Our visit today was full of surprises and wildlife encounters! There was not a moment where something new did not appear.
Early in the morning, we departed on our skiffs. We began a terrific day by visiting a nearby creek known as Pahuachiro. This location is always very productive when it comes to wildlife, especially when looking for new species of birds. As we traveled into the narrow creek, birds were flying right above as they headed to their foraging grounds. Some have just arrived from afar to forage right by the river, and this is when the fun began for us. We started to identify several species that we just saw the day before, and some new ones appeared to make it fun and challenging. Macaws, parrots, trogons, and even a couple species of cotingas were among some of the morning’s sightings.
Later, we headed for our hike at Casual Trail. This is one of the most productive areas to find indigenous fauna, and with the help of locals, we sure did!
We observed anacondas, poison dart frogs, tarantulas, and all kinds of strange looking insects as we hiked through the dense vegetation. We enjoyed the feeling of being in the forest itself, as well as explanations from our naturalist regarding the flora, the fauna, and the local folklore of the Indigenous people who inhabit this remote land.
In the afternoon, we learned about the Amazon River, the Amazon basin, and the Pacaya Samiria Reserve in a very nice and well put together presentation from one of the naturalists on board.
To finish our adventures for the day, we headed out again in skiffs during the late afternoon for more wildlife encounters. Again, birds flew over us and foraged in the nearby trees, providing fun as we tried to find and identify them. Our eagle-eyed naturalists and skiff drivers spotted several species of friendly monkeys, including squirrel, tamarin, and even the nocturnal monkey known as the owl monkey. They all added to the afternoon adventure!
