Trip of a lifetime now the fear of flying has gone so I planned a trip to firstly Ecuador and then onto The Galapagos. After a visit to the bird fair in 2018 I returned with literature for both destinations and eventually decided to do a week in Ecuador using a cloud forest lodge where guiding was included and then a company led land based trip in The Galapagos.
My journey started with a flight from Heathrow to Amsterdam using KLM and then the next day an 11 hour flight from Amsterdam to Quito by KLM. There were other quicker and cheaper routes available but after reading many reviews I thought this to be best route.
On arriving in Quito (9350 feet above sea level) I was met by the pre-arranged driver who took me to the Rincon Familiar Hostel in the tourist area of Quito where Christine was waiting for me with a bottle of Chilean Merlot. a snack meal and early to bed. The next morning we had a basic breakfast and set off into the tourist area getting our first birds of the trip.
Rather than go into the horrors of having my wallet stolen and nearly having my phone pick-pocketed I will not go into any further other than it put a huge shadow on the trip but thankfully with the help of Christine we got through the hassle and were able to continue the adventure as planned.
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| Hostel Rincon Familiar |
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| Basic single room £20 per night incl. breakfast |
Among the tourist areas the first birds we found
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| Black-eared Dove |
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| Glossy-black Thrush |
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| Chestnut-collared Sparrow |
The next day 20th April our taxi driver arrived at 6.15am to take us to the Bella Vista Cloud Forest Lodge near Tandayapa at 7200 ft above sea level. After stopping off to collect 2 more guests Toby and Patrick we arrived around 8am where there were plenty of Humming birds on the feeders.
Photos below are as I saw things in challenging light and dense foliage.
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| Purple-bibbed White Tip |
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| Collared Inca |
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| Booted Racket-tail (female) |
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| Booted Racket-tail (male) |
After breakfast we spent the rest of the day walking the trails around the lodge with our guide Dario.
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| Cinnamon-breasted Flycatcher |
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| Common Potoo |
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| Black and Green Fruit-eater through the restaurant window |
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| Plate-billed Toucan |
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| Toucan Barbet |
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| White-faced Quail Dove |
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| Blue-winged Mountain Tanager |
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| Masked Flower-piercer |
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| View from Bella Vista when the clouds lifted briefly |
Sunday 21st April, before breakfast just as it was getting light we had a walk around the lodge, here the birds were the most active
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| Masked Trogon |
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| Strong-billed Woodcreeper |
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| Smoke-coloured Pewee |
After breakfast we visited two Humming bird sites at a slightly lower level the main one being The Alambi Hummingbird Centre where it rained all morning. I cant remember what were seen at what site.
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| Male Booted Racket-tail |
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| Brown Inca |
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| Buff-tailed Coronet |
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| Buff-tailed Coronet |
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| Rufous-tailed Hummingbird |
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| Buff-tailed Coronet |
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| White-necked Jacobin |
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| Violet-tailed Sylph |
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| Violet-tailed Sylph |
In addition to the Hummers plenty of other birds were seen including
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| Blue and Grey Tanager |
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| Crested Quetzal |
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| Golden Tanager |
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| Lemon-rumped Tanager |
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| Red-headed Barbet |
Also a mammal known as a Tyra
Monday 22nd we had an early start and left before breakfast while still dark to head firstly to the Cock of the Rock Lek
We weren't disappointed, being the first to arrive we were in prime position and it wasn't long before the males started calling and displaying. Good views were had through the binoculars but photos were hard due to the dense vegetation. Up to 10 males were seen.
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| Andean Cock of the Rock |
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| Black-backed Wood Quail |
Our next stop was to the famous Angel Paz Antpitta centre, stopping on the way was this
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| Lyre-tailed Nightjar |
Arriving at the Antpitta centre we waited for several groups to arrive and then set off with Angel and his can of worms where he then called the birds and fed them with worms. Each of the Antpittas were at a different location on the farm
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| Chestnut-crowned Antpitta |
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| Yellow-breasted Antpitta |
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| Ochre breasted Antpitta |
While at the farm we were treated to Coffee and snacks and plenty of other birds.
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| Blue and Black Tanager |
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| Bronze-winged Parrot |
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| Crimson-rumped Toucanet |
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| Flame-faced Tanager |
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| Purple-throated Woodstar |
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| female Red-headed Barbet |
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| Toucan Barbet |
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| Inside the Cloud Forest |
Tuesday 23rd April Once again a very early start before breakfast we headed off to a much lower elevation the foothills of the Andes. After a 2 and half hour drive we arrived in the pouring rain at the Rio Silanche Bird Reserve 1000 feet above sea level. Fortunately we were able to take shelter in the tower hide, initially birds were thin on the ground but once the rain eased things started to move.
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| Slate-coloured Grosbeak |
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| Tropical Kingbird |
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| Masked Water Tyrant |
Late morning we started heading back up the Andes and stopped off at a restaurant where there were feeders, and added more birds to our list
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| View from Restaurant at lunch time |
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| Black-cheeked Woodpecker |
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| Rufous-throated Tanager |
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| Green Honeycreeper |
Our next stop was Milpe Reserve at 3500 feet above sea level, once again the heavens opened, only a few hummingbirds were around so we set off along some back roads birding from the truck eventually the rain eased and the birds started to show
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| Collared Aricari |
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| Laughing Falcon |
We were just about to turn around and head back to Bella Vista when Dario spotted 2 Choco Toucans - these being todays most sort after species.
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| Choco Toucan |
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| Choco Toucon |
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| Unknown Snake |
Wednesday 24th. Having to get back to Quito for me to get my new passport photos today we could only manage a pre-breakfast hike around the lodge this time with a different guide Carlos.
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| Cinnamon Breasted Flycatcher |
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| Yellow-bellied Chat Tyrant |
On the way back to Quito we passed the Equator line, and had a brief stop before arriving at our next hotel the Hotel Finlandia
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| The Equator Line |
Thursday 25th, I had arranged for Louis another guide to take us to The Antisana reserve 13,000 feet above sea level. He was kind enough to take me to the UK embassy first where I had an appointment for my emergency passport. After driving through Quito and on to Pintaq we climbed steadily arriving around 11am. Our first stop was to scan the cliffs for Condors but was fruitless. We carried on climbing higher until we entered the paramo region.
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| Paramo region |
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| Road to Antisana |
It wasn't long before Luis spotted our first Andean Condor, after a few snaps we headed off in the car to follow it, then finding a male feeding on a carcass with 5 juveniles
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| Andean Condor |
At the end of the road a lake held a few waterbirds
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| Andean Coot |
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| Andean Teal |
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| Andean Gull |
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| Black Faced Ibis |
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| Black faced Ibis |
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| Carunculated Caracara |
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| Plain Seed-eater |
Louis kindly sped back to Quito to get me to the embassy by 3.30, and after an hour I came away with my travel documents feeling relieved that I can continue the journey to The Galapagos tomorrow.
Bird List.
Tandayapa Region
Tawney-bellied Hermit, Lesser Violetear, Andean Emerald, Speckled Hummingbird, Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Collared Inca, Buff-tailed Coronet, Gorgeted Sunangel, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Booted Racket-tail, Violet Tailed Sylph, Purple-throated Woodstar, Empress Brilliant, Wedge-billed Hummingbird, Velvet-purple Coronet, White-whiskered Hermit, White-necked Jacobin, Brown Violetear, Green-crowned Brilliant, Green-crowned Wood Nymph, White-tailed Hillstar, Brown Inca, Black Phoebe, Ochre-breasted Antpitta, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Chestnut-crowned Antpitta, Pearl Tree Runner, Crested Guan, Bronze-winged Parrot, Dark-backed Wood-Quail, Crested Quetzal, Golden-headed Quetzal, Slaty-backed Nightingale Thrush, Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, Roadside Hawk, Swallow-tailed Kite, Masked Tityra, Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Thick-billed Euphonia, Silver-throated Tanager, Blue-grey Tanager, Lemon-rumped Tanager, White-lined Tanager, Blue and Black Tanager, Barred Becard, Banana Quit, White-throated Quail-Dove, White-tipped Dove, Sickle-winged Guan, Red-billed Parrot, Common Potoo, Masked Trogon, Toucan Barbet, Red-headed Barbet, Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Montane Woodcreeper, Tyranine Woodcreeper, Striped Treehunter, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Green and Black Fruiteater, Flavescent Flycatcher, Streak-necked Flycatcher, White-tailed Tyrannulet, Cinnamon Flycatcher, Smoke-coloured Pewee, Blue and White Swallow, Grey-breasted Wood-Wren, Great Thrush, Turquoise Jay, Brown-capped Vireo, Russet-crowned Warbler, Three-stripped Warbler, Slate-throated Whitestart, Orange-bellied Euphonia, Dusky Bush Tanager, Golden Tanager, Flame-faced Tanager, Blue-capped Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Rufous-collared Sparrow, White-winged Bush Finch, Tri-coloured Bush Finch, Chestnut-naped Bush Finch, Golden-crowned Flycatcher, White-sided Flowerpiercer, Masked Flowerpiercer, Lyre-tailed Nightjar.
Mammals - Tayra, Olinguito, Kingcaju
Rio Silanche and Milpe
Hook-billed Kite, Laughing Falcon, Ecuadorian Dove, Pacific Parrotlet, Blue-capped Parrot, Smooth-billed Annie, Brown-bellied Swallow, Purple-crowned Fairy, White tailed Trogon, Guayaquil Woodpecker, Scarlet-crowned Barbet, Choco Toucan, Collared Aracari, Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Plain brown Woodcreeper, Spotted Woodcreeper, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Marble-faced Bristle-tyrant, Golden-faced Tyrannulet, Olive-striped Flycatcher, Masked-water Tyrant, Tropical Kingbird, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Social Flycatcher, Cinnamon Becard, Masked Tityra, White-bearded Manikin, Ecuadorian Thrush, Buff-rumped Warbler, Banana Quit, Green Honeycreeper, Purple Honeycreeper, Yellow-tufted Dacnis, Emerald Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager, Grey-headed Tanager, Rufous Throated Tanager, Metallic-green Tanager, Scarlet-browed Tanager, White-shouldered Tanager, Buff-throated Saltator, Slate-coloured Grosbeak, Variable Seedeater, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Shinning Cowbird, Giant Cowbird, Paraque.
Antisana
Tyrian Metaltail, Chestnut-winged Cinclodes, Stout-billed Cinclodes, Carunculated Caracara, Black-eared Dove, Ecuadorian Hillstar, Andean Condor, Plain Seed-eater, Black-faced Ibis, Andean Gull, Andean Coot, Silvery Grebe, Variable Hawk, Andean Lapwing, Plumbeous Sierra Finch.
