Welcome to the latest update from the ever-changing environs around the Fundación Fauna de la Amazonía’s Conservation Centre here in Pastaza, Ecuador!
Well, the ‘dryish season’ would appear to be over – with torrential rainstorms passing over (sometimes fast, other times lingering for many hours) – with some periods of intense sunlight in between, as well as some amazing starry nights! One of the other fascinating dimensions to the Ecuadorian ‘landscape’ are the many, varied cloud formations that abound due to the mountainous areas around, and presumably affected by the rising humidity, as well as the thermal systems carrying the vapour upwards. There have been some amazing sunsets seen around the region (not so on the land as the sun departs from the land, behind the hills, towards late afternoon) – and some beautiful sunrises.
Last week, for the first time definitely identified, a Blue Dacnis (Dacnis cayana) was seen on the land. This a small passerine bird of the tanager family and this fits with a couple of other recent sightings of small bright blue birds around the land.
A Golden Tanager (Tangara arthus) was also seen, as well as the interestingly-named Thrush-Like Wren (Campylorhynchus turdinas) and the Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana) which are large arboreal cuckoos with a very long, graduated tail.
A pair of Maroon-Tailed Parakeets (Pyrrhura melanura – or possibly another, similar species – they were quite high up and really only seen in profile from below!) spent some time on the tall palm tree in front of the quarantine/clinic last week.
Also seen over the past few weeks have been a Coati (Nasua nasua), a Kinkajou (Potos flavus) and a Cabeza de Mate (Eira Barbara)– all three are small to medium-sized mammals – spotted either on, or nearby, the land.
As work has briefly stalled on the shower/dry toilet development, Dave has set-to and has been building, with the help of a small group of volunteers, Jungle Shower Mark III which looks to be the best yet – with custom-built bamboo walls from our own bamboo groves! Ditch clearing has been happening, and some maintenance work around Prawn World and the path to the dike/dam.
Many thanks are due to Gloudina who has spent many hours re-designing our Fundación website. Please have a look………………
http://www.amazoniarescue.org/
Work on the (now) long-awaited new entrance-way has been said (by council staff) to be due to start in the next few days……………vamos a ver (we shall see……….).
