Update from the Rainforests of Peru
On our recent tour to the Rainforest Lodges Southeast Peru, we had a great, engaging group of participants with a thirst for knowledge and sharp eyes looking in all directions. We missed very little, and highlights were numerous as we visited two lodges on the Madre de Dios River. One highlight was merely the travel between the lodges on the river, where we got to see the tropical exuberance drift by at a relaxed speed, allowing us to spot some nifty birds, including a couple large roosts of Sand-colored Nighthawk. An audible companion on every ride, as well as along nearly every trail, was the Undulated Tinamou, and we even got to see a family on the grounds of Los Amigos. Hearing the evocative song of Common Potoo from our rooms at Tambo Blanquillo lodge will be a lasting memory, as was the sight of hundreds of parrots and macaws coming to the famous Blanquillo claylick; spying the stunning, stand-out Orange-cheeked Parrots was particularly memorable. Another frequent companion throughout the tour, the Silver-beaked Tanager with its impossibly deep, velvety red head made it one of the most attractive birds of the tour. In addition to the approximately 360 of birds we tallied, we saw nine species of monkey, many beautiful butterflies, and if you went to the UV-lit sheet at night, countless moths, beetles, mantises, and more.
The banks of the lower Madre de Dios are being relentlessly mined for gold, marring the landscape until the rainy season comes. But as we motored upstream from the confluence with the Rio Colorado, we left civilization and muddied waters behind; a Cocoi Heron here fished in the cleaner waters of the upper Madre de Dios.
We spied several migrant shorebirds such as Upland and Buff-breasted Sandpipers on the river banks and gravel bars, enjoyed time with a pair of Collared Plovers with two very young chicks, and marveled at the ability of around 50 Sand-colored Nighthawks to visually melt into their habitat.
Walking the trails at a relaxed paced allowed us to stop for interesting caterpillars, plants, or other critters.
We never knew what would be around the corner. At one point we heard big flapping of bird, glimpsed something drop to the ground, and then were stunned to look down the trail and see an Ocelot staring at us. Our best guess what that it had just missed catching a Spix’s Guan up in a tree. Quietly eyeing us along another trail was this fantastic Gray's Bald-faced Saki.
The incessant calls of a White-crested Spadebill right over one trail led us to this young fledgling who showed no fear of us while the adult sang nearby.
The spectacle of over a hundred Blue-headed Parrots was made extra special by the sprinkling of stunning Orange-cheeked Parrots among them – here one is barely visible at the bottom. (See photo above)
While we sat in the spacious blind, watching eight species of parrots come down to nibble on dirt, we saw nearly 50 other species of birds in just a couple hours, including two stunning Slate-colored Hawks.
In addition to the miles of trails we walked, the boat rides, and a canopy platform that offered amazing views, we took two delightful paddles on large oxbows near Tambo Blanquillo lodge, where Giant Otters came up to us and snorted, a Black Caiman seemed to beg for food, and many species of birds special to this habitat showed themselves.
