This morning was the beginning of an amazing day in the Upper Amazon. We began our activities before breakfast, exploring the shore of the Ucayali River. This forest is exuberant and it is home to several species of raptors, monkeys, parrots and egrets. This morning we explored the fringes of the flooded forest in search of parrots, as this place is their favorite forest. At this time of the year we explore the Upper Amazon from skiffs as the majority of the region is flooded and in some cases the water level is around 25 feet higher than it used to be just two months ago!
Today we paid a visit to the forest of the Ucayali River; which is made of large trees and palms of different types along the river bank. As we explored we spotted a pair of yellow headed caracaras, yellow rumped caciques, red bellied macaws and suddenly we heard the sounds of blue and yellow macaws! These birds are just amazing because of their exquisite plumage and size. It always the highlight for any visitor in this region.
In the afternoon we explored the surrounding forest around Dorado River. This vast green forest is home to squirrel monkeys and black collared hawks. As we were exploring, the canopy came across a group of monk saki monkeys. These animals have made a great comeback after nearly being gone from the region. They used to be hunted for their bushy tales, as they were used as dusters. Today you can spot these monkeys in many places, so in terms of conservation it is good news! Part of our exploration at Dorado River was at night in order to spot some of the nocturnal creatures such as bats, night hawks, and the most exciting of all: the Amazon caiman! We used flashlights to look for them in the floating vegetation. It did not take long to find their red glowing eyes among the weeds of the river.
We just had an amazing and very productive day with beautiful weather and plenty of sightings from beginning to end.
