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.