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Western & Eastern Andes
Mindo, Papallacta, & San Isidro
2008 Ecuador Bird & Nature Photo Tour

* Daily schedule is approximate and may change at the leader's discretion.

Papallacta Pass
Guango Lodge
San Isidro
Bellavista Reserve
Mindo Valley
Finca Angel Paz

November 15-25, 2008
(11 days, 10 nights)

Price $2950

Sat
Nov 15

Quito
Hotel Sebastian

Included Meals: BLD

Evening get-together for orientation and meeting other participants.

Sun
Nov 16

Papallacta Pass
Guango Lodge

Included Meals: BLD

Early breakfast and departure for Papallacta Pass. All day photography along the road up the pass at various sites and above Papallacta Pass in Cayumbe Reserve. Arrive at Guango Lodge mid to late afternoon. Remainder of afternoon photography of hummingbirds at feeders outside lodge entrance.

Mon
Nov 17

Lodge Grounds
Guango Lodge

Included Meals: BLD

Pre-breakfast walk around the grounds looking at and photographing birds in the gardens and along the nearby river. Remainder of day photography of hummingbirds around feeders and other birds around plantings on lodge grounds.

Tues
Nov 18

Guango Lodge
San Isidro
Cabanas San Isidro

Included Meals: BLD

Morning photography of hummingbirds and other birds around the grounds. After lunch transfer to Cabanas San Isidro. Afternoon photography at hummingbird feeders at San Isidro.

Wed
Nov 19

Lodge Grounds
Private Forest Reserve
Cabanas San Isidro

Included Meals: BLD

Early morning photography of antpittas. Remainder of day photographing birds around the lodge grounds. Possibilities include hummingbirds, trogons, woodpeckers, tanagers, jays, and other species.

Thurs
Nov 20

Lodge Grounds
Quito
Hotel Sebastian

Included Meals: BLD

Morning walk along forest trails looking to photograph Crested Quetzal and other birds in the forest. After lunch departure for Quito, arriving before dinner.

Fri
Nov 21

Bellavista Reserve
Bellavista Lodge

Included Meals: BLD

Early breakfast and departure for Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, arriving for lunch. Remainder of day making photographs of hummingbirds and other birds such as Toucan Barbet and Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan around the lodge.

Sat
Nov 22

Bellavista Reserve
Bellavista Lodge

Included Meals: BLD

All day making photographs at the lodge with possible morning excursion into Tandayapa Valley to photograph birds in the forests along the road.

Sun
Nov 23

Ballavista Reserve
Septimo Paraiso
Septimo Paraiso Lodge

Included Meals: BLD

Morning photography at Bellavista. Mid-day transfer to Septimo Paraiso Lodge in the Mindo Valley. Afternoon making photographs of hummingbirds and other birds around Septimo Paraiso Lodge.

Mon
Nov 24

Cock-of-the-Rock Lek
Finca Angel Paz
Los Banos
Septimo Paraiso Lodge

Included Meals: BLD

Very early visit to Finca Angel Paz to photograph Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks displaying on their mating lek. Observe and photograph up to 4 species of endangered and very locally distributed antpittas lured from the forest by Angel Paz. Walk along trails making photographs of birds that present themselves. Mid-morning return to Septimo Paraiso Lodge to rest. Lunch at lodge or in Los Banos. Afternoon at mirador restaurant in Los Banos photographing hummingbirds and tanagers coming in to feeders.

Tues
Nov 25

Septimo Paraiso Reserve
Quito
Hotel Sebastian

Included Meals: BLD

Early morning visit to an area across the road from the lodge where moths attracted by street lighting attract numerous tropical birds including trogons, toucanets, and tanagers. After breakfast photography at hummingbird feeders, in gardens around lodge, and/or along forest trails in the private reserve owned by the lodge. Late afternoon transfer back to Quito.

Wed
Nov 26

Quito
 

Included Meals: None

End of tour. International flights home.


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