It took a while to get to this out of the way place: the Peruvian tropical rainforest along the Marañon River. Today proved it was all worth the time invested. At first light we were out looking for all that would present itself. Highlights of the morning included a bat falcon, an Amazon umbrella bird, and a sun grebe paddling across the creek. While we expected the visual, were we really prepared for the serenading undulated tinamou? The car alarm sounds of the black-fronted nun birds or the raucous chatter of dozens of cobalt-winged parakeets?
We walked the trails and gently swaying suspended bridges of the Amazon Natural Park. This is a piece of terra firma, land that does not flood with the seasonal rise of the rivers. For the afternoon we took to the skiffs once more to meet additional forest dwellers. Saddleback tamarinds, three-toed sloths, and long-nosed bats—all mammals—were added to our growing list of sightings, along with another couple dozen bird species. It was a great introduction to the diversity of life in the rainforest.
