Santa Cruz - The Beni

The Botanical Gardens in Santa Cruz are a well known birding hotspot, which I was looking forward to visiting once again. Within a few minutes of arriving we were watching Amazonian Motmot and Blue-crowned Trogon beside the car park. 

Amazonian Motmot

Blue-crowned Trogon

The lake was full of Western Cattle Egrets, along with Great Egret, Cocoi Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Bare-faced Ibis, and we also saw Amazon and Ringed Kingfishers here as well. A Red-crested Finch also put in an appearance before we began our search of this wonderful habitat. Overhead, flocks of Red-shouldered Macaws were seen, whilst a few Dusky-headed Parakeets fed on a flowering tree beside the car park. 

Dusky-headed Parakeets

We walked inside and found Buff-throated and Black-banded Woodcreepers, a brief Limpkin, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Green-cheeked Parakeet, Scaly-headed Parrot, Blue-winged Parrotlet, and best of all an extremely showy Bolivian Slaty Antshrike. We also saw Black-and-gold Howler Monkey, Black-tailed Marmoset, Brown Titi Monkey, Bolivian Squirrel, and 5 Three-toed Sloths.

Blue-winged Parrotlet

Bolivian Slaty Antshrike (male)

Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth

By the time we had returned to the car park it was 10.30am and getting rather hot, so we hung around in the shade for a little while and found a Southern Yellowthroat that proceeded to sing repeatedly from a few different exposed perched right in front of us. 

Southern Yellowthroat

There was also our first Rusty-margined Flycatcher and Shiny Cowbirds here as well. Then we drove to a restaurant for an early lunch before heading back to the airport for our early afternoon flight to Trinidad.

After an hour’s flight we arrived to the sweltering conditions and quickly transferred to a lodge on the outskirts of the town. We had an hour to chill out in the air-conditioned rooms before venturing out into the gardens where Scarlet Flycatcher and Hudson’s Black Tyrant were personal favourites. 

Hudson's Black Tyrant

Scarlet Flycatcher - a split from Vermillion Flycatcher

Other birds seen here included Grey-crested Cachalote, Greyish Saltator, Orange-backed Troupial, Common Tody Flycatcherand a Gilded Sapphire. Driving out across the wide open space of the Llanos de Moxos gave us Black-collared Hawk, Southern Screamer, 

immature Snail Kite

Southern Screamers

Snail Kite, Red-capped Cardinal, White-rumped Monjita, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Black-throated Mango, Brown-chested and Grey-breasted Martins, the soon-to-be-split Plain Softtail and Solitary Black Cacique. 

Rather frustratingly a Scissor-tailed Nightjar showed briefly as we drove back to the lodge, but we’d have to wait a bit longer for that one.