We woke up at 6:15 (Nov 14) and got ready to go to Cerro Toledo (Toledo Mountain) in Podocarpus Nat Park. There is a nearby entrance to south of Vilcabamba in the small town of Yangana, and we had our trusted taxi driver Hernan take us. We drove south for 10km, and then east on a “not too bad” gravel road for 20km more.
About half way to the top we were in the could forest with moss covering virtually everything. The weather app indicated sunshine for most of the day in Vilcabamba, so we hoped it would not be much different up here. About the last mile or more we entered the paramo, a tundra-like environment with mostly grass and stunted bushes. The sun shone all the way until we got to the top where there was some fog, mostly on the east side. We got out and took a few pics, and then Hernan turned around and headed back down.
There was one particular bird way up here I was hoping to see, the Neblina Metaltail, a small, very hardy hummer. Any hummer that can live in this environment has got to be a freak of nature. It can get very cold, wet and windy here, and that quite often. As luck would have it, one showed up in about 5 minutes, perched on a bush about 30 feet away for about 10 seconds, and then disappeared. We then started the trek downhill. We were glad it was going to be “ALL” downhill. The air was thin and my altimeter app said 10,533 feet elevation. In another 10 minutes I spied a Swallow-tailed Kite zooming around in the wind. He went behind a small bluff, so I hurried back uphill with hopes of getting some pics. In the process of exerting myself for only 30 feet proved even more how thin the air was. I instantly got light-headed. But at least I managed some pics.
The walk was pleasant. We were dressed about right and we enjoyed the sunshine, and I was hoping the crest of the mountain would keep the fog and clouds on the other side. We would occasionally see a bird crossing the road or hear one nearby, but getting on them proved a challenge. We stopped where one did cross the road and I looked over the area just below us, and saw my second lifer - a Mouse-colored Thistletail. I called Rosie over but he vanished into the thick undergrowth before she got there. The next bird was a Great Thrush, which posed long enough to get my best photo of the day.
Further downhill we started hearing some birds which turned out to be Brown-backed Chat Tyrants, which allowed a few photos.
The next bird was one I had been waiting for. It seemed like most who went up here reported it - Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, another hardy hummer living at a high elevation. Plus, the bonus part was that it was # 700 for my Ecuador bird list.
The lower we descended the more vegetation there was, and we were now in the cloud forest. Moss covering everything. The forest morphed into a huge thicket of sorts. There are many superlative adjectives one can use to describe the Andes, and still not get across to the reader just how beautiful the landscape can be. The views were simply fantastic and we took plenty of pics. But trouble was brewing. That fog and clouds I just mentioned kept coming over to our side, and the sky overhead was getting dark. And then Rosie said, “I felt a drop.” Just what I did not want to hear. At least we were prepared with rain gear and warm clothes. Yep, little by little it kept coming down. I thought at times it would just stay a light drizzle, but eventually we had to don our rain gear, put the camera away, and just endure it.
I’d say it rained on and off for an hour and a half, and then quit, allowing us about hour of dryness. The birds were less active now, but we still managed to see a Bearded Guan, Collared Inca, Broad-winged Hawk, Masked Trogon, Red-billed Parrot, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Cinnamon Flycatcher, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Masked Flowerpiercer, and a few North American migrant Blackburnian Warblers. Of note was a nice flock of about 10 Grass Green Tanagers. Was hoping for a decent pic, but just could not manage it. Oh yes, I did briefly see another hoped for bird, the beautiful Golden-crowned Tanager.
Crimson-mantled Woodpecker
But the rain resumed and we had to find shelter under some trees to eat our lunch which consisted of an avacado sandwich, tuna sandwich and barbecued soycurls. About 500 yards further down the road we met Hernan coming to get us and we were glad about that. I think we had had enough rain for now. But back in Vilcabamba it was dry with lots of blue sky. I hope to return for another jaunt there, but the rainy season seems to be just starting and it seems hard to predict if there will be rain up there, so not sure if that will work out. Back at our chalet I checked my pedometer app - 7.5 miles. So guess we had our workout alright, all downhill.
Bill - your photos are awesome. Thanks for getting me onto your blog. It looks beautiful - wish I was there! And it looks like you have adapted to local clothing very well. : )
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