Jun 2nd - Refugio Paz de las Aves
Jun 2nd
A very early start today - 5:15 a.m. breakfast, & 5:45 a.m. departure on the bus. We were heading to the renowned Refugio Paz de las Aves private reserve. This is a 120 ha private nature reserve in the western foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes. It is located near the equator at 1,400 metres altitude, between Mindo parish and Nanegalito. This started out as a small agricultural farm run by the Paz family. They found a Cock-of-the-Rock lek on the land so set out to create a reserve that people could visit, initially to see the Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks [COTR]. Family member Angel noticed one day a dumpy brown bird with a beak full of worms on a track in the forest, but as he approached it disappeared off into the undergrowth. Fascinated he decided to try and gain the birds confidence so day after day he would quietly go to the same track and take worms with him. After much patience he found that the bird would come out onto the track in answer to his gentle calls and take the worms he had put down. He christened it 'Maria', after his wife. Maria became the famous Giant Antpitta which emerged from the forest to give visitors amazing views of an otherwise very secretive bird.
Anyway first things first. The early start was so that we could get to the COTR lek at day break which is when the males start displaying. We duly arrived and were met by Angel Paz, a quiet unassuming man, who led us to the hide from where you could observe the horizontal branches along which the COTR would display. Anne & I had seen these birds before on a trip to Peru and everyone had been somewhat bemused when I told them beforehand that the birds made a rather strange strangulated noise like someone trying to be sick! Before the action started we were entertained by five Dark-backed Wood-quails feeding on the path by the entrance to the hide! Very soon, strange strangulated noises could be heard, and then a few bright red shapes materialised in amongst the branches and we soon had wonderful views of these stunning birds strutting their stuff. No flash was allowed so it was a case of very high ISO and hold the camera very firmly!
A very early start today - 5:15 a.m. breakfast, & 5:45 a.m. departure on the bus. We were heading to the renowned Refugio Paz de las Aves private reserve. This is a 120 ha private nature reserve in the western foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes. It is located near the equator at 1,400 metres altitude, between Mindo parish and Nanegalito. This started out as a small agricultural farm run by the Paz family. They found a Cock-of-the-Rock lek on the land so set out to create a reserve that people could visit, initially to see the Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks [COTR]. Family member Angel noticed one day a dumpy brown bird with a beak full of worms on a track in the forest, but as he approached it disappeared off into the undergrowth. Fascinated he decided to try and gain the birds confidence so day after day he would quietly go to the same track and take worms with him. After much patience he found that the bird would come out onto the track in answer to his gentle calls and take the worms he had put down. He christened it 'Maria', after his wife. Maria became the famous Giant Antpitta which emerged from the forest to give visitors amazing views of an otherwise very secretive bird.
Anyway first things first. The early start was so that we could get to the COTR lek at day break which is when the males start displaying. We duly arrived and were met by Angel Paz, a quiet unassuming man, who led us to the hide from where you could observe the horizontal branches along which the COTR would display. Anne & I had seen these birds before on a trip to Peru and everyone had been somewhat bemused when I told them beforehand that the birds made a rather strange strangulated noise like someone trying to be sick! Before the action started we were entertained by five Dark-backed Wood-quails feeding on the path by the entrance to the hide! Very soon, strange strangulated noises could be heard, and then a few bright red shapes materialised in amongst the branches and we soon had wonderful views of these stunning birds strutting their stuff. No flash was allowed so it was a case of very high ISO and hold the camera very firmly!
After having our fill of the Cocks-of-the Rock we returned to the main wide track and were gathered together. Angel now went over to some earth steps which obviously gave access to a track into the forest. He had in his hand some worms collected earlier and what ensued was truly amazing. He started with gentle calls of "venga, venga, venga" [the Spanish for "come here", or "come, come, come"], and he occasionally threw in a higher pitched call of "Maria" [although I think now that it's a different individual as the original has died]. Anyway, as we waited with baited breath, there was a movement in the shadows, and then there on the steps taking up the worms, was a Giant Antpitta! What a bird, and what a photo-opportunity. There was much rattling of shutters as it fed unconcerned, right out in the open. We were then taken along a narrow track into the forest proper and eventually grouped together on a narrow track looking downhill into the undergrowth. Again, another session of "venga venga" ensued. In addition, Angel would toss small pieces of rotten wood into the undergrowth just to make a small noise to attract the birds attention. After much patient waiting and more "venga vengas", a small movement was spotted and we were soon looking at a tiny Ochre-breasted Antpitta. Again it was "no flash" and it was pretty dark here deep in the undergrowth but I think most of us got some sort of record shot. Despite much patient trying tho' another much sought after Antpitta [the Moustached I think, but I stand to be corrected], could not be enticed out. We did have a brief glimpse of a Rufous-breasted Antthrush tho' although I at least did not get a photo. We also walked down the main access track/road to a small stream which ran down the valley, and here, Angel crossed the stream and squatted down by the overhanging vegetation, and with the same aplomb, called out a Yellow-breasted Antpitta. Incredible! Also in this area, we were put on to 2 Lyre-tailed Nightjars which were roosting way up in overhanging bushes on the rock face which overlooked the stream. Neither bird seemed to have the requisite long tail, but close examination of my blurred images reveals that at least one looked like a juvenile bird, so the other may well have been the female. At some point during our time here we spent quite a while at their feeding station where were were treated to tasty snacks whilst we watched and photographed the hummingbirds, tanagers and other birds coming to the feeders. New birds here included Brown Inca, American Kestrel, White-tailed Tyrranulet, Slay-backed Chat-tyrant, Olivaceous Piha, and Brown-capped Vireo.
After a great time at the reserve and at various stops on the way back, we went in to the town of Mindo, to explore its outskirts, and the river Mindo? Here, our guide Juan Carlos had picked up some 'gen' about a Common Potoo at roost. We soon found the right track and low and behold, there was a Common Potoo with a large fluffy chick sitting atop a dead tree stump, not 20m away. The group of us shooting away with the cameras attracted an inquisitive group of locals! After getting our fill of this very obliging bird we explored a few of the narrow dirt streets just outside the town centre, and found a good number of birds such as Masked Water-tyrant, Bananaquit, Fawn-breasted Tanager, Yellow-throated Bush-tanager, a Squirrel Cuckoo sitting on telephone wires, a Pacific Hornero by the roadside, Yellow Tyrranulet, Pacific Antwren, Variable Seedeater, Golden-rumped Euphonia, and a White-capped Dipper and a Torrent Tyrranulet on the river. We eventually made our way back to the lodge to freshen up and have dinner, which was excellent. After dinner we decided to go and look for owls, so we set off up the entrance track with Juan Carlos carrying a large spotting lamp. There didn't seem to be much activity until we reached the main entrance gate, when Juan Carlos swung his lamp around and there sitting in a tree by the road side, was a fabulous Mottled Owl. We managed to get some reasonable photos without using flash, by the light of the lamp, until the owl decided to move off and flew farther up the track. A great end to a great day.