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Ecuador October 2003,
Introduction
The following report covers an excellent two week trip that I completed in Northern Ecuador in October 2003.
Tour details
The itinerary that I followed is now a fairly well established circuit so I won't describe the sites in any detail. Some of the time I didn't know which trail I was on so this is actually a bit of a cop-out. There are much more detailed reports around that give this information with Gruff Dodd's being particularly good if you plan on going it alone (see links below)
All arrangements were done through Tropical Birding and this worked perfectly. With hindsight it would be difficult to imagine how the trip could have gone any better from an organisational point of view
Basically I had 6 days in the Tandayapa / Mindo area on Tropical Birding's Introtour, a single day at Papallacta with a visit to Guango and a 5-day package to Sacha in the eastern lowlands. All the arrangements were made through Tropical Birding with Christina brilliantly arranging all the intermediate hotel rooms, taxis,etc. Tropical Birding can also get a good discount for the Sacha package.
The accommodation at both Tandayapa and Sacha is absolutely superb. Sacha is the more rustic of the two and gives the impression of being a larger and more "touristy" set up. The guides at Sacha try to ensure that groups do not visit towers at the same time. Sacha has various guides who could be generally termed "nature guides" but who are all good birders. Sacha now has three canopy towers with two of these being newly constructed metal towers about 400 metres apart overlooking similar areas of canopy. The third tower is the older wooden tower built around a Kapok tree which overlooks a completely different area of canopy. There are trails around the lodge area and on the opposite (south) side of the Napo River. The lodge at Tandayapa was constructed by Iain Campbell and is set in an area of pristine cloud forest which has miles of trails. From Tandayapa Lodge access is easy to the Upper & Lower Tandayapa Valley and the Mindo / Pedro Vicente Maldonado areas in the western lowlands. Out of the two lodges I probably preferred Tandayapa as it is smaller and geared specifically to birding. The staff at Tandayapa are extremely warm and friendly and bent over backwards to ensure that our stay was as pleasant as possible. The food is great and beer is cheap
During the time at Tandayapa and Papallacta I had the pleasure of being guided by Jose Illanez who is without doubt one of the best field birders I have met. Jose was employed by Tropical Birding following rumours of his birding ability within the Amazon basin and he his recruitment is a great success. His ability to find birds is incredible, he is extremely friendly and his enthusiasm is infectious. Mark Gurney is a British birder recently recruited by TB and is gradually picking up experience of Ecuadorian birds by accompanying Jose. Mark found quite a few birds as "back-marker" in the group and should be great as a guide within a short period.
At Tandayapa there were only four birders and coincidently three out of these (Rich, Lois and myself). were to go on to Sacha . We were initially concerned that if there were large numbers of birders at Sacha it would affect the quality of our birding. However when we met Oscar Tapuy at Coca airport he informed us that we were actually the only three at the lodge during the week. Oscar is a great birder and is very business-like in the pursuit of target birds. Like Jose he can pick out birds when none appear to be present. Oscar is able to see in complete darkness !
Flights
My preferred route was to fly from Manchester to Amsterdam and then have a direct flight to Quito as this would have got me into Quito during the day and would have given the opportunity to do a bit of birding in the Quito area on the day before the tour (or get some sleep). However when I tried to book in February it was full (!) so I went via New York using Continental with a scheduled stop in Bogota
The flights to Quito went very smoothly but unfortunately the plane broke down on the return journey on the taxiway at Bogota airport (quite worrying as we had just flown 700 km from Quito !) A delay of 7 hours at Bogota meant that my connection at NewYork was missed so I arrived back in the UK 24 hours later than planned. Despite the delay, the treatment by Continental was excellent throughout and I would have no hesitation in recommending them
The flights to Quito cost £676 which is relatively high compared to other South American cities
The flights from Quito to Coca were included in the Sacha package and were operated by Icaro. The air turbulence whilst going over the Andes is interesting to say the least
Itinerary
12/10 - Basically a travel day, leaving Manchester at 10.00 and arriving in Quito at about 22.30 with the arrival of Columbian security onto the plane at Bogota airport during the scheduled stop to liven up the journey
13/10 - Met the other Introtour participants (Rod, Rich and Lois) at breakfast at 0430. They had the good sense to arrive early the previous day and, as they had flown from the States had taken direct and relatively short flights. They also didn't have the 6 hour time difference to wrestle with . Collected by Jose and Mark (I'm not the only Englishman on the trip !) and thrashed around Yanacocha most of the day seeing more-or-less everything that we expected. First South American lifer is a Rufous-collared Sparrow which I thought was good at the time ! Great start to the trip and by the end of the day the camaraderie in the group is great. Fall into bed after great meal and a couple of beers at Tandayapa Lodge
14/10 - Covered the Lower Tandayapa Valley and then first views of the Tandayapa Lodge hummingbird feeders. Sixteen species of hummingbird in ten minutes with probably over a hundred birds around the deck!
15/10 - Full day spent around Los Bancos and Mindo.
16/10 - Day spent in Upper Tandayapa Valley
17/10 - Full day in Pedro Vicente Maldonado area. Heavy rain all morning but still didn't seem to affect number of birds seen. Advice;- take an umbrella to Ecuador and then remember to take it out into the field ! Wearing a raincoat is like wearing a portable sauna
18/10- Final day of the official Introtour. Up at 3.30 to go owling but torrential rain (remembered umbrella this time) made it a lost cause. Fairly casual day spent around the Lower Tandayapa Valley picking up a few good birds and then back to Quito via Calacali for White-tailed Shrike Tyrant. Out for meal and a few beers in Quito with Jose, Mark and Rod on his last day
19/10 - Great morning at Papallacta and, because we cleared up on almost everything straight away, the afternoon was spent down the East slope at Guango which gave me some surprise bonus birds which I had not expected at any stage of the tour. Messed up badly on the Giant Conebill. Night in Quito
20/10 - Bit of a lie-in and then off to Sacha. The Sacha reps were very slick in getting everyone through airport control, onto the plane and then boat from the beautiful (!) city of Coca. All "normal" tourists put on a different boat to birders which enabled us to stop whenever anything good was seen (which was often) Bit of birding done around the lake. First views of Hoatzin by the beautiful lake
21/10 - Morning spent up the attractively named Metal Tower 2 and then afternoon around the trails behind the lodge
22/10 - Plan today was to visit the river islands for the specialities that occur there. However the Napo had risen by a couple of metres overnight and this was not possible. Instead we drove round the islands seeing as much as possible and then went to the parrot licks and Yasuni (?) Reserve on the South side of the Napo. Late afternoon back on the Sacha trails
23/10 - Morning spent up the wooden tower and then the afternoon up Metal Tower 1 and around trails
24/10 - Returned to Quito via Coca with final lifer of trip being a Grey-necked Wood Rail on the path near to the dock at Sacha
25/10 - The short morning flight to Bogota was fairly uneventful. However problems with plane at Bogota meant that my connection at Newark was missed and overnight stay in a hotel was required
26/10 - finally flew out of Newark landing in the UK on the morning of the 27th
Vaccinations
My doctor in the UK advised that malarial drugs and yellow fever were not necessary for the Tandayapa area but were recommended for the Eastern lowlands part of the trip. In addition to the yellow fever injection (£35 with certification) I also had diphtheria, hepatitis A and typhoid (all free in the UK). I was already covered for polio and tetanus
I was surprised when I got to Sacha that a number of people were not taking malarial precautions on the basis that Sacha has had no recent reported cases. For the record I took Proguanil and Chloroquine which cost about £25 in the UK and I've had no side effects
Safety
Ecuador has a reputation for being a very safe place to visit and this was one of my reasons for choosing this trip (the 1600 species also had some influence on me) The local people proved exceptionally warm and friendly to us wherever we went. The only place that I felt slightly uneasy was in Quito on the couple of occasions that I walked around at night but this was no more worrying than moving around any strange city.
The taxi drivers can be a bit alarming but again no worse than any European city
The wildlife in both main sections was surprisingly innocuous with the only problems caused by a bee which stung me on the foot (I did stand on it so it did have an excuse to fight back) and an ant which bit me on my face at Sacha (fortunately it was not one of the large conger ants which can be found around Sacha ) The mozzies, flies and other biting insects failed to materialise though I'm sure that liberal amounts of insect repellent did help and I would strongly recommend this approach. We saw a couple of snakes including one which Jose said was poisonous and Rich and Lois found a tarantula at near their room at Sacha which would have been nice to see.
The weather was generally overcast for most of the trip but the cloud did clear on several occasions in the lowlands when it became very hot. Covering up with clothing and sun-screen seemed to work. Contrary to the warnings in all reports I didn't bother with the sunscreen at Papallacta as it was "nice and cool" and ended the day with a rather burned face.
Altitude sickness needs to be taken seriously if visiting Papallacta. I was ok until I started running (when the seed-snipes had been located) after which breathing became very slightly difficult. Just be careful
References
The number of reports that can be found for the area on the internet is phenomenal and thanks go out to anyone who has put a report on one of the sites The two sites that I have generally used are the Surfbirds & Birdtours ones. Particular thanks go to Gruff Dodd who's report on Birdtours is highly recommended if you are considering a similar circuit. These links can be found below along with Tropical Birding's link
Books used
There's only one that matters !! - Ridgeley and Greenfield's Bird's of Ecuador (the field guide volume). Every birder in Ecuador seems to have a copy (or at least bits of the book) and you would be mad not to buy a copy and read it from cover-to-cover before going there
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The Birds of Ecuador Vol 2:
Field Guide
|
Links
The Birds !
The following list gives the birds seen during the whole of the trip and follows Ridgeley & Greenfield
Note that as I don't count "heards" I tend not to record them all so please excuse the lack of a heards list (though some are mentioned in the text below)
Inevitably on a trip such as this there are some birds that are missed and they basically fall into one of three categories;-
All-in-all, however, the birds that I did see more than compensated for the misses and the "bonus" birds were absolutely superb. In total I saw 440 birds and the majority of these were lifers !
Sites in the list are abbreviated as follows;-
PVM = Pedro Vicente Maldonado; LTV = Lower Tandayapa Valley; UTV = Upper Tandayapa Valley
Sacha MT1 = Sacha Metal Tower 1; Sacha MT2 = Sacha Metal Tower 2
TINAMOUS (2)
Great Tinamou - seen at roost site on 21/10
Undulated Tinamou - one watched in finca area on 22/10
DUCKS, GEESE & SWANS (2)
Andean Teal - at least 4 birds on Papallacta Lake
Andean Ruddy-Duck - at least 6 birds on lake near Papallacta pass
HERONS, BITTERNS, EGRETS (7)
Rufescent Tiger-Heron - 22/10 & 23/10 in vicinity of lodge at Sacha
Cocoi Heron - juv bird seen on Napo on 21/10
Great Egret - common along Napo
Snowy Egret - seen on Napo on 23/10
Cattle Egret - birds at Mindo & PVM
Striated Heron - 1-2 birds seen around Sacha Lodge
Boat-billed Heron - superb bird. Single bird seen at roost site on 21/10 near lodge
AMERICAN VULTURES (4)
King Vulture - seen from Metal Towers at Sacha on 21/10 & 23/10
Black Vulture - common in all lowland areas
Turkey Vulture - common in all lowland areas
Greater Yellow-headed Vulture - seen from Metal Towers at Sacha on 21/10 & 23/10
KITES, EAGLES, HAWKS, ETC. (13)
Osprey - seen on Napo
Gray-headed Kite - bird watched during torrential downpour at PVM on 17/10
Hook-billed Kite - single bird on 16/10 in UTV
Swallow-tailed Kite - birds seen in both Western and Eastern lowlands
Slender-billed Kite - seen from Metal Towers at Sacha on 21/10 & 23/10
Double-toothed Kite - single bird in PVM area on 17/10
Plumbeous Kite - frequently seen in eastern lowlands
White Hawk - adult bird perched near Sacha MT2 on 21/10
Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle - birds seen at Yanacocha (13/10) and Calacali (18/10)
Roadside Hawk - frequently seen in West and East but not as common as R&G indicate
Short-tailed Hawk - superb views on 16/10 in UTV. Bird stooped on a bird and then flew directly overhead (30 metres range) while eating prey
Variable Hawk - seen at Yanacocha (13/10) & Papallacta (19/10)
Black Hawk-Eagle - soaring bird at Sacha on 21/10. Oscar had been "talking" to the bird for a while and it only became apparent what it was when we reached a gap in the canopy
FALCONS AND CARACARAS (5)
Black Caracara - seen from Metal Towers at Sacha on 21/10 & 23/10
Carunculated Caracara - two birds at Papallacta on 19/10
Laughing Falcon - great bird. Good views at PVM on 17/10
American Kestrel - common in western lowlands
Peregrine Falcon - one seen from SMT2 on 21/10
CURASSOWS, GUANS, ETC. (3)
Speckled Chachalaca - seen on 21/10 & 22/10 on both sides of Napo
Spix's Guan - prolonged views of single bird from SMT2 on 21/10
Sickle-winged Guan - birds seen on 14/10, 16/10 & 18/10 in LTV
RAILS, GALLINULES, COOTS (2)
Chestnut-headed Crake - calling bird seen briefly but very well south of the Napo on 22/10
Gray-necked Wood-Rail - superb views of bird on the path near the dock as I was leaving Sacha on the 24/10
SUNBITTERN (1)
Sunbittern - stunning bird. Seen in flight and then feeding on rocks from main river bridge at Mindo on 15/10
JAÇANAS (1)
Wattled Jaçana - single bird seen in flight during boat journey from Coca to Sacha on 20/10. Surprisingly the only one seen during trip
SANDPIPERS, SNIPES, ETC. (3)
Greater Yellowlegs - birds seen on Napo on most dates
Spotted Sandpiper - very common on Napo
Least Sandpiper -single bird on a river island on 22/10
SEEDSNIPES (1)
Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe - one of the highlights of the trip. Superb pair watched at a range of no more than 20 metres at Papallacta on 19/10
PLOVERS AND LAPWINGS (2)
Pied Plover - seen along Napo on 20/10 & 22/10
Collared Plover - seen along Napo on 22/10
GULLS AND TERNS (2)
Andean Gull - single adult bird seen at Papallacta Lake on 19/10
Yellow-billed Tern - birds seen on Napo on most dates
PIGEONS AND DOVES (6)
Band-tailed Pigeon - single bird in UTV on 16/10
Pale-vented Pigeon - one bird on river island on 22/10
Ruddy Pigeon - birds seen in Mindo area on 15/10
Plumbeous Pigeon - single bird in LTV on 14/10
Eared Dove - common
White-tipped Dove - seen around Tandayapa Lodge on 16/10
PARROTS AND MACAWS (11)
Blue-and-yellow Macaw - fantastic sight of 7 birds flying past SMT2 on 21/10. Why anyone would want to keep such a magnificent bird in a cage is beyond belief
Dusky-headed Parakeet - about 20 birds at the main parrot lick on the south side of the Napo on 22/10
Maroon-tailed Parakeet - a couple of birds seen along Los Bancos on 15/10
Cobalt-winged Parakeet -seen on 21/10, 22/10 & 23/10 in Sacha area
Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet - a genuine bonus bird which even surprised Oscar. Nine birds feeding and showing very well at parrot lick at end of trails along south side of the river on 22/10
Black-headed Parrot - pair seen perched from SMT2 on 21/10
Blue-headed Parrot - about 50 at the main parrot lick on 22/10
Bronze-winged Parrot - small groups flying over Los Bancos on 15/10
Yellow-crowned Amazon - about 100 at the main parrot lick on 22/10
Orange-winged Amazon - many watched going to roost over finca area at Sacha on 21/10
Mealy Amazon - about 100 at the main parrot lick on 22/10
CUCKOOS AND ANIS (5)
Black-billed Cuckoo - Good bird to see in Ecuador. R&G indicate that October is not a prime time to see. Single bird seen well near Mindo on 15/10
Squirrel Cuckoo - seen in Los Bancos, UTV and PVM areas
Little Cuckoo - single bird seen in PVM area on 17/10 (with Squirrel Cuckoo nearby for comparison)
Greater Ani - seen on all days at Sacha around lake
Smooth-billed Ani - seen frequently in both western and eastern lowlands
HOATZIN (1)
Hoatzin - birds seen everyday at Sacha especially from the bar !
BARN OWLS (1)
Barn Owl - superb views of a dark-breasted bird in fields near Mindo on 15/10
TYPICAL OWLS (4)
Tropical Screech-Owl - pair watched at roost on 21/10 adjacent to Sacha boardwalk
Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl - pair watched at roost on 21/10 adjacent to Sacha boardwalk
Great Horned Owl - My moment of glory ! Jose (Ecuadorian list over 1000) needed Great Horned Owl and seemed rather pleased when I found one on the cliff at the Papallacta Giant Conebill site
Mottled Owl - superb bird watched at roost site on 21/10 adjacent to Sacha boardwalk
POTOOS (1)
Common Potoo - calling bird spot-lighted by Sacha lake on 21/10
NIGHTJARS AND NIGHTHAWKS (3)
Rufous-bellied Nighthawk - excellent views of bird hawking over Tandayapa lodge on 16/10
Ladder-tailed Nightjar - brilliant views (down to about 5 metres) of a perched bird on a Napo river island on the 22/10
Lyre-tailed Nightjar - one of the highlights of the trip. On the 15/10 Jose stopped the bus on a section of road back to Tandayapa lodge which looked like any other, started playing his tape and a bird immediately landed on the telegraph wires above the bus. Stunning
SWIFTS (4)
White-collared Swift - common in western lowlands. Very impressive
Short-tailed Swift - common in eastern lowlands
Gray-rumped Swift - common in western lowlands
Neotropical Palm-Swift - common at Sacha
HUMMINGBIRDS (44)
Note that the frequency of hummingbirds seen at the various feeders at Tandayapa & Mindo is seasonal and certain species are more common at different times of the year. All hummingbirds are stunning so I've tried not to write this against every species. The Tandayapa feeders are absolutely fantastic and all birders should go there !
White-whiskered Hermit - feeders at Mindo area on 15/10
Tawny-bellied Hermit - regular at the Tandayapa feeders
Straight -billed Hermit - single bird seen south of the Napo on 22/10
Green-fronted Lancebill - regular at the Tandayapa feeders
White-necked Jacobin - feeders at Mindo area on 15/10
Brown Violet-ear - infrequent at the Tandayapa feeders
Green Violet-ear - common at Tandayapa
Sparkling Violet-ear- common at Tandayapa
Green Thorntail - single female bird seen at PVM on 17/10
Western Emerald - common at Tandayapa
Fork-tailed Woodnymph - single bird seen feeding on Sacha Wooden Tower tree on 23/10
Green-crowned Woodnymph - feeders at Mindo area on 15/10
Olive-spotted Hummingbird - single bird seen on Napo river island on 22/10
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird- very common at Tandayapa
Andean Emerald- common at Tandayapa
Speckled Hummingbird - seen in UTV on 16/10
Purple-bibbed Whitetip - infrequent at Tandayapa feeders
Empress Brilliant - regular at the Tandayapa feeders
Green-crowned Brilliant - feeders at Mindo hummingbird restaurant on 15/10
Fawn-breasted Brilliant - common at Tandayapa
Ecuadorian Hillstar - female seen on 19/10 at Papallacta. Bird seen to fly under an over-hanging grass tussock which proved to be a nest site
Shining Sunbeam - single bird seen adjacent to Papallacta lake on 19/10
Mountain Velvetbreast - male and female seen at Guango feeders on 19/10
Great Sapphirewing - common at Yanacocha on 13/10
Brown Inca - regular at the Tandayapa feeders
Collared Inca - first seen at Yanacocha on 13/10. Later seen at Tandayapa feeders on several occasions
Buff-winged Starfrontlet - common at Yanacocha on 13/10
Sword-billed Hummingbird - absolutely stunning bird. Two seen at Yanacocha on 13/10 and then at least five at the Guango feeders on 19/10
Buff-tailed Coronet - regular at the Tandayapa feeders
Gorgeted Sunangel - several birds seen at Bella Vista lodge in the Tandayapa Valley on 16/10. Even though Bellavista is only about a mile from Tandayapa Lodge this bird is rarely seen at the latter site
Tourmaline Sunangel - regular at the Guango feeders on 19./10
Sapphire-vented Puffleg - frequent at the Yanacocha feeders on 13/10
Golden-breasted Puffleg - frequent at the Yanacocha feeders on 13/10
Booted Racket-tail - common at Tandayapa feeders
Black-tailed Trainbearer - great views of a male at Yanacocha on 13/10
Tyrian Metaltail - common at Yanacocha on 13/10
Rainbow-bearded Thornbill - at least two birds giving fantastic views at Yanacocha on 13/10
Blue-mantled Thornbill - at least one bird seen at Papallacta on 19/10. Apparently can be quite difficult
Mountain Avocetbill - single bird at the Guango feeders on 19/10
Long-tailed Sylph - at least one male seen at Guango on 19/10
Violet-tailed Sylph - regular at the Tandayapa feeders
Wedge-billed Hummingbird - single bird seen in LTV on 14/10. Apparently very infrequent at the Tandayapa lodge feeders
Purple-crowned Fairy - single bird seen at PVM on 17/10 sheltering from torrential rain
Purple-throated Woodstar - common at Tandayapa
TROGONS AND QUETZALS (8)
Golden-headed Quetzal - fantastic views eventually achieved of a calling pair in the LTV ON 14/10. Superb birds
Black-tailed Trogon - prolonged views of a very close male from the Wooden tower at Sacha on 23/10
Chocó Trogon - good views of a pair at Los Bancos on 15/10
Amazonian White-tailed Trogon - female bird seen from boardwalk at Sacha between lake and river on 21/10
Western White-tailed Trogon - male and two females seen in PVM area on 17/10
Collared Trogon - male seen from canoe in backwaters opposite Sacha lodge on 22/10
Masked Trogon - relatively common in Tandayapa area with birds being seen on 14/10, 16/10 & 18/10
Black-throated Trogon - single bird south of river on 22/10
KINGFISHERS (2)
Ringed Kingfisher - seen at PVM on 17/10 and on Napo river on 22/10
Green-and-rufous Kingfisher - single bird seen on 22/10 by lake at Sacha. Overall we did poorly on Kingfishers which, presumably, was due to the very high river levels on the Napo
MOTMOTS (2)
Broad-billed Motmot - single bird seen at Los Bancos on 15/10. Surprisingly difficult to see
Blue-crowned Motmot - one seen on the trails at Sacha on 23/10
JACAMARS (1)
Purplish Jacamar - bird seen south of the Napo on 22/10. As with Kingfishers, the number of Jacamars seen (one!) was disappointing. This was compensated in other areas
PUFFBIRDS (5)
Barred Puffbird - superb prolonged views of a singing bird at Los Bancos on 15/10
Black-fronted Nunbird - seen at Sacha on 21/10 & 22/10
White-fronted Nunbird - single bird seen on Sacha trails on 23/10
Yellow-billed Nunbird - several birds seen along trails on 22/10
Swallow-winged Puffbird - quite common in east particularly around the finca at Sacha
NEW WORLD BARBETS (4)
Scarlet-crowned Barbet - female bird seen by river on 21/10
Gilded Barbet - seen from Metal Towers at Sacha on 21/10 & 23/10
Red-headed Barbet - several birds seen along Los Bancos (15/10) and in PVM area (17/10)
Toucan Barbet - stunning birds. Pair watched at nest site (with one bird in nest hole) on 14/10 and then one found in UTV on 16/10
TOUCANS (8)
Crimson-rumped Toucanet - seen on several occasions in the LTV
Golden-collared Toucanet - superb bird. Seen along the channel to the wooden tower at Sacha on 22/10
Pale-mandibledAraçari - single bird along MBTR on 15/10
Many-banded Araçari - common in canopy from all three towers at Sacha
Ivory-billed Araçari - one bird seen from SMT2 on 21/10
Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan - several birds seen in UTV on 16/10
Chocó Toucan - several birds singing along MBTR and in PVM area
White-throated Toucan - relatively common from all towers at Sacha.
WOODPECKERS AND PICULETS (16)
Some bird families such as Kingfishers and Jacamars were disappointing on the tour but this was more than compensated for by others such as Woodpeckers. All the birds below gave good (and often stunning) views which allowed for certain identification
Olivaceous Piculet - single bird watched at very close range on 17/10 at PVM
Crimson-mantled Woodpecker - at least two of these stunning birds were seen in the LTV on 14/10
Golden-olive Woodpecker - birds seen in western lowlands at both Mindo and PVM
Chestnut Woodpecker - bird eventually showed well after a degree of chasing around the trails on 23/10 at Sacha.
Cream-coloured Woodpecker - initially a single bird seen poorly by the finca on 22/10. However, on 23/10, four birds (2 pairs) were watched from the wooden tower at close range. Absolutely outrageous birds. Just as bright as in the field guides and almost bird of the trip
Lineated Woodpecker - birds seen in western lowlands at both Mindo and PVM
Yellow-tufted Woodpecker - three birds together from SMT2 on 21/10. Very nice.
Black-cheeked Woodpecker - several birds showed well together on same dead branch at PVM on 17/10
Smoky-brown Woodpecker - single bird in area of dense forest by MBTR on 15/10
Little Woodpecker - single bird seen on river island on 22/10
Red-stained Woodpecker - pair of birds gave brilliant views on 21/10 as they fed on dead branch probably less than 5 metres from the platform on SMT2
Bar-bellied Woodpecker - good views of a single bird at Yanacocha on 13/10
Scarlet-backed Woodpecker - single bird seen at Mindo on 15/10.
Crimson-crested Woodpecker - pair feeding close to SMT2 on 21/10. Single bird seen less well on 22/10
Guayaquil Woodpecker - several birds in PVM area on 17/10
Powerful Woodpecker - fantastic prolonged views of a feeding pair in the LTV on 18/10
OVENBIRDS (17)
Bar-winged Cinclodes - quite common at Papallacta on 19/10
Stout-billed Cinclodes - quite common at Papallacta on 19/10
Pacific Hornero - frequent in the more open areas in the western lowlands
Andean Tit-Spinetail - several birds seen at Papallacta on 19/10
Azara's Spinetail - seen in LTV on 14/10 and heard frequently
Rufous Spinetail - single bird seen poorly among thick tangles in UTV on 16/10
Red-faced Spinetail - seen in LTV on several occasions
White-chinned Thistletail - single bird seen at Papallacta on 19/10
Many-striped Canastero - several birds seen at Papallacta on 19/10
Streaked Tuftedcheek - seen in UTV in mixed flock on 16/10
Pearled Treerunner - seen in mixed flocks at both Yanacocha (13/10) and UTV (16/10)
Spotted Barbtail - single bird in LTV on 14/10
Rusty-winged Barbtail - single bird in LTV on 18/10
Lineated Foliage-gleaner - single bird in Mindo area on 15/10
Streak-capped Treehunter - one watched exceptionally well below the platform at Tandayapa on both 16/10 & 18/10
Streaked Xenops - single bird seen in PVM area on 17/10
Plain Xenops - quite regular in mixed flocks in PVM area on 17/10
WOODCREEPERS (10)
Plain-brown Woodcreeper - one well-watched in PVM area on 17/10
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper - bird seen along MBTR on 15/10 and one at PVM on 17/10
Olivaceous Woodcreeper - one on trails at Sacha on 21/10
Long-billed Woodcreeper - one seen from SMT2 tower very briefly on 21/10. One seen exceptionally well on 22/10 by the path to the finca. Amazing bird.
Strong-billed Woodcreeper - one in LTV on 14/10
Straight-billed Woodcreeper - seen at the finca at Sacha on 20/10
Buff-throated Woodcreeper - one from SMT2 on 21/10
Spotted Woodcreeper - single bird in PVM area on 17/10
Streak-headed Woodcreeper - single bird in PVM area on 17/10
Montane Woodcreeper - common in the west
TYPICAL ANTBIRDS (21)
Uniform Antshrike - female bird seen near to the hide at Tandayapa Lodge on 14/10
Plain-winged Antshrike - one along trails at Sacha on 23/10
Western Slaty-Antshrike - single bird seen at PVM on 17/10
Spot-winged Antshrike - pair seen from Sacha MT2 on 21/10
Russet Antshrike - one seen in PVM area on 17/10
Dusky-throated Antshrike - good views of a female along the Sacha trails on 21/10
Griscom's Antwren - probably two birds seen high in canopy at PVM on 17/10
Pacific Antwren - superb bird seen very well in Mindo area on15/10
White-flanked Antwren - two different females seen along Sacha trails on 21/10
Slaty Antwren - pair of birds in thick tangles in LTV on 15/10 & 18/10
Dot-winged Antwren - party of 5 birds seen together in UTV on 15/10. Very attractive and quite showy
Black-faced Antbird - superb views of a male along the trails to the south of the Napo
Dugand's Antwren - male watched at very close range from Sacha MT2 on 21/10
Warbling Antbird - excellent views of bird along trails on south side of Napo on 22/10
Dot-backed Antbird - male by channel leading off from lake at Sacha on 22/10
Scale-backed Antbird - another superb antbird. Female bird seen near to Banded Antbird on 21/10
Banded Antbird - one of the highlights at Sacha and a bird that I really wanted to see. Bird watched in undergrowth down to about 5 metres on 21/10. Stunning bird
Spot-winged Antbird - great 'scope views of bird along the trails at Sacha on 23/10
Silvered Antbird - female bird seen by the channel leading off the lake at Sacha on 22/10
Plumbeous Antbird - seen along black water channel off the main lake at Sacha on 20/10
Immaculate Antbird - birds seen on several days. At least 5 in LTV on 14/10 and then singles at Mindo (15/10) and LTV (16/10)
Chestnut-backed Antbird - single calling bird seen at Mindo on 15/10
ANTTHRUSHES AND ANTPITTAS (5)
Black-headed Antthrush - cracking views of a bird which walked around us looking for the Mini-disc player at PVM on 17/10
Black-faced Antthrush - another one that showed in response to the tape. Good views along trails on south side of Napo on 22/10
Striated Antthrush - superb views along Sacha trails on 23/10
Tawny Antpitta - bird seen immediately upon arrival at Papallacta on 19/10 and another bird seen at the radio masts later in day. Amazingly easy after cat-and-mouse games with all other Antpittas on trip
Ochre-breasted Antpitta - unlike the other Antpittas that we got within metres of without seeing (Moustached, Yellow-breasted, Chestnut-crowned, Chestnut-naped & Scaled) this one gave good views in the LTV on 14/10
TAPACULOS (3)
Rusty-belted Tapaculo - great views of a bird next to the Sacha trails on 23/10
Spillmann's Tapaculo - a singing bird seen briefly in the UTV on 16/10. At the same time a Unicoloured Tapaculo was singing on the opposite side of the road but could not be coaxed into view
Ocellated Tapaculo - stunning. Without doubt the bird of the trip. Several singing birds had given us the runaround for a few days so one singing out in the open on 16/10 in the UTV was appreciated by everyone
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS (58)
Slender-footed Tyrannulet - one from Sacha MT2 on 21/10
Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet - LTV on 14/10 and a few times elsewhere in the west
Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet - trails to south of Napo on 23/10
Gray Elaenia - birds seen in lowlands at PVM and at Sacha
Yellow-bellied Elaenia - a calling bird at Los Bancos on 15/10
Mottle-backed Elaenia - very distinctive (as Elaenias go) Seen around the Sacha finca on a few occasions
White-crested Elaenia - UTV on 16/10
White-throated Tyrannulet - seen in mixed flock at Yanacocha on 13/10
White-banded Tyrannulet - seen in mixed flock at Yanacocha on 13/10
White-tailed Tyrannulet - one in the UTV on 16/10
Rufous-winged Tyrannulet - LTV on 14/10
Torrent Tyrannulet - pair near the small bridge at Mindo
Tufted Tit-Tyrant - one at Yanacocha on 14/10
Streak-necked Flycatcher - seen in Tandayapa area
Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant - by no means the rarest bird seen on the trip but one that, after seeing pictures, I really wanted to see well. Eventually pinned-down near the Hummingbird restaurant at Mindo on 15/10
Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatcher - very attractive pair of birds seen around Sacha MT2 on 21/10
Common Tody-Flycatcher - several seen in PVM area
White-throated Spadebill - male singing near group while watching the Black-headed Antthrush at PVM on 17/10
Ornate Flycatcher - very cute. Seen at Los Bancos on 15/10
Flavescent Flycatcher - just managed to pin one down well on the last day at Tandayapa
Bran-colored Flycatcher - a couple of birds at Los Bancos on 15/10
Cinnamon Flycatcher - very smart little bird. UTV on 16/10
Western Wood-Pewee - one at Los Bancos on 15/10
Smoke-colored Pewee - reasonably common in western lowlands
Black Phoebe - pair seen at Mindo village on 15/10 were the only ones of the trip
Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant - pair seen well at Yanacocha on 13/10 and single at Papallacta on 19/10
Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant - fanatastic views of a bird singing from a bare sapling in the LTV on 13/10
Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant - very attractive bird watched in UTV on 16/10
Drab Water-Tyrant - several birds living up their name along the Napo on 22/10
White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant - one bird seen after a while at Calacali on 18/10
Paramo Ground-Tyrant - single bird at Papallacta on 19/10
Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant - seen at Calacali on 18/10
Masked Water-Tyrant - very attractive birds. At least one seen in fields near Mindo on 15/10
Citron-bellied Attila - brilliant views of a singing bird from the wooden tower at Sacha on 23/10
Cinnamon Attila - singing bird within 5 metres of the previous species allowed for good comparison
Greyish Mourner - single bird along Sacha trails on 23/10
Dusky-capped Flycatcher - common in west
Great Kiskadee - common around Sacha
Lesser Kiskadee - common around Sacha
Boat-billed Flycatcher - regular around Sacha
Social Flycatcher - frequent around the finca at Sacha
Rusty-margined Flycatcher- one at Los Bancos on 15/10
Streaked Flycatcher - at least one seen in PVM area on 17/10
Golden-crowned Flycatcher - regular in LTV
Piratic Flycatcher - one seen at Mindo Lindo on 15/10
Crowned Slaty Flycatcher - several seen around the Sacha MT2 on 21/10
Tropical Kingbird - very common particularly in western lowlands
Snowy-throated Kingbird - single bird showed well at PVM on 17/10. Quite different to Tropical Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird - regularly seen around the finca at Sacha
Barred Becard - very poor views of a bird in the UTV on 16/10 and great views at Guango on 19/10
Cinnamon Becard - single bird seen in a small area of bushes near Mindo with a One-coloured and a White-winged on 15/10
White-winged Becard - see Cinnamon Becard
Black-and-white Becard - PVM on 17/10
One-colored Becard - see Cinnamon Becard
Pink-throated Becard - pair of birds giving prolonged views at close range from Sacha MT2 on 21/10
Black-tailed Tityra - first bird of the day from Sacha MT2 on 21/10
Masked Tityra - atleast one showed very well at PVM on 17/10
Black-crowned Tityra - from the Hummingbird restaurant at Mindo on 15/10
COTINGAS (9)
Barred Fruiteater - brilliant close views of a pair at Yanacocha on 13/10
Green-and-black Fruiteater - two birds in UTV on 16/10
Olivaceous Piha - great views in the LTV on 18/10
Screaming Piha - heard throughout in the Sacha. Finally watched one screaming on 23/10
Purple-throated Cotinga - undoubtably one of the highlights of the time spent in the various towers at Sacha. A pair of these stunning and relatively scarce birds gave prolonged views at a range of about 30 metres on the 21/10 from Sacha MT2 on 21/10
Spangled Cotinga - a superb male watched from Sacha MT2 on 21/10
Bare-necked Fruitcrow - seen from both metal canopy towers at Sacha
Purple-throated Fruitcrow - distant bird seen from wooden tower on 23/10
Andean Cock-of-the-rock - absolutely stunning birds seen on 4 days in the west as follows; -
13/10 - males in LTV, 14/10 - at least 5 males in UTV including several gliding across the valley, 15/10 - 1 male over the bridge at Mindo while we were watching the Sunbittern and 18/10 - one in flight near Tandayapa Lodge
MANAKINS (7)
Wire-tailed Manakin - an outstandingly gaudy bird even by manakin standards. Superb views (including tail filaments) of a male along the Sacha trails on 23/10
Blue-crowned Manakin - a very nice male watched along the trails on the south side of the Napo on 22/10
Golden-wingedManakin - displaying birds seen in LTV on 14/10
White-beardedManakin - at least 5 displaying males at PVM on 17/10.
Club-winged Manakin - at least two displaying birds seen at Mindo Lindo on 15/10
Orange-crested Manakin - female seen along channel leading-off from lake at Sacha on 22/10. Not the most colourful bird of the trip but one of the most important to get at Sacha given it's very restricted range
Dwarf Tyrant-Manakin - single singing bird in mid-canopy on 23/10 along Sacha trails.
CROWS, JAYS, AND MAGPIES (2)
Turquoise Jay - regular in LTV
Violaceous Jay - a few birds seen at Sacha
VIREOS AND ALLIES (3)
Red-eyed Vireo - seen at Tandayapa lodge, Mindo Lindo and Sacha
Brown-capped Vireo - finally managed to pin one down on 18/10 from the Tandayapa deck
Lesser Greenlet - seen at PVM on 17/10
THRUSHES (6)
Swainson's Thrush - one feeding along Sacha trails on 21/10
Great Thrush - very common at Yanacocha
Glossy-black Thrush - female seen near the dipper site along the Old Nono-Mindo Road on 13/10
Black-billed Thrush - common around the finca at Sacha
Lawrence's Thrush - singing bird high 'scoped in canopy from trails south of Napo on 22/10
Ecuadorian Thrush - a singing bird watched at Mindo 15/10
DIPPERS (1)
White-capped Dipper - pair seen along Nono-Mindo road on 13/10 and another at Guango on 19/10 while waiting for Mark's "guaranteed" Torrent Ducks to appear
SWALLOWS AND MARTINS (9)
Brown-chested Martin - common over Napo
Gray-breasted Martin - common over Napo
White-winged Swallow - common along Napo
Brown-bellied Swallow - very poor and distant views at Yanacocha but then seen well at Papallacta on 19/10
Blue-and-white Swallow - seen every day in the west
White-banded Swallow -stunning bird. Quite common along the Napo
White-thighed Swallow - good views at Los Bancos on 15/10 (including the white bits)
Southern Rough-winged Swallow - regular in western lowlands at Los Bancos / Mindo & PVM
Sand Martin - a few seen along the Napo
WRENS (8)
Black-capped Donacobius - birds seen around lake at Sacha on 23/10 & 24/10
Thrush-like Wren - three birds perched together in canopy from Sacha MT2 on 21/10
Rufous Wren - single bird at Yanacocha on 13/10
Sepia-brown Wren - single bird in UTV on 16/10
Grass Wren - in common with all other birds at Papallacta on 19/10 this usually difficult species simply perched-up and sang from the only bit of tall vegetation in the area
Bay Wren - brief views at Mindo on 15/10
Mountain Wren - single bird in bushes at Guango Lodge
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren - seemed to be the common wren in the Tandayapa valley. Still a nice bird to see which we did on several occasions
GNATCATCHERS & GNATWRENS (1)
Tropical Gnatcatcher - single bird at PVM on 17/10
NEW WORLD WARBLERS (11)
Tropical Parula - regularly seen in west
Blackburnian Warbler - the most common warbler in the west
Olive-crowned Yellowthroat - several singing males at PVM on 17/10
Canada Warbler - single at Sacha on 22/10
Slate-throated Whitestart - regular in LTV and western lowlands
Spectacled Whitestart - regular in LTV and western lowlands
Black-crested Warbler - at least one in the UTV on 16/10
Chocó Warbler - several birds seen at Los Bancos on 15/10
Three-striped Warbler - seen in LTV on 14/10 & 18/10
Russet-crowned Warbler - birds seen from the small hide at Tandayapa attracted to moths around the spotlight. Seen elsewhere around Tandayapa during week
Buff-rumped Warbler - pair of birds gave good views at PVM on 17/10
TANAGERS AND ALLIES (59)
Bananaquit - common around Tandayapa Lodge
Purple Honeycreeper - seen in western lowlands at PVM on 17/10
Green Honeycreeper - seen at PVM on 17/10 and then at Sacha from the metal towers
Black-faced Dacnis - seen from metal towers at Sacha on 21/10 & 23/10
Yellow-tufted Dacnis - single bird at PVM on 17/10
Scarlet-breasted Dacnis - another candidate for bird of the trip. At least 4 birds including an absolutely stunning male seen in the PVM area on 17/10
Cinereous Conebill - single birds at Yanacocha and Papallacta
Blue-backed Conebill - seen at Yanacocha on 13/10
Capped Conebill - male at UTV on 16/10
Masked Flowerpiercer - seen at Yanacocha on 13/10
Glossy Flowerpiercer - seen at Yanacocha on 13/10
White-sided Flowerpiercer - regular on the deck at Tandayapa Lodge
Guira Tanager - seen at PVM on 17/10
Rufous-chested Tanager - one in UTV on 16/10
Fawn-breasted Tanager - single in UTV on 16/10
Thick-billed Euphonia - seen in LTV on 14/10 and the at the Los Colibries hummingbird restaurant at Mindo on 15/10
Golden-rumpedEuphonia - first seen at the Los Colibries hummingbird restaurant at Mindo on 15/10
Orange-bellied Euphonia - first seen at the Los Colibries hummingbird restaurant at Mindo on 15/10
Orange-crowned Euphonia - first seen at the Los Colibries hummingbird restaurant at Mindo on 15/10
Rufous-bellied Euphonia - male from Sacha MT2 on 21/10
White-lored Euphonia - pair watched from Sacha MT2 on 21/10
Rufous-throated Tanager - two seen at Los Bancos on 17/10
Gray-and-gold Tanager - a few seen at Los Bancos on 17/10
Golden Tanager - regularly seen in west
Silver-throated Tanager - at least two at Los Bancos on 15/10
Flame-faced Tanager - a few seen at Los Bancos on 17/10
Golden-naped Tanager - only bird of trip was in LTV on 14/10
Beryl-spangled Tanager - seen in Upper and Lower Tandayapa Valley and at Los Bancos
Blue-and-black Tanager - one in UTV on 16/10
Black-capped Tanager - single in UTV on 16/10
Blue-necked Tanager - in lowlands at both Mindo and PVM
Golden-hooded Tanager - one at PVM on 17/10
Opal-rumped Tanager - two close to the wooden tower on 23/10
Opal-crowned Tanager - seen from metal towers at Sacha on 21/10 & 23/10
Green-and-gold Tanager - one watched from Sacha MT2 on 21/10
Yellow-bellied Tanager - one seen along trails on south side of Napo on 22/10
Bay-headed Tanager - a few seen at Los Bancos on 17/10
Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager - Stunning birds. Several seen at Yanacocha on 13/10
Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager - one of the commonest Tanagers in the Tandayapa Valley
Hooded Mountain-Tanager - At least four seen at Yanacocha on 13/10
Black-chested Mountain-Tanager - one in a mixed flock at Yanacocha on 13/10
Moss-backed Tanager - at least one at Los Bancos on 17/10
Grass-green Tanager - a few in UTV on 16/10
Swallow Tanager - a few seen at Los Bancos on 17/10
Blue-gray Tanager -in both eastern and western lowlands. Very different looking birds
Palm Tanager - common in western lowlands
Blue-capped Tanager -one near Tandayapa lodge on 16/10
Lemon-rumped Tanager - very common in the west
Summer Tanager - female at Mindo on 15/10 and male at PVM on 17/10
Ochre-breasted Tanager - one at PVM on 17/10. Important bird to see but dull
Dusky-faced Tanager - seen at PVM on 17/10. Looks much better in the field
White-lined Tanager - along road at Los Bancos on 15/10
White-shouldered Tanager - one at PVM on 17/10
Tawny-crested Tanager - seen at PVM on 17/10. Looks dull in the book - in reality a very nice bird
Dusky Bush-Tanager - one at Los Bancos on 15/10
Superciliaried Hemispingus - one in a mixed flock at Yanacocha on 13/10
Black-eared Hemispingus - bird watched near river at Guango on 19/10
Western Hemispingus - single bird in UTV on 16/10
Plushcap - gorgeous bird. Superb views of a bird next to the Tanager Finch on 16/10 in the UTV
SALTATORS, GROSBEAKS, ETC. (5)
Buff-throated Saltator - singles seen in lowlands at both Mindo and PVM
Black-winged Saltator - one at Los Bancos on 15/10
Grayish Saltator - several at the Sacha finca
Red-capped Cardinal - several at the Sacha finca.
Southern Yellow-Grosbeak - pair at Yanacocha on 13/10
EMBERIZINE FINCHES (19)
Blue-black Grassquit - small numbers at Los Bancos
Yellow-faced Grassquit - single bird seen by just Mark and I in the LTV on 14/10
Variable Seedeater - small flock at Mindo (with Black-and-Whites)
Black-and-white Seedeater - large flock at Mindo consisted largely of these with smaller numbers of Variables)
Yellow-bellied Seedeater - flock of about 20 birds at PVM
Chestnut-bellied Seedeater - very smart bird seen on the Napo river islands on 22/10
Plain-coloured Seedeater - seen at Papallacta
Plumbeous Sierra-Finch - a couple of birds seen at Papallacta on 19/10
Pale-naped Brush-Finch - one watched while waiting for the Giant Conebill to not appear at Papallacta on 19/10
Rufous-naped Brush-Finch - birds at Yanacocha and the UTV
Tricolored Brush-Finch -one near Tandayapa lodge on 18/10
Slaty Brush-Finch - single bird in bushes at Guango on 19/10
White-winged Brush-Finch - one in LTV on 14/10
Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch - birds seen from the small hide at Tandayapa attracted to moths around the spotlight
Tanager Finch - point blank views of a singing male of this rare species seen in the UTV on 16/10
Orange-billed Sparrow - one seen after a lot of effort at PVM on 17/10
Black-striped Sparrow - one seen at Los Bancos on 15/10
Yellow-browed Sparrow - single bird on one of the Napo river islands on 22/10
Rufous-collared Sparrow - my first Ecuadorian lifer (a fact I should probably keep to myself !)
ORIOLES & BLACKBIRDS (9)
Yellow-rumped Cacique - very common around Sacha Lodge
Crested Oropendola - regular around Sacha
Russet-backed Oropendola - cannot be missed at Sacha
Olive Oropendola - single bird flying past Sacha MT1 on 23/10
Shiny Cowbird - great fun was had by all in Mindo village trying to separate this species from Scrub Blackbird on 15/10.
Giant Cowbird - three in flight over Mondo village on 15/10 and a few around the lake at Sacha
Scrub Blackbird - see Shiny Cowbird !
Moriche Oriole - just one bird seen - from Sacha MT2 on 21/10
Oriole Blackbird - one bird on a Napo river island on 22/10
CARDUELINE FINCHES (2)
Yellow-bellied Siskin - singles at both Los Bancos (15/10) & PVM (17/10)
Lesser Goldfinch - a couple of birds seen near Tandayapa Lodge on 14/10. Apparently a good bird for the area
Other wildlife
Apparently some people are interested in wildlife other than birds so for the record (and following no taxonomic list whatsoever) here's rest
Monkeys (4) - Common Squirrel, White-fronted Capuchin, Dusky Titi, Red Howler
Sloths (1) - Brown-throated Three-toed
Raccoons (1) - Kinkajoo
Squirrels (2) - Northern Amazon Red & Amazon Dwarf
Bats (1) - White-lined Sac-winged
Rats (1) - one unidentified species in cabin at Sacha
Snakes (2) - one large & poisonous at Los Bancos & one large & non-poisonous at Sacha
Caiman (lots) - Oscar confirmed that the ones in the lake are much bigger than the tourists who swim in the lake are told !
Butterflies (many) - I must admit that some were very attractive (and big)
Martin Wootton, Cheshire, UK
February 2004
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