Length of Tour
9-Days/8-Nights
Brief Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival in Quito / San Jose de Puembo
Day 2 – Santa Rosa Lodge
Day 3 – Santa Rosa Lodge
Day 4 – Santa Rosa Lodge
Day 5 – Drive to Septimo Paraiso Lodge
Day 6 – Septimo Paraiso Lodge
Day 7 – Septimo Paraiso Lodge
Day 8 – Drive to Quito / San Jose de Puembo
Day 9 – Return Home
Detailed Itinerary
DAY 1: Arrival / Hotel San Jose de Puembo (Quito)
Day 2: Drive to Santa Rosa Reserve / Zurolome Reserve
After breakfast, we will drive to the Zuroloma Reserve, high in the Andes. Here we will enjoy photographing a number of hummingbirds including: Buff-winged Starfrontlet, Mountain Velvetbrest, Sapphhire-vented Puffleg, Tyrian Metaltail, Black-tailed Trainbearer and the stunning Sword-billed Hummingbird. We will also have the opportunity to photograph some typically difficult to see species: Chestnut-naped and Equatorial Antpittas and Barred Fruiteater. Andean Guan, Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch and many other birds will also be found in this region. We will enjoy a picnic lunch while taking in the grandiose montane vista before continuing to the Santa Rosa Reserve.
Day 3 & 4: Santa Rosa Reserve
We will spend two full day at the Santa Rosa Reserve, the best place to photograph the endemic Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan! Hummingbird targets include the endemic Gorgeted Sunangel plus 15 additional species of hummingbirds.
We will also look to photograph the Striped Treehunter, Choco Brush-Finch, Gray-breasted Wood-Wren, Strong-billed Woodcreeper at the moth hide. The lodge owner is now feeding the Yellow-breasted and Chestnut-crowned Antpittas, so we should have great opportunities to photograph them as well.
The lodge also has eye-level reflection pools for wonderful reflection photos of Flame-faced Tanager, Blue-capped Tanager, Golden Tanager, Black-capped Tanagers and more.
We will also use a multiflash set-up for stop-action images of the many hummingbirds.
Day 5: Santa Rosa to Septimo Paraiso
We will have another great morning at Santa rosa before we depart for our next lodge, Septimo Paraiso. Less than an hour drive away, we will have time to enjoy the hummingbird feeders and gardens at the lodge before dark.
Day 6: Choco Toucan Reserve / Victoriana
After breakfast, we will drive to the Choco Toucan Reserve to photograph a new set of Hummingbirds including Green Thorntail, White-necked Jacobin, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Green-crowned Brilliant and White-whiskered Hermit. We also hope to have Choco Toucan and Collared Aracari put on a show for us.
We will go back to the lodge for our lunch and then drive for 50min to the Victoriana Reserve, one of the best locations to photograph the Andean Cock of the Rock on their afternoon lek.
Day 7: Amagusa Masphi Reserve
Today we will drive to Amagusa Masphi Reserve where we hope to photograph additional endemics including Moss-backed, Glissening Green and Rufous-throated Tanagers. Velvet-purtple Coronet, Black solitaire, Indigo Flowerpiercer, Orange-breasted Fruiteater and Black Solitaire may also be found around the fruit feeders.
Day 8: Angel Paz Reserve / Drive to Quito
This mourning, we will visit the famous Paz de las Antpittas reserve. Angel feeds some difficult to see species: Maria the Giant Antpitta, Willi the Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Shakira the Ochre-breasted Antpitta, Andrea the Chestnut-crowned Antpitta and Susan the Moustached Antpitta! We will enjoy a local breakfast here and continue photograph around the reserve.
We will return to our Lodge for lunch and pack our things to return to Quito in time for dinner.
Day 9: Return Home