Author Archives: Tara

Hotel Review: Hosteria Airport Garden, Quito

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Having limited time and wanting to concentrate on birding, we spent no time at all in the actual city of Quito.  However, we did need an airport hotel one night as we had a flight to Coca (jungle lodges staging point) very early in the morning.  After doing some research and looking at the cheaper options, I chose Hosteria Airport Garden because of the attractive garden which I hoped would have some birds to watch.  Unfortunately, the day we got there, around 4pm-ish was rainy and cold so we didn’t get to watch birds.  The garden was very pretty as you can see in the photos so it would have been birdy in better weather.

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The room was medium sized but had everything we needed, including free wifi.

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They serve home cooked dinners in the evening if you book in advance and it was really good.  There aren’t any restaurants within walking distance that I could see so it was a good deal.  The next morning, the taxi they pre-arranged showed up right on time and in less than 15 minutes we were in Quito Airport domestic terminal ready to fly to Coca!

Visit The Equator Between Mindo & Quito

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If you are traveling between the Mindo area and Quito, the road goes right past Mitad del Mundo, the monument of the equator so why not jump out and have a look?  Sure it’s uber-touristy but we all need our touristy moments, even in Ecuador!

We were still having bad weather when we arrived.

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Tickets are $3 just to enter the park or around $8 to go into the planetarium and to the top of the monument.  We just went for the entry as we had our backpacks on and just wanted to see the line.DSCN1547

The park is laid out well with several posters giving information.DSCN1548

As we walked through the park, we saw lots of really nice hummingbird statues.DSCN1549 DSCN1550 DSCN1551 DSCN1552 DSCN1553 DSCN1554 DSCN1558

So here is one variation of the silly tourist photo.  One person usually stands straddling the line or two people can be on opposite hemispheres as we did here.DSCN1563 DSCN1565 DSCN1568

We had a quick look at the shops but didn’t buy anything.DSCN1566 DSCN1567 DSCN1569 DSCN1570

Across the street was a small shopping centre with a bank that didn’t like my ATM card and a Subway sandwich shop that took credit cards so we bought a couple sandwiches.DSCN1571

Back to the taxi rank in front of the monument we bargained with a driver to take us to our hotel near the airport for $25.  I had heard it was $20 to the city and the airport was a bit further.DSCN1572

Maroon-tailed Parakeet (Pyrrhura melanura) & Choco Parakeet (Pyrrhura pacifica)

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Depending on which birding field guide you have you may see these birds lumped together with Pyrrhura melanura as the nominate with these subspecies or as two separate species as per the title of this post.

  • P. m. berlepschi
  • P. m. chapmani
  • P. m. melanura
  • P. m. pacifica
  • P. m. souancei

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I did see them in 3 separate locations in Ecuador so I know I have at least two varieties!  The photos above were taken at Wildsumaco Lodge and were the only Maroon-tailed Parakeets I saw perched.  I also saw them flying through trees at the Waterfall Trail in Mindo & from the canopy tower at Napo Wildlife center.  The ones at Mindo and Rio Silanche are definitely the Choco Parakeet being the only species seen in the western side of the Andes (red).  The ones above could possibly be P.m. souancei (dark green) or the nominate (lighter green).  The ones at Napo were most likely Pyrrhura melanura.  Splits are so confusing!

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LEARN MORE ABOUT MAROON-TAILED & CHOCO PARAKEETS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife – Maroon-tailed

Birdlife – Choco

Neotropical Birds

Information about the split

VIDEOS

This is pretty much all I get with smaller birds like Pyrrhura Parakeets – just a fleeting glimpse!

Here’s some bird porn to make up for it – filmed at Wildsumaco.

 

An Afternoon At Rio Silanche Bird Sanctuary

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We left the Mirador Restaurant around 2pm-ish and decided to keep heading down the same road to Rio Silanche Bird Sanctuary as we were still targeting Rose-faced Parrots and Blue-fronted Parrotlets.  Some Maroon-tailed Parakeets would be nice too!

As we left the main road to the access road for the reserve we saw some Bronze-winged Parrots in a tree.

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Continuing on, the road is pretty well marked if you are self-driving.  Of course Alex, our guide has been here many times and knows it well.DSCN1425 DSCN1426 DSCN1427

We were there pretty late and the staff had closed up.  We were still able to get inside but there was no one there to charge the fees.DSCN1442 DSCN1428 DSCN1441 DSCN1440

We walked down a short trail to the canopy tower.DSCN1439 DSCN1438

There are beautiful views over the rainforest but not too many birds around. Maybe the weather was still causing trouble.DSCN1431

A pair of Choco Toucans showed up.DSCN1430 DSCN1435

I’m having trouble with some of these as they may be female tanagers which look completely different from the males!DSCN1436 DSCN1437

Grey-and-gold Tanager DSCN1432 DSCN1433 DSCN1433a DSCN1434

It was looking like rain again so we left after less than an hour at the canopy tower.  DSCN1443

Female Black-cheeked Woodpecker

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Guayaquil WoodpeckerDSCN1446

Complete Bird List

We later found out that another guide had been here in the morning and seen a huge flock of Maroon-tailed Parakeets!

If you would like to visit this reserve along with other reserves around Mindo, I can highly recommend Alex Luna who can be reached by email.  ayalu_82@hotmail.com

Flame-faced Tanager (Tangara parzudakii)

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The Flame-faced Tanager (Tangara parzudakii) is an especially beautiful member of the family Thraupidae.

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They are found in Colombia, Ecuador & Peru with the Mindo area being one of the easier places to see them.  They like banana feeders put out by various lodges such as the ones at Angel Paz’s place and the Mirador Restaurant near Milpe Bird Sanctuary.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT FLAME-FACED TANAGERS

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Neotropical Birds

VIDEOS

A rare clip of a Flame-faced Tanager NOT on a banana feeder!

And some close-ups.

 

Milpe Bird Sanctuary

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Milpe Bird Sanctuary is about 15 km from Mindo and can easily be added to any birding itinerary.  The entrance is well marked and there is a public road for about 5-6 km that is very birdy.

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On the map below, I highlighted in red where we saw the Bronze-winged Parrots.  We were also hoping for Blue-fronted Parrotlet but dipped.  I have the worst luck with Parrotlets in general!

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The red line is a public road and you can drive or walk there for free.  If you want to enter the sanctuary (you can see the trails on the map) there is a charge of $7.  We started by driving down the road.  It’s pretty bumpy so you need an SUV or 4×4.

My bird list which includes both roadside and hummingbird feeders.

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End of the line, turn back!DSCN1302

I didn’t get that many photos but here’s a few random birds.IMG_3299a IMG_3303 IMG_3322

For me, the highlight was this beautiful Bronze-winged Parrot who was fairly close.IMG_3327a IMG_3332a DSCN1304 IMG_3377a

We headed back to the actual sanctuary where I got caught up in souvenir shopping.  One thing you should definitely buy here is the birding guide book for $5 which has a complete checklist and nice pictures of the birds in Milpe & Rio Silanche.  There are some nice handicrafts here too.

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A beautiful Collared TrogonIMG_3405 DSCN1328

Then it started raining pretty hard so we took shelter at the cafe area and watched the hummingbirds.  I decided to practice photographing hummingbirds in flight.DSCN1339

Green-crowned BrilliantDSCN1338

Green-crowned Woodnymph DSCN1333

Velvet Purple Coronet DSCN1342 DSCN1346 DSCN1349 DSCN1355 DSCN1360

White-necked Jacobin DSCN1364

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird DSCN1374 DSCN1377 IMG_3392a IMG_3426

Green-crowned Woodnymph IMG_3428

When the rain let up the feeding table got more active.IMG_3448 IMG_3387

 

Pale-mandibled Aracari – the one on the right is a juvenile being fed by the parent. DSCN1383 DSCN1381 DSCN1340

It was around noon so we went to the Mirador Restaurant (marked on the map above).  They don’t take credit cards so we didn’t eat too much but the view and the birds were awesome!

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The Chestnut-tipped Toucanets ruled the roost.  When they were eating the smaller birds stayed away.DSCN1398 DSCN1401a IMG_3472

When the Tocanets left, smaller birds like these Blue-grey Tanagers moved in.DSCN1406

Flame-faced Tanager IMG_3462a

Orange-bellied Euphonia IMG_3465a IMG_3467a

We visited Milpe Bird Sanctuary with Alex Luna, one of Mindo’s top birding guides.  You can contact him by email ayalu_82@hotmail.com  if you would like to organize a trip with him.  He speaks English very well, knows all the birds and if you have target birds, he will do all he can to make sure you see them (though he can’t do anything about the weather)!

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Rose-faced Parrot (Pyrilia pulchra)

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The Rose-faced Parrot (Pyrilia pulchra) is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae.  I had to try several times to find these beauties!

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They are only found in Ecuador & Colombia but much of their habitat is difficult to get to for normal tourists.  Mindo is probably the easiest place to find them, especially along the Waterfall Trail.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT ROSE-FACED PARROTS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Neotropical Birds

VIDEOS

Very affectionate little birds!

And this one seems to be looking for a nest.

 

 

The Impact Of United’s Stop-over “Enhancement”

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If you’ve been in The Hobby for awhile, you know that “enhancements” are never good news.  So it was with great dread that I perused United’s new stop-over routing rules which come into effect on 6 Oct 2016.  They claim that they are simplifying the booking process and giving a new benefit called an “Excursionist Perk”.  (I’d like to know how they came up with that term – maybe an office pool with the winner getting a couple movie passes?)

They have step by step instructions on how to use the new booking interface on their website so I won’t copy it here.  What I will do is show you how it impacts people like me who were maximizing the previous stop-over rules that allowed 2 open jaws and two stopovers in any region.  This is the example of what will be allowed moving forward.

The Excursionist Perk is a free one-way award within select multi-city itineraries. Members who book an itinerary with three or more one-way awards will be eligible to receive one of those one-way awards for free, if it meets all of these conditions:

  • The Excursionist Perk cannot be in the MileagePlus defined region where your travel originates. (For example, if your journey begins in North America, you will only receive the Excursionist Perk if travel is within a region outside of North America.)
  • Travel must end in the same MileagePlus defined region where travel originates.
  • The origin and destination of the Excursionist Perk is within a single MileagePlus defined region.
  • The cabin of service and award type of the free one-way award is the same or lower than the one-way award preceding it.
  • If two or more one-way awards qualify for this benefit, only the first occurrence will be free.

UA excperk

MY REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES

#1:  In 2014 I booked an United award as follows:

Brisbane-Taipei-Beijing-Johannesburg

Accra-Addis Ababa-Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro-Addis Ababa-Bangkok-Brisbane

This is a round-trip with an open jaw at destination and a stop-over at Kilimanjaro on the return.  Although open jaws are not specifically addressed, this is probably still allowed as I departed and returned to the same zone and my stop-over is in the same zone as the destination.

#2:  In 2014 I booked this itinerary and flew it in 2015:

Brisbane-Bangkok-Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai-Bangkok (23 hour layover)-Koh Samui

Kuala Lumpur-Bangkok-Shanghai-Auckland-Rarotonga

This itinerary wouldn’t be allowed under the new rules.  I departed from Australia and returned to Rarotonga which is in Oceania – 2 different zones.  The stop-over would have been fine as it is in South-east Asia, same as the destination.

#3:  In 2016 I booked this itinerary and will fly it next year:

Entebbe-Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa-Lusaka

Lusaka-Johannesburg-Windhoek

It’s a good thing I have it already booked because it wouldn’t be allowed under the new rules.  The whole itinerary is in Africa (same zone) so no “Excursionist Perk” allowed!

#4:  I haven’t booked this but it is a common itinerary for Aussies:

Sydney-Bangkok

Bangkok-(anywhere in Europe)

Europe-Sydney (or anywhere in Australia or NZ)

This will not be allowed as the Excursionist Perk is taking place in South-east Asia zone and the destination is in another zone-Europe.

Two out of my three actual trips would have cost a lot more miles if I hadn’t already booked them.  The lesson here is – if you have any travel which depends on the current routing rules, book it before 6 October!

Chestnut-tipped Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus derbianus)

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The Chestnut-tipped Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus derbianus) is a South American species of bird in the Ramphastidae family. It occurs in humid highland forests along the east Andean slope from southernmost Colombia to Bolivia.

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They can be found in the very southern part of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru & Bolivia.  They are fairly common in the Mindo area and I saw this one at the Mirador Restaurant near Milpe Sanctuary.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT CHESTNUT-TIPPED TOUCANETS

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Neotropical Birds

VIDEO

There wasn’t much on video of this bird but I did find one of the general area that includes the Toucanet at 11:08.  The mist gives you an idea of the weather I was dealing with during our trip.

 

 

Mindo’s Waterfall Trail

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The road that goes up into the hills is actually called San Lorenzo Road but it is also called the Waterfall Trail because of the hikes in the area to various waterfalls.  There is also a zipline company operating here.  You can walk from Mindo town if you are fit and keen, otherwise a taxi can drop you at the birding place and you can walk down the hill.  Unfortunately I didn’t get a photo of the drop off place but there is a fork from the side of the road about 2-3km up the hill leading to a farm.

We birded this area twice.  The first day was with one of the best bird guides in Mindo – Alex Luna.  The second day we went back on our own as Alex was booked that day to try again for Rose-faced Parrots.

The weather plays a huge part in how lucky you will get.  So you can imagine I wasn’t thrilled with this kind of fog!

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This is the entrance to San Lorenzo Road.  Keep driving a few km, look for a fork leading to a farm on your right, then jump out and start birding.DSCN1287 DSCN1289 DSCN1290

Here’s some shots from Day 1.  Alex tried his best but the weather was working against us.  We did get some Red-billed Parrots, Bronze-winged Parrots, Collared Aracari, Choco Toucan and some beautiful Tanagers but the photos didn’t come out.

Day 1 Bird List

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Here’s some shots from Day 2.  This time the weather was slightly better, the fog lifted earlier and we hung around until 9:30.  The Rose-faced Parrots finally did show up but it was closer to 9am when they did and they hung around quite a while so we got to spend some quality time watching them.  We also saw Red-billed Parrots, a quick fly-by of Maroon-tailed Parakeets and a lot more!  I tried to keep the photos together but we were using 2 cameras – a Canon 60D & a Nikon Coolpix P900 (the one with 83x zoom).

Day 2 Bird List

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This is Alex Luna, the wonderful birding guide in Mindo.  You can contact him by email ayalu_82@hotmail.com  if you would like to organize a trip with him.  He speaks English very well, knows all the birds and if you have target birds, he will do all he can to make sure you see them (though he can’t do anything about the weather)!

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