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Musiewild's blog

~ An occasional blog, mainly photos

Musiewild's blog

Tag Archives: Jabiru

Last boat outing – and an extra-ordinary finale!

21 Wednesday Oct 2015

Posted by Musiewild in Photography, Travel, Wildlife

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

anhinga, black vulture, boat-billed heron, Brazil, capybara, caracara, donacobius, great egret, Jabiru, jaguar, kiskadee, Naturetrek, Pantanal, ringed kingfisher, rufescent tiger heron, sunbittern

The word ‘amazing’ is vastly overused, but the end of our trip truly was.

Sunday afternoon, 27th September. With no inkling of what was to came at the end of the day we set off again in our two boats for a final gentle glide.  This time, there was no question of wanting to see things being fed or performing, indeed we went in the other direction.P1170067

Anhingas hanging themselves out to dry

Anhingas hanging themselves out to dry

Rufescent tiger heron

Rufescent tiger heron

Caracara

Caracara

There's a snake in there...

There’s a snake in there…

I couldn't help but admire the boatmen's determination

I couldn’t help but admire the boatmen’s determination

though sometimes there were open stretches

though sometimes there were open stretches

People in the know got very excited about this: Sunbittern

People in the know got very excited about this: Sunbittern

P1170142

Great egret

Great egret

The whole trip I kept hearing this word 'Donacobius', on the lips of people who knew about birds. it had been ticked every night in our review. On the last day, I not only saw one, but was able to take a photo of it. Black-capped of that ilk.

The whole trip I kept hearing this word ‘Donacobius’, on the lips of people who knew about birds. It had been ticked on the list every night in our review. On the last day, I not only saw one, but was able to take a photo of it. Black-capped of that ilk.

One of my favourites - not least because I could recognise it - the rufescent tiger heron, juvenile

One of my favourites – not least because I could recognise it – the rufescent tiger heron, juvenile

Ringed kingfisher

The Ringed kingfisher is another that I learned to recognise

The heron reveals its eponymous boat-bill

The heron reveals its eponymous boat-bill…

... but not its tail

… but not its tail (not that it’s got much of one)

Massed water hyacinths

Massed water hyacinths

Another donacobius!

Another donacobius!

P1170202

Very, very occasionally we saw something familiar

Very, very occasionally we saw something familiar

P1170212

Kiskadee

Kiskadee

Great egret

Great egret

?? Savanna hawk

Juvenile Great Black-hawk

Black vulture

Black vulture

Jabiru stork - from the nest at the lodge

Jabiru stork – one from the nest at the lodge

Every day, late afternoon, hot, sticky, beginning to tire, we were treated to chilled drinks which had emerged from a cooler at the back of the boats.  I had discovered a local carbonated one I rather liked, guarana, so that was my choice every day.  (I’ve just looked it up.  No wonder I liked it:  it’s high in caffeine!)  Dave Allen video’d our ‘sundowner’ about half way through the trip. (In case you’re interested , I’m in a green and white check shirt, towards the left.)

Well after dark, we assembled for our final meal together – some of us were leaving at 5.00 am the following day.  Suddenly, one of the boatmen came rushing in. “Onça!” he cried, “Jaguar!”  We rushed out.  Staff soon had their incredibly strong lamps on the spot on the other side of the river, but it was still very difficult to see anything.

“It’s in the hyacinths”.

“Naturetrekkers*, go and get your binoculars”, advised our leader.  We did, and I was just back in time to see the large feline clamber out of the water and up the bank, and then head off into the undergrowth.  With something in its mouth. A capybara.

But George hadn’t fetched his binoculars: he had fetched his camera.  And this is what he managed to take, very low resolution image here, but unmistakeable. An amazing finale to a wonderful trip.

p10080000

* I was travelling with the excellent wildlife tour company, Naturetrek.

Many thanks to Dave Allen and my French birder and computer friend (and friend friend) Bernard Liégeois with great help in removing question marks from bird pictures throughout this series, and again to Dave for permission to use his wonderful video clips.

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Rain!

18 Sunday Oct 2015

Posted by Musiewild in Photography, Travel, Wildlife

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

Amazon kingfisher, anhinga, boat-billed heron, coati, great horned owl, Jabiru, jacana, monk parakeet, orange-backed troupial, potoo, ringed kingfisher, rufescent tiger heron, southedrn rough-winged swallow, sunbittern, toco toucan, woodcreeper

I didn’t always join the group for every little excursion on foot, especially when it meant getting up even earlier than usual.  Here’s what I missed on one occasion, video again courtesy of Dave Allen. Charming coatis.

Overnight it had rained, and the atmosphere was very damp indeed on Saturday, 26th, though a little, a little, cooler.  This is what the rain had done to the tree outside my room.P1160533001After breakfast, I did go for a little wander in the grounds on my own, and climbed the observation tower, to see a Jabiru stork nest from another angle.P1160534001 P1160535001 P1160536001I actually switched my camera to video, and took this experimentally myself, and was intrigued to see a teenager learning how to arrange the nest.

The cawing you can just hear in the background is Chaco chachalacas. I was pleased to see (and recognise!) a monk parakeet up there as well.

Monk parakeet

We set off on another boat ride, in the other direction.  The river soon narrowed down, from this,P1160555001

to this

There was frequent reversing and roaring of motor to free the propeller from greenery

There was frequent reversing and roaring of motor to free the propeller from greenery

There were just so many birds, over our heads, beside us, around us.

Anhinga

Anhinga

Boat-billed heron, unfortunately hiding most of its boat-bill

Boat-billed heron, unfortunately hiding most of its boat-bill

Two toco toucans and anhinga

Two toco toucans and anhinga

Sunbittern

Sunbittern

Amazon kingfisher

Amazon kingfisher

P1160605001

Southern Rough-winged Swallow

Ringed kingfisher

Ringed kingfisher

Rufescent tiger-heron

Rufescent tiger-heron

The other boat forges the way for ours

The other boat forges the way for ours among the water hyacinth

The flower is very pretty

The flower is very pretty

We disembarked to go for a short walk in the woods, to see this, a Great potoo. It didn’t move a muscle all the time we were there, hoping (thinking?) that we couldn’t see it.

Great potoo

Great potoo

P1160641001 P1160642001 P1160650001

Narrow-billed woodcreeper

Narrow-billed woodcreeper

It was only around 9.00 when we got back, and it was damp, starting to rain again.P1160656001

We agreed to reconvene at 10.30 to see whether it was still raining and to decide whether to go for another stroll in the grounds, with a particular bird in mind.

It wasn’t, so we did.

Wattled jacana, no this wan't the one in mind

Wattled jacana (it wasn’t this we had in mind)

P1160662001Before we got to our goal, it started raining again, but we decided to press on.  And got soaked.  Still we saw the

Great horned owl

Great horned owl

just about. We sheltered under its huge tree, which made a little difference to our degree of wetness, and made our way back to the lodge when the rain slightly eased.  Still, I got another, more subdued, sighting of the lovely orange-backed troupial, in the tree by my room.P1160690001

? Brown-chested martins

Brown-chested martins

P1160721001 P1160722001 P1160716001

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Well we didn’t expect that!

16 Friday Oct 2015

Posted by Musiewild in Cats, Photography, Travel, Wildlife

≈ 14 Comments

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.P1160281001 P1160282001 P1160295001 P1160311001

Ringed kingfisher

Ringed kingfisher

Cocoi heron

Cocoi heron

Iguana

Iguana

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

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

P1160348001 P1160359001

This caiman skeleton was about 4 ft long

This caiman skeleton was about 4 ft long

Byebye capybaras

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,P1160377001

but absolutely had to take photos of the weeniest capybara ever, just six inches long.P1160381001 P1160383001In due course we arrived at our last lodge, run by the same company that ran the flotel.P1160386001The 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.P1160389001

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

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

Black-collared hawk

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 and unknown male

P1160417001 P1160422001

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

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

P1160455001so were quite late for otter bedtime.  This little one definitely did not want to go to bed,P1160481001and needed much persuasion from adults to do so.

So that was that.  Bedtime for all, we thought.  Then this happened:P1160486001An 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.P1160500001 P1160504001

I wish I’d know this was going to happen, I would have been better prepared to take pictures.P1160523001 P1160524001It 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.P1160527001

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A birdy morning

14 Wednesday Oct 2015

Posted by Musiewild in Photography, Travel, Wildlife

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

anhinga, cacique, capped heron, capybara, caracara, cocoi heron, giant anteater, giant river otter, green ibis, hyacinth macaw, Jabiru, piping-guan, purplish jay, rufous hornero, smooth-billed ani

Fearing we might be a little bored with jaguars (?!?!?!?!), the leaders decided – after consultation – that this morning we would not go in search of felines, but visit instead a very bird-friendly fazenda (farm). So, even earlier than usual, we set off with the faithful Manuel, this time turning right from the flotel. (Up-river I think, but the waters flow so slowly in that so-flat land that it was difficult to tell).

But before going any further, do you remember the giant anteater we saw a few days back?  Dave Allen was a fellow wildlife enthusiast on this trip.  A great birder, he personally saw 199 different species during our time in the Pantanal.  He was wielding a video camera for much of the time, and he has authorised me to share with you this excellent clip of our anteater encounter. Can you believe that such an animal exists?

We had hoped yesterday’s rain might mean it was a little cooler today, Thursday 24th September. In vain.

It was not long before we came across a small group of Giant river otters.  Those with fish were making it very clear they were not going to share.

P1150810 (800x585)

Anhinga and Giant river otters

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Shortly afterwards, the boat screeched – metaphorically – to a halt.  We had come to a phenomenon that neither of our naturalists had ever seen before: Capped herons courting.  What beautiful birds!

I wonder if she'll like this twig

I wonder if she’ll like this twig

In case not, I'll fluff myself up

In case not, I’ll fluff myself up

and I'll throw my head back and show her what my throat can do

and I’ll throw my head back and show her what my throat can do

Perhaps this pretty leaf will please her

Perhaps this pretty leaf will please her

Think I'm in with a chance here

Think I’m in with a chance here

I'll go on ahead

I’ll go on ahead

but mustn't forget that leaf...

but mustn’t forget that leaf…

We moved on.

? Green ibis

Green ibis

P1150891 (800x555)

Reflecting

Capybara and ? Smooth-billed ani

Capybara and Smooth-billed ani

Cocoi heron and fish. We stayed to watch for a while, but he just didn't seem to know what to do with such a great big catch.

Cocoi heron and fish. We stayed to watch for a while, but he just didn’t seem to know what to do with such a great big catch.

Yellow-rumped cacique

Yellow-rumped cacique

When we arrived at the fazenda, we were stepping on to land for the first time for three days, though it seemed, in the nicest way, to have been much longer.  What a collection of avian masterpieces we saw there, including those noisy, noisy Hyacinth macaws once more.

Jabiru stork practising its arabesque

Jabiru stork practising its arabesque

Rufous hornero

Rufous hornero

P1150942 (800x609)

Who's a cheeky boy then?

Who’s a cheeky boy then?

P1150953 (800x598) P1150961 (800x598)

A reminder of the wonderful silhouette of a hyacinth macaw as it comes in to land

A reminder of the wonderful silhouette of a hyacinth macaw as it comes in to land

Caracara portrait

Caracara portrait

Chestnut-bellied guans, with caracara

Chestnut-bellied guans, with caracara

? White-tipped dove

White-tipped dove

? Purplish jay

Giant cowbird (BL)

?? Striped-tailed yellow finch, ?? Saffron finch

Saffron finch

P1160024 (800x604)

Blue-throated piping-guan

Blue-throated piping-guan

Caracara care

Caracara care

???

Greyish baywing

And there was a little extra treat in store at the river bank as we went back to the boat for our return to the flotel and lunch.

P1160053 (800x460) P1160070 (800x549)

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It’s very, very hot today

12 Monday Oct 2015

Posted by Musiewild in Cats, Photography, Travel, Wildlife

≈ 13 Comments

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 every morning

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

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 the same family of giant river otters at their morning ablutions

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

P1150247 (800x483)

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

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

'Giant' means about 6 foot in length, full-grown

‘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

Jabiru

P1150283 (800x582) P1150286 (800x549) P1150299 (800x568) P1150308 (800x576)So have others.

Rent-a-crowd

Rent-a-crowd

P1150328 (800x600)

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

? Grey-necked wood rail

Grey-necked wood rail (confirmed by BL)

A little too close for these binoculars' focus

A little too close for these binoculars’ focus

George sporting a natty butterfly

George sporting the natty butterfly

Howler monkey

Howler monkey

Black-collared hawk

Black-collared hawk

? Smooth-billed ani

? Smooth-billed ani (probably, says BL)

Jabiru and older chicks

Jabiru and older chicks

Jabiru and older chicks

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

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

This one was near but well away from it

This one was near but well away from it

Caracara

Caracara

Green kingfisher, female

Green kingfisher, female

 ? Juvenile Great black-hawk (? or Savanna hawk) preparing for...

? Juvenile Great black-hawk preparing for…

... take-off

… take-off

Pete modelling a very chic tree frog, which had fallen on to the boatman

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

Close-up of tree frog

Close-up of tree frog

Caracara with snake

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.

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A very lucky capybara…

11 Sunday Oct 2015

Posted by Musiewild in Cats, Photography, Travel, Wildlife

≈ 19 Comments

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

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

Howler monkey, male

Howler monkey, male

Howler monkey, female

Howler monkey, female

P1140918 (800x525)

Look, no hands!

Cocoi heron

Cocoi heron

P1140943 (800x567)

Cocoi heron

Cocoi heron

Black vultures. They said that this birds 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.

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,P1140961 (800x600)slowly making his way  along the small beach.

And then he froze.  For a long time.  Clearly he had seen something.P1140962 (800x600)

He waited.P1140970 (800x600)

We waited. He waited. P1150002 (800x600)

And then in a mad rush there was nothing.P1150005 (800x600)

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

One very lucky cabybara

And Maxine went to climb out of the river,P1150008 (800x589) P1150033 (800x568)

before changing his mind, and continuing along the riverside.P1150036 (800x606) P1150037 (800x600)

We followed. So did lots of others.

... and 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.

P1150052 (800x589)

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

P1150093 (800x588)

We continued on our way, vaguely making for home.

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

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

It is entirely vegetarian

It is entirely vegetarian

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

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

P1150121 (800x602) P1150123 (800x579) P1150125 (800x561)

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

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

Cattle tyrant on Capybara

 

Juvenile Rufescent tiger heron

Juvenile Rufescent tiger heron

Jabiru stork and small chicks

Jabiru stork and small chicks

Juvenile Great black-hawk

Juvenile Great black-hawk

The sun started to set,

P1150183 (800x600)

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

Home to roost for the night

Home to roost for the night

Nous aussi.

 

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Giant anteater, tapir…

05 Monday Oct 2015

Posted by Musiewild in Photography, Travel, Wildlife

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Amazon kingfisher, black-collared hawk, capuchin monkey, capybara, caracara, chestnut-eared aracari, giant anteater, green ibis, Jabiru, rufescent tiger heron, tapir, toco toucan, vermilion flycatcher

Late afternoon and into dusk on Sunday afternoon, into the safari truck again. We were making for a specific spot, and en route saw birds new to us, and old friends:

P1130750 (800x600)

Green ibis, as if green were not already my favourite colour

P1130758 (800x536)

Chestnut-eared aracari

P1130767 (800x591)

Caracara (not to be confused with the large rodent, the Capybara – we saw both every day)

P1130774 (800x504)

The Rufescent tiger heron again

P1130780 (800x431)

The stunning Vermilion flycatcher

P1130794 (800x526)

Toco toucan

Jabiru

P1130817 (800x582)

and Black-collared hawks

Then we parked, silent, at a respectful distance from a pool where animals were known to come to drink – on the other side – as darkness fell.  Thanks to just a moderately good camera, and a little computer-aided lifting (but, promise, no distortion), I am pleased to be able to record for my future reminiscing, most of the creatures we saw there in the gathering gloom.

P1130831 (800x556)

Amazon kingfisher

P1130866 (800x559)

Capuchin monkey

P1130873 (800x577)

P1130885 (800x548)

Two toco toucans

P1130895 (800x583)

The extraordinary Giant anteater, about 2 metres from snout (to the left!) to tail

P1130910 (800x567)

P1130929 (800x536)

Bare-faced curassow

P1130942 (800x584)

Tapir

On the way back it was dark, and we saw, ‘lamped’,

P1130956 (800x585)

a better view of a tapir

P1130964 (800x529)

…and the ‘cutest’ young Capybara – so far.

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The Brazilian Pantanal

02 Friday Oct 2015

Posted by Musiewild in Photography, Travel, Wildlife

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Amazon kingfisher, black-collared hawk, Brazil, brocket deer, caiman, caiman lizard, capybara, crab-eating fox, egret, Jabiru, Pantanal, Pouso Alegre, rhea, rufescent tiger heron, seriema, Transpantaneira, wood stork

If on a map you bisect South America into equal halves, from various points, then where your lines cross is the Pantanal, ‘South America’s Wetland Jewel’, 210,000 sq km (half the size of California, and 20 times the size of the Everglades), average width 500 km, average altitude around 130 m, of seasonally flooded swampland.  70% of it lies in Brazil. Bolivia and Paraguay share the rest. The wet season is from November to March. The Pantanal’s low population lives mainly by cattle ranching. It is one of the most spectacular areas on earth for wildlife.  Its main habitats are grassland (31%) two kinds of woodland, marshes, forest, and floating mats.

We were there, in the Mato Grosso, towards the end of the dry season.  We expected  temperatures to be in the high 20°s C in the day, and coolish evenings. In fact we experienced the high 30°s, with little relief later in the day.  It was also humid, loved by various biting and stinging insects.  No matter – it was all worth it. This is the first of perhaps 15 photo-blogs about the trip.

On Saturday 19th September, 24 hours after leaving home, after lunch, I found myself with 10 other wildlife tourists and two naturalist guides, Nick from the UK and Fiorella (Italian name, Peruvian nationality) at Poconé, transferring into this safari truck for a four-hour journey to our first lodge.  How we welcomed the (albeit warm) breeze its open sides allowed, quite apart from the viewing opportunities they gave.

P1130170 (800x566)

What an introduction to the area’s wildlife, as we travelled initially in cerrado woodland, then on the only road into (but piercing less than halfway across) the Pantanal, the 148 km Transpantaneira, with its 120 ‘bridges’ (dicey wooden same-level crossings of streams and ditches).

P1130178 (800x553)

Amazon kingfisher

P1130176 (800x601)

Those white blobs are metre-high termite mounds

P1130186 (800x574)

Plumbeous ibis

A note on the names of birds. Birders were thrilled to see and or hear over 200 different bird species while we were there.  I managed to learn the name of perhaps 20, and to photograph perhaps the same number, though these do not necessarily coincide.  If I give no name here, it means I don’t know or have forgotten it.  An ‘?’ means I am fairly sure, a ‘??’ means I think it might be.  I shall hope perhaps to refine these over the coming weeks, but with a ten-day trip to cover, I prefer to get on with the account than spend hours at this stage trying to find them in my 2000+ page bird book.  Any assistance with the task would be appreciated…

P1130199 (800x582)

Red-legged seriema

P1130211 (800x549) P1130226 (800x600)

Now we saw more creatures of the waterways, crowded closer together as the swamps had all but dried out.

P1130242 (800x562)

Rufescent tiger heron which has just taken a baby caiman

P1130248 (800x566)

Chased off by parent caiman

A note on my photographs.  I have preferred to use pictures which tell the story best rather than those which are technically the best.  Moving and/or wobbly vehicles, (truck and boats), dust, haze, rain, misted lenses, very low light at dawn and dusk, made for difficult photographic conditions at times.  Them’s my excuses anyway.

P1130249 (800x556)

P1130256 (800x592)

Our first Rhea

P1130271 (800x553)

Wood stork

P1130279 (800x609)

Black-collared hawk

P1130286 (800x548)

Capybara with Wattled jacanas, cooling off

P1130292 (800x517)

Caiman lizard, about a metre long

P1130300 (800x563)

Great egrets

P1130309 (800x600)

Great egrets, Jabiru storks and possibly Snowy and/or Cattle egrets

P1130319 (800x563)

Egrets with Caiman. These crocodilians are up to 7 feet long, not nearly as terrifying as their more well-known relatives, though it was these which used to be taken to make ‘crocodile’ goods etc.

P1130325 (800x600)

We had turned off the Transpantaneira, and were but two or three kilometres from our first lodge, when the driver announced that we had a flat tyre.  We were obliged to get off for a while, so went for a walk along the track.  Exhausted as we were after all that travelling, we were pleased nevertheless to see creatures we might otherwise have missed.

P1130365 (800x615)

Red brocket deer

P1130378 (800x625)

Brown brocket deer

and several more birds. No-one was sorry though to climb back on the truck, shortly afterwards to arrive, at dusk, at the place where were to stay for the next two nights:

P1130400 (800x592)

Despite our exhaustion we were persuaded by our naturalist guides to go for a night drive, where, ‘lamped’ by Fiorella, a Pauraque (nightjar)

P1130407 (800x534)

and a crab eating fox were revealed to us,

P1130411 (800x560)

along with a crab-eating racoon, of which I did not get a photo.

Bed was never more welcome.

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