A Mixed Bag at Amazonia National Park

A slow morning really as we birded along another trail. It began brightly with some calling Green-winged (Dark-winged) Trumpeters that some of us saw in the early morning gloom. A Hoffmanns’s Woodcreeper followed, along with Elegant Woodcreeper, Cinereous Antshrike and a Long-winged Antwren. A calling Cryptic Forest-Falcon remained just a voice in the distance unfortunately. We walked quite a way before getting brief looks at Black-spotted Bare-eye, and I think only I saw a Rufous-capped Antthrush but a little further on a stonking Collared Puffbird was tracked down way above us in the canopy of some really tall trees. 

This Collared Puffbird was waaaaay overhead...

Further on, at a clearing where we could look across the valley, we saw Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, Gould’s Toucanet, Lafresnaye’s Woodcreeper, some soaring Swallow-tailed and Plumbeous Kites and a distant Golden-green Woodpecker. Reaching the end of the trail it was a relief to see we had rejoined the road from a different place and didn’t have to retrace our steps many kilometres. We drove down to one of the bridges and scanned the surrounding area from the shade and were lucky to see a bunch of new birds for the trip beginning with a group of Bare-necked Fruitcrows, followed by Masked Tityra, Pied Puffbird, Epaulet Oriole and Rufous-bellied Euphonia, with another much closer female Fiery-tailed Awlbill. We do love a bit of padding!

 

After lunch and a siesta we got on a boat and sailed across the Rio Tapajos where we visited several small islands. The first island gave us the local subspecies (and soon to be split) Blackish-grey Antshrike, a pair of which showed really well. Flame-crowned Manakin, Striped Woodcreeper and Amazonian Streaked Antwren followed. The second island was birdless so we sailed to a third where we scanned from the sandy beach.  Some terns could be seen downriver so Bart and I sailed down to get close to our first Yellow-billed Tern sat amongst some Large-billed Terns and Black Skimmers. Sailing back to join the guys we passed a small island where around 40+ Sand-coloured Nighthawks were roosting and took flight as we passed by in spectacular fashion. 

This tree was literally dripping with Grey-breasted Martins

Nice view from our lodge out across the river

A jumble of Sand-coloured Nighthawks

Yellow-billed Tern

Great-billed Terns

Black Skimmer, Yellow-billed Tern and Great-billed Tern

We got the others and returned, only to find a rare Southern Martin had been seen by them, but we all had close views of the nighthawks and as we headed back across the river to the lodge passed a tree dripping with Grey-breasted Martins. They all took flight and unbelievably another Southern Martin flew right across in front of us. The light out on the river was extraordinarily beautiful this evening and it was a pleasure just being out on a boat in the Amazon! Back ashore some Turquoise Tanagers were seen, as well as our first Speckled Chachalacas. 

This Tropical Screech Owl proved to be quite tricky to locate, until........

After dinner we called in a Tropical Screech-Owl to round off the day’s proceedings.