Trogon Photo Tours

 


PO Box 1505
Fresno, TX 77455-1505

ph: 281-778-1486

nchappell@trogontours.net

  • Home
  • Private Tours
  • Uganda
  • South Africa
  • Orcas EaglesClick to open the Orcas Eagles menu
    • Orcas Eagles Sign Up
  • OlympicsClick to open the Olympics menu
    • Olympics SignUp
  • San DiegoClick to open the San Diego menu
    • San Diego SignUp
  • MalheurClick to open the Malheur menu
    • Malheur Sign Up
  • WA EaglesClick to open the WA Eagles menu
    • WA Eagles Sign Up
  • NW RaptorsClick to open the NW Raptors menu
    • NW Raptors SignUp
  • GrouseClick to open the Grouse menu
    • Grouse Sign Up
  • ColoradoClick to open the Colorado menu
    • Colorado Sign Up
  • YellowstoneClick to open the Yellowstone menu
    • Yellowstone Sign Up
  • GalvestonClick to open the Galveston menu
    • Galveston Sign Up
  • TexasClick to open the Texas menu
    • Texas Sign Up
  • NomeClick to open the Nome menu
    • Nome Sign Up
  • ArizonaClick to open the Arizona menu
    • Arizona Sign Up
  • EcuadorClick to open the Ecuador menu
    • Ecuador Sign Up
  • South Ecuador Click to open the South Ecuador  menu
    • South Ecuador SignUp
  • Costa RicaClick to open the Costa Rica menu
    • Costa Rica Sign Up
  • GalapagosClick to open the Galapagos menu
    • GalapagosSignUp
  • Brazil PantanalClick to open the Brazil Pantanal menu
    • Brazil Sign Up
  • Brazil RainforestClick to open the Brazil Rainforest menu
    • Brazil Rainforest SignUp
  • PeruClick to open the Peru menu
    • Peru Sign Up
  • AmazonClick to open the Amazon menu
    • Amazon Sign Up
  • Colombia Click to open the Colombia  menu
    • Colombia Sign Up
  • SloveniaClick to open the Slovenia menu
    • Slovenia Sign Up
  • Spain Raptors
  • HungaryClick to open the Hungary menu
    • Hungary Sign Up
  • Greece/BulgariaClick to open the Greece/Bulgaria menu
    • Greece/Bulgaria SignUp
  • ThailandClick to open the Thailand menu
    • Thailand Sign Up
  • AustraliaClick to open the Australia menu
    • Australia Sign Up
  • Testimonials
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • GalleriesClick to open the Galleries menu
    • Galveston
    • Texas
    • Uganda
    • South Africa
    • Costa Rica
    • Thailand
    • Brazil
    • Hummingbirds
    • Ecuador
    • South Ecuador
    • Galapagos
    • Peru
    • Colombia
    • Arizona
    • Australia
    • Spain
    • Slovenia
    • Hungary
    • Winter Europe
    • Colorado
    • Amazon
    • Botswana
    • Yellowstone
    • Eagles
    • Cranes
    • Malheur
    • Atlantic Forest
    • San Diego
  • NewslettersClick to open the Newsletters menu
    • May 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • August 2018
    • May 2018
    • March 2018
    • January 2018
    • October 2016
  • FAQ/Policies

South Ecuador bird photo tour

 

SOUTH ECUADOR BIRDS

February 1-15, 2023

Amazon Pre Extension

January 27-February 1, 2023

Photo Workshop: This photo workshop concentrates on photographing the rare and spectacular birds of Southern Ecuador.  While the focus is on birds we will also photograph whatever mammals, reptiles and amphibians we come across and we visit some beautiful mountain locations which are excellent for landscape photography.  We will photograph some of the rarest birds in the world including the newly discovered Blue-throated Hillstar, El Oro Parakeet and Jocotoco Antpitta.  We will also photograph spectacular species such as Spangled Coquette and Rainbow Starfrontlet.  We will be staying at 4 different Jocotoco Foundation lodges which are located in the foundation's reserves which were set aside for endangered bird species. We will do some multi-flash hummingbird photography on this workshop as well.

Tour Sign up

About Ecuador - Ecuador is one of the richest countries in the world for birds and bird photography.  Over 1,550 species of birds have been recorded in Ecuador, the fourth highest total of any country in the world.  It has many excellent lodges, good roads, a stable government and is reachable from most of North America in 8 hours travel or less. 

Tour Leader: Javier Zurita and Chuck Gangas. Javier is from Quito, Ecuador, he is an excellent photographer.  For his thesis, he studied building blinds for bird photography and he is the person who has constructed the blinds at Sachatamia and several other locations in Ecuador.  He also enjoys working with snakes and frogs.  Chuck enjoys helping photographers improve their photography.  

Maximum Participants: 10 total, including a maximum of 6 photographers.  

Cost: Photographer: $6,500 includes all lodging, meals, transportation within Ecuador, guiding, instruction, $500 single supplement.  Nonphotographer spouse or companion cost is $5,900.  It does not include airfare to and from Quito, Ecuador which is the beginning and ending point of the tour.  It also does not include personal expenses such as tips or drinks. To reserve your spot a deposit of $1,700 is required. The balance is due 90 days prior to the tour.

Itinerary:

February 1st - Transfer from the Guayaquil, Ecuador airport to a 4 star hotel.  Evening presentation on bird photography. 

February 2nd - Morning departure and visit to Manglares Charute to photograph Horned Screamer, Comb Duck, various raptors and waterbirds then continue on to Umbrellabird Lodge in Buenaventura Reserve.  We will do a bit of late afternoon bird photography at the feeders. 

February 3rd - We will a full day of photography at Umbrellabird Lodge.  This location is excellent for multi-flash photography.  Hummer species include Violet-bellied Hummingbird, Velvet-purple Coronet, Crowned Woodnymph and others.  Fruit feeders attract Collared Aracari, Green and Purple Honeycreepers and many other birds.  This is the nesting period for El Oro Parakeets and we will visit nest cavities to photograph this rare bird.  Umbrellabirds are occasionally photographed around the lodge.  Umbrellabird Lodge.

February 4th - Morning photography at Umbrellabird followed by check out and 4 hour transfer to Urraca Lodge in Jorupe Reserve.  Lunch on the way and afternoon bird photography at the feeders at Urraca Lodge.

February 5th - Morning photography at the feeders which attract some range restricted birds such as White-tailed Jay, Whooping Motmot, Pale-browed Tinamou and Blue Ground Dove.  Then we visit Utuana Reserve which is about an hour away to photograph the amazing Rainbow Starfrontlet and several other hummingbirds including Purple-thoated Sunangel.  We return to Urraca in the late afternoon and can try for Peruvian Screech Owl in the evening.

February 6th - Morning bird photography at Urraca, check out then visit Utuana again to photograph hummingbirds, then continue on to Tapichalca Reserve and Lodge where we will arrive in the late afternoon. 

February 7th and 8th - We will spend two full days in the beautiful, remote cloud forest of Tapichalaca Reserve.  This is the home of the Jocotoco Antpitta, which was just discovered about 20 years ago.  The Jocotoco and Chestnut-naped Antpittas provide excellent photo opportunities.  The lodge here is also very good for multi-flash photography with Little and Amethyst-throated Sunangels as well as Chestnut-breasted Coronets and Collared Incas.  Seed feeders provide photos of Bearded Guan, Chestnut-capped Brush Finch and other species.  Tapichalaca Lodge. 

February 9th - Morning photography at Tapichalaca followed by check out and transfer to Copalinga Lodge.  This afternoon we will have the choice of photographing at the lodge's feeders or going with Javier to a location about one hour away to photograph the amazing Spangled Coquette.  Copalinga Lodge.

February 10th - We will spend the morning photographing at Copalinga Lodge.  They have a blind which attracts the rarely photographed Grey and Little Tinamous.  Fruit feeders attract Green and Gold, Golden-eared and other spectacular tanagers.  The hummingbird feeders attract Black-throated and Violet-fronted Brilliants among others.  Copalinga Lodge. 

February 11th - Morning photography at Copalinga including multi-flash, after lunch we check out and transfer to Saraguro where we stay in a nice hotel. 

February 12th - Today we will visit a highland paramo reserve about two hours away where the highly endangered Blue-throated Hillstar was recently discovered.  At our location here are hummingbird feeders which attract Great Sapphirewing, Shining Sunbeam, Black-tailed Trainbearer and others.  In the reserve we will hope to also photograph Andean Condors, Caracaras and other raptors and mammals such as Andean Fox are possible.  Then in the afternoon we will return to Saraguro and then on to Cuenca where we will stay in the lovely Sheraton outside of town. 

February 13th - Today we will visit a location which is very good for the amazing Spangled Coquette.  It's about 2 hours away but we will do some bird photography on the way.  In addtion to photographing the coquette we will visit Cock-of-the-Rock and White-bearded Manakin leks.  We will return to the Sheraton in Cuenca in the evening.

February 14th - This morning we visit another highland location, Las Cajas National Park.  Here some of our target species include Ecuadorian Hillstar, Blue-mantled Thornbill, Tawny Antpitta, Giant Conebill and others.  Again raptors and mammals are likely.  Then we return to Cuenca for lunch, check out and a 3 hour transfer back to Guayaquil.  We will have an evening presentation on processing your images.  Hotel: a 4 star hotel in Guayaquil. 

February 15th - Transfer to the airport for your return trip home. 

Amazon Pre Extension:

Cost: $2,595 with $300 single supplement, flight to and from Coca included, flight to and from Guayaquil not included.  This could also be added at the end of the June 2021 workshop.

January 27th - Transfer to airport for flight to Coca in the Ecuadorian Amazon then a 3 hour boat ride down the Napo River to Sani Lodge.  Afternoon boat trip to photograph Hoatzin and other birds on the oxbow lake. 

January 28th-30th - 3 full days of photography at Sani Lodge including visit to the Napo Wildlife Center clay licks to photograph macaws and parakeets.  Boat trips and visits to the tower add many bird species as well as monkeys.  The fruit feeders at the lodge attract Scarlet-crowned Barbet, Crimson-masked Tanager and other species and they have a blind for Wire-tailed Manakin.  There are many macro opportunities here including the large Dusky Jungle Frog.  Just being in the Amazonian Rainforest is an amazing experience.

January 31st - Boat ride back to Coca, then flight back to Quito and transfer to Zaysant Ecolodge.  A bit of afternoon bird photography if we have time. 

February 1st - Transfer to the Quito airport for your flight to Guayaquil, transfer to a 4 star hotel in Guayaquil.  If you want to spend a full month photographing in Ecuador with us see Ecuador Birds and Herps, January 15-27, 2022.



Blue-throated Hillstar

Spangled Coquette

Green and Gold Tanager

Chestnut-breasted Coronet

Rainbow Starfrontlet

Jocotoco Antpitta

Violet-fronted Brilliant

Velvet-purple Coronets

Crimson-rumped Toucanet

Andean Fox

Hoatzin

Scarlet Macaw

Pygmy Marmoset 

Copyright Trogon Photo Tours, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

PO Box 1505
Fresno, TX 77455-1505

ph: 281-778-1486

nchappell@trogontours.net