Maquipucuna

The taxi shuttle from Quito to the Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Reserve & Ecolodge is a little more than 2 hours, but as the crow flies it's only a 35 km distance. Very slow traffic at times to escape the central part of the city, followed by several long, slow ascents and finally multiple drives and switchbacks around the base of mountains and through a couple of small villages. All the while our driver dealt with passenger buses, slow-moving trucks hauling an assortment of aggregates and aggressive drivers passing on blind, steep curves ... but visibility was mostly clear and it was all very exciting! 

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Maquipucuna is a 6,000 hectare (14,820 acre) cloud forest reserve in Ecuador. Located in the Pichincha Province, it is the closest pristine rainforest to Quito, Ecuador's capital. The reserve consists of primary and secondary montane rain forest and cloud forest.

From the Main Lodge, there are eight hiking trails covering 40 km; birding is a 'slow moving' activity - we covered maybe? half that total distance during our stay. Some trails retrace historic routes on Yumbo paths that indigenous peoples used to trade salt and cotton. Some native foods are grown in Maquipucuna's organic farm. During the fruiting season wild avocados, are harvested. Maquipucuna is the only cloud forest reserve where the Andean Bear can be seen for two straight months.








                     Our casita 









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Along The TRAILS

Day 1
We settled into our casita, then met our naturalist guide Holger who spent some time telling us the history of the reserve.  We went for a short hike along a trail that featured a variety of orchids. We returned for lunch and afterwards, completed a longer hike in  the afternoon ... we saw several new bird varieties including a number of hummingbirds we had never seen before. 

Day 2
Heavy rains overnight, but clear in the morning. We met Holger at 6:15 am then followed a trail along the Muchacha River and also through the lodges' small coffee plantation. There are about 40 different varieties of hummingbirds in the reserve and almost an equal number of tanagers.  After breakfast through to early afternoon, we completed a longer hike with views to higher surrounding mountain peaks. We met with Holger once again, before dinner to go over his research and field studies on the mammals in the reserve. After dinner we went for a night hike, where we saw a variety of frogs, toads, moths and spiders.

Day 3
More rain overnight. This days' initial hike was long and through primary forest (old growth) to a nearby swamp. Many of the swampy and wetland areas in Ecuador escaped the loggers saw because of their remoteness; this section of the Maquipucuna Reserve is an example of that. After lunch, another short hike to a nearby waterfall. The weather was mostly good today, some rainy periods and hot. Today, we experienced mosquitoes for the first time here ... but nothing compared to northern Ontario.

Day 4
Our departure day, but we managed to meet with Holger before breakfast to go over his hummingbird research before he had to leave to guide some students from Quito.  The 4 days spent here were amazing but made especially so because of Holger.  His wealth of knowledge of plants and animals (including their scientific names) and his enthusiasm for the nature that surrounded him was contagious. He gave freely of his time and we enjoyed every moment. 

Holger ... our naturalist guide 

 

Santa Lucia Reserve (Mt. Santa Lucia peak 2500 metres in the clouds) 

 

MUCHACHA River

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The BIRDS

 

                        Crimson Rumped Touchette                        Green Crowned Brilliant (M)

Nest of the Stripe Throated Hermit Hummingbird

 

          White Capped Dipper

Rufus Mot Mot

Nesting bank tunnels of the Rufus Mot Mot

Collared Trogan (male)

 

Golden Crowned Flycatcher                         Golden Olive Woodpecker
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BUTTERFLIES, a MOTH, SPIDERS and a COCKROACH

Long Winger Butterfly (Heliconius Species)

Nymphalidae (Family)

Nymphalidae (Family)

Saturnadia (Family) Moth 

This moth was dying, otherwise it would not have been picked up and held this way.

Caligo (Species) Owl Butterfly

Jumping Spider (possibly)

Giant Cockroach

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The ORCHIDS and Others

 




Vrassia (Species)

Sobralia Pulcherima (Species)

 

Open Toilet Seat Orchid (Pleurothallis - Species)                 Psammisia Aberramas (Species)

Meriania Maxima

 

           Columnea Ciliata (Species)                                            (Genus) Maxillaria

 

      Glossolomia Purpureus                                              Kohleria Villosa

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MAMMALS, AMPHIBIANS

Western Agouti 

Nine Banded Armadillo burrow

Rhinella Marina - Cane Toad 

The Rain Frogs in this montane are unique. The tadpole stage occurs 'in the egg stage'; adults give birth to fully developed offspring. There are no ponds here, so eggs are laid within the protection of plant leaf structures (See photo below) that hold water and organic materials and provide essential nutrients. 

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We highly recommend a stay at the Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Reserve and Ecolodge!

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We're LOAFin Around  

... but without LOAF this time (he's in his winter spa). 

Follow along, if you like.

Our latest route is included on TRAVELMAP 2019.   

For all posts from this latest adventure
click Trip 146 

Thanks to our guide Holger for plant and animal identification. 

Wikipedia and others have provided backlinks.

All photography is by LOAFin Around, unless otherwise noted. 

Wry and Crusty ... 

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