Manaus and Amazonia NP 2022 - Island birding but not as we know it

 Today we leave the concrete city of Manaus and head to our pick up point at Porto da Ceasa. We take a boat and cross the Rio Negro and join the Amazon River and head 45 minutes to Marchantaria Island which is basically a silted sandbank and depending on the height of the river can flood and create a whole host of small islets that are basically made up of treetops and floating vegetation. Quite an incredible sight to be honest and some weird birding as basically all the birds are in and around the very tops of the trees and young bushes just sticking out of the high water level. However...... this Island and islets hold some specialty species and this morning our targets are four Spinetails and a Conebill.

We boarded the boat and left in the dark and as we joined the Amazon River the light broke and a number of Paraque and Band-tailed Nighthawks flew around the boat, we disturbed a number of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks as we traveled at speed. Our first Cocoi Heron of the trip as well as other wetland species Black necked Stilt,  Egrets and a Black Skimmer, a few Amazon Kingfishers perched along islets to our right.

early morning at Porto da Ceasa (Manaus)

and leaving to cross the Rio Negro to join the Amazon River

As we approached our first stopping point infront of a tree topped floating island is the best way to describe it, a Fork-tailed Flycatcher perched on a snag in the strong river breeze, as did Tropical Kingbirds and a small flock of White-winged Parakeets found a fruiting tree a few hundred meters to our left. We maneuvered the boat into a small patch of trees in among the Cecropia leaves where we disturbed a number of ants, anyone on my side of the boat spent the next hour being mildly bitten and irritated. Anyway we had a few species to find at this location and the first was quite easy and confiding with a pair of Amazonian Black Tyrants. A little skittish but the trees were not too dense so we got very good views. The next one up was a Red and White Spinetail, this kept quite low in the vegetation at the back of the island but showed on and off for a while to everyone got some sort of view, a few Oriole Blackbirds were more conspicuous to our left in a bank of grasses. I now got good views of Riverside Tyrannulet and a few White-throated Kingbirds were with the more common Tropical Kingbirds. We moved the boat to a different angle a few meters away to where a White-throated Spinetail had called, we watched a pair creep around the vegetation even coming out above the roof of the boat (the roof did have its drawbacks when tying to see a bird above your head.) We moved again along the island and passed a flooded building where only the roof  stood above the water, I presume this building is on stilts but someone cut the length too short!  Our next target was for Rusty Backed Spinetail which was a little more difficult than the previous Spinetails for we were all happy to get it on the list.  Plenty of other species were seen in this area, Red capped Cardinal, Lined Seedeater, White-bellied Seedeater, Spotted Tody-flycatcher, Smooth-billed Ani, White-headed Marsh-tyrant, Yellow-browed Sparrow..... they really do get everywhere, even out in the middle of the blustery Amazon River. 

Ian and David wondering if there are actually any Spinetails on that Islet

hard to believe that we found four species of bird on this section of islets

in the middle of the Amazon river

Fork-tailed Flycatcher

Oriole Blackbirds and habitat

dad.....you should have made the legs longer

a small window of opportunity, Amazonian Black Tyrant

Pablo had tried unsuccessfully to call in a Pearly-breasted Conebill to we moved to a few other possible islets. We cruised to another location parked up and immediately got a completely new set of birds, Masked Yellowthoat in the very tall grasses, Wattled Jacana, an amazing sight to see a flock of 40+ Yellow-hooded Blackbirds flying across the front of the boat. The Pearly-breasted Conebill did respond and again although quite mobile it did get closer and we again all got very good views of this specialty. Shiny Cowbird, Orange-fronted Yellow-finch, Tui Parakeet again, three Chestnut Fronted Macaws, Green-throated Mango and Brownish Elenia all gave up  extremely good views in this bird friendly location. We still had a few species that we needed to locate and a bit further up river we went in search of another Spinetail and a few others. We sailed through inlets and around Islets passing close to  a pair of Anhinga, Snail Kite, Collared Plover and Southern Lapwings, a pair of Amazon Kingfisher, while an Osprey perched some distance away and plenty of Terns perched on flooded fence lines.  We parked up at yet another location with two species in mind, one we got onto very easily with a Dark breasted Spinetail which mopped up the targets we also added later on the more common Yellow-chinned Spinetail for good measure, more species were seen but not easily as they were out in front of the boat in trees and mangrove type branches were Black-bellied Cuckoo and Black and White Antbird. 

Green-throated Mango

Orange-fronted Yellow-finch

Anhinga, just one of a number seen this morning

of the five species of Spinetail seen this morning this Yellow-chinned was the only one to give a photo

A final relocation was needed as we were struggling to call in Lesser White-Tailed Tyrant, we spent nearly an hour trying to locate the wherabouts two birds were calling from, as a Buff-necked Ibis flew across the treeline someone spotted the LWTT. Once we were on the bird we were able to watch a pair for a few minutes although they were distant and we couldnt get the boat any nearer, a Purple Galinule popped up  briefly before we left and headed back over to Manaus, a Collared Hawk was the last thing seen before we hit the busy dockside.

It was a cracking and very successful morning on the water with over 70 species recorder, the island birding was not what I was expecting at all but very very enjoyable. We returned to the hotel for lunch, to pack the Minibus and the head to the much anticipated Presedente Figuredo which is a city  three hours due north of Manaus. 

We enjoyed a nice stop at an eat all you can restaurant before pulling up at the side of a small roadside cafe where we would look and get very quickly the prize of the day for me. A flowering tree was holding a good number of Hummingbirds. A quick call and in popped a glorious male Crimson Topaz.... a lifer, happy days.  A few other species in the same tree included, Grey-breasted Sabrewing, Black-throated Mango and another lifer for me with a Long-billed Starfrontlet, while across the road at least 10 Red-bellied Macaws landed a hundred meters way.

Crimson Topaz..... ace 

Conveniently just around the corner was a trail, we had an hour or so along here. I was happy with my Crimson Topaz shot and foolishly decided to leave the camera in the minibus, of course I wasn't expecting a Pompadour Cotinga to perch out in the open right above us... doh. The trail proved to be quite lively with numerous good birds including, Fulvous-crested Tanager, Chestnut bellied Seedfinch which I got a quick glimpse of before it flew for cover, not sure if the rest of the group got onto this one or not, Paradise Jacamar, a pair of Channel-billed Toucan, Yellow-green Grosbeak and Golden winged Parakeets... some nice birds to miss photo opportunities. it didn't finish there on the return walk back we got Guianan Puffbird, Guianan Warbling Antwren, Long-billed Gnatwren, Chestnut-rumped Woodcreeper among others, at the time it didn't feel such a good few hours birding but the list is very impressive..... a fantastic day.

Once on the bus we head to our accommodation for a two night stay at the Mari Mari Pousada  some distance north east of Presidente Figuredo..... expectations were high.