26 September - 15 October 1998

by Garry George (with Joseph Brooks and Joe Thompson)

Our third trip to Ecuador was planned to access relatively unexplored areas in the Northwest - Jatun Sacha Bilsa and Cotocachi-Cayapas wet coastal forest reserves which are finally drying out from El Nino and locations along the recently opened road from Quito to San Lorenzo near the Colombian border.  We also hoped to clean up on birds of the East slope and West slope that we had missed on two previous trips.  We were gunning to see 1) rarities including Banded Ground-Cuckoo and Long-wattled Umbrellabird; 2) more Choco endemics and 3)more antpittas.

On two previous trips to Ecuador we covered the Galapagos, Mindo-Nono area and Pedro Vicente Maldonado (PVM) on the West slope; Papallacta, Baeza, Cabanas de San Isidro (both trips), Guacamayos Ridge, (both trips), Loreto Road (both trips), Coca Falls and Tena on the East slope; Sacha Lodge and Yasuni National Park (both trips) on the Rio Napo in the Amazonian Oriente; Guayaquil (Cerro Blanco), Pinas, Loja, Podocarpus National Park (Cajanuma, Rio Bombuscara & San Fracisco sectors), Loja-Zamora Road, Utuana, Sabiango, Sozoranga, Tambo Negro, Macara, Acanama, Gualaceo-Limon Road and Catamayoin the South; and Yanacocha, Papallacta Pass (both trips), El Cajas and Gualaceo Pass in the paramo and high altitude habitat of both North and South.

On those trips we were fortunate enough to bag some of Ecuador's specialties including 13 of the 21 endemics and 15 of the 22 (with the new one in Zamora) species of Antpitta, our personal favorite target group of species.  Our mainland Ecuador list now stands at 1187 species seen (heard birds are not counted), 929 of them seen in Ecuador and the remainder seen on trips to Panama or Venezuela, and our Galapagos list at 120 species (including 22 of the 25 endemics), 53 of them seen in the islands.

The taxonomy of the birds in Ecuador is in constant flux which makes the trip more interesting.  The current trend by ornithologists seems to be to split species, especially by location East or West of the Andes.  A few lumps are being presented i.e.  Puna Hawk and Variable Hawk lumped to Red-backed Hawk.  Some birds on the Ecuador list are being questioned..  Bare-crowned Antbird was listed from one sighting which apparently has been challenged as the bird has been dropped from the list.  Ridgely and Greenfield's forever forthcoming field guide Birds of Ecuador must be delayed partly because of the expanding and contracting list of sightings (real and strung) in this country of such diverse habitat.  I used the taxonomy from the upcoming book as published in A Guide to Bird-watching in Ecuador and the Galapagos published by Biosphere Publications to make sure that I was aware of every possible lump and split when I was in the field, especially for the Tapaculos which are expanding like Stephen Hawking's universe.  I knew it would be too hard to go back and figure out which one I saw when up to three can occur in any altitude.  Late breaking taxonomical news I heard while there (which is probably not yet accepted by your favorite authority: there is a new Cloud-Forest Pygmy-Owl (heard at Bellavista), Puna Hawk lump (above), Long-tailed Hermit split to Barron's in the West and maybe Great-billed in the East so that Long-tailed no longer occurs in Ecuador, Little Hermit split to Stripe-throated in West and Black- throated in East so that Little Hermit no longer occurs in Ecuador, Bare- crowned Antibird dropped from Ecuador list, Sepia-brown Wren now Sharpe's Wren in Ecuador, and Neils Krabbe's paper on the population of Moustached Antpitta found in Ecuador on Guacamayos Ridge and above Mindo (previously thought to be only in Colombia from two skins) should be published in upcoming IBIS.  I would appreciate any additions, corrections or further information on this taxonomic news.

As always, Quito was our hub and we returned to Café Cultura (cafecult@pi.pro.ec) every three or four days to wash and change clothes, store unneeded baggage in the bodega, eat real food, then set out again.  Our itinerary was flexible enough to accommodate the unexpected events that added a surreal background to the trip.  We lost a morning when our flight aborted the night landing in Quito (approximately 10 minutes from the runway) and was diverted to Guayaquil for 12 hours, national strikes blocked the roads to the North for two days and the volcano Pichincha woke up which caused us to rethink our itinearary every few days.  The news around the upgrade to orange from yellow was discussed in every remote area we travelled where there weren't radios or television or telephones.  Word of mouth was the form of communication so the accuracy was in question and some myths began to develop.  We heard one story that the volcano was going to blow on a certain date as punishment for something that happened that day one hundred years ago.  This was delivered as fact.  We dreaded hearing that the volcano was upgraded to red alert which would mean 48 hours to evacuate.  Luckily, it wasn't.  The Mindo area, one of our destinations, is directly in the projected path of lava and ash.

Despite our plans, our itinerary ended up as follows:

Day 1 - to Bellavista on the old Nono-Mindo Road, 2300m on West slope

Day 2 -  Bellavista area, then to PVM (Pedro Vicente Maldonado), 500m, overnight in La Concordia

Day 3 - PVM on the way to Jatun Sacha Bilsa off of the Quito-Esmeraldas Hwy

Day 4,5 - Jatun Sacha Bilsa

Day 6 -  Jatun Sacha Bilsa, to Quito

Day 7 - new Quito-San Lorenzo Road stopping at North end of Cotocachi-Cayapas Reserve, then overnight at Lita

Day 8 -  drive to San Lorenzo from Lita stopping at 900m, 500m and 150m to fix flats

Day 9 - New road near San Lorenzo to Rio Mataje on Colombian border, overnight in Ibarra

Day 10 -  Cerro Mongus, 3300m, evening to Quito

Day 11 -  Papallacta Pass, 3900m, then new lodge, 2600m, then Loreto Rd 13 km trail, 1300m, Tena-Baeza road, overnight new lodge in Tena

Day 12 - Tena Auca trail, 540m, Sumaco Road off Loreto Rd, 1100m, overnight Cabanas de San Isidro

Day 13 - Guacamayos Ridge, 2200m, Tena-Baeza Road, 2000-1100m, Loreto Road

Day 14 - San Isidro, 2000m, Guacamayos Ridge, 2200m

Day 15 - San Isidro, Papallacta Pass, Quito

Day 16 - Bellavista on West slope, 2300m

Day 17 - Bellavista area - Tandayapa Valley, road to Nanegalito

Day 18 - Bellavista area - road to Nanegalito, Mindo area, to Quito

Day 19 - Home

TRIP BY LOCATION:

*is a lifer for me

(h) is heard only

WOW is mind-boggling looks at mind-blowing bird

We didn't stop to work for birds we had already seen on prior trips although we didn't walk by them without looking either!

Feeding flocks were mixed species especially tanagers, warblers, furnarids, dacnis and sometimes a woodpecker and/or fruiteater Please contact me for further information, comments, corrections or contacts

1.  Bellavista, old Nono-Mindo Road, road to Nanegalitos, Mindo area - 2000-2300m

We were here twice (beginning and end of trip) and visited our old friends Tony and Barbara from Tarcoles Lodge in Carara Costa Rica who just bought land and are building a house in the Tandayapas Valley near Bellavista.  Tony is a bird guide and Barbara manages Bellavista.  We birded with Mitch, then Tony, then Vinicio Perez (jlyons@birdlife.org.ec) a Mindo resident who has a great location for Giant Antpitta as well as other species.  It took us four and a half hours to see the Antpitta and we heard and had to ignore Barred Forest- Falcon and Orange-breasted Fruiteater, both of which we needed, in order to focus on the Giant Antpitta.  We got below him on the slope and as he (slowly) circled above us he luckily hopped into my binoculars as I was focusing on one of the tunnels of vision and I got him full frame from head to belly, looking left then right, beak covered in dried grass.  The breast is a field mark.  He hopped left and I lost him so couldn't get Joseph on him until he hopped onto a limb in a dark hole (of course) about six feet from the previous location and I was able to get Joseph on him - the dark back, golden rufous breast, large size.  A milestone in birding for me.  We also saw Yellow-bellied Antipitta well bringing our total to 15 Antpittas in Ecuador seen well and 3 more that occur in Ecuador we've seen in Panama.  Hummingbird feeders and trees around Bellavista were amazing.

Black Vulture
Barred Hawk
American Kestrel
Sickle-winged Guan
Band-tailed Pigeon
Red-billed Parrot
Scaly-naped Parrot
Common Potoo
Rufous-bellied Nighthawk
Chestnut-collared Swift
Tawny-bellied Hermit
Green Violet-ear
Sparkling Violet-ear
Speckled Hummingbird
Fawn-breasted Brilliant
Brown Inca
Collared Inca
*Buff-tailed Coronet (very common at the feeders allowing approach up to 6")
*Velvet Purple Coronet
*Gorgeted Sunangel
Booted Rackettail
Purple-throated Woodstar
*White-bellied Woodstar
Golden-headed Quetzal
Toucan Barbet
Crimson-rumped Toucanet
Plate-billed Mountain Toucan
Strong-billed Woodcreeper
Rufous Spinetail
Azara's Spinetail
Red-faced Spinetail
Streaked Tuftedcheek
Lineated Foliage-gleaner
*Striped Treehunter
*Flammulated Treehunter
*Giant Antpitta
*Yellow-breasted Antpitta
*Narino Tapaculo
Spillman's Tapaculo
White-crested Elaenia
*Sierran Elaenia
Flavescent Flycatcher
Cinnamon Flycatcher
Black and white Becard
Turquoise Jay
Beautiful Jay
Andean Solitaire (h)
Great Thrush
Whiskered Wren
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren
Blackburnian Warbler
Slate-throated Redstart
Black-crested Warbler
Russet-crowned Warbler
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Rufous-naped Brush-Finch
Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch
Capped Conebill
Common Bush-Tanager
Dusky Bush-Tanager
Black-eared Hemispingus (the one on the West slope doesn't have a black ear!)
Blue-capped Tanager
Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager
Metallic-green Tanager
Blue-and-black Tanager
Variable Seedeater
Yellow-bellied Seedeater
Dull-colored Grassquit
White-sided Flower-piercer
Southern Yellow-Grosbeak
Russet-backed Oropendola

 2. Pedro Vicente Maldonado (PVM), 500m, the beginning of the lowlands.

A piece of forest crammed with Choco endemics - the last refuge from all of the logging and development in the area.  High diversity of species in such a small area and we talked about the future of this location - whether the species would crash soon since there is no contiguous forest for dispersal.  This deserves study.  How long will it be good?  We picked up a few species
that we had missed on our first trip here some five years ago.

Little Tinamou (heard)
Roadside Hawk
Ruddy Pigeon
Indigo-crowned Quail-Dove (heard)
Chestnut-fronted Macaw
Blue-headed Parrot
Bronze-winged Parrot
Mealy Parrot
Squirrel Cuckoo
Groove-billed Ani
White-collared Swift
*Purple-chested Hummingbird
Purple-crowned Fairy
Orange-fronted Barbet
Choco Toucan
Olivaceous Piculet
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Red-rumped Woodpecker
Golden-olive Woodpecker
Plain Brown Woodcreeper
Spotted Woodcreeper
Streak-headed Woodcreeper
Western Slaty Antshrike
*Spot-crowned Antvireo
Griscom's Antwren
Checker-throated Antwren
White-flanked Antwren
Dot-winged Antwren
Blue-crowned Manakin
Slaty-capped Flycatcher
White-fronted Tyrannulet
Sooty-headed Tyrannulet
Golden-faced Tyrannulet
Ornate Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Cinnamon Becard
Red-eyed Vireo
Lesser Greenlet
*Band-backed Wren
Gray-mantled Wren
S. Rough-winged Swallow
Yellow-bellied Siskin
Bananquit
Guira Tanager
*Scarlet-and-white Tanager  (WOW)
White-shouldered Tanager
Flame-rumped Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Palm Tanager
*Blue-whiskered Tanager
Emerald Tanager
Golden Tanager
Silver-throated Tanager
Bay-headed Tanager
Blue-necked Tanager
Masked Tanager
*Yellow-tufted Dacnis
Scarlet-thighed Dacnis
Blue Dacnis
Green Honeycreeper
Purple Honeycreeper
Giant Cowbird

3. Reserva Jatun Sacha Bilsa

We drove four hours to the turnoff, then about an hour to five wooden shacks known as El Y ("el yea").  The next 13 km to the reserve was impassable by vehicle and could only be hiked.  We hired mules for the bags, then hiked the 5 hours to the Research Station through huge ruts and sometimes ankle deep wet mud.  It was the most strenuous hike I have ever done.  We hiked out the same way, only it was noon and the usual cloud cover disappeared and it was HOT.  We were harassed and challenged by barrachos (drunks) on the way in offering to take us in by horseback.  We smiled and waved like we didn't understand them.  The sight of the dining hall lit by candles of the sixteen volunteers that were staying there as we slogged through the final 100 yards of mud will be in my mind forever, as well as the news that they hadn't expected us (despite five reconfirmations) and they had no room and no food.  We ate day old bread with jelly and a piece of cheese for dinner that night and slept on the floor of a storage room in the staff headquarters.  Condensation dripped on the corrugated tin roof all night.  When we finally moved to a room with bunk beds, Joseph got chiggers from the sheets and we kept candles lit all night to keep the fruit-eating bats away, although Joe Thompson wasn't as successful.  One roosted on the bunk right above his head after eating his bananas!  I could hear the wingbeats as soon as the candles burnt out at 3 a.m.  We were happy that we had loaded in a few bottles of Concha y Torres Castillero de Diablo 1996 Cabernet Savignon which welcomed us each evening.  The trails behind the research station were extremely muddy and steep from all the volunteer traffic, the habitat is the wettest coastal hill forest probably in the world, and the only shower was a long climb downhill to a stream (we used buckets behind the research station).

After a long day of climbing down and up and seeing only a partial view of the rump of a female Long-wattled Umbrellabird, we were resting behind the staff cabins when a male flew into view and perched fifty feet away eye level and looked left then right expanding and contracting his long wattle - a perfect view and a National Geographic cover if I only had a camera!  We missed the Banded Ground-Cuckoo which has been seen here five or six times, but we never saw ants or peccaries.  I have no luck with Ground-Cuckoos having travelled to sites in Panama and Venezuela where they are seen frequently but not by me.  I guess I'll stick to Antpittas.

Swallow-tailed Kite
*Plumbeous Hawk
Tiny Hawk (a pair looked like they were on a nest)
Roadside Hawk
Sunbittern (bathing in a waterfall)
Solitary Sandpiper
*Pallid Dove
Red-masked Parakeet
Blue-fronted Parrotlet (decent looks in a flyby)
Striped Cuckoo (taking dust baths on the road in)
*Short-tailed Nighthawk
Rufous-fronted Wood-Quail (h)
Gray-rumped Swift
White-whiskered Hermit
Green-crowned Woodnymph
Amazilia Hummingbird
Purple-crowned Fairy
*White-eyed Trogon
Collared Trogon
Violaceous Trogon
Red-headed Barbet
Pale-mandibled Aracari
Black--cheeked Woodpecker
Red-rumped Woodpecker
Crimson-bellied Woodpecker
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
Spotted Woodcreeper
Streak-headed Woodcreeper
Pacific Hornero
Slaty Spinetail
*Esmeraldas Antibrd
Chestnut-backed Antbird
Bicolored Antbird
*Black-headed Antthrush
Scaled Antpitta (heard but we'd already seen it)
Scaled Fruiteater
Rufous Piha
Black-tipped Cotinga
*Long-wattled Umbrellabird - WOW
Red-capped Manakin
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher
Common Tody-Flycatcher
Golden-faced Tyrannulet
Golden-crowned Spadebill
Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant
Ornate Flycatcher
*Masked Water-Tyrant
Bright-rumped Attila
Topical Kingbird
Streaked Flycatcher
Thrush-like Schiffornis (very common and doing well here)
Cinnamon Becard
Masked Tityra
Ecuadorian Thrush
Dagua Thrush
Bay Wren
House Wren
S. Rough-winged Swallow
Tropical Parula
Bananaquit
Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager
Dusky-faced Tanager
White-shouldered Tanager
*Tawny-crested Tanager
Flame-rumped Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Palm Tanager
Thick-billed Euphonia
Orange-bellied Euphonia
Gray-and-gold Tanager
Emerald Tanager
Silver-throated Tanager
Bay-headed Tanager
Blue-necked Tanager
Scarlet-thighed Dacnis
Blue-black Grassquit
Slate-coored Grosbeak
Buff-throated Saltator
Variable Seedeater

4. North end of Cotocatchi-Cayapas Reserve, 500m

Band-rumped Swift
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Rufous-tailed Jacamar
*Choco Tapaculo
Streak-necked Flycatcher
Slaty-capped Flycatcher
White-crested Spadebill
Eastern Wood Pewee
Pale-vented Thrush
House Wren
Buff-rumped Warbler
Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager
*Moss-backed Tanager
Rufous-throated Tanager
Black-winged Saltator

5. Drive from Lita to San Lorenzo with stops to fix flats at 900m, 500m, and 150m

Each stop was an opportunity to explore the immediate surroundings, one of which yielded a pair of Scarlet-and-white Tanagers just above us in a fruiting tree.  Our final flat took place 3 km outside of San Lorenzo in front of a wooden house with loud music.  As Vicente was changing the tire, three drunken men came out of the house and came to us to shake our hands and welcome us.  They were followed by three children who tried to sneak into the van while the men were talking to us.  Joe and Joseph hid in the van while Mitch and I tried to deflect the energy from Vicente so he could finish changing the tire.  They offered us cane alcohol and yelled at someone in the house to bring it.  A drunk woman did and we drank.  They told us a long story about a son who left and how they had repented for what they had done to him.  When Mitch answered that he liked music, the drunkest screamed to his wife to get the guitar, she did, and he played a sorrowful pasillo about how horrible his life is.  We watched carefully, and as the song ended, we applauded, jumped in the van, locked the doors and drove off to San Lorenzo.

Tricolored Heron
Great Egret
Swallow-tailed Kite
Crane Hawk
Laughing Falcon
Bat Falcon
Baird's Sandpiper
Ruddy Pigeon
Dusky Pigeon
*Rose-faced Parrot - WOW
Red-lored Parrot
Mealy Parrot
Squirrel Cuckoo
White-whiskered Hermit
Rufous Motmot
Pied Puffbird
Smoky-brown Woodpecker
Guayaquil Woodpecker
*Stub-tailed Antbird
Blue Cotinga
Ornate Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Masked Tityra
Red-eyed Vireo
Gray-breasted Wood-wren
Tawny-faced Gnatwren
S. Rough-winged Swallow
Choco Warbler
Scarlet-and-white Tanager - WOW again this time closer
Tawny-crested Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
*Golden-chested Tanager
Orange-bellied Euphonia
Silver-throated Tanager
*Rufous-winged Tanager
Blue-necked Tanager
Purple Honeycreeper
Scarlet-rumped Cacique

6. Road N. to Rio Mataje and the Colombian border, near San Lorenzo, 150m.

This new logging road is wide and there is forest on both sides set back from the road.  The undisputable highlight was the sighting of three species of dacnis and two honeycreepers about ten feet away eye level in a fruiting tree.  The Scarlet-breasted Dacnis we had missed so many times before was very cooperative here, and we renamed it the Blazing Sunset -Breasted dacnis. What a bird.  A Rufous-winged Tanager male popped in and joined them.

Little Tinamou (heard)
Cattle Egret
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Swallow-tailed Kite
Plumbeous Kite
White-necked Jacobin
Slaty-tailed Trogon
White-tailed Trogon
*Black-breasted Puffbird
*Stripe-billed Aracari
Choco Toucan
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Black-striped Woodcreeper
Purple-throated Fruitcrow
White-bearded Manakin
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher
Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet
Tropical Kingbird
Cinnamon Becard
Masked Tityra
Red-eyed Vireo
Slate-throated Gnatcatcher
Flame-rumped Tanager
Rufous-winged Tanager
Blue-necked Tanager
Golden-hooded Tanager
Scarlet-thighed Dacnis
Blue Dacnis
*Scarlet-breasted Dacnis
Green Honeycreeper
Purple Honeycreeper

7. Cerro Mongus, 3300m, 3500m at top

The day arrived for our second attempt at the Crescent-faced Antpitta, a most wanted bird we had missed in December of 97.  Our first try was unsuccessful and we were starting to get dispirited when we hopped into another dark hole and played the tape again.  In popped the bird looking at us with one side of his face as they do - perched on a limb in full view in the light eight feet away - just enough distance to focus binoculars on the amazing scaling on the breast and the crescent on the face.  We also got lucky with the Cotinga and the Puffleg.  A great day of birding.  Our driver talked to one of the locals while we were birding, and told us later that two men who said they were from a German zoological society had been there two days before and captured birds in cages to take back.  We had heard a very loud, calling Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan and wondered why it was calling so much.  Perhaps the mate had been captured.  This thought made the long drive back to Quito very quiet.

Black Vulture
Red-backed Hawk
White-tipped Swift
Great Sapphirewing
*Black-thighed Puffleg
Purple-backed Thornbill
Tyrian Metaltail
Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan
White-chinned Thistletail
*Crescent-faced Antpitta
Red-crested Cotinga
*Chestnut-bellied Cotinga
Black-capped Tyrannulet
Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant
Great Thrush
Brown-bellied Swallow
Blue-and-white Swallow
*Andean Siskin
Lacrimose Mtn-Tanager
Scarlet-bellied Mtn-Tanager
Black-backed Bush-Tanager
Glossy Flower-piercer
 

8. Loreto Road 13 km trail, 1300m (East slope),NE

 *Gray Tinamou - lucky when we saw this on the trail ahead - the rufous headed race
Plumbeous Pigeon
*Rufescent Screech-Owl
Collared Trogon
*Striolated Puffbird
Red-headed Barbet
Golden-collared Toucanet
Yellow-ridged Toucan
Olivaceous Woodcreeper
Montane Foliage-Gleaner
Streaked Xenops
Russet Antshrike
Plain Antvireo
Rufous-breasted Antthrush
Plain-backed Antipitta (heard but seen before)
N. White-crowned Tapaculo
*Gray-tailed Piha - WOW
Blue-rumped Manakin
Golden-winged Manakin - juvenile males on lek - no females - rehearsing?
Slaty-capped Flycatcher
*Buff-throated Tody-tyrant
Golden-faced Tyrannulet
poss. new Elaenia sp.(to be described by Paul Coopman)
Ornate Flycatcher
*Euler's Flycatcher
*Spotted Nightingale-Thrush - WOW
Gray-mantled Wren
Wing-banded Wren
*Musician Wren - WOW
Tropical Parula
Cerulean Warbler
Canada Warbler
Slate-throated Redstart
Spectacled Redstart
Yellow-throated Bush-tanager
Fulvous Shrike-Tanager
Bronze-green Euphonia
Orange-eared Tanager
Green-and-gold Tanager
Golden Tanager
Blue-necked Tanager
Blue Dacnis
Deep-blue Flower-piercer

9. Tena, Auca trail, 540m - our second trip here.

Little Hermit
Ringed Kingfisher
Black-banded Crake (h)
*Chestnut-capped Puffbird
Black-spotted Barbet
Stripe-chested Antwren
Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher
Golden-winged Tody-Flycatcher
Mottle-backed Elaenia
Olive-chested Flycatcher
Boreal Pewee
Black-billed Thrush
White-banded Swallow
Yellow-browed Sparrow
White-lined Tanager
Silver-beaked Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Palm Tanager
White-lored Euphonia
*Wing-barred Seedeater (recent split of Variable)
Black-and-white Seedeater
Chestnut-bellied Seedeater
Lesser Seedfinch
Grayish Saltator

10. Sumaco Road off of Loreto Road, 110m (East slope)

Roadside Hawk
Speckled Chachalaca
Smooth-billed Ani
*Wire-crested Thorntail
Glittering-throated Emerald
Red-headed Barbet
Many-banded Aracari
White-throated Toucan
Yellow-tufted Woodpecker
Yellow-breasted Antwren
Plain Antvireo
*Fiery-throated Fruiteater - WOW
Golden-faced Tyrannulet
White-breasted Woodwren
Canada Warbler
Tropical Parula
Bananaquit
Magpie Tanager
Ashy-throated Bush-Tanager
Flame-crested Tanager
Orange-eared Tanager
Paradise Tanager
Green-and-gold Tanager
Golden Tanager
Golden-eared Tanger
Bay-headed Tanager
Blue-necked Tanager
Black-faced Dacnis
Deep blue Flower-piercer

11.Tena-Baeza Road and Loreto Road, 1100-2000m

Scaled Pigeon
Spot-winged Parrotlet
Squirrel Cuckoo
Smooth-billed Ani
*Rufous-bellied Nighthawk
Band-winged Nightjar
Chestnut-collared Swift
Gray-rumped Swift
White-tipped Sicklebill
Wire-crested Thorntail
Slaty-capped Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Golden-crowned Flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Grass-green Tanager
Spotted Tanager
Bay-headed Tanager
Blue-necked Tanager

12.. Guacamayos Ridge - 2200m

Speckled Hummingbird
Chestnut-breasted Coronet
Emerald-bellied Puffleg
Montane Woodcreeper
Brown-billed Scythebill
Montane Foliage-gleaner
Moustached Antpitta (heard but seen before)
*Barred Antthrush
Green-and-black Fruiteater
Rufous-breasted Flycatcher
White-tailed Tyrannulet
Handsome Flycatcher
Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant
Smoky Bush-Tyrant
Barred Becard
Turquoise Jay
Sharpe's Wren
Slate-throated Redstart
Citrine Warbler - feeding flock leader?
White-rimmed Brush-Finch
Grass-green Tanager
Common Bush-Tanager
Short-billed Bush-Tanager
Black-capped Hemispingus
Hooded Mountain-Tanager
Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager
Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager
Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager
Orange-eared Tanager
Flame-faced Tanager
Beryl-spangled Tanager
Blue-and-Black Tanager
Subtropical Cacique
Mountain Cacique

13. Cabanas de San Isidro - Log Trail and Road - 2000m

*Plain-breasted Hawk - with Blue-and-white Swallow in talons
Roadside Hawk
Lyre-tailed Nightjar
White-collared Swift
Tawny-bellied Hermit
Speckled Hummingbird
Bronzy Inca
Collared Inca
Long-tailed Sylph
*Yellow-vented Woodpecker
Montane Woodcreeper
Azara's Spinetail
White-bellied Antpitta (heard but seen before)
Long-tailed Antbird
Rufous-crowned Tody Trannulet
White-tailed Tyrannulet
Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet
Smoke-colored Pewee
Green Jay
Black-billed Peppershrike
Great Thrush
Blue-and-white Swallow
Russet-crowned Warbler
Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch
Capped Conebill
Grass-green Tanager
Common Bush-Tanager
Red-hooded Tanager
Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager
Fawn-breasted Tanager
Flame-faced Tanager
Golden-collared Honeycreeper
White-sided Flower-piercer
Masked Flower-piercer
Russet-backed Oropendola
Subtropical Cacique

14. Pallacta Pass and Papallacta area 3000-over 4,000m

Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle
Red-backed Hawk (lump of Puna Hawk)
Carunculated Caracara
*Andean Condor
Andean Lapwing
Andean Gull
*Andean Pygmy-Owl
Buff-winged Starfrontlet
Purple-backed Thornbill
Bar-winged Cinclodes
Stout-billed Cinclodes
Tawny Antpitta
Plain-capped Ground-Tyrant
Mountain Avocetbill - at new lodge (2600m) on Papallacta-Baeza road
Glossy-black Thrush
White-breasted Wood-Wren
Brown-bellied Swallow
Plumbeous Sierra-Finch

Insect Hightlights:

A glowing click beetle in the dining room at Bilsa.  The belly lit up orange and two areas on the head like eyes lit up green.  When we turned it over on it's back the lit areas faded slowly, then roared back.

Mammal Highlights:

Family group of Mantled Howler-Monkeys at Bilsa
Saddle-backed Tamarind at Tena
Sloth at Tena
Night Monkey (captive) at Tena
Marmosets (captive) at Tena
Capuchin (on chain very sad) at Tena

Garry George
garrygeorge@msn.com
los angeles