Manaus and Amazonia NP 2022- A last lifer in Manaus and a few goodbyes

 Today we would travel back to Manaus where we would say goodbye to some of the team before the rest of us would travel onto Amazonia NP as part of the extension to the whole tour. 

First light however we tried to mop up a few species that were still missing. We all gathered at the gates of mari mari to try for the Variable (Little) Chachalaca , Black Nunbirds were the first to appear. We had at least two Variable (Little) Chachalaca calling for quite a while before they both decided to fly right over our heads, great views even if they were in silhouette as the light hadn't quite broken through, job done thankfully in fairly quick time. 

With this one in the bag the whole team split up as we all had different agendas this morning. Nick, David and Chris wanted the Pelzens tody-tyrant, Pablo took Ian and John to catch up with Capuchinbird, while Jeff, Bart and myself wanted to keep watch on the fruiting tree to try for the missing Guianan Cotinga and White-tailed Cotinga (or was it the coffee on tap). 

Our star bird for the next hour were four Guianan Cock-of-the-rocks, almost teasing us as they flew in and out of the tree directly above the restaurant, they perched behind the kitchen, flew to the fruiting tree and back again, absolutely magic.

If the GCOTR was the current star of the show we had a nice supporting cast of two Suphery Flycatchers, a number of Swall-winged Puffbirds, a Guianan Tyrannulet, Grey-breasted Sabrewing and a very close Green-backed Trogan that was perched in full view behind the Kitchen alongside the river. We had this little flurry of activity when directly above us I managed one last lifer when three Yellow and Blue Macaws flew past, another bird that we would see on only one occasion during the whole tour.  

Green-backed Trogan

Guianan Tyrannulet

Guianan Cock-of-the-rock

As late morning approached the other guys returned with Capuchinbird and Pelzens Tody-tyrant in the bag, well done to them. I had to settle for the Macaws, oh and the magnificent end to this leg of the tour with possibly the star bird of the last ten days.........

Quick lunch, load the minibus and we are off back to Manaus. We had to drop off Chris and Ian who were flying back to England after their two legs in Brazil. This evening we would have an evening meal back at Ibis Hotel and say goodbye to John. 

That would leave Nick, David, Bart, Jeff and myself who again would be led by Pablo in Amazonia NP, in the words of  Nick "this could be the dogs bollocks"...... we sleep with great anticipation of what tomorrow would  bring when we fly to Itaituba in the heart of the National Park.

Manaus and Amazonia NP 2022 - All trails Mari Mari

 Today we would concentrate all our day to birding the trails around the Pousada. A gentle alarm call and a 6am start made for a nice lie in for everyone. This morning we would be retracing a trail into the Ramal do mari mari which is immediately opposite the entrance gates. As we left the garden we were straight onto a singing Bright-rumped Atilla, it showed well enough in the poor early morning daylight, we continued on along the path where we also picked up a flighty Guianan-warbling Antbird taht gave us 20 minutes of frustration as it always seemed to miss any window in the dense branches and leaves and a little easier was a Buff-throated Foilage Gleaner in the same bushes. High up in a large tree were at least a few White-throated Manakins which fed in the under canopy, again the light wasn't the best but they stuck around long enough for everyone to get views. To be fair it had the feel of what could be a good morning but once into the trail proper we eventually found a very hard to get onto Double-banded Pygmy Tyrant , disappointingly this was all we could muster. Breakfast was the order of the day as we had only walked a few hundred meters in to the trail so it wasn't too long a trudge back. It turned out to be quite an overcast day which made for a little less humidity thank goodness.

the view beyond the Pousada Mari Mari, we will walk a trail in there this afternoon

We had time to relax for awhile and enjoy the garden both food and birds

breakfast being prepared with the river backdrop

A few garden birds this lunchtime were Grey-breasted Sabrewing, Buff-throated Saltator, a pair of White-throated Toucan, Silver-beaked Tanager, Sulphery Flycatcher, Blue Dacnis, a pair of Common Ground-doves, White-throated Thrush and a few Guianan Cock-of-the-rocks feeding on a fruiting tree above the restaurant (like they often do!!). 

Gray-breasted Sabrewing the only Hummingbird on the feeder at this time

Blue Dacnis in Mari Mari garden

Buff-throated Saltator coming to the feeder

spot the birds..... (only to make you all look harder)

White-throated Toucan very close to our lodges

Spangled Cotinga

you know who, feeding in the fruiting tree above the restaurant 

After lunch we headed back on the trails, this time to the rear of the restaurant over the river but turning off the Cock of the rock trail and heading out further into the forest.

Bart and Nick with high expectations for this afternoon, well we have just seen Cock of the Rock feeding very close to the restaurant.

Pablo leading the way over the river for this afternoons birding

The trail started off brilliantly with Short-crested Flycatcher, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Palm Tanager and a Saffron-crowned Tyrant-Manakin. We tried for a while to bring in a singing Pelzens Tody-tyrant but it didn't get anywhere near us, we tried a few times. Pablo took us on over a small stream and through a rocky climb to what was a welcome sight. A theater of such with some welcome tree stump stools laid out in a circle, this was the Lek of the highly anticipated Capuchinbird. Again we got a calling bird, it almost came into sight but eventually flew some distance away and again never got any closer..... Pablo had an idea for later on!!.  The lek area did provide one nice bird that gave us a good view, a lovely Spotted Puffbird. 

Pablo would  have us clambering over the rocks later on in the near darkness all in a good cause 

the challenging Amazon rain forest not stopping us, Ian, John, Pablo, Bart

Ian, Jeff and David at the Capuchinbird Lek

Spotted Puffbird

In the mean time the next hour was difficult as we again tried and failed with the Pelzens Tody-tyrant and also we had a near misses with a Yellow-crowned Manakin. We headed back along the trail a little bit and the best we could do was a Green-backed Trogan, all was not lost though and with Pablo still trying the tape he got onto another Yellow-Crowned Manakin and this time we all got it... what a cracking bird. 

really dont know what this impressive tree is but lets call it the Torture tree

habitat of the elusive Pelzens Tody-tyrant amongst others, who said it would be easy

Green-backed Trogan

Twitching the Yellow-crowned Manakin

and the scrum..... Luckily after Pablo located it, I got onto it first and was able to take these shots

All feeling pretty good with the Manakin, we headed off back to the lodge to try for a Red-billed woodcreeper that we heard this morning, however Pablo came running back to pose a quandary for everyone, stay to try for the Woodcreeper or try again for the Capuchinbird. This afternoon Pablo had taken the lodge owner and his staff to where we had heard the calls this morning and was convinced that the birds had moved the Lek (how very inconsiderate of them), the staff had machettied their way through the forest for about 500mtrs further on and found the new Lek.... amazing work.

Anyway the debate didn't take long and Pablo, Jeff, myself, David and Bart all hurriedly if not quite flat out running set off as we only had 40 minutes to get there and to hopefully find the birds and get back before darkness set in. 

We were pretty much strung out when I arrived after Pablo, Nick and Jeff (I didn't know you could move like that Jeff, very impressive pal, I think Nicks "every man for himself " did the trick). We caught enough of three individual birds to make it very worthwhile. David and Bart who debated for a minute too long back at the lodge gardens and never quite caught us up until they saw one of the three birds in the canopy, phew, that was seriously close. But what a moment to get on this special bird, we couldn't rest on our laurels we had to get back and it was getting dark.

It was a very happy beer and dinner  

Manaus and Amazonia NP 2022 - Ramal tu do paradiso and Mari Mari (Things aint always easy)

 We would have a few specialised targets this morning which hopefully we would find on the Ramal tu do Paradiso trail that was around 10kms drive from our Pousada at Mari Mari. Normal schedule with a quick Coffee and we will have breakfast from the minibus later on. We arrived as light broke and were greeted by two Red-throated Caracras and a Paradise Jacamar. 

 Breakfast on the Ramal tu do Paradiso

A little searching got target number one when we all got onto a female Black-throated Antshrike and a Black-headed (Helmyers) Antbird, both species would be our only trip sightings, everyone pleased to get these in the bag early this morning. Pablo disturbed a Blakish Nightjar that was trackside but quickly took cover before everyone got to see it. Up top a troop of Bearded Saki Monkeys foraged in the tallest canopy while Nick and myself picked out a Glossy-backed Becard in with the Spotted Tanager, Yellow-throated Flycatcher and Todds Sirystes among a tiny bit of activity high up in a nearby tree. It wasn't really a hive of activity and the saving grace was a perched Crimson Fruitcrow. It was happy to sit and preen in good view, far far nearer than the pair we saw at the canopy tower a day or two ago. Apart from a few Stick insects and Praying mantis it had now become slow going. Pablo played Harpy Eagle in hope rather than expectation, many years ago there had been a sighting along this trail..... no chance today though. 

Sticky the stick insect

prayer the mantis

unfortunately there was a lot of this today...... listening and waiting

We double backed on ourselves and did manage to pick up a few species during the next hour. Buff-rumped Woodcreeper, our first sighting of Chestnut Woodpecker, the ever reliable Black-tailed Trogan and an overflying Bat Falcon. As we approached a corner up ahead we disturbed a Blackish Nightjar that was on the track, it didn't move too far, it turned out that it actually had a nest (of sorts) with a single Egg right beside the track. 

Blackish Nightjar Egg on ground scrape nest

Two beauties gave the mornings hard work some respectability with cracking views of a White Hawk and a pair of Guianan Puffbirds. It was the hardest morning so far and we returned to Mari Mari a little disappointed but on reflection we saw half a dozen cracking birds, of which a few were the only sightings of the trip. We return for lunch a cool beer, siesta and we go again this afternoon. 

one of this mornings stars, White Hawk

Guianan Puffbirds and nest

After yet another fantastic lunch it was a few hours of mixed siesta and garden birdwatching. I went out on my own for half hour and picked up the trip first Slender-billed Xenops, Grey Sabrewing Hummingbird at the restaurant feeder, Spangled Cotinga both male and female, Yellow throated Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Sparrow, Bannaquit, Ruddy Pigeon, half a dozen Swallow-wing Puffbirds and a pair of Common Ground Doves.

decisions, an hour on the veranda in this hammock or midday birding in the scorching heat

Common ground-dove

Slender-billed Xenops

Spangled Cotinga

Swallow-winged Puffbird

This afternoon we head out to the very close-by Ramal do Mari Mari

John, Nick and Ian  head into the jungle on the Ramal do Mari Mari

Again it was a tough slog through the trail with not many species giving themselves up too easily. The two standout birds were both skulkers but we managed to see them in relative open, well at least not hidden behind meters and meters of dense undergrowth. Firstly Pablo placed his speaker beside a fallen trunk, and after a few near misses a Feruginous-backed Antbird walked along it and checked out the speaker for a second, a smashing view of a smashing bird. Then the equally smashing Wing-banded Wren did pretty much the same thing a short while after. Apart from a Red Necked Woodpecker that was just about that, we spent 10 minutes as the light faded trying to call in one of a few Little Chachalacas that were calling in a small wooded area at the back of the lodges, to no avail.

With Crimson Fruitcrow, Black-throated Antshrike, Guianan Puffbirds and Wing-banded Wren, today was about quality rather than quantity.

Manaus and Amazonia NP 2022 - Slip sliding to Presidente Figuredo via a canopy tower and finishing with a world Mega

Today we headed north from Manaus as we were heading for a three day stay at Mari Mari Pousada north east of the town of Presidente Figuredo. It was a highly anticipated part of the tour with plenty of specialist species to see and a few exciting areas to visit. The first of these was the ZF2 canopy tower that was more or less halfway. This was easily our earliest start of the trip, 03:30am on the bus..... with luggage and without Coffee. Doh this was not in the script. We traveled part of the way on the minibus and then pulled off onto a narrow dirt track where we were met by three 4x4 pick up trucks and rally drivers (haha only partially kidding). Well it was pitch black, the track was narrow, pot-holed and flooded in parts, our driver slipped and slided for the next 45 minutes often travelling sideways on a straight track, to be fair it was pretty exciting. 

We all arrived at the base of the ZF2 tower about 50km north of Manaus and 100km south of Presidente Figureido

The vast green expanse of the Amazon Rain forest beetwen Manaus and Presedente Figureido, we would be at the location ZF-2 tower, We couldn't be much further from civilization if we tried.

Pitch black, underneath the imposing metal structure we unpacked Tables, Chairs, Torches, Coffee, Fruit juice, Cheese, Ham, Bread Rolls and even Chocolate bars and tucked into breakfast under car headlights. 

Once we got a hint of light we all walked up 40+mtrs to the top of the tower. This tower is a working environmental tower and is a lot older than the Musa Tower that we visited in Manaus. As we reached the top the early daylight quickly told us that the whole rain forest was enshrouded in the most dense mist imaginable, absolutely gutted. How much of the moning would be lost? will it actually be cloudy and overcast once it lifted? I cant remember what time the mist eventually started to lift but it was a relief.                                                                 

And this was the view....

 The first birds on show were a pair of Red-necked Woodpeckers that were seen 20mtrs beneath us and they unfortunately moved away from us and into the gloom. The ever reliable White-throated Toucans and a Channel-billed Toucan were next to appear. Happily once the mist started to lift the sun quickly burnt through to reveal another beautiful day ahead. Still very early.... pre 06:30 am early, and a bit of a surprise as we at long last got one of the much needed birds that we missed on the MUSA tower when Pablo called in a Glossy Backed Becard, a good one to tick off quickly. 

A real beauty showed up next when a Black-faced Dacnis popped in and out of view for the next hour with a few small mixed flocks of Spotted Tanagers, Palm and Paradise Tanagers, a few smashing birds. A gorgeous Slaty-capped Shrike-vireo showed well even though it preferred the shade and wouldn't quite sit out for us, while we  also managed good scope views of a pair of Meally Parrots and a Guianan Toucanet. (Later on we would all get incredible close views of a Guianan Toucanet which would keep Nick and myself busy for a while as we went down 10mtrs to the level underneath to try to get portrait shots of it, we didn't do too bad between us). 

Meanwhile the birds kept coming Flame-crested Tanager, Spot-backed Antwren, Jeff was pleased to get his bogey bird with a few Chapmans Swifts on a flypast, Blue-headed Parrots again in the scope, Guianan Tyrannulet, Painted Tody-flycatcher, Versicolored Emerald and Guianan Woodcreeper.

                                                           Flame-crested Tanager

The star of yesterdays afternoon trail was a Pompadour Cotingas, well just like buses two more showed well today, a pair this time. Our only sighting on the trip of two Marail Guan were spotted in a flowering tree a few hundred meters away, eventually they flew a little closer for better views, after scanning around the tower I came back to these two and they had snook off unfortunately not to be seen again.

Guianan Tyrannulet

Black-faced Dacnis

Guianan Toucanet

Marail Guan partially hidden

Almost directly beneath us and the tower a pair of Golden Collared Woodpeckers pecked away on a dead snag for a good while, wonderful. Yellow-throated Woodpecker, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Yellow Margined (Zimmers) Flycatcher that actually flew onto the tower railings for a moment before retreating to the forest before I could get the camera trained on it, Grey Eleania and a perched Red-throated Caracara which eventually moved out of the shade to show really well in the scope. Of course as the morning warmed up the birding slowed down, a definite theme in the Amazon so far this trip but the list kept on slowly ticking over with Black Nunbirds, Black-tailed Tityra, White Hawk, King Vulture, a family of upto six Green Aracaris that got pretty close as well as Double Toothed Kite, Squirrell and Black-bellied Cuckoos. However we would have a new star of the morning, oh yes. A pair of Crimson Fruitcrows, perched on the same branch for a quite a while, yes they were miles away and only in the Scope, it would be one of the stars of the trip for sure, eventually one flew across the horizon of the distant  treeline, happy days indeed. 

a pair of Golden-collared Woodpeckers

Yellow-margined Flycatcher

Grey Eleania

Green Aracari male and two females

Green Aracari 

Black-Tailed Tityra

Black-bellied Cuckoo

No better way to call it a morning as we started back down the tower on a very big high

ZF-2 Tower

Back down to the waiting 4x4s and back along the slippery, partly flooded and churned up track. The pick up in front of us was having a terrible time and couldn't keep straight at all, eventually a very steep slippery hill would be a step too much and after getting sideways and off track eventually had to be pulled up by the lead 4x4, our driver showed no fear, revved up as much as he could and shot off up the hill pretty effortlessly, Rally king. 

At the end of the track we met our Minibus again and headed north to Presidente Figuereido, even this was fraught with danger as we were held up for hours in a traffic jam as a crane lifted out a car (or cars) that have recently careered off the road into a valley, eventually we moved on. 

We reached our new Pousada a little later than expected, but we were here for a three days at the delightful Mari Mari Pousada. This afternoon turned out to be very special.

Mari Mari Pousada. mine and Jeffs room and gardens with a view

After lunch we set off on a trail just over the river. Pablo and the land owner lead us off  and within five minutes this is what we saw......

Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock

There were eleven, yes eleven, oh and at least one female. Incredible.

We were at the lek site where the adult males and young males practice their display skills for when its time to display for the females for the right to breed. Anyway we stood behind a taped off area, or even arena. Some individuals flew over our heads probably feeding somewhere, others just called and flew from perch to perch. An absolute incredible hour and we would see a few individuals over the coming days literally taking fruit from trees directly above our dinning area. Magic moments.

Not to diminish the next hour where we would see Northern-Slaty Antshrike, Safron-crowned Tyrant-manakin, Bronzy Jacamar, the brilliant and very large Black Manakin, five Green Oropendola, magnificent Spangled Cotinga and a White necked Thrush. Brilliant day and it was only left to drink a few beers and celebrate eleven Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, my birthday and eat some cake which was very kindly mentioned by Pablo to the lodge owner who him and his family then made me a birthday cake. Cheers