With nearly a week into our expansive itinerary, it was refreshing to return to familiar lodging at Puembo Birding Garden before heading over the Papallacta Pass to 3 more lodges and finally the Amazon Basin. Before heading east, however, we took a day trip to Antisana Volcano and returned to Puembo for the night. Links to the other 2 installments are below.
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- Mindo and the western slope of the Andes Range (Guaycapi and Sachatamia Lodges)
- The Amazon Basin (Coca and Sani Lodge)
A mere 62 miles (100 km) from Quito is the Antisana Ecological Reserve, and at 13,500′ we got the whole package: beautiful weather, remarkable views of Antisana Volcano (18,875′), and several life birds including the Ecuadorian national bird, the Andean Condor.
After an early breakfast, we covered a considerable distance on a very nice highway out of Quito, sharing the road with numerous cyclists eager for the up, up, up. Edwin again demonstrated his professionalism by using his phone (What’s App) to keep abreast of a Spectacled Bear and similar updates from other guides in the field. So informed, at milepost 60 km. we pulled over. Sooney saw a small dark shape across the drainage on a vast hillside of low shrubs. Edwin trained his scope on the bear so we could followed its progress as it scavenged for food. Of course, the target-bird of the area is the Condor, and we stopped for a look at Tambo Condor Bird Lodge. Their viewing platform offered us a good look at the world’s largest hummer, appropriately named the Giant Hummingbird. Across the huge valley were rocky outcrops where the Condor nests. We spotted several, but they were ½ km. away so sadly not much of a look.
Once in the National Park, everything changed. The paved road to the visitor center meandered up through the countryside, and any resemblance to the Alaskan tundra is no coincidence. The dominant plant is a sturdy straw-like grass which grows pretty much everywhere on the open plains (paramo). Also interesting is the sponge-like cushion plant that plays a vital role in the water storage of this ecosystem. We slowed at most bridges, scanning the flow for the Torrent Duck. At one pullout, we followed a game trail to a lovely meadow to see a Nightjar resting on a ledge. How Edwin found that camouflaged bird is a testament to his superb skill as a birding guide. Suddenly, a Condor appeared, riding the thermals, and we got a lucky view of its huge, 10′ wingspan as it passed directly overhead.
We continued on up to the Laguna Micacocha Visitor Center while the weather was good and drove right up to the lagoon that provides Quito a ¼ of its water supply. It was extremely cold, but we were fortunate not to experience any inclement weather and saw our first Black Faced Ibis and the Carunculated Caracara. The view of the massive volcano was particularly impressive being so close (we were at 12,877′). Although Antisana appears to have 2 separate peaks, in reality it is one single crater that partially collapsed during a previous eruption. Billowy clouds framed its ragged peak, and we were offered a great view of glaciers on its flank. Several days later, we’d cross the Papallacta Pass and view Antisana from the other side. Weather set upon us, and we returned to Quito for the night. Although we were traveling in the “rainy” season, it merits pointing out that it ALWAYS rains in the rainforest, and our visit wasn’t negatively impacted. Furthermore, we were fortunate that most of the rain occurred at night lulling us to sleep as it pounded thunderously on our lodges’ roofing.
The following morning we set off to the eastern side of the Andes, crossing the Papallacta Pass with a night at some thermal pools as our destination. En-route, Edwin made sure we got as high as we could and maneuvered his trusty 4-wheeler up a snarky road to some antennas atop a ridge shrouded in clouds. We parked, and the scenery was surreal. Gone were the spiky grasses observed earlier in the Antisana Refuge; the predominant plants were low, tundra-like, and were the favorite meal of the extremely elusive Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe. It’s clear how easily the bird blends into its habitat, and the 4 of us scanned the barren glacial moraine looking for movement. It was a soft peep that gave them away—a pair was munching on vegetation 15′ away. What an interesting bird, and we bought Edwin a sweatshirt commemorating the victory.
The culmination of this memorable day was a soak in thermal baths in the resort town of Papallacta. This town is accessible from both east and west (think Quito), and our arrival on a Sunday coincided with flocks of tourists. In groups past, Mercedes arranged for her clients to stay at the destination resort, but we simply went there for lunch and were housed at Pampallacta, a smaller, more intimate place in the village (that also had thermal pools). Behind the Papallacta resort was the access road to yet another section of the National Park and Edwin wasted no time driving us a mile or so up the road for roadside birding. It was really a beautiful time of the day, and the view of Antisana Volcano from the east was glorious. So much so, we repeated the road birding event the following morning and happened onto a mixed flock that got our juices going.
It’s a relatively short distance to our next lodge, Cabañas San Isidro, but nobody can anticipate road closures caused by a broken crude-oil pipeline. So there we were, first in line and ready to go…in 4 hours. Plenty of time to quiz each other on the dozens of hummingbird species we’d seen and, for me, a chance to catch up with my photo editing. The wait was getting ridiculous, however, and Edwin fast-talked a police officer and played the Old Gringo Tourist card and the cop mercifully let us proceed. When we reached the spill, soil had been applied to prevent slipping and Edwin skillfully wove around the road construction crews and off we sped to our next destination, San Isidro Lodge & Reserva.
The day’s excitement behind us, we were met by the Lodge’s staff and shown to our beautiful accommodations—another room with a view. Well-lit paths led to the restaurant and viewing platform, and the owner was excitedly awaiting us because a female Tapir was at the mammal feeder. In addition, plenty of tanagers, warblers, tree-crawlers, and a trogon joined the show. During supper, a Black-banded Owl flew in to no one’s surprise; the bird has been showing up at dusk for months. (This time a noisy juvenile tagged along.) The following morning was rainy and we nevertheless made an early visit to their moth trap. The heavy droplets from the canopy landing on our umbrellas made it feel like there was more rain than was actually falling. Tricked us, but not the birds. Later that morning, the Lodge’s bird whisperer set up a performance and a White-bellied Antpitta didn’t disappoint.
Our final stay on the eastern foothills was yet another wonderful destination, WildSumaco Lodge. Named for a nearby volcano (dormant), we birding their moth traps, connected with a local who’d found the favorite haunt of a Blackish Rail, and walked on forest trails with warming sun filtering through the canopy. En-route we visited Edwin’s who owned a charmingly tidy viewing area, El Quetzal Protected Forest. While the Quetzal failed to show up, Andrea’s hummingbird viewing area was sensational. Very classy, with stools, brewed coffee and, after an hour or so she invited us in for tasty empanadas and a locally-brewed chai.
Here’s a link to a gallery of photos taken during this leg of the journey.