Birdwatching 28.3.2018

Fourth birdwatching trip for 2018.

March 28, 2018
I was accompanied by the German couple Fehrle. They were so enthusiastic to see so much in such a short time so that was my main task for the day. This was quite a different trip as they were more focused into photography so our aim was to see the larger and brighter birds. So this is our summary for that day.

Smaller birds were a bit difficult to photograph but that did not mean that they were neglected. The Warbling Antbird was such an energetic bird for the morning. It gave us just a split second and off it went. Swallow-winged Puffbirds were seen in abundance and this one was even posing in the bright light with some food of the day. Ladder-tailed Nightjars were seen along the river but also restless at the same time.

Birds of prey were also active for the day. The Great Black Hawk was seen at a far distance and was even one with its surroundings. The Grey-lined Hawk was just giving a shout out for the morning and this Plumbeous Kite was just screening the area.

Herons were also seen busy. First of all we saw Green Ibises looking for something in the mud. The Cocoi Heron was seen next to an Amazon Kingfisher but not for long as it flew away immediately. Nice flight though! We almost missed this guy; the Rufescent Tiger Heron tried to look like a pointy branch between the rocks in the river.

Even though you are on a birding trip, there is always a chance to see mammals along the way. Red Howler Monkeys were up early so it was a bit difficult to photograph them while the sun was at the wrong side. Well, some can stay well camouflaged too, just like this Lowland Tapir who at the beginning wasn't noticed at all. It fitted right with its surroundings. Just chilling! We also met some monkeys who were not amused to see us; Common Squirrel Monkeys and Brown Capuchin Monkeys who paid more attention to their food instead to us.

This was definitely a bonus for us: seeing a group of Giant Otters swimming near the boat and this Southern Tamandua right above us. We did not expect them but were absolutely welcome.

We also managed to spot the Channel-billed Toucan, it kept calling and calling but stayed out of side. With a little patience we finally saw him out in the open. The female Crimson Topaz was playing with her surrounding. She kept hidden between the branches of the Monkey brush vine and with her uniform (same color) it was really a puzzle, but we managed too.

It was clear that nesting season for the macaws and parrots was on as we were continuously surrounded by Red-and-Green, Scarlet and Blue-and-Yellow Macaws. They were also seen in their nests and the Red-fan Parrots and Orange-winged Amazons even joined them too. Quite adorable to see such a small parrot right in front of its home. 

Before we knew it, the day went by fast. We were able to photograph a lot of animals. No new bird species but that was no problem at all.

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