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Heather Moore. |
Clay Lick
Thee
day dawns cloudy and cool. The sun is hidden behind the clouds and the
birds seem reluctant to start the day. The Mealy parrots (Amazona
farinosa) and Blue-headed parrots (Pionus menstruus) light on
the lick and are joined by the Chestnut-fronted macaws (Ara severa).
We also observe some Orange-cheeked parrots (Pionopsitta barrabandi)
in amongst the Mealy parrots. Much later a few Blue and Yellow
macaws (Ara ararauna) join them and one pair of Scarlet macaws (Ara
macao). The activity is much more subdued than two days previously
when the sun was out. The birds are startled off the lick by the
appearance of a pair of giant otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) who
swim by the shores of the clay lick. The smaller birds are scared off by
a Roadside hawk (Buteo magnirostris) that perches in the trees at
the left side of the lick. We head to a huge
tree just inside the forest where an artificial nest hangs 200 feet
above the ground alongside an observation platform. It's our chance to
try rope climbing using jumars. This is the method the researchers used
to position the ropes to hoist the artificial nests into the canopy or
to climb to the nests to check on the nestlings. We
climb into harnesses which belt around our waist and thighs. A figure 8
chest harness is placed over our heads and under our arms. The jumar
straps are twined through the chest harness to give us additional
stability. We place our feet into the foot straps and up we go. |
The
movement feels awkward at first. The top jumar must be positioned first
by standing up in the foot straps and pushing the jumar straight up the
rope. Next, the tension must be released from the rope by sitting down
in the harness. The lower jumar can then be moved up. To descend, we
stand up in the foot straps, reach up and grab the rope above the top
jumar, then grasp the jumar with our other hand, release the clasp and
lower it. Then we sit back in the harness (encountering a disturbing
sensation of falling), release tension from the rope by bringing up our
knees, then lower the jumar. The rope climbing is extremely hard work. It is hard to imagine the researchers doing this four or more times a day. Overlook Trail We set out in search of more birds and are soon rewarded. We spot a Bluish-fronted jacamar (Galbula cyanescens) flitting amongst the bushes on the face of the clay lick. We see Snowy egrets (Egretta thula) on the banks of the river. We settle on the bench at the Overlook and sit back to wait for the birds. We spot many species: Silver-beaked tanager (Ramphocelus carbo), Yellow-rumped cacique (Cacicus cela), Wedge-billed woodcreeper (Glyphorynchus spirurus), Blue-crowned trogon (Trogon curucui), and the Speckled chachalaca (Ortalis guttata). We hear the call of the Blue-headed macaw (Ara couloni) but do not see any. |
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