Quito to Antisana National Park. Night at Guango Lodge
After an early departure from your hotel in Quito, we’ll drive up east over the Andes. Today we´ll spend the morning at Antisana National Park. The views of the snow-clad of Antisana volcano is stunning. We´ll bird montane scrub and Andean paramo in search of the magnificent Andean Condor, Black-faced Ibis, Carunculated Caracara, Ecuadorian Hillstar, among other species. Some mammals ae also available such as: Andean fox, Spectacled bear, White-tailed deer. La Mica Lake is the last visit at the end of the road for some more species like Andean Coot, Silvery Grebe, Andean Gull, etc.
In the afternoon we continue to Papallacta Pass. At the antennas at 4300m our main target is the Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe. Around the Polylepis forest we look for Giant Conebill, Viridian Metaltail, Black-backed Bush-Tanager, Paramo Tapaculo, Rufous Antpitta and a variety of tanagers. Overnight at Guango Lodge. (BLD)
Guango area to San Isidro
This small lodge is famous for its wonderful hummingbird feeders where you can see the amazing Sword-billed Hummingbird and some other species like Collared Inca, Long-tailed Sylph, Tourmaline Sunangel, Chestnut-breasted Coronet among others. Torrent Duck & White-capped Dipper are often found on the river. Around the trails we can find many other species like Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Turquoise Jay, Black-capped and Black-eared Hemispingus, Plaintailed Wren, etc.
After lunch we´ll drive down to San Isidro Lodge on the eastern slopes of the Andes. We try a Rufous-bellied Nighthawk. At night we shall look for Rufous-banded Owl and a high elevation Black-banded Owl that might be new species, the "San Isidro Mystery Owl" (BLD)
San Isidro, Guacamayos Ridge, Loreto Road to Wildsumaco
After breakfast we leave San Isidro with box lunch. Morning birding the beautiful Guacamayos ridge trail, where we hope to see Green-and-black Fruiteater, Handsome Flycatcher, Rufous Wren, Turquoise Jay, Grass-green Tanager, a few species of skulking & Ocellated tapaculos, Northern Mountain-Cacique. If we have luck Greater Scythebill, Dusky Piha and Black-billed Mountain-Toucan.
In the afternoon we drop down on the eastern side of Cordillera Guacamayos towards Wildsumaco lodge where we can try for: White-tailed Hillstar, Cliff Flycatcher, Lemon-browed Flycatcher, our first Paradise Tanager, Crested Oropendola, Yellow-browed Sparrow and Black-billed Thrush. A slight chance on Orange-breasted Falcon. Late afternoon arrival at Wildsumaco Lodge. (BLD)
Wildsumaco Lodge to Coca or Quito
Today is our last morning birding this area and our last chance to see Chestnut-crowned Gnateater, Golden-collared Toucanet, White-tipped Sicklebill, Blackish Rail, Red-billed Tyrannulet, Yellow-breasted Antwren, Rufous-naped Greenlet, Coraya Wren, Foothill Antwren, Rufous-breasted Piculet, Golden-collared Honeycreeper, more species of tanagers including Magpie, White-lined, Silver-beaked, Blue-browed, Orange-eared, Spotted, Yellow-bellied and Golden-eared. (BL)
We can drive to either Coca (flight back or Amazon extension) or Quito. On the way out we stop at a bamboo patch with chance on Large-headed Flatbill, Golden-winged & Black-and-white Tody-Flycatcher, Stripechested Antwren, Yellow Tyrannulet, Spot-backed Antbird, Dusky-billed Parrotlet and more. Accommodation in Quito.
