The Choco and North West Ecuador June 13-22, 2008

We all arrived safely in Quito by early Friday - John and Paula came in late on Friday night, while Larry and Kathy came in on Thursday. I returned from a pre-trip exploration of Wild Sumaco - a lodge, we at Ventures Birding, will stay at during our Eastern Ecuador trip in May 2009.

After a great breakfast on Saturday - we left for the Giant Hummingbird site - which is on the way to Papallacta from Hacienda La Carriona. At the site - we did get the hummer, and Purple-collared Woodstar, Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch, both Green-tailed and Black-tailed Trainbearers amongst others. Papallacta Pass yielded some great birds: Streak-backed Canastero, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, several Andean Teal at the pass, Andean Gull, Variable Hawk, Carunculated Caracara, and Tawny Antpitta. Stopping at Guango after a late lunch at the Hot Springs we had Tourmaline Sunangel, Collared Inca, both White-bellied and Gorgeted Woodstars, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Long-tailed Sylph, and along the river Torrent Duck, White-capped Dipper and Torrent Tyrannulet. A quick trip down the old reservoir road yielded Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Tufted Tit-Tyrant and Black-crested Warbler, while along the old road nearer to the pass entrance we found a very obliging Shining Sunbeam, and Blue-and-yellow Tanager.

On Sunday it was off to Antisana and just past the park entrance we had 16 Andean Condors, a Plain-colored Seedeater and two Hooded Siskin. Wow - what a start. The lava field yielded two Red-crested Cotinga. Further along the road we got the first of many Black-winged Ground-Doves, and then at the Barn Owl house we got the resident Barn Owl, and both Stout-billed and Bar-winged Cinclodes, several Plumbeous Sierra-Finches, two Black-chested Buzzard-Eagles, a Black-billed Shrike-tyrant, a distant Aplomado Falcon and some 30 Andean Lapwing. The road to the Hacienda produced two Black-faced Ibis, a Paramo Ground-Tyrant, several Ecuadorian Hillstars and a Band-tailed Seedeater. At the lake, we also got 15 Silvery Grebe, two of which were on nests, three Yellow-billed Pintail and a male Blue-winged Teal.

On Monday we packed and left the beautiful and very comfortable Hacienda La Carriona for Yanacocha. Yanacocha turned out to be rather quiet, but we still got White-tailed Hillstar, Mountain Velvetbreast and Buff-winged Starfrontlet at the entrance feeders. Along the path we heard Unicolored Tapaculo, and saw Golden-bellied and Sapphire-vented Pufflegs, Rufous Wren, Rufous-naped Brush-Finch and a great look at a Bar-bellied Woodpecker. We left early to get to Hacienda Chorlavi in Ibarra but on the way we got a glimpse of a White-tipped Swift in the Guayallamba Valley and had great views of a Burrowing Owl at the Cochasqui Pre-Inca Pyramids.

Birding before breakfast in the grounds of the Hacienda Chorlavi produced Western Emerald, Ecuadorian Thrush, Scrub Tanager, Vermilion Flycatcher and Hooded Siskins. In Cuicocha and down the very muddy and perilous Intag Road we got the following among others: Blue-Black Tanager, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Pearled Treerunner, Blue-backed Conebill, Agile Tit-tyrant, Chestnut-naped Brush-Finch feeding three young, Andean Guan, Spillman's Tapaculo, Blue-naped Tanager, a Crimson-mantled Woodpecker and two great Purple-backed Thornbills. Returning to Cuicocha Lake we also got an Andean Ruddy-Duck.

After breakfast we headed to Lago Yuarcocha where we got Striated Heron, Pied-billed Grebe and three Black-crowned Night-Heron before heading down the Lita Road for Streaked Saltator, Harris Hawk, both Yellow-bellied and Black-and-white Seedeaters, and many Smooth-billed Anis. Near Lita we stopped along the road and got a flock with Piratic Flycatcher, Lesser Seed-Finch, Swallow Tanager, Scarlet-browed, Lemon-rumped and Tawny-crested Tanagers, and heard a Chestnut-backed Antbird. At the Lita Railway Station (the trains stopped running in 1998 yet there was still a stationmaster!) we got Pale-vented Thrush and Wedge-billed Treecreeper. Towards the coast we stopped near Alto Tamba and in quite degraded habitat found Maroon-tailed Parakeet, a fly-by Rose-faced Parrot, several Slaty Spinetails, Dusky Pigeon, several Bay-headed Tanager and flocks of Gray-rumped Swifts. Just past Alto Tamba we stopped again and got a beautiful Gold-chested Tanager, Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Lineated Woodpecker, Long-tailed tyrants and a plaintive sounding Roadside Hawk. Although we arrived late at the Tundaloma Lodge we did get Rufous-tailed Hummingbird and heard Little Tinamou.

Overnight and in the early morning we heard two Crested Owls, a spectacled owl and a Choco Poorwill. Before breakfast, while birding from the balcony, we got the following - Slaty-tailed Trogon, Blue-chested Hummingbird, a female Blue Cotinga, Plumbeous Forest-Falcon, Western Sirystes, and both Golden-hooded and Blue-headed Tanagers. and heard Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Buff-rumped Warbler and Rufous-fronted Wood-Quail. We spent the rest of the morning on one of their trails and found among others the following: Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, three very noisy Dusk-faced Tanagers, Dusky Antbird, Western Slaty-Antshrike, Dot-winged Antwren, and a Purple-crowned Fairy. We also heard Song Wren, Scaled Pigeon and Southern Nightingale-Wren. After lunch and a siesta we explored the lodge and the river for Fulvous-vented Euphonia and Red-legged Honeycreeper and heard a White-throated Crake.

The next morning, at 6:30 am from the balcony of Tunaloma, we heard a Central American Pygmy-Owl, while we saw a Gray Elaenia and Western White-tailed Trogon. On the road to the boat ramp to catch the boat to Playa de Oro we also got lots of Stripe-billed Aracari's and a Ringed Kingfisher. The boat trip did not yield much, so after getting settled in we explored the trail near the lodge. This trail was initially quite quiet but towards the end we did have five Blue-crowned Manakins, Western Woodhaunter, Stripe-throated Wren, Green Manakin, and Bicolored and Spotted Antbirds. Not bad in the heat of the late afternoon.

Although it rained much of the next day we found the following on trails close to the lodge: Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Guayaquil Woodpecker, Ruddy Pigeon, Rufous Piha, Lesser Seed-Finch, Snowy-throated Kingbird, Blue-whiskered Tanager, Yellow-margined Flatbill, Gray-capped Flycatcher, Mealy Amazon, both White-whiskered and Stripe-throated Hermits, and Rose-faced Parrot. In the evening we also saw four King Vultures circling several km's away above distant ridges.

Our last day at Playa de Oro was clear and we got both Lita and Choco Woodpecker in the lodge's garden, while across the river we took some time to venture up the San Jose Trail. We got a Streak-chested Antpitta immediately, and had obliging Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer and Black-striped Woodcreeper within 10 minutes of leaving our boat. Further down the trail we got great looks at a Lemon-spectacled Tanager but the highlight of Playa de Oro and the trip was finding an ant swarm with attendant antbirds. As we came across the swarm we disturbed a Banded Ground-Cuckoo who left bill-clapping - Mark got a partial view of its eye and tail. We had Immaculate, Spotted, Bicolored, Dusky, and Ocellated Antbirds and several Long-billed Antwrens at the swarm. A flock we located just down from the ant swarm also yielded: Bright-rumped Attila, both White-flanked and Checker-throated Antwrens and a Tawny-crested Tanager.

The next day we returned to Tunaloma but on the road to San Lorenzo we found a field that yielded great looks at Great Cowbird, Pacific Parrotlet, Yellow-tufted Dacnis, Blue-black Grosbeak, Pale-mandibled Aracari, a Plumbeous Hawk and a Scarlet-thighed Dacnis. Thereafter, the birding did not yield much new and the next day we returned to Quito and headed home.

Itinerary

June 12 Arr Quito. Stayed at Hacienda La Carriona, Quito 
June 13 Giant Hummer site and Yanacocha; Stayed at Hacienda La Carriona, Quito 
June 14 Antisana. Stayed at Hacienda La Carriona, Quito 
June 15 Yanacocha, Guayllamba Valley, Pre-Inca Pyramids at Cochasqui Stayed at Hacienda Chorlavi, Ibarra 
June 16 Cuicocha, Intag Road; Stayed at Hacienda Chorlavi, Ibarra 
June 17 Lago Yuarcocha, Lita Road, Alto Tambo. Stayed at the Tundaloma Lodge nr San Lorenzo 
June 18 Tundaloma Lodge trails. Stayed at the Tundaloma Lodge nr San Lorenzo 
June 19 Playa de Oro; stayed at the Playa de Oro Lodge 
June 20 Playa de Oro; stayed at the Playa de Oro Lodge 
June 21 Playa de Oro, San Lorenzo rd. Stayed at the Tundaloma Lodge nr San Lorenzo 
June 22 Returned to Quito

Annotated List

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