TRIPREPORT
Birdwatching in Ecuador and on the Galapagos Islands
Wednesday: 26.06.2013 – Flight Frankfurt – Madrid
The „Kuehkopf“ (a Nature Reserve) and River Rhine 50 km south of Frankfurt/Germany
Best view to Pic du Midi (Pyrenees)
From Madrid the Flight starts at 1:30 p.m. Lissabon was little cloudy the Atlantic more cloudy – also when we reached the coast of Venezuela 8 hours later.
This Crater-Lake (Cuicocha – north of Quito: 3500 m) I saw about half an hour before landing
We arrived at Quito at 5:30 p.m. local time (Germany: 7 hours later) – 11 hours after start at Madrid. Quito is at an elevation of 2800 m. Around the town: Vulcanos: Pichincha (4784 m); Cayambe (5790); Antizana (5704) and Cotopaxi (5897 m). I really had a good view – beautiful landscape. The new airport opened in February 2013 – 1 hour drive to Quito by car. Costs were 35 $. The accomodation I stood was Aleidas Hostal – close to La Mariscal – 28 $ the night incl. breakfast. It´s nice there – the rooms are clean – perhaps a little clearaudient because sometimes groups arrive late in the evening.
http://www.aleidashostal.com.ec
Thursday 27.6.2013
The night was not so good – I got nearly no sleep and had headache.
So the next morning I didn´t feel very well. But I planned to go to Antizana with my Guide: Marcelo Arias Murcia from Mindo (An excellent Guide!!! – (http://www.birdsofmindo.com).
So we went to the Paramo at the feet of Antizana – Elevation: 4000 m. There we walked around – what´s not easy – because you feel the Hight.
Condors we looked for – first we had no luck. But other nice birds we found more easily in that wonderful Landscape:
Paramo
The Vulcano Antizana has a high of 5700 m. We looked for Andean Condors but where not lucky (later – on our way back to Quito we found three of them!) Also we found the Black-Faced Ibisses.
Antizana (5700 m)
Caranculated Caracara
Stout-Billed Cinclodes
Species:
Black-Faced Ibis ++
Silvery Grebe (3)
Andean Teal ++
Andean Ruddy-Duck (2)
Andean Condor (3)
Variable Hawk (some)
Black-Chested Buzzard-Eagle
Caranculated Caracara (some)
Andean Coot (some)
Andean Lapwing (some)
Andean Gull
Black-Winged Ground-Dove (2)
Ecuadorian Hill-Star
Andean Tit-Spinetail
Stout-Billed Cinclodes
Bar-Winged Cinclodes (some)
Tawny Antpitta (2)
Paramo Ground-Tyrant
Brown-Bellied Swallow
Great Thrush (at my Hostal in Quito)
Plumbeous Sierra-Finch
Rufous-Collared Sparrow (at my Hostal in Quito)
Unfortunately I didn´t use a sunblocker – so my face got a sunburn.
some more pictures from that wonderful area
Paintbrush (you can also find in Canada!)
Horsemen
Andean Teal
Andean Lapwing
Black-Faced Ibis
Andean Condor
4 pm I arrived at my Hostal. I feel very bad – maybe because of the Altitude. And I was tired. 6 pm I went to bed and slept well until 2 am. Now I felt much better and used the time to write my diary and some emails and I saved my pictures.
Friday 28.6.2013
Everything was good. The taxi picked me up at 7:00 am because my flight to Coca was 9:00 am. The flight was very nice with good views on the vulcanos Cotopaxi, Antizana und especially Cayambe – in the northeast of Quito.
Antizana left – Cotopaxi right
Antizana
In front Cayambe (5796 m) – left side behind the Antizana right side behind the Cotopaxi
Half an hour later landing at Coca (Puerto Francisco de Orellana) – very hot and humid
Napo River
With a speed-boat we went about 100 km eastward down the Napo – River – eastern direction. Napo is a really very big river wich leads to the Amazonas. Never saw a bigger river in Europe (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napo)
We arrived at a landing point, get out of the boat and had a 15 minute walk into the rainforest. Then we reached another – small – river and went on by small Canoes. Half an hour later we arrived at the Sani Lodge – a wonderful place at a lagoon. It´s only by boat possible to go there. Really a paradise.
I had a very very good „Native Guide“: Guillermo. Talking to each other was difficult – because I don´t speak spanish. But Guillermo knows the english bird-names and the voices as well. And he know the places where the birds are
Black-Fronted Nunbird
Rufescent Tiger-Heron
Hoatzin
This lovely pet we also found!
The meals where very delicious.
And I slept very comfortable in a hut with much space!
Species:
Striated Heron
Rufescent Tiger-Heron
Greater Yellow-Headed Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Speckled Chachalaca
Large-Billed Tern
Pale-Vented Pigeon
Cobald-Winged Parakeet
Orange-Winged Amazon
Squirrel Cuckoo
Hoatzin
Tawny-Bellied Screech-Owl
Common Potoo
Neotropical Palm-Swift
Black-Tailed Trogon
Amazonian White-Tailed Trogon
Ringed Kingfisher
Amazon Kingfisher
American Pygmy Kingfisher
Violaceous Jay
Scarlett-Crowned Barbet
Black-Fronted Nunbird
Cocha Antshrike
Silvered Antbird
Plumbeous Antbird (gehört)
Short-Crested Flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Lesser Kiskadee
White-Winged Swallow
Turquoise Tanager
Masked-CrimsonTanager
Yellow-Rumped Cacique
Chrested Oropendola
Russet-Backed Oropendola
This evening Guillermo found a Tarantula.
The sky in the evening is wunderful. You can see many stars and also very well the Milky Way. Until now the weather mostly was perfect
Samstag, 29.06.2013
My alarm-clock Rings at 4:15 am. 5 o´clock I had a very good breakfast.
Today Alex comes with us – I think he becomes also a bird-guide.
5:30 we started by canoe. What a wonderful morning!
Our target was a tower of about 35 m. It´s built in the canopy of a big tree
Fantastic view. We stay there until 10:00. Highlight was a Great Potoo 3 m above the platform
Great Potoo
Bat Falcon
Double-Thoothed Kite
Gildet Barbet
Lettered Aracari
Many-Banded Aracari
Back to the ground we walket slowly along a trail while Alex went back by boat. It´s really hard there to see a bird. Guillermo noticed an Black-Faced Antthrush by the voice. We tried to find it but it was unpossible although we where very nearby offside the trail and Guillermo used a tape. The bird answered but didn´t show. After that we had some rain and went back to the lodge.
Didn´t see a Jaguar but this „Jaguar-Eye“!!!
Without Rubber-Boots you´re beyond hope!
Species:
Little Tinamou (heard)
Undulated Tinamou (heard)
Capped Heron
Agami Heron
Slender-Billed Kite
Double-Thoothed Kite
Grey-Headed Kite
Slate-Colored Hawk
Crane Hawk
Bat Falcon
Spix‘ s Guan
Common Piping-Guan
Chestnut-Fronted Macaw
Black-Headed Parrot
Blue-Headed Parrot
Greater Ani
Great Potoo
Ladder-Tailed Nightjar
Straight-Billed Hermit
Gildet Barbet
Brown Nunlet
Golden-Collared Toucanet
Ivory-Billed Aracari
Lettered Aracari
White-Throated Toucan
Yellow-Tufted Woodpecker
Wedge-Billed Woodcreeper
Buff-Throated Woodcreeper
Plain-Winged Antshrike
Long-Winged Antwren
White-Flanked Antwren
Black-Faced Antthrush (heard)
Crowned-Slaty Flycatcher
Plum-Throated Cotonga
Black-Capped Donacobius
White-Lored Euphonia
Opal-Rumped Tanager
Buff-Throated Woodcreeper
12:00 we reached the lagoon, where Alex waited in the canoe
Before we came back to the lodge we noticed another nice bird: This Capped Hero
I had not many mosquitos! So I didn´t use nuch of the Anti-Mosquito-Spray I had with me. At the lodge it was absolutely no problem – and in my hut I had no one mosquito during the 5 nights I stayed there.
At 3 pm we start for the afternoon-walk. We went on the „Aguila-„ and the „Pantano-Trail“ – which are close to the lodge
We went about 5 km and get back 6:20 pm. The trail often was muddy and sometimes we crossed a swamp like on the picture.
Species in the afternoon
Great Tinamou (heard)
Gray-Fronted Dove
Yellow- Crowned Amazon
Straight-Billed Hermit
Crimson-Crested Woodpecker
Purplish Jacamar
Spot-Winged Antbird (heard)
Black- Faced Antbird
Screaming Piha
Blue-Crowned Manakin
Thrush-Like Wren
Evening – Athmosphere
Sonntag, 30.06.2013
Today we want to go to the Napo River
In the morning it was cloudy and a little misty. But however – we get out. Until we arrived at the Napo River it didn´t rain.
Then it begins to rain – first a little bit but then more. Suddenly the rain got harder. And our boat didn´t have a roof. So we became wet. We where lucky to find the group with the other people of the lodge, because their boat was with roof. At the parrot-lick we changed to the bigger boat. Otherwise I would have become as wet as if fallen into the river. So we could watch the parrots feeding the minerals and take some pictures.
You are not allowed to go close to that steep.
Then the rain get really hard. It blows into the boat from aside. So me made a break at Yasuni Women Community. The Yasuni there are about 500 People who live the riverside right and left Napo that area. Sani Lodge is completly operated by the Yasuni people. My Guide – Guillermo also is Yasuni.
In the Comminity we got a traditional meal: Catfish with Palm-hearts in Banana Leafs. Also cooked and broiled Bananas und Manioc-Roots.
It tasted delicious!
Here we saw a Southern Lapwing very wet!
Very nice was to watch some kids playing football on a Stream-Sandbank while still raining. A pity – I didn´t take a picture.
Species
Yellow-Headed Caracara
Sungrebe
Southern Lapwing
Pied Plover
Collared Plover
Spot-Breasted Woodpecker
Little Woodpecker
Plumbeous Antbird gesehen
Tropical Kingbird
Social Flycatcher
Gray-Capped Flycatcher
Gray-Breasted Martin
House Wren
Casqued Oropendola
Orange-Backed Trupial
1:00 pm : Dinner – very good: Soup, Cutlet, Vegetables, Salad und Peaches. And a fresh and delicious fruit-juice.
2:00 pm the rain stopped a I could continue taking pictures!
Tropical Screech-Owl
3:00 pm we started for a wonderful boat-trip – upstream the little river which recarges the lagoon! About 5 km we canoed.
We saw very nice birds:
amongst others: Long-Billed Woodcreeper sitting and flying – I´m sorry not to have good pictures – but some others are better I think:
Hoatzins
Black-Capped Donacobius
any Iguana
Spider Monkey (?)
Squirrel Monkey
Yellow-Rumped Cacique
Amazonian White-Tailed Trogon
Greater Ani
Do you see the bird?
Common Potoo
this Tour was fantastic – so quite!
Finally: The best!
Three Creamed-Colored Woodpeckers very close to us!
6:30 pm we got back to the lodge – the sky looked for rain! Rain came when I was back at my room. So in total: another fantastic day!
Arten heute Nachmittag
Least Bittern (gehört)
Boat-Billed Heron
Limpkin
Plumbeous Kite
Tropical Screech-Owl
White-Chinned Jacamar
Yellow-Billed Nunbird
Cream-Colored Woodpecker
Striped Woodcreeper
Long-Billed Woodcreeper
Purple Honeycreeper
Silver-Beaked Tanager
Monday, 01.07.2013
Because the weather was fine we wanted to try again watching parrots at the parrot – Lick
We started at 6:00 after Breakfast
Again at the Napo – River! Didn´t see the Umbrellabird again. But a Fruitcrow. Perhaps we are lucky with the Umbrellabird this afternoon.
Now we had problems withe the engine. Guillermo: „No good One“
Now we could experience the advance of the Community: We stopped at the next houses and changed the boat, which was much better.
Here we found White-Banded Swallows
AT Parrot Lick the weather was fine today…..
But not many parrots where there
So we continue our boat-trip …….
…… we went to a sandbank in the middle of Napo River with gras and bushes. Here we found a lot of birds
for Example this Chestnut-Bellied Seedeater
On our way back…
…we could identify this Black-And-White Hawk-Eagle
A House from the Community
Here grows coffee
Coffee Blossom
ripe and green beans
dto.
Cacao – Bean
dto.
Red Bananas
Heliconia
Moth
A Gray-Winged Trompeter – tame (member of the fowl)
To watch the Great Antshrike we had to creep into the bush. Unbelievable what I did. But otherwise you don´t have good chances for this bird (at least that place).
Above a Greater Yellow-Headed Vulture
After this we walked a trail on the other riverside – south of Napo-Rivers
There we found a pair of beautiful Black-Tailed Trogon.
female
male
On the Trail
Purple-Throated Fruitcrow – with backlight – bit you can notice the purplish throat!
Nice Butterfly
dto,
On our way back to the lodge Lodge……..
……. we found more nice birds – like this Amazon Kingfisher
Again we had to go into dense undergrowth ….
…. where we found this White-Lored Antpitta.
Here: a White-Eared Jacamar
Olivaceous Woodcreeper
On the Napo-River there are often such ferry-boats with big trucks
The Umbrellabird again we didn´t found.
At 5:30 pm it started raining again. The prevision was correct today.
Species
Snowy Egret
(Gray-Winged Trompeter)
Roadside Hawk
Black Hawk-Eagle
Black Caracara
Yellow- Billed Tern
Dusky-Billed Parrotlet
Dusky-Headed Parakeet
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
Short-Tailed Swift
Olive-Spotted Hummingbird
Lineated Woodpecker
Green and Rufous Kingfisher
White-Eared Jacamar
Brown Jacamar
White-Necked Puffbird
Chestnut-Eared Aracari
Olivaceous Woodcreeper
Orange-Fronted Plushcrown
Great Antshrike
Black Antbird
Black and White Antbird
White Lored Antpitta
Yellow-Crowned Tyrannulet
Ochre-Bellied Flycatcher
Lesser Wagtail-Tyrant
River-Tyrannulet
Willow Flycatcher
Fuscous Flycatcher
Drab Water-Tyrant
Dusky-Capped Flycatcher
White-Winged Becard
Black-TailedTityra
Black-Crowned Tityra
Purple-Throated Fruitcrow
Bare-Necked Fruitcrow
Orange-Crested Manekin
Brown-Chested Martin
White-Banded Swallow
Black-Billed Thrush
Palm Tanager
MagpieTanager
Flame-Crested Tanager
Orange-Headed Tanager
Chestnut-Bellied Seedeater
Yellow-Browed Sparrow
Shiny Cowbird
Giant Cowbird
Tuesday, 02.07.2013
Early morning it still rains – but it was no heavy rain – only some shower.
First we go by boat – passing the lagoon until a trail.
on the way: Black-Capped Donacobius
We walked about 8 km. Every bird was hard work to find. Mostly the Chestnut Belted Tapaculo. It bounces on the ground deep in the dense and hide itself. It calls every time but don´t appear that you can watch it. Very difficult!.
But we where luccky. Because of patience we saw it.
Jungel Passion Fruit
Noisy Night Monkeys
Leaf – Cutting Ants
White-Fronted Nunbird
Wing-Barred Pipritis
Warbling Antbird
Golden-Headed Manakin
Black-Throated Trogon
and the hole of an Armadillo
Sometimes a little rain
1 o clock we where back at the lodge and had Lunch.
Some pictures from nearby the lodge:
Masked-CrimsonTanager.
4:30 we met againt. Guillermo wanted to try once more to show me the Umbrellabird. So we went again to Napo River. Gooing softly by the small canoe is indescribable nice. So quite. And around that wonderful scenery of wilderness, trees, water and animals.
By the way: Dusky Titi Monkeys and ……
……. Pygmy Marmosette Monkeys.
Again Guillermo found a Great Antshrike. And I could see it very good.
But we got moray species: Crimson Crested Woodpecker,
Black-Fronted Nunbird
Speckled Chachalaca
Than we arrived at Napo River and went by boat to the island with the sleeping tree of the Umbrellabird. We anchored at a big tree in the river and had to wait. Normally the bird flies from south to the island in the evening. But first we had no luck. We wanted just give up, when suddenly the bird comes. So I was lucky. It was the last chance for me that trip!!
Back again at the small canoo we tried to find the Crested Owl. But we where not lucky. But a Spectacled Owl we could find.
At 7 pm we where back at the lodge and I got a very good Dinner again.
This was my last day at Sani Lodge – Tomorrow I go back to Quito. I hope to come back to this wonderful place!!!!!
Insgesamt war Sani schon mal fantastisch.
Species Trail and Lodge
Yellow-Bellied Dacnis
Southern Beardless Tyrannulet
Rufous-Breasted Hermit
Golden-Headed Manakin
Black-Throated Trogon
Ruddy Quail-Dove
Black-Faced Antbird
Wire-Tailed Manakin
Rusty-Belted Tapaculo
Warbling Antbird
Wing-Barred Pipritis
Chestnut-Belted Gnateater
White-Fronted Nunbird
Striated Antthrush (gehört)
Scale-Backed Antbird
Ruddy Ground-Dove
Gray-Winged Trumpeter
Thick-Billed Euphonia
Great Antshrike
Crimson Crested Woodpecker
White Eyed Parakeet
Amazonian Umbrellabird
Blue and Yellow Macao
Spectacle Owl
Summe: (22/21)
Summe gesamt: (201/172)
Wednesday 03.07.2013
Today I could´t take any picture because I felt very bad!
02:45 am I woke up. Couldn´t sleep again. Didn´t feel good. I don´t think it was the meal – but don´t know. Perhaps an incompability. So I only took bananas this mourning. And then it rained very hard. During the whole 4 hours to coca it rained hardly. That´s rainforest as well. So I felt more bad when I arrived at coca. But the organization was very good – the flight was in time and I arrived at Quito at 2pm.
Next day I wanted to go to Yanacocha – but I felt so bad, that I called my guide, Marcelo, and told him that I wanted to change our plan. So we decided to visit Quito the next day, if I feel better.
Thursday, 04.07.2013
6:30 I woke up. Slept well – so I felt better. So we visited Quito.
First we went to Panecillo, a hill from where you have a wonderful sight to the old town of Quito, the volcano Pichincha and the city around. Really a big city. Don´t know how big exactly – Marcelo told me there are living about 4 million people – wikipedia says: 1,5 millions.
On top of panecillo there is a statue of Maria with Wings of an angel! Its the only statue in the world in this kind.
View to south
View westward with Pichincha – The weather was good – blue sky and clear – but the volcano Cotopaxi (doth of Quito) we could´t see because of clouds there.
view northward – in front the old town
Then we went to the Plaza Grande …..
…… and next to Plaza de San Francesco. The church of San Francesco is nearly as old as the town. The church was beginning to built only a few years later than the town was founded in the 16. Century. Inside very pretty. Baroque stile.
La Ronda is one of the oldest streets in Quito – Cobblestone pavement.
After 3 hours I was groggy again – so we went back to my hostel.
3 pm it rained again with thunder and lightening. 5 pm I got a call from Columbia Travel. The driver who will pick me up tomorrow for going to the airport told me, we meet at 6:15 am.
Next page my travel to Galapagos…….
Pingback: Nature Birds and More ….. | naturebirdsandmore's Blog