The Pantanal

South America Day 34 

Explore the Pantanal

The noisy locals woke us up early this morning. As soon as the sun was peaking over the horizon, the racket started. The Parakeets (above) were the noisiest by far. I grabbed the camera before breakfast & went out taking photos of every different bird I could find. Before today, I had no concept how diverse the wildlife was in the Amazon. Here are just a few of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 Horse Riding

After breakfast most of the gang went horse riding around the local area. Me & horses aren't on good terms (nor have we been for decades) so I opted out. Kerri has a similar mistrust for these animals and also opted out. Nora & Vincent also didn't go. They set off & left us to our own devices. Apparently they didn't see much wildlife (more than likely because of the horses & noisy people scaring them off). I don't regret sitting out at all.

Wildlife spotting.

While to tribe were off horse riding, we the remaining four, went for a wander. It was already hot and muggy but we took it nice & easy.
It was a worthwhile exercise as we saw so many animals and birds that the riders did not. Pictured above & below are coatis. Their closest relative is the raccoon and are just as good at scavenging. They cruise around in troops of about 10. The one above was with about six others from his troop but he was the only one I got a chance to photograph. They're so funny scuttling around with their long stripy tails in the air.

Coatis come in different variants. The one below was probably from the same troop as the other one but was more orange instead of black and white.

Marsh Deer

The biggest animal we saw was this marsh deer. It was similar to a couple of the deer species in North America. They were just as skittish as their northern cousins.
Just after we saw the deer some sort of wasp or hornet came out of nowhere and stung Kerri on the finger. We were a long way from the lodge and it would take us at least half an hour to get back. Within minutes her whole finger had swollen up to twice normal size (needless to say it was quite painful). She was very brave about it particularly because it is her birthday today.

Kingfisher

This kingfisher wasn't as skittish as the deer. I watched it darting from his perch to a small pond picking of choice snacks which seemed to be insects more than anything else.

These odd birds look like turkeys to some extent. The one above is called a Blue-throated Piping-guan. The one below is a Black Fronted Piping Guan (or locally known as a Chuchalaca). They make the most bazaar screech/cackle. I can't even describe it because it was so foreign to me.

Raptors

The Jungle has no shortage of raptors. The bird above is a black collared hawk. It's one of four species of hawk we saw today.

 Roadside Hawk

Black Collared Hawk

Afternoon Safari

We spent a lot of time during the day in hammocks under a pergola. It was too hot and muggy to do anything else. Besides, most of the animals were in hiding as well.
Later in the afternoon we got back on the safari truck and headed out into the surrounding area. It was what we were supposed to do the afternoon before but the four hour train delay put a stop to it. We were forced to take this trip earlier in the day than we should have. Unfortunately it meant that many of the animals were still hiding in the shade. We did see a few, but we had done better during our morning walk. This marsh deer and her fawn hung around to have their photos taken, but not for long. We saw a few birds but nothing like first thing in the morning.

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl

Southern Lapling (one of the Plover family).

These are odd little creatures. Armadillos eat ants but have a seemingly over the top defence against predators. I guess with an abundance of predators like jabiru storks, hawks and jaguars, it pays to take out insurance. This little guy scarpered as soon as he saw our truck.

We left the truck for a little while to head into a stand of trees to look for monkeys. We didn't see any monkeys, but we did see evidence of the big cat. Jaguars are not exactly rare in the Pantanal, but like all cats are secretive nocturnal creatures. These ones in particular are cats that you really would like to see, but not really because unless you have some sort of protection, it will probably be the last thing you do. Of all the big cats, Jaguars being primate hunters, are more likely to hunt and kill you than any of the other big cats (& that includes lions).

Swamp Fishing

South America had done a job on me again that afternoon and, (not to be too graphic) I had to stay close to the "facilities". Kerri went with most of the group to a nearby swamp and went fishing. Above, our local guide is up to his waist in a similar pond to the one we'd walked around the day before.

Here's what they were fishing for. Piranhas!
So apparently it's quite safe to stand up to your waist in Cayman and Piranha infested water, throw bait in to catch one of the piscatorial owners of the pond. Sounds a bit crazy to me, but I guess taylor fishermen on the east and west coasts of Australia stand in a similar depth of water throwing burly into the water with sharks circling them.

Apparently the fishing trip was successful. Dinner was in the bag (or on the stick). The problem now is that Kerri wants to come along on the next fishing trip I go on.

Hyacinth Macaws

While the rest were off fishing, I was around the lodge with my camera chasing wildlife.
There were a few Hyacinth Macaws (pictured) that roosted near the lodge at night. They're noisy critters particularly when there's more than one (and there normally is).

I caught this pair doing a hot lap around our lodge. It was wonderful to see these great birds flying free. It reminded me why I don't like seeing birds caged.

 Lizards

We saw one of these in the bunk house last night (above). The one below was on a tree. They're a bit like a small version of our water dragons back on the east coast of Australia but with nicer colours. They aren't quite as angry either.

Dinner that night included the piranha that were caught that afternoon. The guides did a rubbish job of preparing the fish which ended up dry and over cooked. I couldn't even tell you whether they taste any good. I know one thing for sure, you want to avoid those teeth! It was the first time I'd seen them up close and I can tell you that they are razor sharp even after being fried.
The Birthday Girl

Being that it was Kerri's birthday, a few members of the group (who wish to remain nameless) baked a cake and set out some candles. Everyone was there for the big event with the birthday girl at the head of the table.

Nocturnal Visitors

The fly screens and inside lights made the lodge very attractive to the local frog population. The light attracts the bugs to the building but can only go as far as the screens. The frogs think it's a great idea and earn a very easy living as a result. I've seen geckos in Queensland fight for the best position for the same reason.

What an eventful day. Brazil has come up with some great wildlife today. I can't wait to find out what it has for us tomorrow.