Yanallpa Caño and Arboles Muertas Lake
We certainly were glad that we returned to this creek for a second try – we were rained out here early on Thursday morning. This morning we had perfect weather for a skiff ride exploration and wildlife search and we saw a great deal of wildlife indeed! Within 10 minutes of leaving the Delfin II in our skiffs we had located a pair of monk sakis in plain view – “easy target” to see as guide Adonai likes to say. These fluffy black monkeys are also called “monos voladores” – or “flying monkeys,” and this morning we understood well where that name comes from. They leap from tree to tree and soar with open arms across wide spaces.
Later on this skiff ride we witnessed a territorial fight between two male sakis when their groups came together. A vicious battled begun high in a tree and we could see the monkeys scrambling, wrestling and biting and we could hear them screeching. They lost their balance but refused to let go of one another and so tumbled 30 feet towards the river, got caught in a lower shrub and continued their fight. The females and juveniles ran in from other trees to see what all the excitement was about and once the aggression had subsided the two family groups headed off in opposite directions. These monkeys are monogamous and territorial as we could easily see for ourselves. They were once extremely endangered because they were killed for their wide, furry tail which makes an excellent duster. We were delighted to learn that such nonsense is no longer permitted and these monkeys have recovered their healthy and stable populations.
Associated with the monk sakis were saddle-back tamarins and squirrel monkeys. Everyone observed another new species of primate today, too – the night or owl monkey. This is a very cute, nocturnal creature that is also monogamous (male and female one to one) and lives in family groups. They sleep during the day in hollow trees all snuggled together in a warm monkey pile. Previously the naturalists of the Delfin II had discovered the “apartment” of a family of night monkeys and they have been in residence for a couple years now – although they are not always home. So we slipped in under a dying hollow tree and looked up about 20 feet to where four little round heads were peering down at us. It was difficult to take their picture in the shade and the dark under the trees, but I am sure none of us will soon forget those curious and innocent little round faces looking down at us. They had pretty markings with white “eye-shadow” and deep cinnamon on their shoulders; the wildlife guidebooks do not do them justice – they are very pretty little animals!
Birding was good this morning too; we added a few more species to our list, notably the bluish-fronted jacamar and a loud and lovely red-throated caracara. Morpho butterflies flashed brilliant iridescent blue – a color that is produced by the scale pattern rather than a pigment – as they fluttered in clearings over the river. This is a butterfly that enthusiasts travel to the Amazon to glimpse and we saw several this morning.
Back on board the Delfin II I gave a presentation about my own research experiences and some of the other Lindblad-National Geographic voyages I have been on, then we updated our ever-growing wildlife list. Before lunch our charming barman Deny (who plays a mean pair of maracas in the crew band) taught us to make the perfect pisco sours and then we made our own!
The afternoon’s visit to a lake called Arboles Muertos (Dead Trees) lived up to its name and was a productive area for birds – especially parrots and parakeets. We all saw one outstanding bird, a bat falcon! This is a tiny bird of prey, beautifully colored, that feeds on bats and small birds. We observed a handsome pair of these small falcons perched high in the treetops waiting for an unwary bat to make the wrong move.
Some of us saw another of the yellow-crowned brush-tailed tree rats peeking from his high hole. The locals call them “bartenders” as they are always on alert, peering out to see what is going on. And some of us got a glimpse of the smallest primate in the world – weighing in at a mere 3.5 ounces – the pygmy marmoset, also known as the “leonsito” (“little lion”).
As we returned contentedly to the boat we basked in the beauty of a 360-degree sunset. I do not ever recall seeing a huge dark streak across the orange and pink sky made by a cloud shadow – it was spectacular! We have had a magical, marvelous week and memories of it will light our lives for years to come. May the majestic Amazon rain forest long endure!
P.S. To our delight we all saw the darling pygmy marmoset on Sunday morning.
