Photo Gallery
Photos by Rich Hoyer
Our tour begins with a short flight over the high Cordillera Real of the northern Bolivian Andes, dropping down…
…to the edge of the Amazonian Basin along the Río Beni, one of Bolivia’s major contributors to the mighty Amazon.
We’ll recuperate at our hotel along the river. The Greater Rhea is a pet, but there are wild birds around as well…
…such as this Cattle Tyrant, like a kingbird that walks on the ground.
We board our boats for the ride upriver to our lodge, along the way looking for animals and birds…
…such as this King Vulture, not an uncommon sight soaring over the rain forest.
At the end of our boat ride, we have a 20-minute walk to the lodge proper, using a trail frequented by many birds such as this Broad-billed Motmot.
The forest begins right behind most of the cabins, where Crested Owls call at night, Kinkajous clamber in the canopy and Hoatzins forage on leaves.
Our daily routine might include an early morning paddle around the lake next to the lodge, where open views of the forest canopy will be our best bet…
…for spotting the likes of White-throated Toucans.
But most of the time we’ll be walking forest trails, where we’ll frequently hear the incessant chirping of the tiny Spot-flanked Poison-dart Frog, though spotting one isn’t easy…
…and even though the Red Howler is significantly louder, they aren’t always easier to spot in the dense canopy.
If we find a group of Brown Capuchins, which make much commotion as they feed, we might spot a Double-toothed Kite, keeping an eye out for canopy lizards flushed by the monkeys.
This Pink-edged Diaph is not an uncommon sight along the shady trails, and if one perches we’ll have to pause to marvel at such a rare color.
Our local guide is certain to point out plants of interest, such as this giant Quecho (Brosimium guianense), and explain its many uses to the local inhabitants.
During a night walk near our cabins, we may find some interesting creatures, such as this Bolivian Monkey-Treefrog…
…or this bizarre Suriname Toad, only recently discovered here by one of the local guides. The male’s parental duties include guarding the eggs in a pouch on his back!
We’ll spend some time in the riparian strip close to the river where we could see species that prefer the Cecropia-dominated forest, such as this Striolated Puffbird…
…and where the sunny riverbanks attract a different set of butterflies, such as this amazing Swordtail…
…and these beautiful Kite Swallowtails.
Each day we’ll see something different and interesting, here an immature Ornate Hawk-Eagle begging for food…
…here a rarely-seen Curl-crested Araçari…
…and here an even more rarely seen (and virtually never photographed) Silky-tailed Nightjar, identified conclusively only when it responded to tape in broad daylight!