Today you’ll visit a reserve located at an altitude of 1,800 meters of elevation, just off the world-renowned Nono-Mindo Road in the outskirts of the Tandayapa and Mindo Valleys. This site is a bird photographer’s paradise! Each and every element of this small reserve is designed to delight both birders and photographers, who can chalk up a hard drive’s worth of photos of hummers, tanagers, and even the fancy, multicolored Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan. This site also has light traps that attract moths during the night, and in the early morning, insectivorous birds flock to this amazing breakfast buffet. Blinds located close to these light traps are well situated for great photo ops. The garden here features a wide variety of flowering plants and also feeders, all of which attract a dizzying diversity of hummingbirds. While the hummer feeders are a big draw, the large selection of flowers makes for even more natural photo ops. Typically, you see as many as 14 different types of hummingbirds here. The “hummer highlight” for many visitors is the Hoary Puffleg, a species that generally does not visit feeders but that for months now has been a fairly regular visitor. Other hummingbirds present in this area are the endemics Violet-tailed Sylph, as well as the Empress Brilliant, Gorgeted Sunangel; and the simply stunning Velvet-purple Coronet. NOTE: Multiflash setting for hummingbird photography is available upon request, please ask for more information.

This trip will take you through a great scenery in the Ecuadorian Andes. Leave Puembo early in the morning for 1 1/2 -hour drive towards Hacienda Antisanilla – Chakana Reserve, a 7,000-acre conservation land purchased in 2014 by the Jocotoco Foundation to safeguard Ecuador’s most important population of Andean Condors. Today you’ll have access to enjoy a privileged lookout to some of the most important Andean Condor roosting and nesting sites. You might see them gliding at eye level. The altitudinal range covered is from 10.000 to 12.000 ft asl. You’ll spend the entire day in the area, watching for Andean condors (should be easy!) and other beautiful birds like the unique Ecuadorian Hillstar feeding on unique flowers of the Chuquiraga shrub. You will even have to keep your eyes open for the only bear species of South America: The Spectacled Bear. The paramo is rich in important food sources for the bears’ mostly herbivorous diet; The Andean Bear’s main food source in the area is a type of ground paramo bromeliad Puya sp. which is pretty abundant in this ecosystem. The area has a road system and trails of varying difficulty, allowing you to cover a big extensions of territory in a short period time. It is right here in the paramo, east of Quito where you can increase your probabilities of a great encounter with bears and other Andean wildlife, sometimes close enough to have wonderful views and photographs!. After exploring the reserve you’ll have a well deserved break and lunch at Tambocondor where you can also observe different species of hummingbirds like the Giant Hummingbird, Shining Sunbeam, Black-tailed Trainbearer and other species. Later you'll be transfer to the airport to catch your flight back home. Plan on flights after 7:30 PM. In case you don't find a good flight match, you can overnight at a hotel we regularly use in Puembo and start fresh the following day. Please let us know this in advance so we can assist you with the arrangements and quote additional services.