Naturetrek 6-13 September 2009 Collared Warbling-finch Short-tailed Woodstar Blue-footed Booby Roseate Spoonbill Pearl Kite Report and images compiled by Edwin Perez Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0)1962 733051 F: +44 (0)1962 736426 E: info@naturetrek.co.uk W: www.naturetrek.co.uk
Ecuador - Tumbesian Endemics Tour Leader: Driver: Edwin Perez (Local Guide) Edwin Herrera Participants: Robert Black Ian Taylor Patricia Taylor Martin Wells Margaret Wells Day 1 Sunday 6th September The clients arrived in Guayaquil (the capital of the Guayas Province) which is located on the Pacific Coast and is known as the Pacific Pearl. The flight arrived at around 18:30, with a pick up at 19:00, and after a 45 minute drive we arrived at the Hotel Malecon Inn. Day 2 Monday 7th September Weather: Overcast Breakfast was at 05:30 and soon after we went towards Manglares Churute National Park. We drove for 40 minutes stopping at the side of the road to have a nice view of Hornet Screamer, Baird's Flycatcher, Ecuadorian Ground Dove, and Northern Crested Caracara. We then paid our entrance fee to the National Park, and took the paved road towards to the mangroves - before we got there we did some birding with great success finding birds such as Great Antshrike, Collared Antshrike, Black Bellied Whistling Duck, Jet Antbird, and White Whiskered Puffbird. We walked a trail which was not particularly active but got Gray and Gold Warbler, Pacific Flatbill, and Scale Crested Pigmy Tyrant. After this we drove to the mangroves boardwalk where we had Tumbesian Tyrannulet, Mangrove Warbler, and Rufous-necked Wood-rail. We returned to Guayaquil to the hotel getting there at 17:40. Day 3 Tuesday 8th September Weather: Overcast in the morning, very hot and sunny in the afternoon Breakfast was at 05:30 and we left at 06:00 - our destination was Cerro Blanco (which is one of the few remaining areas of dry tropical rainforest in Ecuador), which is located 16 km on the way from Guayaquil to Salinas. Some of the important species here include Gray Breasted Flycatcher, Black Capped Sparrow, Ecuadorian Piculet, Rufous headed Chachalaca and White tailed Jay. At 12:00 we had lunch, and then went to walk the self guided trail near the welcoming area for about 2 hours and 30 minutes, and later in the afternoon we went to Puerto Hondo, located 1 km from Cerro Blanco. We walked around the park first, and then we had a canoe ride for an hour near the mangroves - the tide was low so the birds were on the shore eating - these included White Ibis, Yellow Crowned Night Heron, Little Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, and Green Kingfisher. At 16:30 we returned to our hotel arriving at 17:45. Naturetrek December 09 1
Day 4 Wednesday 9th September Weather: Overcast Breakfast was at 05:30 and we departed Guaquil at 06:00 taking the road to Salinas Peninsula De Santa Elena. Our first stop was by the roadside and during the 1 hour and 30 minutes we saw species like Crocking Ground Dove, White-tailed Kite, Pacific Pigmy Owl and Blue-crowned Motmot. Then we continued to Punta Carnero (located in Peninsula De Santa Elena Province) to the Hosteria Del Mar, and on to Salinas where we had lunch at 13:00. After lunch we did a few stops including one near Anconcito, a small town located in the same area, and went back to the hotel for a while, and later that afternoon we went to Ecuasal Lakes to observe Spotted Sandpiper, Chilean Flamingo, Brown Pelican, Peruvian Pelican, Wilsons Phalarope, Willet, and American Oystercatcher, staying there for two hours, and getting back to Hosteria del Mar at 18:00. Day 5 Thursday 10th September Weather: Overcast early morning, drizzly the rest of the morning and afternoon Starting at 06:00 we drove for 15 minutes near Anconcito to a spot called Velasco Ibarra Lake and saw species such as Short-tailed Field-tyrant, Superciliated Wren, Parrot-billed Seedeater, and White-edges Oriole. After two hours birding we went to have breakfast at the Hosteria at 08:30. At 09:15 we drove towards Puerto Lopez (a small town located in the Manabi province near the beach) and on the way we did some stops on the main road in Cantalapiedra wildlife sanctuary. The sanctuary is located in the hills near Puerto Lopez (a few kilometres from Machalilla National Park where dry tropical forest meets lowland humid forest) this area therefore has a wide variety of birds and we were able to see Gray-backed Hawk, Tumbes Pewee, and Rufous-tailed Hummingbird. After another hour we arrived at Puerto Lopez to the Hotel Pacifico. We checked in, had lunch, and later at 14:00 we returned to Cantalapiedra again and saw birds like Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Lineated Woodpecker, and Rufous-browed Peppershrike. We arrived back at the hotel at 18:15. Day 6 Friday 11th September Weather: Intermittent drizzle in the morning, overcast and sunny in the afternoon Breakfast was at 05:45 and we left the hotel at 06:15 heading towards the Rio Ayampe (the only river with fresh water in the area so the population of Puerto Lopez and the nearby villages get fresh water from this river and the water is transported by trucks). Here we had good bird action and saw Slate-coloured Grosbeak, Ochraceous Attila, Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner, and Ecuadorian Thrush. At 12:00 we went back to the hotel to have lunch and at 14:00 we drove to Machalilla National Park (on our way to Aguas Blancas) where we did one stop and observed Elegant Cresent-chest, Necklaced Spinetail, and West Peruvian Dove. We continued to Aguas Blancas (this small village is located 7.5 miles to the north of Puerto Lopez) and a local guide took us on a 1km walk where we saw White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Social Flycatcher, and One-colored Becard. At 16:00 on the way back to our hotel we did two more stops, one before the main entrance to the village in the national park where we saw Laughing Falcon, and the other near to our hotel where we found Lesser Nighthawk, and Anthony's Nightjar. We arrived back at 19:15. 2 Naturetrek December 09
Day 7 Saturday 12th September Weather: Overcast in the morning and sunny in the afternoon We started at 06:15 by going to the nearby beach and saw Bat Falcon, Magnificent Frigatebird, Brown and Peruvian Pelicans, and Sanderling. After that we walked back to the hotel to have breakfast at 08:30. Later at 09:30 we had a two hour boat ride to Isla De La Plata. The Island is inhabited by Tortoises and Boobies and we had the chance to see some species up close like Blue Footed Booby, Nazca Booby, and Red Footed Booby, and we also saw Collared Warbling-finch, Gray-and-white Tyrannulet, and the stunning Red-billed Tropicbird. We stayed there until 16:00 and on the way back we saw Humpback Whales! We got back to the Hotel at 18:30. Day 8 Sunday 13th September Weather: Raining and cloudy Breakfast was at 05:45 and at 06:30 we left Puerto Lopez to return to Guayaquil. We went back to the Rio Ayampe and stayed there until after 11:30 trying to find the birds we could not get before and found some new species for our list. After Ayampe we stopped in Cantalapiedra to have lunch at 12:30 and then did two more stops near Salinas. We arrived at the airport at 17:00 it was the end of our birding adventure and time to say good bye and wish our clients a nice and safe trip home. Receive our e-newsletter Join the Naturetrek e-mailing list and be the first to hear about new tours, additional departures and new dates, tour reports and special offers. Visit www.naturetrek.co.uk to sign up. Naturetrek Facebook We are delighted to launch the Naturetrek Facebook page so that participants of Naturetrek tours can remain in touch after the holiday and share photos, comments and future travel plans. Setting up a personal profile at www.facebook.com is quick, free and easy. The Naturetrek Facebook page is now live; do please pay us a visit! Naturetrek December 09 3
Species List Birds 1 Least Grebe 104 Black Cheeked Woodpecker 2 Pied Billed Grebe 105 Scarlet Backed Woodpecker 3 Pink Footed Shearwater 106 Pacific Hornero 4 Red Billed Tropicbird 107 Slaty Spinetail 5 Peruvian Pelican 108 Necklaced Spinetail 6 Magnificent Frigatebird 109 Henna Hooded Foliage Gleaner 7 Blue Footed Booby 110 Streaked Xenops 8 Nazca Booby 111 Olivaceous Woodcreeper 9 Red Footed Booby 112 Streaked Headed Woodcreeper 10 Neotropical Cormorant 113 Collared Antshrike 11 Anhinga 114 Western Slaty Antshrike 12 Brown Pelican 115 Plain Antvireo 13 Hornet Screamer 116 Jet Antbird 14 Black Bellied Whistling Duck 117 Elegant Crescentchest 15 White Cheeked Pintail 118 Sooty Headed Tyrannulet 16 Chilean Flamingo 119 Southern Beardless Tyrannulet 17 Cocoi Heron 120 Tumbesian Tyrannulet 18 Great Egret 121 Gray And White Tyrannulet 19 Snowy Egret 122 Ochre Bellied Flycatcher 20 Little Blue Heron 123 Greenish Elaenia 21 Cattle Egret 124 Yellow Bellied Elaenia 22 Striated Heron 125 Tawny Crowned Pygmy Tyrant 23 Black Crowned Night Heron 126 Scaly Crested Pygmy Tyrant 24 Yellow Crowned Night Heron 127 Common Tody Flycatcher 25 White Ibis 128 Black Tailed Flycatcher 26 Roseate Spoonbill 129 Tumbes Pewee 27 Black Vulture 130 Gray Breasted Flycatcher 28 Turkey Vulture 131 Vermillon Flycatcher 29 Osprey 132 Short Tailed Field Tyrant 30 White Tailed Kite 133 Masked Water Tyrant 31 Snail Kite 134 Ochraceous Attila 32 Gray Backed Hawk/ 135 Sooty Crowned Flycatcher 33 Savanna Hawk 136 Boat Billed Flycatcher 34 Harris Hawk 137 Social Flycatcher 35 Gray Hawk 138 Streaked Flycatcher 36 Variable Hawk 139 Bairds Flycatcher 37 Short Tailed Hawk 140 Snowy Throated Kingbird 38 Northern Crested Caracara 141 Tropical Kingbird 39 Laughing Falcon 142 Slaty Becard 40 American Kestrel 143 Masked Tityra 41 Rufous Necked Wood Rail 144 White Tailed Jay 42 Common Gallinule 145 Rufous Browed Pepershrike 43 Wattled Jacana 146 Red Eyed Vireo 44 Short Billed Dowitcher 147 Lesser Greenlet 45 Greater Yellowlegs 148 Ecuadorian Thrush 46 Wandering Tattler 149 Long Tailed Mockingbird 47 Willet 150 Gray Breasted Martin 48 Spotted Sandpiper 151 Blue and White Swallow 49 Whimbrel 152 Southern Rough Winged Swallow 50 Ruddy Turnstone 153 Barn Swallow 51 Sanderling 154 Fasciated Wren 4 Naturetrek December 09
52 Semipalmated Sandpiper 155 Superciliated Wren 53 Western Sandpiper 156 Speckle Breasted Wren 54 Least Sandpiper 157 House Wren 55 Stilt Sandpiper 158 Tropical Gnatcatcher 56 Wilsons Phalarope 159 Tropical Parula 57 American Oystercatcher 160 Mangrove Warbler 58 Black Necked Stilt 161 ray And Gold Warbler 59 Gray Plover 162 Banana Quit 60 Semipalmated Plover 163 Yellow Tufted Dacnis 61 Snowy Plover 164 Guira Tanager 62 Gray Gull 165 Thick Billed Euphonia 63 Kelp Gull 166 Orange Crowned Euphonia 64 Gray Hooded Gull 167 Blue Necked Tanager 65 Elegant Tern 168 Blue Gray Tanager 66 Royal Tern 169 Palm Tanager 67 Common Tern 170 Lemon Rumped Tanager 68 Rock Pigeon 171 Highland Hepatic Tanager 69 Pale Vented Pigeon 172 Summer Tanager 70 Eared Dove 173 White Shouldered Tanager 71 West Peruvian Dove 174 Buff Throated Saltator 72 Ecuadorian Ground Dove 175 Streaked Saltator 73 Croaking Ground Dove 176 Southern Yellow Grosbeak 74 Blue Ground Dove 177 Crimson Breasted Finch 75 White Tipped Dove 178 Blue Black Grasquit 76 Pacific Parrotlet 179 Variable Seedeater 77 Gray Cheeked Parakeet 180 Parrot Billed Seedeater 78 Bronze Winged Parrot 181 Saffron Finch 79 Red Lored Amazon 182 Black Capped Sparrow 80 Squirrel Cuckoo 183 Black Striped Sparrow 81 Smooth Billed Ani 184 Collared Warbling Finch 82 Groove Billed Ani 185 Yellow Rumped Cacique 83 Pacific Pigmy Owl 186 Scrub Blackbird 84 Lesser Nighthawk 187 Great Tailed Grackle 85 Anthonys Nightjar 188 White Edge Oriole 86 Tumbes Swift 189 Yellow Tailed Oriole 87 Gray Rumped Swift 190 Peruvian Meadowlark 88 Barons Hermit 191 House Sparrow 89 Black Throated Mango 192 Great Antshrike 90 Rufous tailed Hummingbird 193 Plain Xenops 91 Amazilia Hummingbird 194 White Whiskered Puffbird 92 Long Billed Starthroat 195 Pacific Flatbill 93 Short Tailed Woodstar 196 Violet Bellied Hummingbird 94 Ecuadorian Trogon 197 Wedge Billed Woodcreeper 95 Northern Violaceous Trogon 198 Rufous Headed Chachalaca 96 Ringed Kingfisher 199 Pearl Kite 97 Green Kingfisher 200 Band Tailed Sierra Finch 98 Blue Crowned Motmot 201 One Colored Becard 99 White Necked Puffbird 202 Slate Colored Grosebeak 100 Pale Mandibled Arasari 203 Gray Breasted Woodwren 101 Ecuadorian Piculet 204 Parkinson's Petrel 102 Golden Olive Woodpecker 205 Bat Falcon 103 Lineated Woodpecker 206 Collared Forest Falcon Naturetrek December 09 5