Mindo

We piled out of our bus in Mindo with our substantial backpack (snorkeling and hiking means no 'carry on only' this holiday sadly.) As the wet season allowed the skies to open we were content hanging out with a coffee. Enjoying the small and slow town, we were happy  to take a walk to see the natural attractions that surround it. We stayed above a chocolate tour /restaurant with the tour part of our tariff!

Grinding my own coffee beans

Mindo nestling amounst the cloud forest

Too much chocolate later it was time to hit the natural reserves, hiking, and early morning bird watching tours.Mindo has a long history with the Audobon Christmas Bird Count dating back more than 20 years. Identifying 350 species of birds in 24 hours in a 24 kilometer radius in the year 2000 and have continued to win most years.

The road behind camp was a primo spot to see birds

The first morning I let Jo sleep in as I took a hike at dawn by myself up the mountain where there is a good chance of seeing birdlife - with a guide that is. I heard the bush alive with sound but knew I needed an expert to help us, so that's what we did the next day.

yet another tanagier

The belle of the ball in Mindo is the Andean cock-of-the-rock with very unusual looks. At 5am the next morning we went with our guide to the lek where the males perform a courting ritual -seemed they were all trying to outdo each other! Unbelievable.  Other birds we saw that morning included the swallow tailed kite, bat falcon, pale vented pigeon, bronze winged and rose faced parrots, common potoo, and the lyre tailed nightjar owls, pale mandibled aracari, choco toucan and the chestnut mandibled toucan, ornate fly catcher, tropical kingbird, southern rough winged and red necked swallow, lemon rumped tanagers, black winged saltator, and the variable seed eater!

Ivory billed toucan

shrikes

yet another tanager

We decided to move closer to the action - at Dana Lodge on the deck outside our room looking out over the forests and gardens. It was truly wonderful to be immersed in hearing bird call, with much flutter and buzz going on, almost a din! Sitting out on the deck in the restaurant we saw an owl and fireflies.

our chalet in the forest

chestnut parrot form our deck

Banana flowers

Andean cock of the rock