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No. 54 NEWSLETTER Spring 2003

WEST MIDLANDS BRANCH, BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION

 

Butterfly and Birds of Ecuador 20 September – 9 October, 2003

After the success of last year’s trip to Trinidad and Tobago, a further opportunity is on offer to sample the delights of South American tropical rainforest. This trip of 20 days will aim to show why Ecuador, although relatively small and compact, is one of the world’s hotspots for biodiversity. The sheer number of species is mind-boggling: 4,500 species of butterflies and moths alone, including large numbers of Heliconids, Glasswings, Morphos and Swallowtails, plus many thousands of other insects. A trip two years ago at the same time of year, which followed a similar itinerary, saw over 100 species of butterfly, not including Skippers or Blues, and over 300 species of birds. There are, in fact, 1,500 species of birds in Ecuador, twice the number found in all of Europe, including 120 Hummingbirds, 45 Parrots and 19 different Toucans to say nothing of Andean Condors, Cock-of-the-Rock and many other species with names as exotic as their plumage. Add to this 360 different amphibians, including brightly coloured poison arrow frogs, together with a similar number of reptiles and you can see why acre for acre Ecuador is one of the most species rich countries on the planet. We shall be staying in a number of specially built lodges overlooking rich areas of habitat including spectacular cloud rainforest on both flanks of the Andes and the deep jungle of the Amazon Basin. Our visit to the Amazon will be a mini-adventure in its own right involving an internal flight across the Andes and a journey by powered canoe to our Jungle Lodge deep in the Forest where we stay three nights. The Lodge has its own butterfly farm, where pupae are bred for export to butterfly houses throughout the world, as well as a series of nature trails and an observation tower where one can view life in the forest canopy. Moth trapping and night walks are on offer while the more adventurous can take out their own canoe, go off on strenuous jungle hikes, swim in the lake or look for piranhas (perhaps the reverse order might be better!). Like the Trinidad trip, we will finish the trip by the side of a nice beach for a couple of days to gently unwind and perhaps take in a few seabirds and even a whale or dolphin or two if we are lucky. We shall be accompanied throughout by local guides, including one of Ecuador’s leading authorities on butterflies. The cost of this once in a lifetime trip is £2,589 including all food, flights (from Birmingham), transport and accommodation. If you have never experienced the spectacle of tropical rainforest and its fabulous wildlife, this is your chance. Full itinerary available on application. I will be looking to take a maximum of ca. 12 people and I have just 4 places left at the time of writing so if you are interested please get in touch by phone (01299 824860) or email mike@stagborough.fsnet.co.uk as soon as possible.

Mike Williams