Here in the rain forest, we can have dry mornings with beautiful sunrises. This is all we need to have a successful pre-breakfast exploration of the forest! The early morning hours are the best time of day to watch birds, observe their special displays and listen to their songs.
Before breakfast, we boarded the skiffs and headed to the shore of the Ucayali River. This area is green with large trees and old palm trees as well, and these components favor the presence of several parrot species. This particular spot also has a great number of other birds of different species.
As we were exploring the forest, with binocular and cameras in hand, we suddenly spotted a large flock of red-bellied macaws, as well different types of raptors, woodpeckers and swallows. It was a beautiful morning so far, and then among all this excitement we heard the loud and distinctive sounds of blue and yellow macaws! It was still early in the morning and these magnificent birds were out of their burrows, built in the old palm trees, and ready to start their day. This is why we do early morning explorations in the Amazon rainforest!
The second part of our day was spent at Dorado River. This time we experienced what the rain forest is and why it got that name! We grabbed our ponchos and boarded the skiffs in the rain. This weather causes birds and other animals to stay quieter in the forest. However, they are there, and this was the time to really look for them among the trees.
At the end of the day, we had another exciting outing. We spotted the famous hoatzins nesting a few feet above water, and we also had a close-up encounter with a three toed sloth. As we explored Dorado River, we also found a troop of brown capuchin monkeys mixed up with squirrel monkeys. However, the highlight of the last part of the ride came after sunset—was caiman sightings!
What a beautiful day in the heart of the Jungle!
