Feeder or Fodder?

A few well-placed hummingbird feeders around the yard have attracted a number of fine hummingbirds over the years, including the Giant Hummingbird and the Black-Tailed Trainbearer. Of course, the versatile Sparkling Violetears dominate and their constant sparing outside has become familiar background noise, like the sound of the wind in the trees or traffic on a busy street. On occasion the din attracts another type of feeder, the attractive American Kestrel, which often perches on the electricity wires above the street. Once I even saw one of these falcons on the ground ripping apart a Sparkling Violetear in the vacant lot across the street, just desserts which any birder who has been frustrated by one chasing off a Gould's Jewelfront or a Marvelous Spatuletail could appreciate.

Guacamayos Ridge Trail: July 28, 2009

The climate has been monotonously beautiful in the highlands, so I figured it was time to hit the eastern slope for some rain and fog, and hopefully a few good birds. As the Guacamayos Ridge Trail never disappoints for foul weather, and only occasionally for the subtropical or temperate forest rarity, it seemed like the perfect destination for a day trip. Leaving Quito at about 4am, I arrived at the recently remodeled trail entrance at daybreak with clear skies to the east. It might have been the coffee, but there's a mysterious quality to this site that gives me the jitters, as if any moment I might see something strange and wonderful, and I headed across the ridge with more than the usual anxiety and trepidation.

Within minutes I was onto my first mixed flock of the day, calming myself down with good looks at the Black-Capped Hemispingus, whose bold facial patterning was still obvious in the dark understory. After becoming reacquainted with the soft clucking call of the showy Grass-Green Tanager, I moved on to a boisterous group of Northern Mountain-Caciques that were feeding in the canopy of a large fruiting tree. Despite it being a common montane forest bird on the eastern slope, I stayed with the caciques hoping that they would attract the attention of a more spectacular frugivore, such as the Black-Billed Mountain-Toucan. Sure enough, I suddenly noticed a massive gray bird flying about, locating it at a significant distance as it perched momentarily, the Dusky Piha. As big as the Turquoise Jay but uniformly gray, this unexciting cotinga wasn't what I was waiting for, but nonetheless it was still a lifer for me.

After disturbing a pair of Andean Guans feeding near the trail, I was interrupted by one of the park guards controlling this entrance to the Antisana Reserve. After collecting my entrance fee, he showed me a recent stakeout for the Andean Potoo, which unfortunately wasn't on this particular roost. Continuing ahead in the gathering fog and windy conditions, I encountered another flock, much larger than the two previous. Approaching the fast-moving storm of tanagers, flycatchers, and furnariids, I startled what appeared to be a woodcreeper on the trunk of a nearby tree; it flushed to a neighboring trunk and fastened there without moving for five minutes. Ignoring the flock around me, I focused in on this bird whose bold facial pattern reminded me more of the Greater Scythebill than any woodcreeper at this altitude; indeed, the bird clearly had the broad black malar streak with a white superciliary. The only problem was that this bird didn't have an incredibly long decurved bill. Fortunately, I resolved this problem immediately upon turning away, where an enormous adult Greater Scythebill was moving up another trunk with a huge tarantula pinched at the end of its extravagantly shaped bill. It took some searching about, but after calling intimately a few times, the adult finally located the juvenile and fed it the spider before continuing to forage.

Shocked, I had to decompress for a while after this encounter, the scythebill being one of the rarest birds I had ever seen. The Guacamayos Ridge Trail is definitely the site to find this bird, though, as Mitch Lysinger of Cabañas San Isidro fame had once wisely instructed me to keep my head down and my gaze low as flocks moved overhead if I wanted a chance of seeing it, which hitches along trunks like any woodcreeper but usually is buried deep withing mossy clusters or bromeliads using its bill to great advantage as it surprises well-hidden arthopods. My depressingly poor photographs killed the buzz a bit, but I was soon back on my feet, rounding the next bend in the trail to meet a group of Slaty-Backed Chat-Tyrants gleaning at eye-level near a patch of Chusquea bamboo. These attractive flycatchers have proven particularly difficult to track down, so I spent a long while in their company before continuing on as it started to rain.

Umbrella in hand, I spent the next six hours trudging down to the pipeline and back, successfully lining up only a few birds in my binoculars as I eventually became soaking wet from the waist down. Happily, a Black-Billed Mountain-Toucan came in momentarily as it responded to playback, and an Olivaceous Piha was noted several times as it trailed after a mixed flock. Most rewarding, though, was a Slate-Crowned Antpitta that hopped up to a branch directly in front of me as I waited for a group of noisy wrens to surface from some thick undergrowth; we stared at each other for a few seconds before it dematerialized. After taking a hot cup of coffee in the car, I drove back to Papallacta to meet Aimee at the thermal baths, stopping once at Guagrayacu, just before the police check, for this beautiful male Torrent Duck.

Notable birds seen: Torrent Duck, Andean Guan, Collared Inca, Long-Tailed Sylph, Black-Billed Mountain-Toucan, Powerful Woodpecker, Greater Scythebill, Slate-Crowned Antpitta, Unicolored Tapaculo, Spillman's Tapaculo, Handsome Flycatcher, Slaty-Backed Chat-Tyrant, Barred Becard, Green-and-Black Fruiteater, Olivaceous Piha, Dusky Piha, Rufous Wren, Black-Capped Hemispingus, Northern Mountain-Cacique.

Tandayapa Valley: July 20-21, 2009

There is a long and rich history of birding in this valley, going back even before the Calicali-Independencia Highway was built and access became relatively easy. Still, birding has taken a quantum leap here just in the last few years, and there are now four birding lodges located along a ten kilometer stretch of a modest dirt road: Alambi, San Jorge, Tandayapa, and Bellavista lodges. I spent the last two days birding this road, ironically spending the night at lodgings in San Miguel de los Bancos, which at $10 a night was certainly cheaper, if not a little less convenient. I had originally planned to camp at Bellavista, but the valley was already packed uncomfortably with birders, and the campsite was occupied.

While the summer months in the valley are mercifully dry, the birds can be relatively quiet, with a short window of activity in the early morning lasting until about 10am. I spent most of my time driving the road in search of mixed flocks, rarely venturing inside the forest on any of the trails maintained by the lodges (most of them charge day-use fees to bird their trails or visit their hummingbird feeders). The road itself is fascinating in its varied avifauna; in just 10km it rises from 1500 to 2370m, boasting excellent subtropical and temperate forest and woodland along most of the way, with just a hint of foothill forest birds at the beginning and montane forest birds at the end. For example, I spotted a pair of Silver-Throated Tanagers in a mixed flock just off the highway and a pair of Scarlet-Bellied Mountain-Tanagers at the pass.

The showcase bird of the valley has to be the Plate-Billed Mountain-Toucan, which is rather common towards the pass in the Bellavista Cloudforest Reserve. They can be heard yelping and rattling their bills throughout the day and are relatively easy to track down, although getting good photographs can be difficult without the best equipment. I was lucky enough to stumble upon a pair in the understory just a few meters above the ground; they let me approach quite close as they moved about cautiously in the low light, one feeding the other briefly as if it were a juvenile or being courted. This Chocó endemic bears more than a casual similarity to the Gray-Breasted Mountain-Toucan on the eastern slope, but its maxilla is unique for its raised yellow plate, which is actually visible in the adjacent photograph.

Although I had birded the valley many times before, I still had a few surprises on this trip, in particular encountering a pair of Scale-Breasted Fruiteaters in a mixed flock. These squat, distinctive cotingas are extravagantly paterned, almost like a fish with dark scaling on their underparts and mantle, even down to their rump. Quiet and slow moving, they almost escaped my attention in the whirl of activity that was the rest of the flock, as various tanagers, flycatchers, and furnariids flitted about. Another unique find was a pair of beautiful Golden-Rumped Euphonias foraging independently, and I also noted a solitary Red-Crested Cotinga perched in a treetop near the pass, another montane forest bird that was out of its normal range. Finally, I continued my good luck with pachyramphus becards, a distinctive genus of tyrant flycatchers, locating both the Barred and Black-and-White Becards in several mixed flocks.

Despite its proximity to Quito, which is little more than an hour away by car, the future of the Tandayapa Valley is bright. Forming a privately-owned natural corridor between the Mindo-Nambillo and Maquipucuna Reserves, the valley seems protected from the island effect which threatens so many of Ecuador's other private reserves. Even the small settlement in the middle of the valley, Tandayapa Village, seems progressive in its awareness of environmental issues and its promotion of ecotourism. Indeed, with its vast network of public and private reserves and steadily increasing domestic and international tourism, the northwestern slope of the Ecuadorian Andes must be one of the finest exemplars of conservation and bird tourism in Latin America.

Notable birds seen: Swallow-Tailed Kite, Red-Billed Parrot, Tawny-Bellied Hermit, Golden-Headed Quetzal, Masked Trogon, Red-Headed Barbet, Toucan Barbet, Plate-Billed Mountain-Toucan, Crimson-Mantled Woodpecker, Powerful Woodpecker, Rufous Spinetail, Pearled Treerunner, Barred Becard, Black-and-White Becard, Red-Crested Cotinga, Green-and-Black Fruiteater, Scaled Fruiteater, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Turquoise Jay, Red-Eyed Vireo, Glossy-Black Thrush, Golden-Rumped Euphonia, Silver-Throated Tanager, Flame-Faced Tanager, Blue-and-Black Tanager, Scarlet-Bellied Mountain-Tanager, Dusky-Bush Tanager, Tricolored Brush-Finch, White-Winged Brush-Finch.

Old Nono-Mindo Road: July 20-21, 2009

The old Nono-Mindo Road is a narrow dirt tract leading from Quito down to Ecuador's birding capital of Mindo, passing through the Alambi River valley with its beautiful tracts of temperate and subtropical forest. Recently proclaimed an Ecoruta, the road is also known as el Paseo del Quinde, named for the many hummingbirds found in this section of the northwestern slope, most famously the rare and endemic Black-Breasted Puffleg. The road is popular with mountain bikers and off-road enthusiasts, but birders will still find plenty of peace and quiet as they search for western slope Choco endemics such as the Beautiful Jay. Indeed, I've yet to see the jay myself, and I spent many hours over the last two days driving around and listening for its distinctive call.

Instead of driving directly down from Quito, I chose to access the lower part of the road from the Tandayapa Valley, which better suit my needs anyway as the Beautiful Jay only ranges to 2000m. Although I dipped on the bird, which can also be searched for in the nearby El Pahuma Orchid Reserve, there was plenty else to see, including most impressively the Golden-Headed Quetzal, which seems particularly active this time of year and can be heard calling noisily throughout the day. The common but skittish Band-Tailed Pigeon especially thrives in this area, and on one occasion I startled a flock of perhaps sixty birds that soared away magnificently. Most notable for me at this site was finally locating the White-Winged Tanager, which can be found readily on both slopes in foothill forest; just after dawn I watched in shock as a colorful red male wolfed down a huge cicada. I guess it's true that most tanagers are omnivorous. Other fine birds included the Metallic-Green and Black-Capped Tanagers and the Red-Headed and Toucan Barbets.

There was plenty of seeding chusquea bamboo along the road, and I hoped to find the highly erratic Slaty Finch about, but these clumps offered little action except for Three-Striped Warblers and Tricolored Brush-Finches. Several species of hummingbirds were lekking at various points along the road, including the Andean Emerald. I also noted the White-Tailed Hillstar along a stream that I ascended back into the forest in my rubber boots. Somewhere along the road there is an Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek as I bumped into many noisy males as well as a few brown-colored females over the two days. Despite its iconic status, this spectacular bird is always a treat to see, perched boldly in the subcanopy.

There are two substantial private reserves on the lower part of the road and several smaller ones on the upper part, as well as the various birding lodges in the Tandayapa Valley, but much of the remaining habitat appears unprotected. Just one homestead can wipe out a huge swath of forest, all for the sake of a humble crop of potatoes or a few mournful cows. While the Corporación Ecoruta has taken the lead on conserving the remaining habitat along the 75km road from Nono to Mindo, the project is definitely still in progress. Hopefully, it will also succeed in improving the standard of living in adjacent communities such as Nono and truly become a model suitable for export to other parts of Ecuador and South America.

Notable birds seen: Plumbeous Pigeon, White-Tailed Hillstar, Golden-Headed Quetzal, Red-Headed Barbet, Toucan Barbet, Crimson-Rumped Toucanet, Smoky-Brown Woodpecker, Golden-Olive Woodpecker, Uniform Antshrike, Streak-Necked Flycatcher, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Red-Eyed Vireo, Three-Striped Warbler, Russet-Crowned Warbler, Metallic-Green Tanager, Black-Capped Tanager, White-Winged Tanager, Russet-Backed Oropendola.

Swiftly Arose: July 16, 2009

Recently returned home from Peru, I suddenly became aware of a little more bird activity than usual this afternoon. Far beyond the resident Blue-and-White Swallows that were circling just overhead as I stood outside, a large flock of White-Collared Swifts were diving majestically through the sky. Supposedly, there's a colony of swifts that lives up on Volcán Pichincha that comes down to the valley where I live twice a year to feed on newly hatched insects. For several days, they swoop about powerfully on their stiff and pointed wings, chippering and screeching with what surely must be delight. Although you can find this bird almost anywhere in Ecuador, and at any altitude, the speed and agility with which they fly should give every birder pause, especially from his own backyard.

Huascarán National Park, Peru: July 6-9, 2009

Second only to the Himalayas, the Cordillera Blanca is an awesome spectacle of glacier-spackled fan-shaped and pyramidal peaks. A hallowed destination for climbers, trekkers, and general nature enthusiasts, Huascarán National Park is also a worthy site for birders as it protects thousands of hectares of puna, paramo, and polylepis forest habitat, all of which abound with endemic bird species of the high Andes. Using the Lazy Dog Inn, located about 8km east of Huaráz, as a very comfortable base of operations, I spent the better part of four days birding arid montane scrub, polylepis forest, and puna grasslands, while Aimee fought off a cold and doggedly continued her research for the next LP Peru guide.

With many hours of birding experience in the highlands of Ecuador, I was immediately pleased to encounter a plethora of new bird species inhabiting the familiar-looking arid montane scrub surrounding the inn: Mountain Caracaras posed sentinel-like on boulders, Plain-Breasted Earthcreepers poked about in the dry earth, and endemic Black Metaltails darted around the flowering shrubs. Within a short time though, I was confronted with one of the toughest identification challenges in the Peruvian Andes, trying to distinguish between the twelve species of ground-tyrants. These terrestrial flycatchers are bewilderingly similar and many species are sympatric, making identification very difficult, especially without the use of audio. While, the Rufous-Naped Ground-Tyrant was relatively easy to pick out, I no doubt encountered several other species during my stay, including perhaps the White-Fronted and Plain-Capped Ground-Tyrants.

From the Lazy Dog Inn, there are two outstanding day hikes possible, both leading up into the cordillera over a thousand meters through immense canyons to different moraine lakes. I spent three full days on the Llaca hike, which first passes through a huge stand of polylepis forest and then puna grassland, and one day on the Cojup hike which is noticeably more degraded in terms of habitat but follows a delightful rushing river. Both hikes are pretty strenuous, and I never actually made it to either of the lakes, which are bordered by towering, glaciered peaks. Indeed, the cordillera provides an impressively wild backdrop to any birding excursion here, giving birders a powerful sense of there being much more to explore and learn beyond the modest site they're birding.

Lurking in the polylepis forests of the Cordillera Blanca are several outstanding endemic bird species, including the White-Cheeked Cotinga, Plain-Tailed Warbling-Finch, and Ancash Tapaculo. The closest forest, the stand on the Llaca hike, is almost two hour's strenuous walking away, though, unless you arrange for transport. As taxis aren't readily available from the inn, I spent many hours trudging back and forth, sweating profusely on the way up and getting blinded on the way down by the late afternoon sun; however, this gave me good opportunities to clean up on the scrub birds, including the colorful Peruvian Sierra-Finch, the endemic Rufous-Backed Inca-Finch, and the strongly dimorphic Andean Hillstar. I also had my best looks at the Stripe-Headed Antpitta here, which behaved much like the Tawny Antpitta further north as it moved about in the open between shrubs.

As any birder who has visited the high Andes knows, polylepis forest grows at or above tree line in small patches in natural recesses such as ravines or gorges. This genus of slow-growing trees and shrubs is characterized by its small leaves and papery red bark. Given that it is the only source of firewood near most high Andean indigenous communities, the polylepis habitat and its accompanying fauna are severely threatened, making it a very desirable habitat to visit for birders in South America. Several bird specialists have adapted to this unique habitat, including the fancy Giant Conebill and the miniscule Tit-Like Dacnis, both birds expert at foraging for insects in the various hiding places created by these unique trees. Indeed, the Giant Conebill, perhaps my favorite bird of the high Andes, is quite adept at peeling back the bark of the tree as it searches out its prey.

My primary target bird during the tree days that I birded this particular grove of polylepis was the White-Cheeked Cotinga, which I never had sight or sound of. Still, I ran across several other excellent birds, including on one occasion a flock of noisy Plain-Tailed Brush-Finches and on another a solitary Ancash Tapaculo near a shaded rivulet. Other Peruvian endemics species seen regularly in this forest included Rusty-Crowned Tit-Spinetail, Rufous-Eared Brush-Finch, and Striated Earthcreeper. The two polylepis specialists described above were rather common, most notably the Giant Conebill, which I saw frequently here and had only seen on one occasion in Ecuador. Fast-moving hummingbirds included the Giant Hummingbird, Blue-Mantled Thornbill, Black-Tailed Trainbearer, Andean Hillstar, Black Metaltail, and Shining Sunbeam, although a few individuals perched long enough for me to sneak a photograph or two.

One afternoon, I continued beyond the forest towards the lake, passing through open flowering fields and puna habitat. A soaring Variable Hawk, the dark morph of what was previously known as the Puna Hawk, alerted me to the presence of a flock of Andean Flickers foraging on the exposed slope above the trail; suddenly a dozen of these large, colorful woodpeckers where swooping past me into the forest on the other side of the gorge, making a terrible racket all the way. Eventually, I caught up with these charismatic terrestrial woodpeckers as they regrouped in a field of boulders, almost clownish with their bold white-striped mantle, bold yellow eyes, and thick gray moustache. The flicker is known only in extreme southeastern Ecuador in the remote Cordillera Las Lagunillas, an isolated habitat which steals away a handful of Peruvian near endemics, but can be found in Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina as well.

Other puna inhabitants that I encountered on the upper part of this hike and nowhere else included the White-Winged Cinclodes, White-Winged Diuca-Finch, and Thick-Billed Siskin. Also noteworthy was a bizarre-looking mammal, something like a cross between a rabbit and a squirrel, that moved cautiously about the rocky fields. The viscacha is a rodent in the chinchilla family and is supposedly quite common in the Cordillera Blanca, although I imagine people hunt it when they can. On this afternoon, I also learned another lesson of the high Andes that I should know well enough by now. Although the morning had been clear and sunny like previous mornings, the clouds had gathered by midday, and I was soaking wet before I arrived back at the inn, having neglected to bring along my rain jacket and umbrella. Never take an excursion without these items, no matter how short or how promising the weather.

On the day I made the Chulpi hike I saw little of note that was new, appreciating instead a different landscape and a new set of snow-covered ridges to admire. It was one of my goals this morning to make more sense of the tit-spinetail identification issue, there being several species of tit-spinetails in the cordillera, each composed of various races with different field markings. With great effort, I managed to figure out that I had been observing primarily the cajabambae race of the endemic Rusty-Crowned Tit-Spinetail, but that I had also noted the Andean Tit-Spinetail and the more obvious Tawny Tit-Spinetail in the polylepis forest.

As distinguishing between obscure furnariids isn't exactly my idea of a good time, I was relieved to encounter the dashing Torrent Duck along the rushing river adjacent to the trail. A dripping-wet male was posed above the rapids on a rock as I scrambled to set up my camera, but it was submerged before I was ready to fire away. These delightful, dimorphic ducks are one of South America's best birds, and I was thrilled to find them in the spectacular Cordillera Blanca, although at 4000m I was more than a little surprised to encounter them here. Although I relocated the same individual many meters down stream later in the afternoon, I never managed a good photograph as the duck is remarkably wary and spends a good deal of time underwater.

Visitors to the Cordillera Blanca typically take multi-day guided treks past the many famous peaks. I've heard great things from other travelers, but they've had their share of complaints as well: not enough food provided, crowded trails on the main circuits, and plenty of cow pies marring the landscape. Independent birders visiting the region might enjoy one of these guided treks, but I'm not sure I would trade my rewarding experience at the Lazy Dog Inn for anything. If you're interested in birding the cordillera and not ambitious enough to join a trekking group, I'd strongly recommend staying outside of Huaráz at one of the hostels closer to the mountains; otherwise, private day trips to the various lakes will run near a hundred dollars a day, and transport back and forth will take away from your time birding.

Notable birds seen: Torrent Duck, Mountain Caracara, American Kestrel, Variable Hawk, Andean Lapwing, Giant Hummingbird, Blue-Mantled Thornbill, Black-Tailed Trainbearer, Andean Hillstar, Black Metaltail, Shining Sunbeam, Andean Flicker, Many-Striped Canastero, Plain-Breasted Earthcreeper, Striated Earthcreeper, White-Winged Cinclodes, Rusty-Crowned Tit-Spinetail, Andean Tit-Spinetail, Tawny Tit-Spinetail, Bar-Winged Cinclodes, Ancash Tapaculo, Stripe-Headed Antpitta, White-Browed Chat-Tyrant, Rufous-Webbed Tyrant, Rufous-Naped Ground-Tyrant, Plain-Capped Ground-Tyrant, White-Fronted Ground-Tyrant, D'Orbigny's Chat-Tyrant, Black-Billed Shrike-Tyrant, White-Throated Tyrannulet, Black-Crested Warbler, Sedge Wren, Mountain Wren, Cinerous Conebill, Giant Conebill, Black-Throated Flowerpiercer, Tit-Like Dacnis, Rufous-Eared Brush-Finch, Plain-Tailed Warbling-Finch, Rufous-Backed Inca-Finch, Thick-Billed Siskin, Hooded Siskin, Plumbeous Sierra-Finch, Peruvian Sierra-Finch, Ash-Breasted Sierra-Finch, White-Winged Diuca-Finch, Greenish-Yellow Finch.

In Search of the Marvelous Spatuletail: June 28-30, 2009

Easily the world's most fanciful hummingbird, the Marvelous Spatuletail must be the top target bird in northern Peru, and birding tours in this region sell out regularly by headlining the shockingly baroque adult male. Unfortunately, adult males can be maddeningly difficult to see because of a variety of factors, including the species' limited range, habitat loss, and an apparently low male to female ratio at hummingbird feeders. Still, with a few day's time and plenty of patience, it's almost a sure thing to see this incredible bird for yourself, bobbing and swaying extravagantly, as if it were three birds instead of one. Despite her busy research schedule, Aimee and I were able to fit in short visits to three sites in which the Marvelous Spatuletail is frequently seen, giving us a decent chance of at least witnessing an adult male.

The most obvious of the three sites is the Marvelous Spatuletail Interpretive Center, which is located about ten minutes by mototaxi from the modest town of Florida on the shores of Lake Pomacochas. Sponsored by a slew of international conservation organizations, the center boasts a modest patch of montane scrub and woodland, an informative museum, and a vast network of hummingbird feeders, only a few of which are visited sporadically by the Marvelous Spatuletail. Most impressive though is the recent but extensive reforestation effort in which tens of thousands of trees have been planted on site in the hopes of expanding the habitat within the property of the reserve. Birders should find accommodation in the town of Florida to be extremely comfortable in comparison with most of northern Peru, as Puerto Pumas, a relatively posh hotel, provides excellent rooms and service as well as decent birding in the bountiful gardens.

After arriving at Puerto Pumas in the mid-afternoon, Aimee and I rushed out to the Interpretive Center in hopes of landing our target bird of the trip. We spent the last few hours of the day obsessing around a particular group of feeders that the manager claimed was the most likely to bear the famous hummingbird. Activity was disappointingly low, although several female Marvelous Spatuletails showed briefly before being chased away by aggressive Sparkling Violetears and Chestnut-Breasted Coronets. Before leaving the site, Aimee chatted with the manager, collecting information for the new LP guide while I pouted near the reforested area, where the feeders were abuzz with common high Andean hummingbirds. Dipping on the bird here shouldn't have come as a surprise as Rudy and his group had waited three hours for one measly glimpse of an adult male.

Fortunately, we had a lead on another site nearby for tomorrow morning. One of the managers at the interpretive center, Santos Montenegro, has some property on a hill overlooking Lake Pomacochas with a reliable lek on site. Although he's pretty difficult to track down as there is no cell phone coverage in the area, the manager at Puerto Pumas was familiar with the site and assured us that an early morning visit wouldn't be a problem, even if Santos wasn't there. Sure enough, we showed up before dawn at his house the next morning, and his young daughter led us up the hill towards the lek. Passing through some open fields and woodland, we then arrived at sunrise in an unassuming, scrubby open area. After we had stood around expectantly for a while, the girl finally pointed out the clump of stunted trees where two adult male Marvelous Spatuletails were seen displaying.

Before you get the wrong idea, I need to remind you that these are lightening-fast hummingbirds, not stolid cotingas, and the viewing conditions at the lek were difficult as the birds zipped in and out of deep cover, chasing each other off every few seconds. In fact, Aimee didn't get much of a look at the two males at all as she was still winded from our rapid ascent to the site. I quickly gave up any hope myself of capturing a passable photograph of the birds, and had to be content with binocular-less views of the two males sparring in the air or recovering deep within the shrubby tree. Still, the sight was awesome, and after a few partial looks I was able to put the pieces together to form a coherent picture of the male: glittering green gorget, bright blue front, bold black ventral stripe over a white belly, and the incredibly long, plastic tails feathers, the two ending in purple-sheened spatulas almost as big as the bird itself. Here's Greg Homel's incredible video of the males displaying at the same site, which will take any birder's breath away.

Since Aimee never really locked onto the birds like I was fortunate enough to, I tried not to play up the event too much, hoping instead that we'd get a chance to wax eloquent about them together at the third known site in the Utcumbamba Valley. The town of Leymebamba is famous not for its hummingbirds, but for the neighboring museum which houses over two hundred mummies found nearby at the Lake of the Condors. Just across the road from the museum is Kentikafe, a new hostal and café set amidst good montane scrub and woodland habitat. Two dozen hummingbird feeders attract a number of fine birds, including the Purple-Throated Sunangel, Rainbow Starfrontlet, and of course the Marvelous Spatuletail. After an interesting visit to the museum, we hung around the gardens of the café for several hours, enjoying at dusk amazing views of two adult males visiting a pair of feeders just a few meters away. Again the low light, and my hesitancy to use flash, prohibited meaningful photography, but Aimee and I still had unbeatable views as the males spun their tails overhead and side to side as they approached the feeders. Visitors to the area will soon be able to stay in lovely rooms at Kentikafe, which is a no-brainer in comparison to the accommodation available in town.

Finally, while you're on the trail of the Marvelous Spatuletail, you would be remiss to skip a visit to Kuelap, an up-and-coming archaeological site often celebrated as the next Machu Pichu. These massive, mysterious ruins are set atop a spectacular ridge outside of Chachapoyas, which is a sizable tourist hub and an attractive colonial city in its own right. Now overgrown with bromeliad-laden trees, the walled city merits a full day to explore and mull over the various hypotheses about its ancient use and construction. Who knows? There's a remote chance you might even encounter the hummingbird here among the ruins.

Abra Patricia, Peru: June 26-27, 2009

A new private reserve cum birding lodge strategically located near several of northern Peru's endemic bird areas, Abra Patricia is one of the most important and desirable birding sites in South America, offering unparalleled access to subtropical, montane, and ridgetop forest in the northeastern Peruvian Andes. Located near the highest point of one of Peru's most famous birding roads, the lodge serves as a multi-day base for birding groups in northern Peru that roam the area in search of fabulous endemic species, several of which the reserve itself boasts, including, most famously, the Long-Whiskered Owlet. Independent birders with deep pockets are also welcome, and Aimee and I spent two productive days in Abra Patricia itself, birding the new trails as well as the upper part of the road.

Typically birders in northern Peru have their own transport, as deforestation in the region has been pretty extreme and good habitat is usually difficult and time-consuming to reach. Given that I was merely tagging along while Aimee researched the area for a chapter in the new edition of Lonely Planet Peru, birding where and when I could, we covered much of this hallowed birding circuit using a series of cheap, inefficient, and sometimes dangerous modes of transport, including local buses, shared taxis, and even motorcycles. This meant that we had no meaningful opportunity to bird the forested road connecting Abra Patricia with Moyobamba, a small city in the foothills, as we ascended to the reserve in one long day from Tarapoto. Speeding past kilometers of gorgeous subtropical forest in a shared taxi with the stereo blasting was a real bummer, especially when we passed by the unique stunted cloud forest at a slightly higher altitude. Next time, I kept telling myself.

Lodging at the reserve is comfortable, if a little cold, and the service and food are outstanding. Several enthusiastic guides are available to accompany birders, although you're free to roam the trails yourself, and they're quite forthcoming with information about bird territories and stake outs. I spent much of my visit on the two principal trails, the Grallaria and Monkey Trails, but also birded the road from a few different lookouts. Of course, the grounds of the lodge make for great birding as well; I chased several mixed flocks around the various paths as the birds moved quickly but openly about the regenerating montane woodland. There are several hummingbird feeder stations as well, but the most exciting addition is that of an observation tower currently under construction. When it's complete at several stories high, birders should have unobstructed access to the dense montane forest canopy, weather permitting of course.

We found out quickly that weather is a critical issue at Abra Patricia, as it rained on and off for most of the first day, pouring especially hard mid-afternoon. We encountered some good birds just after dawn on the Monkey Trail though, including the Long-Tailed Antbird, Black-Throated Tody-Tyrant, Variable Antshrike, Stripe-Headed Brush-Finch, and Golden-Browed Chat-Tyrant. Supposedly, this trail passes through the territory of a White-Faced Nunbird, and the WINGS birding group that was there had had great views the previous day using playback (I opted not to bring any audio equipment on this trip). Overhearing them review their list the night before, I judged the nunbird to have been by far their best bird of the day.

Next on the Grallaria Trail, I pulled up short at a fruiting tree off in the distance, noting some movement inside the crown. As I watched a group of White-Eared Solitaires forage actively in the branches, several other species dropped by, including the Green-and-Black Fruiteater and Emerald Toucanet. My heart practically stopped when the unmistakable Chestnut-Crested Cotinga flew into the tree from right nearby, flashing its absurdly rufous throat and neck in the sun. This large, stunning, arboreal cotinga is rare and very local, known only from a few sites in Ecuador, where I've always missed it. The bird foraged for a minute or so, flew off, and then came back for about another minute. Camera in hand, I must have waited for it for several hours to return to the same tree during the course of the next two days, but it never did.

Before lunch we waited out a rain squall in a shelter near the parking lot while a mixed flock circled about, including the ubiquitous Blue-Capped Tanager, the lovely Yellow-Throated Tanager, and the endemic Yellow-Scarfed Tanager. Abra Patricia is probably the easiest site to observe this fine endemic tanager, as well as the endemic Lulu's Tody-Tyrant and Ochre-Fronted Antpitta, both of which we would pick up on the following morning. After lunch, I spent some time at the hummingbird feeders while Aimee took a break; eight species were in attendance, most spectacularly the Emerald-Bellied Puffleg, which I've yet to encounter in Ecuador, where it is quite rare. Long-Tailed Sylph, Collared Inca, and White-Bellied Woodstar were also abundant at the feeders.

The weather cleared in the late afternoon, and I birded the road a bit where one of the guides had seen a large mono-specific flock of Red-Hooded Tanagers that morning. I spent a half hour with a mixed flock containing the Yellow-Throated Tanager, which I tried to enjoy for as long as possible knowing how difficult it is in Ecuador. Aimee came down to join me before dusk as we watched a group of Sickle-Winged Guans come to roost in a large tree near the road. That night the WINGS group tried for the Long-Whiskered Owlet, as I'm sure everyone does who visits the reserve; they dipped on it, as well as on the Cinnamon-Throated Screech-Owl early next morning, probably due to the rainy weather. Without audio equipment or even a spotlight, it was pointless for me to try for owls myself.

On the other hand, Aimee and I had excellent luck the next morning, enjoying a pair of Lulu's Tody-Tyrants foraging in the roadside scrub before locating a pair of Ochre-Fronted Antpittas at the stake out on the other side of the road near the entrance to the reserve. This endemic grallaricula species has distinct black-streaked underparts, easily observed in the field, and an ochre-colored face, which was a little difficult to distinguish from below in the poor light. Like all tiny antpittas, the birds were located up in the undergrowth several meters off the ground, and we heard one make its distinct high-pitched call a few times. I have to admit that we were pretty lucky to see them without using playback, but sometimes a lot of patience and a little local knowledge will do the trick. For me now, that's four grallaricula species down and four to go.

With a handful of endemics and a slew of good birds seen in just a day and a half, Aimee and I decided to cut our stay short at the reserve and move on in search of the Marvelous Spatuletail. Before leaving, we encountered recently arrived Rudy Gelis and his birding group in the dining hall. The owner of Pluma Verde Tours, Rudy is an exuberant ornithologist based in northeastern Ecuador at Yanayacu Reserve, and we've played basketball against each other several times in Quito (he's extremely tall and skillful). He'd been on the road for over a month with six clients and they'd been cleaning up in the region, having seen over 500 species already. We swapped information about the Ochre-Fronted Antpitta and Marvelous Spatuletail, which they had seen the previous day, and then were on our way.

Notable birds seen: Sickle-Winged Guan, Emerald-Bellied Puffleg, Long-Tailed Sylph, Bronzy Inca, Green Violetear, Emerald Toucanet, Strong-Billed Woodcreeper, Pearled Treerunner, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Long-Tailed Antbird, Ochre-Fronted Antpitta, Green-and-Black Fruiteater, Chestnut-Crested Cotinga, Lulu's Tody-Tyrant, Black-Throated Tody-Tyrant, Golden-Browed Chat-Tyrant, Pale-Edged Flycatcher, Streak-Necked Flycatcher, White-Eared Solitaire, Russet-Crowned Warbler, Bluish Flowerpiercer, Grass-Green Tanager, Yellow-Throated Tanager, Yellow-Scarfed Tanager, Flame-Faced Tanager, Silver-Backed Tanager, Olivaceous Siskin.