THE JAUNT TO THE SOUTH

                     THE JAUNT TO THE SOUTH, FINALLY

Most of my readers know by now I’m adventurous.  Since we’ve been here I’ve had my eye on Yacuri National Park, in the southernmost tip of Ecuador.  The write ups describe breathtaking scenery.  So I’ve brainstormed strategies for making the trip so that when the time came there would not be too many surprises.  Most of the park is over 10,000 feet, so the air is thin and sun can be intense.  But I’ve also come to realize that visiting the park is usually weather dependent.  Wind, fog and rain more often than not. 

I decided the best thing to do would be to head NW to Catamayo (where the airport is), then go south all the way to Amaluza or Jimbura for the night.  The next day we’d go up to the Park, and then down the east slope to the town of Zumba.  The day after, we’d bird some areas to the south of Zumba before heading north to Palanda for the night, and after morning birding the next day head home.  My good friend Charlie Renideo would join me for the excursion, as he often does on day trips for birding and photography. The rest of the story is detailed below.

MAP WITH MAIN AREAS CIRCLED

We set off after breakfast toward Catamayo on Monday, May 18.  Upon leaving Malacatos, the next town to the west, we spied a White-tailed Kite, kind of rare this far east, which we took as a good omen for the rest of the trip.  

WHITE-TAILED KITE - Photo by Charlie

Once to the main hwy near Catamayo we headed south, all new territory for Charlie.  As I forgot to bring extra cash, we stopped in Gonzonama and found an ATM.  Right afterward I typed “Amaluza” into google maps and we were off again.  The only problem was that the road deteriorated, something I did not remember from the last time I drove this way.  Charlie finally figured out this was a shortcut, and so a different road to the south.  

AMALUZA IN THE DISTANCE

THEY CAN GROW CORN ON REALLY STEEP HILLSIDES

Once back on the main hwy we continued south to the town of Amaluza.  I had more or less planned to spend the night here but also planned to look for a certain hummingbird in Jimbura, about 12 miles farther south, the only place in the country to find it.  But beyond Amaluza we left the pavement and drove the gravel road to Jimbura.   Up and down and all around because of the terrain and it took about an hour to get there.   I knew there was a small family run hotel of sorts here, and since I did NOT want to return to Amaluza on that road again, hoped the hotel was decent.  It was.  So we checked in.  It was around that time that instead of referring to “Amaluza” I referred to it with the coined phrase “I’m a loser,” because of the road one has to drive to get there and it sounds so similar anyway, especially if you say it fast.

"GRANDPARENT'S HOUSE"

PLAYING VOLLEYBALL

THE COURTYARD

Since there were a few hours of daylight left, we struck out to find a certain road on which the hummer was more or less findable, based on former reports.  Now that was a chore!   We had to drive here and there trying to determine just which way to go and which road it might be. It turned out to be the only other road out of town (I think?) and after the 2nd time going “up” it, we parked and began our search.  

After parking on a rare shoulder, we began woofing it father uphill. One good find was this Ecuadorian Piculet.  

ECUADORIAN PICULET

In a few hundred yards we came to a graveyard, which would figure prominently on the way back.  The road then meandered down hill.  We began stopping here and there, playing the recording of the Peruvian Pygmy Owl.  Strange as it may seem to non birders, this call can attract a variety of passerines, including hummingbirds.  

ASH-BREASTED SIERRA FINCH

SILVERY TANAGER - MALE

HEPATIC TANAGER - MALE

LONG-BILLED STARTHROAT

"CRESTED" RUFUOUS-COLLARED SPARROW

The particular hummer we were looking for was the Peruvian Sheartail.  These are tiny hummers but the male has a long tail.  Not long after the graveyard a few birds came to check out the owl call, including 3 hummingbird species: Sparkling Violetear, Amazelia Hummingbird, and female White-bellied Woodstars.  The woodstar is also tiny, and not too dissimilar to the Sheartail.  So we really had to zero in on those to make sure one was not our target.  Farther along we had 3-4 Woodstars buzzing around and it was always a let down to ID these NOT as the Sheartail.

We came to what may have been the end of the road as there was a dwelling and a dog, so turned around, repeating the same experience of coming up empty. When we reached the graveyard I said to Charlie, “I’m gonna play the owl call to make sure it is not dead birding here.”  After 2-3 minutes nothing came, so Charlie replied,  “I guess it is dead birding here.”  But I let the owl call keep playing and finally came an Amazelia Hummer.  Then a Long-billed Starthroat (Hummingbird) came to check it out, as did a House Wren.  Then Charlie said there was another hummer below the speaker.  It was tiny, quite beige in color, and some of the tail feathers were white.  The face did not have a black mask like the Woodstars. Ka-ching!  We found a Peruvian Sheartail.  A lifer for me. I would have preferred to see the male, but these are greatly outnumbered by females and young birds, so I can’t be picky.

Back at the motel we arranged for a dinner of beans, rice and a salad.  I then went outside to watch the volley-ball match just outside our window, even retrieving the ball a couple times.  The place was named “La Casa de los Abuelos,” which I think translates to “The Grandparents House.”  Here is grandma and me.  

The manager was a lady named Daisy who had a son named Francisco who was 2 years old.  He was running around in the courtyard and tripped over my outstretched leg and did a face plant on the concrete.  Luckily he was OK and in a few minutes resumed his exercise.  Daisy would later tell me it was a 5 hour drive to Zumba, something I was not expecting to hear.  

We left at dawn the next morning toward Yacuri National Park.  The road was actually better than the one from Amaluza.  My birding friend John Mills had driven this road a couple years before and said it was a “Good Road.”  When I told this to Charlie, we had to consider the possibility that his idea of a good road might not be the same as ours.  However, it turned out to be a decent road for the Andes.  

IT LOOKED RATHER OMINUS TO THE EAST

When we viewed the heights to the east we could see rain clouds, so assumed we’d just have to deal with it.  But the road would go some to the south first and it was looking like we might miss bad weather.  And for a while we were under sunny skies. So we stopped here and there, playing the owl call and finding some of the local birds.  Lots of hummers came to check out the owl call.  I was also fortunate to find a Cinereous Conebill, a new bird for my Loja Province list.  

But as we ascended, the wind picked up as it often does in the higher altitude.  Upon reaching the Refuge HQs, the wind was howling.  2 Mountain Caracaras were in the parking lot who took off before we could snap a few pics.  There was no staff attending the place.  I decided to eat breakfast here while we debated what to do. We figured we had come this far and since it was not raining, we’d hike the trail “up” toward some mountain lakes.  So up we headed and due to the altitude we’d rest every 50 feet or so.  But after a while we seemed acclimated and tolerated it pretty well.  

There were 2 target birds here - the Green-headed Hillstar (Another hummer) and the Andean Flicker.  The Hillstar is fairly common and getable, but the Flicker a long shot.  And this park is the only place in the country to find them.  We hiked up a few hundred meters and upon rounding a corner were met with extra beefy wind, so we turned around.  So far we had only seen a pair of Band-tailed Pigeons whizzing by.  But when about half way down, we encountered some birds - 3 Sparkling Violetears (more hummers) and Flowerpiercers.  Charlie went on ahead, but I stayed behind and noticed a different hummer being harassed by the Violetears, which turned out to be a female Ecuadorian Hillstar.  Ka-ching!  The 2nd target I could now check off. 

Once back to the car we continued driving up the road.  We stopped in just a few hundred meters on a stretch of road more protected from the wind and played the owl call.  Some of the birds which came in were Neblina Metaltail and a female Great Sapphirewing (Yep, you guessed it, both hummers), Rufous-breasted Chat Tyrant, Bluish and Glossy Flowerpiercers.  

NEBLINA METALTAIL

GREAT SAPPHIREWING - FEMALE.  Photo by Charile

RUFOUS-BREASTED CHAT TYRANT:  Photo by Charlie

But shortly thereafter the rain began and did not let up until an hour down the east side.  I was not really anticipating a 4 hour drive on a gravel/dirt road, but we’d just make the best of it.  Plus, as we crossed over the summit, we were in the clouds and visibility was more or less around 200 feet for a while.  But the lower we got the better the visibility became and the landscape was simply magnificent!  

FOG MET US AT THE CREST AND WE
DROVE IN IT FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR

WE CROSSED MANY SUCH CREEKS.
THESE ALL EMPTIED INTO THE RIVER BELOW.
(SEE NEXT PIC)

THIS RIVER PARALLELED THE ROAD FOR MANY MILES

THE TOWN OF ZUMBA IN THE DISTANCE

The east slope here is much affected by the humid wet weather from the Amazon Lowlands, everything green and verdant, ferns and moss everywhere.  And the road was really not bad.  We both knew we’d like to return some clear day and check it out.  Crossing bridges over creeks was common.  It would be around an hour and a half before we could really appreciate the views, and around 2.5 hours before we saw signs of civilization. 

Eventually we began making stops for birds.  Here are some of them:

RED-HEADED BARBET - FEMALE

RED-HEADED BARBET - MALE

WHITE-EYED PARAKEET

RUFOUS-TAILED TYRANT

SILVER-BREAKED TANAGER: Photo by Charile

LONG-TAILED TYRANT: Photo by Charlie

Zumba finally came into view. We could see it ahead on the right, way down in a valley.  It would still be a half hour or so before we’d get there by driving north along the side of a mountain until we were way past the town, and then descending from the north to enter the town.  Google Maps did not work real well once in town, but we found a hotel for the night and had dinner across the street in a pizza parlor.  Here is a shot from the 3rd floor of the hotel which enabled us to see part of town.  

OVERLOOKING PART OF ZUMBA FROM THE 3RD FLOOR

We left just after dawn the next day heading south, toward Peru.  There are a few bird species only found to the south of Zumba, essentially Peruvian birds.  I was hoping for 6 of them.  At the 2nd stop I heard one of them - a Maranon Cresentchest.  But he did not respond to playback.  A little farther along and we came to the Military checkpoint. We tried to explain where we’d be birding and I think he got the point, so let us by.  

LINEATED WOODPECKER

AN INTERESTING NAME FOR A TOWN

This was at a junction where we went left.  Going right takes one to the border less than 10 miles away.  We stopped soon and were greeted by numerous birds.  A great stop!  But none turned out to be any of my targets, so we pressed on.  The road was soon engulfed in fog, so we kept going to a small village.  On the other side of that village we parked and walked the road.  We were a little disheartened by the amount of traffic, something unexpected.  I played the songs of the target birds hoping for a response.  Finally one came in - the Maranon Sparrow.  

TYPICAL FARMLAND.  WE WOULD DESCEND
TO THE RIVER SEEN HERE

AN OLD FOOTBRIDGE

THE MAIN BRIDGE

Now that you’ve seen the name Maranon twice I should explain the meaning.  Across the border in Peru is a huge area called the Maranon Valley with its associated Maranon River.  It is the location of a number of Peruvian birds that reach the northern extent of their range, with a few spilling over into Ecuador.  Much of the area where we drove was dotted with small farms and the hillsides were often cleared of trees for agricultural purposes.  Gold mining was also evident.  If the water in the rivers was brown it usually meant mining upstream.  

We had a cloud cover for a few hours but by the time we got to our destination it was sunny and hot.  Our goal was to reach a certain bridge in a large river valley some 12+ miles from the military checkpoint.  Birding had slowed by the time we got there, so I ate breakfast and we started back.  At the checkpoint we turned south looking over the grassy farmland for the Wedge-tailed Grass Finch without success.  There were also 2 species of Crake in the area, but we could not locate either, so returned to Zumba.  Charlie had forgotten to leave his room keys so we stopped at the hotel to do so, then continued north to Palanda where we’ve been a few times in the past.  

Not far north of Zumba the road descends to a river with a small village, the farthest south I had been in Ecuador some 18 months previously.  I knew of a canal road along that river where we walked and enjoyed more birding.  But soon we were back on the “main” road heading north.  When here before the road was not paved, and I assumed nothing had changed, but fortunately new cement now reached about halfway to there.  This was a nice change because I had not seen pavement since leaving Amaluza many miles ago. 

SOCIAL FLYCATCHER

MARANON THRUSH

YELLOW TUFTED WOODPECKER: Photo by Charlie

The hotel where we have always stayed was full, so we checked out the one on the next block.  We thought it was “OK” and paid the fee.  But the longer we were there we knew it was not a good place.  The hot water was not working well, there were drunks both inside and out, and the rooms were small and shabby.  So we packed up, left the keys in our rooms and headed for another hotel in the opposite direction and got a good night’s sleep.  Both hotels were only $10 pp, so no great loss.

There is a mountain not far outside of town where we’ve been 5-6 times before.  The birding has always been excellent.  We headed there not long after dawn.  We parked lower down and birded our way up a few hundred meters.  It was foggy much of the time and the light was just not very good for seeing or photographing birds, and we began considering other options lower down.  But by the time we reached the car it had cleared enough to drive up to about the halfway point.  Beyond that the road is just too steep and I did not have my 4WD vehicle.  We ended our time there with 43 Species.  Here are a few pics.  

WHITE-WINGED BRUSHFINCH

BLUE-WINGED MOUNTAIN TANAGER

SLATY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER

PURPLE HONEYCREEPER - FEMALE

A VIEW FROM THE MOUNTAIN ABOVE PALANDA

It was time to leave Palanda and the east slope and meander back home.  We stopped at some ruins where we’ve birded in the past and found the short trail  gated off.  Too bad.  We are unlikely to return here.  After gassing up and buying snack food, we were off and over the continental divide, something we’ve done numerous times now.  We made a special stop on the Loja side to look for a certain Antpitta without success.  But we did see a pair of Chestnut-bellied Chat Tyrants, warbles and hummingbirds:

Chestnut-bellied Chat Tyrant

BLACK-CRESTED WARBLER

It was then only about a half hour home.  And so ended our trip.  We enjoyed lots of great scenery and the birding was certainly acceptable.