San Isidro & Guango or just Mindo & Tandayapa (1 Viewer)

Tony Knight · Feb 18, 2019

For a quick week in Ecuador before or after Galapagos, is it worth heading south east of Quito to take in San Isidro and Guango for a few days (maybe condors at Antisana too) or are the species pretty much the same as Mindo/Tandayapa so we might as well spend the whole week at different elevations at the latter 2 valleys ?

Thanks
Tony

Jim M. · Feb 18, 2019

Not exactly your question, but I once compared a typical east slope vs. west slope tour encompassing those areas and found about 25% of the species were different.

Tony Knight · Feb 18, 2019

OK thanks - that suggests that it is worth the extra travel to do both sides even though it's at similar elevations.

Tony

temmie · Feb 18, 2019

East Slope and West slope (obviously) have unique species.
The question is what you would like to see.

If you have a week, I would stay at one side. If you split time you will end up seeing some birds at either side, but missing out on many more birds on both sides. With a week in e.g. San Isidro + Guango + Papallacta, you could see most of the good species between 1500 meters and the highest altitudes. Same with the stretch between Mindo / Tandayapa+ Bellavista / Yanacocha. You would still have to spend most of your time at the lowest point in order to have a decent chance of seeing most of the typical species (3-4 days at San Isidro or around Mindo or a bit lower, 2 days at Guango / Papallacta or Bellavista, 1 day above Papallacta or at Yanacocha).

I also feel that you shouldn't invest too much time in trying to see Condors in Ecuador. I have seen condors at random places (and well-known stake-outs) in Colombia and especially Peru. They tend to get more common if from Peru to the south of South-america. In Ecuador, you need to go up to Antisana, for which you need a permit etc.

Tony Knight · Feb 18, 2019

temmie said:
East Slope and West slope (obviously) have unique species.
The question is what you would like to see.

If you have a week, I would stay at one side. If you split time you will end up seeing some birds at either side, but missing out on many more birds on both sides. With a week in e.g. San Isidro + Guango + Papallacta, you could see most of the good species between 1500 meters and the highest altitudes. Same with the stretch between Mindo / Tandayapa+ Bellavista / Yanacocha. You would still have to spend most of your time at the lowest point in order to have a decent chance of seeing most of the typical species (3-4 days at San Isidro or around Mindo or a bit lower, 2 days at Guango / Papallacta or Bellavista, 1 day above Papallacta or at Yanacocha).

I also feel that you shouldn't invest too much time in trying to see Condors in Ecuador. I have seen condors at random places (and well-known stake-outs) in Colombia and especially Peru. They tend to get more common if from Peru to the south of South-america. In Ecuador, you need to go up to Antisana, for which you need a permit etc.

Thanks Temmie.
I will just be looking to see as many species as possible in the week in what might be my only visit to Ecuador. I will be with a non-birding wife who will be happy to sit at the hummingbird feeders reading a book. I had planned to spend 2 days at san Isidro, visit Antisana on the way back to Mindo where I'd stay 2 days at Sachatamia and 2 days at Bellavista. Appreciate I'd miss a few but hoped to get a reasonable spread but would have dropped San Isidro completely if the birds were too similar to Mindo.
I'm also conscious of the risk of altitude sickness.

temmie · Feb 19, 2019

All sites you mention are excellent and the two days stay is definitely much more rewarding for all sites mentioned. If you can fit Antisana in between elegantly, it's recommended even if I said I wouldn't do it from the point of priorities (those are different for everybody anyway).

You will see a lot of birds in any way, it's quite hard to avoid birds in Ecuador

Tony Knight · Feb 21, 2019

temmie said:
All sites you mention are excellent and the two days stay is definitely much more rewarding for all sites mentioned. If you can fit Antisana in between elegantly, it's recommended even if I said I wouldn't do it from the point of priorities (those are different for everybody anyway).

You will see a lot of birds in any way, it's quite hard to avoid birds in Ecuador

Thanks again Temmie.

davidbrito · Feb 23, 2019

Hello,

Antisana recommended to do from Quito, sleeping in airport area for example and continue to Mindo Cloud Forest area or East Slope.

Both areas are great and you will see different species. For records, eBird is great.

maybe one week is too much for Guango and San Isidro only.

From Mindo which is located in the new Biosphere Reserve Choco Andino you can visit many locations doing full day tours in one week. Here some locations I just copied also in another post:

Available reserves from Mindo Cloud forest: Milpe Reserve, Silanche Reserve, Paz de las Aves Reserve, Alambi Hummingbirds garden, Bellavista road, Tandayapa Valley, Amagusa Reserve, Mashpi Road, Umbrella Bird Reserve, Oild Bird (El Chontal), San Tadeo Birding Feeder, Santa Rosa Birding Feeder, Antisana Reserve, Yanacocha Reserve

Best regards

David

Tony Knight · Feb 24, 2019

davidbrito said:
Hello,

Antisana recommended to do from Quito, sleeping in airport area for example and continue to Mindo Cloud Forest area or East Slope.

Both areas are great and you will see different species. For records, eBird is great.

maybe one week is too much for Guango and San Isidro only.

From Mindo which is located in the new Biosphere Reserve Choco Andino you can visit many locations doing full day tours in one week. Here some locations I just copied also in another post:

Available reserves from Mindo Cloud forest: Milpe Reserve, Silanche Reserve, Paz de las Aves Reserve, Alambi Hummingbirds garden, Bellavista road, Tandayapa Valley, Amagusa Reserve, Mashpi Road, Umbrella Bird Reserve, Oild Bird (El Chontal), San Tadeo Birding Feeder, Santa Rosa Birding Feeder, Antisana Reserve, Yanacocha Reserve

Best regards

David

Thanks David. We are now considering 4 nights in Mindo and 4 nights in the Amazon both after our week in the Galapagos. Actually 4 nights at San Isidro would be more convenient to then move onto the Amazon Lodge so we would probably drop Mindo......though I see you don't get the toucan barbet, plate-billed toucan or choco toucan on the eastern slope ???? Are there any equally beautiful birds on the east slope that don't appear on the west ??

Tony

gdhunter · Feb 25, 2019

Tony Knight said:
Actually 4 nights at San Isidro would be more convenient to then move onto the Amazon Lodge so we would probably drop Mindo......though I see you don't get the toucan barbet, plate-billed toucan or choco toucan on the eastern slope ???? Are there any equally beautiful birds on the east slope that don't appear on the west ??

I don't know if your question was directed to the entire forum or not, but if I were allocating only eight days I would NOT try covering eastern & western slopes. Four nights at San Isidro (or even better, Wildsumaco) followed by four Amazonian nights would be (at least in my opinion) a much better use of your time. Or eight nights at two destinations on the western slope. The concept of tropical rarity suggests that you're unlikely to get a representative sample of the avifauna at any one site if you only spend a couple of days or so there.

And yes, there are PLENTY of birds whose distribution is limited to the east. Possibly more, though I won't swear to that

temmie · Feb 25, 2019

In general, the east slope has more species.
The west slope has some 'iconic' species, but e.g. that Plate-billed Mountain Toucan on the West slope will be replaced by Black-billed Mountain-toucan around San Isidro (but I would say Plate-billed is a bit easier to encounter), and higher up on the east slope you can have Grey-breasted Mountain-toucan (e.g. around Guango).
That Choco Toucan that you won't get east will be replaced by Channel-billed and White-throated toucans etcetera.

There is no replacement for Toucan Barbet (which is quite 'unique') but the East slope has many great birds you won't find west...

Britseye · Feb 25, 2019

As Temmie said, we all have different priorities. I like to spend time covering one area rather than dashing about for listing purposes. It depends to a degree how much patience you have before moving on. For example, how edgy does one become on a short visit when one hasn't seen anything for two hours - do you start thinking the grass is greener on the other side, quite literally in this instance: west slope v east slope! For me, it has to be Mindo/Bellavista etc rather than San Isidro. Have spent time at both and consider the concentration of outstanding locations on the West slope more conducive to seeing lots of birds on a short visit. Depending on how much money you are prepared to throw at the Amazon, you may find it frustrating on a short visit as species density is low inside the forest. First time I birded that area took me four hours to see my first bird!

Britseye · Feb 25, 2019

Ha ha! I see Temmie and I have just cross-posted with totally different recommendations! That's the trouble with subjectivity, it's very confusing! You'll have a great trip wherever you go, probably best not to worry too much about what you will sacrifice by going to one place rather than another.

temmie · Feb 25, 2019

I agree that the West slope is the (slightly) more comfortable route. (a bit) Less travel time, pleasant climate,...

But if I would toss a coin I wouldn't really mind which side I would go. The most important is how you enjoy your stay... I must admit I felt sorry for many short staying visitors in our Amazon lodge, who always told me they had the same 2 night-3 day stay in the lodge before flying out to Quito and the Galapagos. I felt that they only scratched the surface and were missing out on some of the most beautiful, lush, bird-filled landscapes on both the East and West slope, and were visting the Amazon too hastily.

Tony Knight · Feb 25, 2019

Thank guys, it's really useful to hear your opinions and experiences and I know there's no "right" answer

. I also appreciate that whatever I do I will only be scratching the surface.

Issue one is that there are so many more places in the world to visit that this may be the only visit to Ecuador given we've only made so far, one visit to Sth America (Brazil - Pantanal, Iguacu so just ventured into Argentina, Chapada(?) and Rio https://www.flickr.com/photos/54189378@N02/albums/72157659401751344) and one visit to central America (Costa Rica https://www.flickr.com/photos/54189378@N02/albums/72157641477749334). incidentally the best sighting in CR was actually a tarantula hawk wasp fighting a tarantula ! https://www.flickr.com/photos/54189378@N02/13005984394/in/album-72157642035656403/

Issue two is that wife isn't really a birder - mild interest and obviously thrilled to see the colourful birds in particular hence the Toucan questions...plus loves hummingbirds ! Ecuador isn't great for mammals (which she loves) so the prospects of ever coming back just to "mop up birds on the other side of the slope" are slim !

On balance I will probably stick to 4 nights in Mindo area (2 Bellavista and 2 Sachatamia (with a morning visit to Pas de las Aves) and 4 nights in the Amazon (Sacha Lodge?). Frustrating to miss those east slope species though....

The amazon is more for wildlife generally so any birds would be a plus. I've read how tough it can be to see many birds in the jungle.

Thanks
Tony

njlarsen · Feb 25, 2019

Re mammals: I did see both olinguito and kinkajou at Bellavista. Spectacled Bear should also be possible in some places.

Niels

Tony Knight · Feb 25, 2019

njlarsen said:
Re mammals: I did see both olinguito and kinkajou at Bellavista. Spectacled Bear should also be possible in some places.

Niels

Thanks Nils - yes I picked up your sightings during research on the forum but not sure how frequent such sightings are ? Spectacled bear would be amazing ! I gather on the Eastern side at San Isidro various agoutis, "night" monkeys and even anteater, mountain tapir and puma are possible so there are a few mammals that we may see in the cloud forests.....

njlarsen · Feb 25, 2019

The olinguito plundered one of the hummingbird feeders one evening, and for the weekend they put out bananas for both species ... which are both active at night.

Niels

Tony Knight · Feb 25, 2019

njlarsen said:
The olinguito plundered one of the hummingbird feeders one evening, and for the weekend they put out bananas for both species ... which are both active at night.

Niels

I plan to be there on Friday and Saturday nights so hopefully they continue doing this !

davidbrito · Feb 26, 2019

Hello,

Choco Andino area and East Slope both are places to visit.

Today it was really easy to see plate-billed toucan at Vinicio´s Perez feeder in Santa Rosa. He has also an amazing hidden.

If you plan to visit San Isidro 4 days, I recommend to do 1 day first in Guango Lodge and then 3 days in San Isidro.

Choco Toucan easy to see in Mindo. We saw yesterday just from the terraces of our hotel.

Toucan barbet you can see it in San Tadeo Feeder, Paz de las Aves, ... there are different locations.

Mindo is the best location to stay and from here visit several reserves. If you want to see many places, just half day in each location is enough so in one day you can visit two locations.

What about Long-wattled Umbrellabird? it´s another beautiful one you can see in this area in 23 of June reserve

Tony Knight said:
Thanks David. We are now considering 4 nights in Mindo and 4 nights in the Amazon both after our week in the Galapagos. Actually 4 nights at San Isidro would be more convenient to then move onto the Amazon Lodge so we would probably drop Mindo......though I see you don't get the toucan barbet, plate-billed toucan or choco toucan on the eastern slope ???? Are there any equally beautiful birds on the east slope that don't appear on the west ??

Tony

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