January 25-27, 2018 - Rupununi savannah, Karanambu Lodge
January 27, 2018 - Karanambu Lodge, boat cruise on the Rupununi River
January 28, 2018 - Rupununi savannah, Rock View Lodge
January 29, 2018 - Rock View Lodge and surroundings
January 30, 2018 - Rock View Lodge, drive to Atta Lodge
January 31, 2018 - First complete day at Atta Lodge
February 1, 2018 - Second complete day at Atta Lodge
February 2, 2018 - Cock-of-the-rock lek, drive to Surama Ecolodge
February 3, 2018 - First complete day at Surama Ecolodge
February 4, 2018 - Second complete day at Surama Ecolodge
February 5 and 6, 2018 - Georgetown Botanical Gardens, Kaieteur Falls
February 7 and 8, 2018 - Tobago: Cuffie River Nature Retreat, Gilpin Trace
February 9, 2018 - Tobago: Little Tobago Island
February 10, 2018 - Trinidad: Caroni Swamp
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February 3, 2018
The Harpy Eagle is one of the most impressive birds that is found in South America. Weighing up to 20 pounds with a two-meter plus wingspan, Harpy Eagles are adorned with a double crest of feathers on the top of their head, while they also possess massive talons. Harpy Eagles spend most of their time sitting quietly in the canopy of lowland rainforests in Central and South America, keeping a watchful eye out for sloths and primates, of which the huge talons assist with crushing the skulls of the unfortunate mammals. Harpy Eagles occur in very low densities in relatively undisturbed, mature forests sporadically in the Americas. They rarely soar above the forest and their natural history remains little-known because of the difficulty in viewing them. Much of the knowledge we have of the species comes from observations at nest sites as well as the few observations of individuals hunting.
It was one of these nest sites that we were planning on visiting first thing in the morning on February 3. Harpy Eagles are widespread in the forest of Guyana but because of their extremely low densities and habits they are a very difficult species to just happen upon. This particular nest had been well known for a number of years and the pair of eagles had successfully raised several young. This particular nest was occupied by a 22 month old chick who was making forays further and further afield so there would be no guarantee that it was home. We were certainly up for trying!
We rumbled along the dirt highway in the back of the lodge's truck, enjoying the cool breeze on our faces and feeling more awake with each passing minute. Thirty minutes passed before we pulled off the road, the truck backed into a narrow parking spot which signaled the beginning of the trail.
The walk to the nest was not long - perhaps two kilometers - but it took us over an hour since we were stopping occasionally to check out birds. It was tough going in this forest due to the sheer size of the trees. Some birds were calling from the canopy but good luck getting even a glimpse! Fortunately we encountered a few understorey and mid-level species as well, including three new ones for me - Ferruginous-backed and Common Scale-backed Antbirds, and Amazonian Motmot.
We reached the nest tree shortly before 8 AM. The Tropical Cedar which housed the nest was one of the most impressive trees I had ever laid eyes on; certainly the largest I had seen in person. Rising well above the canopy it was easy to see why this was the preferred nesting tree for the eagles.
We scanned the nest from several different vantage points but nobody appeared to be home. We also tried playing some tapes, also without a response and so we kept waiting. Laura pulled this Bullet Ant off of her, which certainly caused an temporary increase in her heart rate. They say that the pain from a Bullet Ant bite feels similar to being shot or stabbed and it will last upwards of 24 hours.
An hour passed by. Stefano had packed with him a snack that consisted of bake (the doughy pastry I mentioned from our time in Atta) that had been stuffed with an omelette, along with a thermos full of sweetened lime juice. The food certainly took the edge off and gave us additional patience.
We tried playing the tape again. Almost instantly there was a response! Our eyes strained through the forest to try and gain a vantage point from where the calls were coming from. As soon as the Harpy responded, a nearby troupe of Howler Monkeys started making a racket. It was a pretty surreal moment, hearing the Harpy call, followed by a warning call from all of the Howler Monkeys. They clearly know that the Harpy Eagles do not mess around.
The eagle changed positions a few times, calling from various locations around us, but try as we might we were unable to sight it. While that was a slight letdown, just hearing the interaction between the eagle and the monkeys made it worthwhile.
Laura spotted a Black-faced Hawk while we were waiting for the Harpy, which hung around long enough for Stefano and I to enjoy it. I was thrilled with the find since Black-faced Hawk is relatively uncommon in northern Amazonia and it was a new one for me.
By 10 AM we finally gave up and began walking back to the truck. Along the way Laura and I paused frequently to investigate lizards, butterflies, or beetles in the undergrowth; invariably, Stefano immediately lost interest each time he realized that we were not looking at a bird. The one non-bird we were able to get him to look at was this Weeping Capuchin that passed by us in the treetops.
On our way back we quickly stopped at a spot where a Long-tailed Potoo roosts, but were unable to find it. We spotted this Great Black Hawk at a roadside stream on the way back but the biggest highlight was a Smooth-fronted Caiman (either Cuvier's Smooth-fronted Caiman or Schneider's Smooth-fronted Caiman) that was near a tiny roadside creek. It unfortunately disappeared after a few seconds.
We made one more stop before driving back to the lodge for lunch. This particular part of dry forest was home to a Great Potoo which could often be found roosting in the area. We searched for half an hour without success, though I did find three more "lifers" including Pearl Kite, a species I've somehow managed to not encounter on my previous trips to the Neotropics.
We relaxed at the lodge and enjoyed lunch. Yuha had arrived (this was our fourth time seeing him!), as had an older couple from England, and the five of us enjoyed telling stories of our respective travels.
Later that afternoon we planned to meet up with Stefano and hike down to the Burro Burro River for an evening paddle. We invited Yuha to join us, he was game, and so we began walking down towards the forest, taking a trail that would eventually lead to the Burro Burro River. Joining us would be one of the local men from Surama (though I completely forgot what his name was); Stefano mentioned that he would help paddle the boat on the river.
Stefano suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and put his hands up to stop Laura and I as well. There was a snake on the trail! With a smile on his face, he slowly pointed towards the red, white and black patterning on the forest floor.
We excitedly followed his gaze until we noticed the snake, lying motionless in the leaf litter. I was not sure what it was at the time, and with the possibility of it being a coral snake, we decided to not risk catching it. Later we were able to figure out that it is a Aesculapian False Coral Snake (Erythrolamprus aesculapii). This species preys on lizards and snakes and is uncommon but widespread in Amazonia.
It quickly disappeared off the trail once it noticed our movement. We continued along the remaining kilometer or so of trail, arriving at the Burro Burro River with 90 minutes remaining until sunset.
Water levels were down along the river which limited our route as certain areas were not passable. The evening air was very still and bird song rang out clearly as we drifted by.
I spotted two large figures atop a Cecropia that was lining the watercourse. Piping Guans! We had heard one the previous evening but this was much better. The Blue-throated Piping-Guan is relatively common in Guyana though in other parts of its Amazonian range its numbers have declined, due to hunting and habitat loss. Piping-guans are almost entirely arboreal, spending much of their days in the treetops feeding on a variety of fruits.
A Paradise Jacamar posed in the sunlight once we had returned to dry land, while we also spotted a Cayenne Jay, Laura's first.
The sun set as we walked back to the lodge, with the sounds of tinamous and insects accompanying us. In a few puddles we found several frogs; I caught one, much to the surprise of Stefano who thought I was crazy.
We reached the edge of the savannah about 45 minutes later. With the lodge in view only a few hundred meters from us, there was one more wildlife surprise in store. A small, dark serpentine shape ahead of me revealed itself as a blind snake, which I quickly caught before it could disappear in some vegetation.
We were pretty excited as not only was this our third snake of the walk, but it was a super cool one at that! Blind snakes range throughout the tropics but little is known about most species due to their secretive nature and fossorial habits. On many species the eyes have been much reduced, they are able to sense changes in light but not much else.
I believe this one is Trilepida dimidiata, sometimes called the Dainty Blind Snake, based off a key to the herps of Guyana. I was not able to figure out much at all regarding its natural history when trying to research the species. While we were holding the snake, it would try to prick us with the end of the tail which was hardened into a point (though it was unable to draw blood). An interesting bit of self-defense but it makes sense considering it would be unable to bite most potential threats. That mouth is just too tiny.
We brought the blind snake back to the lodge as I was interested in showing it to Kenneth, one of the local guides who was a fountain of knowledge when it came to herps. Kenneth assisted me with many identifications during my time in Surama as he knew the area better than anyone.
We quickly wolfed down our dinner and prepared to head back out for a night hike, eager with anticipation on what we might see. While we had been a little frustrated with Stefano on the previous day, he certainly was a great help today. He had never done a night hike before at Surama but was up for it, even though it meant that he would not get home until late that night.
We targeted a creek bed that we had passed earlier in the day. Watercourses are hotspots for wildlife, particularly in the dry season, and while the creek bed was mostly dry but there were some occasional standing pools of water.
One of the first animals we encountered was a Gray Four-eyed Opossum (Philander opossum), its eye-shine easily visible in my headlight beam from several dozen meters away.
This tailless whip scorpion was an imposing sight on a nearby boulder due to its massive, 12 inch "legspan".
Invertebrates seem to come out of the woodwork in the tropics at night and when the "big game" are not biting it is fun to marvel at the invert diversity. Massive cochroaches, spiders, crickets and millipedes were all commonly seen and we soon grew accustomed to the difference in eye-shine from a spider compared to a frog.
Walking along the creek, my headlamp beam illuminated just what I was hoping to see. A snake, draped at waist height on an overhanging branch! I called Laura and Stefano over and we marveled at the reptile. Laura was thrilled to see a "draper", considering we had struck out on tree boas everywhere that we had visited to this point. While not a tree boa, the Banded Cat-eyed Snake was a fantastic find instead.
Cat-eyed Snakes patrol the low and mid levels of the forest at night, hunting primarily for lizards and frogs. Named due to their vertical pupils, Cat-eyed Snakes superficially resemble some species of venomous snakes. Stefano tried to stop me from picking it up but I convinced him that I was positive in its identification, having seen several Cat-eyed Snakes on previous trips.
It was pretty awesome sharing this experience with Laura and Stefano. We even managed to get him to hold the snake - the first time he had ever done that!
Soon after it was time to head back to the lodge. Our eyelids were getting heavier by the moment and we had an early start planned for the next day. On the way back we found a Kinkajou high in the trees, quite a few more impressive spiders, and a several other odds and ends. It had been a fantastic day with many great sightings. The next morning we had a plan to target a particularly interesting amphibian.
Introduction
January 25-27, 2018 - Rupununi savannah, Karanambu Lodge
January 27, 2018 - Karanambu Lodge, boat cruise on the Rupununi River
January 28, 2018 - Rupununi savannah, Rock View Lodge
January 29, 2018 - Rock View Lodge and surroundings
January 30, 2018 - Rock View Lodge, drive to Atta Lodge
January 31, 2018 - First complete day at Atta Lodge
February 1, 2018 - Second complete day at Atta Lodge
February 2, 2018 - Cock-of-the-rock lek, drive to Surama Ecolodge
February 3, 2018 - First complete day at Surama Ecolodge
February 4, 2018 - Second complete day at Surama Ecolodge
February 5 and 6, 2018 - Georgetown Botanical Gardens, Kaieteur Falls
February 7 and 8, 2018 - Tobago: Cuffie River Nature Retreat, Gilpin Trace
February 9, 2018 - Tobago: Little Tobago Island
February 10, 2018 - Trinidad: Caroni Swamp
It was one of these nest sites that we were planning on visiting first thing in the morning on February 3. Harpy Eagles are widespread in the forest of Guyana but because of their extremely low densities and habits they are a very difficult species to just happen upon. This particular nest had been well known for a number of years and the pair of eagles had successfully raised several young. This particular nest was occupied by a 22 month old chick who was making forays further and further afield so there would be no guarantee that it was home. We were certainly up for trying!
We rumbled along the dirt highway in the back of the lodge's truck, enjoying the cool breeze on our faces and feeling more awake with each passing minute. Thirty minutes passed before we pulled off the road, the truck backed into a narrow parking spot which signaled the beginning of the trail.
The walk to the nest was not long - perhaps two kilometers - but it took us over an hour since we were stopping occasionally to check out birds. It was tough going in this forest due to the sheer size of the trees. Some birds were calling from the canopy but good luck getting even a glimpse! Fortunately we encountered a few understorey and mid-level species as well, including three new ones for me - Ferruginous-backed and Common Scale-backed Antbirds, and Amazonian Motmot.
 |
| forest along the Harpy Eagle Trail near Surama, Guyana |
We reached the nest tree shortly before 8 AM. The Tropical Cedar which housed the nest was one of the most impressive trees I had ever laid eyes on; certainly the largest I had seen in person. Rising well above the canopy it was easy to see why this was the preferred nesting tree for the eagles.
 |
| Harpy Eagle nesting tree |
We scanned the nest from several different vantage points but nobody appeared to be home. We also tried playing some tapes, also without a response and so we kept waiting. Laura pulled this Bullet Ant off of her, which certainly caused an temporary increase in her heart rate. They say that the pain from a Bullet Ant bite feels similar to being shot or stabbed and it will last upwards of 24 hours.
 |
| Bullet Ant - Harpy Eagle trail near Surama, Guyana |
An hour passed by. Stefano had packed with him a snack that consisted of bake (the doughy pastry I mentioned from our time in Atta) that had been stuffed with an omelette, along with a thermos full of sweetened lime juice. The food certainly took the edge off and gave us additional patience.
We tried playing the tape again. Almost instantly there was a response! Our eyes strained through the forest to try and gain a vantage point from where the calls were coming from. As soon as the Harpy responded, a nearby troupe of Howler Monkeys started making a racket. It was a pretty surreal moment, hearing the Harpy call, followed by a warning call from all of the Howler Monkeys. They clearly know that the Harpy Eagles do not mess around.
The eagle changed positions a few times, calling from various locations around us, but try as we might we were unable to sight it. While that was a slight letdown, just hearing the interaction between the eagle and the monkeys made it worthwhile.
Laura spotted a Black-faced Hawk while we were waiting for the Harpy, which hung around long enough for Stefano and I to enjoy it. I was thrilled with the find since Black-faced Hawk is relatively uncommon in northern Amazonia and it was a new one for me.
 |
| Black-faced Hawk - Harpy Eagle trail near Surama, Guyana |
By 10 AM we finally gave up and began walking back to the truck. Along the way Laura and I paused frequently to investigate lizards, butterflies, or beetles in the undergrowth; invariably, Stefano immediately lost interest each time he realized that we were not looking at a bird. The one non-bird we were able to get him to look at was this Weeping Capuchin that passed by us in the treetops.
 |
| Weeping Capuchin - Harpy Eagle trail near Surama, Guyana |
On our way back we quickly stopped at a spot where a Long-tailed Potoo roosts, but were unable to find it. We spotted this Great Black Hawk at a roadside stream on the way back but the biggest highlight was a Smooth-fronted Caiman (either Cuvier's Smooth-fronted Caiman or Schneider's Smooth-fronted Caiman) that was near a tiny roadside creek. It unfortunately disappeared after a few seconds.
 |
| Great Black Hawk - highway near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
We made one more stop before driving back to the lodge for lunch. This particular part of dry forest was home to a Great Potoo which could often be found roosting in the area. We searched for half an hour without success, though I did find three more "lifers" including Pearl Kite, a species I've somehow managed to not encounter on my previous trips to the Neotropics.
We relaxed at the lodge and enjoyed lunch. Yuha had arrived (this was our fourth time seeing him!), as had an older couple from England, and the five of us enjoyed telling stories of our respective travels.
Later that afternoon we planned to meet up with Stefano and hike down to the Burro Burro River for an evening paddle. We invited Yuha to join us, he was game, and so we began walking down towards the forest, taking a trail that would eventually lead to the Burro Burro River. Joining us would be one of the local men from Surama (though I completely forgot what his name was); Stefano mentioned that he would help paddle the boat on the river.
 |
| Forest near the Burro Burro River, Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
We walked relatively briskly towards the river, hoping to make decent time along the 5 km route. We paused whenever we encountered birds or anything else of interest, though that was relatively fruitless over the first couple of kilometers. The "best" bird of the walk was the small group of Capuchinbirds, with males displaying from both sides of the path. Eventually we were able to see a few through our binoculars as well, but the audio is what was really worthwhile! Following the success with the single Capuchinbird at Atta Lodge, it was great to observe and hear the famed display as well.
We had our eyes trained on the path in hopes of encountering anything serpentine, and Laura was the first to find success. A fast-moving, brownish snake glided off the trail, affording nothing but a few quick glimpses before it completed disappeared into the thick, trail-side vegetation. We identified it later using our field guides as a Northern Woodland Racer (Drymoluber dichrous).
We continued on with a renewed sense of focus, following our brief encounter with the racer. Any rustlings heard in the undergrowth were heavily scrutinized, though most turned out to be Giant Amievas or Striped Forest Whiptails.
 |
| Giant Amieva (Amieva amieva) - forest near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
Stefano suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and put his hands up to stop Laura and I as well. There was a snake on the trail! With a smile on his face, he slowly pointed towards the red, white and black patterning on the forest floor.
 |
| Aesculapian False Coral Snake (Erythrolamprus aesculapii) - forest near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
We excitedly followed his gaze until we noticed the snake, lying motionless in the leaf litter. I was not sure what it was at the time, and with the possibility of it being a coral snake, we decided to not risk catching it. Later we were able to figure out that it is a Aesculapian False Coral Snake (Erythrolamprus aesculapii). This species preys on lizards and snakes and is uncommon but widespread in Amazonia.
 |
| Aesculapian False Coral Snake (Erythrolamprus aesculapii) - forest near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
It quickly disappeared off the trail once it noticed our movement. We continued along the remaining kilometer or so of trail, arriving at the Burro Burro River with 90 minutes remaining until sunset.
 |
| Paddling along the Burro Burro River near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
Water levels were down along the river which limited our route as certain areas were not passable. The evening air was very still and bird song rang out clearly as we drifted by.
I spotted two large figures atop a Cecropia that was lining the watercourse. Piping Guans! We had heard one the previous evening but this was much better. The Blue-throated Piping-Guan is relatively common in Guyana though in other parts of its Amazonian range its numbers have declined, due to hunting and habitat loss. Piping-guans are almost entirely arboreal, spending much of their days in the treetops feeding on a variety of fruits.
 |
| Blue-throated Piping-Guan - Burro Burro River near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
 |
| Blue-throated Piping-Guan - Burro Burro River near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
A Paradise Jacamar posed in the sunlight once we had returned to dry land, while we also spotted a Cayenne Jay, Laura's first.
 |
| Paradise Jacamar - Burro Burro River near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
 |
| Cayenne Jay - Burro Burro River near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
The sun set as we walked back to the lodge, with the sounds of tinamous and insects accompanying us. In a few puddles we found several frogs; I caught one, much to the surprise of Stefano who thought I was crazy.
 |
| Leptodactylus guianensis - forest near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
We reached the edge of the savannah about 45 minutes later. With the lodge in view only a few hundred meters from us, there was one more wildlife surprise in store. A small, dark serpentine shape ahead of me revealed itself as a blind snake, which I quickly caught before it could disappear in some vegetation.
 |
| Trilepida dimidiata - forest near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
We were pretty excited as not only was this our third snake of the walk, but it was a super cool one at that! Blind snakes range throughout the tropics but little is known about most species due to their secretive nature and fossorial habits. On many species the eyes have been much reduced, they are able to sense changes in light but not much else.
I believe this one is Trilepida dimidiata, sometimes called the Dainty Blind Snake, based off a key to the herps of Guyana. I was not able to figure out much at all regarding its natural history when trying to research the species. While we were holding the snake, it would try to prick us with the end of the tail which was hardened into a point (though it was unable to draw blood). An interesting bit of self-defense but it makes sense considering it would be unable to bite most potential threats. That mouth is just too tiny.
 |
| Dainty Blind Snake (Trilepida dimidiata) - Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
We brought the blind snake back to the lodge as I was interested in showing it to Kenneth, one of the local guides who was a fountain of knowledge when it came to herps. Kenneth assisted me with many identifications during my time in Surama as he knew the area better than anyone.
We quickly wolfed down our dinner and prepared to head back out for a night hike, eager with anticipation on what we might see. While we had been a little frustrated with Stefano on the previous day, he certainly was a great help today. He had never done a night hike before at Surama but was up for it, even though it meant that he would not get home until late that night.
We targeted a creek bed that we had passed earlier in the day. Watercourses are hotspots for wildlife, particularly in the dry season, and while the creek bed was mostly dry but there were some occasional standing pools of water.
One of the first animals we encountered was a Gray Four-eyed Opossum (Philander opossum), its eye-shine easily visible in my headlight beam from several dozen meters away.
 |
| Gray Four-eyed Opossum - forest near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
This tailless whip scorpion was an imposing sight on a nearby boulder due to its massive, 12 inch "legspan".
 |
| Tail-less Whip Scorpion sp. - forest near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
Invertebrates seem to come out of the woodwork in the tropics at night and when the "big game" are not biting it is fun to marvel at the invert diversity. Massive cochroaches, spiders, crickets and millipedes were all commonly seen and we soon grew accustomed to the difference in eye-shine from a spider compared to a frog.
 |
| Unknown spider - forest near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
Walking along the creek, my headlamp beam illuminated just what I was hoping to see. A snake, draped at waist height on an overhanging branch! I called Laura and Stefano over and we marveled at the reptile. Laura was thrilled to see a "draper", considering we had struck out on tree boas everywhere that we had visited to this point. While not a tree boa, the Banded Cat-eyed Snake was a fantastic find instead.
 |
| Banded Cat-eyed Snake - forest near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
Cat-eyed Snakes patrol the low and mid levels of the forest at night, hunting primarily for lizards and frogs. Named due to their vertical pupils, Cat-eyed Snakes superficially resemble some species of venomous snakes. Stefano tried to stop me from picking it up but I convinced him that I was positive in its identification, having seen several Cat-eyed Snakes on previous trips.
 |
| Banded Cat-eyed Snake - forest near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
It was pretty awesome sharing this experience with Laura and Stefano. We even managed to get him to hold the snake - the first time he had ever done that!
 |
| Stefano with the Banded Cat-eyed Snake - forest near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
Soon after it was time to head back to the lodge. Our eyelids were getting heavier by the moment and we had an early start planned for the next day. On the way back we found a Kinkajou high in the trees, quite a few more impressive spiders, and a several other odds and ends. It had been a fantastic day with many great sightings. The next morning we had a plan to target a particularly interesting amphibian.
 |
| Unidentified spider - forest near Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
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Introduction
January 25-27, 2018 - Rupununi savannah, Karanambu Lodge
January 27, 2018 - Karanambu Lodge, boat cruise on the Rupununi River
January 28, 2018 - Rupununi savannah, Rock View Lodge
January 29, 2018 - Rock View Lodge and surroundings
January 30, 2018 - Rock View Lodge, drive to Atta Lodge
January 31, 2018 - First complete day at Atta Lodge
February 1, 2018 - Second complete day at Atta Lodge
February 2, 2018 - Cock-of-the-rock lek, drive to Surama Ecolodge
February 3, 2018 - First complete day at Surama Ecolodge
February 4, 2018 - Second complete day at Surama Ecolodge
February 5 and 6, 2018 - Georgetown Botanical Gardens, Kaieteur Falls
February 7 and 8, 2018 - Tobago: Cuffie River Nature Retreat, Gilpin Trace
February 9, 2018 - Tobago: Little Tobago Island
February 10, 2018 - Trinidad: Caroni Swamp
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