Sozoranga - Tapichalaca and the East Slope

After a 5am breakfast (ouch!) we returned to the Sozoranga area that we visited yesterday afternoon and at a little over 2500m it was a little chilly to start with. A Grey-chinned Hermit was a little higher up the mountain than it had any right to be, whilst another Silver-backed Tanager and Speckled Hummingbird were the only species of note and it was noticeably quieter than yesterday, so we continued on to the Hanne Section of Utuana Reserve. 

Another fine example of the Jocotoco Foundations' excellent work

It was a bit slow to start with although White-sided Flowerpiercer and more importantly, a Black-cowled Saltator were new for the trip. So we continued walking but failed to locate the mega Grey-headed Antbird or Piura Hemispingus and all we had to show for a couple hours of searching was White-crested Elaenia, Blue-capped Tanager and Slate-throated Whitestart. That steep road was really something to

Purple-throated Sunangel

Rainbow Starfrontlet

Well, that was until we reached the feeders where numerous lifer Rainbow Starfrontlets and Purple-throated Sunangels fed. What scorching birds and we thoroughly enjoyed the fine views. Walking on we eventually located a furtive Jelski’s Chat-Tyrant that appeared to be joining a flock containing Line-cheeked Spinetail, Streaked Tuftedcheek, and a couple of White-tailed Tyrannulets. 

Streaked Tuftedcheek

So we left here and drove to a different spot where amazingly, a mega Black-crested Tit-Tyrant gave crippling views! When I say mega, it’s more of a northern Peru species really and only just creeps over the border into Ecuador in a few places. 

Black-crested Tit-Tyrant

We spent the rest of the day driving to the eastern Andean slope and a two-night stay at Tapichalaca Reserve. A stop along the way gave us Tumbes Sparrow, Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch, Long-tailed Mockingbird and Blue-black Grassquit.

Tumbes Sparrow - stunner!

Our route took us through incredible East Andean scenery on ever winding roads until we reached Podocarpus National park and could see vast forested ridges all the way to the horizon. The habitat looked pristine and totally awesome! 

The Tapichalaca and Andean East Slope scenery was awesome...

We arrived at Tapichalaca and our next lodge, the fantastic Casa Simpson, around 5.30pm giving us some time to check out the feeders whilst drinking a very welcome mug of hot chocolate. Chestnut-breasted Coronet was the commonest hummer, followed by a few Collared Inca, but a single Amethyst-throated Sunangel only appeared briefly on two occasions. 

Bearded Guan

Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager

A group of Bearded Guans hung around the garden, whilst Masked Flowerpiercer, Blue-and-Black Tanager and a few Lacrimose Mountain-Tanagers fed quietly in the bushes at the edge of the garden. What a cracking introduction to our stay in this wonderful cloud forest. Unfortunately heavy rain meant that any chance of owling tonight had gone, so we were in bed by 8.30pm full of anticipation at tomorrow’s potential avian extravaganza…..

JORUPE

6am breakfast today with another try for owls around the cabins beforehand – again without any success. So after a fine breakfast we staked out the feeders in front of the main dining room, seeing some cracking White-tailed Jays, both Ecuadorian and Plumbeous-backed Thrushes, a gang of Rufous-headed Chachalacas, Amazilia Hummingbird and several Blue Ground-Doves. 

Rufous-headed Chachalaca

Ecuadorian Thrush

Plumbeous-backed Thrush

Blue Ground-Doves

White-tailed Jay

Then we hit the trails, getting a relatively slow but steady list of new trip birds and lifers for everyone starting with a couple sightings of the much-wanted Watkins’s Antpitta. Not a bad way to start our 4 hour wander and we followed that with Boat-billed Flycatcher, an extremely wary and shy Henna-hooded Foliage-Gleaner, Blackish-headed Spinetail and Grey-breasted Flycatcher. 

Boat-billed Flycatcher

Already we’d nailed several of our main targets for this area and next up was One-coloured Becard, Pacific Elaenia, Olivaceous and Streak-headed Woodcreepers, Plain Antvireo  and more importantly a few views of Rufous-necked Foliage-Gleaner. Walking along a narrow trail across the hillside towards the lodge and things were a little slower with common species such as Tropical Parula and Streaked Xenops, plus a slightly more interesting Ecuadorian Piculet. Roberta had stayed behind at the lodge and was rewarded with a Pale-browed Tinamou visiting the feeding station and she joined me for a short walk before lunch seeing Dusky-capped Flycatcher and Black-capped Sparrow. 

 

After a nice rest following lunch we headed an hour or so up the road to an elevation of 1850m and birded patches of decent habitat, with some roadside birding thrown in. This session proved to be extremely fun and rewarding as we kick-started things with Three-banded Warbler, Golden Grosbeak, a pair of Silver-backed Tanagers, Brown-capped Vireo, a flyover Short-tailed Hawk and best of all, 3 rare Scarlet-fronted Parakeets. 

Golden Grosbeak

Scarlet-fronted Parakeets

Short-tailed Hawk

Silver-backed Tanager

Silver-backed Tanager

Walking downhill along the road and a White-rumped Hawk circled in the blue sky right above us, our first Band-tailed Pigeon appeared and a Black-crested Warbler showed nicely. 

White-rumped Hawk

Then we hit a purple patch with Bay-crowned and White-winged Brushfinches, a pair of Tooth-billed Tanagers, Smoke-coloured Pewee, and a pair of Chapman’s Antshrikes showing amazingly well. A flock of Red-masked Parakeets wheeled around the valley below and just before we reached the minibus a Loja Tyrannulet was spotted. 

Chapman's Antshrike

Then we drove down to the village of Sabiango and watched a bunch of Chestnut-collared Swallows coming to roost. 

Chestnut-collared Swallow

After dinner we made our third attempt at finding West Peruvian Screech-Owl and struck lucky with fantastic views of a bird perched close by. 

West Peruvian Screech-Owl

It was just a shame the calling Spectacled Owl near the cabins didn’t show but anyway, we’d had a superb day.

Umbrellabird Lodge to Jorupe

Breakfast at 5.45am was followed by a session watching the birds from the verandah with a cup of coffee in hand. Ah yes! 

Great hummer activity on the feeders this morning

The hummer feeders were bristling with all the same species but the surrounding forest was alive with activity. 

A pair of Blue-necked Tanagers were nest-building right next to the front porch and at one stage a Black-crowned Antshrike seemed to hone in on the nest as if he was going to rob it! 

Black-crowned Antshrike

Blue-necked Tanager

In the large trees at the front we saw Spotted Woodcreeper, Bananaquit, Orange-bellied Euphonia, One-coloured Becard, a pair of Buff-rumped Warblers, Slaty-capped Flycatcher, a group of Ashy-throated Bush-Tanagers, Bay Wren and a pair of Yellow-throated Toucans. Phew!

One-coloured Becard

Yellow-throated Toucan

We then drove higher up the road and walked for an hour or see and had Orange-billed Sparrow, many Yellow-throated Bush-Tanagers and an Olive-striped Flycatcher, but it was a little tricky to get any details on these birds due to the mist, until we could call them in closer.

Ornate Flycatcher

Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager/Chlorospingus

As the mist lifted we had decent looks at Club-winged Manakin, as well as White-tipped Sicklebill, Song Wren, Silver-throated Tanager, and a brief White-throated Daggerbill. 

Birding the track at Buenaventura Reserve

Unfortunately we had to leave this wonderful reserve so returned to our cabins and loaded the luggage, but then had to drive back uphill as a pair of day roosting Crested Owls had been found by one of the lodge’s workers. And sure enough we feasted on crippling views of a pair right next to the track. 

Crested Owls

Leaving on the long drive to Jorupe we tried for Ochraceous Attila but only had it calling back and not moving, so had to content ourselves with a group of Yellow-bellied Siskins bathing in a puddle, a Stripe-breasted Hermit and a Black-cheeked Woodpecker. Driving towards the main road on the muddy, bumpy track we stopped suddenly when Juan Carlos spotted a Grey-backed Hawk perched on a low branch a little too close to the track as not everyone managed to see it before it flew away.

Juan Carlos in action....!

Black-cheeked Woodpecker

Grey-backed Hawk

It was around 5 hours to drive to Jorupe, but we stopped in a dry area very different to the one we had left a few hours ago. 

Very different habitat here

And pretty quickly we nailed White-headed Brushfinch beside the road, followed by a not-so-stunning Tumbes Hummingbird. Once at Urraca Lodge we had a couple of hours to chill before dinner, but we still saw a few birds with a flock of Blue Ground-Dovesvisiting the feeder, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Grey-and-gold Warbler and Jo found her own Ecuadorian Trogon. An owling session only produced several calling West Peruvian Screech-Owls and we ‘d have to try again tomorrow night to get a view of this bird.