Monday, September 28, 2009

Caño Tushmo, Yarinacocha - day 40

I'm now at the huge oxbow of Yarinacocha near Pucallpa in the department of Ucayali after a nightmare 22 hour bus journey over the Andes from Lima on the Leon de Huanuco. Below is shot showing the drivers changing a wheel after a blow-out near Tingo Maria. The ancient bus without heating or aircon took us to freezing in the mountains at 4450 metres to sweating along the dusty unsurfaced jungle road to Pucallpa. In Yarinacocha we hired Miguel ‘Pituco’ a skilled boatman who knows the whole area very well. We visited one of our previous sites (Caño Tushmo) from 2004 which again was good for Heliconius pardalinus butterflies, flying with their much more abundant co-mimcis, Tithoria harmonia. The site was quite rich in birdlife and I noted White-flanked Antwren. Barred Antshriek, Amazonian Scrub-Flycatcher, Amazonian Antshrike, Grey Antbird, Warbling Antbird, Moustached Wren, Scarlet-crowned Barbet, Cream-coloured Barbet, Buff-breasted Wren, Greater Ani, Roadside Hawk, Screaming Piha, Pauraque, Silver-beaked Tanager, White-fronted Nunbird, Ringed Kingfisher, Canary-winged Parakeet, Amazon Kingfisher, Yellow-headed Caracara, Russet-backed Oropendola, Grey-fronted Dove, Lesser Kiskadee, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Black-fronted Nunbird and Blue-grey Tanager.

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