O U R S E R V I C E
Ecuador is home to more than 1700 species of birds. Several rich ecosystems make up the breathtaking landscapes and biodiverse forest. Highlands, Cloud-forest, valleys and ravines offer us beautiful sceneries and the most spectacular fauna, considered objectives for birders and photographers of all level.
With a superb selection of locations - many of them with excellent feeders, this country is one of the premier bird photography destinations in South America.
Alejandro - our guide - provides personalized travel experiences at the lowest rates by working closely with his partners, especially those working in conservation. ALL bird photography locations visited during this tour are private conservation efforts focused on preserving native forests. All practice sustainability to the point possible for their locations. Furthermore, all aim to provide fair employment opportunities to the surrounding communities. Therefore, your trip directly supports their efforts and empowers local communities to thrive and further develop tourism opportunities that will protect Ecuador’s endangered species.
Introduction to Ecuadorian food and culture with many opportunities to try comida tipica, the local cuisine made in each region. Each day, travel permitting, we provide a couple of hours after lunch for rest and relaxation.
This is a private tour for your party only. While 2-5 people are recommended; a single-person departure can be arranged for an additional fee. The departure date will be requested by the client and will depend on our mutual availability.
Our tours run year round. Please ask about our available departure dates.
Testimonial
"My spouse and I travelled to Ecuador many times. We were so fortunate to meet and work with Alejandro. He is knowledgeable, professional and boundlessly kind. One morning during our stay we were sitting in the lodge poring over birding books. I started going on about the Sylph and how exciting it would be to see and photograph one. She remarked you mean that one there. I turned around and one had struck e window and was sitting dazed in a planter in the deck. We rushed out and Alejandro showed us how to revive the bird. It was an extraordinarily beautiful encounter demonstrating the love for the bird and the importance of reviving the bird and letting it go from there. It was powerful. Some years later I would return to Ecuador, but sadly this time alone and grieving the loss of my Alexandra. Alejandro showed me such kindness and compassion. As a result we are good friends and always know you are in his kind hands in Ecuador"
Sheila Mansell - BC, Canada |
10-Days BirdPhotographyTour -Ecuador
ITINERARY Day 0/night 1: This is your arrival day; most international flights arrive in Quito about midnight. I will be waiting for you at the airport, holding a sign with your name on it. Then, I will drive you to your hotel for your first two nights in Quito. No meals today. Day 1/night 2: After breakfast, we will depart at about 8:30am to explore one of the most beautiful capital cities of the world, Quito.Experience an amazing view of this city from one of its “miradors.” Then we will visit the historic district, including a tour of La Compañia de Jesus, the most ornate church in South America and an outstanding example among the Baroque splendours of the Old Town. We might also consider an Ecuadorian Chocolate tasting in the afternoon. A comfortable schedule will allow you to acclimatize to the altitude. Today’s activities will include a late lunch or an early dinner, before we return to the hotel. Day 2/night 3: Lets go birding !!! Today we will leave the hotel at 5:15am, we will just stop in a gas station on route for having a quick coffee and get some snacks for the day. Today we will visit a high altitude preserve where we will photography some fantastic birds as: the Scarlet-bellied Tanager, the Black-chested Mountain-Tanager, the Shining Sunbeam, the Great Sapphirewing, the Sword-billed Hummingbird, and the Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch, all which readily come to feeders; our lunch will be served here and after this fantastic day, we will return to Quito for having an early dinner, packing our luggage, and spend our last night in Quito area. Day 3/night 4: At 6:15 am, we will drive to our birding destination – stopping for a coffee & snacks en route. At this preserve, we will try to see: Golden Grosbeak, White-bellied Woodstar, Blue-capped Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain-tanager, among other bird species. Next, we will drive to a local cafe where we will have a light lunch while enjoying an assortment of Tandayapa Valley’s colorful hummingbirds. After lunch, we will visit a small reserve that protects a montane evergreen forest of the Andean foothills. The terrain offers a different suite of birds from the nearby Tandayapa Valley. The lush forest of this reserve hosts an excellent hummingbird garden with species of hummers that complement the ones found at higher elevations. They include the incredibly cute Green Thorntail, the jewel-like Green-crowned Woodnymph, the stately Green-crowned Brilliant, and the hyperactive White-whiskered Hermit. This area also offers other photo opportunities at the fruit feeders which often attract colorful tanagers, euphonias, motmots, and toucans. We will enjoy dinner in the small cafe and spend the night in this reserve’s comfortable accommodations. Day 4/night 5: Rising early in the morning, we can take advantage of this lodge’s “bug trap” which is visited by birds searching for insects attracted to the bright lights during the night. About 8am and just after breakfast we will drive toward to the next private preserve where we will see some new species such as Black-cheeked & Golden-olive Woodpeckers, several tanagers & a new set of hummingbirds. About 5 pm, shortly before our evening meal, we will arrive in the Mindo area where we will stay for the next three nights. Day 5/ night 6: After a very early breakfast, we will visit one of the most spectacular places of the tour. Antpittas are, doubtless, some of the most difficult to observe birds in the world; this morning, we hope to see five different Antpitta species, including two threatened by extinction. After this amazing morning, we will enjoy a typical Ecuadorian snack (coffee, empanadas & bolones) before heading into Mindo to visit the famed Mariposario (butterfly farm) where you will witness the four different stages of a butterfly’s life. Then, we will drive back to our lodge for a late afternoon at the bird feeders before our evening meal. Day 6/ night 7: After an early breakfast, we will drive to the Amagusa Reserve, a privately-owned forest in the newly designated protected important bird area (IBA) Mashpi-Pachijal. This 130 hectare reserves protects the last foothill-forest directly connected to the lower subtropical western forest of Ecuador. This unique location makes it particularly attractive for photographers looking for Choco-endemic birds like the Glistening-green Tanager, the Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager, the Golden-naped Tanager, Rose-faced Parrot and the Moss-backed Tanager. Later in the afternoon, we will drive to observe and photograph the bright scarlet forms of several displaying Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks. After these adventures, we will drive back to our lodge where we will enjoy our dinner & overnight stay. Day 7/ night 8: Our last morning in the Tandayapa valley will be dedicated to two stunning species of birds: Plate-billed Mountain-toucan and the Toucan Barbet; we will also see lots of hummingbirds flying around us! In the afternoon, we will drive to our hotel in Quito, where we will have dinner and spend the night. Breakfast, lunch & dinner are included today. Day 8/ night 9: Another early morning departure at 6am will bring us to the open grasslands surrounding the enormous Antisana Volcano. In order to take advantage of the early morning light, we will have a light breakfast in a nearby village. The Antisana Volcano is impressive with a large snow-covered top and dramatic rocky sides. The páramo (grassland) is interspersed with rocky outcrops and scenic high altitude Andean lakes dotted with waterfowl. Indeed, the scenery itself may be our biggest photo asset in this location. The upper páramo is carpeted with Carunculated Caracaras, a striking pied raptor that occurs here in impressive numbers, as well as large flocks of Andean Gulls. The Antisana Volcano is also home to the impressive Andean Condor. Many visitors have voted this location as their favorite destination. After our visit to the Antisana Wildlife Reserve, we will drive to a local cafe, where we will have our lunch as well as we see several species of high altitude hummingbirds including the colorful Sparkling Violetear, the diminutive Tyrian Metaltail, the stunning Black-tailed Trainbearer, and the adorable Shining Sunbeam. After lunch, we will drive to the Quijos Valley staying at a family run hotel where we will have dinner and spend the last two nights of our adventure. Day 9/ night 10: Rising early in the morning, we will have breakfast at 5:30 am before driving to a small, pristine lake with an adjoining 13 hectares of primary Amazonian forest in the Napo province. The owners, the Aguinda family, recently received recognition for their conservation efforts and were awarded an official government designation as the Misahualli Wildlife Center. During a one-hour canoe trip, we will see prehistoric-looking Hoatzins, many colorful tanagers, stately kingfishers, and the large-beaked Greater Ani. A highlight would be the Spider Monkeys, especially if they hang from the tree branches near the water's edge. Harder to see Tamarin Monkeys often scurry along tree trunks. After our boat tour, we will lunch and after it and at our drive back, we will stop near Baeza village and enjoy of a new set of stunning hummingbirds as: Peruvian Raquettail, Violet-fronted Brillant, Green-backed Hilltsart, Long-tailed Sylph and some other. After this amazing day and about 5pm, we will arrive at our hotel where we will have dinner and spend our last night on the tour. Day 10: In the morning and after breakfst, we will photagraphy: Inca Jays, Russet-backed Oropendola, and other birds sp. and hummingbirds. Also and if wheater allow us, we will explore the nearby river, with a great chance to find herons, motmots and ducks. We will have lunch here and just after it, we will depart to Papallacta hot springs. You will have the option to enjoy the amazing hot springs anda well-deserved massage at the spa. Neither the entrance fee to the hot springs or spa facilities, are included in our rate. At 5pm, Alejandro can drive you to a hotel in Quito that you have already reserved or he can drop you at the Quito International Airport for your evening flight. Please make these arrangements prior to booking your trip. |
Trip Considerations
Physical Difficulty: Easy to moderate; much of the tour will be spent near feeders which are accessed by only a short walk. There will also be short walks on trails to target a moderate walk for visiting the Cock_of_the Rock´s lek .Two of the mornings will be spent at high altitude above 11,500 ft. (3500 m). However, we won’t do much walking at these elevations. Also, those nights are spent at a much lower elevation.
Climate: Usually very pleasant (mostly 55°-75°F, 13°-24°C), but cold on Day 2, at the high altitude preserve. It is going to be very cold at Antisana (possibly near freezing). It will be hot & moist at Laguna Paikawe. Some rain can be expected, especially in the afternoons and evenings, good rain protection for yourself and your gear is essential. We recommend packing layers that are versatile for multiple climates. Accommodations: Clean, comfortable, not luxury; all them have private, en-suite bathrooms and full-time hot water. All accommodations on the tour have internet acces and electricity, at 24 hours per day. When to Go: Our tours run year-round. While the climate has been unpredictable in recent years, the driest months on average are June-August, the wettest months are March-April, and the other months are intermediate. Bird activity is slower when it is very dry. However, even in the dry season, some rain can be expected and some birds can be observed. Rainy season tours are usually very productive. Most mornings during the rainy season are dry. Furthermore, the increased cloud cover means less harsh sunlight to deal with in the middle of the day. Conservation: Birds and conservation go hand in hand - that is why on our tours, we will visit and support authentic conservation projects. We do so not only to help preserve the remaining neotropical forest, but to improve the lives of the people who have chosen to protect the fantastic flying gems that call it home. All of our partners choose sustainable practices for their business model and offer fair wages to their employees. Your purchase of this trip will support their efforts to protect endangered lands by providing an income for local residents. Photo Philosophy: On the tour, at least half the time will be spent photographing birds that visit feeders or eat insects that were attracted by the lights during the night. The rest of the time, we will target birds along roads or short tracks and trails. Alejandro may modify the plan on any particular day based on weather, feeder activity, recent sighting information, newly opened sites, or other factors. For that reason, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary. The number of photography stops will depend on the location and time limitation. Nonetheless, there will be sufficient time for many photographic opportunities. Pack List: Photography Gear: A good 300mm lens (or high end zoom that covers 300mm) and a full-frame camera are ideal for hummingbirds. For most other birds, we recommend a longer lens. A 500mm with a 1.4x or 600mm are the best options. However, a 300mm with 1.4x or 2x teleconverters usually does a great job. A shorter lens can be nice for scenery shots in the high Andes. A flash (where permitted) is also useful since light can be quite low early in the morning and inside forest. If weather permits, there will be some opportunities for optional, nocturnal, macro photography along short distances trails. These are well-marked in most of the locations. Therefore, a good macro lens and flash (a ring flash or off-camera flash is best) would be useful. Flash is not permitted at some locations; Alejandro will advise on this subject before each daily photo session. To use electrical gadgets you may need a travel adapter plug, and also a step up voltage converter if your devices are not designed for the local voltage (120V).Also, please do not forget to pack a bath suit for the last day; raincoat is indespensable as well as: hiking boots, a refillable bottle of water, hat, umbrella, flashlight, etc. TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Tourist visas are currently not required for citizens of the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and all European countries. Visas are currently only required of a few nationalities, mostly in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Travel requirements are subject to change; if you are unsure, please check with the nearest Ecuadorian embassy or consulate. |
IMPORTANT
This is a Bird Photography Tour. It is not a hardcore birding trip. Nor is it a photography workshop. Nevertheless, we will see a remarkable number of amazing birds and catch their essence and beauty through your camera lens. Overall, Alejandro’s goal is to provide everything you need to have a successful and enjoyable experience. He wants you to see many beautiful birds and leave with photos that immortalize your visit. All levels of photographers are welcome!
While most birding trips focus on the Andean West Slope, this 10-day itinerary allows for exploration of the lesser-visited Andean East Slope, maximizing the chances to photograph different variations of the same species like the Booted-Rackettail Hummingbird. Also, there are birds that can only be seen on the East Slope, like the fabulous Wire-crested Thorntail and the Long-tailed Sylph, a near twin of the West Slope’s Violet-tailed Sylph.
On the journey between slopes, we will encounter many different microhabitats from cloud forest to high paramo. Weather can change in an instant but we always hope for some clear views of the spectacular snow-covered peaks of volcanoes like Cotopaxi and Antisana. This ever-changing environment makes for challenging but satisfying photos.
Unbeatable Rates !!!
USD $3750,oo per person; based on double room occupancy. |