Sunday 17 February 2013

Tonka Island to Paramaribo

There is only limited time on Tonka Island, so it was a particularly early start to try to find the Target Bird, luckily I had done my home-work!
A couple of WHITE-EYED PARAKEET were our first find,
but having strayed a little from Otte's side I picked up a sound
that could only be one thing.
The call of a demented Heifer with a Chainsaw
was surely a
CAPUCHINBIRD
which I also located in double quick time.
Not the best of shots, but the 'receding' forehead 
can be clearly seen.
I believe such a bird deserves a little more than the below average
photographs above, so here is one borrowed from Wiki.
Anything else now was a bonus so
LINEATED WOODPECKER
would do nicely,
 
followed by much closer views of yesterday's
GOLD-WINGED PARAKEET.
GREAT KISKADEE is now very familiar to us all
but what came next certainly wasn't.
We had received some prior information at Brownsberg
of a 
SUNBITTERN
being present on the Island
but hadn't considered our chances as very good.
All of a sudden there it was in front of us,
distant but who cares for a bird of this magnitude?
 SUNBITTERN should receive the same note as CAPUCHINEBIRD
so this photo comes from my own Picasa Album, taken in
Venezuela, 2010
 and this, showing 'full magnificence' is again from Wiki.
AMAZON KINGFISHER 
was a welcome addition to the 'Trip List' but as ever the only absentee is GREEN and RUFOUS KINGFISHER which is the only one north of Ecuador that I have still not encountered on this continent. There's time yet.
 
A 'live' MILLIPEDE was a surprise
but ORANGE-WINGED PARROT didn't make for much of a shot
The leaf of this plant retracts at human touch.
WHITE-TIPPED DOVE
GREAT EGRET
and what's that flying low across the lake?
RUFESCENT TIGER HERON
FUNGI
 
NATIVE HOMES
and that's when the rain started
and forgot to stop.
OTTE looking a little waterlogged.
How the lake looks now and
how it used to be.
It's still raining but at least we're back at the ranch.
Included here is also the return journey to Paramaribo.
A good catch of PARANA before we left the Island,
 
and a second view of Brownsberg in passing.
 
Both SOLITARY SANDPIPER and
GREEN KINGFISHER 
were awaiting out arrival at the Ferry Terminal, but there was something far more interesting on the way back. Otte it seems simply cannot resist the temptation to visit the reliable sites he knows and that might be just as well for we would not have seen
this stunning male
CREAM-COLOURED WOODPECKER
had his advise not been taken - WOW!
Did you ever see a Woodpecker quite like that? 
The BAUXITE FACTORY of course is not to be missed?
I hope to update the Lists when time allows.