There is no better time to see the Amazonian rivers and jungles than early in the morning or late in the evening. Today a full day of options made it possible for us to take advantage of the very best of the day in search for wildlife. During the warmer part of the day we had a nice time off and afterwards we had a short presentation about parrots.

Here in the Amazon we can consistently see about ten or eleven species of parrots and macaws. Although extremely colorful and quite loud, they represent a challenge for the most experienced bird watchers. An exception is the larger macaws, which we had the good fortune to see and photograph first thing in the morning. These macaws were blue-and-yellow macaws (Ara ararauna), and a brief sighting of scarlet macaws (Ara macao), some of the most amazing birds that we can see in the wild. Not all parrots are as conspicuous as the large macaws. Some less notorious but equally interesting and beautiful were the red-bellied macaws (Orthopsittaca manilata) that we saw perched on the top of an aguaje (Mauritia flexuosa) palm.

While we were walking through the varzea or flood forest, we saw cobalt-winged parakeets (Brotogeris cyanoptera) checking out a termitaria up on a tree for potential nesting site. These parakeets are not uncommon, but we usually hear them as they fly high and fast above the canopy. Other psittacines seen today were dusky headed parakeets (Aratinga weddellii) and white-eyed parakeets (Aratinga leucophthalma). Although not often a highlight, these inconspicuous beauties are seldom seen at a close distance, close enough to admire them, as they deserve.

Parrots are quite common here as well, and they are not hard to see, but it is a little challenging to know exactly what species we are looking at. The voices of some of them are quite distinctive, like the short tailed parrot (Graydidascalus brachyurus), which we see almost every day. Amazon parrots that we could see and identify were the festive parrot (Amazona festiva) and (Amazona amazonica). The voices of these magnificent birds is almost always present as part of the Amazonian repertoire of sounds.

Besides the nine species of parrots, we had wonderful sightings of monk sakis, squirrel monkeys, hoatzins, caymans, bats, and infinity of majestic trees that are home to the almost mythical creatures of the Amazonian rain forest.