Dorado River in the early morning is a world apart from Dorado River in the night! In the morning there is a different collection of life forms. There are birds and monkeys, all of them looking for their first daily fare. For raptors this is a good place, as fisheries are abundant, and for fruit eaters there is enough in this vast forest!
Our outing started in the early hours before breakfast, and we enjoyed the sounds of the jungle, a chorus that is a mix of birds, insects and monkeys. Squirrel monkeys are prominent in the region and they are always travelling in big troops of at least fifty individuals. Parrots are also common in the place, as there are fruit trees and palms that offer nuts to all of them. This is really a healthy ecosystem with a lot of interaction.
In the afternoon we explored another place, following the course of the Ucayali River on our way to the mighty Amazon River. The site we visited was Belluda Creek, with a vast forest on each side, home to many songbirds, such as tanagers. The highlight here are the black-hooded crimson tanagers that come very close to the ground to forage on wild figs. There are also egrets that come here for fish, as Belluda is also a popular place for fishermen and all the fish-eating birds, including the black-collared hawk.
This forest is also home to monkeys, and the most often seen here are the monk saki monkeys. As we explored the forest, we spotted some of them resting high up in the canopy. They are very interesting, as they are very furry, and they seem to be out of place here in this hot rainforest. However, that’s how evolution works, and they seem to be happy showing their abundant black coat!
It was an amazing and memorable outing!
