The Upper Amazon is well known for the long periods of flooded areas. Then, this water begins to drain and little by little, the Varzea Forest begins to show up. The wildlife also begins to change. Mammals look for higher forest while the area is flooded and will return when the level of the river drops.
The sky was clear and just before sunrise we loaded the skiffs to go and explore this tributary of the Ucayali River. The sun began to reveal the colors of the forest along the riverside. Together with this painting, we began to hear the different bird sounds.
Our early outing was rewarded with a flock of red bellied macaws. To our great surprise, they were sharing the perch with a group of blue and yellow macaws. We enjoyed their interaction until they decide to fly away. What a start to the day!
After breakfast, we loaded the skiffs and landed on a trail close to Llanalpa. Our naturalist shared their knowledge in the ecology of the area. The diversity of plants and the interaction of the different mammals were all proof of the rainforest connection. More birds were sighted, like a flock of scarlet macaws. While enjoying the view, troops of squirrel monkeys jumped above the canopy followed by saddle back tamarins.
Those who decided to explore a different area also had wonderful sightings. A rare northern tamandua was one of the great sightings. Birds like great potoo, oriol blackbird, green backed trogons and red capped cardinals added to the morning’s special treat. This place is just unique.
Back on board, Delfin II cruised to our next destination of the day. We arrived to a tributary called Dorado. Here we had the opportunity to do skiff excursions. We didn’t wait long and loaded the skiffs close to dusk. More birds were spotted, like the cocoi herons, great black hawks, black collard hawks, slate color hawks, black fronted nunbirds, wood storks, and jabirus.
The sun had set when we began to return to the boat. But, our adventure had not ended yet. With spotlights, we began to enjoy the nightlife of this river. Several spectacle caimans could be seen drifting close to the water’s vegetation. Black caimans were seen on the river backs. Boat billed night herons showed up for their evening hunt. Fishing bats also began to fly close to our skiffs.
In conclusion, we had another awesome day in the Upper Amazon!
