Reserva Las Tangaras

At Reserva Las Tangaras, there is a great diversity of reptiles and amphibians. Frogs are more likely to be heard at night and can be spotted with a flashlight at night as many are nocturnal, while reptiles are most likely going to be basking or seen as a quick movement as you walk along the trails. For us the greatest species diversity observed has been in snakes, with 10 species observed on or near the reserve. Almost every snake observed has been a different species.

Pasture’s Frog Pristimantis achatinus

Rainfrogs are the most diverse family of frogs in the area with 23 species. Most are nocturnal and arboreal. However with the Pasture’s Frog, the tiny juveniles are diurnal and terrestrial and can be spooked as you walk through the yard and along trails here at the reserve. They are likely the most common frogs at the reserve. They are small, brown, and have distinctive V markings on their backs. We see them in mostly disturbed sites, like grassy areas, trails, and even in the cabin. Only the juveniles are diurnal, but at night the larger adults can be seen on their arboreal perches.

Cane Toad Rhinella marina

This large toad is the most common toad and likely only toad here at the reserve, as the 3 others that occur in Mindo are very rare. Found in areas such as under the cabin and edges of forest. This pugnacious species can grow up to 2.5 kilograms and 24 centimeters in length. As an ambush predator, the cane toad hides and waits to swallow its unsuspecting prey which is anything that it can fit its mouth around. Native here, this toxic toad has become highly invasive in places such as Australia, as few organisms can eat it.

Andean Snail Eater Dispsas andiana

There are a variety of snakes that occur here at Las Tangaras ranging from pencil sized to up to six feet. They range from terrestrial to arboreal, and nocturnal to diurnal. Most snakes that are seen are terrestrial and are seen slithering away as you approach on the trail. However, on a warm sunny day or a cold morning, you may find one basking in the warm or sluggish from the cold.
The Andean Snail-Eater, a nocturnal snake is an example of one of these snakes. Pictured is a juvenile who found itself too sluggish to move from its nighttime hunting grounds during a cool morning. This small juvenile can grow up to 84cm and actively forages exclusively on mollusks. The Andean Snail-Eater is one of three Snail-Eaters and one of 23 colubrids or harmless snakes that occur in Mindo.

Ecuadorian Toadhead Bothrops campbelli

Luckily there are few dangerous poisonous snakes at the reserve. There are one coral snake and four vipers. These snakes are rarely sighted, but one should be aware of their existence. One of these snakes which we have observed is the endangered Ecuadorian Toadhead. Unfortunately, this individual was dead on the the road near the entry trail, however it more than likely could be found at the reserve. Vipers are highly venomous and can be recognized by their triangular heads. According to “The Amphibians and Reptiles of Mindo”, the Ecuadorian Toadhead is somewhat docile and tries to escape rather than bite. However the more common Terpiocelo Bothrops Asper is similar in appearance and is extremely venomous and aggressive.

Ocellated Riama Riama oculata

There is great potential for the diversity of lizards at the reserve with 16 species occuring in Mindo, but for us these creatures have been the most elusive. Most encounters have been brief, and they are gone before we can register any field markings. The Ocellated Riama is a relatively large brownish terrestrial to arboreal lizard often found in moist shaded areas as it is susceptible to overheating. It can be identified by its spear shaped head, short limbs, and shiny scales. The one pictured is a small juvenile that found its way into the lodge.
Source:
The Reptiles and Amphibians of Mindo
Arteaga A., Bustamante L., Guayasamin J.
2013 Universidad Tecnologica Indoamerica

Although we regularly see dozens of bird species here at the reserve, mammals are more elusive. Others have seen mammals and their sign, ranging from otter to coati to even spectacled bear (tracks). While our experience with mammals here has been confined to just a handful of species, we enjoy the peculiar relationship we have with each one.

Central American Agouti

Guatusa

Dasyprocta punctata

The agouti is certainly the most commonly seen mammal at the reserve, as it regularly ambles through the yard to graze. This red-brown rodent is slightly larger than a hare. It has small ears, a very short tail, and slender legs. Apparently agoutis are hunted and can be wary of people, but at the reserve they are very comfortable with us and often eat the over-ripe fruit that we toss to them. I write “them” because agoutis are monogamous, but a pair shares their territory. So although we only ever see one individual at a time (they are not gregarious), I believe we probably see both members of the pair.

“Mamíferos del Ecuador” says that a mother agouti digs a separate burrow for her young and calls them out to nurse. After a few weeks when they have outgrown their burrow, the female moves them to another, larger one. At four to five months old, they are able to leave the burrow to forage with their mother.

Paca

Agouti paca

This larger, nocturnal cousin of the agouti is reddish brown but has rows of white spots on its back. We have seen a paca twice, roaming through the yard in the evening, and have caught a video of it on our game camera. “Neotropical Rainforest Animals” says that pacas are much like agoutis in that they mate in monogamous pairs and share a territory. They den up in burrows as well, and also feed on fruit, tubers, and herbaceous vegetation.

Red-tailed Squirrel

Ardilla de Cola Roja

Sciurus granatensis

This is one of two squirrels that occur at the reserve, and is the more commonly seen one. It is brown above with a rufous underside, and bushy red tail. Like North American squirrel species, it is often heard before it can be seen, chattering admonishingly at hikers. “Neotropical Rainforest Mammals” mentions that the red-tailed squirrel feeds chiefly on nuts, fruits, and fungi. Apparently they are discerning diners: we have seen one in a firewood tree outside of the cabin picking and dropping down fruits. Each fruit only had a small nibble taken out of it, so they were presumably not ripe (or tasty) enough.

Geoffroy’s Long-tongued Bat

Murciélago longirostro de Geoffroy

Anoura geoffroyi

Although Chiroptera is the world’s second largest order of mammals, bats are one of the most difficult species to really see. They fly rapidly through the dark, never giving one the opportunity to see more than a pair of wings. At the reserve, when we have arrived back from town in the dark on occasion, we have surprised several bats enjoying the hummingbird feeders after hours. They are quite fearless, still flying in for another sip at the feeders, even as we carry them inside. We have been able to get a few photos, allowing us to determine that one of the common bats at the reserve is Geoffroy’s long-tongued bat.

“Mamíferos del Ecuador” says that this bat feeds primarily on nectar and pollen but will supplement its diet with insects and occasionally fruit. It is most commonly seen in disturbed areas. A. geoffroy can be identified by its dark fur, small triangular ears, long narrow muzzle, small triangular leaf-shaped nose, and lack of tail.

We often encounter bats on the trail when we are walking in the dark. They swoop in very close, right through the beam of our headlamps. Maybe they are catching insects that are attracted to our lights? If so, these bats could be one of a number of species. Four different families of bats occur in Ecuador: Sheath-tailed bats; Leaf-nosed bats; Mastiff or Free-tailed bats; and Vespertilionid bats. Sheath-tailed bats are aerial insectivores, as are Vespertilionid bats, and Mastiff bats. Within the Leaf-nosed bats, there are four sub-families that occur here: Spear-nosed bats are carnivorous and insectivorous; Short-tailed bats are frugivorous; Long-tongued bats feed on nectar; and Neotropical Fruit bats are, as their name implies, frugivorous.

Sources

Tirira, D. 2010. Los Mamiferos Del Ecuador.

Emmons, L. 1997. Neotropical Rainforest Mammals A Field Guide. University of Chicago Press.

The cloudforest of Ecuador is situated between the Andes Mountains and the low expanse of the Amazon. It has traditionally been a hostile place to those who were not born there, and consequently have not been swaddled in its mist, suckled on the damp of its rainy season, and weaned on dust in its dry summer months. To outsiders, the tropical forest has been a thing to be conquered, cleaned, and used to our own purposes. This trend is an obvious one, starting with conquistadors who exploited not only the forest, but the native people who they saw as part of it, and is being carried on with rubber plantations and more recently natural resource extraction.

What lies at the bottom of our disregard for the tropical forest? What is the cause of our feud, and where is the cure? Maybe, as Jose Eustasio Rivera writes in The Vortex, our apparent hate is derived from fear of the unfamiliar:

“No cooing nightingales here, no Versaillian gardens or sentimental vistas! Instead the croaking of dropsical frogs, the tangled misanthropic undergrowth, the stagnant backwaters and swamps. Here the aphrodisiac parasite that covers the ground with dead insects; the disgusting blooms that throb with sensual palpitations, their sticky smell intoxicating as a drug; the malignant liana, the hairs of which blind animals; the pringamosa that irritates the skin; the berry of the curuju, a rainbow-hued globe that holds only a caustic ash; the purging grape; the bitter nut of the corojo palm.”

Perhaps instead of giving into irrationalities and fright, the traveler should learn what leaf is tonic to his snakebite, and to seek out the bark that is an antiseptic to his wound. In this vein, I have selected five medicinal plants that grow on the reserve, and given short descriptions and photographs of each.

Clusia sp.

This sprawling native epiphyte can be found along trails near the cabin. It has large, simple, opposite leaves which are used as an astringent. Its fruit is an edible star-shaped capsule. According to Tobias Policha in Plants of Mindo, there are 63 species of Clusia in Ecuador, five of which are endemic. The species that we see at the reserve has a white, almost fleshy sweet-scented flower.

Piper sp.

The dangling pointed leaves and flower stalks of Piper sp. are easily seen along the entry trail to the reserve. According to Castner, Timme, and Duke in A Field Guide to Medicinal and Useful Plants of the Upper Amazon, the roots are used as a remedy for kidney stones. Piper sp. is also used for lower back pain, toothaches, and to aid healing in women who have just given birth.

Cecropia sp.

As you make your way into the reserve, you might trample over some large palmately-lobed leaves. Upon looking up, you would see Cecropia trees. This species is a valuable source of food for birds, bats, and other animals, especially as it is a pioneer species. It is easily found on the entry trail to the reserve, which traverses an old pasture. According to Policha, Cecropia is used as a diuretic, and its bark as an emollient and for making hammocks.

Begonia parviflora

This is another native plant with large distinctive leaves. The sweet-scented white flowers are five-merous, and borne on a panicle. Policha writes that B. parviflora is used to treat inflammation, mastitis in cows, and as an antiseptic.

Psidium guajavaPsidium guajava is a native tree which grows right outside of the cabin at the reserve. Its most distinctive characteristic is the thin flaky bark that curls back to expose knotty, almost rippling wood. However it is most recognized at the bearer of the guava fruit. This plant is edible and very high in vitamin C and A. All parts of this plant are useful. Castner, Timme, and Duke write that Psidium guajava leaves are used for treating mouth sores and and the bark can relieve dysentery. Its flowers can help regulate menstrual periods. Policha writes the fruits are anti-diarrheal as well.

Sources

A Field Guide to Medicinal and Useful Plants of the Upper Amazon

James Lee Castner, Stephen Lee Timme, James Alan Duke

1998 Feline Press, Inc.

Plants of Mindo: A Guide to the Cloud Forest of the Andean Choco

Tobias Policha

2012 American Herbal Dispensary Press

Tropical Rainforests: Latin American Nature and Society in Transition

Edited by Susan E. Place

1994 Scholarly Resources Inc.

It’s 5:00 a.m., another dark and dewy morning at Reserva Las Tangaras. We stand in the candlelit kitchen with a hot cup of coffee and an apple to charge ourselves for the trek up the steep mountain we call our backyard. Headlamps on, data sheet and binoculars in our pack, we slip on our muck boots and begin another day. There is nothing like a hike through the jungle at 5:30 in the morning. All you can hear is the hum of the river and the harmonious symphony of frogs echoing from giant leaves and bromeliads. All you can see is the dense mist that fogs your way along the muddy path.

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock – allzinfo.com

At 5:50, we have arrived at our destination, the lek of the infamous Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. This is one of the most peaceful times of the day. Drops of dew splatter from canopy to soil, the peeping of the frogs becomes less and less, the chirping of awakening birds becomes more and more, the hum of the river down in the valley stays steady, all while the clouds hanging over the mountain tops begin to glow with the greeting of the morning sun. Just when we are hypnotized by the tranquility of the Cloud Forest, it explodes to life with the sudden call of the first Cock-of-the-Rock swooping in to claim his perch. Another male arrives and they greet each other with bobbing heads and flapping wings, squawking in a ritualized fashion. After only a few minutes, the lek is blessed with the presence of at least fifteen males. We spend our time collecting data and admiring their bright-red plumage and their fascinating display.

We stay as quiet and still as possible, but we know we don’t go unnoticed. This is proven true when you happen to make direct eye contact with the Cock-of-the-Rock. Although we’ll never know exactly what he’s seeing through his piercing eyes, we hope he’s only seeing another product of Mother Nature, another creature of the forest. This view is contrary to the perception that many humans possess – that we are separate from the rest of the natural world when in reality, we are all an integral part of it.

Crested Guan

 It’s 9:00 a.m. now, and we are descending the mountain after an epic morning. Suddenly, raucous squawks erupt from the canopy of a nearby tree. It’s a large bird, looking almost dinosaur-like, with its long tail, sharp beak, spotted chest, bright red dewlap, and its crown feathers raised up in alarm; it’s a crested guan. We realize there are three of them, all releasing a prehistoric-sounding call before they depart to find solitude again. We comment on the excitement as we continue on our way.

Purple-Bibbed White Tip… one of our favorites at the reserve

As soon as we are back at the cabin, we are eagerly greeted by a purple-bibbed white-tip and her hungry friends. They don’t hesitate to let us know that it is well past the time we usually put out their hummingbird feeders. Once the hummers are pleasantly indulging in their sweet treat we begin our work tasks. It isn’t long until we are interrupted by the shrill distinct call of the chestnut-mandibled toucan. Though we see and hear these neighbors of ours often, we never take their presence for granted, so we run upstairs with our binoculars to get a better view. Sure enough, our toucan friend is perched on a branch high in the canopy, thrusting his beak in the air to cast his song far over the hills, showing off his beautiful yellow neck, glossy black body, and red rump plumage. After about ten minutes, the toucans fly away, large beaks leading their flight, and we return to our duties.

Chestnut-Mandibled Toucan

 Around midday, the usual rains begin. For now, it’s a light drizzle, an ideal invitation for a small mixed flock of birds to play in the trees that surround the cabin. They jump from branch to branch like acrobats searching for their lunch. A golden tanager and a yellow-throated bush tanager hop around in the limon tree. A three-striped warbler pecks at the moss on the branches of a myconnia, while a spotted woodcreeper snacks on a beetle below on the trunk. An orange-bellied euphonia and a tropical parula dance around the guava tree. Each bird releases its own distinct song, chatter, and tweet – as Bob Marley would say “a melody pure as gold.”

Orange-bellied Euphonia

Our day’s work has been completed and we set out for an evening stroll along the Rio Nambillo, hoping to see some more birds. We arrive at our usual spot by the river to find that we are not alone. They stand perched on a mid-stream boulder, male and female, hunting an eddy. They are the true masters of air, water,and land – torrent ducks. We can’t believe our luck. We watch them for over an hour, diving into the swift-flowing river, running up rapids. They gracefully explore the river through every familiar route with their knowledge of every eddy. We admire their spectacular plumage, the male’s white and brown stripes, the female’s golden belly and chest. Eventually, the ducks take flight and we are left alone at the river to ponder on their incredible abilities.

Broad-billed Motmot

 It’s 6:00 p.m. now, as we relax on the deck, relishing the day’s excitement. We notice, once again, that we are not alone. Two broad-billed motmots perch in a tree in the front yard, their rufous breasts stuck out, tails switching side to side like a cuckoo-clock. They take turns swooping through the air to catch their dinner, which reminds us, we better get started making our own dinner. And so our magical day with our fellow citizens of the Cloud Forest comes to a close.

 It’s funny how a day of going out, in search of birds, really brings us in. In to our natural world where we belong. In to the home that we share with so many others. The experiences we share with these captivating birds encourages us to reflect inwardly on our own place on this planet and how we are similar to the other living organisms around us, in that we share this land and its precious resources. It’s been over two centuries since Darwin and Wallace’s revolutionary visions enlightened humans about our place on earth as just another organism in geologic time, simply newcomers, with much left to learn about our dynamic and ever-changing world. Two centuries passed, and many humans continue to build a barrier between themselves and our fellow species. We all call this planet home, but not all of us realize it yet. It’s time for a change, don’t you think?

– Amber & Tom

…the rainy season is back at Las Tangaras!

There are few things better to sooth the soul and ease the mind than a walk through the cloud forest in the rain. The lush, noisy forest seems to come alive as the rain begins to fall. As you place one foot in front of the other in a meander underneath the misty canopy, with all senses tuned to the vast world around you, one can truly focus on the here and now. Thousands of frogs echo in a symphony of calls. The clicks and pops of rain splashing off of orchids quickly makes the mind forget the clicks of clocks or pops of engines in the world outside of the reserve. Such enchantment is a typical day at Reserva Las Tangaras.

We are Tom and Amber, the newest generation of managers at Reserva Las Tangaras. As we made our first trek into the reserve with the previous managers, Parks and Alexia, it only seemed fitting that we experienced it in a downpour, for the rainy season had arrived in Ecuador. As we crossed the swing bridge over Rio Nambillo to enter the reserve, we were welcomed home by millions of raindrops, and the smiles on our faces could not have been bigger. It did not take long to be captivated by the beauty and tranquility of Las Tangaras.

Something inside us draws us to remote places, rich with a bounty of peace and tranquility, as far from the city as one can travel. For other like-minded folk out there, you know what we are talking about. Perhaps it’s the feeling of serenity you get when you stand on a river bank and feel the cool wind howl up the river, thrusting forward a torrent duck in its gust. Perhaps it’s the challenge of the wilderness experience, where you are constantly tested and often succumb to mistakes which only make you wiser. Perhaps it’s the exhilaration you feel at 6:00AM when the first Andean Cock-of-the-Rock comes screeching in to its lek for its daily mating display. Or perhaps it’s the feeling of living in the present, deep under the canopy of a dense cloud forest which seems to engulf you in its non-judgmental and complex atmosphere. For many of us, these things are in our blood. We have a burning desire, not only to live experiences such as these, but to conserve such processes so that our grandchildren, and all life on Earth for that matter, can have such experiences for years to come. It is at places like Reserva Las Tangaras where such magic is happening.

Misty morning at Las Tangaras

Sunlight through the canopy after a heavy rain

Much like a rain drop, Reserva Las Tangaras is a relative small element on a vast planet. However, one must not be fooled by its size, because its influence extends far beyond it’s borders. The area in which Reserva Las Tangaras lies, at the meeting of Ecuador’s lowland jungles and Andean cloud forest, is among the most diverse terrestrial environments on our planet. The bounty of life is astounding; one tree alone seems to harbor hundreds of species including different plants, insects, birds, amphibians, and mammals. Unfortunately, this diversity is under threat by exploitation of humans. At the coast, over 90% of Ecuador’s once vast mangrove forests have been replaced by shrimp farms and towns. Moving inland, the lowland jungles have been rapidly replaced by ‘biological deserts’ of banana plantations and many of the once rich forests at the elevation of Las Tangaras have been clear-cut for agriculture. The Valley of Volcanoes to the east of Las Tangaras has been overwhelmed by urban areas and highways. Even further to the east, in the lands of the Amazon, oil and mining has had detrimental environmental repercussions for the forests, the rivers, and all of its inhabitants, including humans. Of course, such issues are not characteristic of only the small country of Ecuador, but they are happening all over our planet as the population of humans explodes and our anthropogenic impact on the world becomes more intense. Places like Reserva Las Tangaras are critical in conserving the natural systems of our planet that we all depend upon in every aspect of our lives. 

A single raindrop may do little to change the water level of a stream; however a hundred thousand rain drops, together, can change a still water to a raging current. The same can be said for small tracts of protected land that, together, act as a web to connect isolated and fragmented ecosystems and function as buffers to larger protected areas so that migration of wildlife is possible between habitats and the resiliency of our natural systems are preserved. Reserva Las Tangaras is another vital piece of this web. As long as the rain continues to fall, Reserva Las Tangaras will serve as a sanctuary, welcoming all forms of life to enter and be sheltered from the world beyond.

Thousands of rain drops, together, caused Rio Nambillo to flood!

Can you imagine building this:

in the middle of the cloud-forest? Can you imagine that it was built at a site without electricity, at the end of a muddy, slippery 45 minute entrance trail and across a swinging bridge, and by two gringos from the United States?

Taking on a building project is never a small task. There is the design, site selection, material selection, and transport – not to mention the actual construction process. We decided to go with a simple design for the most part; shed roof, nine supports, and the hardest part: a floor. Living in the cloud forest means lots of rain and in the past the camping area had flooded and been an uncomfortable place to spend a night. In order to prevent this in the future, Alexia had the brilliant idea of building the new shelter with a floor.

Here you can see the old shelter and you can get an idea of why it was time for a new one.

But where to put it? Close to the house, relatively level, and without any large trees to cut. This is a ‘before’ picture of the area we chose. Two trees had already fallen in this spot so it was a little easier to clear.

With some machete work and sawing up of one of the trees, we were able to clear an area that looked great for the camping shelter!

We designed the shelter using bamboo as the building material, knowing that bamboo looks really nice and assuming it would be light to carry. As you can see it looks great, but it turns out that 12 pieces of Bamboo Gigante (which we found out comes in 8 meter pieces) 25 pieces of Guadua (the native bamboo, theoretically smaller than the other) and 25 pieces of Chilla (bamboo that has been split and flattened – to create the floor) is not a light load. That’s not to mention the 7 pieces of 6 meter roofing we also needed!

You can see that it was not easy to get these materials carried in…

Enjoy the swim Parks!

Just a little further Alexia.

Well to be truthful we did get some help from our local friend, Artemio, with carrying about 40 of the 62 pieces.

Once we had the materials the structure went up quickly. The site has been laid out and the post holes dug and the first pole placed.

Alexia is getting the rafters ready to finish the process of roofing the building.

Note the specially crafted bamboo brackets holding up the rafters, careful Parks

16 Guadua joists support the floor

Here is the completed structure:

and now we can have some happy campers!

On days or afternoons when the view looks like this, a little song pops into my head, “We’re living in a cloud forest, cloud forest, cloud forest,” sung to the tune of “Moonshadow” by Cat Stevens. Living in the cloud forest is a particularly awesome experience. Each day, Parks and I discover at least one (usually more) amazing life form of flora and/or fauna that is totally new to us. We walk the trails of the reserve looking at and observing everything around us – you never know what the cloud forest might reveal at that moment. Reveal is a good word because some of the wonders of the cloud forest require a little time, patience, and/or luck in order to be seen, and of some you only find a trace.

For example, can you spot the Lynch’s glassfrog in this picture? It flattened out its tiny body to even further camouflage itself on this palm frond. I’m not sure how Parks saw it.

Can you see the very well-camouflaged glassfrog? My fingers provide some scale on how small it is.

And we only have seen hints of some of the more secretive and nocturnal mammals, like these footprints which we think belong to a jaguarundi, a small jungle cat. We set up a camera trap to try and capture a photo of it, but no luck.

Suspected Jaguarundi prints

Other gems of the cloud forest, are more reliably seen, like these guys, Andean Cock-of-the-rock.

Three lovely Andean Cock-of-the-rock hanging out at the lek

The Andean Cock-of-the-rock displays twice every day – early morning and evening, year-round. At Las Tangaras, we are luckly to have a large lek, a displaying and mating area. We visit the lek at least once each week to observe them and record data on when they display, who is displaying (some birds are banded), where they’re displaying, who is friendly or aggressive with whom, and if a female shows up and some lucky guy gets to pass on his DNA.

As for mammals, we see lots of the two species of squirrel that are here and also get fairly regular visits from an agouti, a funny rodent about the size of a small dog, who sits and eats fruits in the yard.

An agouti munching guayaba in the yard, totally not bothered by us

While showy birds and bold mammals are more easy to see, shy birds, mammals, amphibians, and other animals can be more difficult to spot, mainly due to the abundant and lush cloud forest vegetation, which itself is amazing and wonderful to look at, discover, and try to identify.

A tiny Pleurothallid orchid in flower. The flowers which are less than 1 cm, arise from the top of the petioles.

Unlike the towering giants of the Amazon, the cloud forest consists of scattered large trees, with lots of understory shrubs, small trees, and a wide array of fern species, including the huge and prehistoric tree ferns. While the cloud forest is somewhat reminiscent of the classic Tarzan-like jungle with lots of things dangling off trees, it is different in that it is not so dark or enclosed, and while there are vines and lianas, many of the things dangling down are air roots from the vast array of epiphytes that grow on the trees and shrubs. Epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants, but they are not parasitic; they get their moisture and nutrients from the atmosphere. Orchids, bromeliads, philodendrons, mosses, and lichens are just a few examples of the epiphytic plants found here. The forest has the appearance of being constantly decorated for a massive party with hundreds of garlands and flowers draped and hung in the trees.

You may be familiar with the opening line of Joyce Kilmer’s poem “Trees”, “I think that I will never see a poem lovely as a tree.” If trees are like poems, then the trees found here in the cloud forest at Las Tangaras are like rambling, free verse, epic poems.

It is perhaps impossible to convey in a photograph the enormous amount of plant life that can live on a single tree, but I’m going to try. Here’s a picture of a single tree, then a photo zoomed in on a section, then zoomed even more. Take a look at the trunk, it is just covered.

Las Tangaras Reserve helps to conserve a small section of the cloud forest found along the western slope of the Andes, but just like the Amazon rainforest, the cloud forest is also threatened by deforestation and the encroachment of farmland and cattle ranches. Across and up the river from Las Tangaras there is a new road and cleared area that provide a stark contrast to the lush landscape of the reserve. Here’s the view heading down the entrance trail to the lodge (you can just see the lodge roof in among the trees)…

The lodge is nestled down at the base of the slope. You can see the roof at the bottom, middle of the photo.

…and the view from the from the lodge porch…

A morning view with the mist rising up among the trees.

…vs. the cleared area and road. Parks is standing in the new wasteland with all the topsoil exposed for easy erosion.

Parks in the barren lot.

If one tree can hold such a diversity and magnitude of life among its branches, then it is difficult to imagine the number of species and amount of life lost when a whole swath of forest is cut down. What new animals or plant species yet to be discovered were lost? What rare or endangered life form lost its life or a little bit more of its habitat?

This is the reason that places like Las Tangaras Reserve are so important. Las Tangaras conserves an incredibly unique environment, while at the same time giving people the opportunity to visit and gently enjoy it. Hopefully, it impresses on each visitor the necessity of protecting such an amazing and special habitat. Walking among the immensity of plant life in the cloud forest surrounded by the chorus of bird, insect, and frog songs, catching sight of a brilliantly colored birds or even a glimpse of the rare mammal – this is an experience not to be missed or soon forgotten.

I’ll leave you with a fun set of photos that illustrate that you really never know quite what you will find when you peer into the corners of the cloud forest. We saw a leaf wrapped in gossamer threads and tried to see what was inside. First, with no flash…

…and then…

Us (Parks and Alexia) starting our day with a cup of tea while recording hummingbird data

Hola! We are Alexia and Parks, the new managers of Reserva Las Tangaras. We arrived in Mindo last Wednesday and were met by outgoing managers Marc and Eliana. We explored Mindo with them and met some very nice and helpful people around town. After buying some groceries, we caught a taxi to the reserve entrance. Hiking along the entrance trail we saw Choco toucans, listened to a golden-headed quetzal, and were awestruck by all the bromeliads, ferns, moss, lianas, and just overall abundance and diversity of vegetation. Every tree limb is covered by another universe, which in turn is covered by other little worlds. We arrived at the beautiful and cozy lodge where we were immediately taken by the chirping, fluttering, zooming flurry of hummingbirds at the feeders. So many and so many different species! Back in Virginia and North Carolina, we had been thrilled by the visit of the ruby-throated hummingbird to our feeder, now we can look forward to over sixteen different species of hummingbird.

After two days of training and wonderful conversations, meals and birdwatching with Marc and Eliana, we watched as they headed off down the trail and our time as managers of the reserve began. We now have a solid week behind us that has included a group of four Ecuadorians from Quito who trekked into the reserve in the rain and camped, and apparently loved their visit despite the rain. Our next visitors were Alex and Serena from Australia, who are doing a fabulous sounding tour of South America. We had a really nice time talking with them and also making really yummy meals for them. For dinner, we had sweet potato fries, lentil burgers, and a fresh veggie salad, and also gluten-free chocolate oatmeal cookies for dessert. Serena is gluten-intolerant, so I (Alexia) made up a recipe, and it worked out so great, I’ll probably try to make it again. For breakfast, we prepared scrambled eggs with tomato, onion, and pepper, and Parks made his amazing biscuits. We also made fresh passion fruit juice and had fresh, sweet papaya slices. Yum!

Lunch with Eliana and Marc, the outgoing managers

Parks and I have been enjoying starting the day with a cup of tea on the veranda while doing hummingbird data. Every day, we track the hummingbirds that visit the feeders, as well as the flowers around the lodge. So far, our favorite hummingbird is the Purple-Throated Woodstar because it is adorable and looks and acts like a slightly larger bumblebee.

Purple-throated woodstar female

Butterfly with transparent wings

The last few days have involved getting to know the water system, trail maintenance, cleaning, “mowing” the lawn (using a machete), and waxing counters. Along with daily caretaking, we are getting to know trails and learning birds. There is such an immense diversity of birds here, and quite a few of them look extremely similar, so identifying them is a bit of a challenge. We are already getting better, but there are a lot to learn. We are also enjoying the many incredibly colorful butterflies – several of which have really cool, transparent wings. As for mammals, we have seen an agouti, two different species of squirrel, deer tracks and bats. If you leave the hummingbird feeders out a little longer at dusk, bats come and drink, flashing in and out so quickly that it’s hard to distinguish all their features.

So far, Parks and I have been loving all of it. Our past experiences on tall ships, on farms, traveling in rural areas, backpacking, maintenance work, and cooking and caring for folks (Hello to Arthur Morgan School!) have given us a wealth of skills and helped prepare us to be managers of Reserva Las Tangaras. We are excited to share more about the reserve and our adventures here over the next three months! Please come and visit!

This toucan wants you to come visit too.

Perhaps our favorite activity during our time at Las Tangaras Reserve has been the appreciation and enjoyment of the bouquet of hummingbirds that frequent the flowers and sugar-water feeders placed around the cabin. I use the term “bouquet” as a fitting collective noun to describe a group of hummingbirds, as the harlequin beauty of their iridescent plumage when seen as a group can be likened to an exquisitely arranged bunch of brightly colored flowers. In the literature, a gathering of these feathered gems can also be referred to as a “glittering”, “hover”, “shimmer”, and even a “tune” of hummingbirds.

Test your knowledge! Can you name all 8 birds?

Over the past six weeks, we have been mesmerized and enchanted by these diminutive birds. The use of feeders and the strategic planting of their favorite flowers not only makes the hummingbirds easy to see but they can be seen really really well — to the point where it has become an obsession to marvel endlessly at their elegance and charm. Ritually observing the hummers and collecting detailed data on their diversity, numbers, and behavior is actually part of our official daily duties while managing the reserve. So… we don’t have to feel guilty about lounging on the rustic and cozy Las Tangaras porch, sipping a cup of Mindo-roasted coffee with binoculars in hand. Hey, it’s part of our job!

Hummingbirds are nectar feeders in the taxonomic family Trochilidae, which contains approximately 340 species exclusive to the New World (North, Central, and South America). Most of these are tropical, although 16 species occur in North America (even as far north as Alaska). In our regular home of Miami, we have only 1 to 2 hummingbird species that migrate south from their northern breeding grounds and spend the winters in South Florida (not unlike the human “snowbirds” from New York). In comparison, 130 hummingbird species occur in Ecuador, and over 20 different species make appearances right off the front porch of the Las Tangaras cabin (and there are around 30 species documented thus far on the reserve property in total). There is no evidence that hummingbirds need the extra food supplied in the form of sugar water at artificial feeding stations — or that they develop a reliance on it. In fact, most studies have shown that hummingbirds that use artificial feeders continue to forage the vast majority of time away from feeders, coming to them for only brief periods and then resuming their normal feeding behavior — typically a diet of 75% flower nectar and 25% insects. What the feeders have done to benefit hummingbirds is through their impact on people — by bringing humans closer to nature. Through feeders, we are better able to appreciate, love, and understand hummingbirds, and this in turn fosters a human connection to the natural world that for most people is lacking.

We have come to learn and delight in the unique personalities, vocalizations, and the identifying features of the many characters in the Las Tangaras hummingbird extravaganza.

Here are a few of our favorites.

Purple-bibbed Whitetip (Urosticte benjamini)

This small hummingbird is one of the bravest and dare we say, cutest, at Las Tangaras.

It shows little fear of humans and will often land on our hands and fly right in front of our faces when we are putting out the feeders. Believe it or not, it has even attempted to probe its tiny bill into our ears and nostrils looking for nectar.

Marc is greeted by a trio of curious whitetips.

Several of the hummingbirds at Las Tangaras have been leg-banded through LifeNet Nature’s mist-netting research projects, and sometimes we can view this species from such a close distance that we can actually read the tiny numbers on its metal bands.

A close look at this female whitetip’s right leg reveals a tiny metal leg band with a unique numerical code. We affectionately call this individual “fifty-seven” as 5 and 7 are the last two numbers on her band. Can you make out the upside-down 7?

The unmistakable male has a large patch of glittering purple on its mid-chest, a glittering green gorget (throat patch), and unique broad white tips on the central feathers of its deeply forked tail. A short but bold white post ocular stripe is also prominent.

Interestingly, the iridescent feather colors in hummingbirds are largely caused not by pigmentation — but by microscopic feather structure — and thus are dependent on the angle of the sunlight for the colors to be properly reflected. At the “wrong” angle, a hummingbird might look completely black, but then the bird turns and suddenly an incredible flash of color appears.

Male purple-bibbed whitetip, in the “wrong” light, where the glittering purple bib and green gorget cannot be appreciated. Look at those white tail tips, though!

The female, who looks quite different, also has a bold white post ocular stripe as well as a thin white malar stripe, and is white below thickly spangled with glittering green. Her tail has narrow white tipping only on its outer feathers.

Female purple-bibbed whitetip.

A distinctive behavior of these birds is that often after landing, they will stretch their wings out in a “ta-da!” like motion.

On left, a male purple-bibbed whitetip raises its wings in the typical “ta-da!” fashion immediately upon landing. Interestingly, an immature male on the right looks similar to the female, though he has a buff tinge to the fore neck area. This confused us a bit at first, until we consulted Las Tangaras’s library of bird books!

They often sing their way to their feeders with a high-pitched mouse-like squeak.

To the untrained eye, a female purple-bibbed whitetip could be mistaken for other female hummingbirds such as this female green-crowned brilliant, below. However, note the marked size difference and subtle differences in plumage and bill shape. Making these distinctions becomes second nature given the amount of time we spend watching these birds!

Left, female purple-bibbed whitetip. Right, female green-crowned brilliant.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl)

A medium-sized noisy hummingbird and also one of the more numerous in Western Ecuador. Its color is mostly green but its entire tail is contrastingly rufous. Additionally, it has a distinctive reddish-pink bill, brighter towards the base and blacker at the tip.

“Señor Grumpy-pants”

Males and females look alike with only very minor differences. Here, it is affectionately known as our “machine gun chatterbox”, owing to the loud sputtering noise it makes that gives away its presence. However, this noise is not a vocalization; rather, it is actually a “wing whir”, or buzzing sound it makes with its wings.

They defend food sources quite aggressively and can often be found starting a war at the feeders.

Empress Brilliant (Heliodoxa imperatrix)

Male empress brilliant, albeit with a scruffy tail.

A large and truly regal species of hummingbird that has a commanding presence at the feeding stations is the Empress Brilliant. The spectacular male is mostly green, with glittering golden green on its belly and a violet-lavender gorget. Its tail is very long and extremely deeply forked. Additionally, its head is relatively large with a protracted bill.

The female also has a long forked tail and a glimmering golden green belly, but she also has a white malar streak and her throat and breast are spangled with green discs.

Immatures of both sexes show rufous on the chin and malar area (as do young of all the brilliants)

Immature empress brilliant showing rufous chin and malar area.

In comparison, the similar Green-crowned Brilliant (Heliodoxa jacula) is smaller, has a shorter tail lacking a deep fork, and in neither sex does it show the golden cast to the belly. The female Green-crowned Brilliant also has a white tip to the tail, which the Empress does not.

Examine the two birds with their backs toward you. Left, empress brilliant male, showing long deeply forked black tail. Right, male green-crowned brilliant, showing smaller notched blue-black tail.

Green-crowned Wood-nymph (Thalurania fannyi)

Undeservingly, we sometimes refer to this small bird as our “default” hummingbird. New visitors to the reserve trying to sort out the many species of hummingbirds seem to get caught up on this one. As they are quite numerous at the feeders and can often look nondescript in poor lighting, if you don’t know what it is, chances are it’s a green-crowned wood-nymph!

Green-crowned wood-nymph, male, in exquisite iridescent showiness.

They land on the feeders and when not feeding, can often be found perched in groups of 3 or 4 on the branches placed off the porch. The male can often look quite dark, but in the right light it’s actually one of the most beautiful iridescent birds seen here. He has much glittering green, including the crown, throat, and chest, the latter contrasting with its glittering violet-blue underparts. Its tail is rather long and deeply forked (more noticeable in flight).

Green-crowned wood-nymph, male

The female is smaller and much drabber, with distinctive two-toned underparts. Its rather pale gray throat and chest contrast with much darker mixed green and dark gray breast and belly.

Green-crowned wood-nymph, female.

White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora)

Some of the interesting trivia surrounding hummingbirds revolves around the elaborate descriptive names that they’ve been given over the centuries. The different hummingbird groups, or genera, have been given ornamented fantasy-like names that conjure up make-believe worlds akin to Lord of the Rings. Among the different kinds you’ll find pufflegs, trainbearers, sylphs, coquettes, coronets, wood-stars, sapphires, hillstars, firecrowns, sabrewings, sunangels, violetears, topazes, racket-tails, star-throats, metaltails, fairies, and mangos, to name a few. Someone must have had a grand old time sitting in a dark basement with a set of Dungeons & Dragons dice, a bag of Funions, and a Rush tape pounding in the background, inventing these extraordinary fantastical names. So it occurred to us, how did the White-necked Jacobin get its name, and what the heck is a Jacobin anyway? The answer was not so simple…

A trio of flashy male white-necked jacobins

The White-necked Jacobins were not always called jacobins. In fact, the father of British ornithology in the 1700’s, George Edwards, whose plates and descriptions provided basis for the scientific name given the species by Linnaeus fifteen years later, simply called it the “white belly’d hummingbird”. That common name was used through the early 1800’s, when another prominent English zoologist, George Shaw, took nomenclatural cues from the French ornithologists’s name for this bird, “oiseau-mouche á collier”, and translated this into English as “White-collared Hummingbird”. This dull name stuck for many years, but what the Brits didn’t know at the time was that the French had given this bird TWO names. In the 1800’s French text, Histoire naturelle des oiseaux, the bird is depicted as “oiseau-mouche á collier — dit la Jacobine”. French ornithologist Buffon wrote, “It is, obviously, the distribution of white in the bird’s plumage that gave rise to the idea of calling it Jacobine.”

However, look closely — the French name is originally feminine, referring not to the Dominican (Roman Catholic order founded by St. Dominic) monks of St. Jacques but to their female counterparts. Hence, this brightly colored male hummingbird is named for the resemblance of its plumage to the garments of a French Dominican nun. For reasons unknown, when jacobine was subsequently translated back into English, the terminal “e” in the word was dropped, hence transforming the feminine “jacobine” into the masculine “jacobin”. So, you can add both the White-necked Jacobin and the Empress Brilliant to the list of extraordinary Las Tangaras male hummingbirds with a gender identity crisis!

White-necked jacobin, male

On a closing note, whoever sold us these “hummingbird” feeders clearly wasn’t painting the complete picture. After the sun sets over the Andes, while hummingbirds are quietly dreaming of endless fields of nectar-rich flowers, their winged counterparts of the night emerge from their roosts…

Text by Marc H. Kramer; Photos by Eliana Ardila