Manaus and Amazonia NP 2022 - an Antbird day and that means blood sweat and tears

This morning we would be out on the Ramal do medico trail with the first target a singing Musician Wren, how apt.... however despite trying and trying some more we never got it anywhere near to the edge of the trail and in sight, we tried for another one a few hundred meters further on and again without luck. But a bit further on a Black Faced Antbird, called very close but despite its close proximity it was a sod to get onto, lots of movement as we had a pair giving us the runaround but always just out of sight, perseverance eventually paid of and a female gave nice views as it actually for a monent came out of the dence forest edge and moved amongst a fallen tree and branches . It seemed that again we were going to have an Antbird morning which usually means the camera will be useless and this morning turned out to be just that. Pretty dense forest allowing no sunshine in at all made concentrating on seeing the birds more important than grabbing a photo.  I was pleased to eventually get great views of a White-cheeked (bicolored) Antbird with its unmistakable pure white throat and belly, I had missed it a few hundred meters down the track where it was incredibly flighty... phew. Two Dusky Parrots called in flight and we spotted them as they flew into and out of sight in a gap in the canopy we also picked up a calling White crested Spadebill.   

The next hour was solely with the Antbirds, as usual most are difficult and then every now and again a stunner shows pretty well for you. A Yellow-browed Antbird was certainly the former, my notes show that I missed it twice while some of the other group members connected, it took me a third attempt down the track to pick one up, however a pair of Cinereous Antshrikes gave quick buy very good views.... it must be a numbers game eh. Then the start of another Antbird fest as a very helpful Pearly Antshrike was spotted high up and maneuvering in the under canopy, showing pretty well for a prolonged period, great bird. A Rio Negro (Rufous-backedAntwren, or Stipple-throated Antwren...... ) or just Stipplethroat also gave good views as it passed the track back and forth a few times. Not to be outdone a Grey Antbird and Long-winged Antwren were added to the ever growing morning list. A Blue-crowned Manakin was a break from the skulkers unfortunately we could only muster a sighting of the rather drab female, we have to be quite thankful for the lady of the family, it wasn't a life bird so not a disaster. We had walked  as far as we were going to go up the track where it became flooded so Pablo tried once more for the Musician Wren (seems along time ago since we were starring intensely into a dense dense forest looking for two singing birds at daybreak this morning). Right on queue another bird responded, very close. After a little skulking around at ground level amongst tangles and thicket everyone got onto it with some sort of acceptable view. However a few moments later it moved right and perched up at eye-level maybe thirty meters into the forest but it sat and sang for nearly twenty minutes, giving brilliant scoped views for everyone to enjoy, it was probably still singing as we left.... A fantastic, moment with a fantastic bird. 

We had to head back the way we came (as most tracks in the Amazon tend to be) and along the way we picked up a Waved Woodpecker that had a nest inside a huge termite nest high up on a trunk. A White-flanked Antwren, Paradise Tanager, Spotted Tanager, two or three more female Blue-crowned Manakins, Swallow-winged Puffbird and Streaked Flycatcher were all that we could muster (I once again missed a Lafresnayes Woodcreeper) before boarding our minibus and getting back to the lodge for a shower and lunch. 

Waved Woodpecker

spot the ball or the birds, underside and partially blocked views of Spotted Tanager and ........ 

a very common Swallow-winged Puffbird

This afternoon we move on again and head to Manacapura on the Northern banks of the Amazon River. Here we would be staying at Cirandeira Bela, Amazon cabins.

very pleasant accommodation at Cirandeira Bela

its only a statue but you just never know..... one or two have been seen here over the past few years

Cirandeira Bela turned out to be a kind of Cenre Parcs and was packed with day trippers enjoying the pools and water activities getting away from the city for the day. However busy it was, it was handy for a few special bird species with one in particular very close to our lodgings. After check in we hit a very close trail and the birding was tough and very slow, we only managed five species in well over an hour, Dwarf Tyrant-Manakin which took far too long to get any sort of view that wasn't just of its underside or backside, Mouse-colored Antbird, Yellow-throated Woodpecker and a Green-backed Trogan. 

the underside of a Yellow-throated Woodpecker..... 

sometimes it really isn't worth taking the camera and today was one of those days.

This morning was hard but good birding with a lot of skulking species seen and one or two cracking birds, Muscian Wren may top them all today.

Bloody hard work in this heat and humidity

In line, Pablo, Ian, Jeff, Bart, Chris, Nick, David, John.... yours truly always behind

 Tomorrow we get a lie in of sorts as the star bird would be 50 meters from the dinning room and daybreak will do just fine.