2022 – Hummingbirds & Wildlife of Ecuador Photography Holiday
October 29 - November 13
£4999 £3749
Wildlife
of Ecuador
Join David for a 15 night photography tour packed with amazing opportunities to capture images of the diverse range of birds & other wildlife that inhabit the locations that our tour encompasses.
Our photography holiday offers a huge range of species including collared aracari, various types of hummingbird, tanagers, motmots, toucans, quetzals, jays, macaws, types of frog plus many more species.
29th October - 13th November 2022
£4999 £3749 per participant
Special offer pricing available, other conditions may apply.
Last Place Available - £1000 deposit required to secure a place
Group size: 5 - 8 participants - last place available..
Join David on a wildlife photography trip to Ecuador where you will encounter one of the highest diversity of birds in the world. The number of different bird species, especially Hummingbirds, is simply mind-boggling.
Ecuador means ‘equator’ & it runs through this country attracting birds from both the northern & southern hemispheres. Some people refer to the climate in Ecuador as eternal spring, as there is little variation in the annual daily temperature, making the climate very comfortable. The Andes mountain range provides a variety of elevations for photo opportunities including beautiful valleys & majestic active volcanoes.
Join NaturesLens to capture images of Wildlife of Ecuador, in Ecuador, during the Hummingbirds & Wildlife of Ecuador photography holiday. This photography holiday is of 15 night/16 day duration on a Full Board, Non-Shared basis & costs £4999 £3749 per participant.
This wildlife photography adventure is designed to visit very safe tourist areas in the provinces of Pichincha, Napo & Orellana which are some of the best places for bird photography & far away from the areas highlighted by the Foreign Office. In addition, David & our local guide are always looking for new places to provide the best photography experience.
With 1600 different birds species, Ecuador is a mega-diverse country & one for the bucket list for any bird photographer.
There will be opportunities to photograph hummingbirds on feeders & visit a refuge famous for its rare birds such as the Cock-of-the-rock (yes, it is a bird!!), Rufous-fronted Wood-Quail, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Moustached Antpitta, Ochre-breasted Antpitta & Choco Trogon. If you are lucky, you may even witness a Cock-of-the-rock lek!
In Ecuador’s rainforests, you can see flocks of oropendolas, aracari, tanagers & euphonias as they roam the forest canopy in search of fruit. Plum-throated Cotingas glow from the treetops & raptors perch on vantage points to dry off in the morning sun while White-browed Purpletufts & Crowned Slaty Flycatchers sally for insects. If there is a fruiting tree nearby, you may even see numerous parrots & macaws fly by or drop-in, & many other species flying past.
Our first stay will be at Mindo Loma; Mindo Loma is a great place for photography of Hummingbirds & Tanagers at feeders & is located approximately 1 ½ hours from Quito in the middle of the Cloud forest on the west slope of the Andes. This will be our base & the starting point for all the photography locations & lodges that we will visit this side of the Andes Cordillera.
While staying in Mindo Loma, we will visit Mashpi, a location that is a significant area for bird photography. Mashpi is part of the Chocó area, in the Amagusa reserve. Many species arrive to feed at the banana laden feeders. Species we hope to be able to photograph at this location include Glistening-green Tanager, Moss-backed Tanager, Lemon-rumped Tanager, Golden-collared Honeycreeper, Green Honeycreeper, Purple-bibbed Whitetip Hummingbird, White-throated Quail-dove.
Another location we will visit while staying in Mindo Loma is Refugio Paz de las Aves. Here, we should be able to capture images of the Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Ochre-breasted Antpitta, Rufous-breasted Antthrush, Giant Antpitta, Moustached Antpitta, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Orange-breasted Fruiteater.
Moving on from Mindo Loma, we head to an area of the country dedicated to conservation & eco-tourism. The area has the highest likelihood of being able to observe & photograph the Umbrellabird. Aside from the Umbrellabird, we hope to be able to photograph Black Solitaire, Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Rufous Motmot, Chocó Toucan, Pale-mandibled Araçari, White Necked Jacobin Hummingbird, White-whiskered Hermit Hummingbird, Green Thorntail Hummingbird, Green-crowned Brilliant Hummingbird, Green-crowned Woodnymph Hummingbird, Rufous-throated Tanager, Silver-throated Tanager, Golden-winged Manakin, Club-winged Manakin.
Next, we find ourselves at Yanacocha, a Reserve of the Jocotoco Foundation & is at 3200 – 3400 meters above sea level. This is the only forest on the West Andean Slope that has feeders available, & of course, we will make the best use of these opportunities.
We will spend several days undertaking photography in the Ecological Reserve of Antisana located in the East Andean Slope with an excellent opportunity to find Condors, & the area has several lakes which we may make use of to obtain images of some of the region’s aquatic birds.
We will make use of the grounds of the Guango Lodge, located near to the hot springs of Papallacta & a paradise for a variety of species of hummingbird. It is a fantastic location to capture images of these tiny birds.
Our next location is Puerto Misahualli near the Napo River. Misahualli is a community that is located next to the Napo River, one of the main tributaries of the Amazon River. Next to this community is the Paikawe lagoon, which is an excellent environment for photography of a wide variety of species. We will spend the night at Wildsumaco Bird Lodge.
The Andes’s Eastern Foothills is currently encountering severe problems. The rainforest in the renowned birding locale of Sumaco is rapidly being logged & converted into farmland. Habitat for birds & other animals requiring primary forest is being lost, but small reserves are being established to halt this devastation.
In this rainforest, we hope to be able to photograph Wire-crested Thorntail Hummingbird, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Violet-fronted Brilliant Hummingbird, Black-throated Brilliant Hummingbird, Gould’s Jewelfront Hummingbird, Golden-tailed Sapphire Hummingbird.
Discount from Lenses For Hire on any lenses, or other camera equipment, that you require FOR this wildlife photography holiday.
NaturesLens have partnered with Lenses For Hire to give you an exclusive discount on any lenses hired for any NaturesLens Wildlife Photography Holiday or Workshop.
Accommodation on a non-shared basis (with no single supplement payable)
Airport Transfers
All Drinks
All hide sessions & appropriate permits
All in-trip transportation
All photography sessions & appropriate permits
Food on a full board basis
Guidance & advice from our Photography Holiday Guide
Transportation between photographic locations
All Drinks
Any activities not listed on the itinerary
Flights
Meals not listed on the itinerary
Personal expenses of any type
Required Insurances
Sundries
Tips & Gratuities
Transportation to start location
Visas
What our clients say
Alan - Calera - 2017
Always good trips, with great photographic opportunities, & lots of camaraderie. Recommended!
Make a Booking Enquiry
To make a booking enquiry, please complete the form below & we will get back to you as soon as possible.
You are making an enquiry for the Hummingbirds & Wildlife of Ecuador photography holiday, which is scheduled for the dates of 29th October - 13th November 2022 & costs £4999 £3749 per participant, this photography holiday requires a deposit of, £1000 to secure a place.
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How to Book
Before booking, it is important that you read the relevant photography holiday event page & our Booking Terms & Conditions. If you have any doubts regarding your suitability for this photography holiday, please contact us.
To book, simply click the relevant link from the event page on our website. You will then be sent a booking form & a copy of our terms & conditions. In order to secure your place on the selected photography holiday, simply complete the booking form with details of all persons travelling & holiday indemnity, in relevant cases, & return to us (either by email or by post) with confirmation that the deposit has been paid. Payments should be made via bank transfer.
A deposit of 20% is required at the time of booking unless you are booking less than 90 days before departure. In this case, full payment of the photography holiday price is required.
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Camera Equipment
For this photography holiday, we would recommend that you have available, an array of lenses from a macro lens, an intermediate telephoto lens such as the 70-200mm or 100-400mm, through to your longest lens, whether that is a 400mm, 500mm or 600mm. A wide angle would also be useful if you fancy capturing some environment or landscape shots.
If you own a lens with an aperture of f/2.8 within the recommended focal length, bring it! These will allow you to focus on your subject faster & will also be useful in low light conditions.
You should also pack a tripod to help steady your lens, especially when you are out photographing at dawn & dusk. Last but not least, don't forget to pack a flash or lighting unit.
Recommended Clothing
For this photography holiday, we recommend that you pack neutral coloured t-shirts teamed with neutral coloured trousers & a hat to protect your head from the sun. January is the best time to visit Costa Rica as it is the dry season with maybe a little rain in the afternoon or evening showers. For this reason, you should also bring a waterproof jacket & waterproof trousers so you are covered for all eventualities. A fleece would also be useful for the cool evenings.
Sandals or easy shoes are great for the hotel but you will need sensible shoes for when you are out & about.
Don't forget to pack your sunglasses, plenty of sunscreen & insect repellent!
Additional Notes
NaturesLens photography holidays do not include flights unless it is explicitly stated on the event page. When it is time to book your flights, we will send you the details in plenty of time to allow for bookings at the best available price.
The photography holiday itinerary is subject to change & is to be considered provisional.
NaturesLens photography holidays require a minimum number of participants in order to be viable. If this minimum number is not met, the photography holiday may not go ahead. This photography holiday has a minimum participant level of 5 plus NaturesLens guide(s).
In the event that the minimum number for a photography holiday to go ahead is not reached, NaturesLens reserves the right to cancel any given photography holiday. In that event 100% of monies received will be returned. However, NaturesLens is not responsible for expenses incurred by its customers.
Not all mentioned wildlife can be observed & photographed at all times of the year, thus some activities may be considered seasonal & not available.
Please note the cuisine on many of the NaturesLens photography holidays is authentic & typical of the region in which you are travelling. International or western cuisine is often NOT available. If you have any concerns over the food arrangements or have any special dietary requirements, please contact us prior to making a booking.
All personal luggage are the responsibility of the owner & we request that photography holiday participants limit their luggage to the equivalent of one suitcase, one flight bag, one camera bag & tripod. We do not wish to appear dictatorial in this matter & the request is made to ensure space & comfort for everyone in our vehicles.
NaturesLens & its agents act only as agents for the passenger in all matters relating to travel arrangements, & as such, do not assume responsibility for injury, accident, damage, loss, delay or irregularity which may occur via defect of transportation or any other cause.
NaturesLens reserves the right to substitute hotels, & other previously outlined arrangements as necessary, to either improve or equal the travel experience.
NaturesLens reserves the right to pass on to photography holiday particpants any additional & unplanned expenditure incurred during a photography holiday, via events beyond the control of NaturesLens.
NaturesLens reserves the right to accept or decline any person as a member of any photography holiday.
Payment of deposit by photography holiday participants or their representative constitutes their acceptance of all conditions contained herein.
All bookings are made subject to our terms & conditions.
Travel Insurance Requirements
It is a condition of booking that you are insured against medical & personal accident risks. This must include cover for the activities to be undertaken during the photography holiday. We also strongly recommend you take out cover for cancellation & curtailment & baggage cover.
We have made use of the services of Campbell Irvine Insurance in the past, Campbell Irvine has policies which are specially designed for adventure holidays & are underwritten by AXA Insurance. As an alternative, check your standard travel insurance, many bank accounts include suitable insurance as part of a packaged deal.
Personal Travel Insurance can be arranged directly at Campbell Irvine.
For photographic insurance, we highly recommend the services of Glover & Howe. We have made use of their policies for a number of years now, adjustments, policy maintenance & claims are handled in an easy & professional manner by them.
Hummingbirds & Wildlife of Ecuador Photography Holiday Summary
Join David for the Costa Rica's Wildlife photography holiday in Costa Rica, during January 2023, to capture images of the massive number of bird species & other wildlife of Costa Rica
Two last places on what promises to be an amazing tour throughout various eco-zones of Ecuador during November 2022 are available at £3749 due to deposits being forfeit for this trip.