Rethinking the Final Stop When we first planned this trip, the final stop was supposed to be Bosque del Apache. We had been there before, right in peak migration season, and it offers a completely different kind of bird photography. Massive flocks, coordinated flyouts, and that early morning light that makes everything feel cinematic. But […]
Our final day of the trip happened to fall on New Year’s Eve. The plan was to break up the drive back to Quito with a stop at Balcon Tumpiki, where we might be able to see a plate-billed mountain toucan. We had been told the road was in good condition, so we made the […]
Today was another transfer day as we moved from San Jorge Tandayapa down to San Jorge Milpe in northwest Ecuador. To break up the drive, we stopped at San Tadeo Birding, another hummingbird photography spot along the way. When we first arrived, the main perches were surprisingly quiet, especially after what we had experienced the […]
It was a 5 a.m. start to visit an Andean cock-of-the-rock lek at Finca La Victoriana in Pichincha, Ecuador. A lek is a communal display area where male birds gather to perform for females, competing for attention with calls, movement, and posture. In the case of the Andean cock-of-the-rock, that means a group of bright […]
Today was a transfer day as we moved from Quito to Tandayapa, deeper into Ecuador’s cloud forest. We left the lodge in a 4WD, which made sense almost immediately. Along the way we stopped at a small hummingbird spot, the kind of place that feels increasingly common across Central and South America. At some point, […]
What a difference a day makes. This next part of our story takes us from the Galapagos to Quito, where we nearly called the entire next part of the trip off, but decided to stick it out and were rewarded with three species of antpittas and some sword-billed hummingbirds at Zuroloma Reserve. But I’m getting […]
The night leading into our final full day in the Galápagos was rough. The Ecogalaxy moved around the northern end of Santiago Island overnight, and the motion was noticeable enough to wake us up. By morning, we were ready to get off the boat for a while, even if it was just to stand on […]
The plan for today was fairly simple: a morning hike at Espinoza Point followed by snorkeling at Espinoza Point, followed by more snorkeling at Albemarle Point. We were both surprised at the amount of snorkeling offered on this itinerary. I think some of the other passengers were as well, especially the two who didn’t know […]
The daily schedule is always displayed on the screen in the lounge. The days are pretty packed with activities. Today included a walk followed by snorkeling from the beach at Urbina Bay, more snorkeling at Tagus Cove, and then a hike to Darwin lake. We stayed at the anchorage until around 5 a.m., which meant […]
Overnight, the boat moved from Puerto Ayora to the west coast of Isabela Island. The ride was a little bumpy at times, but nothing too uncomfortable. We didn’t take any seasickness medication or use bands and felt fine by morning. Our first stop of the day was Moreno Point, a lava field coastline on Isabela […]