23 November - 5 December 1999

by Paul Blakeburn

Tour Organizer: Neblina Forest (Mercedes Rivadeniera)
E-mail: mrivaden@pi.pro.ec; Phone (800) 538-2149

Outline Itinerary:

Day 1:   Day Trip - Quito southeast to Baeza over Papallacta Pass
Days 2-3: Overnight Trip - Quito northwest to Bella Vista via old Nono-Mindo Road
Days 4-11: Galapagos
Days 12-13: Overnight Trip - Mindo via new road

Summary:

Despite some hiccups, we had a fine time and saw excellent birds: 301 species overall, of which 178 were "lifers." The Galapagos itinerary provided a unique chance to try for all the island endemics.  Thanks to some luck, many pairs of eager eyes, and the superlative local knowledge of our National Park guide, we saw all but the Galapagos Martin (Progne modesta modesta) and the Galapagos Crake/Rail (Laterallus spilonotus.) (Site-by-site bird lists follow this report)

Background:

We had not taken a group birding trip since mid-1995, having preferred to travel independently in Texas, the Western U.S., Alaska, Canada, Brazil, Honduras, Mexico, Venezuela, Spain, France and the UK.  While we like the flexibility of doing it all on our own (with the occasional use of a local guide), we recognize that there are certain areas where this isn't feasible.  Thus, when Neblina Forest advertised "Thanksgiving in the Galapagos," plus some land-birding thrown in at each end, it looked like a good way to go.  We, and two other birders, would join a group to make up the complement of 14 on the trip.

Pre-Departure:

We found we could save $400 per person on air tickets if we flew American from New Orleans via Miami rather than Continental from Pensacola via Houston, so we figured a 4-hour drive to N.O. was worth it.  Plus, Paul had never been to the Big Easy.  We spent Saturday afternoon and Sunday enjoying the French Quarter sights and food, topping it off with the chef's tasting menu and wines at Commander's Palace - easily one of the best meals we have ever set our lips to.

Day 1:

Arriving in Quito at 11:30 pm and getting to bed in the comfortable Hotel Sebastian about 1:00 am made a 6:00 am departure a little tough, but we looked forward to meeting guide Lelis Navarrete (about whom we had had glowing reports) and to seeing some new countryside and its birds.  One of the two other people who would be on the whole trip, plus two unassociated Brits, joined us and we set off southeast out of the city.  As the road climbed and climbed, Lelis picked auspicious places and introduced us to the first of Ecuador's fine birding: Black and Green-tailed Trainbearers, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Giant and Sword-billed Hummingbirds, Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager and Tufted Tit-Tyrant were among the early highlights.  Getting up into the sparse vegetation of the paramo offered the chance to see Giant Conebill, Red-rumped Bush Tyrant, and a Tawny Antpitta which came to investigate Lelis' taped calls.  It was blowing and raining at the Papallacta summit, and there were no Seedsnipes apparent, so we headed down toward Baeza, finding Torrent Duck there, and Andean Teal and Yellow-billed Pintail along the road.  Back at the hotel at dark, we agreed that this had been one fine day.

Day 2:

Meeting the group which had arrived late the night before, we all headed out at 6:00 am for the old Nono-Mindo road and a night at Bella Vista.  Tony Nunnery joined Lelis Navarette as an additional local guide, and the tour leaders turned out also to be very experienced tropical birders/guides, so we had an embarassment of riches in expertise.  Good birding started along the main highway not too far outside Quito, with good looks at miscellaneous Tanagers, an Andean Guan family, and even a Whiskered Wren which showed itself to some people.  Turning off onto the old Nono-Mindo road made for more comfortable birding: little traffic, no risk of falling off the edge of the downhill side of the highway, and less "warbler neck" from craning up at the vegetation of the uphill side.  Alternately walking and bussing along this fabled birding route was an experience not to be missed.  With four leaders all spotting birds, sensory overload was a real hazard.

One of the highlights of the day was the chance to visit Tony's newly hand-built home, located on a small flat area below the road and looking out over the whole Tandayapa Valley.  We reveled in the Fawn-breasted Brilliants and Western Emeralds visiting his feeders; and a shortish trek along his trail through his forest yielded - depending on whether you were in the first or second group to take the trail - either a pair of Toucan Barbets perched and duetting in the mist, or a Grass-green Tanager.  The last kilometer to the Bella Vista lodge saw us trudging along in moderate rain, but that sometimes comes with the territory.

Note re: Bellavista Lodge

We would not stay again at Bella Vista Lodge, nor would we recommend it to anyone.  Sited on a precipitous point of land, it is a fanciful three-story bamboo-and-thatch "dome" construction with the sleeping areas served only by a single steep, narrow spiral staircase, and lit by hanging propane-fired mantle lanterns similar to a Coleman lantern.  Until gas-fired lighting is replaced with electricity, we consider it to be a disaster just waiting to happen.  There is a newly-completed Tandayapa Birding Lodge lower down which might be an acceptable alternative, though we have not inspected it.
 

 [Counter-Point from BirdChat newsgroup: "I second the praise that Paul gives Lelis Navarrette and Neblina.  However, I cannot join in his warning about Bellavista Lodge.   It is true that Bellavista Lodge has no electricity, that it is lighted by propane gas lights, and that the stairway to the rooms is somewhat steep.  However, the danger of a "disaster" fire appears remote.  Any place without electricity could potentially burn because of a fire from an open flame, although it is not subject to an electrical fire from a short.  And, although the birding in Tandayapa proved quite good, Bellavista was an otherworldly experience: hummers buzzing by our heads, Crimson-mantled Woodpeckers and other bright, showy birds just the other side of the wall.  This place is too good to pass up."  ---  Larry Gardella,  tanagerlfg@aol.com, Montgomery, AL]

 [Point from BirdChat newsgroup: "I spent a single night at the Bellavista in July 1998 and find Blakeburn's remarks accurate.  The lack of fire safety concern by the management was absolutely appalling and I made my concerns clear to the owner.  The charms of the Bellavista are considerable - hummers tame enough to stroke, raptors sailing across an unobstructed sky, tanagers just outside the windows - but, I would not go back.  Having survived a devastating fire in my home by crawling out on my belly wearing only my nightclothes, I knew that no one would be able to escape a fire in that structure.  And, one spark would be all that it would take for the place to be totally engulfed in seconds."  --   Nancy L. Newfield, Metairie, Louisiana USA, colibri@gs.verio.net]

 [Point from BirdChat newsgroup: "I stayed at Bellavista for two nights this past Feb.  The hummers are mind blowing, and I will return some day to get some camcorder footage and more close up and personal time with these stupendous hummers.  However, potential overnight guest at this lodge should be aware of the negatives of this abode.  The first night our group of 3 and guide stayed there, we were placed in a cabin about a mile down the road from the main lodge.  At night, after dinner, a van took us back down to our cabin.  But the foot trail from the road to the cabin was a real downward mud slide that had to be carefully negotiated in the dark due to its slick-ness.  Staying upright was a definite challenge.  Both for myself, who imbibed in entirely too much wine with dinner, and one of the other trip members who had some balance problems due to Parkinson's.

 The next night we stayed in rooms on the 2nd floor of the main lodge.  The propane lanterns are not just standalone lanterns, but propane lines are strung through out the lodge.  It definitely looks like an accident waiting to happen in terms of fire safety.  The place has a mildly unpleasant odor to it.  I'm not sure if this is from the toilets and sewer lines or from the propane.  You are at a rather high elevation at Bellavista, and as there is no heat and as it is very damp in this beautiful cloud forest climate, the cold bites through a warm weather wimp like me very easily.  In the morning, the taps would not work, so we had no water to freshen up or brush teeth with until the help woke up later and turned on the water lines.

 In addition, I'll be surprised if Bellavista remains upright in the future as it sits on a hilly precipice that has required constant reinforcing on several sides with chicken wire.  If Bellavista doesn't burn down first, it will probably eventually slide off the crumbling slope that it sits upon.  In the mean time, if flames do engulf the lodge, one would have a long jump down a steep slope to escape.  All this said, I would still stay there again."  ---   Stella Aquilina, Annandale VA, mailto:aquilina@btg.com]

 [Point from BirdChat newsgroup: "My wife and I stayed in the Bellavista Lodge in March of this year.  It is indeed located in a fabulous habitat, and its attendant humminbirds are phenomenal.  However, the lodge is a dump, a firetrap, too small, poorly designed, and everything else that has been written.  The sprherical design makes the rooms extremely tiny, especially the showers.  I used the semienclosed outdoor shower that the staff used.  Bellavista is the brainchild of a rather eccentric expatriot Brit who has his own way of doing things.  I admire the spirit, but not the realization of his dream.  The point may be rendered moot by a new lodge which is being built by a group of Australians on a nice piece of land nearer town down below.  It may be open by now.  I'm sure the tour companies who specialize in Ecuador would know." ---  David R Ferry, Yucaipa, CA, drferry@aol.com]

 [Point from BirdChat newsgroup: "The name of the new lodge is Tandayapa Bird Lodge or Tandayapa Valley Bird Lodge.  They have a website address available, as does Bellavista.  From accounts, I expect that Tandayapa will be more comfortable and safer.  In defense of the birding in the Bellavista area, I would like to comment.  There are few rivals in birding experiences to me than to awaken to the mournful song of the Common Potoo.  Observing from the balcony, the Potoo throws back his head and sings from his perch on a dead snag, back-lit by the midnight blue of the pre-dawn sky.  A Beautiful Jay calls as dawn breaks, moving from tree to tree along the balcony.  The dawn chorus erupts with an enthusiasm never before experienced by me.  During the day, the flocks move in to the "fig" tree that overhangs the balcony area, saturated with tanagers, grosbeaks, flycatchers, and numerous other species.  The hummers alight on one's fingers when held next to the feeders on the porch area.  Along the road are too many species to name, including Plate-billed Mountain Toucans and Toucan Barbets.  An absolute haven for birds and birders.

When I was at Bellavista in 1998, we experienced the aftershocks of an earthquake with the epicenter about 75 km away (estimated, not scientific).  The earthquake was of a 7.2 magnitude, with an estimate by an on site geologist of about 5.2 in the Bellavista area.  The building swayed and many of the beams cracked, but the overall construction held.  Who knows what will happen with the next one.  We were very concerned with the propane lines running through the three story "Swiss Family Robinson (without the tree)" accommodations, but all was well.  The proprietor was not on the premises when this happened, so we just checked everything as well as we could.

 The building can very much be considered a fire hazard to me with the natural bamboo construction and thatched roof.  From each upstairs window, there is a knotted rope that is the fire escape method.  The proprietor was very concerned that all lanterns were extinguished at night, of course.  In 1999, the sewage problems were evident from the odors.  The advertised hot water was not often available, so comfort was not always an option during that visit.  It was later in the summer and the flocks were not as prolific.  On a different note, the food has been very good during both my stays.  In summary, I plan to first try Tandayapa Lodge on my next visit, but I won't say that I will never stay at Bellavista again - even with the risks.  It all depends on the birds."  ---  Kristi Avera, Lake Park, GA USA, kravera@datasys.net]

 [Point from BirdChat newsgroup: "I have a question for those that have visited the Tandayapa Lodge.  I have visited Bellavista three times since 1995, and stayed overnight with a group in 1998.  Personally, I judge a birding site by the habitat there a lot more than the accomodations.  The owner of Bellavista is actively purchasing land around the lodge, in conjunction with an adjacent landowner Neils Krabbe (author of Birds of the High Andes).  I believe so far they have saved around 2000 acres of this irreplaceable Choco cloud forest.  Is Tandayapa Lodge doing anything like this (I hope so)?

 My point is that boycotting Bellavista could cause the owner to go out of business and sell off his land to those that would cut down the cloud forest for farming or other damaging purposes.  If birders are uncomfortable with the setup here, which I wouldn't blame them for, the area is still worth a day visit (or several day visits).  Trail maintenance is certainly an issue too, and I'm sure they have plans to improve some of them (though some would likely be negatively impacted by "improvements") after they have purchased enough land around them.  Concerned birders should maybe find ways to help improve the situation rather than boycotting.  Of course, if Volcan Pinchincha erupts, as it is likely to, both Bellavista and Tandayapa lodges are right in the path of the most likely blast zone, so neither lodge (or the adjacent forest) may exist for much longer!

 If you have visited La Selva Lodge and Kapawi Lodge in the Ecuadorian Amazon, as I have, these same concerns should apply. La Selva also lacks electricity and runs gas lamps in the bamboo and straw structures there, and some of the trails at Kapawi were so distracting (steepness, narrowness, mudiness) that we found ourselves concentrating on staying upright more than on birding.  I have no financial interest in either Bellavista or Tandayapa.  This region of Ecuador is my favorite birding area in the world, and I'd hate to see any more of the wonderful cloud forest there destroyed for any reason, incuding a birder boycott."   Allen Chartier Associate Editor, Michigan Birds & Natural History 1442 West River Park Drive Inkster, MI 48141 amazilia@juno.com

[Point from BirdChat newsgroup: "My name is Iain Campbell, and I am part owner of the Tandayapa Bird Lodge. The forest in the area is being bought and preserved, but it is neither mainly my myself nor Richard from Bellavista.  We only act as facilitators for the purchase of land by others and help in the protection of the land by overseeing to ensure that little hunting is possible.  For example only 55 hectares of the 600 heactares that Bellavista regards as "greater Bellavista" is owned by the lodge, and some of this is owned by people who want nothing to do with the comercial enterprise.  Tandayapa Bird Lodge owns 85 hectares outright, administors another 45, and is in the middle of buying another 450.   The cutting of forest is of less concern (except in one 70 hectare zone) than hunting pressure, as most of the remaining primary forest is too steep to farm, and the flatter areas are being regenerated.  The rate of regeneration is astounding- six months without grazing in the wet and the grassland begins to chock with local forest plants.  Both Bellavista and ourselves are also activly planting to promote rapid recovery, and from my interpretation of arial photography, naturaly regenerated areas that now have such rarities as Giant and Yellow-breasted Antpittas, Toucan Barbets and Plate-billed Mountain-toucans were pasture in 1988.

Your comment about the volcano was an important one, though the extent of likely damage is less than both Quito and much less than Mindo.  This is because there is a major South-west ridge between our valley and Pichincha- We get ash, but in no levels that damage the forest.  Looking at ancient soil profiles, and extrapolating this to the future eruptions, the largest single eruptions have left a 3 cm upward fining horzon, though there are 4 cycles without intervening paleosols.  By far the bigest problem from the volcano is the disruption to flights, with about 10 percent of flights being delayed for up to 12 hours.  The media jumps on this and blasts images of chaos which do not exists .  As I write this I am watching the main tourist strip of Quito and there is almost NO ONE walking around.  This gets back to your remark about boycotting an area- Conservation in Ecuador is not a luxury like in Australia or the USA- if a project does not generate income, it is history.  If the people stop coming because of minor disruptions, the threats such as cutting the remaining mangroves for shrimp farms, renting the Galapagos for an American military base or massive selling off of the Amazonian national parks for palm plantations becomes a reality."  From: Iain Campbell <iainc@tandayapa.com>

A birding walk farther up the road before breakfast was good fun, but one of the highlights of the trip was the later find of several Plate-billed Mountain Toucans along a side-road off the Nono-Mindo road.  Magnificent birds!  We ate lunch on Tony's porch, and gradually worked our way back to Quito.

Day 4:

Up very early to catch the 7:00 am Quito-Guayaquil-Galapagos flight, we found we had a problem.  The volcano Pichincha had erupted during the night, covering most of Quito with a couple millimeters of ash (actually micro-fine rock dust,) and it was still coming down.  Although given 90 minutes warning, the TAME airline hadn't been able to get its planes out of Quito in time, so half its fleet was stranded at the airport - jet engines do not like to breathe rock dust!  We were bussed to a military alternate airport 90 minutes south of Quito, eventually caught a plane, and finally arrived in the Galapagos just before sunset: about half a day late, but it could have been much worse.  Assisted by our assigned National Park guide/naturalist, Marcelo Gallardo, we made our way by ferry and bus to the yacht Galapagos Adventure II, at anchor in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island.

The Galapagos Adventure II was a very nice way to travel.  Only 18 months in service, and manned by a professional and attentive crew under Capt. Jose Figueroa, it was fast enough to accomplish our ambitious itinerary in the time allotted, and reasonably comfortable in the moderately rough seas which are the norm for the islands at this time of year.  Food was good, and plentiful.

Day 5:

We spent the morning visiting some areas of Santa Cruz Island, getting our first look at some of the endemic Galapagos Finches and, not incidentally, having a chance to meet the famed Galapagos giant tortoises at arm's length.  Following a brief visit to Darwin Station, we reboarded the yacht and set off for Espanola (Hood) Island to begin our Odyssey to nine islands in seven days.

Days 6-10:

Floreana Island, Champion Islet, Espanola (Hood) Island, San Cristobal Island, Plaza Island, Genovesa (Tower) Island, Isabela Island, Fernandina Island, Santiago Island, Rabida Island, Bainbridge Islet, Seymour Norte Island.

We could not have accomplished our desired itinerary without the superlative cooperation and flexibility of National Park Guide/Naturalist Marcelo Gallardo and Capt. Figueroa.  Marcelo convinced the National Park authorities to accept our major deviations from the "standard" tourist itinerary, found many birds for us, and was a good companion.  Capt. Figueroa accepted the vicissitudes of long passages and displayed superlative boat-handling - for example, holding his 75-foot vessel extremely close to the cliffs so the loco birders could get a good look at a Charles Mockingbird, or search for the Galapagos Martin.

Because we were "playing catchup" for much of the trip, we often didn't have much time on an island, but that didn't matter much to most of us.  We had great opportunities to see all the wildlife at the fabled close ranges of the Galapagos, and were happy to sacrifice quantity of time in a specific habitat for the quality of the variety offered.  When you can watch Blue-footed Boobys dancing six feet away, or a couple of Marine Iguanas having a territorial knockdown dragout battle at your feet, or a hapless Nazca (formerly Masked) Booby being harassed for its fish by four Magnificent Frigatebirds, the intensity of the experience more than compensates for brevity of time.

An important aspect of the trip was the opportunity for pelagic birding.  You know you're onto a good thing when no one is feeding the fish over the rail, the sun is out, and Audubon's Shearwaters and Waved Albatrosses become ho-hum birds.  We had a great time studying the three local Storm Petrels at close range, learning to spot a Dark-rumped Petrel at long range by its high, wheeling flight, or marvelling at a Spotted Eagle (Leopard) Ray doing flips in the air.  On the other hand, once the pictures are published, those participants who had the temerity to reduce themselves to shorts and sandals while spotting pelagic species from their chaise lounges may have their U.S. east and west coast pelagic birding privileges revoked!

Day 11:

Our flight via Guayaquil to Quito was uneventful as the airport had been cleaned of ash and reopened, and we had a free afternoon for shopping or whatever.  The streets were unusually lively as the annual celebration of Quito's founding had started that day, featuring delegations from surrounding towns riding open-topped busses - each with its own band.  The noise level was pretty high and, as the partying continued through the night, most of us didn't get a lot of sleep.

Day 12:

Some pretty haggard-looking birders boarded the bus shortly after 5:00 am, but a nap for most on the way to the Mindo turnoff, plus the prospect of more good birds, did wonders for our outlook on life.  We had read in Clive Green's "Birding Ecuador" that he had found good birding on the upper stretch of the new road from the highway to Mindo, and our experience this day confirmed his finding.  To start with, there is a streetlight right at the intersection, and many insects come to it during the night.  Naturally, the local birds have learned where to get an easy breakfast, and we were there to watch them go to it.  We had a variety of Tanagers, Flycatchers, a Toucan Barbet and - perhaps the "best" bird of the trip - a Scaled Fruiteater!  Walking down toward Mindo we had an everchanging smorgasbord of delights, including a couple of Golden-headed Quetzals (my first Quetzal ever,) and the Choco endemic Yellow-collared Chlorophonia.

We got to Mindo Gardens Lodge at about 2:30 in light rain.  Some napped to catch up on sleep lost the night before, others pressed on with birding in the immediate area, finding Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Cinnamon Becard and other goodies right next to the lodge or nearby.

Note re: Mindo Gardens Lodge

This property is located several kilometers outside Mindo over a very rough road, and across a stream ford.  The physical facility is impressive: well-separated, nicely-designed housing units each have 2-3 bedrooms; they and the main lodge and dining area feature stained natural woods and a very open feeling.  Based on the tiny stream of water coming out of the tap to our sink, we didn't bother trying the "widowmaker" shower.  One participant who did try his shower found it not to be working.

Dinner that night was fine for quality, but evoked grumbles at the paltry quantity: most thought a hard day of birding and walking warranted more than a very small salad; a thin porkchop, two tablespoons of potatoes, and six broccoli/cauliflower florets; and a miniscule dessert!  When breakfast the next morning was equally skimpy, the mood turned downright ugly and I had a few heated words with the manager.  Most thought that at $60 per person per night, we had been thoroughly ripped off in the food department.  The box lunch provided by the lodge was, however, one of the better ones of the trip.

Day 12:

Early morning birding in the area of the lodge started out rather blandly, but later provided a real thrill when a pair of Immaculate Antbirds put in an appearance.  Leaving the lodge area, we explored a farm road south of town with good results; found perched Maroon-tailed Parakeets and a Scarlet-backed Woodpecker pair actively using a nest hole just outside the town on the road back to the main highway; and then headed for a spot Tony Nunnery knew of in the village of Bancas some 12 km.  West of the Mindo turnoff.

Tony had found some fruiting trees in a pastureland area a week or so earlier and thought they might still be attractive to birds.  Boy, was he right!  In one 100 m.  stretch of road, Tony and I had a look at a Pale-mandibled Aracari, and everyone got to see such beauties as Club-winged and Golden-winged Manakins, Flame-faced, Golden, Beryl-spangled and Bay-headed Tanagers, and Pacific Antwren (split from Streaked Antwren.) Needless to say, it was hard to leave such a paradise, but we had to go back to Quito and got there shortly after dark to conclude a fabulous trip.

Appreciation:

In addition to the people who helped us so much in the Galapagos as mentioned above, we would like specifically to thank: Lelis Navarrete and Tony Nunnery - for your fine companionship and excellent teaching; Jorge - bus driver par excellence; Simon Thompson and Roger McNeill - for sharing your expertise so generously; and Mercedes Rivadeniera - for conceiving and organizing an excellent trip.

ECUADOR SITE-SPECIFIC LISTS
("F" indicates First Sighting)

Description: Quito-Papallacta Pass-Baeza
Location: Ecuador
Trip Date: 11-23-99
Species Seen: 65
 
 

-	COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME
-	Torrent Duck	Merganetta armata
-	Yellow-billed Pintail	Anas georgica
F	Andean Duck	Oxyura ferruginea
-	Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle	Geranoaetus melanoleucus
F	Plain-breasted Hawk	Accipiter ventralis
F	Variable Hawk	Buteo polyosoma
-	Baird's Sandpiper	Calidris bairdii
-	Spotted Sandpiper	Actitis macularia
-	Eared Dove	Zenaida auriculata
-	Common Ground-Dove	Columbina passerina
-	White-collared Swift	Streptoprocne zonaris
-	Chestnut-collared Swift	Streptoprocne rutila
-	Giant Hummingbird	Patagona gigas
-	Tyrian Metaltail	Metallura tyrianthina
F	Purple-backed Thornbill	Ramphomicron microrhynchum
F	Blue-mantled Thornbill	Chalcostigma stanleyi
F	Sword-billed Hummingbird	Ensifera ensifera
-	Shining Sunbeam	Aglaeactis cupripennis
F	Buff-winged Starfrontlet	Coeligena lutetiae
F	Chestnut-breasted Coronet	Boissonneaua matthewsii
F	Black-tailed Trainbearer	Lesbia victoriae
F	Green-tailed Trainbearer	Lesbia nuna
-	Long-tailed Sylph	Aglaiocercus kingi
-	Bar-winged Cinclodes	Cinclodes fuscus
F	Stout-billed Cinclodes	Cinclodes excelsior
-	Andean Tit-Spinetail	Leptasthenura andicola
F	Azara's Spinetail	Synallaxis azarae
-	Rufous Spinetail	Synallaxis unirufa
F	Many-striped Canastero	Asthenes flammulata
F	Pearled Treerunner	Margarornis squamiger
F	Tawny Antpitta	Grallaria quitensis
F	Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant	Cnemarchus erythropygius
-	Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant	Ochthoeca fumicolor
F	Plain-capped Ground-Tyrant	Muscisaxicola alpina
F	White-crested Elaenia	Elaenia albiceps
-	Cinnamon Flycatcher	Pyrrhomyias cinnamomea
F	Smoke-colored Pewee	Contopus fumigatus
F	Tufted Tit-Tyrant	Anairetes parulus
-	White-throated Tyrannulet	Mecocerculus leucophrys
F	White-banded Tyrannulet	Mecocerculus stictopterus
F	Brown-bellied Swallow	Notiochelidon murina
F	Mountain Wren	Troglodytes solstitialis
-	Sedge Wren/"Grass Wren"	Cistothorus platensis
-	Great Thrush	Turdus fuscater
-	Spectacled Redstart	Myioborus melanocephalus
F	Black-crested Warbler	Basileuterus nigrocristatus
F	Giant Conebill	Oreomanes fraseri
F	Cinereous Conebill	Conirostrum cinereum
F	Black Flower-piercer	Diglossa humeralis
F	Rusty Flower-piercer	Diglossa sittoides
-	Superciliaried Hemispingus	Hemispingus superciliaris
F	Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager	Anisognathus igniventris
F	Blue-and-yellow Tanager	Thraupis bonariensis
F	Pale-naped Brush-Finch	Atlapetes pallidinucha
F	Stripe-headed Brush-Finch	Buarremon torquatus
-	Paramo Seedeater	Catamenia homochroa
F	Plain-colored Seedeater	Catamenia inornata
F	Black-and-white Seedeater	Sporophila luctuosa
-	Rufous-collared Sparrow	Zonotrichia capensis
F	Plumbeous Sierra-Finch	Phrygilus unicolor
F	Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch	Phrygilus plebejus
F	Band-tailed Seedeater	Catamenia analis
-	Hooded Siskin	Carduelis magellanica
-	Blackburnian Warbler	Dendroica fusca
-	Canada Warbler	Wilsonia canadensis

Description: Quito to Tandayapa Valley & Bella Vista
Location: Ecuador
Trip Date: 11-24/25-99
Species Seen: 112
 

-	COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME
-	Hook-billed Kite	Chondrohierax uncinatus
-	Plain-breasted Hawk	Accipiter ventralis
-	Broad-winged Hawk	Buteo platypterus
-	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius
-	Andean Guan	Penelope montagnii
-	Band-tailed Pigeon	Columba fasciata
-	Common Ground-Dove	Columbina passerina
-	White-tipped Dove	Leptotila verreauxi
-	Red-billed Parrot	Pionus sordidus
-	Common Potoo	Nyctibius griseus
-	White-collared Swift	Streptoprocne zonaris
F	Tawny-bellied Hermit	Phaethornis syrmatophorus
F	Andean Emerald/"Western"	Amazilia franciae
-	Sparkling Violet-ear	Colibri coruscans
-	Green Violet-ear	Colibri thalassinus
-	Rufous-tailed Hummingbird	Amazilia tzacatl
-	Speckled Hummingbird	Adelomyia melanogenys
F	Fawn-breasted Brilliant	Heliodoxa rubinoides
F	Brown Inca	Coeligena wilsoni
F	Collared Inca	Coeligena torquata
F	Buff-tailed Coronet	Boissonneaua flavescens
F	Gorgeted Sunangel	Heliangelus strophianus
F	Booted Racket-tail	Ocreatus underwoodii
-	Long-tailed Sylph	Aglaiocercus kingi
F	Wedge-billed Hummingbird	Schistes geoffroyi
F	Purple-throated Woodstar	Calliphlox mitchellii
F	Masked Trogon	Trogon personatus
F	Red-headed Barbet	Eubucco bourcierii
F	Toucan Barbet	Semnornis ramphastinus
F	Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan	Andigena laminirostris
F	Crimson-mantled Woodpecker	Piculus rivolii
-	Azara's Spinetail	Synallaxis azarae
F	Slaty Spinetail	Synallaxis brachyura
F	Red-faced Spinetail	Cranioleuca erythrops
-	Streaked Tuftedcheek	Pseudocolaptes boissonneautii
-	Pearled Treerunner	Margarornis squamiger
F	Spotted Barbtail	Premnoplex brunnescens
F	Rusty-winged Barbtail	Premnornis guttuligera
-	Striped Treehunter	Thripadectes holostictus
F	Montane Woodcreeper	Lepidocolaptes lacrymiger
F	Long-tailed Antbird	Drymophila caudata
F	Chestnut-crowned Antpitta	Grallaria ruficapilla
F	Yellow-breasted Antpitta	Grallaria flavotincta
F	Spillmann's Tapaculo	Scytalopus spillmanni
F	Ocellated Tapaculo	Acropternis orthonyx
F	Rufous-winged Tyrannulet	Mecocerculus calopterus
-	Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet	Camptostoma obsoletum
F	Tawny-rumped Tyrannulet	Phyllomyias uropygialis
-	White-crested Elaenia	Elaenia albiceps
F	Sierran Elaenia	Elaenia pallatangae
F	White-tailed Tyrannulet	Mecocerculus poecilocercus
F	Streak-necked Flycatcher	Mionectes striaticollis
-	Cinnamon Flycatcher	Pyrrhomyias cinnamomea
F	Flavescent Flycatcher	Myiophobus flavicans
-	Smoke-colored Pewee	Contopus fumigatus
-	Black Phoebe	Sayornis nigricans
F	Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant	Silvicultrix diadema
F	Golden-crowned Flycatcher	Myiodynastes chrysocephalus
-	Tropical Kingbird	Tyrannus melancholicus
-	Bran-colored Flycatcher	Myiophobus fasciatus
-	Tufted Tit-Tyrant	Anairetes parulus
F	Barred Becard	Pachyramphus versicolor
-	Andean Cock-of-the-Rock	Rupicola peruviana
F	Beautiful Jay	Cyanolyca pulchra
F	Brown-capped Vireo	Vireo leucophrys
F	Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush	Catharus fuscater
-	Swainson's Thrush	Catharus ustulatus
-	Glossy-black Thrush	Turdus serranus
-	Great Thrush	Turdus fuscater
-	Blue-and-white Swallow	Pygochelidon cyanoleuca
-	Southern Rough-winged Swallow	Stelgidopteryx ruficollis
F	Plain-tailed Wren	Thryothorus euophrys
F	Whiskered Wren	Thryothorus mystacalis
-	House Wren	Troglodytes aedon
-	Mountain Wren	Troglodytes solstitialis
-	Tropical Parula	Parula pitiayumi
-	Blackburnian Warbler	Dendroica fusca
-	Slate-throated Redstart	Myioborus miniatus
-	Spectacled Redstart	Myioborus melanocephalus
-	Black-crested Warbler	Basileuterus nigrocristatus
F	Russet-crowned Warbler	Basileuterus coronatus
F	Capped Conebill	Conirostrum albifrons
F	White-sided Flower-piercer	Diglossa albilatera
-	Orange-bellied Euphonia	Euphonia xanthogaster
F	Golden-naped Tanager	Tangara ruficervix
F	Metallic-green Tanager	Tangara labradorides
-	Beryl-spangled Tanager	Tangara nigroviridis
F	Dusky Bush-Tanager	Chlorospingus semifuscus
-	White-winged Tanager	Piranga leucoptera
F	Silver-throated Tanager	Tangara icterocephala
-	Blue-and-black Tanager	Tangara vassorii
-	Black-capped Tanager	Tangara heinei
-	Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager	Anisognathus somptuosus
-	Blue-capped Tanager	Thraupis cyanocephala
-	Summer Tanager	Piranga rubra
F	Black-eared Hemispingus	Hemispingus melanotis
-	Oleaginous Hemispingus	Hemispingus frontalis
F	Black-winged Saltator	Saltator atripennis
-	Buff-throated Saltator	Saltator maximus
F	Yellow Grosbeak	Pheucticus chrysopeplus
-	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Pheucticus ludovicianus
-	Blue-black Grassquit	Volatinia jacarina
F	Yellow-faced Grassquit	Tiaris olivacea
-	Yellow-bellied Seedeater	Sporophila nigricollis
-	Band-tailed Seedeater	Catamenia analis
F	Rufous-naped Brush-Finch	Atlapetes rufinucha
F	White-winged Brush-Finch	Atlapetes leucopterus
-	Giant Cowbird	Scaphidura oryzivora
-	Lesser Goldfinch	Carduelis psaltria
-	Hooded Siskin	Carduelis magellanica
-	Bananaquit	Coereba flaveola
-	Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch	Phrygilus plebejus

Paul Blakeburn
Linda Bogiages
Gulf Breeze, FL
paulb@ksinc.net or paulb4178@aol.com