Day 10: Gareno Lodge
Breakfast was around 6:00 in the morning. Up before daylight, we dressed with the aid of flashlights and candles. If there was a silver lining in not having showers, it was that it saved us some time getting ready. We walked the path to the dining area where lodge staff was moving about, lighting candles and bringing out coffee in, of all things, china cups and saucers.
Food was served once we were all seated. Interesting to note: when a refill of coffee was requested, instead of refilling the cup, a second cup, filled with coffee (along with a different saucer) was served, replacing the original cup and saucer. We postulated that freeze-dried coffee, in pre-measured amounts and in a new cup, must have seemed to be the most expedient system (instead of having a large pot of brewed coffee from which to pour refills). We also thought that the staff responsible for washing dishes might not have agreed with this “a new cup each time” system.
As daylight began to light up the building, we realized that it wasn’t raining! In fact, it hadn’t rained since we left Tena the day before. Might we catch a break? Did my buying an umbrella really break the rain cycle?
During breakfast, the Swiss couple bid us good morning as they passed through on their way to a guided boat trip on the Río Napo. Another couple we had not seen before also appeared – a pair of Squirrel Monkeys. It took us a while to figure out that these were not wild monkeys but pets of the staff. It was when they disappeared for a time into the upper level that their status as pets became more obvious.
As we finished breakfast, yet one more visitor arrived. He was introduced as Minihua (spelling?), the chief of the local Huaorani tribe. Like a scene right out of National Geographic Magazine, he was modestly dressed, carrying a ten-foot long cerbatanas (blowgun). Around his neck hung two objects: a hollowed out fruit carcass containing natural cotton, and a tube filled with long, thin curare-tipped darts. He wore a Kome, traditional Huaorini clothing consisting of a string wrapped around his waist to secure his foreskin. Not hide it, only to secure it. His unexpected appearance was a bit of a jolt to the ladies but they quickly recovered.
José and the staff translated our questions directed to the chief. His age was “about 75” (at 75 we should all be in such great shape). He had lived in the area all his life. When asked about his blowgun, he demonstrated how the cotton was attached to a dart before being inserted into the barrel. We learned that curare comes in many forms but properly concocted, it isn’t a poison but instead acts as a strong muscle relaxant designed to cause prey to fall to the ground for easy capture. Practically speaking, using poison to kill prey didn’t make sense since eating poisoned meat probably wasn’t too healthy. Too many Tarzan movies portraying some poor bit actor (or the main bad guy) meeting a deadly fate having been shot with a poisoned-tipped dart had clouded our minds. The chief agreed to pose for photos. We suspect edthat he enjoyed meeting lodge guests as much as we enjoyed making his acquaintance.
Now, some weeks after being introduced to the chief and having read more about the people of the Amazon, we had many more questions about his life and the culture surrounding his tribe that we wished we had known at the time. I have to admit that in preparing for our trip that our main focus was on birds, thus overlooking the possibility of what a trip to the edge of the Amazon might present in terms of experiencing other cultures. What a missed opportunity! However, since we hoped to return in 2010, we now feel compelled to learn more about the indigenous peoples of the Amazon so as to be better prepared should an opportunity like this be repeated.
We left the chief engaged in conversation with lodge staff and followed our guides, Jose´and Richard, now joined by Rodolfo, across the one-at-a-time bridge and back to the parking lot. The plan was to bird the road in one direction and double back. The road afforded us plenty of room to walk and bunch up when a bird was found. It was level, and, it wasn’t raining.
Not far down the road we began hearing BLUE-BACKED MANAKIN. A couple of males responded to José’s attempts to draw them out. Though we saw lots of shadows moving around, we never did get a clear look.
COBALT-WINGED PARAKEET did a fly-over. BLACK-HEADED PARROT landed long enough to get a scope view. So, too, MEALY AMAZON and BLUE-HEADED PARROT. We found a STRAIGHT-BILLED HERMIT lek. Two TROGON: AMAZONIAN WHITE-TAILED (we had the west Andean version on Day 5 near Tandayapa) and a heard-only AMAZONIAN VIOLACEOUS. YELLOW-BILLED and WHITE-FRONTED NUNBIRD, GILDED BARBET, and a heard-only LEMON-THROATED BARBET. We added GOLDEN-COLLARED TOUCANET, and a LAFRESHNAYE’S PICULET (seen by a few in the group). Everyone had great looks at CHESTNUT and SCALE-BREASTED WOODPECKER. A pair of the latter was courtship displaying at near eye-level on the trunk of a tree just off the road.
Our morning walk-about also added: CHESTNUT-WINGED HOOKBILL, SLATY-WINGED FOLIAGEGLEANER, LONG-BILLED WOODCREEPER, FASCIATED and MOUSE-COLORED ANTSHRIKE ( both heard only), PYGMY ANTWREN, BLACK-CHINNED ANTBIRD, SOOTY ANTBIRD, BICOLORED ANTBIRD, and four more heard only antbirds lurking in the bush - DUSKY-THROATED ANTSHRIKE, SHORT-BILLED ANTWREN, SPOT-WINGED and DUSKY ANTBIRD. A few flycatchers to the list: DUSKY-CHESTED and PIRATIC, PINK-THROATED BECARD, and BLACK-TAILED TITYRA.
After hearing the bird for quite some time, a LAWRENCE’S THRUSH finally was seen. BLUE DACNIS, WHITE-VENTED EUPHONIA, GREEN-AND-GOLD TANAGER, OPAL-CROWNED TANAGER, and a familiar North American face, SCARLET TANAGER. Expecting the Scarlet Tanager to be something more exotic, it took a few moments for the simplicity of the ID to sink in!
The morning raced by and now it was time for lunch. Back down the steep steps and across the one-at-a-time bridge, we promptly sat down to eat. As we had agreed the night before, we finished our daily bird checklist for Day 9 (71 day total/38 new to trip total). Having already birded half a day, it got to be somewhat confusing. We kept catching ourselves trying to mix in birds we saw that morning with ones from the day before. Perhaps we should try harder to do the checklist that evening, even if it meant doing it by flashlight?
The chief was still at the lodge so we took the opportunity to inspect his cerbatanas (blow gun). It was not only long but heavy. Constructed out of chonta wood, the barrel cylinder was actually two pieces of wood cleverly fitted together, each half grooved to form an amazingly straight and true bore. The two halves were joined with a mouth piece at one end. Brea, a type of tar, was used to seal the outer surface of the barrel, which was then wrapped tightly with twine or string. Huaorani are not tall but have impressively strong bodies and hands. Both are needed to carry and effectively hunt with a blowgun like the one the chief carried.
Before we embarked on our afternoon birding, José suggested we relax a bit. Everyone scattered. Some lounged in hammocks. I went down to the river and walked the shallows looking for birds. On my way to the river I happened upon Niko and José, bent over the base of a tree. Using a knife José had made a cut in the bark. They were collecting a dark red substance, which oozed into a small vial.
José told me it was “Dragon’s Blood”. Having been raised in the Amazon basin, José was familiar with the curative properties of many plants. Dragon’s blood is used for many purposes. This readily available (if you know where to look) “over the counter”, “no prescription needed” remedy, would be used as a topical application on his canker sore, which was feeling better but was still causing him some discomfort.
After an hour of rest, we re-assembled and hiked back up to the road, this time walking in the opposite direction. Niko would trail behind in the bus since the plan would include venturing further up the road than a comfortable return walking distance would allow.
Rodolfo mentioned that given a week’s time at Gareno, one could pick up more than 400 species of birds. He said that 1/3 of the bird species that occur in Ecuador could be found in and around Gareno. I could well imagine that a hike through dense jungle to try for the Harpy would have provided the opportunity to pickup many of the antbirds and other jungle dwelling bird species.
Rodolfo worked hard. It was obvious that he was familiar with the area. He would walk well ahead scouting for birds and then wait for us to catch up. He found us a roosting GREAT POTOO. A WHITE HAWK flew in and perched on a distant tree limb. Near it a DOUBLE-TOOTHED KITE appeared, and seemed to be upset with the hawk. A couple of hummingbirds made fleeting appearances: BLACK-THROATED BRILLIANT and PURPLE-CROWNED FAIRY. We added visual sightings of the Blue-crowned Motmot we had heard the day before. Other heard-only include YELLOW-BILLED JACAMAR, WHITE-THROATED TOUCAN, GRAY ANTBIRD, THRUSH-LIKE ANTPITTA, DWARF-TYRANT MANAKIN, and WHITE-NECKED THRUSH.
We again ventured off the road to enter a lek of GOLDEN-HEADED MANAKIN where we observed several males and females. PARADISE and OPAL-RUMPED TANAGER, IVORY-BILLED ARACARI, YELLOW-BROWED ANTBIRD, and few more North American flycatchers: OLIVE-SIDED and EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE. Then there were COTINGAS: PURPLE-THROATED, PLUM-THROATED and SPANGLED, as well as BARE-NECKED and PURPLE-THROATED FRUITCROW. BLUE-CROWNED MANAKIN, YELLOW-BACKED TANAGER, RUFOUS-BELLIED EUPHONIA, MASKED TANAGER, FLAME-CRESTED and FULVOUS-CRESTED TANAGER.
Rodolfo disappeared over a ridge and beckoned us to follow. While the trail was narrow, it was not nearly as steep as the embankment we climbed the day before. About 100 yards into the jungle he has us stop and look through his scope: a roosting RUFOUS POTOO. Great looks as the bird preened and wagged its tail, seemingly annoyed with our presence.
Late in the afternoon, after a short bus ride further up the road, we stopped to survey a large tree where in the past, sightings of a Harpy Eagle have occurred. Alas, we were not lucky enough to see one today. According to José, the chances were slim anyway. But, we added BROWN JACAMAR, CASQUED OROPENDULA, GIANT COWBIRD, and MORICHE ORIOLE. In an area where Rodolfo was searching an embankment, there was a sudden explosion of wings: a BLACKISH NIGHTJAR was flushed from its roost on the ground. I don’t know who was more surprised: Rodolfo, us, or the bird.
It was now late afternoon and getting dark. We boarded the bus for a short ride back to the parking lot. As we started down the trail to the lodge Rodolfo asked everywhere to wait before crossing the bridge. He lead us up a trail which paralleled the river, then cut back into the jungle. He had hoped to find roosting Spectacled Owl but in spite of José’s recordings, none appeared.
We retraced our steps back to the lodge as night fell. We dropped our gear in our rooms then gathered at the main building for social hour. As we talked, Spectacled Owls started calling. José retrieved his powerful spotlight and shone it in an area where we had seen a couple of owls fly out - apparently feeding young. Eventually the light fell squarely on a SPECTACLED OWL adult, which immediately flew over the top of the main building. It was easily found again sitting on a low branch next to the lodge giving everyone excellent looks. Finally, what had been a nemesis owl for me on other tropical trips was no more!
Our evening meal was ready shortly afterward. After dinner, and with the aide of a few more candles and our flashlights, we managed to do our daily checklist (112 day total/76 new to trip total). A very productive day. We contemplated and speculated about what Rodolfo had said earlier: that were we to stay a week at Gareno, imagine what our list would look like!
Everyone was pretty tuckered out and turning in early seemed to be on everyone’s’ minds. This would be our last night at Gareno. In the morning we would head toward the last lodge on our tour: Cabiñas San Isidro. It was hard to believe that our tour had only a few days left.
