Just before sunrise we were awaked by a flock of short tailed parrots that filled the air with their calls. Today we were going to explore the Yanayacu River by skiff or kayak. We all gather up at the lounge to enjoy the sounds of this flock of parrots that had spent the night perched in the same tree that Delfin II had been tied.
In the distance we could see a white blanket along the riverside. It was a flock of great egrets getting ready for their morning catch. Around Delfin II we could see a school of catfish on the surface trying to get air to breath. The river has a lot of silt and tannic acid during low waters, which results in less oxygen, so the fish need to do this in order to survive. Several pink dolphins took good advantage of this.
The morning was great for exploring so right after breakfast we geared up and departed to explore the Yanayacu River. Some went kayaking while the rest explored deeper in the river. Little by little we began to approach the flock of egrets. It was amazing to see these birds take flight.
Along the river banks ringed kingfishers, amazon kingfishers and green kingfishers perched while waiting for their prey to show up. Some of them had an active morning while other kingfishers tried their luck by flying to the other branch, closer to the water. It was so awesome how they would plunge for the catch and beat the fish before swallowing it. It was a very active morning for them, and for us as well.
Late in the afternoon we visited Amazon Natural Reserve. We landed in this private reserve and loaded small catamarans to cross a manmade lake in order to get to the entrance of a trail. We had the opportunity to cross hanging bridges that went over the canopy of the forest. We could hear the birds gathering for the night. We had good sightings of squirrel monkeys, saddle back tamarins and the best – a pair of dusky titi monkeys.
By dusk we had finished going over the bridges and now we had to make our way back to the dock. With flashlights in hand we started our evening walk. The night creatures began to show up. Stick insects, giant grasshoppers, fireflies, tree frogs and many others were spotted. There was a melodious symphony performed by the night dwellers.
Once on the dock, we paddled back to get to the skiff. The moon was bright enough to light us towards our destination. It had been another great day of our exploration in the Upper Amazon.
