Day 17--Refugio Paz de las Aves

MONDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2013
4:15 AM dep for Refugio Paz de las Aves; Rest of morning at Refugio Paz de las Aves ; with host Angel Paz; Late afternoon return on bus to Quito
Night: Quito Sheraton Hotel (switched to Hotel Dann Carlton) 

We were up and out early at Willy’s command this last day of our tour, eager to visit the famous Angel Paz at his Refugio Paz de las Aves. Our purpose was to see the big scarlet western Andean Cocks-of-the-Rock displaying on their lek at Refugio Paz. And this we did. 

It was foggy and raining, as it had been for much of the tour, and to see the Cocks-of-the-Rock, Iris and I got up at 3:30 AM. We were then driven the half hour to Refugio Paz where we negotiated a steep, muddy trail in the rain and dark by headlamp while carrying a walking stick for balance, a camp stool, a raised umbrella, and wearing our fanny/backpacks and binoculars. Quite a feat, but we slid, stumbled, and slithered as silently as possible down the trail--sometimes taking advantage of a rope rail that had been set up on the steeper parts--and eventually came to a covered blind on the side of the mountain, not too far from a stream that we could hear rushing below. 

We all crowded into the lean-to shelter which had benches at the back and a chest high wall at the front. Besides our group, there was one other guide with his single client, a German woman with a camera. I was standing between her and Iris. In no time, two male Cocks-of-the-Rock were displaying at a little distance down the wooded slope. It was not hard to locate these large, bright red birds in the cloud forest. All was silence and awe . . . until I had to cough, which I did so as quietly as possible inside the neck of my raincoat. Iris told me later that she thought I was kind to pull the German woman over to my vantage point so that she could get a photo, especially after the woman had sternly said, “That’s not allowed here” when I’d coughed. I had not heard this comment, being nearly deaf with my cold. Had I heard it, I hope I would have helped the woman get her photo anyway. 

Western Andean Cock-of-the-rock, photo Ian Montgomery

After 30 or 40 minutes at the lek, we climbed back up to another shelter. Here Angel called a small covey of shy Dark-backed Wood Quail onto the trail where we could see them and take pix. A Sickle-winged Guan and a Crimson-rumped Toucanet also came to eat the mangoes and grapes Angel put out.  

Angel Paz calling  out the coveyof Dark-backed Wood Quail;photo Margaret  Kelch

Dark-backed Wood Quail; photo Margaret Kelch

Sickle-winged Guan; photo Margaret Kelch

Crimson-rumped Toucanet

Now antpittas are very shy birds, designated “skulkers” by Rose Ann, and often we would stand stock still and silent peering into a dark mossy, ferny, viney, tangle of plants and trees while Rose Ann called and the antpitta repeatedly answered . . . but never showed itself. These birds were very adept at hiding. Despite our guides’ expert seeking, we managed to see only 7 of the 15 antpitta species possible in the areas we birded. So, anticipation was high at Refugio Paz in seeing Maria, a Giant Antpitta that Angel Paz had trained to come to feed on worms.

But though Angel scoured the mountain trails, visiting Maria’s favorite spots to try to coax her out with his soft vocalizations (he allows no electronic playback and has learned to speak “bird”), that was not to be today.

Below is Maria, the famous Giant Antpitta, in all her pump glory the way we wished we’d seen her.

Maria, the Giant Antpitta that Angel entices into
view by calling to her and throwing her worms

After this disappointment, we climbed back up the trail to a shelter near the trailhead where we could watch some nectar feeders. Here we saw “all the usual suspects” including our last looks at the awesome Velvet-purple Coronet, before returning to the Refugio’s trailhead buildings. Angel had built a covered platform at the very edge of the mountain and it was here that we all enjoyed a delicious hot breakfast of tea and coffee, cheesy empanadas, and spicy stuffed yuca balls (Yuquitas Rellenas). 

View into the valley below us from Angel Paz's mountainside breakfast platform

Of course we birded while eating breakfast, and saw Blue-and-white Swallows flying over the valley below. These lovely birds were common and seen on both east and west slopes. While we were eating, we also got close-up looks at a male Yellow-bellied Siskin and were treated to intimate views of Blue-winged Mountain Tanagers that came within feet of us to eat the berries in a nearby shrub.

Blue-winged Mountain Tanager; photo Ryan Maigan

Yellow-bellied Siskin; photo Chris & Megan Perkins

After breakfast we birded back along the trail for a bit and then boarded the bus for our final birding at Tandyapa Ridge and along the old Nono-Mindo road again. Before leaving, I gave Angel and his brother, Rodrigo, a small donation so that they could continue to host eco tourists and improve their Refugio.

The gang back along the flat upper section of trail before leaving Refugio Angel Paz

Some weird insect nymphs on the underside of a trailside leaf

Typical plant laden trailside; wish I'd gotten a close-up  of these as they looked like Turkish slippers

At Finca Paz (Angel’s farm), or along the road to and from it, we again saw my favorite tanager—and maybe my favorite bird of the tour—the Beryl–spangled Tanager. We had first seen this gorgeous bird at San Isidro, saw it again on the Guacaymayos Ridge, and we got our last good look at it today.

Beryl-spangled Tanager, one of my favorites

We also located two spectacular birds on our way down from Refugio Paz de las Aves: First, Sally spotted a Golden-headed Quetzel from the bus. It sat with its back to us but the light fell perfectly to reveal its shining green feathers and golden head. Then at some roadside ferny, mossy cliffs, Willy got off the bus to try to find a Lyre-tailed Nighthjar. He searched the plant-covered drippy cliffs and was about to return to the bus when he found this amazing bird, tucked back out of the wet. We all got off the bus and had a good look at it. How Willy had found this very well camouflaged bird was a mystery to us all. 

Golden-headed Quetzel; photo, Peter W. Wendelken

Lyre-tailed Nightjar; photo Margaret Kelch

On Tandayapa Ridge we got a great look at several Plate-billed Mountain Toucans. One bird was close enough that we could see in the spotting scope its bill serrations and how the yellow plate stuck out from the rest of its bill like an improperly glued patch. On the Ridge we also saw Spillman’s Tapaculo, White-tailed Tyrannulet, got our best look at the Three-striped Warbler, saw the ubiquitous Masked Trogan, and I finally got a good look at the Grass-green Tanager, my second favorite bird of the day. 

Spillman's Tapaculo, birdway.com; Three-striped Warbler, Lee Hunter;
White-tailed Tyrannulet, Nick Athanas; Grass Green Tanager, Glenn Bartley

Plate-billed Mountain Toucan; photo Lee Hunter

Masked Trogan; photo Ian Maton

In addition, we got to compare the east slope Russet-crowned Warbler with its west slope counterpart. The east slope birds were mostly gray below. The west slope birds were much yellower.

West slope (top) and east slope Russett-crowned
Warblers; top Joe Furman, bottom monacoeye.com

By late afternoon, my cold was raging and my throat so sore that I could barely swallow. It had not helped that at Angel’s wood quail spot on the trail Iris and I had been asked to take off our red raincoats so as not to frighten the birds. I was wet and shivering with cold before the sighting was over. So, for a good portion of the birding along the old Nono-Mindo road I stayed curled up on the bus and studied the bird plates. Therefore, I missed seeing the Tanager Finches, the last new bird of the tour, before we returned to Quito that afternoon on the new road. 

On the way back to Quito, Willy spent a good deal of time on his cell phone. Turned out that the Sheraton had no room for us because of its renovations, so we were moved to the Hotel Dann Carlton. Several people had left part of their gear at the Sheraton, and Willy saw to it that this gear was transferred to the Dann Carlton and also ensured that we all had a way to the airport, most on the Sheraton airport shuttle but a couple of people who were leaving at odd hours would have to engage a taxi. 

Quito was in its perpetual “rush hour” mode when we rolled in; nonetheless, Edgar stopped at an ATM so that several of us could withdraw some $$ for tips. Since Ecuador and the U.S. both use the same currency, the machine dispensed our dollars easily (I withdrew $150 and was charged only $1.50 by my bank), but shut out the Canadians. Why Canadian bank cards were not accepted remains a mystery. All of us have at one time or another withdrawn money from other foreign ATMs with no problem. 

Shortly after the ATM stop, we were at a standstill in traffic when a sopping wet (still raining, natch) but beautiful young girl boarded the bus with a bouquet of flowers. At first I thought she was a street vendor, but she turned out to be Edgar’s daughter! The bouquet was a thank-you for Rose Ann. Edgar had called his daughter from our ATM stop, and she’d had only 20 minutes to get the flowers and intercept the bus. She chattered away in rapid Spanish with Willy and her father. 

The Dann Carlton is next to the Peruvian Embassy. When we arrived, Edgar parked the bus in front of the embassy, the only place to park on the busy city street. Immediately a policeman who’d been stationed in a little kiosk on the median and a Peruvian Embassy staff member approached the bus and demanded that he move. The policeman even asked for Edgar’s driver’s license and identification. I guess such alarm is understandable in today’s terrorist riddled society. 

Peruvian embassy on left, Dann Carlton in center, don't know what to the right

The Dann Carlton was a pretty ritzy hotel, our room was comfortable, and we all said our good-byes over a delicious meal (I had salmon again). Then it was bedtime because again Iris and I had to be up at 3:45 to catch a 4:15 shuttle to the airport.

The group's final meal together at the Dann Carlton