Commewijne River - Red Mangrove Habitat

We had been on the river over an hour before

the Sun showed its hand

and were met at the Ranger Station by the

ubiquitous PIED WATER TYRANT

Having delivered his goods our Captain continued to

 

where we picked up our provisions for the day.

All very sleepy, no rushing about here!

In a nearby garden a YELLOW-HEADED CARACARA was perched.

CAPTAIN DAVID who also doubled as Wildlife Guide

during this part of the visit - The RED MANGROVE FOREST.

Here, our first target bird was to be

CRIMSON-HOODED MANAKIN

which David found in an instant, along with

a female CREAM-COLOURED WOODPECKER.

Otte was not to be outdone as he located the fist of what would become

no fewer than c22

RUFOUS CRAB HAWK

a fine looking Raptor confined to the Guiana's and north eastern coast of Brazil.

Time to peruse one of dozens of redundant

HONEYCOMBS

before Otte came into play once again with

RED-CROWNED WOODPECKER
A 'Lifer' just a few days ago.

The first of what would become 100's of

SCARLET IBIS were all 'immatures'

but soon we were inundated with all stages of development.
Internet Access has proved a little difficult today,

hence a rushed post.

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.