My wife and I have booked a trip to the Galapagos which starts in Quito in March of 2015. We are planning on arriving a day or two (or three) early so as to get acclimated as well as get in some birding. I've heard of a few lodges/b&b type places near to Quito. Could some of you offer ideas and recommendations that might work. I'm thinking in terms of one full day's worth of birding in the area.
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Advice for One or Two days in Quito (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter DonStarks
- Start date
Hi Don,
depends upon what you want to do. there's plenty options.
If you can arrange transport with a local guide or even driver, you could head up to Yanacocha (best to leave well before dawn, so that you're at the reserve as early as possible) bird that in the morning and then work your way towards the Tandayapa Valley and stay there 1-2 days. There's at least 2 lodges in the valley (Bella Vista on the ridge, and lower down the Tandayapa bird lodge) each with their own suite of birds (there's a fair difference in species distribution between the 2 altitudes) as well as Tony Nunnery's (hummingbird)garden in between the 2. If you've got enough time Bella Vista and/or Tandayapa should be able to organize a morning visit to Angel Paz as well (known for Giant Antpitta amongst others).
Another option (and again different birds is daytrips from Quito to either Antisana or Cotopaxi volcanos (in my experience Antisana is the most interesting of the 2) and try for species such as Andean Condor and Chimborazo Hillstar.
KR,
filip
depends upon what you want to do. there's plenty options.
If you can arrange transport with a local guide or even driver, you could head up to Yanacocha (best to leave well before dawn, so that you're at the reserve as early as possible) bird that in the morning and then work your way towards the Tandayapa Valley and stay there 1-2 days. There's at least 2 lodges in the valley (Bella Vista on the ridge, and lower down the Tandayapa bird lodge) each with their own suite of birds (there's a fair difference in species distribution between the 2 altitudes) as well as Tony Nunnery's (hummingbird)garden in between the 2. If you've got enough time Bella Vista and/or Tandayapa should be able to organize a morning visit to Angel Paz as well (known for Giant Antpitta amongst others). Another option (and again different birds is daytrips from Quito to either Antisana or Cotopaxi volcanos (in my experience Antisana is the most interesting of the 2) and try for species such as Andean Condor and Chimborazo Hillstar.
KR,
filip
peterginsburg
Well-known member
Very good recommendations from Filip. You might also consider renting a car and driving to Papallacta Pass and birding that area on your own.
Peter
Peter
Maffong
Well-known member
Don't know how much money you want to spent and if you can use the whole two days. If you rent a car I would recommend a trip into the cloudforest, as there are more and more colorful birds to see. Make sure you arrive at your destination very early, since the activity drops pretty fast and around 11AM finding new birds can really get difficult. You could also take a bus which is a whole lot cheaper! It was about 1$/hour of driving when I was there. You could let them drive you to Mindo, which is quite cheap, has lots of very cool birds and is easily accessible. You could also hop off the bus a few miles before you reach Nanegalito, where the Tandayapa Pass starts. Most bus drivers though don't really know where that is, so you'd have to make sure somehow they don't just drive by. Then you could hike up the street up to Tandayapa Lodge and bird on their property for 5$ (I think). Their hummingbird feeders are incredible. I did that several times, started around 5AM in Quito with bus, hopped off, then hiked the 4,5miles. Sometimes I could also hitch a ride for about 50cents/1$ and then I birded until it got dark. But don't forget to bring something to eat and drink, since you won't encounter any place to eat there. You can also hike a little along the Old-Nono-Mindo road just below the Tandayapa Lodge which has some different bird diversity than the lodge property (for example I saw Cock-of-the-rocks almost always there, but only once on the lodge properties). There are also Toucan barbets, Plate-billed Mountain-Toucans, Beautiful Jays and other. The hummingbird feeders at the lodge are more than incredible, with about 15 species garantied and often a few additional ones in the surroundings.
If you go to Mindo, you'll arrive a little later, but have more comfort. There are restaurants and stuff in the village. I'd recommend to stay one night at Yellow House Trails, which is cheap and where you have about a 40% chance of seeing a Spectacled Bear (I only heard one running away through the forest). I also liked birding around the ziplines, where some feeders attract several tanagers, hummingbirds and goodies as Motmots and Toucanets.
If you'd rather bird the high Andes the Papallacta Pass is an interesting region, but I don't know if you'd find the good trails without a guide. The chances of seeing Andean Condor are difficult to estimate, but I'd give a 40-50%
I hope I could help
MfG Maffong
If you go to Mindo, you'll arrive a little later, but have more comfort. There are restaurants and stuff in the village. I'd recommend to stay one night at Yellow House Trails, which is cheap and where you have about a 40% chance of seeing a Spectacled Bear (I only heard one running away through the forest). I also liked birding around the ziplines, where some feeders attract several tanagers, hummingbirds and goodies as Motmots and Toucanets.
If you'd rather bird the high Andes the Papallacta Pass is an interesting region, but I don't know if you'd find the good trails without a guide. The chances of seeing Andean Condor are difficult to estimate, but I'd give a 40-50%
I hope I could help
MfG Maffong
Maffong
Well-known member
Oh and if you want to stay in the nearest vicinity of Quito you could also do the Teleferiqo trip to the Volcan Pichincha. Not too much diversity, but very close. I had goodies like Curve-billed Tinamou, Zone-tailed Hawk, Carrunculated Caracara, Black-tailed Trainbearer and Tawny Antpitta. Also on the slopes around the Teleferiqo starting point I had Masked Flowerpiercer, Mountain Velvetbreast and likewise.
peter and Maffong's recommendations are very good as well (in fact you're a bit spoilt for choice).
For Papallacta, and nearby Guango lodge a bit further down the pass (very good feeders where mountain avocetbill is a possibility), I do think you'd be better off with your own transport though as it would allow you to A: get to the good places early enough and B: actually allow you to bird the different spots along the pass at your leasure (without logistical hassles).
And indeed further on from the Tandayapa Valley there's Mindo itself (with places like septimo paraiso, Mindo Loma,....) again a car or driver are useful here if you want to make the most of the time.
Also, for several dry habitat birds (white tailed shrike tyrant, purple collared woodstar) there's calacali, relatively close to the equator monument and along the pass the road to tandayapa/mindo passes through (again it's a place to do early in the morning).
KR,
filip
For Papallacta, and nearby Guango lodge a bit further down the pass (very good feeders where mountain avocetbill is a possibility), I do think you'd be better off with your own transport though as it would allow you to A: get to the good places early enough and B: actually allow you to bird the different spots along the pass at your leasure (without logistical hassles).
And indeed further on from the Tandayapa Valley there's Mindo itself (with places like septimo paraiso, Mindo Loma,....) again a car or driver are useful here if you want to make the most of the time.
Also, for several dry habitat birds (white tailed shrike tyrant, purple collared woodstar) there's calacali, relatively close to the equator monument and along the pass the road to tandayapa/mindo passes through (again it's a place to do early in the morning).
KR,
filip
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