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Help with Ecuador (1 Viewer)

Chas 100

Active member
I am visiting Ecuador in September for only 9 days. I am a serious/keen photographer and a lifelong birder. I originally saw the trip as a reccee really but I thought I would at least see a few hummingbirds to photograph and every bird I do see will be a lifer. I have arranged accommodation near Quito and was going to day trip with perhaps an overnight stay or 2 somewhere else. I am starting to get cold feet as they say. It all seems so massive. I am going to use Taxi's to get around. So for example, I arrive in Mindo and want to photograph some birds there, will I be totally bewildered or will I be able to find somewhere quiet to get some photographs for my bird galleries? I would appreciate any comments/advice. Incidentally, I am a bit unsure about the lodge situations where it seems that dozens of people seem to cluster around feeding stations, all seems a bit like a zoo.
 
Mindo is probably as good a place to go as any. I was there in April and didn't see all that many other birders or photographers, although it's not peak season then. There are lots of places to go, so I suspect it doesn't often get too crowded. Are you mostly interested in photographing hummingbirds or are there are types of birds you'd like to get?

For a wide variety of photography, I'd recommend this place near Mindo:
http://www.birdwatchershouse.com/
 
Thanks Andrew

Mindo is probably as good a place to go as any. I was there in April and didn't see all that many other birders or photographers, although it's not peak season then. There are lots of places to go, so I suspect it doesn't often get too crowded. Are you mostly interested in photographing hummingbirds or are there are types of birds you'd like to get?

For a wide variety of photography, I'd recommend this place near Mindo:
http://www.birdwatchershouse.com/

Hello Andrew, thanks for helping me. I obviously want to photograph hummingbirds but other species interest me just as much. It has been an ambition to get good photos of hummingbirds though. I have a gallery with nearly 800 species of birds and I am trying to get to 1000 before I croak so I thought Ecuador would be a good place to start.
 
Hello Andrew, thanks for helping me. I obviously want to photograph hummingbirds but other species interest me just as much. It has been an ambition to get good photos of hummingbirds though. I have a gallery with nearly 800 species of birds and I am trying to get to 1000 before I croak so I thought Ecuador would be a good place to start.

You could potentially get all 200 species needed in a week or two in Ecuador! I'd recommend Paz de las Aves for photographing antpittas, Cock-of-the-Rock and various hummers too. Any of the lodges should give good opportunities as well.
 
Am not sure where you're staying near Quito, but Puembo Birding Garden offers some excellent photographic opportunities. Yellow House in Mindo would probably be a good choice, and Guango Lodge just east of Papallacta had an incredible assortment of temperate zone hummers when we spent a few hours there in 2015. Paz de la Aves could probably be combined with the Mindo segment of your trip. Wildsumaco (in the foothills north of Tena) probably requires more days than you want to devote (though it COULD replace Mindo and be combined with an overnight at Guango), but I rate it the highlight of our first visit to Ecuador.
 
Wild Sumaco is handily the best birding destination on that list for a hardcore birder, it is a really neat place with a large number of really uncommon if not downright rare birds that can be tracked down. However, I don't think it is a good introduction to Neotropical birding or a good place to pursue photography.

I would echo other comments that Mindo and the surround area would be the best bet. Staying at one of the options right in Mindo is a good call, there is good birding everywhere. Bellavista Cloudforest Lodge just above Mindo is amazing and has fantastic hummer feeders that are buzzing 24/7. Paz de las Aves (near mindo)would be a really good option for one day as well, with three Antpitta species, a Wood-Quail, fruit feeders, and hummer feeders. If you want to branch out to other areas, going to Antisana NP for Condors (usually distant, but reliable at the Tambo Condor restaurant near the park entrance) and amazing views, and to Guango for a day would be highly recommended. If you go to Guango, stop at Papallacta on the way back for amazing hot springs.

I think the above gives plenty of options for a few days up to a week or more, depending on desires.

Good luck!
 
I would probably not say yellow house for a hardcore photo enthusiast even though I enjoyed my stay there. Bella vista lodge and other birding lodges in the area probably will be better though also more expensive. With better I am thinking about the birds on the property itself.

Niels
 
Addendum: We stayed at Bellavista, Yellow House and Sachatamia Lodge. I have the feeling that the two lodges are better set up for bird photography than Yellow House itself. In Mindo and therefore in walking distance of Yellow House is El Descanso which has lots of feeders but the day we visited possibly also a larger crowd visiting than you prefer.

The three places to stay are at different enough elevation that the birdlife is somewhat different. At Bellavista you also have a chance for such mammals as Kinkajou and Olinguito (spelling?).

Niels
 
A few family and friends have been asking me about personal safety. I should have probably thought about this before, but generally, is it quite safe in the birding areas?
 
A few family and friends have been asking me about personal safety. I should have probably thought about this before, but generally, is it quite safe in the birding areas?

I've found it fine and never felt threatened. I wouldn't say the risks in most birding areas of Ecuador are any greater than the risks in most other parts of the world. Take the same precautions that you would in the UK and you should be all right.
 
A few family and friends have been asking me about personal safety. I should have probably thought about this before, but generally, is it quite safe in the birding areas?

You might consider retaining a local guide if venturing past your place of lodging. Not that anything untoward is expected.

The day we spent at Paz de la Aves may have been atypical, but busloads of people herded between staked-out antipttas & cocks-of-the-rock diminished my enthusiasm for the place. Still, for photography it has some real merit.
 
The day we spent at Paz de la Aves may have been atypical,
The day I visited there were three cars and about 7 people total (including the owners). Much better! We even were allowed to stop at one of the hummer feeder spots on the way down where it was only the two of us present.

Niels
 
The day I visited there were three cars and about 7 people total (including the owners). Much better! We even were allowed to stop at one of the hummer feeder spots on the way down where it was only the two of us present.

The guide who arranged our visit did so in advance, so perhaps it's possible to ascertain beforehand if no tours are scheduled.
 
You might consider retaining a local guide if venturing past your place of lodging. Not that anything untoward is expected.

The day we spent at Paz de la Aves may have been atypical, but busloads of people herded between staked-out antipttas & cocks-of-the-rock diminished my enthusiasm for the place. Still, for photography it has some real merit.

Sounds just the place to avoid, I absolutely hate this kind of birding so thanks for the advice.:C
 
Sounds just the place to avoid, I absolutely hate this kind of birding so thanks for the advice.:C

I think it depends on the number of other people at the site. If it changes your mind, Paz de las Aves was the highlight of my trip and one of the greatest birding experiences of my life. I was more-or-less on my own with Angel Paz though.
 
As I stated, my experience was much better. If you want to be sure, have someone call ahead

Niels
 
I'll give another vote for Angel de la Paz. Like others have said, depends on the day, we had it to ourselves.
Other options near Mindo include San Jorge Eco Lodge at Tandayapa - excellent for birding / photography and San Jorge Lodge at Milpe.

As mentioned above, Ecuador is a great birding destination for birding and bird photography. Lodging is good, people are friendly, and birds are plentiful and colorful.
 
Sounds just the place to avoid, I absolutely hate this kind of birding so thanks for the advice.:C

The favorable comments of others suggest that Paz de las Aves can under certain conditions offer a satisfying birding experience. I suspect that most of the antpittas you encounter will still be summoned somewhat on cue, but I've added more than one staked-out bird to my lifelist (including those antpittas at Paz). We did a bit of birding separated from the hordes & found the birding reasonably productive.
 
Mindo Loma had superb photo opportunities for hummers and tanagers. Velvet purple coronet and empress brilliant were the dominant species, but a whole host of other species at point blank range, as well as possums and a kinkajou at night.
For a private photo session and great accommodation, Alambi Lodge at the foot of the Tandayapa valley was outstanding. You'll probable have the place to yourself and it's thronged with hummers feet away, with beauties like booted racketail, purple throated woodstar,. I had about fifteen species in a couple of hours there, plus dipper on the river, cock of the rock nesting under the bridge, and swallow tailed kite overhead. An outstanding birding experience. And really nice people too.The owners can also take you to the busier sites in Tandayapa as well, but Alambi will probably be just for you.
Basically, you can't go far wrong in Ecuador. You'll love it!
 
another vote for Mindo Loma.
Great birding and trails, more or less the same birds as in Tandayapa / Angel Paz (good for Moustached Antpitta, Beautiful Jay and Rufous-breasted Wood-quail, amongst others) but a bit lower and thus a slightly different composition of birds and great opportunities for hummer photos.

Mindo Loma is about 2 kilometers down the road from the Mindo turn off and the entrance is viewable on google streetview:
https://www.google.be/maps/@-0.0253...4!1sA8jBkTwXOMPEAuaws9QHKA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Alambi is also a good place like Mekong birder said. In any way, whatever you choose, you could theoretically bird every place mentioned above in a single day: start at Angel Paz for the Antpitta feeding and Cock-of-the-rock lek, move on after breakfast to Alambi and watch the hummers. Bird your way slowly up the road towards Tandayapa / Bellavista, get to Mindo following the backroad and ending up at your place in or near Mindo.

This is just to show you the possibilities, ofcourse it would be a bit stupid to bird all those places the same day, but you can decide, when in any of those places, to move to a different place in less than half an hour with your own transport, depending on activity, weather, target birds,... between Alambi / Tandayapa / Bellavista / Mindo / Mindo Loma / ...
 
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