The morning was cool and clear with stunning lighting on the clouds, forest, and reflections on the water. The entire forest seemed to be celebrating the new day with songs, trills, car alarms, Star Wars laser fights, and all sorts of other amazing vocalizations. It was hard to believe the sounds were all coming from birds. Amongst the cacophony of sound was a scream of color when we sighted the orange-backed troupial. Other notable sightings included a blue-crowned motmot and a violaceous trogon. All more beautiful than their names could begin to describe. We continued to spot mammals, including the requisite common squirrel monkeys, Isabel’s monk saki monkeys, and a special sighting of a tamandu up in the tree branches. Our week in the Peruvian Amazon may be near to closing, but we continue to have new and amazing sightings every day on every outing!
11/9/2024
Read
Delfin II
Amazon Natural Park and Yanayacu River
For the last full day of our expedition on the amazingly biodiverse Peruvian Upper Amazon, we had an early visit to the Amazon Natural Park. In this privately-owned reserve, we crossed a small lagoon on catamarans, then had the joy to walk in a primary forest and learn from our expert Delfin II naturalists; they described several plant species and other fascinating aspects of rainforest ecology in the neotropics. In the afternoon, we explored Yanayacu River by skiff rides. This beautiful river is covered with thick vegetation, where our naturalists and skiff drivers spotted several species of colorful birds. We saw many pink river dolphins as well. In the evening, we watched the guest slide show of the week, then enjoyed a farewell cocktail and dinner with live music included. It was the golden finale for a successful expedition in this remarkable location of our planet.