Quito and Yanacocha Reserve June 12 -13

Altitude:  9,900 – 11,500 feet a.s.l.
Ecoregions:   Semiopen Woodland/Meadow and High Montane Cloud Forest
New Hummingbird Species Seen:  Black-tailed Trainbearer (Lesbia victoriae), Sparkling Violetear (Colibri coruscans), Shining Sunbeam (Aglaeactis cupripennis), Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina),  White-bellied Woodstar (Chaetocercus mulsant), Great Sapphirewing (Pterophanes cyanopterus), Buff-winged Starfrontlet (Coeligena lutetiae), Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera), Sapphire-vented Puffleg (Eriocnemis luciana), Golden-breasted Puffleg (Eriocnemis mosquera)

View of Quito from the Lodge

My husband and I arrived in Quito on Sunday night after a smooth day of travel.  We spent 2 nights at the San Jorge Eco-Lodge, a refurbished hacienda over-looking the city.  It was a lovely setting for two tired people to start their birding adventure in Ecuador.  On Monday we birded around the lodge and at the Yanacocha Reserve which is located on the slope of the Pichincha Volcano, just northwest of Quito.

Black-tailed Trainbearer at San Jorge Eco-Lodge

The day was sunny and windy which made for spectacular views but not so great birding.  But, I did see my first Ecuadorian hummingbirds on the grounds of the lodge and they were spectacular.  I noticed in preparing for this trip that most bird photographers use cameras as long as my arm – and now I see why.  Fast moving, far away birds are hard to photograph.  So, armed with my NIKON p90 – I will do the best I can.

We began our day exploring the trails, flowers and hummingbird feeders on the grounds of the lodge.  The huge meadow above the lodge revealed a few Black-tailed Trainbearers and lots of Sparking Violetears.  In fact, as a new birder, I was surprised that by the end of the morning I could recognize the characteristic “tik” sound that the male Violetear makes.  They were everywhere – and very aggressive! 

Sparkling Violetear

At the feeders the Violetears terrorized the Shining Sunbeam hummers.  We watched a unique interaction between the two birds as the Sunbeam kept hanging upside down from a branch – submitting to the aggressive Violetear.

Note the "violetEARs" sticking out on this hummer as he dominates the Sunbeam

Shining Sunbeam

Masked Flowerpiercer - a nectar thief

 Masked Flowerpiercers (not a hummingbird) were also common at the lodge.  Flowerpiercers are considered parasites in the hummingbird/flower community.  They are usually classified as “nectar thieves”.  Using sharp bills and inverted, U-shaped tongues, they poke holes into the base of flowers and drink the nectar without assisting in the pollination of the plant.  But, like hummingbirds, they have found the bright red plastic feeders to be just as good as a flower for a quick meal.

Chris and Jorge hiking into Yanacocha.  The large leaved plant is called "poor man's umbrella"

  Yanacocha Reserve (established in 2001) is an amazing place because of its forest cover, altitude and proximity to such a large city.  The reserve protects thousands of acres of elfin Polylepis forest.  This type of high altitude evergreen is severely depleted throughout the Andes due to agriculture and charcoal production.  My first visit to a cloud forest was not a disappointment. 

The view is ever changing in a cloud forest.

In fact, we spent so much time in awe of our surroundings and looking at other birds that by the time we got to the hummingbird feeders deep into the reserve it was getting late and the lighting was poor for photography.  

Sword-billed Hummingbird - the bill is longer than the body!

  My pictures don’t show it but we saw some spectacular birds that evening.  What a great day to start my summer of hummers!  And since we stayed in the reserve after nightfall – we were able to see a very cool Band-winged Nightjar which reminded me of the Nighthawks that visit Indiana each summer.