Country : Équateur

Observation des ours à lunettes aux postes de nourrissage inférieurs de l'Antisana

The same lower stop carries one of the day's quiet hopes: an attempt to see the Spectacled Bear, one of the rarest mammals of this ecosystem, from the area of the hummingbird feeders. Sightings are a possibility rather than a promise — the attempt itself is part of what makes an Antisana day what it is.

Condors de l'Antisana, páramo andin de haute altitude et lagune de La Mica

The short road into the Antisana Ecological Reserve leads first to an observation platform, where the group scans the condor nesting walls with telescopes — one of the country's most important Andean Condor populations. The morning then works through the succulent, scrubby high-altitude vegetation for hummingbirds and high-Andean passerines before climbing into the Andean steppe of the páramo at almost 4,000 m, where diversity is low but every visible species is adapted to this particular ecosystem. A short walk along La Mica lagoon adds waterbirds to the day.

Affût photo Fruttitour près de Pedro Vicente Maldonado

Near Pedro Vicente Maldonado, a brand-new reserve opens a different window on the Chocó: from a deck facing a planted garden, the afternoon is spent observing and photographing several attractive, rare lowland species. The blind format suits the birds here — patient waiting, close views, and the chance of Choco Toucan, Pale-mandibled Aracari, Red-headed Barbet and Club-winged Manakin among the visitors.

Affûts d’après-midi à la réserve San Tadeo

Mid-afternoon brings a second photographic stop, at the hides of the small San Tadeo Reserve (1,750 m), where tanagers and other passerines dominate the frames. The day stays deliberately flexible — weather, missing species and known regional opportunities decide the final order of visits.

Séance de photographie aux affûts de la réserve d’oiseaux de Chocó

High in the Tandayapa Valley, the new private Chocó Bird Reserve (2,200 m) was laid out for photography: a network of hides and feeding areas where toucans, tanagers, hummingbirds, barbets and warblers come in close. The morning belongs to the hides, working through the compositions as different species move through the feeding areas.

Briefing d’arrivée et première observation des oiseaux dans le domaine de l’écolodge Zaysant

After settling in, there is time for an unhurried stroll around the lodge grounds, where the gardens of the inter-Andean valley give a first taste of Ecuador's birds. Sparkling Violetear, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Great Thrush, Saffron Finch and Blue-and-yellow Tanager appear easily here, with Western Emerald and the Giant Hummingbird less common. The pace stays loose, shaped by whatever the arrival time allows.

Western Hemispingus

Wedge-billed Hummingbird

Spectacled Bear