Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera)

The Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera) is a species of hummingbird from South America and the sole member of the genus Ensifera.  It is noted as the only species of bird to have a bill longer than the rest of its body. This adaptation is to feed on flowers with long corollas such as Passiflora mixta. The tongue is therefore also unusually long.

img_5683a img_5681a img_5680a They can be found in the higher elevations (mostly above 2500 meters) in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.  Guango Lodge in Ecuador is a good place although they kept to the flowers in the rear and away from the feeders when we were there-maybe because of the rain.  I finally got a better look (pictures above) at the finca near Ventanas above Jardin.  Huembo in norther Peru is another good place.

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At Guango Lodge on a feeder

 

This brave little guy has to fight the rain to get at the flowers.

 

See how this one preens himself with his feet as his bill is so long.  Also note how he holds his head with the bill pointing up, that thing must be heavy!

 

 

 

Lodge Review: Guango Lodge (Short Visit), Ecuador

Although we didn’t stay in Guango Lodge and only made a day visit, I am going to list this in the accommodation as they do provide excellent accommodation at a super reasonable price and it’s about 1 hour from the airport by taxi, a bit more if you use the bus.  We didn’t have enough days in our schedule to spend a night here but we would have if we had the time.  And if we ever have a flight from Quito Airport after 12 noon (which allows for morning birding, breakfast, transport and check in) we will definitely stay here.

The sign is easily spotted if you are coming from Quito, it’s on your right.  If you are coming from Coca or San Isidro, it’s on your left and you need to watch carefully and let the bus driver know.

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Alejandro from Cabanas San Isidro had called ahead and they were expecting us so there was a gentleman waiting at the gate who grabbed our backpacks and led us to the main building.DSCN2457

Hummingbird feeders are scattered around the property so you can walk the trails and see them all.  If you aren’t an overnight guest, there is a $5 entry fee that also includes coffee or tea.DSCN2458 DSCN2459

The very attractive dining room has a nice porch with lots of hummingbird feeders and you can shelter there from the rain.DSCN2460 DSCN2461 DSCN2462 DSCN2463 DSCN2464

We did pretty well in our 2 hour visit getting good looks at most of the resident hummingbirds and one flowerpiercer.  If you spend the night, you have a better chance to see more birds as you can make an early start.  Here’s the full bird list.DSCN2541a DSCN2589 DSCN2586

Collared Inca maleDSCN2488

Collared Inca femaleDSCN2580

Chestnut-breasted Coronet DSCN2473 DSCN2479 DSCN2494 DSCN2510 DSCN2553 DSCN2554 DSCN2556 DSCN2559 DSCN2561

Buff-winged Starfrontlet DSCN2579

Tourmaline Sunangel – scroll down to see the flashy violet throat! DSCN2483 DSCN2504 DSCN2495 DSCN2499 DSCN2524 DSCN2543 DSCN2545 DSCN2546 DSCN2550 DSCN2551 DSCN2552 DSCN2548 DSCN2537 DSCN2534 DSCN2530 DSCN2529

White-bellied Woodstar DSCN2528

Masked FlowerpiercerDSCN2520 DSCN2573 DSCN2574

There was a Sword-billed Hummingbird hanging around the flowers but I couldn’t get a clear shot!DSCN2576 DSCN2477

Not bad for 2 hours in a rainy day!

Collared Inca (Coeligena torquata)

The Collared Inca (Coeligena torquata) is a species of hummingbird found in humid Andean forests from western Venezuela, through Colombia and Ecuador, to Peru and Bolivia. It is very distinctive and unique in having a white chest-patch and white on the tail.

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They have quite a large range in in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.  I saw them in quite a few places – Cabanas San Isidro, Guango Lodge, a farm near Jardin, Colombia and Rio Blanco near Manizales, Colombia.

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Here you can see the beautiful iridescence of the Collared Inca.

Visiting a hummingbird feeder.

 

Bus Travel Through Eastern Ecuador

When I was planning this trip, the one thing that worried me was that it was really hard to find information on bus transport along the road between Coca & Quito that would pass by Wildsumaco, Cosanga (Cabanas San Isidro) and Guango Lodge.  It turned out to be as easy as standing on the roadside (or sitting at a bus stop) and hailing the next bus to pass which never took longer than 20 minutes (that could have just been good luck).  None of them were full, in fact they were mostly empty enough that we could each claim a bank of 2 seats and stretch out.  The buses were also very cheap, between $3-8 for each leg.  In the next few photos you can see what the buses were like and see some of the scenery along the way.  It was cool to see signs promoting conservation!

WILDSUMACO TO COSANGA

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Since our bus was headed to Tena, we had to jump out at the crossroads and hail a Quito bound bus-which pulled up just as we were crossing the street!DSCN2279 DSCN2281 DSCN2280 DSCN2282 DSCN2284 DSCN2285 DSCN2286

It was pouring rain as we pulled over by the Cosanga bus stop.  We had been told to go to a small restaurant and call the lodge when we arrived, so braved the rain to walk along the road back towards the town to find the restaurant.DSCN2287 DSCN2288

COSANGA TO GUANGO LODGE

After leaving the lodge, they dropped us at the same bus stop and we hailed a bus after a few minutes.  This trip took place the day after the earthquake and since we had no internet, we were yet unaware of how much damage was done elsewhere in Ecuador.  As you can see, these roads were perfectly fine, you would never know the earthquake had been felt in the region.DSCN2445 DSCN2446

This bus was featuring a Bollywood film of all things!DSCN2447 DSCN2449

The weather was still rainy and glum as we took the hour long ride to Guango Lodge.  Coming from the Amazon, the lodge is on the right side so keep an eye out if the driver doesn’t seem familiar with it.DSCN2451 DSCN2452 DSCN2453 DSCN2454 DSCN2455

GUANGO LODGE TO QUITO AIRPORT

Since Guango Lodge is best known for hummingbirds, we only stayed there for a couple hours before heading back out to the main road to get another bus.  There was no shelter from the rain this time and we waited around 20 minutes before we were finally rescued by a bus.

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We gradually came out of the mountains and started descending into Quito.  The bus would go all the way into the city bus terminal but for people headed to the airport, you need to jump out at Pifo and take a taxi.  Tell the bus driver you are going to El Aeropuerto and you probably won’t be the only one going there.

I don’t remember exactly how much the taxi was, it was around $10-ish and we probably got ripped off but you are pretty much a captive audience and they know you probably have a flight to catch.  It’s less than 10 minutes from Pifo to the airport – easy!  The best thing is that you don’t need to schedule a day in Quito to make a flight the next morning.  In fact it’s probably easier to get to the airport from Guango or Cabanas San Isidro since there is only one road and no traffic!  So why not spend your last night in Ecuador in a beautiful eco-lodge?DSCN2593 DSCN2595 DSCN2596

Coca – Gateway To The Ecuadorian Amazon

A trip to the Ecuadorian Amazon will be one of the highlights of any birder’s trip to Ecuador!  Since Ecuador is a relatively small country, it is especially easy to get to.  Most package tourists will have flights from Quito to Coca built in to their Amazon package but you can save a couple hundred dollars if you use miles for this route.  Avianca Lifemiles only charges 3000 Lifemiles each way which is a fantastic deal!  You can also reach Coca by bus, its about a 6 hour journey straight through but there are interesting stops along the way.  In the map below, Coca is in the middle, the purple line on the right indicates where the eco-lodges are in Yasuni National Park like Napo Wildlife Center.  You can also see my recommended stops for the journey back – Wawa Sumaco for Wildsumaco, Cosanga for Cabanas San Isidro and that purple dot indicating Guango Lodge which is on the highway but not near a town.

Ecuadorian Amazon

The Aerogal plane which is what you will be on if you use Lifemiles is a small one but it’s only a 35-40 minute flight.

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We didn’t have checked bags but if you do, they are brought to this window.DSCN1602

If you are being picked up by your tour operator, they will have a sign with your name on it.  Otherwise, just get a $3 taxi to the La Mision Hotel.DSCN1603

Driving through the town of Coca.  Not really much here to look at so we didn’t jump out anywhere.DSCN1604 DSCN2105 DSCN2104 DSCN2103 DSCN1605 DSCN1606

Some nice bird art on a building.DSCN1607 DSCN2102

This is the car park of La Mision Hotel and where you get the river boats that take you to your lodge.DSCN1609 DSCN1610 DSCN1611

If you are on the early flight, I suggest getting breakfast here and asking for the wifi password to kill time.  Some lodges do have wifi but it isn’t cheap so be prepared to be unplugged for your adventure!  Let the hotel staff know which lodge you are booked with, everyone knows everyone and they will tell your guide that you are waiting in the restaurant when he/she arrives.  They start arriving around 9:30ish.DSCN1612

Typical river boat that the lodges use.DSCN1613 DSCN1614

View of the La Mision Hotel as our boat pulled away from the pier.DSCN1615 DSCN1616

When you are ready to leave Coca, get a taxi to the bus station on the outskirts of town.  If you are going to Wildsumaco, you can use a bus that is headed to either Quito or Tena.

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For Wildsumaco Lodge, have the driver let you out at the road to Pacto Sumaco and call them so they know when to pick you up.  It’s a long walk up hill so you do need a ride.  Details will be in my report on Wildsumaco Lodge.  We didn’t have a phone but a kindly fellow passenger made the call for us to let them know which bus we were on.DSCN2111