After leaving at 4:30AM with just a small breakfast box and then nibbling at the traditional lunch during the cruise we are quite hungry as we make our way back to the hotel for lunch. During the trip all food is included so we get some Guianan curry and some appetizers and water, hard drinks are extra as expected. And then we rest and recuperate for a couple hours before the next birdwatching trip of the day to the Botanical Gardens.
In contrast to the tour earlier that focused on history and was taking quite the circuitous routes this time we go direct seemingly following the canals towards the Garden. In fact given the number of canals here we are considering of proposing to Georgetown to change their name to “Venice of the South America”. They even have a seawall protecting them from the encroaching ocean.
Entering the Botanical Garden we park in a different spot than previously. The focus now is purely on birding and there is no mention of the mausoleum or any historical sights here. From the parking spot we continue towards the end of the garden enjoying the great views and looking for some major specialties found only here.
There are lots of birds and with so many experienced birders everyone is seeing something all the time. That does not mean that some are not missed like the Laughing Falcon right next to our car that almost escaped our scrutiny.
But the Toco Toucan, a rare bird that can be seen only here in Guyana, does not escape our guides. It is quite far away, a credit to them and their eagle eyes that they were able to see it far in the distance.
The Gardens are quite beautiful with some nice rustic bridges and quite few people walking. Most of them are staying in cars, not sure the thinking behind it.
And then while watching a couple cute Pied Water-Tyrants playing near the creek we hear a commotion with the guide quite excitedly calling everyone to a tree. We go there and find out that there is a Blood-colored woodpecker somewhere in the tree. Supposedly it was seen also during the cruise but we didn’t see it then so we persist and finally see it here. Not the best photo or view but at least we did see it, it is quite a rare bird found only in coastal areas of Guyana and Suriname!!
We continue seeing lots of birds, a highlight for us is the Lesser Kiskadee after seeing tons of Great Kiskadees in multiple countries.
Besides the blood-colored woodpecker we see a few other woodpeckers, the most impressive being the Crimson-crested woodpecker, surprisingly huge and beautiful.
In a palm tree we find a group of Orange-winged Amazons, they are quite beautiful to observe as they mill around and poke in the holes. And it isn’t just us a yellow-crested caracara is also watching them intently.
And then our local guide mentions he heard another of the specialties here, a Festive Amazon. However try as he might he cannot see them so we run here and there trying to breach the foliage and catch a glimpse. The guide catches them but they are moving so no luck to put a scope on them. In the end just as we are about to give up we finally catch a glimpse, phew.
And then as the sun sets it is time to return to the hotel, have dinner and pack, tomorrow it is time to go towards the interior via small plane, an adventure we are looking forward to. It will be our first time in the jungle so quite exciting!!! And to prepare we have to pack our large luggage and give it to the minibus drivers so they can take them overland to Iwokrama Lodge during the night while we leave via small plane and only a backpack tomorrow. After that it is time to go to sleep we are quite tired after the long and busy day.
