Guango Lodge
1 night

Two days birding and exploring the paramo and temperate forest highlands out of Quito - where hummingbirds and mixed flocks abound -out of comfortable Guango Lodge. Mostly easy walking – with some medium difficulty trails – and chilly to cold weather, with sunny days being warmer.

After an early exit from Quito, it is off to the upper Amazon watershed, where we will pass through scenic paramos on our way to the lush cloud forests on the east slope. Our first stop en route, for those interested, 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; these are also some of the largest in the world. 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 volcanos are breath-taking, and a stop right up at the continental divide is one of the best spots from which to photograph the snow-capped Antisana Volcano where it towers over the mountains below. With a bit of luck in the paramo area you can expect to see some of the following birds: 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, Andean Condor, Carunculated Caracara, Andean Gull, and Black-tailed Trainbearer.

We will get to our primary destination, Guango Lodge, in time to enjoy the incredible hummingbird feeders that are famous for their diversity and sheer numbers of hummers – with the likes of sunangels, woodstars and incas - but the real treat is when the almost unreal Sword-billed Hummingbird swoops in for a visit at close range. You just have to see it for yourself to believe it! Later on we will be treated to a delicious and hot sit-down lunch at the lodge. 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!  The birding can be excellent at any time of the day, especially if you encounter an active mixed flock! Some of the more interesting glamour birds to keep an eye out for around the lodge include Torrent Duck, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Masked Trogon, Turquoise Jay, Hooded and Lacrimose Mountain-Tanagers, Slaty Brush-Finch, Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager, and Northern Mountain-Cacique. In the evening, we will be officially welcomed by the lit fireplaces 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. We will spend the next day just getting “lost” in the cloud forest and nearby paramo again, before returning to Quito or the airport. The weather and conditions are unpredictable, but expect colder to very cold conditions at higher elevations. If sunny though, it can be delightful!