This was the day of our much-anticipated search for the Critically Endangered Blue-throated Macaw. We left early doors and drove out into the Llanos de Moxos, an area that is pretty much an extension of the Brazilian Pantanal. The first bird of the day was a Scissor-tailed Nightjar perched on the road just before daybreak. The scenery certainly looked exactly the same as the Pantanal and driving along in the early morning light we saw many Jabiru, lots of Rufescent Tiger-Herons, Whistling,Capped and Cocoi Herons, RoseateSpoonbills, Plumbeous Ibis, Black-collared and Savanna Hawks, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Toco Toucan, Sunbittern and Black-backed Marsh-Tyrant.
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| Rufescent Tiger-Heron |
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| Sunbittern - not the best photo in the world....! |
Other goodies seen included Plain-crowned Spinetail, Fuscous Flycatcher, Yellow-olive Flatbill, and Golden-green Woodpecker.
Upon arrival at the first macaw site we quickly scoped a pair of Blue-throated Macaws, and lapped up the views. This was our primary reason for coming all this way and everyone was truly elated to get such great views. We then drove across the bumpy plains to another site where we found another group of macaws. Also here were Yellow-chevroned Parakeets, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Peach-fronted Parakeets,Short-crested, Streaked and Brown-crested Flycatchers, Silver-beaked Tanager,Greater Thornbird, Lineated and a superb White Woodpecker.
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| Blue-throated Macaws were seen very well today |
After lunch back at the lodge we set off into the Llanos de Moxos for some 3.5 hours to El Cutal Ranch. Along the way we saw many more of the typical Pantanal birds seen earlier in the day, as well as Green Kingfisher, Black-capped Donacobius, Unicoloured Blackbird, Crane Hawk, Large-billed Tern, Grey and White Monjitas, Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, and a pair of superb Red-and-green Macaws.
We reached the lodge at El Cutal ranch just before sunset.
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| Our base for the next few nights... |
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| Birding at sunset on El Cutal Ranch |
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