Southern Ecuador

29 September - 13 October 2011

Tapichalaca

The Jocotoco Foundation's Tapichalaca Reserve was our first stop.  From Quito we flew south to Loja - really to the airport at Catamayo, about 45 minutes from Loja (remind anyone of Denver?).  The brief plane ride afforded us (luckily) nice views of volcanoes Cotopaxi and Antisana.  At the airport we met driver Edgar, loaded up the bus, and drove a couple of hours to Tapichalaca, over a road in progress - alternating smooth concrete and graded dirt.	Our plane at the Quito Mariscal Sucre airport	Cotopaxi - one of the volcanoes visible from the airplane if you're lucky	Loja airport - really in Catamayo
In Loja, near our lunch stop	At the Tapichalaca reserve, lodge Casa Simpson (Nigel, not Homer)	Robert in the dining room at Casa Simpson	Tough view of the Undulated Antpitta
Near the Jocotoco trailhead, in the fog	Jocotoco trailhead	On the Jocotoco trail, approaching the White-throated Quail Dove blind	The White-throated Quail Dove, unfortunately in a bit of a fog (well, we *were* in cloud forest...)
The Jocotoco Antpitta and some cut-up presumably yummy worms	Pretty flowers	A whole tree of pretty flowers!	That's actually two buses (ours and another) navigating the narrow road
Rushing stream	What do birders do at a rushing stream?  Look for dippers, of course.	Golden-plumed parakeet	Pretty butterfly
Lichens	Interesting fruit on tree	Scenic pass	Robert checking out the flowers
			Somehow "derrumbe" sounds more shaky than "landslide"