Day 4: Angel's Farm
We were very excited about the next day since we were supposed to see the Andean Cock of the Rock, one of the prettiest birds in the world. I hadn't heard about them until I googled what birds we may see in Ecuador. The Cock of the Rock was listed as one of the main highlights. The Andean Cock of the Rock males display at a lek early in the morning in the rainforests of Mindo. One of the most spectacular displays in the bird world, the males fluoresce blood red constantly flapping their wings and calling to attract the females. It rained all night long and we were worried that we would not get a chance to see them. Vinicio had mentioned that in addition to the Cock of the Rock we could also see elusive Antpittas which are amongst his favorite species. We had never even heard of Antpittas but figured if Vinicio was impressed by them they must really be something. We awoke at 4 am and it was still pouring. Vinicio said that often the rain lets up right as the sun rises. We were skeptical but drove to Angel's farm to see if the rain would let up. Angel Paz is a great example of a farmer who converted part of his farm into a haven for Ecotourists and has made out great in doing so. On his farm he has a Cock of the Rock lek. The farm also has some of the most legendary, shy and elusive birds in the tropical rainforests, Antpittas. Over the years Angel would put out worms and mysterious birds would follow him to eat them. It turned out these birds were different species of Antpittas that almost no one had seen! In 2006, when we visited, his farm was not well known. Now it is and he is known as the "Antpitta Whisperer" as one of the few people who can get wild Antpittas make an appearance. We arrived at the farm and one other couple was there waiting to go to the lek. Later we found out that this was Ken Kaufman (the author of many famous birding books) and his wife! As Vinicio said, the rain suddenly let up at dawn. The hike down to the lek was fairly steep and my mother decided to stay behind to not delay us or the Kaufmanns. We were sad that she would miss out. However, Angel's son later nicely guided her down to the lek and she was also able to see the lek. We got to the lek and it was amazing. Unfortunately, with our camera equipment, we couldn't get a shot that did the Cock of the Rock justice but you can still see how bright the male is!
In 2011, I got the chance to visit Peru and this time with far better camera equipment (partially motivated by not getting good shots in Ecuador). Here is a look at this amazing fellow up close. You can see the Cock of the Rock in Ecuador is bright red whereas in Peru it is an orange-red version.
And this is what the lek looks like (also taken in Peru).
Next we went looking for Antpittas. The Giant Antpitta, that Angel called Manuel arrived. At the time we had no idea what a big deal it was to see an Antpitta this close. In the years since, we have never gotten to see Antpittas like this. Even in Peru where I saw so many species, I only got fleeting glimpses of these birds.
Next, another of Angel's rare antpittas arrived. Apparently, the Moustashed Antpitta is not always seen when Angel gives his tour. In fact, it was Ken Kaufmann who located this fellow.
Finally, the Yellow-breasted Antpitta arrived. This fellow was named Willy. This shot shows how these forest dwellers have large eyes for the low light and long legs to step over the leaf litter.
Visiting Angel's Farm proved to be an unforgettable experience. When we got done, his family treated us to an amazing meal that even involved picking raspberries from his farm. Hopefully we can return there some day since one could definitely spend more time there are see a lot more. We even saw a Quetzal as we left but couldn't get a photo!