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Category: ECUADOR
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AYAMPE & LIST 
ECUADOR

Region (Compass)

Lat:00o00´S/00o00´W ha topography msl 
Protected/registered status 
Best Time for visit (31st July, 2006)

 

Birding Site Guide

I used Puerto Lopez as a base when visiting Ayampe but there are also a couple of places to stay in this small coastal town. Puerto Lopez is just 25 minutes away by regular bus (50c) though, so getting here early in the morning is not a problem. I stayed at Hostal Sol Inn in PL for $6 for a single room. There are also many restaurants and also internet here although it is expensive and a little slow. There are several birding areas within walking distance of the town. The first is some ponds and a kind of an estuary at the rive mouth on the Ayampe side. Here I saw several species of water birds including Stilt Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher and Great Blue Heron. Another birding site is inland along the river. Again on the Ayampe side follow the road along a bit where it forks, the left staying on the valley floor and crossing the small river several times and the right climbing a little up the right side of the valley. Along the valley floor I saw Masked Water-Tyrant, Masked Yellowthroat and heard Watkin’s Antpitta whereas on the right trail I heard Little Tinamou and saw Violaceous Trogon, Red-rumped Woodpecker and Western Slaty-Antshrike. The last site I visited was along the main road towards Montañita. The road climbs up and at the top before it starts going down again, I saw Guira Tanager, Yellow-tufted Dacnis and Sooty-headed Tyrannlet. Follow the road down, and about 2km or half an hour’s walk from Ayamp, you reach a right turn in the road. This spot is excellent and I saw Grey-backed Hawk, White-bearded Manakin, Black-cheeked Woodpecker and Bay Wren in forest by the road. Back in Ayampe, there are bushes with many red flowers, behind these towards the ocean is a big tree in which I saw Pearl Kite. I saw 103 species including 9 lifers 


Species seen 


Other Fauna 
A total of -- species of mammals. 

There are -- recorded species of amphibians and reptiles. 

Author Charles Hesse

 

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