ECUADOR:
Hummingbird Photo Safari

Our Ecuador Hummingbird itinerary will include high quality lodges and hotels such as Hotel Quito in Quito, and Septimo Paraiso in Mindo and Guango Lodge near Papallacta. Visit our website for the final itinerary when it becomes available.

Most of the birding areas will be in cloud forest or above tree line situations, and will include many stationary feeder sites as well as wildflower feeding sites in each area in order to find the most species and the best photo opportunities.

Itinerary

Day 1 Quito / Hotel Rio Amazonas
Participants arrive from the USA throughout the day. Transfer from airport.
Hotel Rio Amazonas is a large, high-quality hotel set on the west side of Quito. It offers internet wi-fi in the lobby and all the amenities without losing its Ecuadorian style. Two restaurants are available to us in the hotel with many others within walking distance.

Day 2 Quito to Bellavista Lodge via Yanacocha
Transfer from Quito to Bellavista in our private bus. Along the way we will visit the well known Yanacocha Reserve and the beginning of the Nono-Mindo Road. In this high elevation (11,000 ft.) west slope region of the Andes we’ll seek the rare, endemic Black-breasted Puffleg as well as other high-elevation hummingbirds.
Bellavista Cloud Forest Lodge was designed for birdwatchers. It lies on the west slope of the Ecuadorian Andes at an elevation of about 8000 feet. The buildings are unique in design. The bedrooms are spacious and all have private bathrooms.

Day 3 Bellavista Lodge
After breakfast we will board our bus to visit the upper cloud-forest zone (5,000 - 8,000 ft.) from Bellavista to Miraflores seeking mid-elevations species such as Velvet-breasted Coronet, Booted Racquet-tail and Collared Inca. We’ll visit several well-known hummingbird locations as well as hike along some cloud forest trails. One hummingbird location we’ll enjoy has over 30 feeding stations and goes through 12 pounds of sugar each week! We’ll return to lodge for dinner.

Day 4 Drive to Sachatamia Lodge
Today’s birding and photographing will take us through forested and open roads and trails as well as a few feeder locations within the Mindo Valley. This will give us more opportunity to practice and build upon our learned skills from the previous two days. Dinner at Sachatamia.
Sachatamia Lodge lies on a 300 acre private reserve set at about 5000 feet above sea level. The lodge offers luxury well beyond its rustic setting. Surrounded by rainforest, the birding is spectacular!

Day 5 Sachatamia Lodge
Today will be spent birding the Silanche Bird Sanctuary. This 70 hectare (175 acre) Choco lowland sanctuary was acquired by Mindo Cloudforest Foundation in March 2005. Trails were completed in July and the 15 meter (50 feet) canopy observation tower was open to the public in August 2005. This important site, one of the last remaining accessible forest remnants found in this key area, is situated in low foothills between 900-1500 ft. The main feature at Silanche is the incredible birding: mixed flocks bombard the visitor all day without a break. Furthermore these flocks include many important Chocó endemics.

Day 6 Guango Lodge
After breakfast we will load up and depart for our next location, making some great birding stops along the way. Specifically high in the mountains along Papallacta Pass in search of a few specialties found here.
Guango Lodge is a new, small tourist facility on a family property that is surrounded by temperate forest and very birdy flocks. Guango Lodge, about 1 hour away from San Isidro, lies at a higher elevation (about 9000 feet) on Ecuador’s eastern slope.
This area is centered in a zone classified as humid temperate forest, a habitat distinctly different from San Isidro and characterized by its more stunted trees (and thicker canopy), cooler climate, and different bird and plant composition. All rooms have private bath.
Hummingbird feeders surround the front deck and this is the best place to find many species like Chestnut-breasted Coronet and the amazing Sword-billed Hummingbird.

Day 7 Cabañas San Isidro
Our morning will offer more opportunities to photograph the hummingbirds at Guango before departure to Cabañas San Isidro.
Cabañas San Isidro, surrounded by its own 1,300 acre forest reserve, has built a reputation for being the pioneer in private conservation and birding/nature tourism on the northeast slope of the Ecuadorian Andes. While many popular birding spots lack any type of lodge, at Cabañas San Isidro you will not have to sacrifice comfort for great birds and the chance to see other interesting wildlife.
After a long day of birding or exploring, one can always look forward to a relaxing hot shower and immaculate rooms - the perfect place to unwind. Cabañas San Isidro’s 11 comfortable double rooms all provide private water and electricity, as well as private living rooms.
Forty years ago the Bustamante family (owners of San Isidro Lodge and Reserve) was early enough to save what stands today as Cabañas San Isidro and its surrounding reserve.

Day 8 Cabañas San Isidro
Today we will explore the trails around the lodge as well as enjoy more new species of hummingbirds around the lodge. All meals at the lodge and a very relaxing day overall!
In the evening we will share our photos and have critiques of the trip’s best images from each participant.

Day 9 Quito / Hotel Rio Amazonas
Morning opportunities for photography, birding and hiking before our departure to Quito.

Day 10 Return to USA
Return flights to the USA.

Below is a list of a few hummingbird species we expect to see:

Empress Brilliant
Violet-tailed Sylph
Purple-bibbed Whitetip
Gorgeted Sunangel
Brown Inca
Booted Racket-tail
Collared Inca
Andean Emerald
Velvet-purple Coronet
White-whiskered Hermit
White-necked Jacobin
Green-crowned Woodnymph
Giant Hummingbird
Sparkling Violet-ear
Black-tailed Trainbearer
Ecuadorian Hillstar
Blue-mantled Thornbill
Purple-backed Thornbill
Tourmaline Sunangel
Tyrian Metaltail
Mountain Velvetbreast
Long-tailed Sylph
Bronzy Inca
Speckled Hummingbird
Chestnut-breasted Coronet
Black-breasted Puffleg
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Great Sapphirewing
Shining Sunbeam
Buff-winged Starfrontlet
Sapphire-vented Puffleg
Golden-breasted puffleg