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EASTERN ECUADOR: High Andes to vast Amazon
A Tropical Birding set-departure tour.
Leader: José Illanes (with Oscar Tapuy and Marcelo Andy in Sacha)
Yellow-tufted
Woodpecker, White-necked Puffbird
and
Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant.
(José
Illanes)
19
November
The tour began way up high in the dry paramo grasslands
in the shadow of the awesome Antisana Volcano. The first two days of the tour
provided some classic Andean scenery as we were birding within one of the
best landscapes and views in all of South America. The key bird here is undoubtedly
Ecuador's national bird, Andean Condor, that with a wingspan of upto
3.1m is the world's largest raptor. We were treated to views of at least three
of these magnificent raptors, the sight of these huge birds gliding effortlessly
against an impressive mountain backdrop has to be one of the best sites in
the Andes. These dry paramos are low in species numbers and for sure this
day does not get you the big numbers that came in the Amazon later on the
tour, but are always some of the most highly-rated days, for magnificent scenery
and just a great set of specialist high Andean species. One of the most attractive
birds at Antisana is an exquisite hummingbird, the Ecuadorian Hillstar
that is pretty easy to come by here but no less appreciated for it - the
deep metallic purple hood of the male combined with pristine white underparts
are hard to beat up there in terms of pure beauty. Once we emerged onto the
high plains (with the mighty Antisana volcano looming large in the background),
we came across the usual 'carpet' of Carunculated Caracaras feeding
in good numbers as far as the eye can see on this windswept prairieland. These
grasses also held a skulking ovenbird in the form a few Streak-backed Cansteros
and a few Paramo Pipits; and a lone Aplomado Falcon was also
seen in this area; we also enjoyed good views of a Cinerous Harrier
ghosting across the plains; the flowering puyas up there attracted
several of the World's largest hummigbird, the aptly-named Giant Hummingbird;
while the laguna was loaded with high altitude waterbirds as usual - with
notable ones including the striking Silvery Grebe, a dozen Andean
Ruddy Ducks, some Andean Teal, along with Andean Lapwing and
a notable number of Andean Gulls. Having had our fill at Antisana we
headed straight to Guango Lodge, a small family-run lodge set in amongst moist
subtropical forests on the east slope of the Andes. The star attraction at
Guango is their hummer feeders, which were a picture of frenzied feeding activity
as normal, holding all the usual suspects, including the just plain ridiculousSword-billed
Hummingbird (the bird with the biggest bill-to-body size ratio of any
bird), and a few gleaming Tourmaline Sunangels.
20
November
The second day of the tour saw us once again in the paramos of the high Andes,
although the nature of the paramo at Papallacta differs markedly from that
at Antisana. A much wetter and frankly more aesthetically pleasing landscape,
Papallacta holds a number of special birds not possible elsewhere on the tour.
Up at Papallacta there are still a few remaining stands of good polylepis
woodland, that are the haunt of one of this area's biggest target birds -
the attractive red and blue Giant Conebill, that we found feeding in
typically nuthatch like fashion on the red flaky bark that characterizes the
trees in those stands. Other flock species found in this wood and in the subtropical
forest around Guango Lodge itself included a scarce cotinga in the form of
a lone Dusky Piha, some impeccably dressed Pearled Treerunners,
Bar-bellied Woodpecker (one of the highest ranging woodpeckers in the
Andes), while Turqoise and Inca Jays provided more than a little splash
of color to proceedings. Our first antpitta of the trip was also the most
predictable, with several Tawny Antpittas found around the pass, although
the stunning Red-rumped Bush-tyrant standing sentry close by the pass
was far less predictable, (as this scarce species has a real tendency to wander
and go missing just when you least expect it). While a foray up to the highest
(and perhaps most physically demanding), part of the tour produced the hoped-for
pair of Rufous-bellied Seedsnipes unobtrusively shuffling their way
through the bright green cushion moss. Other notable birds were a pair of
impressive Great Horned Owls 'standing guard' on a high cliff well
above the treeline, a duo of woodstars at Guango's busy feeders with both
White-bellied and the considerably scarcer Gorgeted Wooodstars,
while Many-striped Canasteros, White-chinned Thistletails and Paramo
Seedeater were found on the windswept paramos themselves.
21
November
On this day we dropped further down the
eastern side of the Andes, to San Isidro lodge. These cabanas have become
famous as the stomping ground of a strange owl (the so-called 'San Isidro
Mystery Owl'), as a large attractive and downright sexy Strix owl has been
coming into to feed on the horde of insects attracted by their night lights
for well over 6 years now. In appearance not quite fitting either Black-and-White
or Black-banded Owl, and geographically occurring well out of the range of
either of these similar species, this bird has birders scratching their heads
and many now believe this is a new species altogether. The drive between Guango
and San Isidro is one of the best areas in Ecuador for that classic Andean
species, the Torrent Duck, and we found a pair actively feeding in
a rushing mountain river, while a pair of their frequent neighbor in these
Andean rivers, White-capped Dippers, were watched diving into the rushing
waters closeby. On reaching San Isidro we wandered along a superb road, where
feeding flocks in this beautiful subtropical forest held a couple of Rufous-breasted
Flycatchers (one of the San Isidro specialties we were after), Yellow-vented
Woodpecker, and a hatful of colorful tanagers including the striking Flame-faced
Tanager and the gaudy Saffron-crowned Tanager. Large, colorful
birds were much in evidence there, with both the scarce Crested Quetzal
and its more commonly encountered cousin, the Golden-headed Quetzal;
a couple of Highland Motmots; a single Emerald Toucanet; and
both Northern Mountain Cacique and Subtropical Cacique. Other
notable birds included one of the highest ranging antbirds in the Andes, with
the bamboo-dwelling Long-tailed Antbird, and a couple of guans, including
three huge Wattled Guans (a bird far more often heard than seen), and
a single Sickle-winged Guan.
22
November
Having had our initial burst of subtropical species, we decided to head to
the foothill forest that flanks the Loreto Road and return to the subtropics
later on the tour. This area has been a famous birding area for many years,
although the forests here are rapidly disappearing and these foothill forests
of the east slope are some of the most threatened in all of Ecuador. Thankfully
at least some of the problem has been addressed recently with Fundacion Jocotoco's
purchase of a significant patch of this forest in the area, and we wait with
baited breath for the opening up of this property and the building of trails
there. In spite of this we still saw some really special species in the forest
fragments by the roadside, not least a few Cerulean Warblers (a bird
that is running into trouble, as wintering areas like this one come increasingly
under threat); also a couple of special wrens-Musician Wren (that has
one of the most pleasant, melodic calls of all wrens), and the skulking Wing-banded
Wren; in addition to Black-billed Treehunter and Ash-browed
Spinetails (both east slope specialists); Blackish Antbird; the
near-endemic Ecuadorian Tyrranulet;Yellow-cheeked Becard;
Blue-rumped Manakin and Olivaceous Greenlet. Other notable birds
included double figures of Cliff Flycatchers, a single Chestnut-tipped
Toucanet, several cracking Coppery-chested Jacamars, several more
colorful Tanagers with Golden-eared and Paradise Tanagers; and a beady-eyed
Golden-eyed Flowerpiercer; while a lone Black Caracara and a
group of the extremely scarce White-tipped Swifts were found passing
overhead. After this bird-packed day in the humid foothills we headed back
to San Isidro for more of their famous food (that many regard as Ecuador's
best lodge food), and a certain 'San Isidro Mystery Owl' that was hanging
around our cabins that night.
23
November
Before we returned to Quito we took a stroll along a famous birding trail-the
permanently mist-enshrouded Guacamayos Ridge. Along the ridge and during some
final birding at San Isidro we came across another Guan, with Andean Guan
on the Guacamayos; a semi-tame Chestnut-crowned Antpitta that has
recently been coaxed into San Isidro with the promise of a worm harvest; Green-and-Black
Fruiteaters; Lacrimose Mountain-tanager and Grass-green Tanager;
a skulking Ash-colored Tapaculo; Black-billed Peppershrike;
Bluish Flowerpiercer; Ashy-headed Tyrranulet; Sepia-brown
Wren; Bronzy Inca at the lodge feeders; Black-eared and Black-capped
Hemispinguses and a lone White-rumped Hawk. We then headed back
to Quito for an overnight stop before our flight to the Amazon jungle the
following day.
Ocellated
Poorwhill and Orange-cheeked Parrot.
(José
Illanes)
24
November
Today we took the short flight to the small 'oil' town of Coca, the gateway
to most of the Amazonian lodges sprawled along the banks of the Napo River,
(that is one of the main tributaries of the mighty Amazon itself). We headed
to what has become justly famous as the best of the Amazonian lodges, for
many, many reasons. Sacha Lodge has some of the Amazon's best bird guides
(and we were lucky to be helped by the services of Oscar Tapuiey and Marcelo
Andy), located within an idyllic lakeside setting amongst pristine lowland
forest with good patches of both Varzea and Terra Firme forest,
Sacha gives you a great shot at the huge variety of species special to both.
Add to this arguably the finest, most well-built steel canopy walkway in the
world, and you begin to understand the many appeals of Sacha, and why it such
a thriving bird lodge. No matter how long you stay, you are sure to leave
longing to get back soon. On this day we concentrated on birding our way in
along the Napo River, checking a few of the river islands along the way and
birded around the lodge itself. Around the lodge itself were a number of prehistoric
Hoatzins, loafing around right by the lodge; and Amazonian Umbrellabird
by the dock on arrival; and a carrot-beaked Black-fronted Nunbird were
also welcome around there. However, best of the bunch was surely the strikingly
patterned Rufous-headed Woodpecker along the boardwalk before even
reaching the main lodge area. Making our way along the Napo we found a roosting
Ladder-tailed Nightjar that was very popular, as was a roosting Common
Potoo; some Napo islands played host to a number of vivid black-and-yellow
Oriole Blackbirds, while the sandy edges held a few Pied Plovers,
a seasonal visitor to the Napo.
25
November
There are tons of good birding areas at Sacha, and this day we birded
some river islands again and spent a lot of time in Yasuni National Park,
in a great area for parrots. We visited two separate parrot licks that were
alive with parrots leading to a big day list of psittacids: including Chestnut-fronted
Macaw; White-eyed, Dusky-headed, Cobalt-winged & Maroon-tailed Parakeets;
Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlets; Orange-cheeked & Blue-headed Parrots; and
Yellow-crowned, Orange-winged & Mealy Amazons. Aside from this barrage
of parrots we also picked up Greater Anis; Black-tailed & Amazonian
White-tailed Trogons; White-eared Jacamar; Blue-crowned Motmot;
White-fronted Nunbird; Swallow-winged Puffbird; Chestnut-eared
Aracaris; and Yellow-throated, Spot-throated, Little, Scale-throated,
& Cream-colored Woodpeckers. We also began a good run of many Amazonian
antbirds that makes this area so appealing - these included Sooty Antbird,
Spot-backed and Scale-backed Antbirds, White-shouldered & Mouse-colored
Antshrikes. One of the other highlights was finding a superb Ocellated
Poorwhill nesting close to the trail, that almost turned into a nightmare
as the chick became under threat from an advancing army ant swarm once
the mother and chick had been inadvertently disturbed off their nest. Thankfully
Marcelo came to the rescue and we found mother and chick reunited with not
an army ant in sight when we returned to the area later in the day. Cotingas
came in the form of one of the most distinctive songsters in the Neotropics
- the Screaming Piha, and a Purple-throated Fruitcrow or two
were also seen; while the Fulvous Shrike-Tanager was undoubtedly one
of the days star finds.
26
November
Another day at Sacha, with a very different set of birds and habitats-as we
ascended Sacha's centerpiece attraction, their world famous canopy walkway.
This superbly built structure allows some breathtaking views over the canopy
of the Amazon jungle and to get eyeball to eyeball with some of those usually
difficult canopy species. This way you don't leave with the neck strain, that
tropical birders are often all too familiar with! As usual the birds came
think and fast up there, and we spent hours sifting through busy canopy feeding
flocks and scanning the treetops for perched raptors and colorful cotingas.
The cotingas duly obliged and we saw an incredible 5 species from the walkway
- the diminutive, cute White-browed Purpletuft, the odd prehistoric-looking
Bare-necked Fruitcrow, the dazzling Spangled Cotinga and the
equally dapper Purple-throated and Plum-throated Cotingas. Toucans
were not to be outdone by the cotingas though and weighed in with 5 species
of their own. Channel-billed and White-throated Toucans - two of the
largest species in the area - were found calling noisily from the treetops
as the early morning mist rose from the jungle; while the smaller species
included groups of Ivory-billed and Many-banded Aracaris and a gorgeous
Golden-collared Toucanet. The raptors were also out in force, and we
saw one of the Amazon's most magnificent birds of prey in the shape of a stunning
Ornate Hawk-Eagle, along with Slate-colored Hawk, Black Hawk-Eagle,
White Hawk, and several majestic King Vultures. The toucans
and cotingas were not the only colorful group of birds up there as many of
the frantic feeding flocks were adorned with vibrantly-colored Tanagers, with
Opal-crowned, Opal-rumped, Turquoise, Paradise, and Masked Tanagers
all putting in an appearance and all living up to the billing that these exotic
names imply. Some less gaudy members of the canopy crowd included some of
those treetop antbirds, whose calls are tantalising from ground level, as
they are notoriously tricky to see from the trails - such as Gray Antbird,
Spot-winged Antshrike and Short-billed and Dugand's Antwrens; as
well as a small group of Orange-fronted Plushcrowns and a Black-bellied
Cuckoo . On ground level walking back from the walkway a spanking male
Wire-tailed Manakin was seen at a lek site. Later in the day we went
for a pleasant cruise down one of the Sacha blackwater creeks. These narrow
tranquil creeks cut there way through the seasonally flooded or varzea
forest, that holds some special birds of its own. In order to have a shot
at the full range of species available in the Amazon it is necessary to spend
time in this and also the forest that is permanently above the waterline -
the terra firme forest, so that is exactly how we played it. The best
way to get some of those varzea species is by doing just what we did:
sit back, relax and let the boatmen paddle you gently down the channel to
the birds. This enabled us to pick up White-chinned Jacamar, Silvered
Antbird, Spix's Woodcreeper, Chestnut Woodpecker, Slender-billed
Kite, Masked Crimson Tanager and best of all the extremely scarce Rufous-tailed
Flatbill. At night we went for a short night walk and picked up a handsome
Tawny-bellied Screech-owl.
27
November
Once again we traveled to another area from Sacha, this time taking a boat
across the Napo River and spending most of the day birding the south side
of this Amazon tributary. The nature of the forest is subtly different there,
holding some birds that overlap with those on the north side, and also some
that never stray further north than this southern side of the Napo. This well-planned
trail passes through some excellent terra firme forest and for many
is the best of the Sacha trails. Rarely is a day wasted here as there are
many resident diverse feeding flocks that frequent this trail, and this day
was no exception. Our run on the Jacamars continued with a Great Jacamar
and a Yellow-billed Jacamar; up in the canopy was a diminutive
Dwarf Tyrant-Manakin, while Ornate and Rufous-tailed Antwrens
were found a little closer to ground. Rainforest floor skulkers, always a
target for listers, came in the form of a fantastic Rusty-belted Tapaculo
and a marvelousBlack-faced Antthrush; and some tangles held a pair
of Coraya Wrens and a couple of Golden-crowned Spadebills; and
the considerably rarer, Brown Nunlet was also bumped into on this bird-packed
path. However, best of all was getting that most quintessential of all the
antbirds, that classic antswarm-follower, the exquisite White-plumed Antbird,
suitably adorned with flashy, white facial plumes. Aside from that, a huge
sandy-colored Great Potoo was seen at a day roost, typically sitting
boldly in the open; an Undulated Tinamou was found walking along one
of their favored riverbank haunts, and proved to be the only representative
of this famously elusive family seen on the tour; while a vivid Orange-backed
Troupial glowed like a traffic light from the riverbank. A Gray-breasted
Crake was a nice find on one of the river islands on our return journey,
while the island vine tangles held a couple of scarce ovenbirds in the form
of White-bellied and Plain-crowned Spinetails.
Hoatzins
and Boat-billed Heron.
(José
Illanes)
28
November
Having spent the best part of yesterday on the south side, we spent all
this day on the northern side, checking out some of the trails that started
right by our cabins. The day also gave us time to ascend Sacha's wooden tower
(not to be confused with their steel walkway), where we spent some time searching
through cotingas and taking in more raptors and Toucans while perched (safely!)
in the bows of a huge Kapok tree. Up on the tower Crane Hawk was a
new addition to an already burgeoning raptor list, Amazonian Violaceous
and Blue-crowned Trogons were also picked up there (with 7 species
of Trogon and Quetzal also picked up on the tour, to go with all the cotingas,
Jacamars and Toucans we certainly had a bounty of colorful birds on the tour);
Spix's Guans were the only ones recorded on the tour; and the striking
White-necked Puffbird made a slightly later entry to the trip list
than planned; while a fantastic Long-billed Woodcreeper was much appreciated
(being by far the most dramatic species, with its absurdly long ivory-colored
bill, in this largely under appreciated family). Down on the trails Purplish
Jacamar continued the great run on Jacamars that saw us get all 7 species
possible on the tour;other additions included a fine male Chestnut-belted
Gnateater, close to our cabins; the dumpy Short-billed Leaftosser
- the rarest of this charismatic, dumpy group of ovenbirds and the only representative
seen on tour; and our second Antthrush in the Amazon proved to be the strikingly
marked Striated Antthrush. We also took another gentle afternoon cruise
down a different blackwater creek picking up Boat-billed Heron and
the the near-endemic Orange-crested Manakin, that was a big target
bird and therefore we were all keen to get.
29
November
We spent a leisurely final few hours in the Amazon, birding our way back through
the lowland forest to the quay for the boat to Coca and along the Napo River
on the ride back; before we departed on the short flight to Quito. Birds picked
up on our last morning included some we had seen before, and some useful additions
like Brown Jacamar, that completed the set of seven species in range
on the tour, and a White-shouldered Antbird to add to the hatful of
antbirds already recorded. Other species included Speckled Chachalacas
in the treeetops, Pied Plovers hanging about on the sandy islets along
the Napo, Black-banded Woodcreeper, Cocoi Herons, and Red-breasted
Blackbird was a nice parting shot at Coca airfield itself.
BIRD
LIST
The taxonomy and nomenclature of this list follow: Ridgely, Robert & Greenfield, Paul. The Birds of Ecuador: Field Guide. 2001. Ithica, NY: Comstock Publishing.
All
species listed were recorded by at least one person, and where that was only
the guide only this is indicated by the letters 'GO'.
The species marked with an 'H' were only heard.
|
TINAMOUS
Tinamidae SKIMMERS
Rynochopidae CUCKOOS
AND ANIS Cuculidae |