetail, but we did get some brief looks at them eventually. Not wanting to miss the parrots, we jumped back into the boat and raced down-river for another ten minutes, arriving just in time. The sound of the parrots was almost deafening, as Mealy and Yellow-crowned Amazons, Blue-headed Parrots, and Dusky-headed and Cobalt-winged Parakeets all screeched at once. From the hide as many as a hundred of them could be seen eating clay from an earth bank, while hundreds more perched in trees nearby. After about 15 minutes most of them departed in a whirl of colors as they set off in search of fruit. We continued downriver to a different trail called the 'Añangu Trail' and set off into the forest. It was again hot and sunny, but we ran into a few nice birds en route, including Wing-barred Piprites and Spot-winged Antbird. Farther along this trail is another parrot lick, this one attracting some of the rarer parrots and macaws. This lick was just as active as the other one, but 99% of the birds were Cobalt-winged Parakeets, and we really had to work to find a couple of Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlets and an Orange-cheeked Parrot. Nearby we found a pair of incredible Scarlet Macaws perched high in a tree, and our scope gave superb views. After continuing up the trail for a while and finding a Golden-headed Manakin lek, we had a box lunch and started heading back. Oscar had to join his other group, but we had help from a native guide named Eusavio for the rest of the trip. Eusavio had a strange nickname, 'Bombo', which we started using as it was easier to remember.

Day 4: Francis and Judith were pretty worn out by the previous long day, so we took a short morning birding the finca before heading back and taking the rest of the afternoon off. The morning wasn't wasted, as we had brilliant views of a pair of Golden-collared Toucanets, a nice Chestnut Woodpecker, White-shouldered and Spot-backed Antbirds, and a few others. It was a productive morning for mammals, with White-fronted Capuchin Monkeys, Squirrel Monkeys, Pygmy Marmosets, and Black-mantle Tamarins all seen well. In the afternoon we relaxed and watched Hoatzins hiss and flap in the trees around the lodge.

Day 5: The continuing hot and dry weather took its toll today as we were unable to pass through the Shipate River and get to the far side of the Providencia trail. Instead, we had to walk the Providencia trail starting from the Río Napo, and it was a long walk through degraded habitat before finally entering good forest, by which time it was time to turn around and come back! While it could have been a disappointing morning, a few great birds changed the day. The most spectacular, and one of the best birds of the trip, was the rare Ringed Woodpecker, seen just after crossing the river. This species has only been seen a few times at Sacha! Also nearby was a Spot-breasted Woodpecker and a small flock of Chestnut-fronted Macaws perched in a tree. Farther down the trail we had great looks at White-eared Jacamar and a pair of excited Eastern Sirystes (not a rare bird, but for some reason not often seen here). Further on we had truly spectacular views of a flock of Red-bellied Macaws eating fruit from a palm tree. This species is almost always seen shooting by in flight and one does not often see them perched. After returning for lunch and taking another long siesta, we set out on a new trail called Suizos Trail. It turned out to be a very productive afternoon with the highlights being a good look at a Rufous-tailed Flatbill, and unforgettable views of a Black-faced Antthrush strutting its way along a mossy log.

Day 6: The hot weather finally broke this morning as the sky opened up at 2AM with a thunderous downpour that woke everyone in the lodge. After letting off for a while, it was followed by another one just as strong. By the time we got to breakfast at 5AM, several inches of rain had fallen. Fortunately by daybreak it had lessened to just a sprinkle, and stopped completely an hour later. The temperature plummeted and we enjoyed constant cloud cover and a steady temperature of about 25ºC (77ºF) for the rest of the trip. We went to the tower again this morning to look for things we missed the first time, and were fairly successful. A Great Jacamar came in close, and a pair of White-necked Puffbirds hung around most of the morning. A Lawrence's Thrush, one of the greatest mimics in the world, had taken up residence in the tower tree and persistently sang its repertoire of about 20 species. Green-and-gold and Yellow-bellied Tanagers put in an appearance in the fruiting tree, and Rufous-bellied Euphonias were conspicuous. We scoped White-throated Toucans in the distance and a White-fronted Nunbird finally came by. After lunch they again decided to take the afternoon off.

Day 7: It was still pleasantly cool, and we set out on a different trail this morning called the Liana Trail. Lots of birds were singing pre-dawn, but the darkness under the thick canopy made them impossible to see. We managed to get a White-necked Thrush in the spotlight, and the poor thing didn't quite know what to do. After about-facing a few times it finally flew off. The birding was surprisingly slow for the first few hours, but finally things started happening. We worked hard for nice views of Ringed Antpipit, a strange terrestrial flycatcher, and next a hard-to-see Striated Antthrush showed well. Later on we found a screaming Slate-colored Hawk perched in a tree, and a cooperative Scale-backed Antbird. In a clearing near the base of the new canopy walkway that is under construction we got Purplish Jacamar and Pink-throated Becard. On the way back to the lodge we spotted a few manakins, first Blue-backed and then Wire-tailed. At that point we were hit by a sudden rainstorm and hastily made our way back for lunch. Late in the afternoon we went for a tranquil canoe ride along the Orquideas creek. We managed to see a lot of what we still needed there, including a pair of Silvered Antbirds, foraging dipper-like along the side of the channel, as well as a pair of Plumbeous Antbirds. Gray-headed Tanagers showed nicely in the understory, and later on we saw a Striped Woodcreeper hitching up a tree trunk. We came back at dusk for our last wonderful dinner at Sacha Lodge.

Day 8: It was time to say goodbye to Bombo and all the other wonderful folks at Sacha. After breakfast we headed back across Pilchicocha and along the boardwalk to the Río Napo, where we boarded our boat and went upriver to the dreary, dusty city of Coca, from where we flew back to Quito.

Day 9: Judith and Francis chose to take the day off to do some shopping and sightseeing.

Day 10: What a difference Papallacta Pass was compared to Sacha Lodge! We left early, bundled up in our warmest clothes, and prepared for the worst. This was a good idea, as the weather at the pass and along the road up to the radio towers was pretty dreadful. High winds, rain, and fog hindered our birding but nonetheless we managed to see many interesting birds. First we found a pair of Red-rumped Bush-Tyrants and a few Andean Tit-Spinetails, and en route to the towers we saw Stout-billed and Bar-winged Cinclodes. At the top we briefly saw a Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe before it vanished in the fog, and a lone Páramo Pipit braved the weather near the antennas. On the way down towards the lake we stopped at a patch of Polylepis forest that proved surprisingly active. Giant Conebills, usually not very easy here, were the most common bird in a flock that also had Pale-naped Brush-Finches, Páramo Seedeaters, and a Pearled Treerunner. At the lake we saw Speckled Teal and Yellow-billed Pintail, and found a busy mixed flock including Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager. By this time we were all cold and wet, and decided it would be nice to soak for a while in the famous 'Termales' (hot springs) of Papallacta. After being cooked for a while we had lunch and started back, stopping a few places along the way for some mountain tanagers and a nice view of a Carunculated Caracara. But the highlight of the day, and perhaps even of the trip, was yet to come!  When Judith spotted a soaring bird out the car window, we stopped to have a look, and it turned out to be an Andean Condor. We watched this magnificent creature in awe for a few minutes until it disappeared over a ridge. A truly spectacular bird to end the trip!

Day 11: I took Judith and Francis to the airport at 5:15AM for their flight back home. We said our goodbyes and parted ways, hoping to travel together again.

TRIP LIST

This list is divided into two section. The first covers birds seen while staying at Sacha Lodge, the second covers the day trip to Papallacta. Birds marked as (H) were heard only. Taxonomy follows The Birds of Ecuador by Ridgely & Greenfield.

PART 1: SACHA LODGE (INCLUDING COCA, RÍO NAPO, YASUNÍ NP, AND PROVIDENCIA)

BIRDS RECORDED BY PARTICIPANTS
Great Tinamou (H) - Heard a few times from terra firme trails.
Cinereous Tinamou (H) - Heard almost daily in várzea forest.
Undulated Tinamou (H) - Heard many times in and near the finca.
Rufescent Tiger-Heron - Adults seen on Orquideas channel and Suizos trail, one juv. seen on railing at the lodge dock!
Cocoi Heron - Many seen along Río Napo.
Great Egret - Many seen along Río Napo.
Snowy Egret - Several seen along Río Napo.
Cattle Egret - Always present at the finca.
Striated Heron - A few seen along Río Napo and Orquideas channel.
Capped Heron - One landed briefly in a snag adjacent to tower.
Black-crowned Night-Heron - Seen (especially at dawn) on Pilchicocha.
Green Ibis (H) - Heard from Pilchicocha but never seen.
King Vulture - 3 seen soaring very distantly from tower.
Black Vulture - Common.
Greater Yellow-headed Vulture - Common.
Osprey - 2 seen along Río Napo.
Swallow-tailed Kite - Seen only a few times, once from tower. Raptors were very scarce on this trip. Normally common species such as Plumbeous Kite, Double-toothed Kite, and Slender-billed Kite were not seen at all.
Slate-colored Hawk - One seen on Liana trail.
Roadside Hawk - The most common raptor. Seen frequently, especially from finca and Río Napo.
Black Caracara - Seen several times from Río Napo and Pilchicocha.
Yellow-headed Caracara - Seen twice along Río Napo.
Bat Falcon - 1 scoped distantly on a treetop on the banks of the Napo.
Speckled Chachalaca - Common and noisy, even among the cabins at the lodge.
Spix's Guan - Seen well once from finca and another time from tower.
Rufous-sided Crake (H) - Heard along the channel to Pilchicocha. While fairly common, this species is very hard to spot.
Gray-necked Wood-Rail - A group of three seen walking on a sand bar on the side of the Napo.
Limpkin - One spotlighted pre-dawn roosting in a tree next to the channel to Pilchicocha.
Spotted Sandpiper - Frequently seen on Río Napo.
Southern Lapwing - A pair has taken up residence in the finca and we saw them several times.
Pied Plover - Several seen on Río Napo sandbars close to the finca.
Collared Plover - 2 seen on a sand bar in the Río Napo.
Yellow-billed Tern - Frequently seen on Río Napo.
Pale-vented Pigeon - Several seen on Pilchicocha and alongside the Río Napo.
Ruddy Pigeon (H) - Heard frequently in forest.
Plumbeous Pigeon (H) - Heard frequently in forest.
Ruddy Ground-Dove - 1 seen on river island.
Gray-fronted Dove - We occasionally flushed this dove off the trail near the finca but only ever had brief looks of this shy bird.
Blue-and-yellow Macaw - One pair seen flying by tower.
Scarlet Macaw - Two scoped in a tree close to the interior parrot lick on the Añangu trail.
Chestnut-fronted Macaw - A small flock seen perched next to Providencia trail.
Red-bellied Macaw - A small flock seen eating pal fruit from Providencia trail.
Dusky-headed Parakeet - Very common. Many flocks screeched overhead but we only had really good looks at the Yasuní parrot lick.
Maroon-tailed Parakeet (H) - Flocks heard a few times in the forest.
Blue-winged Parrotlet - Small flocks seen well from the finca and along the Providencia trail.
Cobalt-winged Parakeet - Commonly seen flying overhead. Seen well on the Yasuní parrot lick, in the tower tree, and along the Providencia trail.
Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet - 2 individuals seen at the interior parrot lick.
Black-headed Parrot (H) - A few individuals screamed past but were never seen well.
Orange-cheeked Parrot - 1 bird seeen perched above the interior parrot lick.
Blue-headed Parrot - Dozens seen eating clay at the Yasuní parrot lick.
Yellow-crowned Amazon - A few seen at the Yasuní parrot lick, and occasional pairs were seen in flight.
Orange-winged Amazon - Occasional individuals and pairs seen flying.
Mealy Amazon - Many seen on the Yasuní lick, but apart from that only a few seen in flight.
Squirrel Cuckoo - 1 seen on Providencia trail, another seen from tower.
Little Cuckoo - One seen on river island.
Greater Ani - A small flock occasionally found near cabins.
Smooth-billed Ani - Common in open areas.
Hoatzin - Seen several times around the lodge.
Tropical Screech-Owl - 1 Seen near the finca
Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl (H) - Frequently heard, and I even found one perched near my cabin. Unfortunately it flew before I could bring Francis and Judith back to see it.
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl - Frequently heard, and one seen on a day perch near the lodge dock.
Crested Owl (H) - Heard calling at dusk the first few days. When finally went looking for it at dusk it was no longer calling!
Great Potoo - One seen on a day roost along the boardwalk.
Common Potoo - One seen on several occasions on its favorite perch  in a tree next to Pilchicocha.
Pauraque - One seen near finca.
Short-tailed Swift - Small flocks seen frequently.
Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift - One seen flying over finca.
Neotropical Palm-Swift - Small flocks seen frequently.
Great-billed Hermit - Seen at a lek near the interior parrot lick.
White-bearded Hermit - One seen incubating eggs in a nest along the boardwalk. Another seen on Suizos trail.
Black-throated Hermit - One seen briefly on the trail between the finca and the boardwalk.
White-necked Jacobin - Commonly seen from tower.
Olive-spotted Hummingbird - Several seen zipping about on the river island.
Amazonian White-tailed Trogon - One female seen over boardwalk. Trogons proved to be unusually scarce this week!
Ringed Kingfisher - Several seen along banks of Napo.
Amazon Kingfisher - Several seen along banks of Napo.
Green Kingfisher - One seen along side of Napo near the finca.
Green-and-rufous Kingfisher - 1 seen along Orquideas channel.
American Pygmy Kingfisher - 1 seen along Orquideas channel, another from the Suizos trail boardwalk.
Blue-crowned Motmot - Very common by voice nearly everywhere in forest but only seen a few times.
White-eared Jacamar - 2 seen in a clearing along Providencia trail.
Brown Jacamar - Several seen in and near the finca.
White-chinned Jacamar - A pair seen along the boardwalk.
Purplish Jacamar - A pair seen along Liana trail.
Great Jacamar - One seen brilliantly in the scope from the tower.
White-necked Puffbird - A pair seen close in the tower tree.
Chestnut-capped Puffbird - One seen along Orquideas.
Collared Puffbird (H) - Heard pre-dawn from Liana trail.
Brown Nunlet - One seen on Añangu trail.
Black-fronted Nunbird - Very common in finca and in other disturbed areas near the Napo.
White-fronted Nunbird - Seen from the tower and on Liania trail.
Yellow-billed Nunbird (H) - Heard once on the Liana trail.
Swallow-winged Puffbird - Very common near the Río Napo, especially in the finca.
Scarlet-crowned Barbet - Seen several times in and near the finca.
Gilded Barbet - Seen frequently from the tower.
Golden-collared Toucanet - One seen on Añangu trail, but the next day we saw a pair perched together near the finca.
Chestnut-eared Araçari - Seen on scattered occasions from the finca and other semi-open areas near the Napo.
Many-banded Araçari - Many seen from the tower. A few elsewhere.
Ivory-billed Araçari - 1 seen from the tower.
Lettered Araçari - 2 seen from tower.
Channel-billed Toucan (H) - Heard while canoeing down Orquideas channel.
White-throated Toucan - 2 seen from tower.
Lafresnaye's Piculet - 1 seen from tower.
Spot-breasted Woodpecker - 1 seen along Providencia trail.
Chestnut Woodpecker - 1 seen along boardwalk.
Scale-breasted Woodpecker - One seen high in a tree along Providencia trail.
Cream-colored Woodpecker - 1 seen very well from tower.
Ringed Woodpecker - One of the star birds of the trip. We saw one well in surprisingly degraded habitat along the Providencia trail.
Lineated Woodpecker - One seen near the finca.
Yellow-tufted Woodpecker - The most common and conspicuous woodpecker of the area. Seen almost every day.
Little Woodpecker - One seen on the river island.
Crimson-crested Woodpecker - 1 seen along Río Napo, a pair along Providencia trail, and another from the tower.
Lesser Hornero - 1 seen on the river island.
Dark-breasted Spinetail - Heard on the river island, but seen fairly well in the finca.
Plain-crowned Spinetail (H) - Heard on the river island but unresponsive.
White-bellied Spinetail - 1 seen well on river island.
Chestnut-winged Hookbill - One scoped along Añangu trail.
Chestnut-crowned Foliage-gleaner - A frustratingly difficult bird to see. We only had brief views of this birds flying from one hidden perch to another.
Black-tailed Leaftosser - One bird just about attacked the minidisc player along the Liana trail.
Cinnamon-throated Woodcreeper - One seen from tower.
Amazonian Barred-Woodcreeper - One seen on Providencia trail, another along Liana trail.
Black-banded Woodcreeper (H) - Heard from boardwalk on a couple of occasions.
Straight-billed Woodcreeper - Seen in the finca. One intrepid bird actually caught a tree frog and tried to eat it. it flew off with the frog before we could see if it was successful in its attempt.
Striped Woodcreeper - One seen along Orquideas channel.
Buff-throated Woodcreeper - A pair seen well at close range near the cabins. Otherwise only heard.
Fasciated Antshrike - 1 female seen from tower, and pair seen along Liana trail.
Undulated Antshrike (H) - Heard from Orquideas channel.
Castelnau's Antshrike - 1 male seen on river island.
Dusky-throated Antshrike - Only 1 female seen on Liana trail.
Cinereous Antshrike (H) - Heard from Añangu trail but unresponsive.
Pygmy Antwren (H) - Heard once along boardwalk.
Short-billed Antwren - Seen briefly from below flying from one canopy to another.
Rufous-tailed Antwren (H) - Heard along Añangu trail. Only I managed a brief look at this uncooperative bird.
White-flanked Antwren - 1 seen well in the place as the Rufous-tailed Antwren.
Gray Antbird (H) - One heard calling high in the canopy from the Liana trail.
Black-faced Antbird - One seen very well along Añangu trail.
Spot-backed Antbird - Seen only briefly from the boardwalk.
Scale-backed Antbird - A male seen very well along Añangu trail.
Black-and-white Antbird - One seen briefly on the river island.
Spot-winged Antbird - A male seen fairly well on Añangu trail.
Silvered Antbird - After failing to see this bird on two occasions, we finally had brilliant views of a pair feeding at the edge of Orquideas channel.
Plumbeous Antbird - A pair seen along Orquideas channel.
White-shouldered Antbird - While we heard it frequently, we only saw one male reasonably well along the boardwalk.
Black-faced Antthrush - A truly spectacular look at this usually hard-to-see species as it strutted along a moss-covered log on Suizos trail.
Striated Antthrush - Decent looks at this skulker along the Liana trail.
Slender-footed Tyrannulet - Great looks at this plain little flycatcher only a few feet away in the tower.
Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet - One singing bird seen in the scope.
Gray Elaenia - Good looks at a male in the tower tree.
Mottle-backed Elaenia - One of the most common and conspicuous birds in the finca. Unlike most elaenias it is actually easy to ID with a distinct white crown nestled between a split crest.
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher - One seen along Añangu trail.
Ringed Antpipit - One seen very well walking next to the Liana trail.
Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant (H) - Heard once along Orquideas channel. Unlike its black-capped cousin in the west, this species is usually VERY difficult to see.
Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatcher - One individual seen many times in the tower tree.
Brownish Twistwing (H) - Heard once from Añangu trail.
Rufous-tailed Flatbill - One seen very well along the Suizos boardwalk. This is generally a rare bird but at Sacha it is seen regularly.
Zimmer's Flatbill - One seen at close range in the tower giving its distinct "One....Two....Three" call.
Olive-faced Flatbill (H) - Heard everywhere in disturbed forest but despite our best efforts we did not see this tiny, greenish flycatcher.
Whiskered Flycatcher - One seen along Añangu trail.
Eastern Wood-Pewee - Several seen in clearings along Providencia trail.
Willow/Alder Flycatcher - 1 seen briefly on river island. This bird can only be ID's by voice. It did call twice but while Oscar thought it was Willow flycatcher, I thought it sounded more like Alder - A sharp "weet" rather than a dry "whit". The calls can sometimes sound similar though so I will leave it unidentified.
Fuscous Flycatcher - 1 seen on the river island.
Drab Water-Tyrant - Seen a few times on the banks of the Napo.
Bright-rumped Attila (H) - One heard along Providencia trail.
Cinnamon Attila (H) - Heard from/near tower twice.
Eastern Sirystes - One pair seen along Providencia trail.
Great Kiskadee - Very common along the river and in cleared areas.
Lesser Kiskadee - Seen once in finca and then another time on the side of Pilchicocha.
Boat-billed Flycatcher - Seen well only near lodge. Not nearly as common as its near-lookalike the Great Kiskadee.
Social Flycatcher - Seen frequently, especially near water.
Gray-capped Flycatcher - Seen in finca a few times and also once in the tower tree.
Piratic Flycatcher - Seen regularly, especially in the finca.
Tropical Kingbird - Common everywhere in open areas.
White-winged Becard - 1 male seen at start of Añangu trail, another seen in finca.
Black-capped Becard - Seen a few times from the tower.
Pink-throated Becard - One seen along Liana trail.
Black-tailed Tityra - Seen several times from tower and the finca.
Black-crowned Tityra - One male seen along Providencia trail.
White-browed Purpletuft - Several seen at close range from the tower.
Screaming Piha - Its distinctive voice is frequently heard in forest. We tracked one down on the Suizos trail and watched it scream.
Plum-throated Cotinga - Several males seen from tower and farm.
Spangled Cotinga - Oddly, we saw no males. We saw one female from the tower.
Bare-necked Fruitcrow - One female seen in tower tree.
Purple-throated Fruitcrow - Seen several times from tower and occasionally along trails.
Golden-headed Manakin - Several males seen at a large lek on the Añangu trail.
Wire-tailed Manakin - Males seen briefly a few times on Liana trail and the trail to the tower.
Blue-crowned Manakin - One female seen on Añangu trail.
Blue-backed Manakin - A male and a female seen on Liana trail.
Striped Manakin (H) - Heard on Añangu trail. Unfortunately only Oscar and I managed to glimpse it.
Orange-crested Manakin - 1 seen along Orquideas channel.
Dwarf Tyrant-Manakin - 1 seen along Suizos trail.
Wing-barred Piprites - 1 seen at very close range on Añangu trail.
Violaceous Jay - Common and conspicuous nearly everywhere. One pair was nesting just outside my cabin.
Red-eyed Vireo - 1 seen in the tower tree. We saw several other vireos in other places but at a distance too great to be able to seperate them from the next species.
Yellow-green Vireo - Seen 2 or 3 times in the tower tree.
Black-billed Thrush - The common thrush of cleared areas. Seen many times.
Lawrence's Thrush - We heard this wonderful mimic many times, but it wasn't until the second morning in the tower that we actually saw it. It sang for hours in the tower tree, occasionally stopping to feed at a fruiting tree.
Hauxwell's Thrush (H) - Heard once on Añangu trail.
White-necked Thrush - One spotlighted pre-dawn on the Liana trail.
Brown-chested Martin - A small flock seen one morning at the finca.
White-winged Swallow - Many seen along the Río Napo, and one liked to hang out on a stick in Pilchicocha.
White-banded Swallow - The most common swallow, seen nearly daily along rivers and lakes.
Southern Rough-winged Swallow - Seen a few times along the Napo and in the finca.
Black-capped Donacobius - One seen along the channel to Pilchicocha.
Thrush-like Wren - 1 seen in finca, another on Providencia trail.
House Wren - Several live in the finca and we saw them occasionally.
Blackpoll Warbler - Seen in the finca a few times.
Purple Honeycreeper - Seen frequently from the tower, and a few times elsewhere.
Green Honeycreeper - Seen frequently from the tower.
Blue Dacnis - Seen several times from the tower.
Black-faced Dacnis - Seen several times from the tower.
Orange-headed Tanager - One seen on the river island.
Thick-billed Euphonia - Seen several times from the tower.
Orange-bellied Euphonia - Seen several times from the tower.
White-vented Euphonia - One male seen in the finca.
Rufous-bellied Euphonia - Several males seen from the tower.
White-lored Euphonia - Seen several times from the tower.
Masked Tanager - Seen several times from the tower.
Turquoise Tanager - Seen several times from the tower and in the finca.
Opal-rumped Tanager - Seen many times from the tower.
Opal-crowned Tanager - Seen many times from the tower.
Paradise Tanager - Seen many times from the tower.
Green-and-gold Tanager - Seen a couple of times from the tower.
Yellow-bellied Tanager - One individual seen from the tower.
Swallow Tanager - One male seen in the finca.
Blue-gray Tanager - Seen many times.
Palm Tanager - Seen many times.
Silver-beaked Tanager - Seen many times, especially in the finca and in wet forest.
Masked Crimson Tanager - One pair seen along the boardwalk.
Scarlet Tanager - One juv. male seen from tower.
Gray-headed Tanager - One seen along Orquideas channel.
Magpie Tanager - Seen several times in farm and on Providencia trail.
Buff-throated Saltator - Seen once from tower, heard frequently in wetter forest.
Grayish Saltator - Seen in the finca.
Red-capped Cardinal - Several seen in and around the finca.
Black-and-white Seedeater (H) - One heard singing on a river island.
Chestnut-bellied Seedeater - A few seen on the river islands.
Yellow-browed Sparrow - 1 seen in the finca.
Yellow-rumped Cacique - The most common cacique - seen almost everywhere.
Crested Oropendola - Common, seen almost everywhere.
Russet-backed Oropendola - Very common, seen almost everywhere.
Shiny Cowbird - One seen from the finca.
Giant Cowbird - One fly-by on the Providencia trail.
Oriole Blackbird - Several pairs seen on and near river islands.
Red-breasted Blackbird - One male seen at the finca.

BIRDS RECORDED BY LEADER ONLY
Variegated Tinamou (H) - Heard on Liana trail.
Zigzag Heron (H) - Heard distantly predawn from Pilchicocha.
Lined Forest-Falcon - One seen from Liana trail.
Marbled Wood-Quail (H) - Heard once in the distance.
Ruddy Quail-Dove (H) - Heard along Liana trail.
Black-banded Owl (H) - Heard near tower.
White-collared Swift - One small flock seen over Río Napo.
Gray-rumped Swift - Seen once from tower and once from finca.
Straight-billed Hermit - One seen along Liana trail.
Blue-crowned Trogon (H) - Heard a couple of times in the distance.
Amazonian Violaceous Trogon (H) - Heard a couple of times in the distance.
White-chested Puffbird - Seen along Liana trail.
Lemon-throated Barbet (H) - Heard once along Liana trail.
Plain Xenops (H) - Heard once along Liana trail.
Plain-brown Woodcreeper - Seen very briefly on Providencia trail.
Great Antshrike (H) - Heard once along Providencia trail.
Plain-winged Antshrike (H) - Heard distantly a few times. Some may have been Mouse-colored Antshrikes, but the songs can sometimes be very hard to distinguish.
Spot-winged Antshrike - Glimpsed briefly from the tower.
Gray Antwren (H) - Heard once in the distance.
Dugand's Antwren (H) - Heard from the tower and from Liana trail.
Sooty Antbird (H) - Heard from Liana trail.
Black-spotted Bare-eye - Glimpsed briefly near the finca.
Chestnut-belted Gnateater - Seen along Liana trail.
Rusty-belted Tapaculo - Seen along Liana trail.
Cattle Tyrant - A pair seen next to the airstrip at Coca just before boarding the plane. This species was only recently discovered in Ecuador and there are only a few sightings of it, all from the Coca airport.
Dusky-capped Flycatcher (H) - Heard along Liana trail.
Short-crested Flycatcher - Seen briefly in the scope near the finca, but it flew before the others could see it.
White-breasted Wood-Wren - Seen along Liana trail.
Southern Nightingale-Wren - Heard from the tower.
Red-rumped Cacique - Seen briefly in flight from the tower.

PART 2: PAPALLACTA

BIRDS RECORDED BY PARTICIPANTS
Andean Teal - 2 seen in a field next to Papallacta lake.
Yellow-billed Pintail - 1 seen in Papallacta lake.
Andean Condor - 1 adult seen soaring from the road on the way back to Quito.
Black Vulture - A kettle circling over the road on the way back to Quito.
Carunculated Caracara - 1 seen from the road to the radio towers.
Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe - 1 seen briefly in the fog near the radio towers.
Bar-winged Cinclodes - Several seen in the páramo.
Stout-billed Cinclodes - Several seen in the páramo.
Andean Tit-Spinetail - Several seen in scrub near the pass.
Pearled Treerunner - 1 seen in the polylepis patch.
Tawny Antpitta - 1 seen hopping back and forth across the road to the radio towers.
Páramo Tapaculo (H) - Several heard along the old road west of the pass.
Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant - One seen on the old road west of the pass.
Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant - 2 seen in forest next to Papallacta lake.
Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant - 1 pair seen along old road west of the pass.
Páramo Ground-Tyrant - 1 seen near the radio towers.
Red-crested Cotinga - 1 seen from road to the hot springs.
Great Thrush - Many seen.
Brown-bellied Swallow - Several seen flying around in various places.
Mountain Wren - One seen in forest near Papallacta lake.
Páramo Pipit - One seen at radio towers.
Spectacled Whitestart - Several seen in a flock near Papallacta lake.
Black-crested Warbler - Several seen in forest near Papallacta lake.
Cinereous Conebill - 1 seem in the polylepis patch, more seen near the lake.
Giant Conebill - At least 5 seen in the polylepis patch.
Black Flowerpiercer - Several seen near the hot springs.
Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager - One seen from road to hot springs.
Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager - One seen from road to hot springs.
Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager - One seen in a flock near Papallacta lake.
Superciliaried Hemispingus - Two seen in a flock near Papallacta lake.
Plain-colored Seedeater - Several seen through the course of the day.
Páramo Seedeater - 4 females seen in the polylepis patch.
Plumbeous Sierra-Finch - A few seen along the old road west of the pass.
Pale-naped Brush-Finch - 3 seen in the polylepis patch.
Rufous-collared Sparrow - Many seen in settled areas.

BIRDS RECORDED BY LEADER ONLY
Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle - One glimpsed briefly while driving near the village.
American Kestrel - One seen on the way back to Quito.
White-collared Swift - 3 seen on the way back to Quito.
White-chinned Thistletail (H) - Several heard in and near the páramo.
Many-striped Canastero (H) - Several heard in the páramo.
Tawny-rumped Tyrannulet - One seen in a flock near the lake.
White-banded Tyrannulet - One seen in a flock near the lake.

MAMMALS AT SACHA
Pygmy Marmoset.
Black-mantle Tamarin.
Golden-mantle Tamarin.
Common Squirrel Monkey.
White-fronted Capuchin Monkey.
Red Howler Monkey (H).
Unidentified sloth.
Black Agouti.
Amazon Red Squirrel.
Several bats.