Going Home - June 29

Like this Roadside Hawk -- we are taking off today!

Yesterday we took a bus over the Andes from Papallacta.  What spectacular scenery!  Quito was bustling with people enjoying the sunny day.  Our last taste of nature was a walk around La Carolina Park.  The goal was to see the orchids in the botanical gardens -- but unfortunately -- the orchid display was being renovated.  I am sad to leave this beautiful country.  We already have a list of places we want to see the next time we visit!

This trip was a great success any way you count it.

• I saw 47 species of hummingbirds
• I saw 340 species of birds in Ecuador
• I improved my birding skills immensely
• I learned a lot about the ecology of tropical hummingbirds and other species
• Both Cloyce and I had a great time!

Papallacta - Thermal Joy!!! - June 27-28

Altitude:  10,824 feet a.s.l.
Ecoregions:   Humid upper-montane  rainforest

Chris with Volcano Antisana on a rare clear day in June.

 Mauriceo drove us from Cabanas San Isidro to the upscale resort of Termas de Papallacta high on the Eastern slope of the Andes.  I knew we would probably not see any new species of hummingbirds here but was dying to stay somewhere with heat and to try out the thermal baths.  This was a “must see” tourist attraction for me.  This is an award winning resort because of their environmentally responsible operations.  Geothermal heat from the volcanoes is used to heat the rooms, hot water, and of course the amazing thermal springs. 

The thermal springs were soothing to our aching bones!

 It is also right next door to the Cayambe Coca National Park so we were able to hunt for birds between warming up in the thermal springs. 

It is considered the winter season here in June, July and August so we were expecting cold, rainy, cloudy weather at this altitude.  The first day – that’s what we got -  typical high altitude day and plenty of mud. 

The river was raging.

 But, on June 28^th we awoke to miraculous weather.  The sky was bright blue and we could see the snow capped Antisana Volcano while lying in a thermal spring.  It was spectacular and very rare for this time of year. 

A rare clear sky during winter at Termas de Papallacta

The snow capped Antisana Volcano

This is one of the flowering trees (Brugmansia) that were all over the trails and resort.

   The grounds and trails had loads of flowering plants especially the Brugmansia which were covered with flowers and often hummingbirds.  We enjoyed the rivers, cattle, trout, a warm room, Shining Sunbeam hummingbirds, thermal baths and the spectacular view.

A Shining Sunbeam puffs up his feathers as he dries out in the early morning.

This bull was watching us as much as we were watching him.

And the rain rain rain, came down down down.... June 26

We are still at Cabanas San Isidro.  We have had 2 great days with little rain and spectacular views as we birded the San Isidro area and the Loreto Road .  People keep telling us how lucky we are to have such weather during the rainy season.  Well, today our luck ran out.  It poured all night and most of this day.  But, we are both feeling a bit ill so a rainy day, watching birds from the balcony, and a few naps is just fine with us.

THE POURING RAIN DID NOT DETER THESE HUMMERS FROM THEIR FEEDER!

Loreto Road - June 25

Altitude:  6,500-3,300 feet a.s.l.
Ecoregions:   Temperate Forest to tropical lowlands
New Hummingbird Species Seen:  Green Hermit, Green-fronted Lancebill, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Ecuadorian Piedtail, White-tailed Hillstar.

View from the Loreto Road

Location, Location, Location!  Ecuador is a vertical country and many bird species are found in relatively narrow altitudinal zones on one or both sides of the Andes.  The changes in vegetation we drive through in just an hour are amazing as we go up and down in altitude.  Loreto road transects many altitudinal zones and thus has a reputation as a birding hotspot.  We had no idea that roadside birding could be so rewarding.  Our driver Herman and guide Marcelo did an outstanding job showing us around. I wish I had pictures to share of the amazing hummingbirds and tanagers I saw today.  But, that will have to wait until next time when I return to Ecuador with a better camera! 

We saw palm trees laden with fruit and Napo Tamarin Monkeys

Other sections of the road had cliffs where we saw this Cliff Flycatcher

My original proposal had us traveling into the Sumaco area and staying at a lodge there.  Unfortunately, the lodge was closed for the month of June this year and I thought we would have to forgo these East Slope tropical lowland species.  But, this day gave us many of my target species for this altitude and slope.  You’ll just have to believe me about how dramatic and colorful these birds are or maybe do a Google image search!

We searched every rushing stream and waterfall for a White-tailed Hillstar or a Green-fronted Lancebill.  While visiting a waterfall along the road we heard the white tail but it would not respond to the IPOD.  Later that day, Marcelo literally shook the branches of flowering shrubs near Cosanga and we finally saw it.  It perched for a minute and then it was gone.  What a thrill!  The Lancebill was found near a waterfall as well– its long bill and sparking green forehead was unmistakable.  

We searched forest edges, backyard gardens and feeders at roadside stands for the Fork-tailed Woodnymph and finally saw them on flowers and feeders near a restaurant that was also near an amazing waterfall.  One thing this country has in abundance is lots of whitewater and waterfalls!

Waterfall behind a roadside eatery.  Rushing water is everywhere in Ecuador.

I have only seen 2 Hermits on this trip – everyone else has seen more – I just can’t seem to get a bead on them.  So, seeing the Green Hermit at the same area near the waterfall was nice – I finally got to check off a hummingbird in that curved billed group.  But, without Marcelo to help me with the I.D., I might have thought I was looking at a Tawny-bellied.  We were on the wrong side of the Andes for a White-whiskered Hermit (duh!!) and too low for a Tawny-bellied!  It is so important to know your altitude and which side of the  Andes you are on in this country!

Entrance to the Reserve which protects 720 acres.

The Rio Hollin in the Narupa Reserve

The Ecuadorian Piedtail was probably the most secretive bird we saw.  We were in the Narupa Reserve hiking a forest trail and saw the rounded tail tipped in white.  Our look at this bird wasn’t great but it was enough to get an I.D.   

The Loreto Road was newly paved in 2008

Although we saw lots of great birds we also saw lots of habitat destruction.  It seems that the Loreto Road was repaved in 2008 which has lead to even more people traveling this road and trying to make a living off the land in the area.  The forest land is often cleared for cultivation, the crops deplete the forest soils, and then it is grass seeded for cattle.  It was great to see the Narupa Reserve taking shape here along the Rio Hollin.  This reserve is keeping a chunk of this Amazonian foothill forest out of cultivation and saving habitat for some extraordinary species.

Marcelo and Cloyce had a "big Tanager day" on Loreto Road

The Tanagers we saw today were spectacular.  The Paradise Tanager has to be my favorite of the trip.  If you gave a child a coloring book and crayons and asked them to “color the bird” – this is what the Paradise looks like – it has every color in the box!  Other birds that I was in awe of on this day:  Orange-breasted Falcon, Lafresnaye's Piculet, Magpie Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Orange-eared Tanager, Paradise Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager, White-capped Tanager, Squirrel Cuckoo.

San Isidro Reserve June 23-24

Altitude:  6,800 feet a.s.l.
Ecoregions:   Temperate to Subtropical Forest and Bamboo (Chusquea) stands
New Hummingbird Species Seen:  Bronzy Inca

Bronzy Inca

Female Fawn-breasted Brilliant

A male Fawn-breasted Brilliant catching the light just right!

Collared Inca in Bamboo

 The drive from Guango to San Isidro goes down in elevation and passes by a series of tall waterfalls called “The Three Marias”.  This is the rainy season on the Eastern Slope and we are used to being dressed for downpours at all times.  The birds at the feeders are okay with rain but trying to bird in the forests is difficult.  Birders look for motion and listen and when all the leaves are moving because of dripping water – it is not easy to find moving birds.  So, I take some time to watch the hummers.  Even in the rain – the Chestnut-breasted Coronet is zealously guarding the feeder it has claimed for territory. 

Speckled Hummingbird

  It is amazing how much energy one bird spends to drive away competition.  I tried to observe hummers on flowers as well as feeders at San Isidro and even camped out for hours hoping to see a Gorgeted Woodstar – but no luck. 

The lights at this lodge attract lots of moths and each morning at sunrise birds arrive to feast on the bounty.  The loudest are the Inca Jays and the Russet-backed Oropendolas.  Their strange sounds really remind me that I am in the tropics.  

Inca Jay eating a fruit.

The huge nests of the Russet-backed Oropendolas were full of action every morning.

This Chestnut-breasted Coronet guarded "his" feeder from dawn til dusk.

Our guides on the Western Slope did not use an IPOD with bird calls to help them lure birds in closer for a better look.  But, Roger and now Marcelo both use this tool.  It has been very helpful as we bird the road around San Isidro.  There are thick stands of bamboo which make great cover for birds – but frustration for birders.  The IPOD gets the bird to move or call back and that helps us to get a focus on them.  It is amazing to me how many birds these guys can recognize by sound alone.  

Chris, Marcelo, and Cloyce after a hard day of birding.

The most common bird we saw:  The Rufous-collared  Sparrow

Crimson-mantled Woodpecker

The "Mystery Owl" is a big attraction at this lodge.

 No stay at Cabanas San Isidro would be complete without searching for the “mystery owl”.  We were lucky to have Marcelo as our guide.  We went out with a bright flashlight and he lead us right to it.  This owl has people puzzled.  It is on the wrong slope to be a Black-and-white Owl and is too high up in elevation to be a Black-banded Owl and the plumage is different.  Trying to figure out this owl has attracted lots of business to the lodge and makes for great dinner discussions.  I’m just glad that I got to see it!

Guango Lodge - June 21-23

Altitude:  8,858 feet a.s.l.
Ecoregions:   Humid Temperate Forest
New Hummingbird Species Seen:  Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Tourmaline Sunangel, Long-tailed Sylph, and great looks at many others!

The bill of the Sword-billed Hummingbird is so long they have to polish their feathers with their feet.

 Located only 11 kms down the Interoceanica Highway from the town of Papallacta – the Guango Lodge is hummingbird heaven.  Rushing rivers, stunted trees, rain, mud, cowpies and a lodge that reminded me of Vermont is what greeted us at Guango.   

Balancing optics and an umbrella was a challenge.

The rivers in Ecuador are spectacular!

We spent two full days here walking the trails along the river and up the slope looking for the target birds for the area – the Torrent Duck, Torrent Tyrannulet, and the Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan.   

Great view of the Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan

Male Torrent Duck in the Papallacta River.

Male Masked Trogon at Guango Lodge

But, we could have spent the entire time just sitting at the feeders.  This lodge has an amazing assortment of hummingbirds including the Sword-billed which I could watch all day.

The Long-tailed Sylph is gorgeous and fast!

Collared Inca, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Sword-bill

Female Tourmaline Sunangel

  It was nice to have 2 days with no guide.  We really needed time to check our lists, review our photographs and just reflect on what we had seen so far.  The cold rain and deep mud made birding a bit of a chore on the trails but the spectacular Papallacta river was worth the muddy boots!

Keeping track of what I saw when and where was time consuming.

Guango is so lush and moist.  Plants grow on every surface.

The wooden bridges had bootle caps nailed into them for traction on the wet surface.  Good idea!

Female White-bellied Woodstar.  These tiny hummers fly like a bee!

Collared Inca

Papallacta Pass - The Continental Divide - June 21

Altitude:  13,700 feet a.s.l.
Ecoregions:   High Elevation scrub, Polylepis Forest, Paramo
New Hummingbird Species Seen:  Ecuadorian Hillstar, Viridian Metaltail, Rainbow-bearded Thornbill

Papallacta Pass birding requires winter clothes.

We have finished our time at the lodges of San Jorge and are now heading down the East slope of the Andes.  Today we explored a high altitude habitat and the birds that live there with Roger Ahlman as our guide.  The Papallacta Pass is a famous birding area as well as the main route across the Andes from Quito to the east.  There is a new paved road and an older dirt one where we spent most of our time.  The weather is foggy, cold and wet.  Balancing a camera, umbrella, and binoculars while wearing winter gloves is a new experience for me.

Papallacta Pass is the continental divide.  Water on one side flows to the Atlantic, the other, to the Pacific.

Winter comes every night on these mountain tops.  So, how do these tiny birds stay alive in these windy, wet, cold environs?   Hummingbirds have an amazing ability to decrease their body temperatures and drastically slow their metabolism at night.  This voluntary hypothermia is called torpor.  They can reduce their body temperature by 30-50⁰F as their body systems slow to just above death.  Then, at sunrise, their body temperature begins to climb and the hummers awaken.  High altitude hummers are not the only ones to use this torpor state – but they need it more often than their lowland counterparts.

Paramo vegetation was stunning and stunted.

 To find the high altitude hummingbirds we need to spend time in the stunted Paramo which has lots of flowers this time of year.  Paramo is the Spanish word for “desolate territory”.  This habitat is located between the treeline and the snowline.  It is otherworldly in the misty clouds.  There are hummocks of vegetation and water running everywhere.  Every rock has an amazing miniature forest of lichens, stunted vascular plants, mosses and tiny alpine flowers.  The plant we are on the lookout for is called Chuquiragua.   

I am proud to say that we CAN find hummingbirds without feeders!

 After a few stops we find patches of these orange flowered thistle like shrubs and catch a few glimpses of the Ecuadorian Hillstar.  I am pumped to see this high altitude hummer which is so emblematic of the Ecuadorian paramo.  We stop for lunch at a ranger station and Roger points out the nest of this bird under the eaves.  Hillstar nests are thick and well insulated with woolly down from some fuzzy paramo plant.  Keeping naked baby birds warm in this harsh environment must be a challenge.

The well insulated nest of an Ecuadorian Hillstar.

 During an especially hard downpour we spot a Rainbow-bearded thornbill perched on a low shrub.  This is one of the birds I was really hoping to see.  It truly has a rainbow beard under its’ very short bill.  Another short billed hummer we saw moving around low to the ground was the Viridian Metaltail.  Many of these high altitude hummers seem to have shorter bills, bigger bodies, and tend to cling to plants instead of hovering.  These short bills are good at probing the smaller alpine flowers and catching the insects that supplement their nectar diet.  Saving energy and keeping warm are two important abilities when living in this harsh environment – thus the bigger bodies and reduced hovering.

A family of Paramo Fox wandered across the road.

More high altitude habitat at Cayambe Coca National Park.