This morning we would head out onto the trail Picarreira. The first target was Green-winged Trumpeter and it was calling very close to the beginning of the trail. Unfortunately only a couple of us got onto it, I certainly wasn't one of them. We were on a narrow part of the track in very very low light and strung out too far from the tape , Pablo and Gilberto taped it very close in but it stopped coming this way and moved off.... big miss, and I think if we had been bunched closer we may all have got glimpse.... who knows.
We headed further into the trail and the light soon picked up enough to start getting onto some of the movement around us. The endemic Hoffmans Woodcreeper at last was seen for the first and last time and an Elegant Woodcreeper was also seen. We got onto a Cinereous Antshrike and another Long-winged Antwren before we heard and saw high up a perched Collared Puffbird which just wouldn't turn round for a pose,
Collared Puffbird
It had been a tough few hours and we came to an open area of the forest that overlooked a small valley. It was a nice resting place too, it also offered a little more bird life here. Two Yellow-tufted Woodpeckers shared a dead tree while a Golden-green Woodpecker could be seen way across the valley. In the sky above the valley a few Swallow-tailed Kites and a Plumbeous Kite soared high, while I at last got great views of Lafresnayes Woodcreeper that I missed on multiple occasions during the last 10 days, the last bird on the trail was a Screaming Phia. We came off the trail onto the highway and Pablo and myself picked up a Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift that flew through, one of those very lucky sightings, in the right place at the right time.... to be fare I had missed a few species at the back on a number of occasions.
Offerings to the gods?? Indigenous folks have been here apparently
fascinating vines.... when the birding is tough enjoy the location
We drove to a bridge with the hope of finding a Grey-chested Greenlet, a known spot, not this morning as we didnt get any response from the tape, although we picked up some very good species here and a load of lifers for myself.
Tough mornings birding
So at the bridge Pablo played the tape for the Grey-chested Greenlet while we easily got onto a number of other species. Noisy Bare-necked Fruitcrows, eight in total and a lifer for me flew across to a large tree, didn't stay too long and moved again, eventually moving out of sight but still in earshot. Masked Tityra, Epaulete Oriole, Social Flycatcher were all easy pickings. Then for the second day running I came into my own and spotted yet another female Fiery-tailed Awlbill, perched again. It wasn't long before it flew very close to us and fed in a couple of flowering bushes, fantastic to get two sightings in a few days..
Before we moved I was able to bag a couple of fantastic lifers in quick succession. Firstly a Pied Puffbird sat out in the open on a snag while a noisy Rufous-bellied Euphonia flew even closer.
It was time to return to the lodge, this afternoon we would be sailing across the river to a number of small islands.
Social Flycatcher
Fiery-tailed Awlbill
We returned to Pousada Portal for lunch and a general chill out. A calling Roadside Hawk sat on top of a tall tree and a Green Kingfisher was by the pool, outside my room were a few Silver-beaked Tanagers.
Spreading the word into the Amazon.....Macclesfield FC
yes its me on the Rio Tapajos
something more normal for a Amazon garden.... Silver-beaked Tanager
This afternoons plans are to take a small motorboat across the river Tapajos and visit a few of the many islands, hoping to pick up some missed and new species.
This afternoons transport awaits
The first birds on the first island were a pair of Blackish-grey Antshrikes which are a sub species and different to the ones around Manaus, one to keep an eye on from my armchair in the future. A Black-fronted Nunbird, Lesser Kiskadee and our second sighting of a Flame-crowned Mankin. Not a bad list for a small island. However we wernt finished as we were trying for a Grey-chested Greenlet. After a bit of coaxing we got a pair up in the canopy of the tallest tree, one eventually flew quite near to give us all far better views, although it was a bit flighty.
Still not finished we added Striped Woodcreeper, Amazonian Streaked Antwren both in the same tree, as well as a Buff-throated Saltator. We visited another island but in complete contrast to the last, it was birdless.
Out on the river were a few Terns both Large Billed terns and some distant Yellow billed terns as well as a few Black Skimmers.
after searching on one of the many islands for rare or special species
Pablo and Gilberto calling in a pair of Flame-crowned Manakins
We would now spend some time on an island made up mostly of a large deep sandbank. This was in search of, well actually waiting for Sand-colored Nighthawks. Sometime later Bart, David and Nick went off with Gilberto and the boat driver to get closer views of the Yellow-billed Terns, while Jeff, Pablo and myself waited for the returning Nighthawks. In amongst the thousands of Hirundines that were hawking over the river we managed a brilliant and unexpected sight of a passing Southern Martin, very rare in this area..... Pablo was surprised and happy. A Pink River Dolphin passed in front of us just about showing itself as its back surfaced every now and again.
heading to the Nighthawk island
an unexpected Southern Martin
The guys returned on the boat to alert us that the Sand-colored Nighthawks had found a new roosting spot, a small mangrove type island in the middle of the river, we boarded and set off to get a last look before sundown. As we approached there were probably a dozen or more perched up, most flew to the back of the vegetation but a few stayed a while longer for good views. Incredible numbers of mostly Grey-breasted Martins and with some Brown-chested Martins mixed in were hawking, feeding and perched in numerous trees.... a brilliant spectacle.
Sun and shade, Sand-colored Nighthawks
A Martin spectacle
Grey-breasted Martins and a few Brown-chested Martins
heading back to Portal Pousada
We had just enough light for a spot of garden birding, although I think most of us now had a chilled beer in hand when Nick heard a Tropical Screech-Owl calling behind the bedrooms, we went off in tearch and with the tape but all we did was alert five Speckled Chachalaca, the first ones of the tour.... a few Lesser Nighthawks flew over some bushes towards us as the light faded and the Owls continued to call kept a Glittering-bellied Emerald and a few Turquoise Tanagers alert in almost darkness, a Yellow-headed Caracara flew over with what looked like a fish..... could it be our supper.
Speckled Chachalaca not wanting to be seen
Of course we enjoyed the evening meal and a few beers and cocktails and went in search of the Tropical Screech-Owl, it took 20 minutes to finally call on in to the spotlight, a nice end to the day.
Tomorrow will be our last morning before we head back to Manaus..... Gutted
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