A Day with a Birding Guide

After seeing what I could here at Sashatamia, I decided I needed to hire a guide to see more of the area birds. The day started before daylight to get to the Cock-of-the-Rock Lek. Silly me, I thought that was the name of a place instead of an actual bird. I had a choice of walking about 5 minutes to one lek where we would have good views at about 10 meters or walking 1 hour and 20 minutes to a blind where we would get within about 1 meter. I choose the shorter walk. We did get some good views of this marvelous grey and red bird displaying in the tree. We were joined by a family with four girls, the oldest about 8 years. The girls shared two pair of binoculars and kept very quiet, something not all young children would be able to do in such a situation.

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock

After the viewing, we returned to the road and walked about a mile to where our vehicle had been moved. Along the way we saw several more birds including a lyre-tailed nighthawk that was so far away and blended so well, I could not pick it out with my binoculars until I had first seen it through the scope. The guide shared the scope with the girls who were delighted.  We ended at a small stream where we were able to see a relatively tame yellow-breasted antpitta. These rarely seen birds are very skittish. They usually fly away as soon as they see a human nearby. Their coloration helps them blend in with their surroundings making a sighting even more unlikely. This pair has lost some of its fear with the knowledge that food is available from one of the guides.

Yellow-breasted Antpitta

From there we went to Milpe Cloud Forest Preserve which has several miles of good birding trails. We spent about 3 hours there wandering up and down. The best bird there is the club-winged manakin, which we got to see displaying as it tried to attract a female. The manakin does two clicks followed by a single tone. While singing the tone, it lifts its wings in a striking pose. When a female arrived, it began to hop along the branch and move flit from branch to branch. Unfortunately for this bird, the female decided to wait for a better offer.  Overall, we saw 36 birds there including four new hummingbirds.

Club-winged Manakin performing

Club-winged Manakin

Spotted Woodcreeper

We took a taxi to lunch in Los Bancos high above the river. Excellent food at a very reasonable price are accompanied by birds at the feeders. The restaurant has trails through its property making it a great place to stop for a bite. Alex Luna, my guide, said that all the birdwatchers stop there to eat. We saw a few more birds there include the tiny Banaquit feeding with the hummingbirds at their feeder.

Bananaquit at the hummingbird feeder

After lunch we drove through the town of Mindo and up the hill. Mindo is a bustling tourist center with lots of activities beyond birdwatching. Many of the restaurants and hotels have birdwatching in their names. Other activities include zip lines, tubing down the river, and taking a cable car to trails where you can view several waterfalls.

Ochre-bellied Flycatcher

We drove up out of town about three miles where the driver let us off to walk the road for the next three hours. We saw 25 more birds along the road including my first toucan, trogan, aracari and quetzal. These are four of those big colorful birds, along with parrots, that we all want to see when we come to the rain forest. About 5:00 it started to rain a bit and Alex asked if I wanted to call the driver. Since we might still see more birds, I agreed to continue walking. I’m glad we did because it was on that part that we saw the golden-headed quetzal and another ten new birds. It was worth getting a bit damp in the misty rain for that.

Chestnut-mandibled Toucan

About 6:00, the driver picked us up and we returned to town where Alex left us and the driver returned me to the lodge for a shower and dinner. I was totally pleased with Alex as a guide. He absolutely knows his birds being able to quickly identify almost every bird he saw, in many cases at a glance while I was still figuring out the shape and color, never mind the shape and size of its beak or the color of its wing bars. Even so, there were birds he refused to identify because he could not get a look at the specific part of the bird’s anatomy that would absolutely confirm the identification. He was adept at using the laser pointer now used by bird guides. His email address is ayalu_82@hotmail.com if you want a great help when visiting this part of the world. 

A Parrot Clay Lick and Home Visit

Days begin early here. We were on the boat and moving by 6:30. The birds of course are already busy. A small flock of Sand-collard Nighthawks flew by on their way to their roost. These birds are strictly nocturnal. Then a Tiger Heron flew by and landed at the dock as we were leaving, followed shortly by a Black-capped Donacobius flitting about along the edge of the lake. The Donacobius is a large member of the wren family.

Find the parrots

Blue-headed parrots are a bit easier to find

Our first stop for the day was the parrot clay lick. Parrots flock to this cliff along the shore of the Napo River to eat the clay that helps them eliminate the toxins they take in from the seeds they eat. They flit around in the trees near the lick until they feel safe before flocking to the lick. We had to wait about 30 minutes for them to feel safe enough. Raptors will also come here knowing they will have some easy pickings. Our guide said he has seen parrots actually land on snakes thinking it is just another branch. That, of course, is not a good choice for the poor parrot as it makes a nice meal for the snake. At one point a Greater Ani (a bird like a large blackbird or grackle) flew by and they scattered, save one who seemed oblivious to the commotion around him.

After a 30-minute boat ride we stopped to visit the Silverio family living in a Kichwa community along the river. The communities are one house wide and a two-hour walk long. Everyone needs to live along the river. Near the center will be the community center and the school. Since children have to walk to school and itinerant teachers may have a 14 days on, 18 days off schedule, schooling is a real problem for these families, particularly those at the far end of the trail. Communities elect leadership and develop rules for being a member. Men who choose not to sign the membership agreement will only be able to live with someone who is a member as membership is the only way to get the land needed for survival. Women cannot get land on their own.

The clay lick from a distance

The guides shared the family’s life-style with us including a tour of their farm.  They grow a variety of food for their own consumption and raise coffee and a few other things for sale in Coca so they can purchase the things they need. The farming is intercropped so the plants can provide nutrients for each other. They also fish the Napo for some of its variety. Their home is a series of buildings. We gathered in the kitchen dining room to learn about its construction and use. The thatch roof is made from a variety of different and the smoke from the cooking fire helps to waterproof the thatch. I had never looked that closely at thatch before. I will pay more attention in the future. 

Berta showing off her crafts for sale. We did buy a few.

The family shared a couple of different drinks with us – one a manioc drink that is fermented. We also sampled the food including some excellent smoked catfish, banana, plantain, hearts of palm, and a white cocoa nut for dessert. After the ‘meal’ we adjourned to the outside where we all got to try using a blow gun. The one we shared is about ten feet long. I was amazed at how easy it was to aim and ‘fire’. Most of us were able to hit the target after only one or two tries. Linda hit it with her first. It did not take a huge blow of air to fire it either.

Linda celebrates her excellent aim.

Andres helps one of our traveling companions.

After an hour or so, we walked back along the river trail and our camp boardwalk until we reached the canoes for our ride back up the stream and across the lake to camp. Along the way, we saw several spiders and other bugs and a couple of birds high in the canopy. Overall 22 different birds this morning. 

Creches at the San Francisco Monastery

Linda has a sprained ankle, so touristing is on my own or with Danette and Taylor. I revisited the San Francisco Monastery to see what is in their museum. They charge all of $2 to enter.  The museum is mostly a collection of paintings, several of which were of St. Francis of Assisi. They were interesting to look at, but since I don’t know the stories, they didn’t have as much meaning for me as they would have with an English speaking guide or brochure.

After going through the museum, I saw that there were several tables set up selling food and other items including some crèches. I ventured through the open door and was greeted by a fabulous display of crèches made for this display. I gather that this is an annual event.

They ranged from traditional Holy Land scenes to some that were as if the birth had taken place in other parts of the world. Some would fit on a dinner plate. One would have taken up our entire living room. In most of the buildings, there are very explicit signs forbidding pictures, but here almost everyone had a camera out so that I could share with Linda and with you. 

Arriving in the Amazon

Today was a very long day. Last night, the band in our plaza played until 2:15. The hotel is not insulated for that kind of loudness, so sleep was nearly impossible until they finished. At least, we liked the Ecuadorian Rock and Roll. We were up at 5:00 to catch our taxi to the airport. We had to be there by 8:15 and wanted plenty of time to beat any traffic problems. We won that race in spades. The driver took the new road of which our previous driver had nary a clue. So we arrived at the airport before 7:00. Then our flight was delayed until 11:50 so we got to spend several hours in the airport. Fortunately, Quito’s new airport is well-appointed and comfortable. The flight was anything but comfortable. Our seats were in the back of the plane and while the flight was only 40 minutes, it was the roughest we have been on in ages.

Downtown Coca

Our Canoe Awaits

We arrived in Coca where we got on a bus for a short ride to the Napo River. The Napo, one of the Amazon’s major tributaries is wider than the Columbia or Mississippi for most of the 15 miles we traveled it in our motorized canoe. Coca is the capital of this province and the hub for the oil exploitation that is happening in this region. Our ride took us past on of their sites. Sadly, they are still burning off the natural gas instead of using it in Ecuador. Ecuador actually imports natural gas which is frustrating for the Ecuadorians who know how much is being wasted. Hopefully the government will change this behavior in the next few years. Oil companies do have a lot of power however, something we are well aware of in the US.

Coca Bridge over the Napo River

An oil company barge. Everything travels by water.

After two hours on the canoe, we landed and walked about 15 minutes where we got into another canoe, this one a dugout. It came with a paddler instead of an engine.  Another 15 minutes and we were at the lodge where we were greeted with a cold drink and a presentation on the lodge and its amenities. By this time I had already seen five new birds. 

The view from our dock

Evening falls after a long day

Second Day In Quito

Linda and I spent the morning with Danette exploring a couple of the many churches in the area. I’ll write more about them when we return to Quito after our four days in the Amazon. We will be on the border of Yasuni National Park in the northeast corner of the country. We have a 45 minute plane ride followed by a 2 hour canoe ride to get to the lodge where we will spend the next three nights.  

A restaurant we will eat at next week. La Ronda was an arts center centuries ago and is once again home to traditional arts. Very quiet with shops during the day, it supposedly is hopping at night. We will see. 

We had hoped to see the cathedral on Plaza Grande, but it was closed for the day. This has been a very busy day for Quitanos. The last Friday before Christmas is not officially a holiday, but we saw numerous informal parades and all three squares in the area are having festivals with music.

The main courtyard at the Cultural Museum. The train is both part of the Christmas decoration and symbolic of the Endara works (I think).

We did spend some time in the Cultural Museum. We enjoyed the art even without being able to read any of the explanation signs that were in abundance. Few of the places we have visited so far have much of anything in the way of guidebooks and almost nothing in English. This is quite a contrast from what we often see at home and in Europe where things are printed in several languages. One large gallery had about 40 paintings by Gonzalo Endara Crow. He is a contemporary artist whose works were worth the time. His precision is excellent. Most of his work is a cityscape highlighting the adobe buildings and tile roofs. One series of seven has a train crossing the sky dropping various fruits and other objects to the town below.  We did see that there is symbolism in this because one of the signs explained the symbolism of the various colors. Our Spanish was just good enough to figure that out.

Daytime views of El Panecillo

The real highlight today was the taxi ride we took to the top of El Panecillo, the hill overlooking the city as the sun went down. Atop the hill is the Virgin of Quito, a huge statue overlooking this part of town. 

The Virgin of Quito

The view from El Panecillo. Notice the grid pattern of the Old Town. The newer part is more haphazard.

For Christmas, the city has added a number of beautiful lighted objects. The taxi ride up took longer than normal because they are also having a festival. In fact, I am still listening to the band on Santo Domingo Square from our room as I type this.  

First Day in Ecuador

We are on a three week Christmas trip to Ecuador. Everything is arranged and we will spend time in Quito, Guayaquil, Yasui National Park on the upper Amazon, the Mindo cloud forest, and the Galapagos before we return home on January 9. Since we have never been to South America before, we are really looking forward to this new adventure.
 

Our flight to Quito from Atlanta was uneventful other than we had to do the full security scan. We are TSA pre-flight rated now so at PDX we no longer have to remove shoes, jackets and computers before we go through the x-ray machines. In Atlanta, I asked about that and they said, “Next week.” Oh well.  We were green-lighted (they really do have a green light) through customs in Quito, so we didn’t even have to answer any questions.

Our Hotel - The Quito Airport Suites 

Hotel Grounds

Arriving about 11:00 pm, it was nice to see Linda’s name waving amongst the throng of people that always seem to be waiting for international arrivals – no matter where you land. A 15-minute ride took us to our hotel. It was small, but friendly and convenient for a late arrival. We will stay there again when we have to be at the airport early for our flight to the Galapagos. After a short night’s sleep, I awoke to the daylight only to discover it was only 5:30. I remembered that the days get longer in the winter as you travel south and fell back to sleep for a much needed additional rest. When I got up for real, I took advantage of the rural setting to watch for birds as they fed amongst the trees on the property and the nearby farmlands. Ecuador is famous for its hummingbirds and I saw three, one of which I identified as the Black-tailed Trainbearer. Its tail is longer than its body, making it a striking bird. The sight was too fleeting for a picture, but I did get some of another one. 

Green Violetear Hummingbird

I found the other one in my bird book, but still have a couple unidentified.  I will try to get one of the experts we meet over the next three weeks to help identify it and a couple of other birds I have yet to find in the book. With over 800 birds that have been sighted in Ecuador, picking one out of an unfamiliar setting is not easy. The other exciting look was at a nesting pair of Vermilion Flycatchers. We see these beautiful red and black birds in the US, but to see them nesting here in Ecuador is also exciting.

Unidentified so far, but this one spent about five minutes gathering this finery for the nest.

Also unidentified, but a pretty one

Our taxi to El Centro Quito took almost two hours making us even happier to have stayed close to the airport last night. Traversing three canyons to get here made it clear that we are in the mountains. Quito’s elevation is almost 10,000 feet. Before we arrived in the central city we passed miles of strip mall type areas, not that dissimilar to strip malls in the US. The stores here are closer to the road leaving little room for parking and the buildings are mostly made of adobe and brick, but the feel is the same as driving down Hazel Dell Avenue in Vancouver. It’s not really a place that is inviting unless you have a need for what they are selling.
 

We passed one amazing spot that I would call Hummingbird Boulevard. For about three blocks we were delighted by the human-sized hummingbirds painted in all sorts of fabulous designs and colors. They reminded me of those fund-raising projects many cities have taken up where many local businesses or organizations will purchase a statue of a local iconic animal and decorate them for display. As I remember, I have seen pigs in Seattle (to honor the one in Pike Place Market), cattle someplace in Texas, and others that don’t come to mind. This summer, Vancouver did a similar thing with hearts – something to do with healthy hearts.
 

Finally we arrived at our hotel after a few missteps by the driver who was getting help from his GPS and his girlfriend who was along for the ride. The location of this hotel which Linda also found on the internet after getting some outrageously expensive quotes from the travel agent is perfect. It opens onto one of the old squares that older southern cities have in abundance. They continue to be gathering places for people and events. We have three within a short walk from the hotel. Since this is the old part of town each has a church along with shops and restaurants.

The view from our hotel of Santo Domingo Plaza and Church

After checking in and having a lunch in the hotel overlooking our square, we took part of a walk recommended by Lonely Planet. We barely got started before we were walking down one hill and up the other side. It’s harder to do that at 10,000 feet than at home where we aren’t much above sea level. Along the way we window shopped and noted a couple of churches and museums we will come back to. The other two squares that we visited were both being set up for celebrations, for Christmas or New Year’s or both. Since we will be at this same hotel on both days, we will find out. One thing that surprised us about the squares is that we only saw one outdoor eating venue. Every square that we have seen in Spain had several restaurants with tables outside for patrons. Somehow that custom does not seem to have traveled to this part of Quito. Too bad as that is a great custom.

Life-size creche under an overpass

Among the few vendors we saw along the squares were these shoe-shine stalls. At least a dozen here and we saw others elsewhere. Every stand is exactly the same.

I am writing this at 6:15 and there is still light in the sky. That same light disappeared at 4:45 at home the day we left. I’m glad that when we return home the days will be getting longer. Danette and her daughter Taylor should be arriving soon and we will be off to dinner. Linda and Danette worked together for many years at iQ Credit Union. Taylor spent this fall University of Oregon term here in Quito. When Danette’s husband Don said he did not want to come, Linda offered us as additional travel companions. I’m sure that Danette had no need of us since she has already been here a week with her built-in guide, but she did graciously agree to our company. So we will spend time here in Quito and travel to the Amazon together.

More later.