TOM'S HOME PAGE ECUADOR BEST OF NORTHERN ECUADOR Jan/Feb 2011 SOUTH AFRICA Aug/Sept 2010

POINT PELEE MAY 2010 CANADIAN PRAIRIES JUNE 2010

Best of Northern Ecuador : Jan 23 - Feb 4, 2011

The incomparable Napo Wildlife Center at sunset

Lanceolated Monklet - one of many rarities found here

The 36 meter (120 foot) high Canopy Tower provides great views Paddling on the lake by the lodge - a wonderful experience

Napo has three parrot 'licks' which attract thousands of parrots - we recorded 18 parrots species here in 2010

An Indigo Quail-dove perched co-operatively by the trail! The incredibly rare Black-necked Red Cotinga on a lek!!!

Part of our 2010 group on top of the Canopy Tower enjoying a fine morning A White-necked Puffbird in the tree beside us for over an hour!

Barred Fruiteater - one of many great birds possible at Yanacocha

Mountains above the trail at Yanacocha reserv

'Maria' the Giant Antpitta - one of many highlights at Angel Paz reserve

Sword-billed Hummingbird - one of the showstoppers at Guango lodge

A displaying male Club-winged Manakin at Milpe Reserve

Torrent Ducks are regular in the Ecuadorian Andes

The Mystery owl resident at San Isidro Lodge - Is it a new species??

Masked Trogon with moth - one of the regulars at San Isidro!!

Focus and highlights:

This trip features visits THREE distinctly different regions of Northern Ecuador: the WEST SLOPE, the EAST SLOPE, and the AMAZON basin! Simply put, it takes in the very best that Northern Ecuador has to offer.

We will use Quito as a starting point and hub for this trip staying at the ideally situated, comfortable and well serviced Quito Sheraton. The trip starts with three nights and four days on the west slope using SEPTIMO PARAISO as a base, and visiting ANGEL PAZ RESERVE, RIO SILANCHE, YANACOCHA, the TANDAYAPA VALLEY, MILPE and the Y of MINDO. We then spend five days and four nights at NAPO WILDLIFE CENTRE, and finally conclude with three days and two nights on the EAST SLOPE including visits to WILD SUMACO, SAN ISIDRO and GUANGO LODGES!

Itinerary:

Jan 23      Arrive in Quito. Transfer to Sheraton. Dinner and night at Sheraton. Please note that is strongly recommended that participants arrive a few days early in Quito.
Jan 24      Breakfast at Sheraton. Yanacocha Reserve in morning. Tandayapa valley in afternoon. Box lunch. Dinner and night at Septimo Paraiso lodge.
Jan 25      Angel Paz reserve in morning. Lunch at Mirador Rio Blancos. Afternoon at Milpe Reserve. Dinner and night at Septimo Paraiso Lodge.
Jan 26      Early departure and full morning and early afternoon at Rio Silanche reserve. Dinner and night at Septimo Paraiso.
Jan 27      Depart Septimo. Early morning at Y of Mindo. Rest of morning birding up Tandayapa valley (Mindo Loma, Bellavista, etc). Dinner and night at Sheraton.
Jan 28      Breakfast at Sheraton. Early am flight to Coca. Transfer to Napo Wildlife Centre. Box lunch. Dinner and night at Napo Wildlife Center.
Jan 29      Napo Wildlife Center. Birding from Tower in morning. Birding from canoes in afternoon. All meals and night Napo Wildlife Center.
Jan 30      Napo Wildlife Center. Early morning boat trip. Parrot licks for rest of morning and early afternoon. All meals and night Napo Wildlife Center.
Jan 31      Napo Wildlife Center. Full morning trail walk to cotinga lek. Afternoon boat trip or tower visit. All meals and night Napo Wildlife Center.
Feb 01      Early am departure NWC. Transfer by boat to Coca. Drive Coca to Wild Sumaco (hummer feeders). Night and dinner San Isidro Lodge.
Feb 02      San Isidro Lodge grounds in am. Mid altitude roads in pm. All meals and night San Isidro Lodge.Day 11 -   Breakfast at Sheraton. Check out and transfer to airport.
Feb 03      Early am birding at San Isidro. Late am at Guango Lodge (including lunch). Papallacta Pass and return to Quito in late pm. Night and dinner at Sheraton.
Feb 04      Morning departures from Sheraton.

Physical Conditions:

Participants should be in good physical condition to participate in this trip. Some portions of this trip are at higher elevations. For example, the first full day of birding is in temperate forest at Yanacocha, around 3200 meters. We then descend to lower elevations on the west slope for the next three days birding between 900 and 2500 meters for most of this time (with most time spent at 1400 meters). We are below 1000 meters for portion of the trip spent at Napo Wildlife Center. On the east slope conclusion of the trip we rise up to 2400 meters the first day, and then bird up to the pass at 4000 briefly on our return journey to Quito. We may drive to 4500 meters for a brief search for Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe but this is weather dependent. Expect warm/hot humid conditions at NWC with days starting early 4:30 am wake ups on most days, taking a break in the middle of the day and then doing another excursion in late afternoon. Most days on the west and east slope we will again start early (5 am wake up it typical) but finish early so a full nights sleep is available. More difficult hikes occur at Angel Paz (not long, but steep and muddy) and at NWC (one long morning hike, where conditions again can be muddy). However the majority of birding will be from the bus, or at stationary sites (viewing platforms, hummingbird feeders, etc) and participants can opt out of any activity (good alternatives available).

What is included:

Accommodations: twelve nights in double occupancy: (three nights at Quito Sheraton, four nights at Napo Wildlife Center, two nights at San Isidro, three nights at Septimo Paraiso ecolodge)
Meals: all meals from dinner on Jan 23, 2011 to breakfast on Feb 04, 2011 (12 dinners; 12 breakfasts; 11 lunches). snacks in the field. water and some soft drinks and juices while in the field.
Transportation: Includes transfers from airport to Sheraton; flight from Quito to Coca (one way, economy); boat transfers to and from Napo Wildlife center; ground transport from Coca to Quito including services of driver.
Guiding: Tom Hince throughout the trip. At Napo Wildlife Center local expert birding guides daily. From Coca to Quito portion (Feb 2-6) local bilingual guide.
Entrance fees: included for all birding sites, including Angel Paz reserve, Milpe Reserve, Rio Silanche Reserve, Mirador Rio Blancos, Bellavista, Yanacocha, Napo Wildlife Centre, Wild Sumaco, Guango lodge, San Isidro lodge, and the Papallacta microwave antennas.
Tips: tips for porters, hotel staff, drivers and birding guides are included. However for birding guides or drivers who provide you with a special service or who you develop a special relationship with, you may wish to tip them additionally.

What is not included:
Flights to and from Ecuador. Alcohol. Departure taxes at airport. Items not specifically identified as included.

Highlights of this trip (obviously we wont see them all, but this gives you an idea):

This trip should yield over 60 species of hummingbirds alone, as many as 70 members of the tanager family, up to 10 toucans, 30-40 antbirds, and a good variety of mammals. Below are some site specific targets!

Yanacocha: Andean Guan, Barred Fruiteater, Black-chested, Hooded and Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanagers, Rufous Wren, Rufous and Tawny Antpittas, Great Sapphirewing, Golden-breasted and Sapphire-vented Puffleg, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Rainbow-bearded Thornbill and a very slight chance of Black-breasted Puffleg (see once on this trip).

Tandayapa Valley: Red-crested Cotinga, White-capped Dipper, Western Hemispingus, Green and Black Fruiteater, Gorgeted Sunangel, Booted Rackettail, Violet-tailed Sylph, Tanager Finch.

Angel Paz reserve: Giant Antpitta, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Ochre-breasted Antpitta, Dark-backed Wood Quail, Olivaceous Piha, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, White-faced Nunbird, Rufous-bellied Nighthawk, Rufescent Screech-Owl, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Scaled Fruiteater, Golden-headed Quetzal, Velvet-purple Coronet, Empress Brilliant.

Septimo Paraiso: fourteen species of hummingbirds at the feeders including White-necked Jacobin, Empress Brilliant and Violet-tailed Sylph, plus Mottled Owl on the grounds.

Y of Mindo: Toucan Barbet, Masked Trogon, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Tricolored Brush Finch, Golden-crowned Flycatcher and many others gorging on moths in early morning.

Milpe Reserve: lek of Club-winged Manakin, feeders with Green Thorntail, woodnymphs, Green-crowned Brilliants, hermits, possibly of mixed feeding flocks with Choco zone endemics, Choco Toucan, Choco Trogon, motmots, Pacific Hornero, Bronze-winged Parrots, Moss-green Tanager and many others.

Rio Silanche: raptors and canopy dwellers from tower in early morning, a good mix of antbirds, trogons, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, many restricted range endemics.

Napo Wildlife Center: the range of possibilities here is enormous! Mammals might include up to ten species of primates including Pygmy Marmoset, several tamarind monkeys and Night Monkey. Giant Otter is sporadically seen around the main lake where the lodge is situated! Pink Dolphins are occasionally seen in the Napo River en route. Bird possibilities included Crested (seen on our last tour) and Harpy Eagles, and Black and White Hawk Eagles (seen in 2010), Zigzag Heron (adult and juvenile 2010), Agami, Capped and Boat-billed Herons, Sungrebe (roosting pair seen in 2010), Great Tinamou (roosting adult with babies seen in 2010), an incredible array of large showy woodpeckers (14 species seen in 2010 including Cream-colored and Red-necked), over 30 species of antbirds (Hairy-crested and Lunulated both seen in 2010), Marbled Woodquail (group of four seen at point blank range roosting in 2010), many showy tanagers, Plum-throated, Purple-throated, Spangled and Black-necked Red Cotingas (all seen well in 2010), lots of toucans and aracaris (eye level views from the tower!) and many, many others. The local guides here are superb and we are sure to see an incredible array of mammals and birds.

Wild Sumaco: an afternoon visit here to the hummingbird feeders should tally as many as 15 hummingbird species including such difficult species as Black-throated Brilliant, Ecuadorian Piedtail and Gould's Jewelfront. We will hope to bump into some tanager flocks while waiting for hummers too!

San Isidro lodge: highlights here are numerous but include San Isidro Mystery Owl and Rufous-banded Owl (both regularly seen), White-bellied and Chestnut-crowned Antpittas, Barred Becard, Andean Solitaire, Subtropical Cacique, Inca Jay, Masked Trogon, White-edged Flycatcher, Bronzy Inca, Long-tailed Sylph, Booted Rackettail (east slope form), Wattled Guan, White-capped Tanager, Black-billed Mountain Toucan, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Capped Conebill, Crested and Golden-headed Quetzals, and many others.

Guango lodge: this lodge is at higher altitude and offers a slightly different set of hummingbirds including Sword-billed Hummingbird, Speckled Hummingbird, Glowing Puffleg, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Tourmaline Sunangel, White-bellied Woodstar and Long-tailed Sylph. Other possibilities here include Torrent Duck and White-capped Dipper, Gray-breasted Mountain Toucan, several species of hemispingus, Plushcap, and Capped Conebill.

Papallacta Pass: If we have time and the weather is suitable we will search here for specialties such as Black-backed Bush Tanager, Giant Conebill, Paramo Ground Tyrant, Red-rumped Bush Tyrant, Black-billed Shrike Tyrant, Plumbeous Sierra Finch, Bar-winged and Stout-billed Cinclodes, Blue-mantled Thornbill and Andean Hillstar. If the microwave towers are clear, we may search for the Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe at this site.

Price:

The tentative price per person based upon double occupancy is US$ 4295.00
The single supplement for this tour is US $ 750

If you want to sign up: the deposit for the trip is US$ 400 per person payable by check made to "Tom Hince" and mailed to P.O. Box 281, RR1, Wheatley, ON. N0P 2P0.
Final payment of the balance is due 90 days prior to departure: (ie. October 31, 2010)

Cancellations and Insurance:

I strongly recommend that folks purchase trip cancellation insurance from an independent travel insurance provider. I can provide receipts for any payments made.

Up to 90 days prior to the beginning of the trip: If you cancel, the deposit is non refundable.
Between 90 and 45 days prior to the beginning of the trip: Funds paid up to fifty percent of the cost of the trip is forfeit. The balance paid beyond this is fully refundable.
Within 45 days of the beginning of the trip: The entire cost of the trip is forfeit.

Leader: Tom Hince

If you have additional questions, please contact Tom at (586) 839-7482 or peleetom@netcore.ca