MAYCU RESERVE

We birded the Amazonian foothill reserve of Maycu this morning, which entails walking along the dirt road that passes through the reserve and is being used by the illegal gold mining companies with some pretty large trucks driving at breakneck speeds. I found this very flipping annoying initially, until some incredible birds started to appear. We began with a very skulky Ruddy Foliage-Gleaner, followed by White-throated Woodpecker and Gilded Barbet. All of a sudden we heard the distinctive call of Orange-throated Tanager and called in a pair that didn’t stay long enough in the large cecropia tree above the road for photos but we well and truly nailed this must-see bird for this area.  Indeed we had further views a little later on.

Wing-barred Piprites

Just then we had a superb Yellow-bellied Tanager and this was followed by a Wing-barred Piprites being called in, an Ecuadorian Tyrannulet showed well, and we also had Green-and-gold Tanager, Masked Tanager, a pair of Golden-collared Toucanets, perched Black-throated Brilliant, Lined Antshrike, Mouse-coloured Antshrike, a pair of Yellow-tufted Woodpeckers and a pair of Slaty-capped Shrike-Vireos. 

So far these birds had been coming one at a time but right about now we were caught up in a mega-flock working through the canopy overhead. There was a Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Fasciated Antshrike, Rufous-tailed Foliage-Gleaner, Flame-crested Tanager, Plain-winged Antshrike, Yellow-backed Tanager, Little Woodpecker, Black-faced Dacnis, Lemon-throated Barbet, and several Yellow-throated Bush-Tanagers worked the understorey. It’s one of the most exciting birding phenomenons to experience and that feeling of not knowing where to look first just can’t be beaten! 

 

Moving on at a slow walk, a Green-backed Trogon was called in, as were a pair of tiny Black-and-white Tody-Flycatchers, followed by a pair of Peruvian Warbling Antbirds, a Greater Yellow-headed Vulture drifted over, and then Juan Carlos picked up a Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatcher – an Amazonian species that to his knowledge had never been recorded at Maycu! A Squirrel Cuckoo appeared some time later and as we started to walk back to the minibus a Green Honeycreeper was seen and we ended the morning session with a White-bellied Pygmy-Tyrant. What a morning!

Little Woodstar

Fork-tailed Woodnymph

Paradise Tanager

We had a nice couple of hours off over lunchtime to rest, so naturally we birded the grounds and staked out the Verbena flowers where a Little Woodstar duly performed admirably in front of us. We also had Flame-crested Tanager, a bunch of Paradise Tanagers, Fork-tailed Woodnymph and a few other common species. 

Our afternoon session was delayed a bit due to rain, so we ended up leaving later this afternoon when we drove back just 10 minutes into the Maycu Reserve and staked out a clearing with scopes and where a recently returned Olive-sided Flycatcher posed on a bare branch. There was also Crested and Russet-backed Oropendola, Masked Tityra, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Long-tailed Tyrant, Olive-faced Flatbill, and a Great-billed Hermit. 

Purplish Jacamar

Walking down the road a few hundred metres got us close views of Purplish Jacamar in the gloomy overcast conditions, as well as a rare Cinnamon Neopipo (manakin-tyrant), Black-eared Fairy, Turquoise Tanager, Blue-headed Parrot and Crimson-crested Woodpecker. 

Band-bellied Owl

At dusk we staked out a site for Band-bellied Owl and were able to get decent views of an adult perched in a Cecropia tree above us. Result!

OLD LOJA-ZAMORA ROAD - YANKUAM

We birded the old Loja-Zamora Road this morning on our way to Yankuam, and what a day it proved to be. 

Nice scenery along the Old Loja-Zamora Road

Our first stop beside a rushing river failed to produce any Torrent Ducks but we had an unexpected Golden-crowned Flycatcher (no Ebird records for Ecuador!!), a flock of Yellow-whiskered Bush-Tanagers, Three-striped Warbler, Subtropical Cacique, Sickle-winged Guan, a fantastically cooperative Olive Finch and a female Andean Cock-of-the-Rock – all new for the trip. 

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock

Golden-crowned Flycatcher

Olive Finch

Yellow-whiskered Bush-Tanager

Then we drove on along the dirt road a few kilometres before stopping beside a cut over area dotted with large, bromeliad and moss laden tall trees on the slope below us. Fortunately, one of them was fruiting and attracting a lot of birds. In fact it was a veritable tanager-fest with Blue-necked, Golden-naped, Golden-eared, Bay-headed, Saffron-crowned, and Spotted Tanagers! An Ash-browed Spinetail,Masked Tityra, Bronze-green Euphonia and best of all a Rufous-winged Tyrannulet joined them. A flock of White-eyed Parakeets flew along the valley below us and a Roadside Hawk put in an appearance. Just then, as we walked towards our minibus an Olive-chested Flycatcher was heard and we called it in for a decent look at this subtle and pretty scarce bird. Another short drive and then we were out again and walking in the sunshine seeing Fork-tailed Woodnymph, a group of Ashy-throated Bush-Tanagers, Paradise Tanager, Green Hermit, Olivaceous Greenlet and down by the river our first Cliff Flycatcher.

 

We left this fantastic area and headed towards Yankuam, stopping beside some open fields where Black-billed Seed-Finch, Chestnut-bellied Seedfinch and Chestnut-bellied Seedeater were nice additions to our ever-increasing trip list. A Ruddy Ground-Dove was also new but almost ignored in all of the excitement. However, just another short drive away to a stakeout for Spangled Coquette got us crippling views of this beast perched in a tree and then feeding on Verbena flowers right in front of us. 

Spangled Coquette

We had our picnic lunch here before driving to the lodge at Yankuam where Jeff saw a Little Woodstar in the gardens. 

Mucking about on the river......

And we spent the rest of the afternoon on a boat ride along the Nangaritza river, seeing White-banded Swallow, Violaceous Jay, Green-fronted Lancebill, Short-tailed Swift and Plumbeous Kite. 

We saw a few Cliff Flycatchers today

When we returned to the lodge a flurry of activity led to more trip ticks with Magpie and Green-and-gold Tanagers, Long-tailed Tyrant, Great Kiskadee and Glittering-throated Emerald. 

Tropical Screech Owl

A night foray for Band-bellied Owl was a dud but we found a recently deceased Tropical Screech-Owl that had just flown into a passing motorcyclist!

CERRO TOLEDO - LOJA

A 5am breakfast saw us on the road mega-early and heading up to the giddy heights of 3100m at Cerro Toledo in search of some more southern Ecuador megas. Our minibus got us most of the way up before we had to switch into a pickup van to get to the mist-enshrouded treeline. And boy was it cold with a stiff breeze, combined with visibility down to just a few meters it didn’t look promising. However, the mist did lift somewhat and we had the total good fortune when Jo walked around the opposite corner to the one we were heading towards for a ‘comfort stop’ and when she returned, described seeing one of the key targets up here – Masked Mountain-Tanager. 

Masked Mountain-Tanager..... in the mist

So we raced around the corner and quickly discovered a few stunning Golden-crowned Tanagers, several Pale-naped Brushfinches and a short while later an absolutely crippling Masked Mountain-Tanager appeared in the gloom. We then chased this little flock up and down the road, trying to get better views until eventually it flew below us and landed in a little bare bush. Wow! 

Pale-naped Brushfinch

So with that crippler sorted we began walking up and down a 300m stretch of cloud forest road looking for Neblina Metaltail, but initially could only find a stunning Rainbow-bearded Thornbill perched next to the dirt road. Pretty good compensation though!  

Rainbow-bearded Thornbill.... Wow!

The colours on its beard are absolutely stunning. 

After a long search we eventually found a Neblina Metaltail perched below the road and allowed us some fantastic views. 

Neblina Metaltail

From here we walked down the road for around 7 kilometers picking up a few Glowing Pufflegs, Brown-bellied Swallow, Glossy Flowerpiercer, Plushcap, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, White-banded Tyrannulet, Red-crested Cotinga, Chusquea Tapaculo, Grass-green Tanager, Grey-hooded Brushfinch, a fantastic Flame-throated Sunangel, heard a Greater Scythebill, and finished with a Black-throated Toucanet. 

Black-throated Toucanet

We called in to a small marsh in Vilcabamba to see Plumbeous Rail, but only one of us did! An ice-cream stop was more ‘fruitful’ before we drove to Loja and our hotel stop for the night. One of the quickest owling sessions I have ever experienced happened after dinner, as we drove up to the University in this surprisingly large city. 

Koepcke's Screech-Owl

Hopping out of the minibus, Juan Carlos played the call of Koepcke’s Screech-Owland it immediately flew down towards us across the grassy slope above, landing directly overhead. And there it was! We had superb views before it flew across the road, briefly landing on an open branch once again before flying off. 

Tapichalaca Reserve - Jocotoco Antpitta extravaganza!

This is one of those days that you look forward to more than most others. It’s a crescendo of excitement that only birders can appreciate and this was the day we had our shot at the big one. The special one (and it wasn’t Jose Mourhino), but the one and only Jocotoco Antpitta. However, we were sat at breakfast at 5.45am listening to the rain that had continued unabated throughout the night and wondering if it would ever stop. Combine this with recent tales of the antpitta not showing recently and we were certainly on edge driving the short distance to the start of the trail. It was a steep start for maybe just a 100m or so before the rest of it was relatively easy and a Black-throated Tody-Tyrant was the first bird of the day. 

Black-throated Tody-Tyrant

Walking slowly into the cloud forest we enjoyed multiple sightings of Orange-banded Flycatcher, which amazingly moves around in little flocks of the same species. At the same corner in the trail a stunning Green-and-black Fruiteater posed in a nearby bush. We then had Spectacled Whitestart, several Grey-hooded Bush-Tanagers moving through the canopy of moss-encrusted trees, a fine Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager, quick but decent views of Blackish Tapaculo, a brief Blue-backed Conebill and a superb Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager. 

Orange-banded Flycatcher

As we rounded a corner a White-throated Quail-Dove walked off the path in front of the viewing hide and then we walked down to the antpitta feeding station.  

Chestnut-naped Antpitta

We had no sooner sat down on the bench when a Chestnut-naped Antpitta appeared next to us, walked right in front of us just a metre away before cramming a whole load of worms in its beak and then moved back into the forest as it had chicks to feed. Wow! It reappeared a while later to collect more worms, meanwhile we waited quietly in edgy uncertainty as time was passing. Then a pair of Barred Fruiteaters came in to feed on worms and provided a little distraction for a few minutes. 

Barred Fruiteater

The local ranger Franco was continually whistling and calling for the Jocotoco Antpitta but after roughly 90 minutes it was seemingly apparent that the bird wasn’t around and when he told Juan Carlos that it never usually shows after 9am (and it was 9.15am by now) we felt utterly dejected. It was at this point that Brian decided to go and answer a call of nature and as he disappeared around a bend in the trail, Franco pointed excitedly into the forest and said “it’s here!” 

Jocotoco Antpitta

Well you couldn’t begin to understand the relief we all felt as the best antpitta in the world appeared from behind a mossy log and stared balefully around at us. Wow! Wow! and wow again! This majestic beast hopped down and fed on worms but all too quickly disappeared back into the forest and out of view. 

And just then Brian returned and for a moment wouldn’t believe us when we said the bird had just appeared. A tense few minutes ensued before Juan Carlos picked up the bird returning towards the feeding station and onto Brian’s life list – thankfully. In fact, the Jocotoco Antpitta remained for several minutes before once again departing and then reappearing a little while later. 

We were able to study it, take photos, videos and all this with the bird just a few metres away. We learnt from the ranger that it was a young bird which had disappeared a few months ago, due to the adults evicting it from their territory. But as the adults weren’t currently around, this youngster was able to come into the feeding station without fear of attack. This was undoubtedly one of our best ever ornithological experiences ever. 

Jocotoco Antpitta - the Holy Grail....

When you consider this species wasn’t discovered by Dr Robert Ridgely until 1997, it still ranks as one of the major ornithological discoveries of recent times. And we’d seen it! 

 

Once the bird left we walked on down the trail, seeing Turquoise Jay, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, and after a tense battle we saw a Slate-crowned Antpitta in the undergrowth below the trail.  We continued on with Rufous Wren, a fantastic Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant, Grass-green Tanager, Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch, Sierran Elaenia, Smoky Bush-Tyrant, Hooded Mountain-Tanager and finally a pair of Golden-plumed Parakeets at a nest box before returning to the waiting minibus. 

Rufous Wren

Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant

Turquoise Jay

Phew, what a morning!

Chestnut-breasted Coronet

Amethyst-throated Sunangel

We enjoyed a fine lunch and some time watching the feeders where a Chestnut-naped Brushfinch appeared, along with Bearded Guan and the usual hummers before driving lower down the road towards Valladolid. The rain kept hampering us but we ploughed on with umbrellas in hand and found a superb Maranon Thrush, along with Dull-coloured Grassquit, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Rufous-fronted Thornbird and a few Silver-beaked Tanagers before driving to a different area above the town. 

Maranon Thrush

Rufous-fronted Thornbird

Here, at a patch of cloud forest we found it to be buzzing with activity. A Cinnamon Flycatcher, Golden-faced Tyrannulet, Montane Woodcreeper, Saffron-crowned Tanager Golden-naped Tanager, Streak-necked Flycatcher, pair of Golden-collared Honeycreepers, Silver-backed Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager and an Andean Solitaire were all seen close to the minibus before we left and returned to the lodge. 

Golden-faced Tyrannulet

Orange-banded Flycatcher

After dinner it didn’t take us more than ten minutes to find a White-throated Screech-Owl (and I really messed up my camera settings) to end an already fantastic day on a high.