Well we didn’t expect that!

Tags

black-collared hawk, caiman, capybara, cocoi heron, giant river otter, iguana, Jabiru, jaguar, Pantanal, ringed kingfisher, Transpantaneira, water hyacinth

An even earlier start this morning, Friday 25th September, as we were due to move about halfway back up the Transpantaneira to our third and final accommodation, for three nights.  So we had a final boat trip out to say goodbye to (representatives) of our river friends of the last few days.

Ringed kingfisher

Cocoi heron

Iguana

Good to see that the teenage Jabiru storks have two parents in fact

This caiman skeleton was about 4 ft long

Byebye capybaras

No jaguars this morning, so here’s Dave Allen’s reminder of our first encounter with Peter and Bianca on our first day in this area, as we gently moved off.

 

We didn’t stop much on the road, as we were rather short of time,

but absolutely had to take photos of the weeniest capybara ever, just six inches long. In due course we arrived at our last lodge, run by the same company that ran the flotel.The iced drink awaiting us on the veranda was so welcome, and we were soon whisked in for lunch.

After a siesta we went out for another … boat ride, in two smaller boats this time.  I for one hadn’t even realised that we were to be based on rivers for this last part of our trip.  There were many fewer other tourist boats. This one contains half of our party, plus naturalist and boatman.

These rivers were sometimes clogged with wild hyacinth, but at least it’s native here.

Black-collared hawk

We were not expecting to see jaguars during these last few days either.  We believed we were heading out to see a family of giant river otters.  And so we were.  But we were delayed – by two jaguars!  As we arrived, there they were, in Fiorella’s word, ‘copulating’! I just saw the end, as they rolled apart.  We stayed there for quite a while,

Tereza and unknown male

Tereza. Doesn’t it just do something to you when they look straight at you?

so were quite late for otter bedtime.  This little one definitely did not want to go to bed,and needed much persuasion from adults to do so.

So that was that.  Bedtime for all, we thought.  Then this happened:An adult came swimming directly to us, such that I found  myself, when it was about 5 feet away from me, adopting my standard very singsong ‘talk to the pets’ voice, saying ‘Hello …’  Then we realised what was going on, as another otter joined in.  These were habituated to humans, and took fish thrown into the water by the boatmen.

I wish I’d know this was going to happen, I would have been better prepared to take pictures. It was fun to see, but nevertheless some of us were left a little with the feeling that this was feeding time at the zoo, not natural, not what we’d travelled thousands of miles to see.  The otters weren’t complaining though.

Orange

Tags

caiman, cocoi heron, curassow, iguana, jaguar, kiskadee, orange-backed troupial, Pantanal

We saw many, many colourful birds in the Pantanal.  This, I think, was my very favourite.

Orange-backed troupial

I had a curious respect and admiration for this creature.

The Yacaré caiman is endemic to central South America

Somehow, the more colourful version is more appealing than the black, though I’m not sure that’s the right word.  Jaguars and anacondas like them whatever the colour – they eat them.

Truly attractive was the demonstration of synchronised drinking by Mr and Mrs Bare-faced curassow:

My bird book says ‘Song: low, hoarse, “e-ur” notes of pair, like grunting of domestic pigs.’

Iguana. They come in all shades of green, and sometimes lavender, black or even pink.

Cocoi heron

The walkie-talkies crackled, and we were off on one of our white-knuckle rides (I exaggerate a little, but the speedy rides were great fun!) to see an unknown jaguar found by one of the boatmen.

More screeching brakes, and our boat turned round!  Manuel’s eagle eyes had spotted a jaguar on the bank – and there were no other boats there.  Very satisfying, especially for the guides, that we were able to observe on our own for a while, before others – honour obliged Manuel – joined us.

It was Maxime again, we were told.  Just check those forehead markings!  Frustratingly, we had no idea where we were in respect to where we had seen him previously, a minor failing of the organisers to my mind. No matter, there we were, observing this beautiful creature once more.

Kiskadee. Some say it calls its name.

In due course, we went on to join others observing the original ‘unknown’ jaguar we had set off to see.  He (presumably it was a he) remained unknown, for this is all we saw for the 30-40 minutes we stayed there.  Definitely the least exciting of all our sightings!

But here is Dave Allen’s expert video of Maxime’s failed attempt to catch the capybara the other day.  You can hear the barking capybara at the end.

Thursday’s sunset.

It’s very, very hot today

Tags

caiman, caracara, giant river otter, great black-hawk, green kingfisher, Howler monkey, iguana, Jabiru, jaguar, Pantanal, smooth-billed ani, striated heron, tree frog, wood rail

6.45 am, Wednesday 23rd September, and we’re longing to get going in the boat for its refreshing breeze.  As we wait…

This was the ugliest, biggest, scariest caiman we saw the whole time – and it was right beside the flotel, bankside, every morning

This Striated heron close by was not the least bit concerned

We moved off, but soon stopped for a while.

Impossible not to stop and watch yesterday’s family of giant river otters at their morning ablutions

The cream markings on throat and chest are individual to each otter

‘Giant’ means about 6 foot in length, full-grown

After jaguars, these otters were what I most wanted to see, and I wasn’t alone.

We have an appointment with Bianca.

Jabiru

So have others.

Rent-a-crowd

We didn’t stay very long after Bianca disappeared into the undergrowth, having other delights in store.

Grey-necked wood rail (confirmed by BL)

A little too close for these binoculars’ focus

George sporting the natty butterfly

Howler monkey

Black-collared hawk

? Smooth-billed ani (probably, says BL)

Jabiru and older chicks

This green iguana crawled out of the lower part of the nest

This one was near but well away from it

Caracara

Green kingfisher, female

? Juvenile Great black-hawk preparing for…

… take-off

Pete modelling a very chic tree frog, which had fallen on to our eagle-eyed boatman, Manuel

Close-up of tree frog

Caracara, high up in tree, with snake

Despite the heat, the morning’s outing was over quickly, though as ever we were pleased to get back to the air-conditioned flotel, a delicious lunch, and a short siesta.

A very lucky capybara…

Tags

black vulture, capybara, cocoi heron, Howler monkey, iguana, Jabiru, jaguar, Pantanal, water buffalo

Off again for the afternoon boat ride.

Iguana (about 2 ft long) with replacement, boneless, tail

Howler monkey, male

Howler monkey, female

Look, no hands!

Cocoi heron

Cocoi heron

Black vultures. ‘They’ said that this bird defaecates on its legs to cool itself. As my bird book says this bird has yellow legs, I have to accept that ‘they’ were not kidding.

And then, thanks to boatmen’s walkie-talkies, we came upon Maxime,slowly making his way  along the small beach.

And then he froze.  For a long time.  Clearly he had seen something.

He waited.

We waited. He waited.

And then in a mad rush there was nothing.

We heard loud barking, just like a dog, the characteristic sound of a capybara who is very unhappy indeed. But he should have been happy:  he had escaped.

One very lucky cabybara

And Maxine went to climb out of the river,

before changing his mind, and continuing along the riverside.

We followed. So did lots of others.

… and so did lots of others

The jaguars are really not bothered by human attention, as long as a respectful distance is kept.

In due course Maxime decided to go ‘inland’, showing himself from time to time.  Jaguars love the river banks as places to cool off.

We continued on our way, vaguely making for home.

Impossible, almost, not to photograph this endearing animal, the capybara

It is entirely vegetarian

Two young water buffalo, playing. Wild animals, but introduced, not native.

How sweet is that, the youngsters trying to follow their parents up the bank?

Cattle tyrant on Capybara

 

Juvenile Rufescent tiger heron

Jabiru stork and small chicks

Juvenile Great black-hawk

The sun started to set,

and in due course we rounded the corner, past the ‘cormorant tree’,

Home to roost for the night

Nous aussi.