SOUTH ECUADOR - PART TWO

                                          PART TWO 

             THE EAST SIDE OF THE ANDES

Sunday, February 16, we slept in as there was no rush to leave early.  We were headed east over the Andes Mountains to the town of Zamora.  Charlie had volunteered to drive on this portion of the trip, and we were happy that his car had more room than my Chevy Vitara.  He picked us up at 09:00 and we headed north to Loja, to Parque Colinar, a park on the north end of the city.   

Our targets here were Plumbeous Rail, Andean Coot, Common Moorhen, Purple Gallinule and Brazilian Teal.  Apparently the teal are in the midst of expanding its range, and is being seen more in Ecuador, but it was the only one we missed.  I suspect the many visitors to the park the preceding day may have spooked them.  Also present was a couple Striated Herons, the South American counterpart of the Green Heron to the north.

PLUMBEOUS RAIL

We soon began ascending the west flank up to the pass at 9,000 feet.  There is an old road which takes off to the NE at the pass, and I had borrowed the key to get past the gate, and we drove in far enough so the car would not be visible from the highway.  We walked a ways down and then back up, and I think the only new addition to the list was a Pale-naped Brushfinch.  However, this Tyrian Metaltail obliged us for a picture.  

MALE TYRIAN METALTAIL

We then descended the east flank to Zamora, stopping at the Malecon, a large “paved” walkway along the muddy Zamora River.  Here we ate the lunch my wife packed us, and then checked out the birds.  Thrush-like Wren, Crested Oropendola, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Ruddy-breasted Seedeater, White-banded Swallows, Snowy Egret, and a Mottled-back Elaenia:

WHITE-BANDED SWALLOW

MOTTLED BACK ELAENIA

SOCIAL FLYCATCHER

THRUSH-LIKE WREN

From here we drove the last couple miles to Copalinga, the Jocotoco run lodge, well known among birders.  Check in was easy as they were expecting us.  A nice greeting was the many hummers buzzing about the feeders and  flowers:

VIOLET-FRONTED BRILLIANT

VIOLET-HEADED HUMMINGBIRD

WIRE-CRESTED THORNBILL

GOLDEN-TAILED SAPPHIRE

We had arrived just in time for the feeding of the Gray Tinamou, one of the larger of the Tinamou species.  Every day at 4 PM, one is fed “up” a trail outside a blind built for the occasion.  He was already there awaiting food, so an easy tic.  

GRAY TINAMOU

The next morning Walter, the resident bird guide, got in the car with us and directed us a few miles to the east to a small town along the muddy Zamora.  It appeared that a number of roads were created here, but not many houses were built, and a few lots were still for sale.  This was ideal for birding as there were plenty of trees and no traffic.  We tallied some 75 species for the morning, and new additions included: Ruddy Ground Doves, Smooth-billed Anis, Little Cuckoo, Blue-tailed Emerald, Blackish Rail, Tiny Hawk (which was # 300 for the trip), Little Woodpecker, Lafresnaye’s Piculet, Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Black Caracara, White-browed Antbird, Dark-breasted Spinetail, Olive-faced Flatbill, White-thighed Swallow, Short-crested Flycatcher, White-vented Euphonia, Magpie Tanager, Chestnut-vented Conebill, Black-billed and Chestnut-bellied Seedfinches, and a Bluish-gray Saltator.   When we reached 300 species for the trip, I was curious to know what the final tally would be.  If Yankuam was anything like it was 2 years ago when my wife and I were there, it would be like a grand finale, and 400 would be possible.  

TURKEY VULTURE

SLENDER-BILLED XENOPS

DARK-BREASTED SPINETAIL

YELLOW-TUFTED WOODPECKERS

SPECKLED CHACHALACA 

RUDDY GROUND DOVE

BLUE-GRAY SALTATOR

After lunch at the lodge, Walter took us out on the adjacent trails.  Up, up, up and then down, down, down.  A bit of a cardio workout, but it paid off with: Green Hermit, Lanceolated Monklet, White-crowned Tapaculo, Ornate Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Chlorospingus, Orange-billed Sparrow, Olive Finch, and Masked Tanager.

At dinner a little later on, we saw 3 Black Agoutis eating the corn put out for them:

BLACK AGOUTI

The next morning it was raining, so I texted Christian, our birding guide for the next 3 days, to meet us at Copalinga, as there was no hurry to be off birding in the rain.  While waiting for him we saw the female Spangled Coquette which makes short appearances to the flowers at the lodge.  I opted to not bring my camera so as to protect it from water damage, which I regretted because of the photo ops.  Tim decided to stay at the lodge area to photograph birds as the rain more or less dampened his spirits.

We struck out to the parking area for the trail to the visitor center of the park, and were soon walking on it.  Birding was slow as it was still raining.  But little by little the rain let up and stopped.  Birding was best at the visitor center, and we added: Plumbeous Pigeon, White-necked Parakeet, Wedge-billed and Strong-billed Woodcreepers, Streaked Xenops, Blue-rumped Manakin, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (The orange form is on the east side), Amazonian Umbrellabird, Masked Tityra, Cliff Flycatcher, White-capped Dipper, Ashy-throated Chlorospingus, Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Buff-rumped Warbler, Orange-eared  and Green-and-gold Tanagers.  

When back at the lodge, Christian requested we meet him in Yantzaza, his home town.  So after lunch and packing, we were headed farther east.  We picked up Christian and headed for a spot he knew of to find the rare Blue-fronted Jacamar, but the bird was a no show, so we wasted 30 minutes of precious time.  We then headed south toward Yankuam, but at the town of Paquisha, we took the Santa Cecilia Road and headed east into the Corillera del Condor,  a mountain range flanking the east side of the large Nanagaritza River Valley.  

Up in these mountains is the Zarza Reserve, and is the only place in the country to find a few of its resident birds.  We again ran into Nelson and the Brits, only to find out there was a landslide up the road, impeding car travel.  So we parked and walked about a mile up the road.  Birding was super slow as it was raining.  But after a while it stopped and we tallied: Deep-blue Flowerpiercer, Rufous-chested Tanager, Smoke-colored Pewee, Uniform Antshrike, Red-billed Parrot, Greenish Puffleg, Long-tailed Sylph, Plumbeous Pigeon, Blue-crowned Trogon and another obliging Golden-headed Quetzal.  

It was another 2 hours to Yankuam, and I did not calculate going there in the dark.  Two years ago a taxi took us there and the roads were dry and dusty, but now the rains had made lots of mud, potholes and puddles, so driving was a challenge at times for Charlie.  We made it OK, had dinner and went to bed.  It was not until we departed the area 3 days later that we were able to see just how extensive the gold mining operations are along the river.  We also now assumed the road was  in poorer shape because of all the heavy equipment using them.  Once again, Nelson and the Brits were here, and again it was good to compare birding notes.  

We were up before dawn the next day imbibing coffee and eating fruit before going out to the Maycu Reserve, just down the road from the Yankuam Lodge.  If you want to see the famous Orange-throated Tanager in Ecuador, this is THE place to see it, and we saw a pair quite well.  Other birds we listed were: Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Bicolored Hawk, Green-backed Trogon, Lemon-throated Barbet, Channel-billed Toucan, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Blue-headed Parrot, Duida Woodcreeper, Golden-winged Tody-Tyrant, Lemon-browed Flycatcher, Violaceous Jay, Fulvous-shrike Tanager, Turquoise Tanager and Purple Honeycreeper.  

After lunch we returned on the same road but went farther to some different habitat.  A funny quirk along this road is that it goes into Peru for about a quarter mile with no official checkpoint.  We decided it would be fun to make a checklist there, as Aaron, Tim and Charlie had never been to Peru.  So make a checklist we did, and saw 12 birds to put on it. The best were Greater Yellow-headed Vultures and Gray-rumped Swifts.  

I cannot remember clearly, but either before Peru or after, we finally found our first Aracari, a Chestnut-eared Aracari.  While seeing him, a male Scarlet Tanager in breeding plumage appeared.  I did not think they molted until migration time, but here was one in all his gleaming glory.  I just wish I got his picture.  A little later we heard a Blackish Pewee.

CRIMSON-CRESTED WOODPECKER

CHANNEL-BILLED TOUCAN

FLAME-CRESTED TANAGER

OROPENDULA NESTS

Farther along we parked and walked toward the small town of Shaime.  Here were ran into a few mixed flocks and so did not make much forward progress.  We also found a dead Fer de Lance, one of the most deadly poisonous snakes in the world.  He was flatter than a pancake, but you could still clearly make out the back pattern.  A few more birds here were: Gray-fronted Dove, Squirrel Cuckoo, Ecuadorian Tyrannulet, Slaty-capped Shrike Vireo, Coreya Wren, Yellow-bellied and Green and Gold Tanagers,  Blue Dacnis, and Slate-colored Grosbeak.   We looked toward the ponds by the river when we could as 3 weeks prior another Brazilian Teal was reported here, but we did not see it.  

GREY-HEADEDFLYCATCHER

RUSSET-BACKED OROPENDULA 

PURPLE HONEYCREEPER

CHESTNUT-EARED ARACARI

FEMALE SWALLOW TANAGER

YELLOW TYRANNULET 

CRESTED OROPENDULA 

MALE THICK-BILLED EUPHONIA

That evening during dinner Christian suggested the possibility of going up the cliff face across the valley, part of the Cordillera del Condor range.  I decided to write a separate blog on that, which link was included in the email.  Aaron, Christian and I went up there that morning, and topped 400 for the trip!  You will just have to read about that adventure. 

In the afternoon we embarked on a boat trip upriver, the 5 of us plus a family of 4 who were staying at the lodge at the same time.  The hoped for bird was the prehistoric looking Hoatzin, and we found 3 near the southern end of our trip.  The water was brown (muddy) from all the gold mining activity upriver, and we saw plenty of areas where current digging and drenching was going on.  In between that we went through a couple of gorges which were scenic.  Due to the rains we saw a number of waterfalls, both small and large.  We probably went some 10-12 miles upriver before turning around.  Some of the birds we saw were Ringed and Amazon Kingfishers, Striated Herons, a Great Egret, Great Kiskadee, Swallow Tanagers, Black-crowned Tityra, Glittering-throated Emerald, and a reminder from Oregon, the Spotted Sandpiper.  

WATERFALL IN THE GORGE

HERE ARE SOME SHOTS GOING UP RIVER ON THE BOAT TRIP. 

THE THREE STOOGES, ER, I MEAN HOATZINS

While at Yankuam Charlie and I kept hearing bad news about problems with a bridge between Loja and Vilcabamba, which ended up collapsing.  This would mean we’d have to drive over to Catamayo en route home,  an extra 2 hours out of the way.  It took us over 5 hours to get back.  When leaving the Catamayo area I suggested we stop at a certain junction where I always check for birds, and where we had stopped after picking up the guys from the airport.  I said, “This is going to be our last chance to find the Pacific Parrotlet.”   We no sooner stepped out of the car and saw one.  A tiny 4” parrot, mostly green.  I thought this was a great way to end the trip, but later that night Aaron heard the Striped Owl who pays us a visit about once per month, so one last species was added to the list.  

PACIFIC PARROTLET

The next morning I drove Tim and Aaron back to Catamayo to catch their flight to Quito.  They had arrangements made to return to Oregon the next day.  It was a fun trip, and all were satisfied.  I was pleased with the outcome, and happy that there were no mishaps.  The next two mornings I slept in 1-2 hours, quite rare for me being a morning person.  Guess I was more exhausted than I realized:

This trip and another upcoming one in May are designed in part to work out any kinks for future trips for which I intend to go into a small business for, along the line of budget birding.  So if these blogs inspires you to come down, my door is open.