Early morning breakfast, for a drive to the airfield. A very quiet drive and then we stood and scanned, waiting for any sightings. The first excitement was an Agouti, running away down the road, we had a second one, which gave much better views and ran towards us. Various birds, included Toco Toucan, Chachalacas, Grosbeak and Buff-necked Ibis flying around the bushes and across the sky. We also had two Crab-eating foxes cross the grass and landing strip. I looked around at some of the plants.
Around 9.15 we decided to cut our loses, drive back and try a different area. A small black shape travelling down the edge of the road turned to cross the road and revealed itself as a Lesser Grissom! We followed it from the car down the road for a couple of minutes before it disappeared into the undergrowth. We walked down in the hope it would reappear but no luck so we continued back to base. A quick comfort break with a Crane Hawk in a tree, a Chalk-browed Mockingbird and a Flycatcher.
We then headed out along the track back towards the entrance with a couple of Common Brown Brocket Deer.
At the second gate we turned round and started back. We had a quick stop in an area with lots of evidence of Peccary snuffles and We stopped again at a ‘lagoon’, which was a small pond with lots of dragonflies, butterflies and a few birds. A pleasant half hour found Flycatcher, antshrike, gnatcatcher p, tree creeper and woodpecker. We then headed on back to base.
After a lunch of fish with a sausage kebab, a few chips and calamari rings we had a quick sort out before heading back out at 2.30. We headed west reasonably rapidly along the Isozo Road towards the area where the other group had seen Chaco Peccary. We had a couple of deer on the way and spent 20 mins scanning back and forth but with no luck. There was a Gnatcatcher and Brilliant Emerald to give some interest. We then moved on further along the road.
Suddenly, there’s was a shape in the road and we had another Puma. It was strolling along the road so we followed it after the others climbed onto the top of the car, keeping half a mile or so behind. At one point a car came the other way, the Puma jumped into the grass and the car stopped by us. The driver told our driver about a baby Jaguar, 12 Km down the road but after the car passed, the Puma came back out so we continued following. It eventually jumped into the grass again so we went past, and waited, hoping it would come back out which it did. It stood and stared for a while and then walked off back the other way, so we drove on to look for the Jaguar. A stop for a Crab-eating fox and then on.
We drove to the area for the Jaguar, but with no luck so we turned round and slowly made our way back, stopping for Tapeti and then something in the grass, in a tree opposite there was a Screech Owl, then a small animal scattered through the low grasses and across the road, it was a Pampas Fox!
We drove on until there was some eyeshine, when we stopped, turned off the lights and waited. A regular burst of torch showed a Puma slowly coming towards us. As we waited it got closer and then stopped and sat, looking at us for a few minutes before turning into the brush and away.
We drove home with lots of nightjars on the road, turned into the base, got a quick supper and discussed tomorrow’s plans. We were in the first car with breakfast at 4.30 away by 5!
A final check for bats gave one possible Bulldog before turning in ready for an early start.
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