End of Days

After living in the central interandean valley for four years, Aimee and I finally moved back up to Quito a few weeks ago, leaving behind my burgeoning backyard bird list in Cumbaya. Interestingly enough, there still is a fair amount of bird activity in the small garden of my apartment building, and I've seen four different species of hummingbirds, including the Giant Hummingbird, which sometimes perches on a television antenna on a neighboring building. Great Thrushes can also be heard calling before dawn each morning, and the Sparkling Violetears chirp loudly all day long marking their territory. Unfortunately, even the resident birds struggle with the mostly concrete and glass environment in our new neighborhood, and birds crash into our windows occasionally, although mostly Eared Doves. Just the other day I noticed this Black-Tailed Trainbearer dead on our balcony, its neck only a few hours broken. Who knows what boreal migrant species suffer a similar fate throughout the city?

Bosque Protector Jerusalem: October 25, 2009

This unique interandean reserve is bound to become a regular site on the birding circuit in Ecuador, as it's located less than an hour from Quito and offers the best chance for birders to sweep up a nice variety of birds of the highlands, including Scrub Tanager, Blue-and-Yellow Tanager, Giant Hummingbird, Streaked Saltator, Golden-Rumped Euphonia, Harris's Hawk, Purple-Collared Woodstar, Black-Tailed Trainbearer, Streak-Throated Bush-Tyrant, Vermilion Flycatcher, Southern Yellow Grosbeak, Common Ground-Dove, Band-Tailed Seedeater, and a few others. Granted, you won't see many other birds besides those listed above, but that's a substantial addition to any birder's list who is principally visiting the northwestern slope or the eastern lowlands. The acacia forest and dry scrub also harbor a few rare birds like the Buff-Fronted Owl, which should be reason alone to check it out.

I visited the reserve most recently on a Sunday morning, when swarms of vicious gnats permitted me only a few hour's stay. Fortunately, in a short period of time I managed to round up almost all of the northern highlands specialties, including a pair of adult Harris's Hawks and multiple displaying Purple-Collared Woodstars. There's a small reservoir near the parking area where a pair of Giant Hummingbirds were busy sallying over the water to catch insects, their white rumps obvious in the morning light; Blue-and-White Swallows and a male Vermillion Flycatcher were also feasting on the recently hatched insects, which seem to be pervasive right now in the interandean valley communities of Cumbaya and Tumbaco.

With its considerable infrastructure, the reserve also functions as a recreational center, and Ecuadorians flood the park with music and loud conversation sometimes on the weekends. A fair amount of people also make use of the camping sites, rising early to play games with their children and noisily explore the trails. In addition, there are frequently model planes soaring overhead emitting an irritating buzz and whine all morning. I'm not saying that all these distractions will necessarily spoil your visit, though, as there is plenty of space to explore the reserve in relative quiet. If you arrange to come on a weekday, however, you can be sure to bird in peace.

Notable birds seen: Harris's Hawk, American Kestrel, Common Ground-Dove, White-Bellied Woodstar, Purple-Collared Woodstar, Black-Tailed Trainbearer, Giant Hummingbird, Crimson-Mantled Woodpecker, Azara's Spinetail, White-Crested Elaenia, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Vermilion Flycatcher, House Wren, Rusty Flowerpiercer, Golden-Rumped Euphonia, Blue-and-Yellow Tanager, Scrub Tanager, Streaked Saltator, Hooded Siskin, Band-Tailed Seedeater, Ash-Breasted Sierra-Finch.

Las Caucheras Road: October 17, 2009

With only a few hours of daylight left, I could return to Quito in relative safety or brave the roads at night. With the weather sunny and warm, it wasn't a difficult to choice to bird Las Caucheras Road as the day grew to a close. This is the dirt road that begins near the town of Cosanga and passes by four private reserves as it approaches Antisana Reserve: Cabañas San Isidro, San Jorge de Cosanga, Yanayacu, and Sierra Azul. Almost needless to say, the road passes through outstanding subtropical forest, where Golden-Headed Quetzals and White-Capped Tanagers roam freely, and noisily.

There was some great mixed flock action in the canopy, and I locked onto a male Golden-Collared Honeycreeper many meters above as it foraged next to a Flame-Faced Tanager. A group of Emerald Toucanets also passed quietly overhead. In the bamboo, Black-Eared Hemispingus moved with Long-Tailed Antbirds, Russet-Crowned Warblers, and a pair of Lineated Foliage Gleaners, all birds being tough to get good looks at as they remain in deep and dark cover. Amazingly an adult Long-Tailed Antbird posed long enough while feeding a juvenile for a few photographs. Given all the reserves and tourists that pass through here, the road is definitely safe; well-maintained trails also run off in all directions, it seems, but make sure to pay a day-use fee first at Cabañas San Isidro.

Notable birds seen: Crimson-Mantled Woodpecker, Emerald Toucanet, Inca Jay, Long-Tailed Antbird, Lineated Foliage-Gleaner, White-Tailed Tyrannulet, Rufous-Breasted Flycatcher, Canada Warbler, Bluish Flowerpiercer, Golden-Collared Honeycreeper, Black-Eared Hemispingus, Saffron-Crowned Tanager, Black-Capped Tanager, Blue-Winged Mountain-Tanager, Beryl-Spangled Tanager, Flame-Faced Tanager, Scarlet-Rumped Cacique.

Guacamayos Ridge Trail: October 17, 2009

The infamous road down the Cordillera de los Guacamoyos has now been completed surfaced in steel-reinforced cement, meaning that while there still we be landslides during the rainy season, the ride will at least be smooth. The road, of course, passes through pristine subtropical forest, offering incredible views of the canopy up and down the mountain range. After driving this road for a while in search of soaring Black-and-Chestnut Eagles, I decided to bird the Guacamayos Ridge Trail to see if there was any midday activity. A few mixed flocks and rain showers later, I had several interesting photographs of the Grass-Green Tanager and a pair of muddy boots.

Notable birds seen: Collared Inca, Speckled Hummingbird, Green-and-Black Fruiteater, Barred Becard, Sulphur-Bellied Tyrannulet, Rufous Wren, Beryl-Spangled Tanager, Blue-and-Black Tanager, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Grass-Green Tanager, Superciliaried Hemispingus, Common Bush Tanager, Saffron-Crowned Tanager, Blue-Winged Mountain-Tanager, Black-Capped Hemispingus, Northern Mountain-Cacique.

Cayambe-Coca Reserve: October 17, 2009

With more specific details about the location of the recently discovered Crescent-Faced Antpitta along the road behind Termas de Papallacta, I set out early Saturday morning yet again to this entrance to the Coca-Cayambe Reserve. The antpitta is known only to occur at a few remote sites at treeline on the eastern slope, but its presence at such a well-explored site as Papallacta means that it has almost certainly been overlooked elsewhere. Excited by the possibility of seeing it this morning, but still a bit skeptical that I could reel it in, I arrived at a particular patch of roadside elfin forest. A short burst of playback later, two Crescent-Faced Antpittas responded clearly from upslope, gradually descending down to where I was standing through the dense understory and bamboo. While I didn't really see one, perhaps only cathing one bird from behind in my binoculars, they're definitely there. Hopefully, the local birding community here doesn't where them out from using too much playback.

Impressed but not very satisfied, I headed back up the road towards the park entrance, where the Masked-Mountain Tanager has been reported to occur. This scarce and local mountain-tanager is another eastern slope treeline specialty, and I have only had the chance to look for it at the Cajanuma entrance to Podocarpus National Park in southern Ecuador. Not more than a hundred meters from the antpitta site, I stumbled across a mixed flock along the forest edge created by the road. The first bird I spotted looked like some strange perversion of the Pale-Naped Brush-Finch, but it turned out to be a juvenile Masked Mountain-Tanager, which I realized when I saw an adult foraging nearby. Truly this bird is a bruiser, as guide Sam Woods described it recently in his blog. Heavy set with a bold yellow brow and blacked-out face, the mountain-tanager is intimidating as it crashes through the undergrowth, at least that's what I imagine the Golden-Crowned Tanagers were thinking as they scrambled out of its way.

With some great birds already seen and a large birding group now making its way down the road, I figured that I would try for the antpitta once more and then work my way down the eastern slope for the day, hitting Guango Lodge for a shot at the Mountain Avocetbill and the Guacamayos for a chance at the Black-and-Chestnut Eagle. Positioning myself deeper into the forest patch, I played the tape but had no response, at least not from the Crescent-Faced Antpitta. Two Rufous Antpittas were clearly annoyed by the new two-meter tall antpitta calling from their territory. They drove me out of the site with some wing flutters and calls of their own but not before I sneaked a few close-range photographs.

Notable birds seen: Variable Hawk, Viridian Metailtail, Sword-Billed Hummingbird, Great Sapphirewing, Rufous Antpitta, White-Browed Spinetail, Pearled Treerunner, Cinerous Conebill, Glossy Flowerpiercer, Masked Mountain-Tanager, Black-Backed Bush-Tanager, Golden-Crowned Tanager, Pale-Naped Brush-Finch.

Botrosa Road: October 11, 2009

The area around the Jocotoco Foundation’s Rio Canande Reserve is growing more degraded by the day as colonizers from Manabí Province clear the land for agriculture after the Botrossa logging company has removed the largest trees from it. In fact, during our visit we passed by multiple fifty-hectare tracts that had recently been cleared and burned for growing rice during the upcoming rainy season. Good road birding, then, is only found well past the reserve itself and beyond the fast-growing community of Hoja Blanca. Approximately 10 km beyond the entrance to the reserve, the logging road takes you up onto a still-forested plateau that sits 500m above sea level, allowing birders access to species only found in the lower foothills of the Chocó, including Scarlet-and-White Tanager, Black-Tipped Cotinga, and Long-Wattled Umbrellabird. Having seen some good understory birds on the previous day while walking the trails of the reserve, Aimee and I decided to spend the following morning on the Botrossa Road in search of mixed flocks and raptors.

The morning got off to a slow start as we made our way up ridge in first gear, climbing slowly as I listened with my head out the window for a tanager flock. Stopping in the same place where I had seen a massive flock during my last visit, we walked up and down the road for a bit, finding monospecific flocks of the Dusky-Faced and Tawny-Crested Tanagers as well as several pairs of Emerald and Bay-Headed Tanagers. Moving on, I then found at an unassuming bend in the road a small tanager flock that contained a pair of male Scarlet-and-White Tanagers. Shouting for Aimee who was slow to exit the car, I soon had her on this diminutive but shocking tanager, showing almost hot pink in the verdant roadside woodland. Rather amped by our early success, I pushed on further, scanning each exposed branch in the canopy for perched birds, while Aimee worried whether I would drive off the side at a ludicrously slow speed of 5km/h.

Spotting a toucan perched in a dead tree near the road, I pulled over and set up the scope as we mulled over the true color of the bird’s bill. Deciding that it was truly black and thus the Chocó Toucan, we were then treated to a group of Scarlet-Browed Tanagers visiting the same tree. As Aimee walked back to the car to brew some coffee, I was startled to find a male Scarlet-Breasted Dacnis lined up perfectly in the scope when I looked through it again. Perched momentarily in the same tree, this gorgeous bird was looking directly at me, it’s yellow irises distinct even at a considerable distance. Shouting for Aimee to return, who was getting a little annoyed at this point, I scrambled to follow the bird in the scope, finally losing it just as she returned. We had seen this bird together several years ago during our first visit to Rio Silanche, and I was really hoping that we could share the experience again, but the mixed flock had moved on.

Compared to the last time I birded the road, it was remarkably quiet and there were no local busses or logging trucks driving around to scare off the birds or intimidate the birders. I stood in the middle of the road for a while as a pair of Rose-Faced Parrots flew by, low and brilliant in the sunlight. Suddenly, a massive black bird flew out of a mature tree on the right side of the road, crossing several hundred of meters to the dense crown of another tree, undulating in flight like a large woodpecker. I shouted aggressively to Aimee who was down the hill a bit as another bird then made the same journey, yelling that a Long-Wattled Umbrellabird was flying overhead. Unfortunately, we were unable to locate the pair again, but we would both agree later that the size, shape, and flight were unmistakable. Just a month ago I had witnessed the Amazonian Umbrellabird in a similar situation, flying out it the open across the Rio Napo, so I’m confident that I didn’t misidentify a Purple-Throated Fruitcrow, for example.

Tantalized by the brief sighting, we continued down the road, promising that we would seek out the Long-Wattled Umbrellabird at a lek somewhere in the future for more prolonged views (the Buenaventura Reserve in southern Ecuador has just such a site that is active during the rainy season on the western slope). Passing the encampment, which is a large cleared area, we stopped again for a mixed flock, this time locking on to a pair of Scarlet-Breasted Dacnis at eye level along the roadside. Although I was firing away furiously on my camera, I never photographed the bird out in the open, only capturing pieces of it, namely the scarlet-colored breast and white belly of the male. Also moving with the flock was the Slate-Throated Gnatcatcher, Lita Woodpecker, and Barred Puffbird, all of which were also seen well by Aimee. Before moving on I noticed a solitary monkey feeding not far away in the crown of a low tree. It was revealed to be a Spider Monkey as it moved gracefully under the canopy, showing much brown in its flanks. We then made one last push to what seemed to be the far end of the plateau, where there was a viewpoint looking to the north. Way off in the distance was a King Vulture circling high over a group of Black Vultures.

Heading back towards the reserve, I desperately sought the Black-Tipped Cotinga, stopping to check out every perched bird in the crown of distant trees. While it never materialized, I did find another terrific mixed flock, this one at eye level just off the side of the road. Pouring over the birds, which included Western White-Tailed Trogon, Orange-Fronted Barbet, One-Colored Becard, and Streaked Flycatcher, I discovered a pair of Blue-Whiskered Tanagers in the understory. My pulse shot up as I followed these two birds moving up and down the mossy branches, their distinct blue wing and facial streaking clearly visible. Concluding this impressive sweep of tanagers, we made good time returning to the lodge, where we would quickly pack up and start the journey back to Quito. Before arriving at the ferry, I paused once to photograph a Laughing Falcon perched above the road at a stream crossing; the Green Kingfisher was also working the area from a log nearby. At the Rio Canande, there was a fair amount of midday bird activity, including a juvenile Pied-Billed Grebe and a Spotted Sandpiper, the former being a new addition to the bird list for the reserve.

Notable birds seen: Snowy Egret, King Vulture, Swallow-Tailed Kite, Roadside Hawk, Laughing Falcon, Spotted Sandpiper, Rose-Faced Parrot, White-Collared Swift, Bronzy Hermit, Purple-Crowned Fairy, Western White-Tailed Trogon, Green Kingfisher, Barred Puffbird, Orange-Fronted Barbet, Pale-Mandible Aracari, Choco Toucan, Lita Woodpecker, Black-Striped Woodcreeper, Slaty Antwren, Yellow-Margined Flatbill, Long-Tailed Tyrant, Olive-Sided Flycatcher, Masked Water-Tyrant, Boat-Billed Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, One-Colored Becard, Purpel-Throated Fruitcrow, Long-Wattled Umbrellabird, White-Bearded Manakin, Red-Eyed Vireo, Lesser Greenlet, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Slate-Throated Gnatcatcher, Scarlet-Breasted Dacnis, Scarlet-and-White Dacnis, Emerald Tanager, Golden-Hooded Tanager, Blue-Whiskered Tanager, Rufous-Winged Tanager, Summer Tanager, Scarlet-Browed Tanager.

Rio Canandé Reserve: October 9-11, 2009

During my last visit in June to the Jocotoco Foundation’s Rio Canande Reserve, Galo, one of the park rangers, explained that October was by far the birdiest month of the year in the area. With the dry season in the northwestern lowlands coming to a close, the birds vocalize throughout the day, he explained, establishing their mating partners and nesting territories just before the wet weather begins. Although neither of us are ornithologists, it certainly sounded reasonable, and I vowed at the time that I would return the following October in search of some of the birds that I had missed the first time. These are, of course, the Chocó lowlands, home to the endemic Broad-Billed Sapoya, Rufous-Crowned Antpitta, Scarlet-Breasted Dacnis, and Long-Wattled Umbrellabird, and no visiting birder should really wait for October, or any other month, to visit.

The reserve is a tricky place to visit independently, though, even with your own transportation as the route is tortuous and the road unforgiving. Aimee and I decided to drive from Quito to San Miguel de los Bancos after work on Thursday, bird Rio Silanche Bird Sanctuary early Friday morning, and complete the drive to Rio Canande during the middle of the day on Friday. From Pedro Vincente Maldonado, the road winds through many kilometers of degraded foothill and lowland forest, much of which has been cleared for African Palm plantations. Aside from Lemon-Rumped Tanagers, Yellow-Bellied Seedeaters, and Masked Water-Tyrants, there’s not a lot to see along this stretch. Just before arriving at the Rio Canande, the area is still almost entirely cleared, although there are sometimes a few birding surprises. We spotted the Blue-Headed Parrot perched on a dead palm stump, and the House Sparrow on some barbed wire fencing along the road; last time I also found a Barred Puffbird on a telephone wire. It’s also possible to travel to this point from the town of Quininde, which is located along the road to Esmeraldas, and busses to Hoja Blanca, a community beyond the reserve itself, pass along this route regularly.

Once we crossed the fairy, which is operated by the Botrossa logging company and requires written permission to board, I put the car in first gear and drove the final few kilometers to the reserve with my head out the window, listening for mixed flocks. Stopping the car to follow up on every bird call, I was soon standing in the road watching a flock of antwrens that contained a pair of smart Slate-Throated Gnatcatchers, my first lifer of the trip. A much larger flock down the road yielded the Pacific Flatbill, One-Colored Becard, and a variety of uncommon and spectacular tanagers found in the region, including the Emerald and Rufous-Winged Tanagers. Amazingly, from the same spot in the road I was watching the flock, I also glimpsed the Ocellated Antbird through the undergrowth, its massive blue eye patch lit brightly by a shaft of sunlight, and the White-Tipped Sicklebill feeding at a stand of heliconia flowers. As Aimee was sleeping in the car while all this activity was going on, I almost didn’t have the heart to share these magnificent observations with her.

After we arrived at the reserve and got settled in our cabin, where we were the only guests, I headed out on the Banded Ground-Cuckoo Trail to see if there were any antswarms. Passing through the overgrown cacao orchard near the dining hall, I spotted the Common Potoo roosting out in the open on an exposed branch. I also spent some time photographing a preening Purple-Collared Woodstar just overhead. As it turned out, both of these birds had yet to be registered on the reserve’s bird list. Later on along the trail, I noted several Chestnut-Backed Antbirds and a solitary Green Manakin, or at least that’s what I think it was. Never having seen the Green Manakin before, I was shocked by how closely it resembles the Broad-Billed Sapoya in appearance and behavior, according to the field guide. Without a guide, or at least someone more familiar with these two birds, I struggled to confidently identify it as it moved silently in the undergrowth. As it turns out, I would see this same bird several times along the trail, photographing it successfully, and Galo would confirm my suspicion that it was indeed the manakin.

The following day we made the circuit to the Black-Tipped Cotinga Viewpoint and back, advancing considerably beyond the viewpoint along the Golden-Chested Tanager Trail in search of, yes, the Golden-Chested Tanager. Ascending to the ridge via the Tawny-Faced Quail Trail we first heard a pair of Rufous-Crowned Antpittas calling just beyond the turn-off to the Red-Capped Manakin Trail. Now, this mythical antpitta is rarely seen anywhere in Ecuador, and Galo himself has only seen it once on accident as it crossed the trail in front of him. I was beginning to believe that it no longer inhabited the reserve, but we immediately recognized the bird as soon as we heard its distinctive call. Ten minutes later of periodic playback, we had worn them out and they fell silent, one impossibly deep in a ravine and the other probably scared far away from the trail. We never really got close to seeing them, and I’m not sure where they were calling from anyway in the relatively open understory. At any rate, the bird certainly lives in the reserve and should be looked for in this area, only a ten minute’s walk from the cabins.

As we slowly climbed the ridge, we came across a large mixed flock, including the Bronze-Winged Parrot, Purple-Throated Fruitcrow, Western White-Throated and Northern Violaceous Trogons, Broad-Billed Motmot, Black-Striped Woodcreeper, and Rufous Piha. Even after we had good looks at these birds, I made everyone wait until the flock had finally moved on, hoping to find the Long-Wattled Umbrellabird tagging along. Hearing the Choco Tapaculo while proceeding up the steep switchbacks in the trail, I then practically stepped on an Hoja Podrida, an incredibly venomous nocturnal viper that curls up in dead leaf litter during the day. In fact, we would come across several other snakes along the trail, forcing me to admit that birding is such a dangerous activity. Snakes are literally everywhere in Ecuador, but we rarely see them as we step carelessly along the trails, our eyes in the canopy and our elbows askew. The last thing I think about when I’m trying to find a bird or race after a flock is whether a snake is nearby, but if it wasn’t for my rubber boots I’d probably have been bitten by now. Anyway, we finally reached the viewpoint without any other noteworthy incidents, but it was devoid of any meaningful bird activity and certainly of any Black-Tipped Cotingas.

I had decided before the trip that the Golden-Chested Tanager was my primary target bird, but the next few hours along the trail past the viewpoint would be my only chance to see it. The bird inhabits the canopy in primary ridgetop forest and though it has a loud distinctive call, it’s quite difficult to locate as it forages high above in mature bromeliad-laden trees. With my iPod paralyzed by the humidity, we were left with nothing but our senses to find the tanager. Indeed, several times during the next hour we would hear the bird calling, and Galo even spotted it once moving with a flock of Tawny-Crested Tanagers that I was diligently working over. While I ultimately missed the tanager, I did have great looks at a group of Bicolored Antbirds which were behaving as if they were following an antswarm, although we were unaware of any ants present. Galo explained that the Banded Ground-Cuckoo was sometimes found with this group of birds, but it also went unseen this morning. After messing around with an armadillo we found rooting around near the trail, we were confronted by an intimidating group of over twenty Collared Peccaries coming towards us on the trail. They approached so close, in fact, that I thought we would have to climb a tree for safety. Come to think of it, that might have been a good idea as it would have provided a good look-out for the tanager.

We had lunch at the viewpoint as the weather cleared, spotting Blue-Fronted Parrotlet in flight and a Collared Trogon in the trees nearby. Aimee pointed out a ghostly white bird flying over the dark green canopy far below, probably a Cattle Egret she said until we informed her that she had just seen her first male Black-Tipped Cotinga! Without a scope, the best we could do was follow the bird as it moved erratically from perch to perch, until it passed out of sight in the distance. Descending back to the cabins via the Banded Ground-Cuckoo Trail, we sent Galo on ahead as he was anxious to catch the soccer game in which Ecuador would lose its last chance to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Aside from seeing the Green Manakin again and a small flock with the Spot-Crowned Antvireo and Western Woodhaunter, activity was low at this point, and I spent the final hours of the day along the Tawny-Faced Quail Trail as Aimee rested in the cabin. Aside from a pair of Western Slaty-Antshrikes, a Streaked Flycatcher, and the ubiquitous Red-Capped Manakin, there were few birds seen. The next morning along the Botross Road would be another story, though.

Notable birds seen: Bat Falcon, Blue-Fronted Parrotlet, Common Potoo, Bronzy Hermit, Band-Tailed Barbthroat, White-tipped Sicklebill, Purple-Chested Hummingbird, Purple-Crowned Fairy, Western White-Tailed Trogon, Northern Violaceous Trogon, Broad-Billed Motmot, Orange-Fronted Barbet, Red-Headed Barbet, Slaty Spinetail, Western Woodhaunter, Black-Striped Woodcreeper, Spot-Crowned Antvireo, Bicolored Antbird, Ocellated Antbird, Black-Capped Pygmy-Tyrant, Scale-Crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Yellow-Margined Flatbill, Sulphur-Rumped Flycatcher, Boat-Billed Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, Rufous Piha, Black-Tipped Cotinga, Red-Capped Manakin, Green Manakin, Red-Eyed Vireo, Gray-Breasted Martin, Southern Nightengale-Wren, Tawny-Faced Gnatwren, Slate-Throated Gnatcatcher, Choco Warbler, Yellow-Tufted Dacnis, Emerald Tanager, Golden-Hooded Tanager, Rufous-Winged Tanager, Ochre-Breasted Tanager, Black-Winged Saltator, Shiny Cowbird, House Sparrow.

Rio Silanche Bird Sanctuary: October 9, 2009

Ecuador celebrates a number of holidays throughout the year commemorating its independence from Spain, recognizing the date in which each major city liberated itself from colonial rule. Thanks to the bravery of early 19th century Guayaquilenos, then, Aimee and I had a three-day weekend in which to bird the northwestern lowlands. Our primary destination was the Jocotoco Foundation’s Rio Canande Reserve, one of the premier sites for observing Chocó endemic bird species, but also one of the most difficult to get to. To break up the arduous drive over two days, we spent the night in San Miguel de los Bancos, stopping at the Rio Silanche Bird Sanctuary outside of Pedro Vincente Maldonado for a warm-up session on Friday morning.

This modest 80 hectare reserve is owned and managed by the Mindo Cloudforest Foundation, which also has two other reserves in the Mindo area. With a well-constructed canopy tower, wide trails, and relative proximity to Quito, it’s a popular destination for independent birders and included on every birding tour of northwestern Ecuador. It doesn’t hurt that this small patch of forest is dramatically packed with birds, either. That being said, I rarely encounter other birders out here, especially during this time of year, which is traditionally considered the end of the dry season in this region. For six dollars, then, you can usually have the site to yourself, leaving your scope up in the tower as you circle the trails for skulking birds and understory flocks.

Aimee and I didn’t see much of note this morning, missing in particular the mega flock of over fifty bird species that sometimes passes by the tower. Some common Chocó endemics that did make an appearance included the Orange-Fronted Barbet, Pale-Mandibled Aracari, and Purple-Chested Hummingbird, and I stumbled across an antwren flock that contained the White-Flanked, Dot-Winged, and Checker-Throated Antwrens as well as the Western Slaty-Antshrike. Our finest observation from the tower was a male Scarlet-Browed Tanager and a pair of beautiful Cinnamon Woodpeckers all clinging to a cecropia tree in the distance, although I failed to capture a decent image of either of them with my new digiscoping apparatus. I also trolled for the Stub-Tailed Antbird along the road leading up from the river to the reserve entrance, but the roadside vegetation has recently been cleared back and there was no response.

Notable birds seen: Maroon-Tailed Parakeet, White-Whiskered Hermit, Purple-Chested Hummingbird, Green Kingfisher, Orange-Fronted Barbet, Chestnut-Mandibled Toucan, Cinnamon Woodpecker, Guayaquil Woodpecker, Plain Xenops, Western Slaty-Antshrike, Black-Capped Pygmy-Tyrant, Scale-Crested Pygmy-Tyrant, One-Colored Becard, Dusky-Faced Tanager, Scarlet-Browed Tanager, Orange-Billed Sparrow.

Tandayapa Bird Lodge: October 4, 2009

Tandayapa Bird Lodge is one of the pioneering birding institutions in Ecuador, offering high quality accommodation in outstanding habitat for more than a decade now. Located near the bottom of the Tandayapa Valley, which ranges from 1500 to 2400m at the pass, the lodge boasts access to both subtropical and temperate forest, and birders could easily spend a week in the area birding the lodge, the road to the pass, Bellavista Lodge, and the old road to Quito that passes through the town of Nono. With approximately twenty Choco restricted range species on the valley's bird list, including the Beautiful Jay, Tanager Finch, Gorgeted Sunangel, Toucan Barbet, and Plate-Billed Mountain-Toucan, a visit to the valley for visiting birders is simply imperative.

I have birded the valley quite a bit, especially along the forested sections of the old road to Mindo, but for whatever reason have never stayed at the lodge nor walked its trails. Given that it's such a storied institution, the lodge gets a lot of traffic from big birding groups, and I think that's what has kept me away until now. Who wants to pass twelve people on the trail when you're stalking the Rufous-Breasted Antthrush, for example? October is a pretty quiet month for tourism, though, so I decided it was time to take the plunge. Arriving at 6am just as it was getting light enough to see properly, I paid $15 and spent the next twelve hours in birding heaven with the hide, the trails, and the famous hummingbird feeders all to myself, as there were no other guests.

Although there are many birds on the valley's list that I've never seen before some of the most critical ones for me are to be found on occasion at the hide. The hide is exactly what it sounds like, a large structure where birders can hide while shy terrestrial birds come in to root through the compost pile that's just in front. It's a pretty unique structure from what I've seen in Ecuador so far, and should the Scaled Antpitta or Rufous-Breasted Antthrush come in, you can fire away on your camera from just a few meters away. I probably didn't establish myself inside early enough, but I still had up-close looks at the White-Tipped Dove and Sepia-Brown Wren; White-Throated Quail-Dove cruised by later in the afternoon as well. Ultimately, it's hard for me to sit inside a room and wait for birds, so I was back out on the trails within an hour.

Along the Hide Trail the Scale-Crested Pygmy-Tyrant showed nicely, stopping momentarily to bash a relatively large arthropod against a branch before choking it down. Rufous-Breasted Antthrush could be heard giving its two-note call down in the neighboring ravine, but it seemed impossibly deep in cover. Barred Forest-Falcon was also calling nearby the lodge, probably attracted to the hectic activity at the hummingbird feeders, but it seemed pointless to even look for it, as these forest falcons are legendary for hiding themselves in the dense crown of trees. Ascending up the ridge on first the Potoo Trail and then the Antpitta Trail, I noted some spectacular male birds, including the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock and Golden-Winged Manakin, the latter of which was displaying vigorously at the lek, extending its strangely plumed head as it emitted a loud burp. Ochre-Breasted Antpitta called twice and then didn't respond to playback, but I saw a pair of Rusty-Winged Barbtails at a tree fall near the junction with the Nunbird Trail.

Descending back down to the main road along the Potoo Trail, I worked through several mixed flocks, one containing White-Winged Tanager and Black-and-White Becard while the other had a pair of Uniform Antshrikes tagging after it. I also came across a good-sized mammal rooting around in a stream bed; later in the afternoon I would find it again as it climbed a tree in self defense, looking like a cross between an anteater and an opossum. The valley definitely has its share of large mammals, and the Spectacled Bear has been recorded on the lodge's property, probably wandering across the main highway from the much larger Maquipacuna Reserve. Completing this rather intense circuit, which could use some cleaning with a machete, I took a break at the hummingbird feeders for a few hours.

The activity at the feeders is stunning and diversity is incredibly high, making this site probably the best in the world for watching hummingbirds. I saw nineteen species at the feeders on this day, and two more on the trails, which is simply staggering to contemplate. The highlight for me was the Purple-Bibbed Whitetip, a Choco endemic that has eluded me up until now, but other excellent hummingbirds included the Empress Brilliant, Violet-Tailed Sylph, Purple-Throated Woodstar, and Gorgeted Woodstar. While other hummingbird sites in Ecuador are exciting, the scene here is overwhelming as approximately one hundred hummingbirds compete at any given time for space at one of the twenty or so feeders placed around a 25 square meter patio. There are several fruit feeders nearby as well, where Blue-Winged Mountain-Tanager, White-Winged Brush-Finch, and Red-Headed Barbet can be seen and photographed at close range.

I was relieved to get back out on the trails in the early afternoon, looking for understory flocks and skulkers. The robust Streak-Capped Treehunter was foraging stealthily near the ground while a noisy group of Three-Striped Warblers were moving just overhead in the undergrowth. I also spotted the Narino Tapaculo in the leaf litter, perhaps building a nest. An odd understory flock with Crimson-Mantled Woodpecker and Orange-Bellied Euphonia moved along the Potoo Trail, the former calling like from the base of a tree trunk like a woodcreeper or furnariid. There's a resident Tawny-Throated Leaftosser along the same trail that I was hoping that the call was coming from. While activity was pretty quiet, it being a sunny afternoon in the dry season and all, I did have relatively good looks at the Lineated Foliage Gleaner later that afternoon; a pair was giving their strangely harsh call from the undergrowth along the Hide Trail. As workers constantly rake this trail for leaf litter, this is a great place for stalking birds as you can walk along without making a sound. At one point, though, I turned around to see a White-Throated Quail-Dove actually stalking me!

Notable birds seen: White-Throated Quail-Dove, Tawny-Bellied Hermit, Purple-Bibbed Whitetip, Empress Brilliant, Green-Crowned Brilliant, Velvet-Purple Coronet, Gorgeted Sunangel, Masked Trogon, Red-Headed Barbet, Crimson-Mantled Woodpecker, Rusty-Winged Barbtail, Lineated Foliage-Gleaner, Streak-Capped Treehunter, Uniform Antshrike, Slaty Antwren, Narino Tapaculo, Scale-Crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Black-and-White Becard, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Golden-Winged Manakin, Red-Eyed Vireo, Gray-Breasted Woodwren, Bananaquit, White-Winged Tanager.

Quito Botanical Garden: October 2, 2009

Located in Parque Carolina in the center of a city of at least two million people, the Botanical Garden is a modest place with only a few mature trees and a handful of different small gardens. From the air, though, it must present a welcome sight, as a diverse array of migrating birds are often found here during the northern hemisphere winter. Last year, in fact, Roger Ahlman et al associated with Aves Ecuador recorded an impressive number of rarities for the highlands, including the Great Crested Flycatcher, Tennessee Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, and Prothonatory Warbler. As the boreal migrants are now beginning to arrive in Ecuador, I've decided to start visiting the Garden regularly in the afternoon, especially considering it's on the way to my new apartment in Quito.

Devoid of people on a fine afternoon, the Garden made for a perfect respite after a tiring week of work. I didn't see much out of the ordinary during the first hour that I walked the paths, noting the Black and Rusty Flowerpiercers, Black-Tailed Trainbearer, and Great Thrush, but as evening drew near the activity picked up a bit. The first migrant I spotted was an Olive-Sided Flycatcher perched high in a dead branch of a pine tree. Then, another migratory flycatcher caught my eye as it was sallying frequently from a perch up in a palm tree; I'm still not sure what it was, but I'm guessing Eastern Wood-Pewee as its wing bars weren't distinct enough to be an Alder or Willow Flycatcher. Roger recorded Eastern Kingbird, Yellow Warbler, Summer Tanager, and Eastern and Western Wood-Pewees here a few days ago, but either I overlooked them or they must have moved on.

A pair of American Kestrels were calling madly for a while until I finally looked up and spotted them harassing a massive raptor, which I first hoped was the Broad-Winged Hawk, another borreal migrant, but soon realized was a juvenile Harris's Hawk (it's not as if the two raptors look that much alike, or anything; I was just hoping to see a lot of migratory birds on my first visit to the Garden this winter). It's interesting, though, that Parque Carolina offers enough habitat to support at least one Harris's Hawk, as the field guide mentions it only is found locally in intermontane valleys of the northern highlands. All things considered, it was a productive first visit to the Garden, but an hour-long stay the following morning would have no doubt been better.

Notable birds seen: Harris's Hawk, Olive-Sided Flycatcher, Eastern Wood-Pewee.