February 26, 2024 As dawn broke, Laura, Moises and I slowly cruised along a quiet watercourse. The dawn chorus was active and included species like Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Zimmer's Woodcreeper and Black-tailed Antbird, but I stayed focused on the treeline, hoping that a curassow-shaped bird would appear.  The dawn chorus quieted as the sun rose above the horizon. Early morning is the best time to find the curassow, and we were running out of time.  Domain of the Wattled Curassow - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru And there it was! It was the bright red bill that first caught my attention and 0.05 seconds later, my brain registered that I was staring at a female Wattled Curassow. Wattled Curassow - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru But it was better than I had imagined - the female was accompanied by a tiny chick! For a few magical minutes we watched the duo in their element.  Wattled Curassow chick - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Wattled Curassow chick - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Wattled Curassows are closely associated with these rivers in the western Amazon basin and that has led to their downfall. The rivers are the highways, and curassows have a lot of meat. But in a few areas like here, hunting of the curassows does not occur and encounters with this secretive species are possible. The curassows like feeding on the fruits of mahogany trees that line the watercourses, and that is likely what this female was on the hunt for.  Wattled Currasow - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru We were on cloud nine after such an epic start to the day! I was pleased that I even managed some mostly in-focus photos with my broken lens.  For the next few hours we cruised around by boat, checking out different waterways in search of some of our target birds. We were successful with Black-tailed Antbird and Short-tailed Parrot.  Black-tailed Antbird - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Short-tailed Parrot - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru It was a very birdy morning and we cleared the hundred species mark before returning to the lodge for breakfast.  Bluish-fronted Jacamar - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Black-tailed Tityra - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Proboscis Bat (Rhynchonycteris nasa) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru After breakfast, we searched by boat for some of the few remaining target birds I had in mind such as Purple-throated Cotinga, Gray-eyed Greenlet and Wing-barred Seedeater, but were unsuccessful.  Unidentified katydid - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru We were also on the lookout for Dusky-billed Parrotlets, a potential lifer for Laura and a new photographed bird for me. Moises claimed sightings on a few occasions, but each time my photos revealed that they were the more expected Riparian Parrotlets.  Band-tailed Antbird - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru At one point during the afternoon we entered an area of higher ground where there was a small walking trail. After spending most of the day in a boat it felt great to feel the earth beneath our boots, even though this meant that we were accompanied by a swarm of mosquitoes. Amazonian Trogon - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Methona confusa - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru We found several groups of Eastern Pygmy Marmosets, one of the smallest species of monkey! Eastern Pygmy Marmoset (Cebuella niveiventris) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Eastern Pygmy Marmoset (Cebuella niveiventris) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Our guide, Moises had a stake-out for Nancy Ma's Night-Monkey (Aotus nancymai) that was visible from the main watercourse.  Nancy Ma's Night-Monkey (Aotus nancymai) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru During the mid-afternoon, Moises took us down a channel choked with vegetation to look for some herps. We kept a close eye on the vegetation until Laura spotted the first snake, as she is known to do! Giant Parrot Snake (Leptophis ahaetulla nigromarginatus) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru While we have seen this widespread species before, this was a new subspecies for us. The extensive black markings between the scales are quite distinctive.  Giant Parrot Snake (Leptophis ahaetulla nigromarginatus) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Even better than the parrot snake was this next species: a Northern Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis)! I have wanted to see this huge species of lizard for many years but had never gotten lucky. As the name suggests, particularly large individuals somewhat resemble caimans, and they share similar aquatic habitats. Caiman lizards feed on snails, fish, amphibians and other creatures that they find underwater.  Northern Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Northern Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru As the sun set, we found ourselves slowly paddling in a different wetland after another unsuccessful Purple-throated Cotinga search. We enjoyed watching a pair of Yellow-chinned Spinetails. This species is widespread in South America but is fairly localized in Peru.  Yellow-chinned Spinetail - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru You would be hard-pressed to find an activity that Laura likes more than a night-hike in the tropics, and tonight's walk was a good one. We only stayed out for a short while but came away with some nice sightings, including several snakes! Smoky Jungle Frog (Leptodactylus pentadactylus) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Ancylometes sp. - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Unidentified net-casting spider (family Deinopidae) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Crowned False Boa (Pseudoboa coronata) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Pierella hortona - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Leptodactylus sp. - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Sais rosalia - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Garden Tree Boa (Corallus hortulana) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru I think my favourite sighting of the walk was this Slender Opossum (Marmosops sp.). It was extremely confiding and didn't mind my close approach for photos.  Slender Opossum (Marmoseps sp.) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Though they may resemble a rodent to some (Moises confidently identified it as an "Amazonian Mouse", whatever that is), these are actually a tiny genus of neotropical opossums, meaning that they are a marsupial. Slender opossums typically live in the viny, dense understory where they search for insects, arachnids, flowers and fruit.  Slender Opossum (Marmoseps sp.) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru My final post from Peru will include our last couple of days at Muyuna Lodge.

February 24, 2024 Just outside of the city of Iquitos lies an expansive area containing white-sand forest. The particular forest types that grow on white sand are somewhat uncommon in the Amazon, yet the stunted tree growth provides quite the contrast to "typical" Amazonian rainforest. Over the years quite a few unusual bird species have been found in this white-sand forest outside of Iquitos. Indeed, it was only a few decades ago that a strange gnatcatcher was discovered with canopy flocks here; in 2005, the Iquitos Gnatcatcher was formally described as a new species to science, though some taxonomies consider it a subspecies of the Guianan Gnatcatcher. So far, the Iquitos Gnatcatcher has only been found within the Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve.  Laura and I wanted to put in a proper search for the gnatcatcher as well as other specialties of this forest type which includes Ancient Antwren, Mishana Tyrannulet, Allpahuayo Antbird, Brown-banded Puffbird, Brown Nunlet and Zimmer's Tody-Tyrant. We enlisted the assistance of German Coisffman whom we had met a few days earlier at ExplorNapo Lodge. Initially we were prepared to visit on our own, but we decided to enlist German's help because the trail system here can be confusing (and we had no intel), and because he knew of some good areas for the Iquitos Gnatcatcher. Even still, we went in with fairly low expectations of finding the gnatcatcher. It can be extremely tricky and most birders miss it. Ideally we would have had three days at RN Allpahuayo-Mishana, but that was not possible given our itinerary and so one day would have to do.  We arranged for a taxi to drop us off at the entrance and wait while we birded, before bringing us back to Iquitos later in the afternoon. It was a dark, overcast morning with the threat of rain looming in the air and the dawn chorus was muted. We walked in from the road and after fifteen minutes reached the guardhouse where we would pay our fee.  We first tried a side trail that entered the forest near the guardhouse. Despite the gloomy conditions we found some interesting species, including two vocal Brown Nunbirds that we eventually tracked down for some good views. This was the first time seeing this species for Laura and I.  Brown Nunlet - RN Allpahuayo-Mishana, Loreto, Peru A little while later, we tracked down another one of our big targets, the Ancient Antwren. This is another recently described species which is only found in a few areas of white-sand forest in northern Peru, including RN Allpahuayo-Mishana. It is a canopy species that often travels with mixed flocks. Photos were difficult as it was backlit and flitting in the canopy, plus I was dealing with a lens that was unable to autofocus.  Ancient Antwren - RN Allpahuayo-Mishana, Loreto, Peru It was around this time that the rain began to fall in earnest and so we backtracked to the guardhouse. We settled up the entrance fee and then waited out the rain which was now coming down in buckets. It took about an hour, but it finally passed us by. I was anxious to get back on the trail system as it was now mid-morning. However, I was optimistic that the birds would be more active after the rain.  For the rest of the day, German, Laura and I walked slowly along the main entrance trail as well as on various side-trails that cut off of it. German took us to several areas where he had seen the gnatcatcher in the past. We listened carefully for mixed flocks, as this is the best way to cross paths with the gnatcatcher. Some of the mixed flocks were productive and we found a Mishana Tyrannulet in one of them, another target down. But overall the birding was fairly slow and we failed with the gnatcatcher.  Some of the trails hadn't been cleared in some time and we had to scramble around a few large tree-falls.  RN Allpahuayo-Mishana, Loreto, Peru We ventured into an area that often produces Allpahuayo Antbirds, another range-restricted species that we were on the hunt for. We gave it our best shot, but they refused to respond to the tape. The forest was strangely quiet for most of the day.  Waved Woodpecker - RN Allpahuayo-Mishana, Loreto, Peru We found a pair of vocal Brown-banded Puffbrds and tracked one down for photos. This is a species we had only seen before in white-sand forest in Colombia and I was thrilled to photograph it for the first time, even if the photos were pretty poor given the low light, the lack of autofocus, and the puffbirds' penchant for perching in the canopy.  Brown-banded Puffbird - RN Allpahuayo-Mishana, Loreto, Peru We picked up a few more nice sightings throughout the day including a pair of Rufous-backed Stipplethroats and a Striolated Manakin.  Striolated Manakin - RN Allpahuayo-Mishana, Loreto, Peru We managed to cobble together 71 bird species for the eBird list but struck out with the big target, the Iquitos Gnatcatcher, as well as the Allpahuayo Antbird, so it was hard not to be a little disappointed with our visit to RN Allpahuayo-Mishana. Still, it was neat to explore the forest types of the reserve and it was nice to get to know German as well.  That evening Laura and I prepped for the final leg of our Peru trip. In the morning, we had plans to visit Muyuna Lodge for three nights to search for Wattled Curassows and several other specialists of the varzea forest found there.  February 25, 2024 When planning the Amazonian leg of our trip, we strategically picked three lodges to give us a great chance at a wide diversity of species. For the last three nights of our trip we would be at Muyuna Lodge, situated at a low point along the south side of the Amazon where the forest floods each year. Since we were still near the beginning of the rainy season, there was dry land, though our rubber boots were necessary and most of our birding was still done by boat.  Because Muyuna Lodge is located south of the Amazon River, some of the bird species would be new to us. A river as massive as the Amazon can provide a significant barrier for birds, especially for non-migratory forest dwellers like antbirds and puffbirds. The Saturnine Antshrike, for example, is only found south of the river and would be new to us. Same with the Blue-cheeked Jacamar and Rufous-necked Puffbird. Some of my other targets were varzea (flooded forest) specialists, such as Short-tailed Parrot and Varzea Thrush.  However, the main reason we were visiting Muyuna Lodge was for the Wattled Curassow. This endangered species has been nearly hunted to extinction - seemingly a difficult task in the vast Amazon basin. But this is a species that is usually found close to the rivers, and the rivers act as highways for humans. Muyuna Lodge and the surrounding forest is a bit of a sanctuary for the curassows, as the value of the birds as something other than a food source has now been realized. Birders travel here from around the world for a chance to see them.  A driver working for Muyuna transported us out of Iquitos to the docks at San Joaquin de Omaguas. From there, it was only a 45 minute boat trip across the wide Amazon River and down a tributary called the Yanayacu River.  Laura and I were eager to see what we could find, though our guide, Moises wasn't too interested in walking in the forest right after lunch. Our forced siesta concluded around three and the three of us went for a walk in the forest behind the lodge. This area floods annually but for now it could still be traversed with rubber boots.  Female Wire-tailed Manakin - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru We rustled up a nice variety of species including our first Saturnine Antshrike with a mixed flock, though we had no luck with the jacamar or puffbird. Ant-things were well-represented and I was pleased to photograph these Plumbeous Antbirds.  Plumbeous Antbirds - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Plumbeous Antbirds - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Moises pointed out this sleeping Yellow-crowned Toró peering out of its roosting hole. These nocturnal spiny rats are typically found in flooded Amazonian forest. Yellow-crowned Toró (Isothrix bistriata) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Laura came through with a snake, as she often does. This time it was a huge South American Sipo remaining motionless on a tree buttress. These diurnal hunters have excellent eyesight.  South American Sipo (Chironius multiventris) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru South American Sipo (Chironius multiventris) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Perhaps it was looking for one of these: Blue-lipped Tree Lizard (Plica umbra) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Before returning to the lodge, Moises pointed out a tree with several tiny Eastern Pygmy Marmosets clinging to the side. It was too dark for good photos, but we would have more chances with these diminutive primates in the coming days.  After dinner, we headed out by boat for some spot-lighting along the waterways. Overall it was pretty slow, and Moises was only willing to stay out for an hour.  Common Pauraque - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru One highlight was this gorgeous Garden Tree Boa (Corallus hortulana) hanging out next to the river. What a beaut! Garden Tree Boa (Corallus hortulana) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Garden Tree Boa (Corallus hortulana) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Before calling it a night, I quickly checked my moth trap that I had strung up behind the lodge. There were just a few species present, continuing the befuddling trend of not finding any moths in the Amazon. Maybe it is better later in the rainy season? Crinodes besckei - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Unidentified prominent moth (family Notodontidae) - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Anticla antica - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Trichromia sp. - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru Enyo ocypete - Muyuna Lodge, Loreto, Peru In the morning, we would commence our first search for the Wattled Curassow. Stay tuned.

February 21, 2024 (continued) We sped down the Amazon and made a left at the confluence with the Napo River. The Napo had noticeably less flow, while we also realized that sandbars were also much more numerous, leading to the presence of many wading birds and terns. At around 10:45 AM we pulled up to the docks for the ExplorNapo Lodge. It was shaping up to be another hot day and the bird activity had mostly stopped.  Laura and I were shown to our room and after putting our bags away we grabbed our binoculars and birded a small mixed flock near our room that contained Paradise, Opal-crowned and Green-and-gold Tanagers.  I was looking forward to a new suite of birds here at ExplorNapo Lodge. Our previous few days had been spent at Explorama Lodge which is situated within flooded "varzea" forest, while ExplorNapo has quite a bit of upland, "terra firme" species. To the untrained eye the differences in plant species between these two forest classifications may not be that obvious, but they are, and they lead to unique bird communities as well.   There were around a dozen bird species regularly found at ExplorNapo that I had never seen before and we found one of the targets within half an hour of arriving. Luis, Laura and I had met up for a pre-lunch walk. Joining us was German Coisffman, an Iquitos-based birding guide who was staying at ExplorNapo with his client. I spotted the bird in question, a Purplish Jacamar, perched in the canopy next to the trail. This species is uncommon and thinly distributed in the western Amazon basin in northern Peru and Ecuador, as well as barely into southern Colombia and western Brazil. Purplish Jacamar - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru Laura has a knack for finding snakes and she came through once again. This time, it was a coiled Fer-de-lance, also known as a Common Lancehead, next to the trail that caught her eye.  Common Lancehead (Bothrops atrox) - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru We enjoyed a delicious lunch and short siesta and at 2:15 PM reconvened with Luis and the boatman for an afternoon of birding by boat.  Luis knows every channel leading off from the main Río Napo and we picked our way through flooded forest and took nearly invisible passages to a hidden series of connected oxbow lakes.  Paddling along a quiet Río Napo oxbow, Loreto, Peru My #1 target for the afternoon was Purple-throated Cotinga, a rare resident of the Amazon. Scanning the treetops along quiet waterways seems to be one of the most effective strategies for finding this species, but don't take my word for it because I've never seen one! Unfortunately, I was unable to reverse that trend as we struck out. Black-tailed Trogon - Río Napo oxbow, Loreto, Peru Although the cotinga eluded us, we came away with a nice diversity of bird species and I finished the excursion with 88 species on my eBird list. I particularly enjoyed watching a very cooperative Dot-backed Antbird foraging and singing in the swampy forest. Some of the other birds were new for my Peru list including Hooded Tanager, Cinnamon Attila, Yellow-browed Antbird and Black-chinned Antbird. Dot-backed Antbird - Río Napo oxbow, Loreto, Peru As dusk fell, we found ourselves staked out at a particular quiet oxbow where Luis has occasionally seen Zigzag Herons. These tiny, secretive herons are distributed across the Amazon but aren't very easy to find. I had heard one many years ago in the Ecuadorian Amazon but neither Laura nor I had ever seen one before. Anticipation was high as the sun set. While we waited, a Short-tailed Nighthawk emerged for a night of foraging for flying insects.  Río Napo oxbow, Loreto, Peru The Zigzag Heron was a no-show and so we headed back to the lodge. The final bird was a Sand-colored Nighthawk flying low over the Río Napo, its white wings appearing ghost-like in the beams of our flashlights.  Our day wasn't over just yet, however. After dinner we had plans to visit the famous Amazon Conservatory of Tropical Studies (ACTS) Field Station and its famous canopy walkway. This is an excellent site to look for the very secretive Nocturnal Curassow. We planned to do a search of the curassow, spend the night at the field station, and bird the canopy walkway the following morning.  By the light of the moon, we boated up a tributary, but due to low water levels the boat could only make it about half way to the field station and we had to walk the rest of the way. We dropped our bags off at the station and headed out for a magical visit to the canopy walkway. This Two-Toed Sloth was also interested in exploring the canopy walkway, and we followed her for a while until she found a suitable tree to detour along.  Linnaeus's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus) - ACTS Field Station/Canopy Tower, Loreto, Peru Above the trees yet under a canopy of stars, we watched the forest and listened to Crested Owls, Black-banded Owls, and at least three Tawny-bellied Screech-Owls. A Great Potoo sounded off and then we heard it - the distinctive low hoots of a Nocturnal Curassow.  Over the next couple of hours we followed the sounds of the curassow, led by Luis and another guide he had brought along specifically to help with the curassow search (I did not catch his name). The curassows stay high in the canopy and after a bout of calling, remain silent for an hour or more. This makes it extremely difficult to track them down as lots of patience is required. After several hours we called it quits without having seen the curassow. It was approaching midnight and we had a very early wakeup scheduled for the next morning. Actually laying eyes on a Nocturnal Curassow will have to wait until a different trip to the Amazon basin.  February 22, 2024 The rooms at the ACTS field station are very simple with thin mattresses and no fan. Due to the warm temperatures it took me quite a while to fall asleep so I was feeling pretty groggy when the alarm went off. One benefit of the poor sleep was that I was awake to listen to the Nocturnal Curassow hooting away every so often. A magical sound.   Amazon Conservatory of Tropical Studies (ACTS) Canopy Tower, Loreto, Peru The canopy walkway stretches for approximately 500 m through terra firme forest, with different viewing towers at various junctions. A morning session on a canopy walkway is always something we enjoy and so this was going to be a treat!  Paradise Jacamar - ACTS Field Station/Canopy Tower, Loreto, Peru Laura, Luis and I spent most of the morning on Tower 6, which is the highest tower with the best views over the forest. Quite a few interesting species passed through the canopy tree in which this tower was positioned, and we had amazing views of a Dugand's Antwren, which was a big target for us as it is a canopy dweller with a limited range in western Amazonia. Dugand's Antwren - ACTS Field Station/Canopy Tower, Loreto, Peru  Other birds seen well in "our" tree included Duida Woodcreeper, Paradise Jacamar, Yellow-throated Woodpecker and Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatcher.  Duida Woodcreeper - ACTS Field Station/Canopy Tower, Loreto, Peru Paradise Jacamar - ACTS Field Station/Canopy Tower, Loreto, Peru Laura and I had our best ever views of a Lanceolated Monklet early on, as it perched below eye-level just a few dozen meters from us.  Lanceolated Monklet - ACTS Field Station/Canopy Tower, Loreto, Peru Another highlight was finally hearing my first Amazonian Black-throated Trogon and managing a good recording of it. Laura spotted a Spangled Cotinga on an exposed snag, and we encountered quite a few parrot, woodpecker and toucan species.  Spangled Cotinga - ACTS Field Station/Canopy Tower, Loreto, Peru Other highlights included White-necked Puffbird, Chestnut-winged Hookbill, Amazonian Elaenia and Black-headed Parrot. Unfortunately, the lack of any fruiting trees really limited the tanager action and we struck out with both White-bellied Dacnis and Short-billed Honeycreeper, both of which can be seen here if you are lucky.  White-fronted Nunbird - ACTS Field Station/Canopy Tower, Loreto, Peru The big story from the canopy walkway was the shear number of sweat bees. Their numbers slowly built throughout the morning until we were swarmed by hundreds of them. Though they don't sting, they are rather annoying and very distracting!  As we were leaving the canopy walkway, I tried playing tape for Slate-colored Antbird as it was one of my target birds here. Surprisingly, I immediately had a response! Laura, Luis and I watched as a female Slate-colored Antbird snuck out of the undergrowth and looked around, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. Despite the limitations of my broken camera lens, I was able to snap a couple of "record" photos. This is a scarce species of terra firme in western Amazonia.  Slate-colored Antbird - ACTS Field Station/Canopy Tower, Loreto, Peru We walked back to the station, packed up and headed out. Instead of taking the boat back to the lodge, we were going to follow the trail system to maximize our bird sightings.  I didn't know it at the time, but this butterfly is quite rare and this is one of the few photos that now exist of it. It is a type of hairstreak called Bistonina bactriana.  Bistonina bactriana - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru The heat had really set in and it was a bit of a struggle, but we persisted. There weren't many birds given the time of day but we teased a few species out of the woodwork, including our lifer Black-and-white Tody-Flycatcher. Later on we watched a small party of Red-crowned Ant-Tanagers bounce through the understory. This must be a somewhat uncommon species here, as Luis mentioned that it was a lifer for him!  Black-and-white Tody-Flycatcher - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru Lunch, lots of water and a siesta were in order once we returned to the lodge. That afternoon we ventured out by boat to explore some different river islands. It felt great to get out on the water where the breeze created by the moving boat provided some relief from the scorching sun.    Black Caracara - unnamed river island near ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru We visited a location on Isla Yarina where Luis had seen Black-banded Crakes before; they appeared after fifteen minutes of waiting and using playback. The views were pretty good for a few seconds, though I barely even managed a record photo. Still, it was nice to finally lay eyes on this secretive species.  From there we ventured down a tributary to a site where Band-tailed Caciques sometimes come to the river's edge. We waited in the shade for almost an hour and a half but the caciques didn't show. While waiting we were entertained by a male Wire-tailed Manakin. We also found Yellow-crowned Elaenia, Hauxwell's Thrush, Velvet-fronted Grackle and Green Ibis.  Wire-tailed Manakin - Laguna Urcomiraño tributary, Loreto, Peru We continued a short ways up the Río Napo to visit the final river island in a bid to find River Tyrannulet, one of the few river island specialities we still needed. The sun was, mercifully, lower in the sky but it still roasted us whenever we weren't shielded by the trees.  The tyrannulet remained unaccounted for and so we contented ourselves with watching a small group of Black Caracaras and a pair of Riparian Parrotlets. Both Yellow-billed and Large-billed Terns were flying around just offshore.  Riparian Parrotlet - unnamed river island near ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru That evening Laura and I went for a walk with our flashlights in search of herps and whatever else we could stir up.  Acanthoscurria sp. - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru Osteocephalus sp. - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru Unidentified stink bugs (tribe Ochlerini) - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru Spiders were well-represented and included this Pantropical Huntsman Spider making a meal out of a katydid.  Pantropical Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda venatoria) - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru Laura spotted this Collared Treerunner on a trail-side log, a new species for us. One reason why we have never encountered it before is that it is an arboreal species that doesn't usually come down to the forest floor.  Collared Treerunner (Plica plica) - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru Collared Treerunner (Plica plica) - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru Our final frog of the walk was this Painted Antnest Frog. This species has a close relationship with leafcutter ants (Atta cephalotes), and it is often found calling from within the nests of these ants. Typically, leafcutter ants kill and remove any intruders but they don't seem to mind the Painted Antnest Frogs. This is a beneficial situation for the frogs as the ant nests provide a site with high humidity that is safe from predators like centipedes, snakes and spiders. It is not clear how the ants benefit from this arrangement; perhaps the frogs feed on possible intruders that may disrupt the ants.  Painted Antnest Frog (Lithodytes lineatus) - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru February 23, 2024 It was, unfortunately, our final morning along the Río Napo but we made the most of it. We visited a trail that follows the boundary of the lodge through a mixture of varzea and terra firme forest types. This would be our best shot at the Black-necked Red-Cotinga, while there was also a chance at the secretive Ochre-striped Antpitta. As the sky lightened, we motored up a small tributary before disembarking at the start of the trail.  Great-billed Hermit - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru It didn't take long to hear our first Black-necked Red-Cotinga calling from the forest canopy, but despite our best efforts it eluded us. We found a female later on and she cooperated!  Black-necked Red-Cotinga - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru We slowly made our way along the trail, adding many species to our eBird checklist although many of them were heard-only. These included Fiery Topaz, Golden-collared Toucanet, a nice diversity of antbirds and a surprise Brown Nunlet (they are quite scarce in this area).  Achilles Morpho (Morpho achilles) - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru Around 9 AM, we heard a few cacique-types vocalizing from further up the path and we quickly caught up with them. We still hadn't seen Band-tailed Caciques, and though I had mostly given up on this tricky species, this would be our chance! They often flock together with other oropendolas and caciques.  We were in luck! Band-tailed Caciques were the most common species in this flock and I estimated there were eight of them. We followed the flock as it meandered deeper into the forest off the trail. Band-tailed Cacique - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru This large cacique looks similar to an oropendola. It has a limited range in western Amazonia, and northern Peru is probably the best area to search for them. I was relieved to have finally connected with them! Band-tailed Cacique - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru Russet-backed Oropendolas and Yellow-rumped Caciques were traveling with the Band-tailed Caciques. I picked out a single Green Oropendola as well.  Band-tailed Cacique - ExplorNapo Lodge, Loreto, Peru As we rejoined the main trail to start the long walk back, I heard the distinctive song of an Ochre-striped Antpitta somewhere off trail. We were already running a little late and so we only tried to tape it in for a few minutes. We were unsuccessful, but I managed a few recordings at least.  The final big highlight of our walk was a saki monkey in the trees near the trail! This was only our second ever encounter with a saki but it was short-lived, as it promptly disappeared deeper into the forest. I never managed a photo. Based on range I believe this to be Hairy Saki (Pithecia hirsuta), but I may be mistaken. A very cool moment, even if it was short-lived.  And with that, we finished our walk and boated back to the lodge. We packed up our bags, ate lunch, and then loaded ourselves into the boat for the long drive back to Iquitos. It had been a very busy but productive five days in the Peruvian Amazon!

February 20, 2024 A Great Potoo was the first bird I heard this morning shortly after my alarm went off at 5:00 AM. It was going to be a good day.  At dinner the previous night Luis, Laura and I had come up with a plan for our full day at Explorama Lodge. We would begin by taking the boat downriver to a small channel leaving the Amazon River called Cocha Bondi. The birding can be dynamic here at dawn and it would give us a good chance at several of my target species before breakfast, including Red-and-white Spinetail, Pearly-breasted Conebill and Brownish Elaenia. As the first hints of daylight appeared in the night sky, we loaded ourselves into the boat.  There is something about being on an Amazonian watercourse at dawn. The mist rising off the river, the sky lightening as the sun is getting ready to peak over the horizon. The incredible dawn chorus of birds, while parrots and macaws fly high over the river to their feeding ground. Everything seems so alive and vibrant. Our morning at Cocha Bondi was amazing and in less than two hours we tallied over fifty bird species including all three of my targets and much more.  Red-and-white Spinetail - Cocha Bondi, Isla Yanamono, Loreto, Peru We found two singing Brownish Elaenias in mid-aged cecropias around the wetland. Though far from the most iconic Amazonian bird, it can be a tricky one to find and so I was happy with the great views we had.   Brownish Elaenia - Cocha Bondi, Isla Yanamono, Loreto, Peru The Pearly-breasted Conebill is also a specialist of mid-aged cecropias, and we found a small flock at one point. Pearly-breasted Conebill - Cocha Bondi, Isla Yanamono, Loreto, Peru Of course there was so much else to see in a habitat like this at dawn. Laura spotted a Sungrebe sneaking through the water hyacinth. Sungrebes are not closely related to grebes and they do not like the sun. Sungrebes are one of three bird species in the family Heliornithidae, the others being the Masked Finfoot (of Asia) and the African Finfoot (of, you guessed it, Africa).  Sungrebe - Cocha Bondi, Isla Yanamono, Loreto, Peru Black-capped Donocobius was a common species in the riverside vegetation. I never tire of these ridiculous birds which are the only species in the family Donacobiidae.  Black-capped Donacobius - Cocha Bondi, Isla Yanamono, Loreto, Peru Spinetails were quite vocal. We noted Red-and-white, Plain-crowned, and Dark-breasted.  Dark-breasted Spinetail - Cocha Bondi, Isla Yanamono, Loreto, Peru Dark-breasted Spinetail - Cocha Bondi, Isla Yanamono, Loreto, Peru We spent a few minutes on shore here and quickly turned up a few more bird species, including this Castelnau's Antshrike. This is yet another river island specialist, but one that we had seen previously in Ecuador.  Castelnau's Antshrike - Cocha Bondi, Isla Yanamono, Loreto, Peru We found a pair of Plain-breasted Piculets here as well, improving on our sighting from yesterday afternoon.  Plain-breasted Piculet - Cocha Bondi, Isla Yanamono, Loreto, Peru It had been a very productive morning, and we headed back to the lodge for a well-earned breakfast. Following that, it was time to walk around the trail system at Explorama. Maybe our luck with the Orange-eyed Flatbill would improve this time.  Apioscelis sp. - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru The birding was slow as the dawn chorus had long-since concluded and we also had to deal with annoying mosquitoes. However, being from Canada (home to the world's worst mosquitoes!) this was not much more than a minor nuisance. We spent almost three hours on the trails and came away with some great sightings.  Taygetis thamyra - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru Our rarest find was a pair of Lunulated Antbirds which we first heard and then eventually saw well since they came right in to the tape. This was a species that I was not at all expecting, as there are only a few records on eBird for the area and it is generally scarce across its limited range.  Lunulated Antbird - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru It was around this point that I began having camera issues. I noticed that my camera stopped being able to focus on a subject. The focus would just zoom in and out and the camera was unable to "lock on". I figured it must be caused by the excessive humidity here, as I have had humidity create issues in the past.  Continuing on, we later found a Lanceolated Monklet at an area where the forest transitions from varzea (seasonally flooded forest) to terra firme (upland forest). This is a rare species that we had only seen once before so we were pretty happy with the encounter. I am a big fan of puffbirds, and this is one of the smallest, cutest puffbirds out there. Unfortunately, it stayed high in the tree and, combined with having to use manual focus, my photos did not turn out very well.  Lanceolated Monklet - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru We also found a few gorgeous Red-backed Poison Frogs along the trail. This beautiful species is only found in a small region of Amazonia in northern Peru.  Red-backed Poison Frog (Ranitomeya reticulata) - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru We returned to the lodge for lunch followed by a siesta, while I also tried to sort out my camera issues. Despite placing the camera and lens in the sun (which helped remove some visible moisture from the camera), I was unable to resolve the focusing issues. For the rest of the trip, I was stuck having to manual focus. This is nearly impossible with wildlife photography since a subject has to be sitting still, and even then there is no guarantee that you can tweak the focus perfectly for a sharp photo. I decided that I would worry less about photography from here on out and just try to appreciate everything through the binoculars. Later, upon returning back to Canada, it was determined that a particular motor in the lens had failed. Fortunately, it was still covered under warranty. As I write this a year later, I haven't had the same issue since it was fixed.  Laura, Luis and I met at 2:30 PM for our afternoon excursion. We returned to Isla Yanamono to try again for the Ash-breasted Antbird. This time we were successful and we even got one to sit still on a branch for a few minutes. I even managed a sharp(ish) photo with the manual focus! Ash-breasted Antbird - Isla Yanamono, Loreto, Peru We visited a different corner of the island that had mainly grasses and low shrubs, as well as an area cleared for agriculture. We connected with another river island specialty here, the Lesser Hornero.  Lesser Hornero - Isla Yanamono, Loreto, Peru The birds were very active here and we found a few other neat species, including Olive-spotted Hummingbird, Lesser Wagtail-Tyrant, Spotted Tody-Flycatcher, Orange-backed Troupial, White-headed Marsh-Tyrant and a wintering Alder Flycatcher.  Olive-spotted Hummingbird - Isla Yanamono, Loreto, Peru Lesser Wagtail-Tyrant - Isla Yanamono, Loreto, Peru Laura noticed this Greater Hatchet-faced Tree Frog resting in the shoreline vegetation, a new species for us.  Greater Hatchet-faced Tree Frog (Sphaenorhynchus lacteus) - Isla Yanamono, Loreto, Peru That evening, after a delicious dinner, we headed out by boat down a small channel near the lodge in search of herps and whatever else we could find.  Right off the bat we found our first snake for the Amazonian portion of the trip, a Brown Sipo sleeping in the trees above the boat. I may have given our boatman a heart attack when I grabbed the snake! Evidently not many of their birding guests do that... Brown Sipo (Chironius fuscus) - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru We also found this unlikely duo: an American Pygmy Kingfisher with a moth (genus Gorgone).  American Pygmy Kingfisher and Gorgone sp. - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru The rest of the boat trip was a bit slow sightings-wise, but we found several roosting birds including Varzea Schiffornis, Green Ibis, Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, Lesser Kiskadee and Gray-headed Tanager.  Laura and I still had some energy after the boat trip and so we headed out on the main trail with our flashlights (after confirming with Luis that we could go out on our own). We couldn't turn up any other snakes but we found several frogs, lizards and insects, as well as a Brown-eared Woolly Opossum high up in the canopy that I noticed due to its eye-shine.  Unidentified mantis (family Liturgusidae) - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru Typophyllum sp. - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru Amazon Sheep Frog (Hamptophryne boliviana) - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru Brown-eared Anole (Anolis fuscoauratus) - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru Ferenta stolliana - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru Brown-eared Woolly Opossum (Caluromys lanatus) - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru Before heading off to bed, I quickly checked my moth trap which I had set up near our room. Unfortunately there were almost no insects on the sheet. For some reason I have a really hard time attracting moths in the Amazonian lowlands, while in the foothills moths are super abundant. I'm not really sure why! Molippa sp. - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru Argyrosticta ditissima - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru Samea sp. - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru February 21, 2024 Our final morning at Explorama Lodge. Though we had done quite well with birds and had found nearly every river island specialty that can be found in this region, we were still missing the Orange-eyed Flatbill. This would likely be our last shot at it, and so that was the goal for the morning. As the dawn chorus began, we headed out on foot.  Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru And the third time was the charm! We finally had a response from an Orange-eyed Flatbill and after a tense minute it came into view. As you can see from my photo, this is possibly the most beautiful bird in the entire Amazon basin.  Orange-eyed Flatbill - Explorama Lodge, Loreto, Peru OK maybe not, but I was still thrilled to have finally found this scarce species! The rest of the walk was fairly slow birding but we turned up a few species including White-eared Jacamar, Slate-colored Hawk, Chestnut Woodpecker and Pale-legged Hornero. We returned to the lodge for breakfast, packed up our room, and by 9 AM we took the boat downriver towards ExplorNapo Lodge. That will be the subject of my next blog post.