Finally reconnected to the internet after 5 days - all due to a power cut that somehow broke our hardware. To return to last Friday, heavy rain meant we couldn't check the nests of the wild macaws to weigh the chicks and monitor their progress for our study. So that was delayedmtill Saturday, putting back the planned 3 day field trip I was going on with José. We did manage to find some building rubble to fill in the dips in the paths between our cabins when it stopped raining, so at least it's less muddy there now!
On Saturday I took a taxi to José's apartment in Trinidad. The taxi service is interesting - there are about 8 taxis which are all old estate cars and they leave Trinidad only when there are enough passengers to fill them i.e.6 (yes it is a squash!). It's then a 40 minute drive up to Sachojere village up a diet road which is closed if there is too much rain. The taxis go on beyond to San Lorenzo, then turn round and come back to Trinidad picking up as many passengers as they can en route. So you just have to wait for a taxi to turn up...... And wait.... This time 2 hrs! Then a mototaxi (motorbike passenger - the only taxis in Trinidad) to José's for a welcome cup of tea. By the to!e we had purchased a couple of items we needed not was lunch time so José took me to a Brazilian restaurant, which was like a self service salad bar and wide choice of main courses and vegetables, you fill your plate and then pay according to weight (great for carnivores!). Very nice food too with a jug of fresh fruit juice, a little saweet but very tasty. Back to the apartment for a half hour siesta that José insisted on.
The car still wasn't repaired so we decided to take the centre's motorbike to to to the nest site, a lovely ride, though made interesting with wearing the wellies necessary for negotiating the flooded areas, and carrying all the equipment! All our work requires a permit as the birds are protected by law. We found one nest had a parent bird sitting in it, incubating the remaining egg with one chick hatched. So we didn't disturb it. Another nest the chick had been poached from - one of the main dangers they face for the pet trade - very sad. We then found talking to one of the workers on the ranch that he had poached the chick and was raising it in a cage: education is a vital part of our work too, and much needed as you can see!
The taxi broke down on the way back to the centre so I was late back but everyone remains so cheerful here as this is the norm, and time is not important, he got the car going again in the end!
The forecast was bad for Sunday so our field trip was delayed till Mon, and as the horses we needed were not available then, José decided to take Nic on Mon afternoon, then he and I would go Tues and Wed with the horses. So they set off with all the ropes and gear for tree climbing and abseiling, reached the first nest site and the heavens opened. So they were only able to check that nest (at least it was a blue throated macaw nest!) And got soaked on the half hour walk back to the car. They then got stuck in the mud because the 4 wheel drive was not working 3 times, luckily locals helped push them out so they got back safely.
But that meant cancelling our trip while the car returned to the garage to get the 4 wheel drive fixed!
In the mean time we have started another project on parrot feeding, cycling out each morning from 6 - 8 am to find parrots feeding and check parrot species, food (tree species, whether
Eaves, flowers or fruit) etc. It's a lovely time to be out, with so many different birds around, and sometimes other animals too - Nic saw monkeys and a peccary, and I saw toucans yesterday.
My day off again today and I had a lovely guided tour of the Kenneth Lee ethno archeological museum, really interesting showing the early civilisations of the area going back to 800 B.C. and only recently discovered. The patterns of the raised fields and irrigation canals from the air caused Ken Lee to spend 30 years researching it, along with the rectangular reservoirs and artificial mounds they built as refuges from regular floods, where they lived. The higher the mound the older it is, and the higher up you live the more status you have - fascinating.
And I arrived at the taxi to find I was the last person required to fill it so we left immediately - a good end to the day!
Saturday 28 February 2015
Thursday 19 February 2015
Thurs 19 Feb
Well, another week passed, time seems to be passing fast! Last Friday Rafa managed to slide the car down the bank in the wet slippery mud while trying to turn around. We had fun trying to get it back up, and found it wouldn't go into 4 wheel drive or lock the wheels together so impossible task. In the end the car had to go forwards, moving various obstacles and ruining the neighbour's grass! But at least we got it out safely.
Saturday I started on translating a paper written by staff at the centre into Spanish - quite a task given my Spanish is far from fluent! But google translate came to my rescue and made it feasible and enjoyable, plus learning more about the blue throated macaw's problems in the wild. It took me several days to do, in fact still not completed the tables of data yet.
The left over bananas needed using so I cooked a banana cake, which went down well with everyone too. I do a fair bit of the cooking, often using fruit to make ice cream or fruit fool - yum! Also had time to enjoy the hammock, definitely a good investment!
Saturday night the locals were celebrating the fiesta, which lasts several days in Trinidad. The music went on for most of the night, stopping at about 4 am but restarting about 20 minutes later. Then the morning bird chorus took over so not much sleep. Have seen several new birds over the week end including red headed cardinals, and red and yellow headed wood peckers, plus a third one with green speckles. The red one wakes us us most mornings tapping on a nearby tree! It's been raining on and off most days recently, heavy rain Sunday afternoon sent us all indoors, but the stallion roaming near our cabin sheltered right up against the cabin to keep out of the wind and wet, poor thing.
Monday we were nest checking again, and I helped take my first blood sample from one chick, for genetic checks later. An interesting experience! Feathers are also important to collect from nests for genetic checks of parentage from year to year. On the way back, Rafa stopped for a coke, and I was offered a local fruit drink made from a fruit similar to peach (durazno?) Which was delicious and far preferable to coke! Curried vegetables for dinner with rice, very tasty. Rained heavily from 8pm.
Tues neither Nic's nor my alarms went off so we both were late up, but not by much as the birds still woke us. It was still raining and continued till about 2pm! So translating in the morning then in the afternoon a joint effort cleaning up around and under the two bird aviaries, removing all the dropped motacu nuts they feed on, straightening up the anti- predator barriers (mainly against snakes, so far I haven't seen any), and replacing the rain screens made of palm leaf thatch. All looks much neater now and the birds should keep drier too.
Wednesday we finally met the centre manager Jose (should be an accent on the e...) who had been on holiday in Spain. He's very enthusiastic and can inspire you with his ideas, so I think will be good to work with which is lucky. He has already given us projects to work on in any moments we have no alotted tasks, so our time will be better used from now on. And our roles are now clearer, with explanation of all the projects the centre is engaged with and we will be working on, exciting! He's taking me on a 3 day field trip, camping this Saturday, on horseback,which should be really interesting, and good fun if not too wet!
Today I had my day off, so went to Trinidad to stock up on wine and have a restaurant meal, a treat of fish in an almond cream sauce - delicious! I'm getting to know the taxi drivers on the Sachajere road quite well now, and get asked lots of questions about the work with the macaws, good publicity for them! Nice swim on my return before the rain started again, time for a glass of wine...
Saturday I started on translating a paper written by staff at the centre into Spanish - quite a task given my Spanish is far from fluent! But google translate came to my rescue and made it feasible and enjoyable, plus learning more about the blue throated macaw's problems in the wild. It took me several days to do, in fact still not completed the tables of data yet.
The left over bananas needed using so I cooked a banana cake, which went down well with everyone too. I do a fair bit of the cooking, often using fruit to make ice cream or fruit fool - yum! Also had time to enjoy the hammock, definitely a good investment!
Saturday night the locals were celebrating the fiesta, which lasts several days in Trinidad. The music went on for most of the night, stopping at about 4 am but restarting about 20 minutes later. Then the morning bird chorus took over so not much sleep. Have seen several new birds over the week end including red headed cardinals, and red and yellow headed wood peckers, plus a third one with green speckles. The red one wakes us us most mornings tapping on a nearby tree! It's been raining on and off most days recently, heavy rain Sunday afternoon sent us all indoors, but the stallion roaming near our cabin sheltered right up against the cabin to keep out of the wind and wet, poor thing.
Monday we were nest checking again, and I helped take my first blood sample from one chick, for genetic checks later. An interesting experience! Feathers are also important to collect from nests for genetic checks of parentage from year to year. On the way back, Rafa stopped for a coke, and I was offered a local fruit drink made from a fruit similar to peach (durazno?) Which was delicious and far preferable to coke! Curried vegetables for dinner with rice, very tasty. Rained heavily from 8pm.
Tues neither Nic's nor my alarms went off so we both were late up, but not by much as the birds still woke us. It was still raining and continued till about 2pm! So translating in the morning then in the afternoon a joint effort cleaning up around and under the two bird aviaries, removing all the dropped motacu nuts they feed on, straightening up the anti- predator barriers (mainly against snakes, so far I haven't seen any), and replacing the rain screens made of palm leaf thatch. All looks much neater now and the birds should keep drier too.
Wednesday we finally met the centre manager Jose (should be an accent on the e...) who had been on holiday in Spain. He's very enthusiastic and can inspire you with his ideas, so I think will be good to work with which is lucky. He has already given us projects to work on in any moments we have no alotted tasks, so our time will be better used from now on. And our roles are now clearer, with explanation of all the projects the centre is engaged with and we will be working on, exciting! He's taking me on a 3 day field trip, camping this Saturday, on horseback,which should be really interesting, and good fun if not too wet!
Today I had my day off, so went to Trinidad to stock up on wine and have a restaurant meal, a treat of fish in an almond cream sauce - delicious! I'm getting to know the taxi drivers on the Sachajere road quite well now, and get asked lots of questions about the work with the macaws, good publicity for them! Nice swim on my return before the rain started again, time for a glass of wine...
Saturday 14 February 2015
Sat 14/2
So, back to Wed and our shopping trip to Trinidad, this week in the Mitsubishi Pajero with Rafa, which copes well with the muddy unmade road. We left at 8.30, with Nick in charge of the birds and homestead. After a stop at the mechanics to sort out a loose wire in the vehicle causing some light on the dashboard to come on, Rafa took me to the veg shop, then the fruit market, and finally the supermarket (the size of a corner shop back home) to which in future I shall be doing the rounds on moto taxi and returning with it all by car taxi. Could be interesting with about 10kg fruit and veg for us and 7 dozen bananas for us and the macaws, before you start on the dried and tinned food! At least it was in the car this week though.
Rafa then took me to meet the owner of the land who he needed to talk to, who is very nice and friendly, and we had a drink, then lunch in his restaurant. They specialise in caiman so I had to try it - very tasty! It started raining over lunch, then pouring, quickly flooding the streets and leaving many motorbikes (very numerous locally) up to their axles in water. Despite the deep gullies each side of the road the rain was so heavy they couldn't cope, and in places the pavements were flooded too, no doubt somererties too. Small wonder most people wear flip flops, then no worries about your feet at least!
Once all the tasks were complete we headed back, hoping our road to Sachajere would be open, as rain often causes the police to close it. We we're in luck, they let us through, to relieve Nick of his responsibilities. Quote a tropical rainstorm, but it eventually stopped around 4pm and the evening was pleasant.
Rafa and Nick then set off nest checking, I started getting concerned when they were not back by dark, but guessed Rafa had stopped off for a drink with friends- they eventually returned about 8pm, 3h late! Apparently they phoned but didn't get through.
Thursday it dawned fine, so I decided to risk going into
Trinidad by taxi for my day off. I managed to get one after only waiting by our gate for 20mins (reading a book to pass the time!)
Not having done much excercise recently I decided to enjoy exploring the town on foot, first heading to the market, and then on to a local park which used to be a zoo. They still had a few animals, large tortoises and turtles, caiman and collared peccaries, and lots of wild waterfowl on the lakes which made it quite interesting, and a pleasant walk. Then back into town to find almuerzo at a recommended restaurant - good soup followed by chicken leg with rice and really nice mixed veg, so VG. By then it was raining but fortunately only for about an hour so out came my book, then more exploring on foot.
I finished back at the market to purchase the hammock and the mugs (both lacking at the centre) that I had spied in the morning. Plus another bottle of wine...Then to the taxi stop which hardly looks like one - a delapidated estate car or two, waiting with boot open ( they take goods without passengers too). And a table with fruit drinks and some big log seats and a bench to wait on. Usually a group of men sitting around chatting with the taxi driver who's next to go out and this time one guy, Raul, had a guitar and they were all singing songs. I chatted to him about my work and he was amazed about the dedication for saving the macaws when mostly the locals don't understand the need or the consequences of not preserving the habitat. He wanted to ensure we spread the word, embarrassed that it took foreigners to ome to save their endemic species!
You have to wait until there are enough passengers to fill the car, at least 6 in the 4 seats (luckily most Bolivians are small). I had a long wait this time but shared their bottle(s) of red wine with ice and their sing song, so time passed very pleasantly!
Once on route the car stopped, a breakdown? No, just a change of gas bottle - the fuel they use! Shame they can't harness the methane from all the cows locally, as ranching is the main commercial activity and the major cause of habitat loss for the macaws!! A good day out and with lots of new friends at the taxi rank for my next trip ...
Rafa then took me to meet the owner of the land who he needed to talk to, who is very nice and friendly, and we had a drink, then lunch in his restaurant. They specialise in caiman so I had to try it - very tasty! It started raining over lunch, then pouring, quickly flooding the streets and leaving many motorbikes (very numerous locally) up to their axles in water. Despite the deep gullies each side of the road the rain was so heavy they couldn't cope, and in places the pavements were flooded too, no doubt somererties too. Small wonder most people wear flip flops, then no worries about your feet at least!
Once all the tasks were complete we headed back, hoping our road to Sachajere would be open, as rain often causes the police to close it. We we're in luck, they let us through, to relieve Nick of his responsibilities. Quote a tropical rainstorm, but it eventually stopped around 4pm and the evening was pleasant.
Rafa and Nick then set off nest checking, I started getting concerned when they were not back by dark, but guessed Rafa had stopped off for a drink with friends- they eventually returned about 8pm, 3h late! Apparently they phoned but didn't get through.
Thursday it dawned fine, so I decided to risk going into
Trinidad by taxi for my day off. I managed to get one after only waiting by our gate for 20mins (reading a book to pass the time!)
Not having done much excercise recently I decided to enjoy exploring the town on foot, first heading to the market, and then on to a local park which used to be a zoo. They still had a few animals, large tortoises and turtles, caiman and collared peccaries, and lots of wild waterfowl on the lakes which made it quite interesting, and a pleasant walk. Then back into town to find almuerzo at a recommended restaurant - good soup followed by chicken leg with rice and really nice mixed veg, so VG. By then it was raining but fortunately only for about an hour so out came my book, then more exploring on foot.
I finished back at the market to purchase the hammock and the mugs (both lacking at the centre) that I had spied in the morning. Plus another bottle of wine...Then to the taxi stop which hardly looks like one - a delapidated estate car or two, waiting with boot open ( they take goods without passengers too). And a table with fruit drinks and some big log seats and a bench to wait on. Usually a group of men sitting around chatting with the taxi driver who's next to go out and this time one guy, Raul, had a guitar and they were all singing songs. I chatted to him about my work and he was amazed about the dedication for saving the macaws when mostly the locals don't understand the need or the consequences of not preserving the habitat. He wanted to ensure we spread the word, embarrassed that it took foreigners to ome to save their endemic species!
You have to wait until there are enough passengers to fill the car, at least 6 in the 4 seats (luckily most Bolivians are small). I had a long wait this time but shared their bottle(s) of red wine with ice and their sing song, so time passed very pleasantly!
Once on route the car stopped, a breakdown? No, just a change of gas bottle - the fuel they use! Shame they can't harness the methane from all the cows locally, as ranching is the main commercial activity and the major cause of habitat loss for the macaws!! A good day out and with lots of new friends at the taxi rank for my next trip ...
Tuesday 10 February 2015
Tues 10th
Now have internet back - we reached the download limit it seems, though I didn't use much personally. Life continues peacefully here, lots of birdwatching, apart from the macaws. There are always lots of different and often very beautiful species, from red headed cardinals, to bright yellow tanagers, or blue ones. There are turtles plopping around in the lakes, and gigantic water snails, which mostly we see the empty shells after the egrets have had their fill. The ever present jacanas with their elegant long legs, black and rufous feathers, then bright yellow on the wings when they fly are lovely to watch around the edges of the lakes.
There is one lake which we can swim in - usually in our afternoon break when it is often too hot to work much. I now take a dip regularly, it gives me some exercise too. Yesterday I spotted a blue tailed iguana in the grass from my viewpoint in the pool, and watched him for some time. There are even more frogs and toads than in Galan with baby ones even in the toilet bowl, which leap clear when you flush (usually!) And an adult pale green one, totally unafraid, that climbs our shower curtain and apparently has a diet of bats - another regular visitor to our dorm!
So far no snakes near our cabins. I heard something in the forest nearby squealing that might have been peccaries recently, but as it was dusk couldn't see anything apart from movements in the grass. The 4 calves belonging to the land owner graze around the cabins every day, joining their mothers in the coral at night. They often leave a fertile offering on or near our terrace to avoid treading in! Our neighbour's puppy sometimes comes over and wants to play but her sharp teeth are not so welcome. She also pulls our freshly washed sheets off the washing line, little pest!
Rafa, the acting manager while Jose is on holiday ( I haven't met Jose yet) was helping me dig a new veg/herb patch, and managed to cut through through the water pipe to the cabins a couple of days ago. He did a temporary fix but it was still leaking so flooded the area and caused loss of pressure I had very dirty water for the start of one shower but fortunately it cleared after a minute or so. It has now been fixed - just needs good protection to prevent recurrence if the veg patch remains at its current site as it is less than 1 spade depth down.
I enjoy the bike trips out to collect food for the macaws - usually motacu nuts from a type of palm here, their main natural food in the wild as it is in season all year round. We also give them banana slices and Brazil's, they particularly love the latter. Other wild fruits can be uses in season too, like totai. We have to search for trees with ripe nuts, then knock them on to a groundsheet so they are clean. Often we talk to locals to ask permission to collect them, giving opportunities to talk about the work we are doing and why the birds are endangered
Yesterday the new volunteer, Nick, from Canada arrived. He is acclimatising having come from their winter, fortunately it has been cooler and cloudier the last few days. He is doing a 5 year environmental studies degree, with 3 or 4 months secondment into the field every year - what an opportunity for getting experience in conservation! He seems very nice and certainly keen to become involved.
Tomorrow is weekly shopping for food so I think I'm going to learn the ropes so I can take over that job since I speak enough Spanish to cope with the markets in Trinidad. Their fresh produce comes on Wednesdays, so I guess it will be a busy day there.
Rafa managed to remember my request for a bottle of red wine yesterday, so it was a treat to have a glass, and share it of course. Some left for tonight too... The local village sells beer, bread and eggs, plus free some meat and home made delicious ice cream, but everything else is only from Trinidad.
Time to go and crush some motacus for the macaws - they can't crush the stone it is so hard, we have trouble with the mallet! But they have useful trace elements so it's worth doing a few each day.
Thursday is my first day off, so no doubt will go to
Trinidad and explore a bit more there, plus have a good meal that I haven't cooked. Rafa has cooked for me twice, and often makes fruit smoothies too but my cooking skills, and desire to eat well means I'm happy to do much of the cooking.
Look forward to hearing news from my friends too.. All for now, but back soon.
There is one lake which we can swim in - usually in our afternoon break when it is often too hot to work much. I now take a dip regularly, it gives me some exercise too. Yesterday I spotted a blue tailed iguana in the grass from my viewpoint in the pool, and watched him for some time. There are even more frogs and toads than in Galan with baby ones even in the toilet bowl, which leap clear when you flush (usually!) And an adult pale green one, totally unafraid, that climbs our shower curtain and apparently has a diet of bats - another regular visitor to our dorm!
So far no snakes near our cabins. I heard something in the forest nearby squealing that might have been peccaries recently, but as it was dusk couldn't see anything apart from movements in the grass. The 4 calves belonging to the land owner graze around the cabins every day, joining their mothers in the coral at night. They often leave a fertile offering on or near our terrace to avoid treading in! Our neighbour's puppy sometimes comes over and wants to play but her sharp teeth are not so welcome. She also pulls our freshly washed sheets off the washing line, little pest!
Rafa, the acting manager while Jose is on holiday ( I haven't met Jose yet) was helping me dig a new veg/herb patch, and managed to cut through through the water pipe to the cabins a couple of days ago. He did a temporary fix but it was still leaking so flooded the area and caused loss of pressure I had very dirty water for the start of one shower but fortunately it cleared after a minute or so. It has now been fixed - just needs good protection to prevent recurrence if the veg patch remains at its current site as it is less than 1 spade depth down.
I enjoy the bike trips out to collect food for the macaws - usually motacu nuts from a type of palm here, their main natural food in the wild as it is in season all year round. We also give them banana slices and Brazil's, they particularly love the latter. Other wild fruits can be uses in season too, like totai. We have to search for trees with ripe nuts, then knock them on to a groundsheet so they are clean. Often we talk to locals to ask permission to collect them, giving opportunities to talk about the work we are doing and why the birds are endangered
Yesterday the new volunteer, Nick, from Canada arrived. He is acclimatising having come from their winter, fortunately it has been cooler and cloudier the last few days. He is doing a 5 year environmental studies degree, with 3 or 4 months secondment into the field every year - what an opportunity for getting experience in conservation! He seems very nice and certainly keen to become involved.
Tomorrow is weekly shopping for food so I think I'm going to learn the ropes so I can take over that job since I speak enough Spanish to cope with the markets in Trinidad. Their fresh produce comes on Wednesdays, so I guess it will be a busy day there.
Rafa managed to remember my request for a bottle of red wine yesterday, so it was a treat to have a glass, and share it of course. Some left for tonight too... The local village sells beer, bread and eggs, plus free some meat and home made delicious ice cream, but everything else is only from Trinidad.
Time to go and crush some motacus for the macaws - they can't crush the stone it is so hard, we have trouble with the mallet! But they have useful trace elements so it's worth doing a few each day.
Thursday is my first day off, so no doubt will go to
Trinidad and explore a bit more there, plus have a good meal that I haven't cooked. Rafa has cooked for me twice, and often makes fruit smoothies too but my cooking skills, and desire to eat well means I'm happy to do much of the cooking.
Look forward to hearing news from my friends too.. All for now, but back soon.
Friday 6 February 2015
Wed 3/2/15
So a little about the Conservation Centre, which I am gradually beginning to learn more about. The land is owned by an local man with an interest in ecology. our neighbour works for him and looks after the cows and calves, plus 3 horses (future riding opportunity?. So during the day the calves and horses wander around our cabins and the 4 man made ponds, some of which contain fish, and one we are able to swim in (the horses do too!!). They also have children and 2 dogs which all appear from time to time.
There are 2 aviaries with 4 male macaws in one, and a pair in the other. Volunteer 1's main task is to feed them twice a day, check their health, and collect food from the forest for them - motacu nuts from a local palm tree mainly at present. They also have sliced banana and ready shelled Brazils. Guano (poo) are checked regularly for signs of parasites or disease. We also collect branches for enrichment of their surroundings so they have plenty to chew and generally destroy. They love removing their food trays from their shelf and distributing them around the aviary! They are very vociferous and loudly so!
One of the research projects we are doing involves checking the nests of any macaws of different species in the locality, and the progress of eggs/chicks in them. Since mostly they nest in dead hollow palm trees it is not too difficult to access the nests. Some are close enough to walk or cycle to, with the camera on a stick, plus remote control to view and photograph inside the nest. My first experience with Sophie used this technique, showing 2 eggs. The mosquitoes appear in droves in the forest so it's long trousers, long sleeves and lots of repellent! We wear wellingtons as the whole area is wetland, and as it is the wet season here they are very necessary. It also protects against creatures such as snakes, scorpions and poisonous spiders to some extent.
There are blue and yellow macaws (Ara ararauna), and chestnut fronted macaws (Ara Severus) nests mainly and often the parents are circling around nearby, sometimes quite disturbed by our approach. If there are chicks, they get weighed weekly, and at some point a blood sample taken for ID. Unfortunately there is quite a high rate of predation, both natural, and by humans taking chicks for pets, or killing parents for their feathers. As macaws are generally easily disturbed they are among the first species to disappear or become rare when pressure on the environment increases. The blue throated macaw (Ara glaucogularis) that is most at risk has a very small range, endemic only in the Beni department of Bolivia. Here more land is being cleared for cattle, the main livelihood. Also many dead trees are removed, reducing nest sites. Education can help to reverse this to some extent, and Bolivia has asked the world for help to prevent further destruction of the Amazon rain forest, but it seems the rest of the world is deaf......
I have also spotted scarlet macaws and green winged macaw's, along with many different parakeets and other bird species. The frog chorus in the evenings is almost as loud as at home, and frogs appear in the toilet (tiny ones) in the shower (big ones) and one in amongst the kitchen tools hanging on their rack. So far 2 bats in the dormitory, a wasp's nest on the terrace that needs dealing with but nothing too scary.
On 3/5 we visited a series of nests by car - the centre has 4 wheel drive vehicle, which has just been repaired so hopefully will not break down. I climbed the ladder to see the chick in one nest which we removed and weighed and generally checked. It was just getting some colour on its first feathers, so was quite sweet. Let's hope it fledges without any problem.
Volunteer 2 has cleaning duties, different each day. We have a rota, with 1 day off each week. Spare time is taken up with other projects, scientific paper translation, research etc, and of course making lots of fruit smoothies, cooking meals and doing your own washing. Wed is the best day to get fresh produce from the markets in Trinidad, so that is the weekly shopping day. As I speak Spanish well enough that is likely to be one of my tasks in future.
More later -must go and collect all the bird's dishes and clean them before it gets dark. Then dinner...
There are 2 aviaries with 4 male macaws in one, and a pair in the other. Volunteer 1's main task is to feed them twice a day, check their health, and collect food from the forest for them - motacu nuts from a local palm tree mainly at present. They also have sliced banana and ready shelled Brazils. Guano (poo) are checked regularly for signs of parasites or disease. We also collect branches for enrichment of their surroundings so they have plenty to chew and generally destroy. They love removing their food trays from their shelf and distributing them around the aviary! They are very vociferous and loudly so!
One of the research projects we are doing involves checking the nests of any macaws of different species in the locality, and the progress of eggs/chicks in them. Since mostly they nest in dead hollow palm trees it is not too difficult to access the nests. Some are close enough to walk or cycle to, with the camera on a stick, plus remote control to view and photograph inside the nest. My first experience with Sophie used this technique, showing 2 eggs. The mosquitoes appear in droves in the forest so it's long trousers, long sleeves and lots of repellent! We wear wellingtons as the whole area is wetland, and as it is the wet season here they are very necessary. It also protects against creatures such as snakes, scorpions and poisonous spiders to some extent.
There are blue and yellow macaws (Ara ararauna), and chestnut fronted macaws (Ara Severus) nests mainly and often the parents are circling around nearby, sometimes quite disturbed by our approach. If there are chicks, they get weighed weekly, and at some point a blood sample taken for ID. Unfortunately there is quite a high rate of predation, both natural, and by humans taking chicks for pets, or killing parents for their feathers. As macaws are generally easily disturbed they are among the first species to disappear or become rare when pressure on the environment increases. The blue throated macaw (Ara glaucogularis) that is most at risk has a very small range, endemic only in the Beni department of Bolivia. Here more land is being cleared for cattle, the main livelihood. Also many dead trees are removed, reducing nest sites. Education can help to reverse this to some extent, and Bolivia has asked the world for help to prevent further destruction of the Amazon rain forest, but it seems the rest of the world is deaf......
I have also spotted scarlet macaws and green winged macaw's, along with many different parakeets and other bird species. The frog chorus in the evenings is almost as loud as at home, and frogs appear in the toilet (tiny ones) in the shower (big ones) and one in amongst the kitchen tools hanging on their rack. So far 2 bats in the dormitory, a wasp's nest on the terrace that needs dealing with but nothing too scary.
On 3/5 we visited a series of nests by car - the centre has 4 wheel drive vehicle, which has just been repaired so hopefully will not break down. I climbed the ladder to see the chick in one nest which we removed and weighed and generally checked. It was just getting some colour on its first feathers, so was quite sweet. Let's hope it fledges without any problem.
Volunteer 2 has cleaning duties, different each day. We have a rota, with 1 day off each week. Spare time is taken up with other projects, scientific paper translation, research etc, and of course making lots of fruit smoothies, cooking meals and doing your own washing. Wed is the best day to get fresh produce from the markets in Trinidad, so that is the weekly shopping day. As I speak Spanish well enough that is likely to be one of my tasks in future.
More later -must go and collect all the bird's dishes and clean them before it gets dark. Then dinner...
Start at the Blue throated Macaw Centre
After a taxi ride of about half an hour, in the back of a very old estate car (no inner door panels, seat belts, pieces born carpet to bung up the gaps at the bottom of the doors against dust...) with 5 children and their mother also in the back, along dirt roads, I was droppednoff at the entrance with my 2 backpacks at about midday. You have to wait until the taxi is full before they leave (6 passengers min), which can be a while!
Sophie, a volunteer from Germany spotted the taxi and came to meet me. I'm currently sharing the dormitory block (4 beds, shower room and dressing/clothes storage area, with outdoor covered patio with table and chairs) with her and Kate, from Gloucestershire, both very nice and in their 20's. So I dumped my stuff and went to meet Rafael, a Bolivian biology student who is currently in charge of the centre, having previously been a volunteer for some months. The manager, Jose Antonio is currently on holiday in Spain for the next couple of weeks.
Rafa's girlfriend Camila makes up the final member of the current group but this will change as all 3 girls are due to leave at the week end, with a male volunteer arriving on Sunday. So I have to learn the routines fast! Making some lunch was of greatest initial interest, a joint effort of vegetables and then local fruits.
Monday was meant to be a rest day for me, but I joined Sophie on a nest check visit, taking the bikes for the short distance up the road. We had to use the stick camera, on a telescopic pole to view inside the dead palm tree where the macaws were nesting - it was exciting to see the 2 eggs there in the nest. At the second nest we checked the parent birds, Blue and Yellow macaws, were watching us warily from a nearby tree and vocalising their annoyance! Again eggs which we noted in the book , no predation losses so far.
The bikes, I might mention are fairly ancient, have no brakes at all, and are rusted at every point except the parts that have to move to use them. So no chance of changing saddle height for example! But they do get us places, and fortunately it's fairly flat here in the Beni department wetlands, so I just have to remember to slow down in time to stop.
Back to base to finish settling in, unpacking, shower (welcome cold water!) And change before another concoction for dinner. Lots of introduction manuals to read through re safety, snakes, emergency contacts etc to finish the day.
Tuesday those of us with enough Spanish were invited to Trinidad to celebrate the International Wetlands day, at the dept of Botany at the University, which meant getting a taxi at 7am. So quick breakfast of porridge and fruit, then off to wait for a taxi to pass by.... In fact a police pick up offered us a
Lift, so we travelled into town in the back, not a service I have from the police before! I spotted a 4m anaconda crossing the road, a dark greeny colour, and also a pair of smaller macaws, probably severe macaws flew across our path.
We walked the final bit into town stopping for an empanada (pasty) en route as Kate and Camila hadn't had breakfast. Then it was 3 mototaxis to the hotel to meet up with Rafa, as he had business in town so was staying there. And again out to the University - a fun way to travel and appreciate the cool breeze, also only 30p or so a trip.
The display boards about the wetlands were very informative and brought back to mind quite a bit of vocabulary I had forgotten, also some good boards about our project and birds which also consolidated my information about their life in the wild a bit. The presentations didn't add much, and as the only refreshments were coca cola and fanta orange ( no water even) I was glad we had some water with us.
Back by taxi again to the centre, where I helped Kate with the afternoon feeding of the 6 captive Blue throated macaws, which originally came from Cornwall, Paradise Centre, where they were captive bred! Beautiful birds, hopefully worth my time and effort.
Sophie, a volunteer from Germany spotted the taxi and came to meet me. I'm currently sharing the dormitory block (4 beds, shower room and dressing/clothes storage area, with outdoor covered patio with table and chairs) with her and Kate, from Gloucestershire, both very nice and in their 20's. So I dumped my stuff and went to meet Rafael, a Bolivian biology student who is currently in charge of the centre, having previously been a volunteer for some months. The manager, Jose Antonio is currently on holiday in Spain for the next couple of weeks.
Rafa's girlfriend Camila makes up the final member of the current group but this will change as all 3 girls are due to leave at the week end, with a male volunteer arriving on Sunday. So I have to learn the routines fast! Making some lunch was of greatest initial interest, a joint effort of vegetables and then local fruits.
Monday was meant to be a rest day for me, but I joined Sophie on a nest check visit, taking the bikes for the short distance up the road. We had to use the stick camera, on a telescopic pole to view inside the dead palm tree where the macaws were nesting - it was exciting to see the 2 eggs there in the nest. At the second nest we checked the parent birds, Blue and Yellow macaws, were watching us warily from a nearby tree and vocalising their annoyance! Again eggs which we noted in the book , no predation losses so far.
The bikes, I might mention are fairly ancient, have no brakes at all, and are rusted at every point except the parts that have to move to use them. So no chance of changing saddle height for example! But they do get us places, and fortunately it's fairly flat here in the Beni department wetlands, so I just have to remember to slow down in time to stop.
Back to base to finish settling in, unpacking, shower (welcome cold water!) And change before another concoction for dinner. Lots of introduction manuals to read through re safety, snakes, emergency contacts etc to finish the day.
Tuesday those of us with enough Spanish were invited to Trinidad to celebrate the International Wetlands day, at the dept of Botany at the University, which meant getting a taxi at 7am. So quick breakfast of porridge and fruit, then off to wait for a taxi to pass by.... In fact a police pick up offered us a
Lift, so we travelled into town in the back, not a service I have from the police before! I spotted a 4m anaconda crossing the road, a dark greeny colour, and also a pair of smaller macaws, probably severe macaws flew across our path.
We walked the final bit into town stopping for an empanada (pasty) en route as Kate and Camila hadn't had breakfast. Then it was 3 mototaxis to the hotel to meet up with Rafa, as he had business in town so was staying there. And again out to the University - a fun way to travel and appreciate the cool breeze, also only 30p or so a trip.
The display boards about the wetlands were very informative and brought back to mind quite a bit of vocabulary I had forgotten, also some good boards about our project and birds which also consolidated my information about their life in the wild a bit. The presentations didn't add much, and as the only refreshments were coca cola and fanta orange ( no water even) I was glad we had some water with us.
Back by taxi again to the centre, where I helped Kate with the afternoon feeding of the 6 captive Blue throated macaws, which originally came from Cornwall, Paradise Centre, where they were captive bred! Beautiful birds, hopefully worth my time and effort.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)