The Santa Elena Peninsula west of Guayaquil has rather recently become a worthwhile destination for birders interested in seeing a few specialties of the more arid habitat of southwestern Ecuador. The most important of these is the vulnerable population of the Esmeraldas Woodstar, the primary reason for the extension. We have a good chance of seeing this species, but only during its breeding season from December-March. A number of other specialties are also featured, notably some Tumbesian near-endemics shared with northwestern Peru plus a variety of arid country birds we'll miss during our usual southern Ecuador tour itinerary.

Our 4-day extension begins with an early departure from Guayaquil. We'll bird our way west through arid scrublands, home to the Esmeraldas Woodstar< to the coast, where we'll stop for some birding around the saltpans at Salinas and the beaches near Santa Elena. After lunch there, we'll continue north to Ayampe for a two-night stay. We'll spend the rest of our time birding the recently established Ayampe Reserve and nearby coastal woodlands.