Itinerary

Arrive to Quito. It is the second-highest capital in the world at 9,350 feet (2,850 meters) above sea level. It's also the closest city to the equator.

Our driver will meet you at the airport and bring you to your comfortable, double-occupancy room. We are staying very close to the airport in the town of Tababela in a lovely lodge. (www.quintalaconstanza.com).

Please plan to arrive by 3:00 pm if possible, so that you'll have a chance to rest up before our 6:00 pm Welcome Dinner. Daniel Zdonczyk and Juan Bahamón, your tour leaders, will present an overall tour outline.

Mother Nature is, at times, unpredictable, and the itinerary might change due to unsuspected weather conditions or if our local guide spots a better hummingbird density at an alternative location.

After an early breakfast, we will take a two-hour trip to the Northwest of the Pichincha province, considered by some to be the world's richest ornithological region.

We will stay at Sachatamia Lodge, which will provide comfortable double-occupancy cabins. There is a pool for relaxing. The food is excellent. Internet available.

We will visit the feeders at Los Dos Corazones (www.los2Corazones.com). A specially- designed hummingbird photography studio will allow us to try creative macro, silhouettes, and out-of-the-box compositions with the numerous hummingbirds. Species include the fantastic Violet-tailed Sylph, Fawn-breasted brilliant, Booted Racket-tail, Green-fronted Brilliant, Tawny Hermit, and Brown Inca. The gardens will provide us all the flowers necessary for our props.

An Ecuadorian lunch will replenish our energy before continuing with the afternoon session. The tame hummingbirds feeding at photogenic flowers will give ample opportunities to photograph. The numerous, colorful tanagers will pose at close range for your delight.

This morning will  travel to a nearby town, Pedro Vicente Maldonado Lodge to practice more multi-flash techniques at Tutti-frutti Ecological farm. We will have plenty of opportunities to photograph the Rufous-tailed hummingbird, White-neck jacobin, Green thorntail, Brown violetear, White-whiskered hermit, Purple-chested and Andean Emerald among others.

After breakfast, we will travel a short distance to the nearby Bird-Watchers House (www.birdwatchershouse.com), where the Gorgeted Sunangel, Speckled Hummingbird, Andean Emerald, Empress Brilliant, among others, will give us many opportunities for memorable images.

Both perched hummingbirds and multi-flash set ups will allow us plenty of chances to hone your skills.

Box lunch provided.

Today, we will return to Los Dos Corazones Nature Reserve for another chance at the hummingbird feeders. You will explore the changes created by using different backgrounds and you will also learn to choose the appropriate flowers to match the birds' colors.

We will experiment with hummingbird silhouettes and macro lenses to visualize the minuscule mites living on their beaks and even hummingbird water reflections!

We will practice with photogenic perches for the multiple colorful tanagers and toucanettes that are abundant there.

After lunch, we will visit a nearby place called Balcon Tumpique. There we will have the chance to photograph the Green-fronted Lancebill and similar species.

We will visit Alambi, where we will have the entire lodge reserved for the day. Mr. Favian Luna, the owner, has been devoted to maintaining multiple hummingbird feeders for 18 years resulting in a high density of hummingbirds. Regular visitors are: White-necked Jacobin, all three species of Violetear Hummingbirds, the Green-crowned Brilliant, the Purple-throated Woodstar, the Andean Emerald, the Green-crowned Woodnymph, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, the Purple-bibbed Whitetip and many more.

After breakfast, we will depart Mindo to Zuro Loma. This reserve sits on the northeastern slope of the Guagua Pichincha Volcano.

Situated at 10,500 feet in the cloud forest, this spot is known for its unique hummingbirds, many species of which are found only in these high elevations. Yanacocha is the highest elevation we will reach on this tour.

Sword-billed Hummingbirds should be star of the show at this reserve. These birds are the only species in the world with bills longer than their bodies! Their bills and super-long tongues allow them to feed on and pollinate the gorgeous Passiflora mixta (common name in Ecuador: Taxo). We will also photograph Shining Sunbeams, Great Sapphirewings, Buff-winged Starfrontlets, and Sapphire-vented Pufflegs.

Please see the gallery page for more photographed examples.

Lunch will be provided.

One of the highlights is to hold a miniature feeder and have tiny hummingbirds bravely perch on your finger to steal a sip of nectar! A close-up portrait will be memorable.


After a full day, we will return to the lodge near Quito for dinner and for the night.

On this day, after an early breakfast, we will travel to Tambo Condor, where there will be plenty of opportunities to photograph the iconic Giant Hummingbird. After lunch, we will head to the Antisana Reserve to capture the Ecuadorian Hillstar.

Dinner and overnight stay at Quinta La Constanza.

On this last day, we will concentrate on getting or improving images of the hummingbirds that you might be most interested in. There will be plenty of opportunities at the following two sites that have been reserved exclusively for our group.

After an early breakfast, we will head to Papallacta Pass to reach Guango Lodge by 9 AM. We have reserved this magical place just for us. Two multi-flash setups will allow you to photograph the Sword-billed Hummingbird again. Other readily available species are: Tourmaline Sunangel, Collared Inca, Tyrian Metaltail, Golden-breasted, Glowing Puffleg, Mountain Avocetbill, White-bellied and Gorgeted Woodstars.

Lunch at Guango will be followed by an afternoon session at La Brisa, a newly discovered place close to the town of Baeza, there the star will be the tiny Gorgeted Woodstar. Other hummingbirds include the rare Rufous-gaped hillstar, the Long-tailed Sylph and the Booted Racket-tail (peruanus race with cinnamon-colored boots)

After a farewell dinner at La Constanza, you will have the opportunity to ask any further questions about your course. We will welcome your feedback to improve future trips.

Depending on your return flight time, we will provide breakfast and/or lunch and transportation back to the airport.

We sincerely hope that your hard drives and digital cards will be full of thousands of keeper-photos and that your hearts and minds will carry the memories of a beautiful Ecuadorian experience.