For the birds
Are you a normal person with a normal work schedule who just gets one week off work at a time and somehow wants to go max out the number of birds you can see in that week without breaking the bank? Well, this one is for you. Leave home on a Saturday, return home the next Sunday, see ALL OF THE BIRDS.
Day 1- Get here, chill
Just get yourself to the Mariscal Sucre Airport in Quito and we’ll take it from there! We’ll pick you up at the airport and make our way on over to the great accommodations and hospitality at Puembo Birding Garden. If it’s still daytime you can check out the birds around the lodge and relax after traveling.
Birds you might see: Scrub Tanager, Saffron Finch, Hooded Siskin, Harris’s Hawk, Sparkling Violetear, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Western Emerald, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Vermilion Flycatcher, Golden Grosbeak, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, Cinerous Conebill, Shiny Cowbird, Rufous-collared Sparrow
Overnight: Puembo Birding Garden
Day 2- Antisana:
Up and at ‘em. We’ve got birds to check out. We’re heading up into the highlands to the foot of the snow-capped Antisana Volcano. This beast makes you feel your small mortal life towering 19,000 feet above sea level like a majestic snowy monster. The laguna La Mica is host to some great aquatic birds and the surrounding grasslands provide an opportunity to see some other amazing species. The weather up here has an attitude sometimes it’s great, sometimes its not, be prepared with your layers. We will go from 9100 feet to 12800 feet, and considering you came from somewhere even lower in elevation, we will host a water chugging competition.
Birds you might see: Yellow-billed Pintail, Andean Teal, Andean Duck, Silvery Grebe, Andean Gull, Andean Lapwing, Andean Ibis, Slate-colored Coot, Black-winged Ground Dove, Andean Condor (how cool is that), Variable Hawk, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Carunculated Caracara (say that six times fast), Aplomado Falcon, Ecuadorian Hillstar (2018), Giant Hummingbird, Chestnut-winged Cinclodes, Stout-billed Cinclodes, Many Striped Canastero, Tawny Antpitta, Grass Wren, Plumbeous Sierra Finch, Rufous-collared Sparrow
Overnight: Puembo Birding Garden
Antisana from the other side.
Day 3- Papallacta Pass
Today we go east, up and over the Papllacta pass. We’ll cross our fingers and toes that the weather cooperates and do the best we can with what mother nature gives us. If you’re lucky the top of the pass will be sunny and clear with Condors soaring overhead. If you’re not lucky, well, it will be less inviting. Are you into bizarre looking plants? We’ll we’ve got just the thing, the treeless paramo zone and strange stunted elfin woodlands near Papallacta Pass are rife with evolutions weirdos. We’ll make a stop at the Guango Lodge for lunch and birds before we work on gaining some oxygen descending to a cozy 2000 meters above (6500 feet) sea level at Cabañas Tamiaju.
Birds you might see: Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, Viridian Metaltail, Tyrian Metaltail, Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, Shining Sunbeam, Andean Tit-Spinetail, White-chinned Thistletail, Paramo Tapaculo (let’s be real, you’ll probably only hear this), Red-crested Cotinga, White-throated Tyrannulet, Red-rumped Bush Tyrant, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, Spectacled Redstart, Pale-naped Brushfinsh, Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, Glossy Flowerpiercer, Capped Conebill, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Turquoise Jay, Rufous-collared Sparrow
Overnight: Cabañas Tamiaju
Day 4- Cabañas Tamiaju and Chontas Birdwatching Spot
No cars, busses or airplanes today we’ll head out right from the lodge and explore the trail system here and at our neighboring buddy Chontas Birdwatching Spot. We publish a lot of photos with sunshine because it’s pretty, but the reality is that it’s a rainforest, so pack your rain jacket and lets head for the hills. But really, it’s the Andes so we will be hiking uphill a bit. Bonus animal of the day: Red-tailed Squirrel
Birds you might see: Southern Lapwing, Sickle-winged Guan, Roadside Hawk, Tawny-bellied Hermit, Long-tailed Sylph, Greenish Puffleg, Collared Inca, Gorgeted Woodstar, Peruvian Racket-tail, Speckle-faced Parrot, Golden-headed Quetzal, Masked Trogon, Southern Emerald-Toucanet, Black-billed Mountain Toucan, Powerful Woodpecker, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Green Jay, Montane Woodcreeper, Streak headed Antbird, White-bellied Antpitta, Long-tailed Tapaculo, Pale-edged Flycatcher, Mountain Wren, Brown-capped Vireo, Black-eared Hemispingus, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Russet-backed Oropendola, Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Chestnut-capped Brushfinch, Rufous-collared Sparrow and if you’re a really lucky duck White-capped Tanager
Overnight: Cabañas Tamiaju
Day 5- Guacamayos Ridge
Guess what? You might need rain gear. We’re heading up to the Guacamayos Ridge to look for some really cool stuff today! It’ll be a full day out on the trail, we’ll pack a lunch and explore this little patch of pristine forest. In the morning at the Virgin Mary grotto here is an unintentional light trap with some pretty world class birding. Aside from the fabulous birds, the forest is some of the most beautiful and intact accessible habitat to be found anywhere on the eastern slope of the Andes at this elevation. We’ll pack a lunch with us and walk till our feet tell us to turn back.
Birds you might see: Band-tailed Pigeon, Bronzy Inca, Squirrel Cuckoo, Andean Motmot, Olive-backed Woodcreeper, Rufous Spinetail, Barred Antthrush, Slate-crowned Antpitta, Peruvian Antpitta (requires an early start and hike in the dark), Spillmann’s Tapaculo, Green and Black Fruiteater, Dusky Piha, Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant, White-faced Nunbird (very rare), Tropical Parula, Black-crested Warbler, Orange-bellied Euphonia, Hooded Mountain Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Black-capped Tanager, Flame-faced Tanager, Greater Scythebill, Rufous-collared Sparrow
Overnight: Cabañas Tamiaju
Day 6- Narupa Area
Isn’t this elevational gradient cool? In just about 40 minutes we’ll be hanging out in the foothills of the Amazon basin catching some mid-low elevation cuties. We’ll start the day at Wayra Reserve, a little family operation of 357 hectares of preserved forest. Then we’ll head over to Narupayaku hummingbird garden, owned by a locally trained biologist. We’ll drive down to this weird old abandoned mine site where you don’t expect there to be any life, but somehow a Blackish nightjar and some Cliff flycatchers have made this their improbable home.
Birds you might see: Rufous-breasted Wood-Quail, Blue-fronted Lancebill, Brown Violetear, Black-throated Mango, Golden-tailed Sapphire, Wire-crested Thorntail, Smooth-billed Ani, Blue-headed Parrot, Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Coppery-chested Jacamar, Red-headed Barbet, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Yellow-throated Toucan, Lafresnaye’s Piculet, Lineated Woodpecker, Violaceous Jay, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Streaked Xenops, Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner, Dark-breasted Spinetail, Lined Antshrike, Amazonian Umbrellabird (crazy luck to see this one), Masked Tityra, Scale-crested Pygmy Tyrant, Silver-beaked Tanager, Spotted Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager, Paradise Tanager, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Rufous-collared Sparrow
Overnight: Cabañas Tamiaju
Day 7- Quijos Valley
Today we’re in good company we’re going to visit some of the spots owned by our friends in the Birdwatchers Valle del Quijos Collective. This crew is changing the face of the Quijos valley by making the transition from dairy farming to tourism. Not that we have anything against milk drinking, its just we don’t love that we have to chop down this cool forest to have it. We’re going to get up early and head out, but it’s going to be worth it. You’re birders after all you live for this stuff. We’re going to the Cock of the Rock Lek at Rio Quijos Ecolodge who doesn’t want to wake up early to watch birds dancing their pants off? In the afternoon we’ll motor on over to the Concierto de las Aves and La Vida del Quinde.
Birds you might see: Andean Cock of the Rock, Torrent Duck, Green-fronted Lancebill, Red-billed Parrot, Crested Quetzal, Andean Motmot, Golden Tanager, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Wire-crested Thorntail, White-tipped Sicklebill, Barred Becard, Flame-faced Tanager, Rufous-breasted Flycatcher, Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant, Rufous-crowned Tody-flycatcher, Sulfer-bellied Tyrannulet, Flavescent Flycatcher, Olivaceous Siskin, Golden-naped Tanager, Golden-collared Honeycreeper, Rufous-collared Sparrow
Overnight: Cabañas Tamiaju
Day 8- The secret to a long life is knowing when it’s time to go.
Today’s objective is to get you back to Quito so you can fly out tomorrow. Depending on how much Ecuador is being Ecuador (read landslides and road closures) we will make a few stops along the way. The First stop will be at La Brisa, they have some humming bird feeders and a little circuit through the forests, if our good luck is holding out we’ll be able to check out the Western Fire-eye. Then we will make a stop at Finca Los Nogales and try to get a look at the majestic AF Black-and-chestnut Eagle.
Birds you might see: Rufous-collared Sparrow.
Overnight: Puembo Birding Garden
How much is this whole thing going to set you back you ask?
That question depends on what kind of configuration you want to be in and how big your group is. Generally the larger the group the less expensive this whole thing gets We are a reasonably priced lodge as far as they go, but if you’re traveling alone or want your own rooms things get costly quick. So find some friends and come on down! The numbers below are to give you a general idea of the breakdown. Send us a message and let us know how your crew wants to be arranged and we’ll send you a quote.
Cost for 2 people (shared room) $2550/ person
Cost for 4 people (2 shared rooms) $1950/ person