I've now been here exactly three weeks and have broken the 300-species barrier. Some of the bird highlights of the past few days have included Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, a heard-only Southern Nightingale Wren, Agami Heron, Common Potoo on its daytime roost, and today's big surprise of two Magpie Tanagers, which should only be in the more open areas around Alta Floresta. Perhaps the horrible heatwave we are currently experiencing, with daytime temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius, has something to do with them showing up here. In any case, tapir sightings have increased even further as they are forced to the river to cool off; we had 15 on this morning's boatride, including a mother and her stripey calf, with another mother and calf this afternoon. Most exciting of all, though, was a Green Anaconda we discovered this morning resting on a rock to digest whatever it had recently eaten.
