| With tour leaders TBA and Laura Fellows |
Limited to 8 participants
Minimum 4 participants |
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| Begins in Quito Saturday evening |
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$TBA |
Nov 21-28, 2009 (8 days, 7 nights)
Single Supplement = $TBA
Papallacta, Guango, San Isidro |
Our 8-day birding tour of the eastern Andes of Ecuador is designed for those unable to take our full two-week tour of the northern Ecuadorian Andes. The tour is scheduled at a time of year when we are very likely to encounter good weather. For those also taking the Napo Lowlands Tour, we can arrange day trips to Antisana Reserve, Yanacocha Reserve, or Ortovalo.
This tour offers excellent opportunities to see the many birds found only at high elevations and the eastern slope of the Andes. We'll have a reasonable chance of seeing Andean Condor above Papallacta Pass. We'll see an amazing variety of hummingbirds at various altitudinal zones, as well as many species of tanagers and other birds found in temperate and subtropical forests of the eastern slope. We'll also have an opportunity to see secretive antpittas that have been conditioned to come out onto the trail at San Isidro, as well as the mysterious San Isidro Owl that may be a species new to science. Accommodations throughout the tour are simply superb, as is the cuisine.
Along the road on the way up to Papallacta Pass and in Cayambe Reserve above the pass we can expect to find a good variety of high elevation specialties such as Andean Teal, Yellow-billed Pintail, Andean Ruddy-Duck, Cinereous Harrier, Andean Coot, Andean Gull, Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, Bar-winged and Stout-billed Cinclodes, Andean Tit-Spinetail, White-chinned Thistletail, Streak-backed Canastero, Tawny Antpitta, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, Tufted Tit-Tyrant, Red-crested Cotinga, Scarlet-bellied and Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanagers, and Plumbeous and Ash-breasted Sierra-Finches. We hope to find several high elevation hummingbirds, especially Shining Sunbeam, Ecuadorian Hillstar, Giant Hummingbird, and Blue-mantled Thornbill. Guango Lodge and Reserve near the village of Papallacta is a great place for hummingbirds. Among the species we typically see there are White-bearded Hermit, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Glittering-throated Emerald, Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Buff-tailed Coronet, Mountain Velvetbreast, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Tourmaline Sunangel, Glowing Puffleg, Booted Racket-tail, Mountain Avocetbill, Long-tailed Sylph, White-bellied Woodstar, and Gorgeted Woodstar. Other birds there include Torrent Duck, Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant, Black-crested Warbler, Black-capped Hemispingus, Black-eared Hemispingus, Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager, Plushcap, Slaty and Pale-naped Brush-Finches.
San Isidro is a spectacular birding locale, as are the roads downslope. We'll have two full days to bird this area. We're likely to see the now famous "San Isidro" Owl, possibly a species new to science. The number of birds we'll likely see are too many to list, but among the likely possibilities are Rufous-bellied Nighthawk, Lyre-tailed Nightjar, Crested and Golden-headed Quetzals, Chestnut-crowned and White-bellied Antpittas, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Long-tailed Antbird, Rufous-breasted Flycatcher, White-tailed and Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulets, Rufous-crowned Tody-Tyrant, Ornate Flycatcher, Cinnamon Flycatcher, Pale-edged Flycatcher, Sepia-brown Wren, Black-billed Peppershrike, Oleaginous and Black-eared Hemispingus, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Flame-faced Tanager, and Beryl-spangled Tanager. Downslope from San Isidro we'll bird the Loreto Road in more subtropical altitudinal zones. There we'll be looking for birds such as White-eyed Parakeet, Coppery-chested Jacamar, Lafresnaye's Piculet, Dark-breasted and Line-cheeked Spinetails, Lined Antshrike, Yellow Tyrannulet, Mottle-backed Elaenia, Black-capped Donacobius, Olivaceous Greenlet, Olivaceous Siskin, Magpie Tanager, Yellow-whiskered Bush-Tanager, Bronze-green Euphonia, Orange-eared, Turquoise, Paradise , Golden , Spotted , and Blue-necked Tanagers, Yellow-bellied and Blue Dacnis, Caqueta, Black-and-white, and Chestnut-bellied Seedeaters, Golden-eyed Flowerpiercer, and Yellow-browed Sparrow.
For additional description of this tour, please click on the DESCRIPTION tab above. For information on the places we stay, click on the ACCOMMODATIONS tab above.
Feel free to call us any time at 877-247-3371 (inside US) or 303-325-5188 (outside US) about this tour.
