Forest Adventure Brazil 3
Wildfoot’s Sara spent last summer on a wildlife adventure holiday in Brazil, noting down the highlights of her journey. Here on the Wildfoot blog, we are sharing what she has been getting up to. Today, Sara takes a boat excursion and spots some beautiful new birds.
Day 3
My alarm sounds at 4.30am, and I quickly realise we’re on a ‘proper’ wildlife holiday. After a quick strong coffee to give me some energy, we set off on our first excursion. The aim is to reach the other viewing platform in time for sunrise.
After watching the morning mist lift and unveil another gloriously sunny day, we turn our attention to a bit of bird watching, so go down to the intermediate stage of the tower which is level with the forest canopy to get a closer look of the birdlife it is home to. I spend a couple of hours here and get some fabulous shots of white bellied parrots, blue and yellow macaws, black-girdled barbet, Curl-crested Aracari and tropical kingbirds.
On the short journey back to the lodge, Dan spots a pair of swallow tanagers. If you haven’t heard of these birds, I recommend checking them out online as they look stunning, and the male and females are very different!
We arrive back for a delicious breakfast and then quickly head back off for a boat excursion until lunchtime. The boat trip is extremely refreshing in the burning 35-degree heat. On the boat, we see another 19 types of birds, with my favourite being the iconic sun bittern.
We also manage to spot a giant river otter, successfully fishing for catfish, which acts as an enjoyable interlude to all the birding. Otters are definitely one of the more charismatic and fun animals to watch, constantly ducking and diving and chatting amongst themselves!
We arrive back at 12.30pm and enjoy a superbly cooked lunch, consisting of fresh vegetables, chicken and locally sourced cheese. Thankfully, I’m given a few hours to rest up before a sunset boat ride, which is then enjoyed with more birds and wondrous sounds of the Amazon.
Dinner is once again delightful, and after a glass of fine wine around the campfire, my bed is extremely well received!
