Yellow House, Mindo, Ecuador

A relaxing morning birding at the breakfast table and the town. Roadside hawks, Tropical Gnatcatcher and Pale-billed Aracari were plentiful this morning along with many birds we had previously seen. I do regret not getting out sooner but the full day of birding and herping is wearing at my companions sleep being that she is not used to the mornings and the nights out being a birder and not a herper.

Caskaffesu is quickly becoming my favorite place to eat in Mindo. The owners are friendly and greet people personally (despite one of them having a broken leg at the time). The brownies and raspberry (mora- in Spanish) juice is my favorite treat for a light lunch like today. 

The afternoon sun beat down as we started our walk to Yellow House, a hostel with a large farm property and trails. Starting along the long driveway, many birds were in the trees lining the road and farmlands as we walked the dirt road. Nothing too special but considering the time of day I couldn't blame them for retreating into deeper shadier woodlots. The agricultural lands are quite disturbed, however still fascinating. There are orchids blooming in every tree since so much light is able to get through now that most of the trees are cut. These fruit bearing trees hold multiple species of orchids and other epiphytes and its amazing many of the branches still stand.

Movement in the bush catches my eye and instantly the 6 dollar entrance fee is well worth the cost! A Green Sipo (Chironius exoletus) fell from one branch to another and skillfully wrapped itself around the lower branch to break its fall. This snake is amazing enough but as my eyes are on it a swallow-tailed kite flew closer overhead than I had ever seen one before. As quick as it appeared it disappeared and my focus returned to the snake and the trail ahead.

Green Sipo (Chironius exoletus)

Green Sipo (Chironius exoletus)

Green Sipo (Chironius exoletus)

We quickly wrack up new birds here with amazing views of two Crimson-rumped Toucanets. The light is fading by the time we have reached the highest point of the trail and birds are giving their last songs of the day. In the darkness an Equatorial Anole clings to small branches very well camouflaged in bright green against the thick foliage.

Crimson-rumped Toucanet

Equatorial Anole (Anolis aequatorialis)

Pastures rain frogs litter the roads as we start back down the mountain and it is a challenge to avoid stepping on them. Modest Ground Snakes on the other hand, didn't move at all. The snake was so still I thought it could be dead and was quite disappointed until I tried to move it off the road with a stick. It sprung back to life instantly and disappeared under nearby leaf litter. The movement was more like awkward flailing than the smooth and graceful slither of other snakes I have encountered in Mindo. It definitely was a surprise that could scare off a predator though! A few younger modest groundsnakes were found on the road as we approached Yellow House again. Knowing better now, I did not poke these with sticks as I did with the 'dead' one earlier and they posed nicely for photos.

Modest Ground Snake (Atractus modestus)

Modest Ground Snake (Atractus modestus)

 Cane Toads calling from the pond were the first thing that drew me towards it. These calls become very familiar to any traveler interested in amphibians and reptiles of South and Central America. Palmars Treefrogs shared the same pond as these large toads and with Engraved Rainfrogs a loud chorus had begun. The singers hiding in nooks and crannies of the low lying vegetation by the pond.  The loud singing continued but faded as I left the Yellow House property.