Ecuador: Mindo and the Northwest Andes

Day 1: The tour begins at 6:30 p.m. in Puembo near Quito’s international airport. Night in Puembo.

Day 2: We’ll leave early for Yanacocha Reserve on the Pichincha Volcano. Located in temperate cloud forest, Yanacocha is home to several interesting high-elevation species. We’ll watch the hummingbird feeders for the amazing Sword-billed Hummingbird, Sapphire-vented Puffleg, and Great Sapphirewing. Tanagers are abundant, and we’ll hope to find mountain-tanagers such as Scarlet-bellied, Hooded, and possibly the rare Black-chested. We’ll then descend below the town of Nono through relatively untouched temperate and subtropical forest. Here we’ll look for White-capped Dipper, roadside mixed-species flocks, and perhaps a Torrent Duck or our first Andean Cock-of-the-rock, before arriving in late afternoon at Séptimo Paraíso Lodge, our home for the next six nights. Night at Séptimo Paraíso.

Days 3-7: We’ll have five full days to explore the many birding locations close to Séptimo Paraíso. The lodge is situated in a forested valley with a trail system right on the grounds. The first morning we’ll awake to the sounds of quetzals, motmots, numerous hummingbirds, and perhaps even the bizarre calls of a Wattled Guan, and then bird the grounds in search of tanagers, toucans, antpittas, and myriad other species. Another day we’ll visit the nearby Tandayapa Ridge and Tandayapa Valley, visiting hummingbird feeders in search of specialties such as Violet-tailed Sylph, Collared and Brown Incas, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, Fawn-breasted and Empress Brilliants, and Buff-tailed and Velvet-purple Coronets. Birding the flocks along the road can be exhilarating. We’ll hope to connect with Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan and Toucan Barbet as well as Masked Trogon, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Turquoise Jay, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Streak-capped Treehunter, Plain-tailed Wren, Russet-crowned Warbler, many tanagers, including Grass-green and Flame-faced, and perhaps even the very rare Tanager Finch (a fancy sparrow).

On one morning we’ll depart before dawn to visit a Cock-of-the-rock lek. The number of brilliant males attending the lek varies from day to day but the experience is never less than fascinating. If it can be arranged, we’ll also witness the now-famous local farmer Angel Paz feeding antpittas, possibly including Giant, Moustached, Ochre-breasted, and Yellow-breasted, and other species at his forest reserve. It’s truly an amazing spectacle! On other days we’ll drive to slightly lower elevations and encounter a host of different species, some widespread in the tropics, some at the southern end of their range, and some endemic to the Choco region of western Ecuador and adjacent Colombia. We’ll search for Blue-tailed Trogon, Purple-chested Hummingbird, Esmeraldas Antbird, Club-winged Manakin, Slate-throated Gnatcatcher, Choco Warbler, and many “new” tanagers including Moss-backed, Glistening-green, Gray-and-gold, Rufous-throated, Emerald, and Scarlet-browed. We could also encounter Fasciated Tiger-Heron, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Orange-fronted Barbet, Red-billed Scythebill, the ethereal Black-tipped Cotinga, the diminutive Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant, and the very local Indigo Flowerpiercer. Nights at Séptimo Paraíso.

Day 8: We’ll have much of today to look for anything special we may have missed. After lunch we’ll drive back toward Quito, perhaps stopping in the arid country above the city to search for a few species that we won’t have seen elsewhere, possibly including Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch, Band-tailed Seedeater, Golden Grosbeak, Tufted Tit-Tyrant, and Black-tailed Trainbearer. We’ll arrive at our Puembo hotel in the late afternoon in time to rest a bit before a delicious farewell dinner. Night in Puembo.

Day 9: The trip ends this morning in Puembo.

• 2026 Narrative
• 2025 Feb Narrative

2026 Narrative

There are few places in which a tour of “day trips” can be as productive as one based in Mindo in the northwestern Ecuadorian Andes. With home base at a posh forest lodge in the cloud forest, we did a little birding uphill into the elfin temperate forest and a little birding downhill into the lowland rainforest, and a lot of birding just in between. The diversity of the area is amazing and the birding infrastructure at this eco-tourism hotspot means that there are always bird feeders with a roof under which we can hide when the rain comes. During our week, we saw some classics like the multicolored and just plain bizarre Toucan Barbet and the spectacular Andean Cock-of-the-rock. We also saw a variety of antpittas, including Equatorial, Chestnut-naped, Chestnut-crowned, Yellow-breasted, and Ochre-breasted. Thanks to the array of hummingbird feeders and just good luck in the forest, we encountered 42 species of hummingbirds. Some of these, like White-booted Racket-tail, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Violet-tailed Sylph, and Velvet-purple Coronet, got high marks for their beauty, charisma, and/or weirdness. The trip list was over 300 species at the end, so those were only a few of the highlights we found each day.

Our first day in the field was also our day at high elevation. We visited two reserves in the “temperate” elfin forest. The first, Zuro Loma, coincidentally was also hosting a male Black-breasted Puffleg at its feeders. This is one of the world’s rarest birds, a mythical and unpredictable hummingbird endemic to a few volcanic slopes outside of Quito, and there it was at a bird feeder! That was only part of the show, however. It was very birdy there, and we counted 15 hummingbird species, including the impossibly-proportioned Sword-billed Hummingbird. We discussed, but couldn’t figure out, how it could preen its feathers or build a nest with such a ridiculous beak. The staff at the reserve were putting worms out for some antpittas, as well, and we had nice looks at Chestnut-naped Antpitta, a new one for the cumulative tour checklist. Our first tanagers, big, showy things like Hooded Mountain-Tanager and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager came it to eat some bananas. It was epic. From there, we ascended further to the Yanacocha reserve. Here we picked up a couple new hummingbird species, including the enormous Great Sapphirewing. Fog had rolled in, so we weren’t going to see much out on the trail, so we began our descent to Mindo. A road closure had us diverted a little bit, but we arrived at our hotel outside of Mindo in the late afternoon with time to visit the lodge’s hummingbird feeders and add 11 new ones to our total list. We ended our first day with an impressive 28 species of hummingbird and a week more birding ahead of us.

Our birding day began right off the doorstep of the lodge. We finished breakfast and waited for the morning to “wow” us. We were not disappointed. The dawn chorus of motmots, Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl, and chirping tanagers subsided, and we spent the next several hours wandering around the grounds of the lodge and out the driveway. A wonderful and chaotic mixed flock exhilarated us with various species of tanagers, furnariids, and flycatchers. Active Red-faced Spinetails crossed paths with colorful Beryl-spangled, Metallic-green, Black-capped, and Glistening-green Tanagers. A hilariously named Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant also stopped in. A positively glowing Golden-headed Quetzal perched stolidly while lesser birds worked the foliage around it. The whole scene with the pulse of activity and its consequent effect on the behavior of the birders below was a classic spectacle of the tropical forest. After lunch at the lodge, we departed for one of the back roads of nearby Mindo town. A border between pasture and forest gave us ideal visibility of birds on the edge. Some highlights were a pair of Masked Water-Tyrants on the roof of a farmhouse and a pair of Guira Tanagers in the trees overhead. A pair of Rufous Motmots were stationed on the roadside over a nest hole in the bank. And, a pair of Torrent Tyrannulets bounced between the rocks of a raging torrent of a river below. All that stuff and great weather made it a wonderful day in the cloud forest.

Since it rains kind of a lot here, making the most of a rainy day is just part of birding. Also, it doesn’t hurt that people in the Mindo area have learned that their forests are the attraction, and it doesn’t take much to make a nice place with feeders and a roof to attract both birds and birdwatchers. We did some excellent rain avoidance in the mountains today, starting in the cloud forest at Bellavista, where the combo of fruit feeders and a moth light had brought in Plate-billed Mountain-Toucans, Striped Treehunter, Flame-faced Tanagers, and a horde of other hungry things. Continuing to avoid the rain, we moved downhill somewhat from the ridge to another sheltered feeder array that had 14 hummingbird species, including new ones for our trip, like Empress Brilliant and Purple-throated Woodstar. After eating our picnic lunches there, we descended about 700 meters in elevation to the Milpe Reserve in the foothill rainforest where it was nicely not raining. They had feeders, as well, but the forest had awoken after rain, and we had a great time with tanagers, flycatchers, a Pale-eyed Thrush, a couple of Yellow-collared Chlorophonias, and a surprisingly cooperative Speckled Nightingale-Thrush. We really did have to tear ourselves away.

The Mindo advantage is its central location to a variety of elevation,s and it’s only about an hour and a half drive from home base at Septimo Paraiso downhill to the lowland rainforest at the Rio Silanche Reserve. Their canopy tower continues to sink below the canopy as the surrounding forest has grown, but it was still a great vantage point for birds moving between the treetops. We did have to retreat below the top platform for intermittent rain, but we didn’t lose any birding, and we saw some of the Choco rainforest specialties like Black-striped Woodcreeper, Orange-fronted Barbet, Rufous-winged Tanager, Scarlet-bellied Dacnis, and Golden-hooded Tanager. We even spotted a Lanceolated Monklet at eye level being tiny and still. Walking from the tower and on the roads around the reserve we found a flock of Chestnut-fronted Macaws in a treetop and finally got looks at the Choco Toucans we’ve been hearing for the past couple of days. After a picnic lunch, leaving the reserve, we spotted a Blue-tailed Trogon, another Choco endemic, on a light pole outside of someone’s house. It had an enormous stick insect in its beak and seemed to appear to be wondering how it was going to fit it in. Our afternoon was at the Sendero Frutty Tour birdfeeders on the way back up hill. Hundreds of hummingbirds were bombing everywhere, including: Violet-bellied Hummingbird, Black-throated Mango, and Bronzy Hermit, new species for us. The bananas were attracting pilesof  things, as well, including Black-winged Saltator, Black-cheeked and Golden-olive Woodpeckers, and Yellow-tailed Orioles. It was a spectacular, yet frantic, show.

With Mindo already known for great eco-tourism experiences, Angel Paz often comes up as a formative name in the business. His farm, now a permanent bird reserve, is a regular stop for bird groups visiting the area. According to plan, we arrived pre-dawn and hiked into the forest to a hide. As light began to filter into the dark forest, we were treated to the insane screeching of displaying male Andean Cocks-of-the-rock at their lek site. These big, red cotingas did their thing until the sun was officially out, then vanished back into the forest. After that show, we were guided to one of the reserves' antpittas that has been painstakingly conditioned to be not a shy forest bird for a few minutes a day. A very easy and cooperative Yellow-breasted Antpitta, nicknamed “Wilhemina,” popped onto the side of the road for us. Next, we took a little break with an Andean breakfast of bolón, coffee, and an empanada (and hummingbird feeders). Full of food, we then went to a different end of the reserve where bananas attracted some Toucan Barbets, one of the Chocó region’s most iconic and bizarre endemics (and a monotypic family). While watching them we were alerted to another cooperating antpitta down in the forest, this time the tiny Ochre-breasted Antpitta, nicknamed “Shakira.” The grand finale of our visit to the Paz reserve was on our way out when we found a roosting male Lyre-tailed Nightjar off the side of the road. Its amazing, long tail feathers were hanging several bird-lengths below it. The weather had been pleasant for the morning, but the afternoon came with rain, so rather than trudge around in it, we enjoyed a swarm of tanagers and hummingbirds at the San Tadeo Birding place just up the road from our hotel.

The next day was sure an early start, but it was worth it. We left in the dark (of course) and arrived in the dark at the Amagusa Reserve to see what the bug light drew in overnight, then what the bugs would draw in over the next couple of hours. The crowd of birds was diverse and had some specialties like Pacific Tuftedcheek and the stunning Black Solitaire. The bananas pinned up at various places attracted dozens of Rose-faced Parrots as well as an array of tanagers including Moss-backed, Glistening-green, White-winged, and Flame-faced. Out in the driveway, on the palm fruit, were a pair of Orange-breasted Fruiteaters. Since the morning had drawn on, we left Amagusa and descended in elevation to another place that fed birds where we could eat our picnic lunch. Those bananas had some new things for us like Gray-and-gold and Emerald Tanagers plus some point-blank Pale-mandibled Araçaris. We had planned to do some walking along the road through the forest, but the rain stopped us, so we just drove slowly and hoped for something easy from the van. That worked out when our driver spotted a ghostly Black-tipped Cotinga out his window. We stopped, got out, watched it, then found another male and a female. We also found a couple of Cinnamon Woodpeckers and a knot of giant silk moth caterpillars on a tree. 

For the first time on the tour, we had a full day without any rain to think about. It hadn’t impacted our bird list (in fact, it made it better), but we had done a lot more birding from under shelter and at feeding stations, and less birding just out walking around. On this, our last day, we got our walk on. With rain always on the mind, however, we started at dawn at a nearby moth light where we got close looks at Masked Trogon, Streak-capped Treehunter, Three-striped Warblers, and Strong-billed Woodcreeper. The show-stopper, though, was when two Long-wattled Umbrellabirds swooped in to pick up a few grapes and grab a moth. We went from there back up into the montane cloud forest to walk around in some areas that we had been rained out of a few days ago. With continuing perfect weather, we saw some newies for the tour like Blue-and-black Tanager, Capped Conebill, and Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant. We even had a view of the Pichincha volcano and the more distant, and snow-capped Iliniza volcano. Another highlight was a jaw-dropping giant earthworm, as big around as a hotdog and more than a meter long. After a sit-down lunch at a nice highway restaurant, we passed out of the humid forest and into the rain shadow of the inter-Andean valley. In the thorn scrub we found Tufted Tit-Tyrants, Black-tailed Trainbearers, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, and lots of Hooded Siskins. Leaving there and finishing our drive back to Puembo we stopped on the side of the highway for our last, and least atmospheric, birding at the airport detention basin where we added some water birds like White-cheeked Pintail, Slate-colored Coot, and Cocoi Heron. We ended back at our lodge in Puembo with a Tropical Mockingbird singing over our heads, so, birding from start to finish.

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2025 Feb Narrative

Day 1: Today our birding as a group began earlier than scheduled, as everyone in the group had arrived a day early. Some spent the morning at Parque Nacional Antisana, seeking out high-elevation specialties, while others relaxed at our bird-friendly accommodation at Puembo Birding Garden until the tour began properly.

By 3 pm we had reconvened as a group at Puembo. Here we enjoyed localized specialties of this drier interandean valley, many of which would not be seen again for the rest of the trip as we descend into moist tropical and subtropical forests. The astounding density and diversity of habitats here in Ecuador means there are unique birds to find everywhere. No two sites are the same, even mere miles apart. At Puembo, Scrub Tanager (otherwise a near-endemic to Colombia’s central cordillera), Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant, and Croaking Ground Dove are particularly habitat-restricted in Northern Ecuador. A locally rare Merlin was also a highlight. Thunder and ominous clouds threatened from the surrounding mountainsides as we packed it in for the evening.

Day 2: Our first full day began with a 6 am breakfast before setting off for the almost 2-hour drive to Yanacocha. As we crossed the entire breadth of Quito, we got a feel for this massive city of almost 2 million. 

At Yanacocha, we were greeted by atmospheric mist and clouds alongside a soundtrack of Undulated Antpitta, Ocellated Tapaculo, Blackish Tapaculo, and more. The mostly level, but rather lengthy, track out to the main hummingbird garden was tough work due to the over-11,000 ft elevation. Flurries of activity allowed us plenty of rest stops as we picked up Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanagers, a Black-chested Mountain Tanager, Golden-crowned Tanagers, and a trio of Tawny-rumped, White-banded, and White-throated Tyrannulets. Several friendly-looking Equatorial Antpittas played hide and seek in the dense vegetation, eventually giving decent views to most of the group. Our destination, the hummingbird garden, made our effort worthwhile. Buff-winged Starfrontlets were joined by Golden-breasted and Sapphire-vented Pufflegs. Great Sapphirewings dwarfed the surrounding hummingbirds until the real star of the show arrived, the preposterously proportioned Sword-billed Hummingbird. Having put on a great show, it was time for us to head back to the reserve entrance, where lunch was waiting. After lunch, a Shining Sunbeam was an exciting final addition before we began the 2-and-a-half-hour drive to our home for the rest of the tour, Septimo Paraiso in Mindo.

Day 3: This morning we awoke in darkness, walking out of the lodge door at 6 to the sounds of Rufous Motmots and Ecuadorian Thrush. As the light increased, so did the chorus of birds from every direction. Two of the most exciting unfortunately remained out of sight, as we listened to the sweet notes of an Ecuadorian Seedeater buried deep in bamboo and a Scaled Fruiteater’s slurred whistles from the slope above; however, there remained much to see as hummingbirds swarmed the feeders, Choco Toucans put on a show over the driveway, and tanagers from Golden to Blue-necked moved through. It was tough to tear ourselves away for breakfast, and we were right back at it half an hour later. The remainder of the morning was a classic introduction to Mindo’s cloud forests. A remarkable 17 species of hummingbird made themselves known, from the outlandish White-booted Racket-tails and Violet-tailed Sylphs to the scarce White-throated Daggerbill. A stunning flash of red noisily cruising through the forest was our first Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. A pair of Red-headed Barbets, excellent views of Crested Guans feeding, and a female Golden-winged Manakin were all highlights alongside many more. 

After a filling lunch, we made our way down into the town of Mindo. On the edge of town, a dirt road through some secondary habitat was our destination. Here we searched for the rare and recently split Coopman’s Elaenia. A pair eventually gave fantastic views, and we were otherwise entertained by a suite of new birds, including Scarlet-backed Woodpecker, Little Cuckoo, Pacific Hornero, a brief Masked Water-Tyrant, and many more. Several noisy White-throated Crakes remained stubbornly out of view. A quick check of the nearby river on the way back to the lodge produced a Torrent Tyrannulet as rain began to pour.

Day 4: An early start along a long and bumpy road immediately proved its worth as we stepped out in the dim predawn light at Bellavista Lodge. A moth light and fruit feeder combination in the lodge parking area kept us entranced for the following 3 hours. Turquoise Jays and Russet-crowned Warblers noisily surrounded us, but the real stars of the show were confiding and otherworldly Plate-billed Mountain-Toucans and a trio of White-faced Nunbirds. Streak-capped and Striped Treehunters made cameos, as did Barred Becard’s, Strong-billed Woodcreepers, Masked Trogons, and many more. Steps had to be taken with care, as Slate-throated Redstarts flitted around (and sometimes in between!) our feet. A good moth sheet in the neotropics is truly a revelation.

Once we finally dragged ourselves away from Bellavista we began to walk the surrounding roads. The forests here are in excellent condition and are a wonder in and of themselves. Despite lower-than-usual activity levels, we added a few new species and also found a Giant Earthworm measuring at least 3 feet long.

Next up was our lunch stop at the recently developed Guaycapi Lodge. We were greeted by sweeping views of montane forests shrouded in mist and possibly the most impressive feeders of the trip. Several Plate-billed Mountain-Toucans were joined by Crimson-rumped Toucanets, Red-headed Barbets, and a mind-numbing plague of tanagers. At times close to 50 individual tanagers must have been on the fruit platform, mostly Golden and Golden-naped. Some attempted late afternoon birding was somewhat curtailed by heavy rains.

Day 5: We ran into trouble early today. Having left at 5 am to arrive at Rio Silanche for dawn, we were confronted by an impassible river crossing just 4km from the reserve entrance. Continued heavy rain overnight meant water levels were exceptionally high. Scrambling for a new plan, we decided to instead to try some nearby habitat I had pinned as being of interest based on satellite imagery. This proved to be more successful than anticipated as we quickly found the near-endemic Rufous-headed Chachalaca, at the edge of their range here, followed by a calling Peruvian Pygmy-Owl. Collared Aracari’s visiting a nest in a tree cavity made for enjoyable viewing, as did pairs of Yellow-tailed Orioles and Black-faced Dacnis. Turning the corner we happened into a real star of the morning, the kookaburra-like Barred Puffbird. Dusky-faced Tanagers moved noisily through the underbrush.

Moving onto the next point of interest, we were delayed by a few interesting roadside birds, most notably a group of Ecuadorian Ground-Doves, also at the edge of their range here. The next stop consisted of some nice forest along a river edge. A group of Dot-winged Antwren’s were popular, as was a Blue-tailed Trogon. Walking up to the top of a rise, we decided to wait for a Gray-headed Kite flyover, which promptly arrived, albeit distantly. Just as we were ready to move on, a small brown bird flitted into a small tree over the road. Thinking it might be a new flycatcher for the trip, we tracked it down, instead finding a delightful Lanceolated Monklet. These tiny, rare puffbirds are always a treat and this one happily posed at close range for several minutes.

Our lunch stop at Sendero Frutti Tour had impressive feeder activity. Black-breasted Mango and Violet-bellied Hummingbirds were dwarfed by Lineated Woodpeckers. On the way back to the lodge we took a side track through some patches of Choco foothill rainforest, finding a White-bearded Manakin lek, a cooperative Collared Trogon, and hearing a White-whiskered Puffbird for a 3 puffbird species day. 

Day 6: Today we visited the famous Reserva Paz de Las Aves of Antpitta fame. Always a highlight on any tour to the region, Rodrigo, Angel, and their family are deservedly celebrated as one of South America’s greatest ecotourism success stories. Their passion is impossible not to appreciate, and today was no exception. We began the day with lekking Andean Cock-of-the-Rock before moving on to our search for 4 antpitta species. Yellow-breasted and Chestnut-crowned were well-behaved and posed with little drama. Ochre-breasted was a favorite, this tiny “dancing” antpitta showing well despite the rain. Giant Antpitta is often the toughest here, and today was no exception. “Maria” and “Cariño”, the resident pair, are residing at the bottom of a fairly steep trail. Rodrigo worked hard to coax one of them out with no success despite an hour and a half of waiting. Not to be deterred, at the end of the morning he offered to look again and radio in the results of his search. Having found them, some of the group went down the trail for a second time while others waited at the feeders. Just as we approached the site, the rain began to fall heavily and the Giant Antpittas went back into hiding. We patiently waited as Rodrigo worked tirelessly to refind them. After another hour, we were getting ready to finally give up when Dana, trained on a cross-section of the understory, announced that he could see one. It wasn’t long before “Maria” was posing for us, a highlight of the trip for many, particularly given the effort expended.

Day 7: Reserva Amagusa is a personal favorite of mine. Unfortunately, it’s a fairly long (1.5 hour) drive from Mindo, and the moth sheet means early morning action is a must, thus requiring an early start. Thankfully, we were quickly repaid for our effort, and then some. A trio of Zeledon’s Antbirds hopped around beneath the sheet, Moss-backed and Glistening-green Tanagers posed at arm’s length, and a family of Dark-backed Wood-Quail visited the corn feeder; however, the real draw this morning was a fruiting tree behind the moth sheet. A collection of Black Solitaires, a striking Chocó endemic, Orange-breasted Fruiteaters, and Golden-winged Manakins feasted. This delightful selection was joined by the scarce and beautiful Scaled Fruiteater and a globally rare Rufous-brown Solitaire. Capping off a whirlwind morning was a walk along the entrance road. Amongst the mist, we added Indigo Flowerpiercer, Olive Finch, and Green-fronted Lancebill. 

After Lunch, we continued to lower elevations beyond Amagusa. Here, we were treated by frantic activity at times, with highlights including Gray-and-Gold Tanager, Emerald Tanager, Guayaquil Woodpecker, Plumbeous Kites, and Orange-fronted Barbets.

Day 8: Our final day today, we began slightly later than the past few days, heading to the nearby Sachatamia Lodge in search of Long-wattled Umbrellabird. Having gathered in a hide overlooking a moth sheet and grape feeders we began our wait. A distinguished-looking Chestnut-capped Brushfinch was first to the sheet in the faint dawn light and was quickly followed by a flurry of activity which included Rufous Motmots, Spotted Barbtails, and Plain-brown Woodcreepers. Before long, a female Long-wattled Umbrellabird landed purposefully behind the feeder. We watched with excitement as she began devouring grapes. Not to be outdone, the male soon followed with his preposterous wattle dangling ungracefully as he swallowed grapes whole. We enjoyed the sheet for a while longer and were eventually treated to a grand finale of 3 Long-wattled Umbrellabirds just before we had to leave for breakfast. The male, a female, and a young bird interacted in what was perhaps the most memorable moment of the trip for many. The rest of the day was spent driving back towards Quito. We enjoyed a final pair of Plate-billed Mountain Toucans in pristine cloud forest towards Bellavista, and a trio of White-winged Tanagers delighted us during lunch. A stop in semi-desert at an abandoned horse track on the edge of Quito was surprisingly wet but produced Golden Grosbeaks, Ash-breasted Sierra Finch, and Blue-and-Yellow Tanagers. We arrived back at Puembo having enjoyed a fitting final day to top off a week of exciting birding and stunning scenery.

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