ECUADOR Eastern cloud forest

  Our computer with photos was stolen in Quito so I can only use links and download photos from the web for our time at Guango (1 night), San Isidro (3 nights) and Napo
Wildlife Centre (3 nights).  We bought a cheap tablet for the rest of our trip.

 We were met at Quito airport by Andres Trujillo, who was our birdwatching guide for the next four days.  He was excellent, determined to show us all he could, despite rain on several days.  He speaks English very well and was happy to answer all our questions.  Our driver, Mauricio, did not speak English but drove well and enjoyed watching birds. 

Guango Lodge cabanasanisidro.com/pages/guango_lodge.htm is  in cloud forest on the western slopes of the Andes.  It is higher than Quito, the highest capital city in the world at 2800m.  We had some trouble breathing on uphill stretches, but managed to keep up with our much younger guide.  At the lodge, hummingbird feeders attracted many birds of quite stunning beauty.

Glowing puffleg

Sword-billed hummingbird

We trudged up small hills in wet grass and crossed footbridges, seeing 41
 birds in 4 hours.

Torrent ducks fish in rapids.  Female has orange breast.

Gray-breasted mountain-toucan

Masked flowerpiercer

At a sister lodge, San Isidro, for the next 3 days, we saw 72 birds. Here a man has trained elusive antpittas to appear for a meal of worms.

Chestnut-crowned Antpitta

Inca jay

Booted racket-tail

Emerald toucanet

San Isidro is home to a family of mysterious owls.  DNA testing at Cornell suggests they are a new species.

Ecuador is home to more than 130 species of tanager.  We saw 24 including the ones below.

Masked flowerpiercer

Blue-necked tanager

San Isidro provided possibly the best food of our trip, tasty, different, varied.  The staff at Guango and San Isidro were very pleasant and attentive.