BRAZIL 2011: Alta Floresta to Cristalino

Day 3 / August 13 – We awoke early, eager to embark upon the next leg of our journey into the Amazon.  A quick scan around the grounds of the Floresta Amazonica hotel at first light yielded Short-tailed Nighthawks, Fork-tailed Palm Swifts, Bare-necked Fruitcrow (below), and Sigrid, Janis, Sue and Marty found Black-girdled Barbet, White-tailed Trogon and Chestnut-collared Aracari behind their rooms.

After breakfast we left by van, heading to the river to catch our boat to Cristalino. Driving across town, it was interesting to see all the modern amenities and conveniences of this small town seemingly in the middle of nowhere, with a population of 45,000.  Alas, “nowhere” is rapidly disappearing in the face of development, and Brazil is dedicated to maintaining a robust economy for the 5th largest country on the planet.

Beyond the city outskirts, the roads became dirt, the scenery mostly cattle ranches, and we stopped several times. First, near a watering hole to study a large congregation of waders, including Jabiru, Wood Stork, Great Egrets and Southern Lapwings, as well as Muscovy Duck and Bare-faced Ibis. Red-breasted Blackbirds perched low in the grass. Chestnut-fronted Macaws and Blue-headed Parrots – two of the more common parrots – flew in and around the treetops.  We paused again for photos of an adorable family of Burrowing Owls (above) close to the road.

At our final stop we walked the property of a local farming family who left a portion of their land as natural habitat, which sustained a variety of bird species. We saw Yellow-crowned Parrot, Red-bellied Macaw, Blue-and-Yellow Macaw, Sulphury Flycatcher, Grassland Sparrow, Ringed Kingfisher and Black-capped Donacobius.  Our main target here was the Fork-tailed Palmcreeper, a species in decline due to habitat loss. After about 50 minutes, we located one in a stand of moriche palms, and enjoyed excellent looks of it’s striking patterns.

We reached the Teles Pires River, a tributary of the great Amazon River, shortly after 9am, and scrambled out of the van to inspect the surrounding forest.  While our luggage was loaded into one of the waiting boats, we heard Cinnamon Atilla and found Short-tailed Pygmy Tyrant, Golden-winged Parakeet and the first of many Swallow-winged Puffbirds (above).

Finally we climbed into the 10-passenger motor boat, and with George at the helm, journeyed a short ways across the river to Ariosto Island, in search of a few specialties. The dark waters sparkled beneath a bright blue sky, and the lush green foliage of the rainforest extended as far as we could see on both sides of the river.  We took our first breaths of “The Amazon” and smiled!

Our hour-long island visit produced a nice list of species, including Drab Water-Tyrant, Spotted Tody-Flycatcher (above), Bananaquit, a handful of hummers – Black-throated Mango, Versicolored Emerald, Fork-tailed Woodnymph and White-necked Jacobin; Buff-breasted Wren, Amazonian Streaked-Antwren, and the endemic Glossy Antshrike. 

We were intrigued by a group of Long-nosed Bats (above) roosting in a neat row, on the underside of a thick tree branch over our heads.

Back in the boat, we enjoyed the 30-minute ride to our lodge, adding more species to our growing list: Bat Falcon, King Vulture, Greater Yellow-headed Vulture, Green and Amazon Kingfishers, Capped Heron (above) with its vivid blue bill, Striated Heron, Sunbittern and Dusky-billed Parrolet, Paradise Jacamar, and Madeira Parakeet as we neared our landing. White-winged, Banded and Southern Rough-winged Swallows swooped over our heads on every boat ride.

Situated on the pristine Cristalino River, the Cristalino Jungle Lodge’s private forest reserve serves as an important sanctuary for habitat and wildlife, and provides a uniquely wonderful experience for visitors as well as researchers and scientists who are studying this globally-important eco-system. The Cristalino Jungle Lodge is one of the highest-ranked lodges in Brazil, maintaining a commitment to low-impact, sustainable, eco-tourism.  All transportation is by boat, and electricity is provided by generators which are turned on during opportune times of the day.

Upon landing at the dock, we enjoyed cold juice drinks and a warm welcome by Raphael, the lodge manager.  He explained the meal schedule and generator times, and led us to our attractive, comfortable bungalows where we had free time to get situated.  Many of us in the group spent this time following myriad colorful butterflies that flitted around the grounds.  While Cristalino is a beacon for birders, it is also an amazing place for butterfly lovers!

At 3:30pm we gathered at the boat ramp for George to ferry us just across the river for our afternoon excursion.  With just a few minutes in the boat, we saw a Silvered Antbird and Band-tailed Antbird poking along the river bank.  A narrow trail winding through tall trees led us to a small clearing where a silver-steel staircase shot straight into the sky, 50-meters high, and well above the canopy.  With barely a pause, we started climbing up the 220 steps, all of us eager to experience the platform summit of the “New” Tower.

 
To our great delight, birds were sighted in all directions amid the sweeping views – groups of Olive Oropendulas, Red-necked and Curly-crested Aracaris, a White-throated Toucan and a stunning Spangled Cotinga (above). As Pale-rumped Swifts flew by Rufous-bellied Euphonia, Black-faced Dacnis, Grayish Mourner and Red-billed Pied Tanager all perched obligingly amongst the canopy. At a distance George picked out a Kawall’s Parrot and we got to hear Thrush- like Antpitta and a Spotted Antpitta, that sounded like a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl.

As the sun set in brilliant shades of orange, pink and purple, we reluctantly descended to the darker forest floor.  We paused to pull out flashlights, and noticed a bird tail sticking out of a hanging penduline nest (above) – a Royal Flycatcher tucked in for the night.

Walking back down the trail in darkness, we heard Amazonia Pygmy-Owl, Tawny-bellied Screech Owl, Cryptic Forest Falcon and Gray Tinamou.  A spectacular ending to our first day in the Amazon Rainforest!