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The first day of our trip was reserved as a buffer just in case of any weather issues resulting in delays to the flights from Ottawa and Chicago. There were no winter storms; however, the Ottawa flight crew had arrived late the night before, and had a mandatory rest period before they could take the first flight of the morning. Consequently, we were an hour late leaving Ottawa, missed all our connections, but managed to pick up later flights. So, our buffer day became a day's sight-seeing in Quito.
...pick a direction... any direction!
Eventually, by going around in enough circles, one can locate the Presidential Palace and the associated square.
And, it's impossible to miss the churches - they are everywhere!
On a birding trip, you'd expect to see birds. And, especially parrots. Well, of course. There were lots of parrots in the city!
A visit to the Botanical Gardens might find us some birds - perhaps hiding amongst the cactus collection? Various school groups (note the uniforms) were also making field trips. Very polite children. The whole group says - Buenos días. ¿Cómo estás?
Beating the bushes, we did find some real birds. We never found a House Sparrow in Ecuador. This little guy is the next best thing - a Rufous-Collared Sparrow. But, of course, he's pretty much hiding his rufous collar behind the wire fence.
Ecuador is the land of volcanoes. So, on our flight to Loja in the south of the country, we passed the snow-covered peak of Cotapaxi (5897 m). On the return trip, we flew by Tungurahua (5023 m), evidently quite active given the plume of smoke and ash!
Finally, we have started our birding trip on the slopes of the Andes.
The Birds of Southern Ecuador trip was organized by Mindo Bird Tours, based in Quito. They provided transportation for el groupo from the airport at Loja...
The trip featured fine outdoor dining, and first-class forest accommodation.
The roads were interesting. Landslides prevented passage of the bus on a couple of occasions. Both times we had driven most of the day and were just a few kilometres from our lodge. We had to transfer to 4x4's to complete the journey - and wait for a front-end loader to clear the road the next day.
And, there were other impediments to progress...
The group had opportunities to photograph wild flowers - and demonstrated a range of techniques.
And, of course, there were birds to watch - and photograph - including a colony of Chestnut-Collared Swallows.
Another good bird - very appropriately - Ecuadorian Trogon
Road safety in Ecuador? Note the guy riding in the back of the pickup truck, but more especially - the three-up motor scooter! - and not a helmet in sight. Of course, some Canadian birders in Ecuador seem to follow the lead of the natives!
Little towns have little churches - but also colourful buildings
It's called cloud forest because it's often in cloud. And, where there is cloud there is often rain. But, Oscar, our driver, knows how to handle a few drops of rain!
The constant wet conditions result in some slightly-muddy trails - with the inevitable result!
But, walking the trails can be very worthwhile. Here is a Jocotoco Antpitta, seen on territory on the Tapichalaca Reserve. This species, with only twelve known pairs, was the impetus for setting up the Jocotoco Foundation. The foundation has purchased several tracts of land in Ecuador, each targeted at preserving a particular species. Our tour visited many of these lodges.
A happy group of birders heads back to the lodge...
But, the birding continues. The lodges all have hummingbird feeders.
Another outing to see an endemic species - this time across a cow pasture with rather aggressive inhabitants - rodeo participants! The target bird is the El Oro Parakeet, an endangered species with perhaps only a hundred pairs surviving. Here the group is looking at a nesting box where four adults are cooperatively raising a brood of chicks.
A successful trip, but now we get to pay the price. The route back is through a barbed wire fence. Carefully does it!
Our final morning's birding was in Cajas National Park (3874 m). Not many trees at this altitude, but some different bird species.
One target bird is Andean Condor. But, what we need is some bait. Ann tries her best, but we didn't see any Condors that morning. However, Ann doesn't appear in the next day's group photograph. So, did she see a Condor - or did one see her?!
After returning to Quito, and having completed the southern leg of our trip, the Canadian contingent opted for an additional day's birding in the Antisana Ecological Reserve with a mixture of elfin forest at low altitude and grassland páramo higher up. Lots of Carunculated Caracaras and Black-Faced Ibis, even a Black-Chested Buzzard-Eagle, but the star of this particular show is the Andean Condor. Here, a family group of two adults and two juveniles feast on a dead calf. Four from a total of nine Andean Condors for the day!
A further day in Quito was a Saturday which enabled us to take a trip to the Otavalo market. Famous for its woven and knitted goods, the market also has livestock (but, early in the morning, before we arrived), jewellery, all kinds of vegetables and local foods. The stalls are tightly packed, full of colour, and you are expected to bargain! The subsequent series of photographs attempts to capture some of the market's flavour.
Our last day was spent in Quito itself. We found an art show at the edge of a local park. All the vendors were offering to roll up their work so we could bring it home. But, in the end, we couldn't resist José Guerrero's Paradise Tanager, painted on a feather!
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