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Monday, Sept. 26: Tinalandia : (http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/tinalandia/html/about.html ) With a certain sadness, we arose at 5 a.m. in order to depart Napo Wildlife Center at 6. Jorge and Motocito paddled constantly and it only took 100 minutes to reach the communal area called the Warehouse where we climbed the mud bank (with help) and retraced our steps through the forest before reaching the sandbar where the Giant Otter was waiting to speed us up-river to Coca. Two hours later we said good-bye to Jorge who had again driven the Giant Otter to our destination. Oscar stayed with us at the airport until our flight was ready to depart. We waited at least an hour in the crowded, hot room for our 30 minute flight back to bustling Quito. As we got off the plane, a stewardess handed each woman a rose. Ecuador is known world-wide for its rose production and exportation. What a nice gesture! Edwin was waiting for us with our luggage he had collected from the Sebastian, and we headed out toward our next destination – Tinalandia. But first there was that little matter of lunch. We stopped at a small restaurant along the roadside and had delicious local food that was so low-priced I was convinced the menu was incorrect. Whenever we’ve stopped at roadside places they have been spotlessly clean and the first thing that is put on the table is the delicious roasted crunchy corn which they call tostado. I again ordered Locro - the potato, cheese and avocado soup - and shared some big hominy and pork fat with Mary. No, these meals are not low fat or low carb! But they are delicious! As we were eating, a monstrous thunderstorm came up and dropped an incredible amount of rain in a very short time. The thunder and lightning were prodigious and we were glad to be inside! The road to Tinalandia is hair-raising! It is the main road between Quito and Guayaquil: One lane in each direction filled with heavy-duty trucks, huge public buses, slow-moving ancient vehicles and such. We started out in fog and rain with bumper-to-bumper traffic, passing on curves and solid yellow lines – rather frightening, to say the least. Marco, who is a driver for Costa Rica Expeditions, was scared out of his wits as he was riding shotgun up front with Edwin. He tried birding out of the side window to distract himself and the rest of us, who were probably just as frightened as he was. We finally made it, thanks to Edwin’s patience and good driving. Tinalandia is a lodge that was begun in 1950 by German immigrants. It was named Tinalandia because the owner’s wife was Tina. The place reminds me of an old dowager who is a bit down on her luck, but the birding is supposed to be very good and this is one of Charlie’s favorite places. Over the years he has become friends with the present owner, Sergio Platoff, who is Tina’s son. It’s been a long day so after marking our lists and having dinner, we all turned in for some much needed rest. Tuesday, Sept. 27: Tinalandia: We were allowed to sleep in! It was wonderful to get eight hours of sleep. The dining area is open air with feeders nearby so birding and breakfast made for a great combination! After breakfast we began a walk that lasted till lunch time. The property is comprised of grazing area for a few cows and horses, a small pond and a nine-hole golf course that appears to no longer be in use, although the website indicates it is playable. At the top of a knoll there is a small cemetery where Tina and several others are buried. This walk netted us a number of new birds. Plus Jack made a new friend – a lovely black horse. Lunch was delicious. The three ladies who lovingly run the place served us steak with coffee sauce. Maya who had made the sauce shared the ingredients with us, admitting that she really did not have a recipe. She’s a natural born cook, in my opinion. Charlie gave us free time till 4 p.m. at which time those who wanted to go would bird the Old Chiriboga Road. Mary and Jack decided to continue their “independent study” so Jim and I set out with Charlie, Marco and Edwin. It was a fun time and we had delightful sightings including Lyre-tailed Nightjars, but that meant we were driving back to Tinalandia on that awful road at night! Jack and Mary waited for us at the dining area with a bottle of red wine so we quaffed a glass as we marked our lists and enjoyed dinner. Bats were making a foray at the hummingbird feeders. Jim turned on the infrared mode of his video camera and filmed them. They were so fast that it was difficult to see them with the naked eye, but looking at the film, they were amazing! Wednesday, Sept. 28:Sachatamia Rainforest Reserve, Mindo: (http://www.sachatamia.com/home.shtml) After a hearty breakfast we settled our bills and said good by to the lovely ladies who had taken such good care of us. Edwin loaded our picnic lunch into the van as Jim, Jack and Charlie were filming the ladies who giggled the entire time. It’s heartbreaking to see what is physically happening to the lodge, but these ladies made our stay very worthwhile. We headed to a protected area known as Pedro Vincente Maldonado Reserve where we birded the morning away. Just because it is a reserve does not mean it is totally protected. We had to deal with dump trucks coming in and out on the dirt road as they dug out a gravel pit in the reserve! Very dusty, to say the least. We visited a campesino caretaker on a farm hoping to get a glimpse of a bird whose name I have forgotten. We did not see it, but we did come away with several cherimoya and guavas which were delicious. Edwin found a protected area for our picnic lunch. Maya had made us chicken sandwiches when we told her that we did not need a full meal. They were absolutely delicious! While we were eating, Jim spotted a pair of Choco Toucans in the distance. It was a lifer for all of us – even Edwin and Charlie – and with the scope we all got very good views. After lunch we headed to Sachatamia Lodge for the next two nights. It is a charming place with cabins as well as rooms in the main building. Since we were the only ones there, we were all housed in the Lodge together. Jim and I had the bedroom on the third floor. Also located there is a large sitting area where we gathered to mark our lists. The others had rooms on the second floor. At 2:15 p.m., soon after we arrived, Charlie told me we had an opportunity to go to a Cock of the Rock lek, that the trail would be a bit difficult, but that Edwin knew it well, and he thought I could manage it. We had the option of going that afternoon or the next morning as the birds come to the lek at sunrise and sunset. Mary and Jack declined the offer since they had seen this bird in Peru. Thirty minutes later, Jim, Charlie, Marco, Edwin and I were in the van heading to the farm of the people who own the land on which the lek is located. Jim and I covered the fee of $5 per person for all of us, and with one of the farmer’s sons to lead the way, we were on the trail by 3 p.m. Actually the trail was not too bad except in four places where it was extremely steep and very muddy. My new knee held up well. Charlie insisted that Jim go ahead because he would stay behind to help me through the rough spots. At one place, we needed Marco’s help as well. I was extremely glad to have my walking staff on this hike! It took us an hour to get up the trail. Then we sat and waited for another hour for the birds to come. As I sat on a damp board during that hour, I prayed fervently that we would have the opportunity to see this often elusive bird. Right at 5 p.m. a male Cock-of-the-rock flew in with its raucous cry. Charlie aimed the scope at it and then held my head to the eye piece. Normally when one looks at a bird in the scope, one takes a quick look and moves so that the next person can have a chance. Well, this time he knew that Jim had the video camera to his eye and Marco was glued to his binoculars so according to Charlie, I was to stay glued to the scope. Never in my life have I seen such a shade of red! The head and crest as well as the chest and most of the back of the male are brillant red! The remainder of the bird is white and black. What a magnificent creature! We stayed watching for about 15 minutes, and then left in order to get down most of the trail before it got totally dark. Going down the trail was much worse than going up, especially in the muddy, steep places. My boots were covered with mud but I really did not care! Without Charlie’s help in those steep places I would have been coming down on my backside. He is a fantastic guide and friend! In order to help me down, he essentially braced with his booted foot in the mud so that I could put my foot against his and steady myself to keep from sliding. On the ride back to Sachatamia I was overcome with emotion at having seen this beautiful bird. Dinner was excellent: soup with popcorn, delicious trout with vegetables and cake for dessert. We shared our experience with Mary and Jack who recalled their sighting several years ago in Peru. This was the night that Marco, who had been having the time of his life, looked at us plaintively and asked, “Where are we going next year?” He has been a delight, and we are so pleased that he was able to come with us! Thursday, Sept. 29: Sachatamia Lodge: An opportunity to sleep in since breakfast is not until 8 a.m. today! I was up at 6:30, down for a cup of coffee, and out to sit and commune with the hummingbirds at the many feeders. They are incredible and there are so many different ones! When we were planning this trip, Charlie said to me that the hummer feeders in Ecuador would make the ones in Costa Rica look empty – well, he’s right! I’ve fallen in love with the little Booted Racquet-tails and the Woodstars. After breakfast we set off on a great trail located behind the lodge. The weather was perfect – bright sun but still pleasantly cool. Birds were everywhere. As we headed down toward the river, Edwin spotted a little Cloud Forest Pygmy Owl which accommodated us by just sitting there while everyone got super shots with their cameras. The hike made the most of the morning - two hours out and one-and-a-half back. On the way back, it became hot and quite humid, but after all this is the cloud forest. When we got up to the room, we opened the window and looked down on one of the feeders where several tanagers were enjoying the bananas. A Brown Violetear hummer sat on a branch between making forays to catch insects. That’s right! They don’t just drink sugar water or nectar from flowers, but get their protein from catching insects acting much as flycatchers do. It was fun to just lean out of the window and watch these colorful birds. Our delicious lunch was Ecuadorian Crepes, which contained thin slices of ham wrapped around steamed broccoli, covered with shredded cheese and placed under the broiler till the cheese was bubbly and golden. Yummy! In the afternoon we headed off again for some birding with our big find being the Golden-headed Quetzal. We looked again for Lyre-tail Nightjars but were unsuccessful this time. On the way back we stopped in Mindo-town for Charlie and Marco to call home. Every so often they each needed to check on their families and since public phones were available in Mindo, this was the time to do it. This has been another wonderful day in a beautiful country. Our dinner was again outstanding, and I almost fell asleep while we were doing our bird list. |
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