I had never woken up in a jungle hammock, in the rain, and so was unsure how to find dry clothes in my backpack wrapped in plastic under my hammock, get those clothes into the hammock while still dry and put them on. All in the hammock.
Recall, here is that hammock:
I somehow managed. Breakfast was instant coffee from water heated on the fire. Yes, these men can make a fire in the rainforest during rainy season. They are that good. I also ate some packaged cookies. Delicious. We had a GPS training session:
then set out by boat, navigating by GPS:
We saw lots of great wildlife, like Morelet's crocodile:
Bats:
Butterflies:
Spider monkeys:
Tapir tracks:
Oropendula and their nests:
And the highlight, for me:
Cohune palms!
But what is feasting on their hard nuts?
Scarlet macaws:
These beautiful birds are endangered in part by poachers. Poachers ascend nest trees to steal hatchlings for the international pet trade. This macaw nesting tree has scars in the bark from climbing attempts by poachers:
Please, do not buy scarlet macaws! The high market price for these birds drives the poachers. Most of the baby birds they steal from their parents die and so the poachers must take many nestlings in order to have even one baby bird to sell. Please admire live macaws in zoos, or better yet in the wild. Display photos and artwork of macaws in your home. Support hands-on local conservation groups like the Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD). They can do more with $100 of your money than a big international group can do with $1000.
By the way, we saw no evidence that any macaw have used any artificial nest boxes:
Macaws really need large tracts of intact tropical forest. This is where they can breed and fly free:
We stayed out until the sun went low. Dinner of crackers and peanut better. A night of heavy rain in the hammock. Got a little chilly, but my blanket was wet so I did without.
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