Andean Photography Escape

Full Day

• In a single day we explore two very different ecosystems, Cold, Wet Temperate Cloud Forest at Zuro Loma, a 90-minute drive from Quito, and Tandayapa Bird Lodge, in Cool Moist Subtropical Cloud Forest. On arrival at Zuro Loma, we will enjoy a cooked breakfast with spectacular Andean scenery in view, before exploring their varied feeding areas, iconic birds such as Sword-billed Hummingbird visit the hummingbird feeders that also count Buff-fronted Starfrontlet, Mountain Velvetbreast, and Sapphire-vented Puffleg as regular visitors, while the fruit feeders can attract Hooded and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanagers. The site is most famous for its antpitta feeding stations that can draw in very difficult birds to see, like Chestnut-naped and Equatorial Antpittas that can both often be easy to photograph there.
• We will then drive to Tandayapa Bird Lodge, arriving in time for an excellent lunch, after which we will explore the hummingbird gardens, which regularly attract 13 species, including the resplendent White-booted Racket-tail, exquisite Violet-tailed Sylph, handseom Purple-bibbed Whitetip, and tiny Purple-throated Woodstar. We will also keep an eye on the nearby fruit feeders that when active can lure in birds like the spectacular Toucan Barbet, Red-headed Barbet, Crimson-rumped Toucanet and a selection of multicolored tanagers.
• We will depart the lodge at 4:00pm, arriving back in Quito at around 6:00pm.