Day 5: Pedro Vicente Maldonedo & Río Silanche Sanctuary
We started gathering in the great room about 4:30 AM, drawn by coffee, tea, and an assortment of cold cereal and fresh fruit. The staff at Tandayapa knew what it would take to entice us at this early hour. We would forego a formal breakfast in order to get to where we needed to be just after sunrise. Well, “sunrise” wasn’t exactly spot-on. Given it was still rainy and overcast, arriving at just after “graybreak” was more descriptive.
We gingerly made our way down to our bus where Niko greeted us with his ever-present smile and enthusiastic “Buenos dias!”. One of the lodge staff hitched a ride with us as far as the town of Tandayapa where we picked up the main highway. It would be nice for a change to be on a paved road!
We drove east through the town of Los Bancos. It was now daylight. A GREAT EGRET flew over the highway and CATTLE EGRET were observed feeding with cattle. Just before stopping for a bathroom break, near a town named for Pedro Vicente Maldonado, we saw our first TURKEY VULTURE and SOUTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW. Of interest is the person for whom the town was named, an 18th century geographer and topographer and the fascinating project he was involved in.
Back on the bus it was only a short ride to a dirt road. The road is commonly referred to as “Pedro Vicente Maldonado” although it bears no signs indicating the namesake. After driving across a small river (literally – there was no bridge) we stopped for a coffee and snack break. We then began birding, although one hardly stops birding even when taking a break. Ever notice how birders rarely make direct eye contact when talking to one another? They’re always looking over each other’s shoulder aren’t they?
Dump truck traffic was fairly heavy. Apparently there was a rock quarry further down the road. Drivers were friendly and courteous and gave us plenty of room. Or was it that WE gave THEM plenty of room? They were very big trucks.
Intermittent rain fell as we walked. Sightings of GUAYAQUIL WOODPECKER, GOLDEN-OLIVE WOODPECKER, BLACK-CHEEKED, RUDDY-TAILED FLYCATCHER, WOODPECKER, YELLOW-TYRANNULET, SCALE-CRESTED TYRANNULET, BOAT-BILLED FLYCATCHER, SOCIAL FLYCATCHER, RUSTY-MARGINED FLYCATCHER, TROPICAL KINGBIRD, WHITE-SHOULDERED TANAGER, TAWNY-CRESTED TANAGER, BUFF-THROATED SALTATOR, BAY-HEADED TANAGER, YELLOW-TAILED ORIOLE, YELLOW-BELLIED SISKIN, BLUE-GRAY TANAGER, PALM TANAGER, MASKED TITYRA, TAWNY-BREASTED FLYCATCHER, WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, BLACK-WINGED SALTATOR (a heard only the day before), and PACIFIC ANTWREN. We also had a very uncommon (for the area) sighting of a RUFOUS-HEADED CHACHALACA.
One surprising non-bird encounter occurred along this road when a 4x4 SUV passed and stopped a short distance away. Two men and a woman got out – obviously birders (binoculars and a spotting scope are usually a dead giveaway - and they weren’t driving a dump truck). This immediately stirred Carol’s curiosity – could it possibly be?
Carol walked over and asked if they might be the British couple recently written up in ABA – the couple doing a “Biggest Twitch” (a big year)?
Indeed. It was Ruth Miller and Alan Davies guided by Scott Olmstead, one of José’s colleagues from Tropical Birding. Their driver turned out to be a good friend of Niko. Talk about a small world. Carol had read that Ruth and Alan would be in Ecuador as part of their quest to break the world Big Year record, but what were the odds of running into them?
After a pleasant chat and photo op, they got back to birding, as did we. We walked the edge of a marshy area where we found SQUIRREL CUCKOO, SMOOTH-BILLED ANI, LITTLE CUCKOO, OLIVE-CROWNED YELLOWTHROAT, CHESTNUT-BELLIED SEED-FINCH, GREEN KINGFISHER, WHITE-THIGHED SWALLOW, BAY WREN, HOUSE WREN, COMMON TODY-FLYCATCHER, SLATE-THROATED GNATCATCHER, BLACK PHOEBE, TROPICAL GNATCATCHER, BANANAQUIT, PLAIN XENOPS, RED-EYED VIREO, SCRUB BLACKBIRD, GRAY ELANIA, SLATY SPINETAIL, SLATY-CAPPED TYRANNULET, DUSKY PIGEON, and GOLDEN-FACED TYRANNULET, VARIABLE SEEDEATER, with a fly-over of BRONZE-WINGED PARROT. Heard only: WHITE-THROATED CRAKE and BROWN WOOD-RAIL. Also added SHORT-TAILED NIGHTHAWK.
We re-boarded the bus to bypass an extensive agricultural area, parked again, and then crossed through a barbwire fence onto a rutted access road. José had heard an ELEGANT CRESCENTCHEST calling and after several minutes, finally pinned it down. The bird was moving around quite a lot and it took some time before everyone was able to get satisfactory looks. However, PACIFIC HORNEO and MASKED WATER-TYRANT were very cooperative and provided a nice distraction. As we let ourselves back through the barbwire gate an ECUADORIAN THRUSH popped up for some good looks by most of the group. LITTLE TINAMOU was a heard only. We also added DUSKY-FACED TANAGER, BRIGHT-RUMPED ATTILA, RUDDY PIGEON, LINEATED WOODPECKER, BLUE-BLACK GRASSQUIT, LESSER SEED-FINCH, and GRAY-RUMPED SWIFT.
On the bus again, we eventually arrived at the Rîo Silanche Sanctuary. Along the way, Richard found the group a STRIPED CUCKOO perched on a wire.
Rio Silanche is comprised of tropical lowland forest habitat at an altitude of approximately 1,650 feet. A recently constructed canopy tower allowed treetop level views (a welcome relief to our strained neck muscles). There was also a series of trails designed with birders in mind.
Having missed our formal breakfast at the lodge, our stomachs were in revolt. We collected our box lunches from the bus and carried them to the canopy tower. On the path to the tower we found WHITE-BEARDED MANAKIN.
We discovered another birding group already occupying the tower’s top level (the other bus in the parking lot should have been a clue). We settled in on the next lower level. Shortly after we had arrived, it began to rain fairly hard so the group at the top, with no overhead protection save for their rain gear, would no doubt soon relinquish their dominant spot. With overhead protection, we comfortably ate and watched for birds.
As expected the top-dwellers quickly deserted the tower. As they trooped down we exchanged greetings. We counted 18 in their tour. We couldn’t imagine trying to bird with such a large group! Carol and I were again reminded of why we always keep our group size manageable. José might have argued that OUR group, no matter what the size, was totally unmanageable! (just kidding, José!)
Rain abated for a bit. Some of us headed for the now vacant top level. Distance viewing was somewhat limited due to clouds, so we elected for the time being to abandon the tower in favor of a hike on wide, but wet and slippery trails. Along the trails we found: CHOCO TROGON, DOUBLE-BANDED GRAYTAIL, WESTERN WOODHAUNTER, ONE-COLORED BECARD, PLAIN-BROWN WOODCREEPER, LESSER GREENLET, NORTHERN BARRED WOODCREEPER, STREAK-HEADED WOODCREEPER, GREEN HONEYCREEPER, SWALLOW-TAILED KITE, CHECKER-THROATED and WHITE-FLANKED ANTWREN, THICK-BILLED EUPNIA, SILVER-THROATED TANAGER, BROWN-CAPPED TYRANNULET, PALE-MANDIBLED ARACARI, and IMMACULATE ANTBIRD. Heard only were RUFOUS-TAILED JACAMAR, WESTERN SLATY-ANTSHRIKE, CHESTNUT-BACKED ANTBIRD
Back at the tower again, we got good looks at BLUE-NECKED, SCARLET-BROWED and RUFOUS-WINGED TANAGER, BLUE-HEADED PARROT and a ROSE-FACED PARROT fly-over, and CINNAMON BECARD. We heard but never saw CHOCO TOUCAN. Instead we did see several CHESTNUT-MANDIBLED TOUCAN fly out of the area where we had been hearing Choco Toucan. Choco Toucan were there - just not to be seen. At some point, a few people found BUFF-RUMPED WARBLER.
It was now mid-afternoon and time to head back to the lodge. In the parking lot we happened upon the British couple once more. We shared recent sightings and learned they, still only in January, had just ticked their 1,000th bird. According to the graph on their web site, in order to break the big year world record of 3,662 birds, they would have to reach 1,000 birds by April 1. They were well ahead of schedule! We wished them well. I suppose we’ll have to wait for their book to be published to learn about the rest of their trip. We did, however, follow their frequently updated trip diary on their web site.
Back at Tandayapa we slogged our way up the 76-step workout to the warmth of the lodge and to beer and wine. As we enjoyed our beverages and darkness fell on the upper observation deck, we added new hummers at the feeders: VIOLET-BELLIED, and PURPLE-CHESTED HUMMINGBIRD, GREEN THORNTAIL, STRIPE-THROATED and WHITE-WHISKERED HERMIT. Heard only, SOUTHERN NIGHTINGALE-WREN
José had developed an uncomfortable canker sore but it didn’t stop him from regaling us over dinner with stories of his youth in Ecuador and how it was he became a guide. José is going to be in the US later this year at High Island, TX to experience spring migration. It would have been nice to see him there.
Following a relaxing dinner we barely managed our nightly checklist noting that this was one of our particularly good birding days (123 day total/109 new to trip total). Marching orders from José for the next day: Off to another MCF holding, the Milpe Sanctuary. We fell into bed exhausted, lulled to sleep by falling rain.
About professional bird guides: We sometimes get so wrapped up in our personal days of birding that we overlook or underestimate the amount of work a professional bird guide undertakes. While it is his or her top priority to satisfy the paying customers by making it possible to see as many birds as possible they also oversee a myriad of less exciting but equally important tasks. Customer safety, comfortable lodging, timely meals, upkeep of any and all transportation, just to name a few. Of course they don’t have any control over the weather but they may have to come up with alternate plans dictated by sudden changes in said weather.
At the end of a long day when we might complain about having to stay up for the nightly checklist, the guide (and often the driver) are up much longer attending to details for the next leg of the trip. Yes, the birding company a guide represents will have played a large roll in the planning process - but on the ground, it’s the guide who is the ambassador and the go-to person when things go wrong.
José, in addition to having a keen ear and eye for finding and identifying birds, worked tirelessly. Even when he was feeling poorly, he never let it get in the way of being a professional guide. Hats off to José for a job well done during our entire tour. Finding birds, patiently answering our questions, and attending to problems when they arose plus getting us safely through a barrage of physical obstacles. He made it look easy. And if we had to endure a little rain or grumbled about early morning starts, well, these were small inconveniences in the overall scope of things. I’d trade the Wisconsin snow we’re suffering through this winter for rain in Ecuador any day! I could always get caught up on sleep once I get home. Besides, what do you think airport delays are for?
