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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

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  1. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Already got Thrush-Tanager from Panama! Burbayar Lodge in Panama I think is one of the major go-to's for Sapayoa, but Rio Canande Reserve in Ecuador is also good, and has the benefit of having a higher number of new birds given I've already been to Panama once.
  2. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Final Summary and Wrap Up It's hard to consider the trip anything but a success. Overall, I recorded 356 bird species, and of those 279 were lifers. Additionally I was able to add an additional 3 herps to my life list and 5 mammals, with an additional 3 other mammal species seen. Overall top...
  3. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Today was the final half-day of birding, before the hour or so drive back to Quito and my 6:30 flight. Had I picked a flight later in the evening, Originally the plan had been to bird in the early morning at the lodge, then head back to Papallacta Pass. I made the executive decision to skip over...
  4. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    As we drove out of Antisana, and towards the East Slope, a omininous sight appeared. A cloud-cloaked mountain side. Papallacta is on the east slope, and the east slope gets a lot of rain, at least at this time of year. This presents probably the biggest challenge for birding Papallacta, in...
  5. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Day 6 would see a early wake-up at Zaysant Lodge for the last full day of the trip. Today, we would be focusing on the high Paramo of Antisana National Park, before driving over to the East Slope to try for seedsnipe in Papallacta Pass, overnighting at Guango Lodge. Venturing into new...
  6. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Day 5 (and the last day in the lowlands) Today was the day for Rio Silanche, which would require another long drive and early wake-up, as the plan was to be there at first light, to have a try for Rufous-fronted Wood-Quail, a species possible around the tower. Rio Silanche was the lowest...
  7. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Some photos from Day 4 Rose-faced Parrots Crimson-rumped Toucanet Oilbird Orange-breasted Fruiteater Flame-faced Tanager
  8. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Amagusa was good, and I wish the schedule allowed Guayabillas road as well. But I don't regret going after the Oilbird, especially since the next likely South American birding trips are likely to not feature the bird. Besides Refugio Paz de las Aves, We also ran into other birding groups/people...
  9. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    To be fair I never sleep all that well away from home, and that propensity seems to have only increased as I have gotten older. My mindo lodging was perfectly serviceable, but I would be tempted on a return trip to rely more upon lodges, even if it meant a few less days of travel.
  10. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Cabanas Armonia. Fine as a budget accommodation but no birding on-sight, as its well within Mindo. Was sort of loud at time and again the room layout was kind of weird, with the amount of glass involved. Kind of felt like I was staying in an aquarium in aquarium at times. Did have all the...
  11. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    The afternoon was of course devoted to traveling up to the Chontal area, to try for Oilbird. Oilbird was one of my most anticipated birds. I have a fondness for weirdos and it's hard to find a bird much weirder than the Oilbird, and I have been fascinated by them ever since reading about them in...
  12. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Day 4 was another early morning long drive, in this case to Amagusa. In fact, this would be a day in which almost half of it was spent in a vehicle, with a total of 3 2-hour drives. EEK. The goal here was to bird Amagusa at first light, and after lunch drive to Chontal for the oilbirds, and from...
  13. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Pics from Day 3: Andean Cock-of-the-rock at lek Crested Guan Zeledon's Antbird Toucan Barbet Ochre-breasted Antpitta Velvet-purple Coronet
  14. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    After leaving Refugio Paz de Las Aves, it was time for lunch, but the lunch stop itself was a birding spot: Mirador Rio Blanco, which was on the way to Milpe. This place had probably the most impressive and active set of fruit feeders, although the few hummingbird feeders proved to be not all...
  15. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    A few images from Bellavista Giant Earthworm Strong-billed Woodcreeper Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan Golden-naped Tanager
  16. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Having just glanced at your trip report, just wait until you read my Milpe and Rio Silanche experiences, which also are the opposite of yours! Although I tend to think everyone's experience at Rio Silanche was the opposite of mine!
  17. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    A long and rather restless night awaited me before the early morning pick-up and travel to Refugio Paz de las Aves. My accommodations were entirely adequate, but there location in Mindo meant for a much louder evening, plus the set-up of the room sort of made me feel like I was staying in a...
  18. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Yeah...it's interesting to see, despite a similar itinerary and the same guide, how different our experiences were at the same sites. I do think one common thing I learned is that while it was more expensive, actually staying at a lodge vs in Mindo does make a difference. it leaves more time...
  19. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Much of today would be spent either trying for flocks/special bird on the roads above/below Bellavista, or hitting trails. My notes are actually a bit vague on the order of events after the owling, so I will just divide the trail bits in the morning/afternoon with the outside Bellavista...
  20. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    A assortment of images from my first full day: Sword-billed Hummingbird Mottled Owl Russet-crowned Warbler Olinguito Gray-browed Brushfinch Andean Guan Equatorial Antpitta
  21. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Day 2 dawned early...very early, with Nelson and myself on the road above Bellavista by around 5:00 am for some pre-dawn owling. Here we tried for Rufescent Screech-Owl, which was quite responsive and got close, but never got within view, remaining a heard only. While doing playback for the owl...
  22. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Minor correction: Going through Clements groups today, I realize that the Pyrocephalus flycatcher I saw at Zaysant belongs to Vermilion Flycatcher, and not the split (by IOC) more southerly form Scarlet Flycatcher. Bummer, as that reduces the lifers by 1.
  23. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    After a fairly solid lunch, it was now time to head off to Bellavista Cloud Forest Lodge for the evening via the Nono-Mindo Ecoroute, with a promise of Olinguito and Kinkajou visiting the bananas at night. The ecoroute itself is good for birds, as would soon be evident. It was a fairly long...
  24. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Yeah, we just really had bad luck with weather at Yanacocha. Just way to warm and sunny...probably would have been fine if we arrived earlier in the day. We also had bad luck at another very popular site, otherwise I think I would have easily gotten 300 lifers. On the other hand, Milpe...
  25. Mysticete

    Tapaculo-fest: A week in Northwest Ecuador

    Yanacocha is a relatively short distance away, although there was some concern if we were going to be able to visit it at all, as there were rumors of road closures for a bike race. Events that seem to happen regularly enough that I have seen comments about them in other trip reports. Birding...
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