Mike San Miguel

I had long desired to visit Amazonia and chose the areas near Iquitos because of the specialized White-sand Forests. Bret Whitney from Field Guides, recently published his discovery of a new species of antbird, the Ancient Antwren Herpsilochmus gentrii and with the possibility of other new taxa soon to be published from this area, provided further motivation for my choice. I also found Thamnophilidae and Formicariidae to be among the most fascinating groups of birds in the world and with the possibility of also seeing a few Gnateaters and Tapoculos my choice seemed straightforward. This part of Amazonia has a large concentration of these aviformes.

The tour leaders were Bret Whitney and Dave Stejskel. Both Bret and Dave have a vast knowledge of bird vocalizations and used their considerable skill to call and frequently attract many of the birds we saw. Bret's experience in South America is of great repute and his skill and knowledge of the avifauna of Amazonia was quickly demonstrated and continued throughout the trip. Many of the birds we would observe are specialists to very specific habitats represented by White-sand forest (varellal), varzea, and terra firme and we would quickly learn, with Bret Whitney’s instruction, how to distinguish them and be able to anticipate which species would occur in each of them. Varzea and terra firme is also represented on some of the river islands. A separate and unique habitat is found on new islands created by silting in the ever-changing course of the Amazon and we saw an entirely different group of birds in this habitat. The transition zones between these habitats also support an interesting mix of birds.

After an 8 hour delay at LAX our Lan Chile flight finally departed at 8:40PM on July 15 and arrived in Lima at about 7:00 AM. Molly Pollock from Redondo Beach was also on the flight and would be one of the participants through our two-week tour of Amazonia Peru. Dave Stejskel met us at the gate and after a brief stay at the Manhattan Hotel we returned to the airport for a flight to Iquitos with the other tour participants. At the hotel we saw a few birds including the Croaking Ground-Dove and the recently split Pacific Dove (split from White-winged Dove) in the small park across the street from the hotel. After a two-hour flight we arrived in Iquitos at about noon. Late in the afternoon we drove about 7 kilometers out of town where we saw a few species before returning to the hotel.

Iquitos is a city of half a million people in the heart of Amazonia and is the point of access to the nearby white sand forest (or varallel forest, so called from the nearby village of its name). The pure white sand has been created from leaching of minerals and organic material from soils over millions of years. Underlying the white sand is a layer of hardpan that traps much of the copious amounts of rain that fall in the region. Overlying much of the white sand is a layer of organic material that provides nutrients for the forest vegetation. The soil is nutrient poor and the forest that grows here is stunted and much different than the nearby varzea and terra firme along the many nearby rivers and streams. This habitat is the home of Ancient Antwren and other white sand forest specialties. It is the only known location in Peru of the recently re-discovered White-winged Potoo. Rufous Potoo shares this habitat as well.

After an early breakfast at the El Dorado Hotel we drove 25 kilometers from town to a trail into the Allpahuayo-Mishana Reserve. At noon we returned to the hotel for lunch and late in the afternoon we returned to the Reserve and birded there until dark. We saw both Paradise Jacamar and Pompadour Cotinga on several days at this location.

We arose at 2:30 AM and after breakfast drove to K-27 to a trail into the Reserve and started birding by flashlight at about 3:45. Ken Rosenberg joined us for the morning and would be with us for the next two days. While our chances of seeing them were not very good, our target was the White-winged and Rufous Potoo. After many attempts to attract the bird by vocalizations Bret told us that he heard the "whit" call not the normal downslurred whistle of a White-winged Potoo in the distance. He pointed up to a large dead tree and predicted that if the bird came in it would land at the top of the snag and sure enough it did just that. We all looked at it for about 5 minutes before it flew off. The bird would be the rarest one we saw on the entire trip and even now I am amazed at the sequence of events leading up to our observations of this very rare and poorly understood species. In the pre-dawn we heard four species of owls and at about 6:00 we listened to a wonderful dawn chorus including the calls of at least three species of forest falcons. We spent the remainder of the morning birding the white-sand forest for many of the specialists of that habitat. At 11:15 we had already been birding for close to 8 hours and headed back to our hotel for some much needed rest.

In the afternoon we returned to the Reserve and birded there until dark.

We left Iquitos in the morning and met our boat at the Explorama dock on the Amazon. It was our first look at the world’s largest river and even here, where it is still 2000 miles from its terminus at the Atlantic, its scale and complete dominance of the landscape is enormous. It is difficult to see completely across the river because of the large number of islands in the middle of the river. We sailed on a "fast" riverboat down the Amazon to Yanamono Lodge.

On the way just a few miles down river from Iquitos Bret decided to stop at a small sparsely vegetated island that he said could not have been any more than about three years old. This was the first time he had seen this island. He explained that it looked to perfect for a number of species that specialize on "new island" habitat. It consisted mostly of cane and tessaria trees with a few young cycropias. He made an excellent decision because we saw a large number of birds we would see no where else on the trip. When we landed we were greeted by a very nervous pair of Pied Plovers and later discovered we had walked past a nest with two newly hatched birds. We stayed on the island for about two hours and then continued down river for another 2 hours to the lodge just off the Amazon.

The habitat around Yanamono Lodge is primarily terra firma. The forest just behind the Lodge contains one of the most diverse forests on the earth according to the famed botanist Alan Gentry who said the habitat there contained the largest plant diversity of any place on earth. In the afternoon we birded the trails form the lodge until dark. At night Tropical Screech Owls called from the rafters in our lodge and we heard a Spectacled Owl nearby.

In the morning we took a boat to the edge of Isla Yanamono and then up the quebrada to Cocha Yanamono. We slowly motored our while birding the edge of the Island and on the way we had excellent looks at a Red-and-white Spinetail and a Cream-colored Woodpecker flew over the Quebrada directly in front of the boat. A brief stop on the island was productive and while on the Cocha we saw the giant water lily pads. The spectacular leaves of this plant are about 3 feet across.

We returned to the lodge hoping to rest before lunch but found a canopy flock in trees next to the lodge. Dave called in a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl and the flock went nuts. We had great looks at a large number of birds that would have been difficult to observe had they been high in the canopy directly overhead.

Because the trails are often narrow it would be difficult to get all thirteen participants on a though to see bird so we split up into two smaller groups. Our group was called the screamers and the other was the hummers. The screamers were Ned, Terri, Josep, Alan, Diana, Chingju and myself. After lunch we started to bird but were interrupted by rain but it lasted only for a half-hour and we were on the trail again. We slowly worked our way to the edge of the River and on the way spent a considerable amount of time trying to observe a Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher. I eventually got decent looks at the bird but it wasn’t easy. At the river I saw a veniliornus type woodpecker we eventually determined was a Little Woodpecker. It ate a huge group it pulled from a cycropia. The day was very productive with many new species.

At daybreak the screamers walked the trails through terra firme from Explornapo Lodge. We birded the forest until 10:00 and then joined the hummers for a boat ride down the Amazon to its confluence with the Rio Napo and stopped briefly an a river island that, except for a Dark-breasted Spinetail was not very productive. Our destination for the day was the ACEER Lodge up the Sucusari River off the Rio Napo. The river edge was productive and we saw large numbers of Ringed Kingfishers going into nest cavities on some of the high banks of the River. After lunch at ACEER we got our first look and spent some time on the canopy walk. It turned out that Josep was terrified of heights and would not get on the any of the walkways unless he could cross over with me. We spent the last part of the day walking through terra firme until dark.

The water level on the Amazon and Rio Napo was high for July. We actually boated all the way to ACEER lodge. Normally, birding groups boat to Explornapo and hike the mile or so farther to ACEER. When the water level is up, as it was during this trip, birders transfer to a smaller boat that takes you to the doorstep at ACEER. Because of the high water level, almost of the trails through varzea were underwater. Most of the varzea birding was done by boat this year. The trails in the terra firma, while somewhat muddy, were still accessible. While at ACEER we spent most of our walks in the terra firma.

At day break after another good breakfast at ACEER lodge we spent the morning birding in terra firme. Dave led our group, the screamers, that morning. It was cool and overcast with temperatures dipping into the high 60’s, a pleasant change from the warmer and very humid conditions of the previous days. We enjoyed an intense morning of birding with top quality birds including Black-faced Hawk, Long-tailed Potoo, Striated (Noble) Antthrush, Ochre-striped Antpitta, Rusty Belted Tapoculo and Black-necked Red Cotinga plus many other very good birds. In the afternoon after lunch we started again in terra firme hoping to repeat our success of the morning, but as would be expected, birding was much slower. Later in the afternoon we birded from the canopy walkway and towers, spending 2 hours at tower 6 until almost dark.

We birded the entire day in the forest avoiding the canopy because several groups of tourists were up on the canopy walk. On this day we had great looks at Pavonine Quetzal and found a Curve-billed Scythebill; only the third record of that species for Peru. We had a quality day of birding, finding many varzea specialists.

Roger, the local guide at ACEER had spent the previous two nights looking for Nocturnal Curassow but wasn’t having much luck but we decided to go owling and maybe we would get lucky. Walking in forest at night with no moon gives a sense of total blackness. Even though one can see the stars through holes in the canopy no light whatsoever reaches the forest floor. If you were lost at night there would be no way to find your way out. I have never experienced such absolute darkness. We managed to hear a distant Nocturnal Curassow but it was to far away to attempt vocalizations to bring it in. Earlier we tried to tape in a Tawny-bellied Screech Owl. It came in but was directly over a large palm tree that blocked out view. We got back to the lodge at about 10:30 knowing that we would be getting up early to following morning. It was a short night.

The hummers and screamers split into two groups again. The screamers spent the entire morning on the canopy walkway while the hummers birded in terra firme. We spent most of the time at Tower 6 where at least 5 White-browed Purpletufts put on quite a show and we saw Dugand’s Antwren at no more than ten feet away. As we were returning to the lodge it began to rain and continued to rain until about 3:00PM. I was actually ready for the brief respite and a chance to rest for a bit. However, when the rain stopped we were back on the trail but birding was slow for most of the afternoon.

We started birding at 5:00 looking for the Tawny-bellied Screech Owl we heard during the nights at ACEER and were able to tape one in for very good looks. After a quick breakfast the Screamers went with Bret, first through terra firme and then up on the canopy walk. Apparently the rain from the previous afternoon activated the army ants and we found them swarming late in the morning. The swarm we had hoped for earlier in the trip produced a feeding frenzy of antbirds. There were also several impressive canopy flocks that kept us busy. Unfortunately we were scheduled to walk the trail from ACEER to Explornapo to have lunch and had to cut our looks at the antswarm flock a bit short. However, we got good looks at the birds in the swarm and I don’t think we missed anything. We had waited the entire trip to find one and it was difficult to leave.

The walk to Explornapo produced another small antswarm and a few more antbirds. We arrived at the lodge at about 1:00PM. While hiking from ACEER the boats took our luggage to our rooms at Explornapo. Late in the afternoon we birded in terra firma from the lodge and briefly went up on the walkway to get our first taste of seeing canopy birds at eye level. Everyone in the group had experienced serious cases of warbler (tangara)-neck from looking up into the canopy. Being able to look at birds at eye level was a treat.

From Explornapo we took a boat in the morning up Quebrada Shimigay and then to Cocha Shimigay, birding our way through varzea with a stop on land to look for antbirds. We found several species while there. From the boat on the Cocha we observed a large feeding kettle of Plumbeous and Swallow–tailed Kites as they picked dragonflies from the air. While looking up at a King Vulture Bret spotted another raptor and asked us if we could identify it but none of us could. It turned our to be a Slender-billed Kite. More than anything the broad-winged, short-tailed shape is what fooled us. We also watched several species of Swallow swoop down on the water to take insects.

In the afternoon we took the boat to the Isla Yanara and along the edge of the Rio Napa looking for more varzea birds. After dinner we took the boat a short distance up the Sucusari River to look for Common Potoo. We didn’t find the Potoo but the experience was memorable. The boatman shut the engine and we just drifted in absolute silence. The night was crystal clear and it was my first really good look at the southern sky. When looking into the southern sky the observer sees the densest part of the Milky Way and many more stars than in the northern sky. I have never seen so many stars and points of light in my life. It was impressive and very low in the horizon we were even able to see the Southern Cross. Besides the night sky the absolute silence, hearing only the sound of the tropical forest as we drifted down the river gave me a sense of the wild I hadn’t experienced since I was a child. At home or for that matter nearly anywhere in N. America it is impossible to get entirely away from man made noise. No planes, trains, no boom boxes nor the sound of the freeways; just pure natural sound.

From Explornapo we started about 5:00 looking for owls and Common Potoo and found both of them. After a brief stop for breakfast we birded the varzea and finally found a large antswarm with many accompanying antbirds which we stayed with for about an hour and left it only after we were satisfied we had seen every bird that was in the flock. We of course hoped that a ground-cuckoo might come in but that was about the only disappointment we experienced. Back at the lodge in the early afternoon we found a nice canopy flock behind the lodge and picked up a few more new birds. In mid-afternoon the boat took us up the Sucusari to a place where Lucio remembered as a child that the habitat was still in good shape. There is a small settlement there inhabited by native people who gave us permission to go back into the forest. The real prizes of the afternoon were Undulated Antshrike and Black Bushbird. We returned to the lodge well after dark and I worked on my notes after dinner and didn’t get to bed until about 10:30.

The bar at the lodge advertises they make the best Pisco sours on the Sucusari. It is a margarita type drink except much better. That’s not much of a claim since there are no other bars within a hundreds miles but the drinks were wonderful and much better than the ones I tasted at the El Dorado Hotel bar.

We left the lodge at 4:00 and took the boat back up the Sucusari River to the village we had visited the day before hoping that early to find Rufous Potoo and to get better looks at the Antshrike and Bushbird. I had seen these two birds reasonably well the day before but many in the group had missed them. We had no luck with the Potoo or any Owls but we did flush a startled and bewildered Chestnut Woodpecker. After sunrise several from the group who hadn’t ventured out earlier group (a wise move on their part given our lack of success at owling), joined us at about 6:30. We found the Bushbird and everyone in the group got to see it. On the way back to the lodge we stopped on an island but birding there was unproductive and we returned to the lodge for lunch and a little more birding in the forest behind the lodge. We then took the boat back up the Amazon to Iquitos. It took about three hours.

After eleven days in the Amazonian forest with cold showers, heat and humidity and dirty clothes it was great to get back to the comforts of the El Dorado and a hot shower and clean cloths. It would be the last night that the entire group would be together for dinner and, as is tradition, we all chose our three favorite birds of the trip. I selected White-winged Potoo, Ochre-striped Antpitta and Black Bushbird.

The group spent one last morning In the Allpahuayo-Mishana Reserve hoping to find a gnatcatcher that will one day be split. My last life bird of the trip was a Thrush-like Wren at the edge of the forest overlooking a palm grove cultivated for hearts-of-palm that is a staple in this part of Peru and used in the great soup I had several night at dinner. Early in the afternoon we took a flight from Iquitos back to Lima. We stayed at the Manhattan Hotel had dinner there and then a few hours of sleep before going to Lima International at 11:30. The Lan Chile flight was on time and we left Lima at 2:00 for the eight and a half-hour redeye back to LAX.

This trips more than met my expectation. I saw about 200 lifebirds and well over 400 trip birds. I’m hooked on the Amazon and can hardly wait for my next trip to this extraordinary country.

Pygmy Marmoset (heard only)

Black-mantle Tamarin

Saddleback Tamarin

Common Squirrel Monkey

Yellow-headed Titi

Dusky Titi Monkey

Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth

Northern Amazon Red-Squirrel

Neotropical Pygmy Squirrel

Gray River Dolphin

Kinkajou