Zapote River & Iricahua
A main focus of our trip has been the abundant and diverse wildlife. Starting nearly a week ago, we were introduced to much of the common and exciting wildlife that has been our daily companions. Every day we added new species, and quickly developed a wide variety of sightings and photographs. Today, we didn’t add too many new species, but we had great experiences with many of our old friends.
Entering the Zapote River early this morning, we again spotted one of the strangest looking monkeys, the Monk Saki. After plenty of rain last night, a group of three was curled up in a ball high in a tree, beginning to dry out. One scampered off, and then another did one of the largest leaps I have ever seen, easily jumping more than 40 feet down to another tree.
Another great revisit was with squirrel monkeys. As we were kayaking, we heard a group off in the trees. We paddled through some of the trees, and soon were surrounded by a large group. Lining ourselves up in a good spot, we soon had more than ten crossing nearly at eye level, each one leaping from the same perch. Oblivious to us in our kayaks, they busily searched for insects and fruit.
In the afternoon, the narrow stream at Iricahua was our destination. We again spotted more sloths, egrets, Hoatzin, and kingfishers. Throughout this trip, the Black-collared Hawk was continually perched near us, patiently waiting to swoop in and catch a fish. This afternoon, numerous hawks were perched in the sun, allowing for excellent photographs.
Traveling in a destination with such abundant and diverse wildlife really allows one to get a feel for a place. Today, our quality observations solidified our memories of the Upper Amazon of Peru.
