Breakfast, coffee and time to watch a sunrise from a viewing platform over looking the Rio Tapajos.
Early morning over the Tapajos
early sunrise video of the team
We still had plenty of targets to get, however there is just no way that it could live upto yesterdays haul of incredible birds..... so who is for a minibus breakdown this morning?
We drove to the Gameleira trail and totted up the species in quick time, we started off with yet more Olive Oropendolas and our seemingly regular earlybird species a White-crested Guan and after yet another sighting of Amazonian Trogan, where we were very happy to get better views this morning.
Of course early morning poor forest light just wouldn't be the same without a load of skulkers making life difficult. Dot-winged Antwren and Rufous-rumped foilage-gleaner were both lifers, but the Common scale-backed Antbird wasn't. A Yellow-throated Woodpecker broke up the Antbird fest but quickly backing up the skulkers were even more, this time Xingu scale-backed Antbird that needed a little chasing around to finally get some acceptable views. Plain-throated Antbird and one of the less impressive Antshrikes a Saturnine Antshrike. Then we hit the jackpot.
Walking part of the trail Pablo and Gilberto heard a flock of Golden Parakeets, they were very close, in actual fact they could have just flown on-by and out of reach, but they had landed in a patch of forest to our left. We had to creep quietly and slowly through the forest until Gilberto got us all virtually under the tree that they were in. We had all sorts of dense foliage in the way but you could get your bins into a gap and get cracking views of them. We counted eight in this flock. A little maneuvering either side a few feet would get a different view of another bird, there were not huge viewing windows in the canopy buy small ones that with some patience we were all able to see absolutely stunning views. Nick and myself were able to fire off dozens of shots, how many would be good..... haha about 4, I didn't care, what an experience, for me upto now the sighting and moment of the trip.
The back story to this find was that as time and days ran out, and if we still hadn't found a roaming flock of Golden Parakeet there was a known roost site but we would have had to drive well over 100 kms to get there, and of course get back in the dark, a whole chunk of the day for one species. Needless to say we were all chuffed that we didn't have the full day driving, but our driver was ecstatic as he basically got a day off.
somehow managed to get three in one shot
and again
who you lookin at?
roll the tape for the Golden Parakeet
No explanation needed just admire the birds (if not the images!)
Again after half an hour or so we had to pull ourselves away as we had further to walk and more species to find. Three Red-necked Aracaris were seen along with a Chestnut Woodpecker. We had just started to descend a rather steep hill when a Rufous Motmot called just off track but back up at the start of the descent, most of us had to climb back to the top, "it had better be worth it"..... it was.
Red-necked Aracari
Rufous Motmot
as always in forest birding you get the smallest window of opportunity to either get the bins on it or even harder get a good shot
Back on the steep descent and with the Rufous Motmot in the bag we didn't have to strain too much too get on the only Tapaculo species of the area. A brilliant Rusty-belted Tapaculo wandered along the forest floor for a good few minutes, even coming to the trail edge and catching a little leaking sunlight before wandering off out of site, just brilliant. A 100 meters further on Pablo called in a beautiful Snow Capped Manakin that foraged in mid canopy, an exceptional bird, one of my trip favorites for sure. We finished the trail with a host of Antbirds, which seem to always come in flurries. Long-winged Antwren posed at eye-level for a while, I even managed a few shots, Cinereous Antshrike, White-flanked Antbird and another endemic Spixs warbling Antbird, just that haul of Antbirds alone is quite fantastic... what a morning.
We eventually came out of the forest and ended back at the Rangers lodge area that we had made a visit to yesterday. The White-necked Jacobin was perched on the exact same snag as yesterday, while a few Yellow-rumped Caciques, Swallow-winged Puffbirds and a Oliveaceous Woodcreeper flew around the area.
heading back up the hill to find Rufous Motmot
The fruiting tree that was extremely popular yesterday was very quiet today, what a difference a day makes. Variegated Flycatcher, Snetlages Tody-flycatcher, probably the same Ochre-bellied Flycatcher as yesterday were seen while we tried for the best part of 45 minutes to call in a Fiery-tailed Awlbill. It paid off. I noticed something fly in to a tree just around the corner and thought to best check it out and immediately saw the clear markings of a female Fiery-tailed Awlbill, calling the troops over quickly we all got prolonged views above our heads, another difficult species, beer at lunchtime? you bet.
The distinctive female Fiery-tailed Awlbill
The last few days have been incredible, this morning was equally so. We drove back to Portal Pousada for a chilled beer and another fantastic lunch. Today was a public holiday so we found the lodge to busy with day tippers who come for a bit of piece and quiet from the city or in the right season water sports on the Rio Tapajos. I had absolutely no intention of birding the garden again, so after completing a spot of washing and a short nap it was time to meet for this afternoons ride on the Trans Amazonian Highway.
As it happened this afternoons target meant that we would spend the whole afternoon staking out a couple of fruiting trees in the hope of our target White-tailed Cotinga. On a large bank at the side of the highway we set up watch over two trees directly opposite. The only downside of this birding was the dust. Once every five minute or so either a truck or a 4x4 pick-up would pass at great speed throwing a whole orange dust cloud into the air (we did our best to cover up Covid style), the dust would take a minute to gradually disperse. It didn't stop the steady trickle of species to the two trees.
Olive Oropendola and a Squirrel Cuckoo would be followed by two Red-fan Parrot flyovers, (good for Nick as he had missed them at the Manaus Musa Tower). A Brown-chested Barbet briefly visited as did a Red-headed Manakin, we were then entertained by a Crimson-crested Woodpecker which stuck around for a while. During this time we had quite a few Parrots coming in on and off for an hour, mostly Blue-headed Parrots, and a few fantastic Sanatrem Parakeets, a small flock of Scarlet Macaws flew over as did a Southern Meally Parrot.
my only shot and a disappointing one of a lovely species, the Santarem Parakeet
Blue-headed Parrot
Crimson-crested Woodpecker
The final flurry of activity were a Channel-billed Toucan and five Black-necked Aracari, Goulds Toucanet, Spangled Cotinga and a Strong-billed Woodcreeper..... but no White-tailed Cotinga.
This was a big dip upto now, we have a full day tomorrow to try for one last time
It was now dark and the plan was to have a final days fling and try for a few Owls on the way back to our lodge. We took a trail and walked a hundred yards and very quickly got a response from a Southern Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl fantastic a lifer, we walked even further into the trail keeping the spot lights well down and played the tape for Crested Owl we tried a few times over a few hundred meters but got no responses at all. At least we got the Southern Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl.
It was certainly time to shower and retire to the restaurant for a few hours with beer and good food
Southern Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl
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