As it is usual on a birding trip we wake up quite early, with the birds I guess is the expression. After rain the whole night we do not hold high hopes for today but it actually stopped in the morning and we can go to the breakfast area without an umbrella. The food is good and fortified with lots of coffee we are ready for whatever comes next.
And what comes next is another boat ride but this time it is supposed to be more direct as it is simply a shuttle to the trailhead for the Turtle Mountain Trail we will be taking. Of course this goes out of the window when we see our first cayman right next to Iwokrama. We were actually looking for it the day prior also as this is a local, well known Black Cayman named Sankar and the reason why swimming is now prohibited near the Iwokrama jetty.
And then on we go, downstream this time with some light birding while keeping an eye on the black clouds above and hoping for no rain.
With luck there is no rain by the time we reach the landing for the Turtle Mountain trail. From the jetty the trail is reasonably well maintained and soon we are in the middle of the jungle looking for birds and mammals. Soon we reach a small pond with a Tiger Heron and a few ducks and then we have to cross a small creek on wobly tree trunks which is quite difficult for part of the group.
What we don’t expect is to reach a whole village, or at least that is what we think. But soon it is clear to us that this is an overnight camping spot for people that want a more wild adventure from Iwokrama and possibly also for researchers. It also has a restroom which sees some use now as we look for birds in this usually quite productive edge forest.
Nearby our guide hears a rare antbird and what follows is what seems an one hour long stalking of the bird, but probably was 15 minutes or less. Unfortunately the bird seems to be quite adept at hiding whenever our guide spots it singing on one of the tree trunks. In the end most people in the group are unable to see it, a typical photo during the search is below with the bird being on the stump just seconds prior.
Obviously we are not always unlucky in seeing the birds we hear, and we find butterflies and a jacamar also in the area as we continue our walk towards the mountain in the distance.
There are some spots where the trail is blocked by a fallen tree and we have to detour via the jungle and this stretches are the most exciting ones as we pick our way through the jungle around the obstacle.
While the colorful birds are quite attractive we are surprised how prevalent the color black is for fungi and fruit. Part of it is due to mold but also it seems to be quite common otherwise.
As we reach the base of the mountain we start to climb slowly but surely. This creates the need for many stops as the weather is hot and humid so climbing can be quite difficult even in the best of conditions. Which these aren’t…
But all the effort is worthwhile for a birding group if you can find the rare bird at the end of the hike. And we do and relatively easy. The attractions here is the rare red-and-black Grosbeak and we observe a pair for some time hunting for the best photos before starting the descent and finding a pair of Amazonian Black Throated Trogons on the way.
Another bird we really want to see but this point is the Screaming Piha. As the name implies they do scream and in fact if there is one sound we will forever associate the jungle with is the calls of the pihas. They are everywhere but seeing them is a different story. But as we approach the camping site we finally catch one on a lower branch and easily visible, yay!
As we reach the camping site we notice that there are significantly more birds now in the edge forest than previously. A large part of them are Red-throated Caracaras, an unusual social bird that feeds on larvas on bees and wasps and also eats fruits.
However the most colorful birds are the pair of Red-necked Woodpeckers examining the trees for grubs and whatever the eat. And the most popular bird based on photos is the Red-fan Parrot, as usually the parrots get all the glory even in an experienced birding group.
And then it is time to cross the creek again, with everyone surviving unscathed except the guides, and soon we are at the jetty. Initially it looks abandoned but soon we notice our boat on the other side and it turns around at picks us up, phew, it would have been something to hike back to the lodge via the jungle. We are back in time for lunch and then in the afternoon we have only birding around the lodge planned which is a good respite from the many boat rides.
