Cedro Caño, Flor de Castaña & Supay Caño
With high spirits we went to explore very early in the morning “Cedro Caño,” a small but beautiful tributary of the Uyacalli River. Many different bird species were seen along the river edges and on the lush green tall walls of vegetation. One species that was spotted, the Plum-throated Cotinga (Cotinga maynana) is a true jewel and a must for any bird watching enthusiast. This beautiful cotinga is considered uncommon but widespread all over the Amazon. The males’ superb blue turquoise coloration is astounding. It is so vivid that even though these birds are usually spotted in the highest top of flooded forests once you located you can even recognize it among the green vegetation for it shines.
A troop of five Dusky Titi monkeys (Callicebus moloch) was a true delight to observe. They were seen for a long time eating the fruits of a Cecropia tree, running up and down trying to get the best fruits. A very large Tiger Rat Snake (Spilotes pullatus pullatus) was seen very well camouflaged on top a tree as well. Although this impressive snake, that can reach 8 feet in length, is often seen on the ground it can easily climb up trees and shrubs where it hunts birds and small mammals. This snake, despises its appearance, is a nonvenomous one but can aggressively bite if molested.
After a plentiful breakfast we went to “Flor de Castaña” community. In this place we had a great intercultural connection for we had plenty of time to observe the villagers carrying on their normal daily activities. We were extremely impressed with the skills of a couple of medium aged men that were carving out tree trunks making beautiful dugout canoes. The best part of this visit the pleasant time we had while we were in one of the local elementary school classrooms. We sang together with the children, distributed many school supplies, a solar calculator and even a soccer ball that were generously donated by our guests.
In the afternoon, with the sun shining at its most, we visited the third location of the day, Supay Caño and its surroundings. Around this area we had the chance to explore many little lagoons that have been formed in this flooding season. Toucans, parrots, herons and birds of prey, among other amazon bird species were seen and admired. In our way back we had a striking and colorful sunset that made all our senses getting filled with the intrinsic beauty of the Amazon.
