Ecuador

Birding the east slope of Ecuadorian Andes

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January – February 2016. The east slope of the Andes rise suddenly and dramatically out of the Amazonian lowlands and a good number of species are found only found here at the base of the Andes. However finding good foothill forest on the east slope is not always easy – not a lot of roads exist and where they do, not much habitat remains. [...]

Adventures in the Galapagos Islands

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1-15 December 2015. The Galapagos Islands are the stuff of dreams: white sand beaches, crystal clear waters, giant tortoises, marine iguanas under your feet, stunning views, and so much more! But the Galapagos Islands are more than just eye candy for your tropical get-away. These islands are where the foundations of our understanding of evolution [...]

Birding the Ecuadorian Chocó

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16-25 November 2015. For about the third time, the van seemed to be mostly repaired and in good shape, so we headed back out on the road to visit the Chocó region of Ecuador, this time with no serious misadventures, at least yet! Fingers are well crossed here. The Chocó biogeographical region extends from the Darién in Panamá along the pacific [...]

Birding Antisana and the Papallacta pass area

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11-13 November 2015. The Antisana Ecological Reserve can easily be reached via a day trip from Quito. Given the frequent afternoon weather, it is best to arrive early in the morning to improve your chances of having an unobstructed view of the massive peak of Antisana. Antisana rises to a height of 18,891 ft (5,758 m) and is absolutely [...]

Mashpi Amagusa Rerserve and Mashpi Artisanal Chocolate Farm

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1-3 November 2015. After Bellavista, we headed to the Mashpi/Guayabillas/Las Delicias area. The name Masphi applies to two different locations that are reasonably close on a map but are not connected directly by road. What is known among birders as the “Mashpi road” is actually the Las Delicias–Guayabillas Road, where the birding area [...]