Ecuador Bird Photography

What to Expect

A typical day: Most days will begin with optional early morning bird photography around the grounds of our lodge, where many species can be seen up-close visiting feeders and foraging through the rainforest from the first light of dawn. After breakfast, we’ll commence our day’s formal activities, which may include more on-site photography, or trips to adjacent reserves. On some days, we may have early morning departures to get to reserves where certain bird activity happens first thing in the morning, such as the lek of the Andaean Cock-of-the-Rock. We’ll be back at our base lodges for dinner. After dinner hours, we will have optional technique workshops and post-processing time on some nights. During the trip, we may also have optional evening nocturnal activity walks, using flashlights to look for a variety of nighttime creatures on the trails around our lodge. While small, there are some spectacular amphibians, reptiles and insects that are worthy of our attention, but easily overlooked.

What level of physical activity is required? While the vast majority photography activities on this trip won’t require extensive physical activity, some of the sites we visit will require short hikes (~1km) on uneven terrain. While hiking is not a large part of the trip, good footwear for muddy and uneven trail conditions are recommended if you wish to explore the rainforest on foot. All activities are optional, and incredible photography opportunities can be found in the immediate vicinity of all of our lodges. So, there is much to keep one entertained if you wish to opt-out of any activities in favour of more relaxed photography opportunities. One lodge we will stay at has a 100 meter staircase leading to the entrance, and the ability to climb some stairs will enable you to visit a canopy observation tower in the Amazon. Finally, altitude may be a consideration for some. Quito, the capital city of Ecuador where our trip begins and ends, is at 2850 meters elevation (9350 feet), which will be our highest overnight location of the trip. During the day, we may make one or two short (few hour) excursions up to 4000 metres elevation (13120 feet) during the “high Andes” portion of the trip.

How will we get around? During the trip, we will utilize several modes of transportation to get around. Included in the trip cost is a short (40 minute) flight from Quito to Coca, our gateway to the Amazon Rainforest. From Coca, we’ll be travelling to our lodge by boat. Transportation into the amazon rainforest lodge itself and exploration of the lodge surroundings is often done by canoe. Following our return to Coca after our first lodge of the trip, we will get around by vehicle. While the main highways are paved, you can except some of the smaller side roads used to travel to some lodges and reserves in the Andes to be winding and bumpy at times.

Will we do photography setups at bird feeding stations? Ecolodges and reserves in Ecuador, including the ones where we will stay and visit, often have several types of feeding stations. Fruit feeders attract tanagers, toucans, barbets, and more. Nectar feeders attract hummingbirds. Many lodges also have a “moth light”. These lights attract insects overnight, and a variety of forest birds (woodcreepers, flycatchers, sparrows, and more) can often be found visiting in the morning to forage on insects. We will also visit a couple reserves where local caretakers feed worms to elusive forest birds, such as antpittas. Many of the feeding stations at the lodges and reserves are set up with mossy perches, providing photographers with a photogenic setting to capture images. Flowers can also be used at hummingbird feeding stations, to help capture images of hummingbirds. For those who want, there will also be opportunities during this trip to do “multi-flash” hummingbird photography, a technique using artificial lighting that can capture remarkable studio-like images of hummingbirds in flight.

What will the climate be like? We are likely to experience a great range of weather conditions during this trip! It is likely to be the warmest in the Amazon, where the average high temperature is 30°C (86°F)., and the average low is 22°C (72°F). It is likely to be the coldest on the higher slopes of the Andes, where the average daily high is 12°C (53°F) and the average low is 4°C (40°F). Some precipitation in this region is to be expected (it is a rainforest, after all), and it’s normal to have both periods of sun and periods of rain in a single day. In other words, pack variety of clothes for a variety of expected conditions! The sun is strong at the equator, so be sure to pack sunscreen as well.

What will the accommodation and food be like?With the exception of the first and last night in a modern hotel in Quito, we’ll be staying at eco-lodges in the rainforest. These accommodations are high-quality and clean, designed to provide the comfort that visitors would expect back home. Some are a bit more rustic and cozy in feel, others are more high end and fancy in feel, but they all provide fantastic opportunities for bird and wildlife photography in their immediate vicinity. Food is often considered to be a highlight at these lodges. Each lodge will have a professional chef on site, and you can often expect to enjoy a variety of meals, from traditional Ecuadorian dinners, to gourmet international cuisine. When we venture out for day trips to other reserves, we’ll bring packed lunches and snacks with us, or have meals provided by the chefs at other reserves.

What photography equipment should I bring? A telephoto lens with a focal length of 300mm or greater is recommended for this trip. However, we will have closeup encounters with birds and wildlife where wide angle (eg. 15-35mm) and mid focal length lenses (eg. 70-200mm) may be useful. Wide angle and mid-focal length gear will also be useful for photographing landscapes of our scenic surroundings. As some of our time will be spent walking on trails, a portable setup that you are able to handhold is may be a good idea for some (for example, a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a lightweight telephoto lens such as a 100-400mm, 200-500mm, 150-600mm, etc). A tripod is also recommended (though not required), as we’ll spend time photographing birds near feeding stations where we will be stationery, and some environments we visit can have low light.