Post #139 - Birding Honduras, part 2: Let's go birding!

OK, let's continue with Honduras! Last time I gave you a overview of the country and some general travel tips, and in this entry I am going to dive right into the birding sites and the species one can expect to find at each. However, I am going to do something that I haven't done before. Beyond my first-hand accounts of those sites that I visited on my recent trip, I am going to point you towards some other areas that should be on your radar. I am doing this because my recent trip was mostly focused on exploring new birding areas, and I think that several the tried-and-true spots warrant inclusion so as to provide the best picture of the Honduran birding landscape.

Selected Honduran Birding sites.

**Locations are approximate**

I visited the following sites on my recent trip:
Lake Yojoa
Celaque National Park
Reserva Natural Privada El Consejero
Zamorano University

I will also briefly mention these other well-known sites:
The Lodge and Spa at Pico Bonito
Rio Santiago Nature Resort
Copán Mayan Ruins
La Tigra National Park

Stock photo of Copán

Lake Yojoa
Lake Yojoa is an up-and-coming outdoor destination, sort of like a little brother to Arenal in Costa Rica or Mindo in Ecuador. As I just wrote a comprehensive article on Lake Yojoa for the Nature Travel Network, I'm going to directly link that article instead of rehashing Yojoa a second time. It's an easy read and includes all sorts of helpful information. I didn't include links to eBird hotspots in that more formal article, so here are a few you should find helpful.

Parque National Azul Meámbar - Panacam Lodge
Eco Finca Luna del Puente
El Rancho Hotel and Restuarant
Lago Yojoa - Sector Honduyate
Quetzal Trail/Sendero, Santa Barbara

Celaque National Park (main/central eBird Hotspot)
Located in the southwestern part of the country, Celaque is a great destination for those that like to mix hiking with birding. The rugged and undeveloped track has miles of trails, and the most adventurous can make an attempt at Cerro Las Minas (9416'), Honduras's highest peak. Elevations in the park range from 3,200 to 9,400 feet, the lower reaches being mostly pine forest while the upper throes are cloud forest. Nearly 230 species have been eBirded from the main Celaque hotspot (linked above), but many more have been observed when one sums up the more specific eBird hotspots within the park. Highlights of my visit were Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush (heard), Spotted Nightingale-Thrush (heard), Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush (heard), Black-banded Woodcreeper, Unicolored Jay, Violet Saberwing, Green-throated Mountain-Gem, Collared and Mountain Trogons, and Golden-browed Warbler. We didn't reach as high as the cloud forest, but there is an entirely different complement of birds at those elevations. 

Lesson's Motmot at Celaque

In full disclosure, bird numbers at Celaque were low, and we had to work really hard to grind-out mostly single representatives of the listed birds. It's also worth noting that the walking was very challenging, the main trail gaining over 2000 vertical feet in just a few miles. The half mile beyond the nice observation tower will be manageable for virtually everyone birders, but once the trail turns skyward only those in good physical condition should continue.  The paved 2 kilometers from the Gracias entrance to the Visitor's Center are good birding, so those deterred by the prospect of mountain climbing should concentrate on birding that entrance road. Reaching all the way to the cloud forest is a hell of hike, once that will take effectively all day and be managed only by those in very good physical shape. 

Me struggling up the trail at Celaque

If you head to Celaque, I suggest the Hotel Casa Celaque. It's a beautiful property, and it's only 5-10 minutes from the entrance to the national park. The adjacent town of Gracias is quite fun, so keep that in mind for non-birding activities.

Reserva Natural Privada El Consejero (eBird Hotspot)
This place is nothing more than a private residence in Yamaranguila (outside Esperanca) with a whole bunch of hummingbird feeders, but don't let that fool you. It is fantastic! It was nonstop activity for the hour that we spent watching the array, and I could have spent a whole day trying to get that one perfect shot. White-eared and Azure-crowned hummingbirds dominated, but a few Rivoli's came in as did a single Berylline. Don Julio runs the place and is a very friendly guy. He charges $3/person, but I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving less than $5 (as I do at feeder arrays in AZ, for example). The reserve has a Facebook page, so be sure to give that a look if you are interested. All the relevant contact information can be found there. These are the sorts of views you can expect!

Azure-crowned Hummingbird - Amazilia cyanocephala

Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO II on EOS 7D Mark II

1/320 at f/5.6, ISO 800

Zamorano University (eBird Hotspot)
Zamorano University is a private, 1200-student institution about 45 minutes south of Tegucigalpa. Specializing in agricultural and outdoor pursuits, the expansive campus is very beautiful and loaded with birds. Our group spent a full day birding the campus with resident professor and field guide author Oliver Komar and found upwards of 70 species. Highlights included Crested Bobwhite, Ruddy Crake (3!), Northern Jacana, Striped Cuckoo, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Barred Antshrike, Nutting's Flycatcher, Black-headed Saltator, Yellow-billed Cacique, and Streak-backed Oriole. The students have even created a special trail - The EcoSendero - to facilitate birding on campus. There is also a biological research station at Uyuca (eBird Hotspot) which is worth a visit. Located at a higher elevation than campus, we found a completely different complement of birds including Mountain Elaenia, Slate-colored Solitaire, Crescent-chested Warbler, Mountain Thrush, and Black-vented Oriole. Most notable were Green-breasted Mountain-gem, Rufous-browed Wren, and Rufous-Collared Robin, three particularly prized "highland endemics" as discussed in my previous Honduras post. As Uyuca is a biological research station, the institution requires that visitors eBird what species that observe at the reserve. Please honor this request as they are willing to extend access as long as visitors comply (more on access below).

Zamorano campus center

Skeptical Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl at Zamorano

View of campus agricultural fields and associated cows

View from EcoSendero at Zamorano

The one big caveat with Zamorano (And Uyuca) is that the campus is restricted access, so you'll have to be accompanied by a local guide to bird Zamorano. I spent some time with guide Maryury ('Marjorie') Gomez and would highly suggest contacting her if you're in interested in visiting Zamorano (marmice18@gmail.com). She's got a good grip on the local birds, knows her way around, and is very friendly. Her English is coming along, but please do remember it's her second language! As for lodging, the Central Kellogg Hotel is great. It's administered by the university and is directly across the street from campus.

Bug Ugly and Maryury at Zamorano

Central Kellogg Hotel at Zamorano

In addition to those four sites that I visited on my recent trip, I want to say just a few things about the following tried-and-true Honduran birding sites.

The Lodge and Spa at Pico Bonito (eBird Hotspot)
Pico Bonito is a full-service and high-end ecolodge on Honduras's Caribbean slope. I have never been but have heard only great things from many people who have. It's very popular with both tour groups and photographers, so there's a bit of something for everyone. The property is supposed to be stunning, and I think it is the sort of place non-birders would enjoy just relaxing.

Rio Santiago Nature Resort (eBird Hotspot)
Rio Santiago is another full-service ecolodge, albeit at a much lower price point than Pico Bonito. Rio Santiago is also on the Caribbean slope and not that far from Pico Bonito. Both are a few hours drive east from San Pedro Sula and so could be visited together for variety. Again, I have not been to Rio, but several people said the resort has feeders and is a good place for photography.

Copán Mayan Ruins (eBird Hotspot)
If you're into history, archeology, and culture, then a trip to Copan might be perfect for you. I have not birded Copan but have birded Tulum in Mexico and Tikal and Yaxha in Guatemala. If my experiences at those Mayan sites are indicative of what to expect at Copan, you'll have a blast. There are few experiences as cool as wandering through ancient Mayan ruins while looking at trogons and motmots. If you're thinking about visiting Copan, Yobani Peraza (guiamaya@yahoo.com) of Xukpi ('zhuk-pee', its a Mayan Word, appropriately!) Tours is your man! He knows the birds very well, has special access to restricted areas within the archeological site, and speaks English well. After spending a week with Yobani, I know I wanted to return to Honduras and visit Copán! Yobani is also available to guide anywhere in Honduras, so if you want to put together a longer, week-long private tour/itinerary he can make that happen too.

Me with guide Yobani Peraza and driver Yoni

La Tigra National Park (eBird Hotspot)
This is another spot I haven't visited but know something about. Located less than an hour from Tegucigalpa, La Tigra is best know for hosting the incredible Resplendent Quetzal. It's a popular birding spot and could easily be coupled to Zamorano (and maybe Yojoa) since both are so close to Tegucigalpa.

Whew, that's a lot of information! Coupled to my previous Honduras post and the linked Lake Yojoa article, I hope I've given you enough reason and information to add Honduras to your list of birding destinations. I had a blast on my too-short trip, and I can't wait to return sometime in the future. Maybe by bike.........

Post #138 - Birding Honduras, part 1: Introduction and logistics

I recently returned from a week-long birding trip to Honduras, and I am going to use this post and the next to share some of my experiences with you. I hardly sampled what the country has to offer, but I can say with confidence that Honduras presents a comparable birding and ecotourism product to the other the Central American countries that I've visited (Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador). I will use this post to discuss Honduran travel and logistics, and in the next installment I will highlight the birding areas I visited plus a few others you might want to check out. With that roadmap established, let's get going!

Honduras's biggest ecotourism draw, like most tropical areas, is biodiversity. Though it is only the size of Virginia, Honduras boasts over 760 species of birds including hummingbirds, motmots, trogons, parrots, tanagers, toucans, manakins, honeycreepers, and oropendolas! Throw in 200 species of mammals, 200 species of reptiles, and nearly 6,000 plants species, and there is no shortage of life to hold one's attention. Honduras also has a fair amount of intact habitat, particularly in the highland areas where mountainous terrain has slowed clear-cutting and the associated agricultural creep. Those highland areas are very attractive to birders as they host a number of 'highland endemics', bird species that are found only in the contiguous highlands of Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Southern Mexico. If you're looking to add those birds to your list, a trip to Honduras should be in your future. You'll also be able to look for Honduran Emerald, Honduras's only full endemic! It's really unusual for a country as small as Honduras to have an endemic bird, so everyone should make the effort to see that national treasure. I'll give you some tips on finding the Emerald in the next post, so stay tuned for those!

Sample range maps of Highland Endemics - 

note how they are found in Honduras.

I suggest the Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Northern Central America by Oliver Komar and Jesse Fagan. It includes Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador in a comprehensive and portable package. It served me well on my recent trip, and I wish I had bought it before visiting Belize and Guatemala last year - DOH!

As for traveling to Honduras, I think the first thing many people want to know about is safety. Honduras had some acknowledged problems in the past, but there has been a marked improvement in recent years (details here). It is worth noting that the overwhelming majority of problems are confined to large urban areas, notably Tegucigalpa in the southcentral region and San Pedro Sula in the northwestern part. Everything stems from drugs and gangs, and in that respect those urban areas are no different from Chicago, Baltimore, Houston, or Los Angeles. Since those visiting Honduras for ecotourism and birding purposes aren't likely to spend any time in the cities beyond flying in and out, safety concerns are relatively minimal. There is the occasional soldier posted around the country, but nothing more than other Latin American countries. Be smart to avoid petty theft, but that's true anywhere.

A beautiful day on Lake Yojoa

There are international airports in both San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa. I flew into the former and out of the latter and had zero trouble on either end. It is worth noting that Honduras is in the midst of a major infrastructure upgrade. This means that major roads were in good shape, and I found traffic through both San Pedro and Tegucigalpa to flow better than San Jose, Costa Rica, for example. The infrastructure upgrade includes an entirely new international airport north of Tegucigalpa at Palmerola, and that facility will make accessing areas like Lake Yojoa north of that city even easier than it is now. Most visitors will find themselves in the western half or third of the country as that is where infrastructure is best. The easternmost reaches of the country, La Mosquitia are very sparsely populated and most inaccessible to foreign travelers. I would not hesitate to rent a car and drive around Honduras, but I've had experience driving in Latin America. Most side roads are dirt; some are well-graded and others are like driving on the moon. Exercise caution either way.

White-eared Hummingbird - Basilinna Leucotis

Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II on EOS 7D Mark II

1/320 at f/5.6, ISO 1600

Mostly though, Honduras is a typically lovely Central American country. The average standard of living, like anywhere in Latin America, is significantly lower than it is in the Unites States, so travelers should be ready for some amount of culture shock, particularly when it comes to the condition of houses in rural areas. Just remember, most of the world lives like the average Honduran; it is Americans who are the outliers! I found Hondurans to be incredibly friendly and helpful, and my time in Honduras will be remembered as much for the people and hospitality as it will the birds.

The traditional Honduran Baleada

Other useful tidbits before I sign off:

The currency is the Lempira. At the time of writing the exchange rate was ~ 24L:$1.

The CDC recommends vaccines against Typhoid, Hepatitis A/B, rabies, and influenza. That's the same list for about everywhere in Central America. I've never had special vaccines done for Central

American travel and lived to tell the tale many times over. And let's be clear - I've not had those vaccines because I was too lazy to get them done, not because I'm an anti-vaxxing dolt! 

OK, that's it for now. Please check back in a bit for a follow-up post that go look at specific sites one should bird while in Honduras!

Post #131 - Amazonian Ecuador and the Napo Cultural Lodge

Overview
In my last four Ecuador posts, I focused on the highlands northwest of Quito. This time we are going to make a dramatic move to the east and the Amazonian lowlands. Just to get you oriented, here's another view of the topographic map that I showed in the first Ecuador post. I've also included a larger map that should help to put this into a larger, continental context. Ecuador's Amazon represents the extreme western edge of the Amazon basin and is just a tiny slice of the largest river system on the planet!

Andes are the brown/gray stripe

right down Ecuador's middle

When to visit

We visited in late-December and it was pretty ideal. It was close to 90F on the first of our five days, but rain in subsequent days cooled things down nicely. The dry season runs from November to April, so you're probably going to want to visit in that window. We had at least some rain each day, but only for more than 30 minutes on one occasion. Those interested in reptiles and amphibians might want to come when it is wetter. We didn't see a single snake in our five days which was a bit of a bummer (Sonia would disagree). There were mosquitos, but no more than anywhere else that I've been in the tropics. I really can't imagine there is a bad time to visit such an amazing place, but I could be wrong.

Getting there

As far as I know, there really isn't a good way to drive to Amazonian Ecuador; We flew 45 minutes from Quito over the eastern portion of the Andes to reach the Río Napo at Coca. From there it was into a large and very stable powered canoe for another 2-2.5 hours to reach another 50mi/80km downriver (east). That ride is absolutely fantastic and wonderfully relaxing. It's really cool since the river channel shifts everyday depending how much water is flowing, so navigating everything is a real art! Everything, flight included, was booked and organized by our lodge, the Napo Cultural Center, as part of our package. So far as I could surmise, that's the way all the other lodges (Napo Wildlife, Sacha, Sani, La Selva, etc) do it as well. There aren't casual accommodations (i.e guest houses, local motels, Airbnbs) that far downriver, so your really need to go through a lodge. It is not cheap, but the experience it well worth it.

Speeding down the Napo

View from the speeding boat

Napo Cultural Center

I selected this lodge for three reasons. The first was price. Napo Cultural cost significantly less (like $1000-$1500 less for 5 days and 4 nights) than any of the other Amazon lodges, the closely related and most expensive Napo Wildlife Center included. The second reason was cultural. Napo Cultural is run completely by native Kichwa people, and all of the money the lodge generates goes directly into the community (rather than lining the pockets of foreign investors as it does as some lodges - do your research!). The third reason was that Napo Cultural has fantastic canopy access. That access was great for both birds and jungle vistas but does require you to climb over 200+ steps to reach either of two observation platforms. It was a workout with my scope and camera!

Climbing 1 of the 2 Napo canopy towers

The view from the top

What is the difference between Napo Wildlife and Napo Cultural?

In the most general terms, Napo Wildlife is more about luxury accommodations and Napo Cultural is more about immersion with native peoples - at least to my eye. From my perspective, Napo Culural was plenty luxurious, and I'm not exactly sure what beyond our already very comfortable experience Napo Wildlife (or any of the other competing lodges) provides for effectively double the price. 

Plenty nice for me.

We had one of those fancy rain showers too!

It's also worth nothing that Napo Cultural is set right on the Río Napo. That makes it very easy to move up and down the river and access different regions of the adjacent and incredible Yasuni National Park. Napo Wildlife is located an additional 1.5 hours - by hand-paddled canoe - up a small creek and into the forest, far from that main river artery. So, for those that want maximum chance to explore the area, Cultural might be better. For those more into staying close to the lodge, Wildlife might be better. As far was I know, there's nothing you can do at Wildlife that you can't do at Cultural (and vice versa), but the river access of Cultural really tips the balance for me. For example, the various parrot licks are 1.5 hours from Wildlife versus 10 mins from Cultural.

***as always, click photos for larger, better views***

Mealy Parrots and Blue-Headed Parrots on 

a clay lick. Minerals in the clay neutralize

toxins in the foods that they eat.

A Mealy Parrot surrounded

by Dusky-Headed Parakeets

Scarlet Macaws - Ara Macao

Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II on EOS 7D Mark II

1/200 at f/5.6, ISO 1600

Scarlet Macaw - Ara macao

Canon 500mm f/4 IS on EOS 5D Mark IV

1/200 at f/4 ISO 1600

Whoa! These White-lipped Peccaries came storming

in while I was photographing the macaws. I had my rig 

on a tripod so I just hit record to get this!

As for the cultural component at Napo Cultural, it is really cool. Upon arriving, we were assigned a pair of local guides that who took us through the various activities - canoeing, kayaking, hiking, observation towers, etc - during our 5D/4N stay. They were both very knowledgable and friendly, and beyond them we met all sort of other local folks, almost all of whom have ties to the lodge in some capacity (guides, cooks, staff etc). We sampled native food (though most was fairly Americanized), explored local customs and art, and even participated in some traditional Kichwa dances. I really felt as though our stay contributed to the economic well-being of the community. 

Local food

How are the days structured at Napo Cultural?

Napo Cultural (and I assume Napo Wildlife and all the other lodges) are different from the places we stayed in the highlands in that you can't just wander off the property and explore things on your own. Everything is coordinated around shuttling people up and down the river in the canoes. When you arrive, you are randomly assigned to a group for the days of your stay, and you do a bunch of pre-fabricated and awesome activities with that same group. What that means is that much of your experience will depend on how adventurous your group is. Our group was made up of two wonderful natives guides, Venancio and Silvia, and only one other person, a very friendly and adventurous guy (Coleman), also from the Bay Area. Since we were all up for anything, we were able to do and see more than larger groups where some people had less energy or lower tolerances for rain showers, for example. We also saw a ton of animals since we didn't have any loud people or children with us, and I suspect that our experience would have been very different had we been lumped in with the family of 9 and their many kids that arrived at the same time we did. So, if you're coming to bird, be clear that you want to be grouped with other birders rather than general family vacationers. Our guides actually bent over backwards to do a whole bunch of extra stuff with us since we were so enthusiastic!

Canoeing Blackwater Creek - 

this is actually the creek that connects 

Napo Wildlife to the Río Napo.

Sonia (wife), Silvia (guide), Venancio (guide), Coleman, Big Ugly

How is the birding at Napo Cultural?

Very good - with a few caveats. As I had never been to the Amazon Basin before this trip, virtually every bird I saw was a lifer. I wasn't so much into finding every elusive antbird as I was just enjoying the Amazon. We saw lots of birds, but I didn't bird or photograph with nearly the same intensity as I did in the highlands. If you've never been to the Amazon before, you're going to have a blast and see all sorts of cool stuff no matter what you do. With the structured activities, Napo Cultural is also a great destination for families. If, however, you've been to the Amazon before and/or are coming mainly to list specific and/or elusive species, you might get a bit frustrated by the structure of everything. One option is to hire your own guide from outside Napo Cultural and bring him/her with you. That way you can do your own thing with someone who knows his/her way around the area. It also worth noting that there isn't any real photography infrastructure (i.e set-ups, blinds) at Napo (I don't know about the other lodges though), so all my my shots were from the field. My eBird checklists from at Napo Cultural:

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S41436717

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S41436725

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S41436814

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S41437171

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S41437187

Hoatzin - Ophisthocomus hoazin

Canon 500mm f/4 IS + 1.4x III on EOS 5D Mark IV

1/800 at f/5.6, ISO 1600

Southern Lapwing - Vanellus chilensis

Canon 500mm f/4 IS on EOS 7D Mark II

1/1250 at f/4, ISO 800

**fastest shutter in my 2 weeks in Ecuador**

Many-banded Aracari - Pteroglossus pluricinctus

Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II on EOS 7D Mark II

1/125 at f/5.6, ISO 1600

Wow, that's a lot more than I thought I'd write. Hopefully I've left enough up to the imagination that you still want to visit. I think I've included everything that I wanted to cover, but if I forgot something please feel free to ask a question in the comments section.

That's it for Ecuador! I'm headed back to Colombia in late-June to lead a birding tour with a photography slant for Alvaro's Adventures. There still space if you're interested, and I'd love to have some blog readers along to enjoy the trip with me!

Post #130 - Mindo, Ecuador!

Overview
OK, let's pick up the great Ecuador adventure in Mindo, a small town/city of about 3000 people located about 2 hours west of Quito. Mindo is known - beyond birding - as an outdoor-adventure destination, and with zip-lining, river tubing, hiking, and other activities there is no lack of things to do. Town is very lively, and we found a nice assortment of local food right along the main street.

While interesting birding can be found anywhere, Mindo isn't so much a specific birding destination as it is a great base of operations to access a variety of nearby birding and photography locations. We spent three days in Mindo, and I am going to use this post to highlight some of the day trips that we took from that base. What I present is hardly an exhaustive list, so please know that there is a ton to do beyond what's here. Really, though, all you need to do is pull over on any back road and you're going to find great birding.

Locations that I visited and that I'll cover
Refugio Paz de los Aves
Rio Silanche
Mashpi-Amagusa
The Birder's House

Getting there
The easiest way to get to Mindo - from the airport is - to drive north and west through Quito to join Highway 28, the main (paved) artery west. The turnoff to Mindo is well signed, and from there one follows another well paved road down the hill several miles to reach town.

Highway 28 route

Alternatively, the more adventurous can follow the unpaved Nono-Mindo Road from Nono through Tandayapa and farther west to reach Mindo. As I described in previous posts, there is fantastic birding all along that road, particularly in the cloud forest that surrounds the Bellavista Lodge between Tandayapa and Mindo. The Nono-Mindo Road is probably passable in a two-wheel vehicle, but we had a high-clearance SUV-type that made the ride significantly smoother than it would have otherwise been.

Nono-Mindo route

Places to stay
There are all sorts of places to stay in and around Mindo, from lodges to cheap hotels to Airbnbs. As we did lodges in Tandayapa, my wife wanted to do Airbnbs in Mindo to mix it up. It's also worth noting that Airbnbs are much cheaper than lodges and are a great option for the budget-minded traveler. We did stopped into Septimo Paraiso to check it out and found it really nice. It's very well located and would make an ideal base of operations. They feed hummingbirds, so there's that going on right on the property. But really, everything is so close together that it doesn't really matter where you stay.

Airbnb tree house in Mindo

Excursions from Mindo

Refugio Paz de Los Aves
This place is world famous and is right off of Highway 28 between Nanegalito and Mindo. It is a private reserve run by Angel Paz and his son Vinicio and is a must-do for anyone in Mindo. I suggest the 4-hour, early morning tour (6-10am) that includes antpittas, lekking Andean Cock-of-the-rock, some general birding, and a full breakfast. Be warned that the tour rarely ends at 10; Ours ran until almost noon! So, two important points. First, eat something substantial before you go since you won't get fed until much later than advertised. Second, don't make any other plans between 10am and noon as your tour will likely run into that time. Also be aware that Giant Antpitta has become significantly more difficult to locate in recent years. It is not like with the original "Maria" individual that appeared on the same log at the same time every morning. At present, it is estimated that only 1 in 4 tours scores the Giant, and much work is now required to find it in-habitat. We missed Giant and Yellow-bellied Antpittas but observed the widespread Chestnut-crowned, the rare Moustached, and the tiny Ochre-breasted (only 4 inches long!). We had great views of cock-of-the-rock, albeit too early and too misty for decent photographs. Beyond the advertised species, we saw Powerful Woodpecker, Golden-headed Quetzal, Scaled Fruiteater, and a host of other birds. https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S41306149)

***click bird images for larger, high-resolution views***

Ochre-breasted Antpitta - Grallaricula flavirostris

Refugio Paz de Las Aves, Mindo, Ecuador

Canon 500mm f/4 IS on EOS 5D Mark IV

1/100 at f/4, ISO 2000

Rio Silanche
Administered by the Mindo Cloudforest Foundation, Rio Silanche is located about 50km/30mi west of Mindo on Highway 28. The turnoff to Silanche is at km 127. Ad additional 7km on a dirt reqoad is required after that. At just 1000 feet of elevation, Silanche is several thousand feet lower than Mindo and as such the birdlife is completely different. There's no faster way to fluff up your trip list than to spend a day birding at Silanche. We spent a rainy morning at Silanche and found a wide array of birds including Hook-billed Kite, Double-toothed Kite, Blue-tailed Trogon, Cinnamon Woodpecker, Pacific Antwren, Bronze-winged Parrot, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Black-faced Dacnis, and Green Honeycreeper. Silanche is MUCH better for birding than it is for photography. So, I would leave the big lens back at your place of lodging and just roll with a 100-400 for documentation purposes. Also, there's not much civilization near the reserve, so be sure to bring plenty of food and water if you're going to spend the entire day.  Again, the eBird checklist represents only the things we could identify visually as we didn't know any of the calls!
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S41299904

Mashpi-Amagusa
This place is probably 1.25 hours northwest from Mindo (via Pacto) and is a must for birders and photographers. It is a small, family run operation with very nice grounds and awesome feeder set-ups (directions here). In particular, Mashpi-Amagusa is an incredible spot for Chocó endemics such as Indigo Flowerpiercer, Moss-Backed Tanager, Glistening-green Tanager, and Black-chinned Mountain Tanager. Many of these birds come right to the feeders for close views. Hummingbirds are also very-well represented and present very nice photo opportunities. One thing to note: Mashpi-Amagusa is often very foggy, and that fog can make shooting very challenging if not completely pointless. Such was the case on my visit (see example below). I could shoot through about 5 feet of it, but anything more and the fog took over the shot. Regardless, Masphi-Amagusa is worth a visit just for the birding. https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S41213161

Fog ruined most of my Amagusa shoot - bit's that's life.

This Flame-faced Tanager woulda been sweet w/o fog.

Juvenile Empress Brilliant that really

wanted to be identified. He also spent 

a fair amount of time sitting on my head.

Close-up of juvenile Empress Brilliant - Heliodoxa imperatrix
Mashpi-Amagusa Reserve

Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II on EOS 7D Mark II

1/250 at f/7.1, ISO 1600

Velvet-purple Coronet - Boissonneaua jardini
Mashpi-Amagusa Reserve

Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II on EOS 7D Mark II

1/160 at f/7.1, ISO 1600

All that being said, I need to make a VERY IMPORTANT clarification. There are two places that people refer to as 'Mashpi'. The first is the Mashpi-Amagusa Reserve, the birding spot that I have discussed above. There is also the Mashpi Lodge, an obnoxious and elitist accommodation right next to Mashpi-Amagusa. All local birders hate the Mashpi Lodge as the building was build against their explicitly solicited advise. The building is large, all glass, and functions as the perfect bird killer right in the middle of the jungle. Locals who toured the place while it was being built noted dozens of dead birds around it. Worse, they builders/owners somehow managed to get the place endorsed by the National Geographic Society (with what I can only assume was a direct cash payment to NGS). So, I strongly urge everyone to visit the Mashpi-Amagusa Reserve and to avoid the Mashpi Lodge. With rates of $700/night and up, I imagine that won't be a problem for most people. Ecolodge my ass. No real birder would ever be caught dead there. Here's a photo of it. I'm not even going to link to the website.

The bird killer

The Birder's House
This place is a diamond in the rough. We had never heard of it before saw a sign for it as we drove the Nono-Mindo Road from Tandayapa/Bellavista to Mindo. We decided to stick our heads in, and were we ever impressed. This property is the SINGLE BEST PHOTOGRAPHY SPOT that I visited in the highlands. It was so good that we scrapped our plans for the following morning so that I could have an additional session on the property. The guy who runs the place, Vinicio Perez, is very friendly and speaks English quite well. He is a photographer and has set the place up perfectly. He has an extensive hummingbird array that is covered my a high, plastic canopy. He also has 2 two permanent blinds that attract a wide very array of birds. Importantly, he has set the blinds up with plenty of space between the subjects and the backgrounds so that you can get smooth, uncluttered backgrounds for your shots. I literally could have spent 3 full days shooting at his place. He has several small cabanas and serves hot meals, and had I known that we could have stayed on site we certainly would have done so. Really though, the results speak for themselves!
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S41269178

Inside on of Vinicio's blinds - it's pretty sweet!

Blue-capped Tanager - Thraupis cyanocephala

Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 IS II on EOS 7D Mark II

1/500 at f/5.6, ISO 1600

Buff-tailed Coronet - Boissonneaua flavescens

Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 IS II on EOS 7D Mark II

1/250 at f/5.6, ISO 1600

Dusky Chlorospingus - Chlorospingus semifuscus

Canon 500mm f/4 IS on Canon 5D Mark IV

1/250 at f/4 ISO 2000

Violet-tailed Sylph - Aglaiocercus coelestis

Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 IS II on EOS 7D Mark II

1/500 at f/5.6, ISO 1600

Like I said, there is way more to do in Mindo than these 4 places, but those should give you at least some ideas as to what sorts of things are available. That's where I will leave things for the moment. Next time we'll pick up much farther east, in the Ecuadorian Amazonian Basin. That will be the fifth and final post in this Ecuador collection.

Post #129 - Ecuador's Tandayapa Valley

OK, last time we left off at 11,500 feet of elevation, high above Quito at Reserva Yanacocha. In this post, we are going to move north and west, dropping elevation until we reach the birding hotspot that is Ecuador's Tandayapa Valley. What makes the valley cool is that the birdlife changes as one drops elevation from its higher, southern end towards its lower, northern end. Even better, there are nice lodges at the top, middle, and bottom of the valley, so it is possible to bounce around within the valley and stay at a couple of different elevations. So, with that, let's get going.

Getting there
There are basically two ways to reach the Tandayapa Valley. The first is the faster, more straightforward, and shown below. This route utilizes the paved but twisty Highway 28 to get you to the valley. Once you turn off of that road you'll be at the north end of well-maintained dirt road that runs the south length of the valley and connects to the Nono-Mindo Road at its southern end.

Route 1: Paved Highway 28

The second way is the route that I outlined in the last post, the one that ultilizes the unpaved Nono-Mindo Road to reach Tandayapa. That route connects well with a visit to Yanacocha as described in that last post. This is the same map I showed in that post.

Route 2: Unpaved Nono-Mindo Road

A Closer look at the Tandayapa Valley

Now that we've reached the Tandayapa Valley, let's talk a closer look at it. The valley rises from 5,000' at its northern end at Reserva Alambi to 7,350' at Bellavista Lodge at its higher, southern end. Tandayapa Bird Lodge sits midway between those two endpoints, at rough 5,900'. Tandayapa Bird Lodge sits right above the town of Tandayapa, right where the Nono-Mindo Road intersects the road that runs up the valley and connects the various lodges. The town of Tandayapa is so small that you shouldn't expect anything from it. If you want a restaurant, proper store, or cell service you should head to Nanegalito, ~5 miles beyond Alambi on Highway 28.

Reserva Alambi - Alambi is AWESOME, as much because of the wonderful family that owns the place as the birding on and around the property. Alambi is less a lodge and more a guesthouse, the sort that you might find on Airbnb; It only holds 6 guests at a time, and hosts Jairo, Favian, and Maria come and go over the course of the day, completing vacating the premises at night. Sonia and I had the place to ourselves the 2 nights that we were there, so it was a really intimate and personal experience. Since it is so small, Alambi is NOT suited for big tour groups; It is much better for a couple or small group of friends. Breakfast and lunch are served on the back porch so the birding never stops! Dinner is indoors. It is also the easiest lodge to reach from Highway 28, being just 100 yards down the dirt from that paved main thoroughfare.

Alambi backyard feeder array

Lunch with a view

Alambi dinner area and attached kitchen

Hummingbirds starred at Alambi. All of the action was on the back porch where a dozen hummingbird feeders were hung. In the course of our 2 days and nights, I think we had 15-16 hummer species right from the porch. It was constant action, and the birds were so stunning that it makes Alambi the perfect place to stay with a casually-birding spouse. The hummers allowed very close approach for photography. My only critique is that the feeders are hung so close to the backing foliage that it is very tough to get shots will clean, smooth backgrounds. I took the time to set up some of my own perches and wait for birds to land on them. That's how I got the first two shots below. Headshots were easy as I could usually find a smooth background patch against which to shoot such a small area of the bird.

***Click images for larger, sharper views***

Andean Emerald - Amazilia franciae

Reserva Alambi

Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS IIon EOS 7D Mark II

1/250 at f/6.3, ISO 1600

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird - Amazilia tzacatl

Reserva Alambi

Canon 500mm f/4 IS on EOS 7D Mark II

1/125 at f/5.6, ISO 1600

Crowned Woodnymph - Thalurania colombica

Reserva Alambi

Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II on EOS 7D Mark II

1/320 at f/5.6, ISO 1600

The grounds beyond that feeding area were also very birdy, and we took several walks up the main dirt road in front of the place to find additional species. It is also possible to visit Alambi as a guest, and many tour groups do just that. If you come on your own, please do leave $5-10 per person as a tip to help defray the cost of sugar water and the incredible amount of labor that such a wonderful hummingbird array requires. There is a tip jar at the far end of the porch. Bottom line is that Alambi and those who run it are wonderful. You simply cannot go wrong! Jairo really knows his birds and is available for private guiding upon arrangement.

Beyond all the hummers, bird highlights included Barred Hawk, Red-faced and Slaty Spinetails, Fawn-breasted Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager, Black-winged Saltator, Tricolored Brushfinch, White-winged Tanager, and Golden Grosbeak.
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41191897
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41213177

Tandayapa Bird Lodge
With a central location in the valley, Tandayapa Bird Lodge (TBL) is a popular choice, particularly for larger tour groups as the lodge can accommodate 20-30 people at a time. Like at Alambi, we spent 2 nights at TBL. Access to TBL is admittedly a bit tricky as your vehicle must climb an unbelievably steep and rocky driveway to reach the lodge. I would not want to try it in a sedan though it can apparently be done. Built right into the steep valley hillside, TBL feels very secluded and private. That feeling is made greater by the fact that the forest runs right up to edge of the lodge. The hummingbird feeders are very well-positioned on the porch, and it is really easy to get clean shots of birds as they come and go from the staging perches.

Dining/Communal area at Tandayapa Bird Lodge

Porch at Tandayapa Bird Lodge

Fawn-Breasted Briliant - Heliodoxa rubinoides

Tandayapa Bird Lodge

Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 IS II on EOS 7D Mark II

1/80 at f/5.6, ISO 1600

Green-crowned Briliant - Heliodoxa jacula

Tandayapa Bird Lodge

Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 IS II on EOS 7D Mark II

1/80 at f/5.6, ISO 1600

Very interesting was the illuminated insect sheet that attracted moths of every size, shape, and description, particularly at night. It was to this sheet that many species of birds, most notably several Toucan Barbets, would come each morning to feed. Photographing around that insect sheet was very challenging as there was very little light and the backgrounds were perpetually cluttered without a decent distance between the sheet, the nearby perches, and the surrounding forest. But is was really cool to see the birds (and the moths!) so close.

There is a nice trail that runs around the property, but do beware as it is quite steep and rocky. It's more suitable for adventurous individuals or couples than it is tour groups. Also very cool was the antpitta blind where we had very nice views of Scaled Antpitta, albeit basically in the dark as they put the worms out super early. We also had fantastic views of Crimson-rumped Toucanet and Rufous Motmot when they came into the feeders. This toucanet was perched on a hummingbird feeder and was using his huge beak to snap at hummingbirds if they approached too closely!

Crimson-rumped Toucanet - Aulacorhynchus haematopygus

Tandayapa Bird Lodge

Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 IS II on EOS 7D Mark II

1/200 at f/5.6, ISO 1600

Tandayapa is a really nice place, but unlike Alambi, isn't the intimate sort where you can just sit around on the property all day and feel like you own the place. Tandayapa is a lodge, Alambi is a house. What makes Tandayapa great is its location and size, two things that are really, really good for tours. Alambi possessed a warmth that Tandayapa did not, and Tandayapa possessed a big group functionality that Alambi lacked. So, both places are great, but for different things. With respect to bird diversity, I found Tandayapa to be the lowest of the three lodges I discuss in this post. Much of that is due to the fact there isn't much open, birding space around the lodge. Walking down the rocky driveway to reach the road will also be difficult for some folks. As such, it's tough to just walk out to the main road as you can at Alambi and Bellavista. Tandayapa is a very fine place to stay and sleep, but you're going to have to get off the property (i.e drive somewhere else) to bird.

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41221652
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41254076

Bellavista 
At the top of the Tandayapa Valley, in proper cloud forest, is Bellavista. We did not stay at Bellavista but used one of our mornings at Tandayapa to drive up there to visit the lodge and bird the area. That was one of the best decisions we made as we saw all sorts of amazing birds up there including Crimson-Mantled Woodpecker, Pearled Treerunner, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Green-and-Black Fruiteater, Scaled Fruiteater, Turquoise Jay, Grass-green Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager, and the highly prized and absolutely stunning Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, bar far the coolest bird we saw anywhere in the valley. Again, we heard a ton of other stuff but didn't know what any of it was!

Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan (Record shot only)

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41239938

Bellavista shares some attributes of Alambi and TBL. As it is a series of cottages (unlike one big building like at TBL), Bellavista has a charm reminiscent of Alambi, albeit on a scale large enough to accommodate tour groups. They have some feeders on the property, but the best birding is out on the Nono-Mindo Road road as it runs a bit father up the hill. It is very easy to walk out the front gate and start birding. Anyone can handle it.

Location-wise Bellavista has pluses and minuses. It's at the top of the valley and so the cloud forest and associated exiting birding are juts out the front door. But it's also the farthest lodge from any paved road by at least 20 mins. On the other hand, Bellavista is farther along the Nono-Mindo Road, so it's much easier to get to Mindo than from say Tandayapa. From Alambi you'd get right onto Highway 28 and take that paved road around to Mindo instead. I also saw zero photographic set-ups at Bellavista, and I strongly suspect it ranks at the bottom of the three lodges for shooting. I also suspect it is the best birding of the three lodges so what you think of it will depend on your interest. Bellavista is a great place to see the recently described olingito (a cute, furry mammal). They put food out for them each night.

So that should get you started. There is another Lodge, San Jorge Tandayapa, but we neither stayed or birded there. I have generally heard good things about it, but my emails, however, went completely ignored. 

OK, that should get you started. The Tandayapa Valley is a short drive from Mindo, and it is towards that birding destination that well will head in the next installment.