Birdwatching in Kabalebo! - 11/11/2016

Even though it was a really hot day we managed to see some remarkable birds.

November 11, 2016
I was accompanied by the couple Hennig and mr. Kuleba. All three were from Germany and eager to spot some birds from Suriname, especially from the jungle of Kabalebo. Right before breakfast we headed out to see what is flying out there.

The early morning greeted us with some mist so it was difficult to shoot some nice pictures, but through the binoculars you were able to see them clearly. Painted Parakeets, Orange-winged Amazons and Blue-headed Parrots weren't visible enough to shoot, but this Golden-winged Parakeet was manageable just when the first sun rays showed up. Golden-winged Parakeets are just like the Painted Parakeets; small and difficult to spot as they like to hide between the foliage high up in the trees.

On the airstrip we met a lonesome traveller: the Black Curassow. It knew that there was no traffic because it was walking gracefully instead of flying over the airstrip. Not in a rush so it seems.

Toucans were seen in abundance. Here we spotted the Channel-billed Toucan enjoying the morning sun.

We met another resident of the lodge: the Laughing Falcon, seen here with a Red-billed Toucan. We spotted 3 of these falcons near the lodge.

Variable or Little Chachalaca's were silently eating guava's near the lodge. A small group that was quite alert and jumped into the bushes the moment they spotted us. The sun started to get hot very early, resulting that we didn't see much after 10Am, on the Beechcraft trail we spotted 2 Great Tinamous, Common Pauraques and an antshrike, a silent one that didn't want to show itself to us. We decided to wait until the afternoon when it started to get a bit cooler.

And our patience was rewarded. At the pier we spotted an adult Great-black Hawk on the ground devouring something that looks like either a snail or fish.

Cocoi Herons were seen quite often on the Kabalebo river. They are seen on a daily basis, but they are still gracefully looking birds.

Our lucky day: the Black-Hawk Eagle. This was the third time that I spotted this raptor and my companions were in awe when seeing this huge bird of prey so close.

Talking about birds of prey; here you see a female Bat Falcon. They were seen in a couple but the male decided to fly a bit a round while the female was seen on a lower branch near the river.

Jacamars and water; they also never disappoint. Here is a male Green-tailed Jacamar seen resting on a log. While sitting still like this it, can be missed quite often during a boat trip.

Kingfishers were also present but a bit shy to pose in front of our camera's. Luckily the Ringed Kingfisher decided to help us a bit. Either they were shy or to busy trying to catch a fish.

Not one of my best shots, but here you see a female Purple-throated Fruitcrow. One that doesn't like to be visible, but heard more often inside the forest. We were surprised to see a small group flying over the Kabalebo river and were seen resting before heading back into the jungle. They were flying just like woodpeckers, but the moment they started to call we knew they were Fruitcrows.

We also spotted other species besides birds. Red Howler Monkeys were resting but to lazy to show themselves and a single Brown Capuchin Monkey was seen exploring near the airstrip.

Here we spotted an adult Amazon Whiptail devouring a young Amazon whiptail. Whiptails eat almost everything that passes their way. 

And we also spotted a tapir while it was cooling off in the river. 

Here is a list of what we spotted as a group.

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