Itinerary advice (1 Viewer)

[Dortmundbirder]

We are going to visit Ecuador in September as an independant tour for West and East Slope species.

Day 1 Flight to Quito
usually flights arrive rather late. So Hotel in Quito

Day 2 Yanacocha Reserve and drive to Mindo

We Plan to use Hacienda San vicente the „Yellow House“ for the stay on the west slope

Tag 3 Birding in and around Mindo

Day 4 Tandayapa area

Day 5 Rio Silanche

Day 6 Paz de las Aves / Milpe

Day 7 Mashpi area / Amagusa Reserve

Day 8 "Cleanup" in Mindo.

Day 9 Antesana Reserve Stay in Quito

Day 10 Papallacta Pass nach Guango
Cayambe Coca Reserve en Route then stay in Guango

Day 11 Guango / San Isidro

Day 12 Guacamayos/San isidro

Day 13 San Isidro drive to Wild Sumaco

Days 14-17 Wild Sumaco

Last Day (18) back to Quito

I have 2 more days to squeeze in somewhere. Are we missing anything in this itineraray which might be worth adding or shall we maybe just add one day in Mindo and one at the east slope?

Iam happy for suggestions.

 

[njlarsen]

For the maximum you would want to be early morning at both Milpe and Paz de las Aves (having an appointment with the latter to see the Cock of the rock and the different other birds they are calling in, and in Milpe for the Manakins etc). Maybe continue after Milpe to Rio Silanche for a second afternoon there?

I also think the habitat is different enough that it is worth it to stay a couple of nights at Bellavista even though it is near Mindo. Being there vs having to transport yourself first and missing nightlife makes a difference.

Niels

 

[lgonz1008]

If you want to see Long-wattled Umbrellabird, give a morning to La 23 de Junio, you can combine it with your day at Rio Silanche. And if you want to get Oilbird, I'd add a drive to El Chontal the day of Paz de las Aves.

Beyond that, I'd say you have a pretty good itinerary, but since you are trying to do independent traveling, I'd plan around for potential targets you might miss.

Also Papallacta Pass and Guacamayos Ridge can be a bit of wild cards for the weather (fog and/or heavy rain), so be ready to hit to days on different dates if possible since they have a lot of hard to find species like Giant Conebill and Peruvian Antpitta.

 

[AveryBartels]

If you want to see Long-wattled Umbrellabird, give a morning to La 23 de Junio, you can combine it with your day at Rio Silanche. And if you want to get Oilbird, I'd add a drive to El Chontal the day of Paz de las Aves.

Beyond that, I'd say you have a pretty good itinerary, but since you are trying to do independent traveling, I'd plan around for potential targets you might miss.

Also Papallacta Pass and Guacamayos Ridge can be a bit of wild cards for the weather (fog and/or heavy rain), so be ready to hit to days on different dates if possible since they have a lot of hard to find species like Giant Conebill and Peruvian Antpitta.

I will echo that Guacamayos Ridge is brilliant and you could hit poor weather which would be a shame. Even with good weather, you likely won't be disappointed in having an extra day there.

 

[Dortmundbirder]

Thanks a lot for the suggestions.

Probably will be 1 more day around Mindo and 1 in the Cosanga Area

 

[Dortmundbirder]

Due to availability issue of San Isidro and Wild Sumaco, we had to move things around a bit and we now have 3 days in the lowlands around Tena, but less time in the Cosanga area, because we really wanted to keep the Wild Sumaco Lodge in our itinerary.

So lets try to learn ~150 more species until september .

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. There will probably some more questions during the next months, although trip reports+ google maps provide a lot of information.