Amazonian adventures: Yasuni Parrot Lick

One truly memorable episode of
the Amazon visit was coming here,
a parrot lick in the nearest corner of
the Yasuni National Park.
http://www.saveamericasforests.org/Yasuni/index.html


We arrived at a viewing hide after a shortish
walk along a forest trail. At first no birds were
to be seen, but plenty heard. Obviously there was
a flock of parrots hanging out in surround trees
and bushes, calling to each other noisily and checking
the ground below for signs of danger.
Then, all of a sudden they started tumbling downwards
...like a snowfall, and had a good old "lick" at the mud
at the base of the little rocky hollow.
Here's a close up view taken through an available
telescope.

The smaller birds are cobalt-winged parakeets,
the larger ones are orange-shouldered. The brilliant
flashes of cobalt and red/orange as birds flew up
from the ground were thrilling! The noise too was
an unmissabley exciting dimension to the hour
or so spent here.



Leaving the parrots to their licking we had a
good bit of jungle trekking followed by lunch back
in the hide. Whilst we lunched the heavens opened
and a stream that had been easily fordable on our
walk in was now a raging torrent! We waited
half an hour before attempting a crossing, getting
wellys-full in the process.
Further along the track, however, we were treated to an
encounter with this creature...

...Not a snake, not a worm...a cecaelian! A legless
amphibian, an inch wide and several feet long!
Our American guide, Forest, said that he had only
four of these in three years guiding at Sacha.
Another lucky encounter!

Back at Sacha Lodge I finally fulfilled me desire
for a good long swim in the lake. The water was
a lovely temperature, the colour of a strong
cuppa. There were piranhas here, one had bitten
someones fingers (moments before I got in for my swim)
as he tried to extract his fishing hook from its mouth.
I met no piranhas on my swim, nor did I bump into any
caiman (they come out in the evening).
I did, however, manage to sneak up on this
little heron as it watched for small fry.