Guango Lodge

Guango 2 days/ 3 nights

Day 1

We will leave from Quito at 8:00 A.M. to the Amazon watershed, with scenic and biodiverse paramos cloud forests in our sights. Our first stop en route, however, will be at a rose plantation where you will have the opportunity to ogle at many of the most popular and spectacular varieties that Ecuador produces. After this it will be time to move up in elevation to the majestic, windswept paramos of Papallacta – a very tundra-like habitat. On clear days here the views of the surroundings and various volcanoes are breath-taking; a stop right up at the continental divide is one of the best spots from which to photograph the snow-capped volcano, Antisana, as it towers over the mountains below. After what will have probably been a chilly morning (at best!) we will enjoy a relaxing and therapeutic dip in the natural hot springs of Papallacta… what better way to warm our bones after what could be a cold and windy day? And all of this before lunch!

We will get to Guango Lodge in time to enjoy a delicious and hot, sit-down lunch, traditional Ecuadorian style. In the afternoon we will embark on a hike along the trails that fan out around the lodge to get a taste of the beautiful Andean temperate forests and the birds that often adorn their branches; colorful mountain-toucans and tanagers would be a hit! Before dinner we will be officially welcomed by the lit fireplace and have our first taste of Ecuador’s best known hot toddy, a delicious drink – called “Canelazo” – made from water boiled with real cinnamon, fruit juice and a dash of cane alcohol, that is sure to help warm us up. Night at Guango.

Day 2

Once we have had a hot breakfast, we will head down to the nearby river and give our hand a try at trout fishing… fresh trout for lunch, anyone? Depending on our luck and patience, we will still leave time to enjoy the fabulous hummingbirds at the feeders (great for photography) – birders and non-birders alike always seem to marvel at their first looks at a Sword-billed Hummingbird (!) – and even a hike along a different trail near the lodge. For those interested in seeing some blooming, gaudy orchids, the orchid garden is always right there off of the front steps.

After lunch, and loading bags, we will make our way back west, up and over the high pass, making a stop or two  – assuming the weather allows it – to hike through an ancient Polylepis forest (the highest naturally occurring tree in the world), or even hike up to a high elevation lake. We plan to make it back to your hotels in Quito in the late afternoon.

Guango 3 days/ 2 nights

Day 1

We will leave from Quito at 8:00 A.M. to the Amazon watershed, with scenic and biodiverse cloud forests in our sights. Our first stop en route will be at a rose plantation where you will have the opportunity to ogle at many of the most popular and spectacular varieties that Ecuador produces. After this it will be time to move up in elevation to the majestic, windswept paramos of Papallacta – a very tundra-like habitat. On clear days here the views of the surroundings and various volcanoes are breath-taking; a stop right up at the continental divide is one of the best spots from which to photograph the snow-capped volcano, Antisana, as it towers over the mountains below.

After what will have probably been a chilly morning (at best!) we will get to Guango Lodge in time to enjoy a delicious and hot, sit-down lunch, traditional Ecuadorian style. In the afternoon we will embark on a hike along the trails that fan out around the lodge to get a taste of the beautiful Andean temperate forests and the birds that often adorn their branches; colorful mountain-toucans and tanagers would be a hit! Before dinner we will be officially welcomed by the lit fireplace and have our first taste of Ecuador’s best known hot toddy, a delicious drink – called “Canelazo” – made from water boiled with real cinnamon, fruit juice and a dash of cane alcohol, that is sure to help warm us up. Night at Guango.

Day 2

Ecuador has an impressive National Park system, with new parks having been instated only recently. Cayambe-Coca – nestled in the mountains not far from Guango – is one of them, and from its high paramos all the way down to its tropical forests at the lower end, it is among the most biologically diverse areas on earth; of many of the places visited in Ecuador, this is one spot where Culpeo Fox, Spectacled Bear and Mountain Tapir are most often seen… but one does need some luck as they are shy! After a hot breakfast, we will visit the high grassy slopes and elfin woodlands of this beautiful park, where we will have our best chances at seeing a soaring Andean Condor.

After taking time out for a packed lunch in this scenic area, we will enjoy a relaxing and therapeutic dip in the natural hot springs of Papallacta… what better way to warm our bones after what could be a cold and windy day? We’ll return to Guango for dinner, where we will spend our second night.

Day 3

Once we have had a hot breakfast, we will head down to the nearby river and give our hand a try at trout fishing… fresh trout for lunch, anyone? Depending on our luck and patience, we will still leave time to enjoy the fabulous hummingbirds at the feeders (great for photography) – birders and non-birders alike always seem to marvel at their first looks at a Sword-billed Hummingbird (!) – and even a hike along a different trail near the lodge. For those interested in seeing some blooming, gaudy orchids, the orchid garden is always right there off of the front steps.

After lunch, and loading bags, we will make our way back west, up and over the high pass, making a stop or two  – assuming the weather allows it – to hike through an ancient Polylepis forest (the highest occurring tree in the world), or even hike up to a high elevation lake. We plan to make it back to your hotels in Quito in the late afternoon.

Guango & San Isidro 4 days/ 3 nights

Day 1

Time to escape from Quito! Today we will want to rise early and get on our way since we have a variety of habitats that we will want to explore. Our drive to Guango Lodge will initially lead us through the drier central valley where we will pass through a mix of agricultural zones and native chaparral forests before rising up steeply to the high and (often) windswept paramo. Among the many bird possibilities, we will be particularly on the lookout for Andean Condor (sometimes hard), Carunculated Caracara, Andean Gull, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Scrub & Blue-and-yellow Tanagers and Southern Yellow-Grosbeak. If there were a day to have your camera ready, this would be it – on clear days the scenery is spectacular, with superb views of the snow-capped Volcán Antisana, and seemingly endless high Andean mountain-scapes harboring a backdrop of textures that make for an unforgettable birding setting. This area, known as the Papallacta Pass by birders, is rich in paramo birdlife, and with the proper weather, you can expect to see some of the following: Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, Ecuadorian Hillstar, Tawny Antpitta, Many-striped Canastero, White-chinned Thistletail, Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, some interesting seedeaters, and even Giant Conebill (with a bit of luck, up in the Polylepis woodlands). The Papallacta Pass is right on the continental divide, and once we finish up with our paramo birding, we will work our way down the east-slope – Amazonian drainage now – towards Guango Lodge. On the way we will pass through some beautiful high-elevation temperate forests where we will have a chance to stop and soak in this birdy zone; some of the possibilities include Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Viridian Metaltail, Red-crested Cotinga, Black-backed Bush-Tanager, just to name a very few. We should arrive to Guango Lodge in the late afternoon/early evening for a first crack at the hummingbird feeders that will be dripping with species such as Tourmaline Sunangel, Sword-billed Hummingbird and White-bellied Woodstar. Our box lunch in the field will allow us to remain flexible with respect to how we plan our birding for the day.

At dinner we will be officially welcomed by the lit fireplace and have our first taste of Ecuador’s best known hot toddy, a delicious drink – called “Canelazo” – made from water boiled with real cinnamon, fruit juice and a dash of cane alcohol, that is sure to help warm us up. Night at Guango Lodge.

Day 2

This morning will be devoted to birding the trails and spectacular hummingbird feeders at Guango Lodge. On the grounds here we frequently run into some of the best temperate forest flocks on any of our tours in Ecuador; in a matter of minutes it isn’t uncommon to see Bar-bellied Woodpecker, White-banded Tyrannulet, Blue-backed Conebill, Black-capped and Black-eared Hemispingus, Slaty and Pale-naped Brush-Finch, Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager, several species of mountain-tanager and even Plushcap. We will always have our eye out for other particularly local or aesthetic highlights, and Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan and Mountain Avocetbill are among them. We will enjoy a hot, sit-down lunch, only feet away from the hummingbird feeders (!), and soon after transfer to Cabañas San Isidro – about 1 ½ hours down-slope – making some birding stops along the way should time permit.  We will shoot to arrive in time to shower up and even try and spotlight a Rufous-bellied Nighthawk at dusk before what will certainly be a delicious dinner.

Assuming the weather cooperates, we will probably want to try a short night walk – right between the cabins and the dining room – in search of the “mystery owl”. This is a gorgeous owl that may one day prove to be a new species to science. Night at Cabañas San Isidro.

Day 3

We plan to start the morning off with some birding right around the lodge, where we often find it hard to pull ourselves away… the birds just sometimes keep coming. Some of the regulars include Masked Trogon, Andean Motmot, Montane and Olive-backed Woodcreepers, Golden-crowned Flycatcher, Black-billed Peppershrike, Inca Jay and Subtropical Cacique! After about an hour of this, we will want to visit the Antpitta feeders, where you will likely see White-bellied Antpitta only feet away, and maybe even the very rare Peruvian (!). The rest of the morning will be spent birding the ample trail system and/or forested roadside at Cabañas San Isidro.

After lunch at the lodge (and possibly an afternoon break), we can choose any of the trails that sprawl out from the lodge (or even the roadside) for a second crack at flocks and other activity… quetzals or maybe a fruiteater anybody? We may even want to try a spot near the lodge for Andean Potoo and Rufous-banded Owl. Night at Cabañas San Isidro.

Day 4

Morning birding the beautiful Guacamayos ridge trail – only about 20 minutes from the lodge by vehicle – where some of the birds we hope to see include Green-and-black Fruiteater, Handsome Flycatcher, Rufous Wren, Turquoise Jay, Grass-green Tanager, a few species of skulking tapaculos (and maybe even an Ocellated) and Northern Mountain-Cacique. While not as common, but still regularly seen here, some of the other harder possibilities include Greater Scythebill, Dusky Piha and Black-billed Mountain-Toucan. Depending on the guide’s plan for the day, we may enjoy one last meal at Cabañas San Isidro, or choose to bring along a box lunch for our birding drive back to Quito to give us a chance at cleaning-up some of the missed species we had searched for on the first day. Night in Quito.

Guango & San Isidro 5 days/ 4 nights

Day 1

Time to escape from Quito! Today we will want to rise early and get on our way since we have a variety of habitats that we will want to explore. Our drive to Guango Lodge will initially lead us through the drier central valley where we will pass through a mix of agricultural zones and native chaparral forests before rising up steeply to the high and (often) windswept paramo. Among the many bird possibilities, we will be particularly on the lookout for Andean Condor (sometimes hard), Carunculated Caracara, Andean Gull, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Scrub & Blue-and-yellow Tanagers and Southern Yellow-Grosbeak. If there were a day to have your camera ready, this would be it – on clear days the scenery is spectacular, with superb views of the snow-capped Volcán Antisana, and seemingly endless high Andean mountain-scapes harboring a backdrop of textures that make for an unforgettable birding setting. This area, known as the Papallacta Pass by birders, is rich in paramo birdlife, and with the proper weather, you can expect to see some of the following: Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, Ecuadorian Hillstar, Tawny Antpitta, Many-striped Canastero, White-chinned Thistletail, Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, some interesting seedeaters, and even Giant Conebill (with a bit of luck, up in the Polylepis woodlands). The Papallacta Pass is right on the continental divide, and once we finish up with our paramo birding, we will work our way down the east-slope – Amazonian drainage now – towards Guango Lodge. On the way we will pass through some beautiful high-elevation temperate forests where we will have a chance to stop and soak in this birdy zone; some of the possibilities include Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Viridian Metaltail, Black-backed Bush-Tanager, just to name a very few. We should arrive to Guango Lodge in the late afternoon/early evening for a first crack at the hummingbird feeders that will be dripping with species such as Tourmaline Sunangel, Sword-billed Hummingbird and White-bellied Woodstar. Our box lunch in the field will allow us to remain flexible with respect to how we plan our birding for the day.

At dinner we will be officially welcomed by the lit fireplace and have our first taste of Ecuador’s best known hot toddy, a delicious drink – called “Canelazo” – made from water boiled with real cinnamon, fruit juice and a dash of cane alcohol, that is sure to help warm us up. Night at Guango Lodge.

Day 2

Depending on the weather – which can change unpredictably – we will drive back – about 20 – up to the lower entrance to Cayambe-Coca National Park (just uphill from the town of Papallacta) to bird the elfin woodlands there for the morning for a shot at a few different mountain-tanagers (Black-chested and Masked) and other flock birds. This makes for a comfortable morning excursion since we have two nights at Guango.If it turns out to be rainy, we may want to stick closer to Guango, so our plan will be weather contingent.At any rate, a hot lunch awaits us at Guango once the morning activity has waned.

The afternoon will be devoted to birding the trails and spectacular hummingbird feeders (which can be a bonanza for those interested in photography) at Guango Lodge. On the grounds at Guango we frequently run into some of the best temperate forest flocks on any of our tours in Ecuador; in a matter of minutes it isn’t uncommon to see Bar-bellied Woodpecker, White-banded Tyrannulet, Blue-backed Conebill, Black-capped and Black-eared Hemispingus, Slaty and Pale-naped Brush-Finch, Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager, several species of mountain-tanager and even Plushcap. We will always have our eye out for other particularly local or aesthetic highlights, and Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan and Mountain Avocetbill are among them. Night Guango Lodge.

Day 3

We’ll start the morning off birding on foot and take full advantage of the dawn flurry at Guango, possibly exploring a different trail on the property, depending on what birds we have already seen. After the morning has run its course, it will be time to zip up our bags for the drive to Cabañas San Isidro. Driving straight through takes about 1 ½ hours but, as birders, we’ll probably find ourselves making birding stops along the way. The plan is to take a packed lunch from Guango to either eat along the way, or we may get in early enough to get situated into our rooms, and then eat out on the veranda. From here we can spend the rest of the afternoon either birding one of the forest trails – maybe down to the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek – our try a stroll along the forested roadside.

As dusk settles in we should try and spotlight Rufous-bellied Nighthawk; they often come zooming in overhead around the lodge.

After a wonderful dinner, and assuming the weather cooperates, we will probably want to try a short night walk – right between the cabins and the dining room – in search of the “mystery owl”. This is a gorgeous owl that may one day prove to be a new species to science. Night at Cabañas San Isidro.

Day 4

We plan to start the morning off with some busy birding right around the lodge, where we often find it hard to pull ourselves away… the birds just sometimes keep coming. Some of the regulars include Powerful Woodpecker, Montane and Olive-backed Woodcreepers, Golden-crowned Flycatcher, Black-billed Peppershrike, Inca Jay, Bluish Flowerpiercer and Subtropical Cacique! After about an hour of this, we will want to visit the Antpitta feeders, where you will likely see White-bellied Antpitta only feet away, and maybe even the very rare Peruvian (!). The rest of the morning will be spent birding the ample trail system and/or forested roadside at Cabañas San Isidro.

After lunch at the lodge (and possibly an afternoon break), we can choose any of the trails that sprawl out from the lodge (or even the roadside) for a second crack at flocks and other activity… quetzals or maybe a fruiteater anybody? We may even want to try a spot near the lodge for Andean Potoo and Rufous-banded Owl pre-dinner. Night at Cabañas San Isidro.

Day 5

Morning birding the beautiful Guacamayos ridge trail – only about 20 minutes from the lodge by vehicle – where some of the birds we hope to see include Green-and-black Fruiteater, Handsome Flycatcher, Rufous Wren, Turquoise Jay, Grass-green Tanager, a few species of skulking tapaculos (and maybe even an Ocellated) and Northern Mountain-Cacique. While not as common, but still regularly seen here, some of the other harder possibilities include Greater Scythebill, Dusky Piha and Black-billed Mountain-Toucan. Depending on the guide’s plan for the day, we may enjoy one last meal at Cabañas San Isidro, or choose to bring along a box lunch for our birding drive back to Quito to give us a chance at cleaning-up some of the missed species we had searched for on the first day. Night in Quito.

Guango & San Isidro 6 days/ 5 nights

Day 1

Time to escape from Quito! Today we will want to rise early and get on our way since we have a variety of habitats that we will want to explore. Our drive to Guango Lodge will initially lead us through the drier central valley where we will pass through a mix of agricultural zones and native chaparral forests before rising up steeply to the high and (often) windswept paramo. Among the many bird possibilities, we will be particularly on the lookout for Andean Condor (sometimes hard), Carunculated Caracara, Andean Gull, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Scrub & Blue-and-yellow Tanagers and Southern Yellow-Grosbeak. If there were a day to have your camera ready, this would be it – on clear days the scenery is spectacular, with superb views of the snow-capped Volcán Antisana, and seemingly endless high Andean mountain-scapes harboring a backdrop of textures that make for an unforgettable birding setting. This area, known as the Papallacta Pass by birders, is rich in paramo birdlife, and with the proper weather, you can expect to see some of the following: Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, Ecuadorian Hillstar, Tawny Antpitta, Many-striped Canastero, White-chinned Thistletail, Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, some interesting seedeaters, and even Giant Conebill (with a bit of luck, up in the Polylepis woodlands).

The Papallacta Pass is right on the continental divide, and once we finish up with our

paramo birding, we will work our way down the east-slope – Amazonian drainage now – towards Guango Lodge. On the way we will pass through some beautiful high-elevation temperate forests where we will have a chance to stop and soak in this birdy zone; some of the possibilities include Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Viridian Metaltail, Black-backed Bush-Tanager, just to name a very few. We should arrive to Guango Lodge in the late afternoon/early evening for a first crack at the hummingbird feeders that will be dripping with species such as Tourmaline Sunangel, Sword-billed Hummingbird and White-bellied Woodstar. Our box lunch in the field will allow us to remain flexible with respect to how we plan our birding for the day.

At dinner we will be officially welcomed by the lit fireplace and have our first taste of Ecuador’s best known hot toddy, a delicious drink – called “Canelazo” – made from water boiled with real cinnamon, fruit juice and a dash of cane alcohol, that is sure to help warm us up. Night at Guango Lodge.

Day 2

Today will be devoted to birding the trails and spectacular hummingbird feeders at Guango Lodge. On the grounds at Guango we frequently run into some of the best temperate forest flocks on any of our tours in Ecuador; in a matter of minutes it isn’t uncommon to see Bar-bellied Woodpecker, White-banded Tyrannulet, Blue-backed Conebill, Black-capped and Black-eared Hemispingus, Slaty and Pale-naped Brush-Finch, Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager, several species of mountain-tanager and even Plushcap. We will always have our eye out for other particularly local or aesthetic highlights, and Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan and Mountain Avocetbill are among them. We will enjoy a hot, sit-down lunch, only feet away from the hummingbird feeders (!), and in the afternoon either bird another trail or take time to photograph the hummers at the feeders. Night Guango Lodge.

Day 3

Depending on the weather – which can change unpredictably – we will drive up to the lower entrance to Cayambe-Coca National Park to bird the elfin woodlands there for the morning for a shot at a few different mountain-tanagers (Black-chested and Masked) and other flock birds. If it turns out to be rainy, we may want to stick closer to Guango, so our plan will be weather contingent.

One last lunch awaits us at Guango before we pack up for our transfer to Cabañas San Isidro. Driving straight through it takes about 1 ½ hours but, as birders, we’ll probably find ourselves making birding stops along the way, getting for time to settle into our rooms and enjoy a wonderful dinner.

After dinner, and assuming the weather cooperates, we will probably want to try a short night walk – right between the cabins and the dining room – in search of the “mystery owl”. This is a gorgeous owl that may one day prove to be a new species to science. Night at Cabañas San Isidro.

Day 4

We plan to start the morning off with some busy birding right around the lodge, where we often find it hard to pull ourselves away… the birds just sometimes keep coming. Some of the regulars include Powerful Woodpecker, Montane and Olive-backed Woodcreepers, Golden-crowned Flycatcher, Black-billed Peppershrike, Inca Jay, Bluish Flowerpiercer and Subtropical Cacique! After about an hour of this, we will want to visit the Antpitta feeders, where you will likely see White-bellied Antpitta only feet away, and maybe even the very rare Peruvian (!). The rest of the morning will be spent birding the ample trail system and/or forested roadside at Cabañas San Isidro.

After lunch at the lodge (and possibly an afternoon break), we can choose any of the trails that sprawl out from the lodge (or even the roadside) for a second crack at flocks and other activity… quetzals or maybe a fruiteater anybody? We may even want to try a spot near the lodge for Andean Potoo and Rufous-banded Owl. Night at Cabañas San Isidro.

Day 5

We will get up early and head to the Loreto Road (or to Coca Falls) where we will spend the day birding this scenic zone. In the eastern foothills the birding possibilities really explode, with a new sets of tanagers, antbirds, and others. Considering that this is one of the most biologically diverse spots on the planet we will want to spend a full day exploring these rich forested slopes. Assuming weather cooperates, we will have a long list of potential species. Here are some dreamy names to whet your appetite: White-backed Fire-eye, Coppery-chested Jacamar, Golden-eared, Orange-eared and Paradise Tanagers, and Golden-collared Honeycreeper. We might even luck into a fruiteater or two! We will want to bring along a packed lunch in order to take full advantage of our day in the field. Night at Cabañas San Isidro.

Day 6

Morning birding the beautiful Guacamayos ridge trail – only about 20 minutes from the lodge by vehicle – where some of the birds we hope to see include Green-and-black Fruiteater, Handsome Flycatcher, Rufous Wren, Turquoise Jay, Grass-green Tanager, a few species of skulking tapaculos (and maybe even an Ocellated) and Northern Mountain-Cacique. While not as common, but still regularly seen here, some of the other harder possibilities include Greater Scythebill, Dusky Piha and Black-billed Mountain-Toucan. Depending on the guide’s plan for the day, we may enjoy one last meal at Cabañas San Isidro, or choose to bring along a box lunch for our birding drive back to Quito to give us a chance at cleaning-up some of the missed species we had searched for on the first day. Night in Quito.

Guango & San Isidro 7 days/ 6 nights

Day 1

Today we will want to rise early and get on our way since we have a variety of habitats that we will want to explore. Our drive to Guango Lodge will initially lead us through the drier central valley where we will pass through a mix of agricultural zones – and even have a chance to visit a rose plantation and a rose show room – and chaparral forests before leaving the city behind and rising up steeply to the high and (often) windswept paramo. Among the many bird possibilities, we will be particularly on the lookout for Andean Condor (sometimes hard), Carunculated Caracara, Andean Gull, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Scrub & Blue-and-yellow Tanagers and Southern Yellow-Grosbeak. If there were a day to have your camera ready, this would be it – on clear days the scenery is spectacular, with superb views of the snow-capped Volcán Antisana, and endless high Andean mountain scenes harboring a backdrop of textures that make for an unforgettable birding setting.

This area, known as the Papallacta Pass by birders, is rich in paramo birdlife, and with the proper weather, you can expect to see some of the following: Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, Ecuadorian Hillstar, Tawny Antpitta, Many-striped Canastero, White-chinned Thistletail, Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, some interesting seedeaters, and even Giant Conebill, with a bit of luck.

The Papallacta Pass is right on the continental divide, and once we finish up with our paramo birding, we will work our way down the east-slope – Amazonian drainage now – towards Guango Lodge. On the way we will pass through some beautiful high-elevation temperate forests where we will have a chance to stop and soak in this birdy zone; some of the possibilities include Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Viridian Metaltail, Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager, just to name a very few.

We should arrive into Guango Lodge in the late afternoon/early evening for a first crack at the hummingbird feeders that will be dripping with species such as Tourmaline Sunangel, Sword-billed Hummingbird and White-bellied Woodstar. Our box lunch in the field will allow us to remain flexible with respect to how we plan our birding for the day. Night Guango Lodge.

OPTIONAL: It is possible to visit Antisana before heading to Papallacta Pass (please let us know if this interest you ahead of time!

Day 2

This day will be devoted to birding the trails and spectacular hummingbird feeders at Guango Lodge. On the grounds here we frequently run into some of the best temperate forest flocks on any of our tours in Ecuador; in a matter of minutes it isn’t uncommon to see White-banded Tyrannulet, Black-capped and Black-eared Hemispingus, Slaty and Pale-naped Brush-Finch, Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager and even Plushcap. We will enjoy a hot, sit-down lunch, only feet away from the hummingbird feeders (!) and in the afternoon we will either bird another trails or enjoy the hummingbird feeders. Night Guango Lodge.

Day 3

We will leave after breakfast to Cabañas San Isidro, making birding stops along the way. We might have some time – for those interested in a non-birding activity or two – to visit the small archaeological sight right on the property which has remains and artifacts from a long-gone pre-Incan culture. After dinner, and assuming the weather cooperates, we will probably want to try a short night walk – right between the cabins and the dining room – in search of the “mystery owl”. This is a gorgeous owl that may one day prove to be a new species to science; night at Cabañas San Isidro.

Day 4

We plan to start the morning off with some birding right around the lodge, where we often find it hard to pull ourselves away… the birds just sometimes keep coming. Some of the regulars include Montane and Olive-backed Woodcreepers, Golden-crowned Flycatcher, Black-billed Peppershrike, Inca Jay and Subtropical Cacique! After about an hour of this, we will want to visit the Antpitta feeders, where you will likely see White-bellied Antpitta only feet away, and maybe even the very rare Peruvian (!).

The rest of the morning will be spent birding the ample trail system and forested roadside at Cabañas San Isidro. After a hot, sit-down lunch at the lodge (and possibly an afternoon break), we will visit the Biology Station on the way back from birding one of the forest trails; there will be the option of either birding your way with the guide back to the lodge on foot along the road – sometimes a good time of day – or to have a vehicle pick-up after the visit to the station. Night at Cabañas San Isidro.

Day 5

We will get up early and head to the Loreto Road (or to Coca Falls) where we will spend the day birding this scenic zone. In the eastern foothills the birding possibilities really explode, with a new sets of tanagers, antbirds, and others. Considering that this is one of the most biologically diverse spots on the planet we will want to spend a full day exploring these rich forested slopes. Assuming weather cooperates, we will have a long list of potential species, including Coppery-chested Jacamar, Golden-eared and Orange-eared Tanagers, and Golden-collared Honeycreeper. We might even luck into a fruiteater or two! We will want to bring along a packed lunch in order to take full advantage of our day in the field. Night at Cabañas San Isidro.

Day 6: Morning birding the beautiful Guacamayos Ridge trail where some of the bird possibilities include Rufous Wren, Turquoise Jay, Grass-green Tanager, a few species of skulking tapaculos (and maybe even an Ocellated) and Northern Mountain-Cacique. With some real luck me might even happen upon a Greater Scythebill moving with a large mixed flock, or even a White-faced Nunbird sitting stolidly nearby. After lunch at the lodge we can venture out onto one of the trails around our cabins that we have not yet birded for a last round of afternoon birding. Night at Cabañas San Isidro.

Day 7: Depending on the guide’s plan for the day, we may enjoy one last meal at Cabañas San Isidro or choose to bring along a box lunch for our birding drive back to Quito that will give us a chance to clean-up some of the missed species, drop off at your hotel in Quito.