A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Mist Net

I am not a “bird nerd.” So, why in the world would I go on an educational trip to the Amazon rain forest where one of the study topics was birds? That’s a question I often asked myself as I tromped through the forest looking for birds. The answer?  Well, I like adventure. I like to learn new things. I needed college credit hours, and so all those things brought me to the forest to study birds. I learned a lot about birds in just a week...more than I ever thought I could.


On the first day of the trip, my group and I dove right into our learning activities, and one of the first things we did was to set up mist nets. A mist net is a long net that is used to catch birds in the wild. The birds can't see the nets, so they fly right into them. It doesn't hurt the birds to be in mist nets, but the person removing the birds has to be careful. Only our professors, Ursula and Jose removed birds from the nets.


Once the nets were set up, we checked them about every 45 minutes. Once a bird was caught in a net, it was removed and placed into a special bag. Ursula assured us that the bags did not harm the birds and that being in the bags helped to calm them. We then took the birds back up to the main lodge to be tagged.


The tagging process involved several tasks because one of our goals was to identify the types of birds we caught. So, all the birds were weighed and measured. Measuring involved the length of the beaks, legs, and wings. The colors and markings of the birds were also observed. Sometimes it was difficult to identify the birds because many of them looked similar. Ursula and Jose identified quite a few of the birds, but the rest of us typically had to look them up in a book, such as The Birds of Peru. After all the observations were made and noted, tags were placed on the bird's legs. The tags were tiny because birds don't weigh much. To place heavy tags on birds would greatly interfere with their ability perform needed tasks.

I'm in my gear and watching birds!

After the tags were on, the birds were ready to be released. The birds were held in such a way that they could simply fly away when they were ready. We were told not to give the birds a toss or a push because the ones who had been struggling during the tagging process might be weakened. If we tossed them, they could fall to the ground and be injured. Most of the birds we tagged were happy to get away from us, though.


Another learning activity during the trip was listening to birds and identifying them by their calls. I would like to say that I got really good at doing it, but that would be an exaggeration. By the end of the trip I could pick out about five birds every time by their calls. At the start of the trip, I couldn't do any, so I felt successful in this venture.

Up until I went on this trip, I thought being an animal researcher was all excitement and danger. In some cases, I’m sure it is. However, I also learned that it can be mundane. This became evident on the day my group sat at the bird researcher’s station at the clay lick.

The clay lick is where birds come to eat clay, which helps aid in their digestion. Our task was to spend three hours watching the clay lick and making notes about the activity we saw there. Well, as our luck would have it, just about the time that we took over the duties, there weren’t any birds at the clay lick. For three hours we sat and waited, but we didn’t see anything. Then the bugs descended on us and decided we were good for a snack. It got so bad at one point that we all resorted to wearing mosquito net hats. We looked ridiculous and had a great laugh about it. However, it didn’t change the fact that we had no birds to observe. On occasion, we studied birds in nearby trees. We saw some excellent blue and gold macaws, but they didn’t go back to the clay lick.

I was relieved when the regular researchers returned, and we got to relinquish our bird researching duties. I concluded that patience is one of the key attributes of a good bird watcher. Patience and a lot of bug spray.

A Little Touch of Paradise

   

A silvery moon shone high in the sky. The leaves of tall rain forest trees gently whispered and rustled. The frogs chirped brightly, calling out through the night air. The forest pulsed and hummed as millions of insects conducted their business. Birds and other animals used the forest’s highways and byways to travel and search for sustenance. And thrust into the middle of it all, was one American teacher very far from home.

As I stood in the Peruvian rain forest, it struck me…I was in the midst of true, pristine nature. This place, virtually unspoiled, was about as far removed from Ohio as the moon. Now that my group and I had arrived in a place that wasn’t close to any civilized location, I truly felt that I had come to an exotic paradise, a place where humans were the visitors and nature was at its most virulent.  

It was just me and the moon alone on this walkway at night.

And yet, Refugio Amazonas, a travel lodge two-hours by boat from the closest civilized location, was our oasis in the midst of this vast wilderness. Unseen from the river, it was a ten-minute hike through the woods to reach this slice of heaven. As we hiked, the humidity of the forest once again enveloped us like a thick blanket. Even though I only had my field pack, my arrival at the lodge found me dripping with sweat. Fortunately, we did not have to carry our larger suitcases because I’m sure I would have been soaked to the bone on the walk from the river to the lodge. The staff at Refugio (as we called it for short) took them to the lodge for us.

When we finally emerged from the forest, the lodge rose up in front of us. As we entered, each one of us was handed a washcloth that was cool and wet because it had been kept in the refrigerator. I laid the whole thing across my face and just let it lay there for a few minutes. I'm not sure if I've ever felt anything so refreshing and wonderful in my life. It felt like air conditioning for my face. There was also cold juice for us to drink. Delightful!

I couldn’t help but marvel at this place. Refugio was a big, beautiful lodge dropped in the middle of an already spectacular setting. There were even creature comforts, something we had sorely missed at our last location, CECCOT. Our rooms at Refugio were enormous. One whole wall was open to the forest, and it was peaceful and serene. We had a bathroom with running water, a flushing toilet, and an actual shower with big towels to go along with it. The water was cold, but after being so hot and sweaty all the time, it felt refreshing. The beds had the requisite mosquito netting, which the staff came and set up while we were at dinner. This was definitely my style of life.

Of course, as much as I wanted to lounge in the lap of luxury, we still had tasks to accomplish and things to learn. One evening’s activity was a caiman search. Caimans are relatives of alligators, and they like to come out at night. So, we all hiked back down to the riverbank, got into the boats, and cruised up and down the shore looking for caimans. The guides shone lights along the riverbank trying to get reflections from the eyes of any caimans that were out there. We only saw one, but it was fun to search.

When we got back to shore, some of us stayed on the beach for awhile. We sat and listened to the sounds of the forest. The moon was full, and it was a bright orb hanging in the sky, keeping us company and lighting our way. After awhile, I laid back on the sand to watch the moon and stars and listen to all the animals. I saw constellations that were new to me, and as I listened to the frogs calling in the trees, I was in awe of the beauty and splendor of the forest around me. The symphony of the forest were so soothing, I could have stayed on that beach all night.


Several nights later, I walked back to my room alone. Most other people in the lodge were already asleep, so it was just the jungle and me. As before, the moon was brightly shining, casting its silvery light all over me. There was something eerie and beautiful about that light. The forest seemed to glow with it, and yet, I couldn’t see into the forest’s depths. I stopped and stood on the walkway by myself, taking it in. It was just me, the forest, and the moon. I felt very small in a big world, but so happy to be standing in the middle of paradise.

This is NOT the Discovery Channel!

 

My group hiked extensively in the Peruvian rain forest. We observed plants and the structure of the forest, but we mainly searched for animals. One thing I learned is that although there are lots of animals in the rain forest, they don't come right out to say hello. They are hard to find. Before the trip, I expected something like I've seen on the Discovery Channel. On those shows, all the animals are right there in living color, up close and personal. In reality, they're well-hidden, and we had to be quiet and observant if we wanted to see anything.

Hiking through the rain forest was a unique experience. Our hiking apparel included long pants, knee-high rubber boots, long sleeved shirts, and hats. All of this was to keep insects off our skin and poisonous plants off our legs. We needed the boots because in some areas we trudged through mud. I always coated myself with bug spray, and I never went hiking without my hat because I didn’t want bugs falling into my hair. All of this gear was hot, even though I had the kind of clothing that was moisture-wicking. The humidity was so intense, the entire day was spent sweating, no matter what type of clothing was worn. Even with those challenges, I made myself ready to head out and find those animals.

We had guides who took us into the forest when we hiked, and we were not allowed to hike alone. These guides could identify lots of animals by sound, and they saw animals that were perfectly camouflaged. Sometimes we didn't see animals, but we saw the tracks, nests, or holes that they left behind. In the areas where we hiked, paths had been cut. This didn't mean that there weren't things to step over or around, it just meant that we had a clear trail to follow.

We mostly saw insects. The rain forest was literally crawling with them, and some of them sting and bite more painfully than any Ohio insect ever could. I always imagined that the big animals would be the most worrisome, but those animals never came out to reveal themselves. Bugs were everywhere, and if their territory was invaded, they would definitely fight back. Hiker, beware! The next most common animals we saw were birds. In fact, birds were one of our main studies of the entire trip, and we saw plenty. My favorites were the large macaws. I enjoyed watching these majestic birds soar across the sky in a flash of color. They were a sight to behold.

A squirrel monkey at the Tambopata Research Center

My most exciting animal moment was the first time I saw a monkey. Our group had stopped along the river at one of the few checkpoints. As we were waiting, we heard chattering in the trees nearby. I had my camera with me, so I started snapping pictures right away. They were little squirrel monkeys, and they were having a great time swinging through the trees. I was thrilled to see them! Now I felt that I was really in the rain forest. Later, when I scrolled back through my pictures, I had another reality check…photographing wildlife was as difficult as finding it. Those monkeys didn’t want to sit still and pose for pictures. I had a lot of pictures, but only a few that were quality. How do they get such great pictures of animals on the Discovery Channel?

My goal over the next few days was to take quality pictures of the animals I saw. Sometimes I was successful, but many times I was not. Those animals had no interest in participating in any human endeavors whatsoever. I was disappointed that we never saw any big animals, either, like jaguars or sloths. The guides told us that it’s rare to see a jaguar. Oh sure, they’re out there, but they have no interest in revealing themselves. I did see some animals that were new to me, like capybaras, which are the world’s biggest rodents. I also saw caimans along the river. They’re related to alligators. One day while several of us just happened to be standing outside the Tambopata Research Center, an agouti, relative of the guinea pig, decided to come strolling out of the forest. I started snapping pictures, and after awhile, it just turned and walked back into the forest like it didn’t have a care in the world.

These days, when I watch the Discovery Channel, I have great respect for the wildlife photographers who take those pictures. I understand how patient they have to be to get just the right shot because as soon as a human sets foot in the rain forest, every animal knows he or she is there. However, that doesn’t mean they have to come out and play, as I definitely learned the hard way.

Rules of the Rainforest

             After I arrived in Puerto Maldonado, Peru, and met up with the rest of my group for our week-long sojourn into the Amazon rain forest, our leaders gave us a few rules to follow. These rules were imperative for keeping us safe, happy, and healthy while experiencing nature at its most volatile. The rules were:

            #1: Always look before you put your hands on anything. This included rocks, trees, and vines out in the forest, as well as any piece of furniture or item in our cabins. Touching the wrong type of insect or plant could be very painful, and in a few cases, fatal. We were specifically warned to be on the lookout for bullet ants. The bullet ant’s sting is said to be as painful as being shot, and the intense throbbing and pain lasts for at least twenty-four hours. These words rang in my mind later that week when I had a bullet ant crawling up my arm. I didn’t hesitate to brush it to the ground and stomp on it.

            #2: Before putting on your shoes, shake them out to make sure nothing has crawled inside. I definitely didn’t want to put my foot on something that would bite or sting. And, bigger animals than bugs can find their way inside a shoe. I made sure to shake my shoes out every single time, no exceptions.

            #3: Always sleep under a mosquito net. This was one rule that was taken very seriously in the rain forest. The mosquitoes were most active at night and could carry a variety of diseases, so mosquito nets were essential. We were also told to check the nets every night to make sure they didn’t have any holes. When one of my nets did have a hole in it, it was replaced immediately. I also appreciated the mosquito nets because they kept away more than just mosquitoes. Bats, spiders, and all manner of critters moved around at night. I felt much safer inside the confines of my net.

            #4: Don’t leave your toothbrush out or uncovered. At first I thought this was unusual, but then I learned why it was so important. Cockroaches love toothpaste. Leaving toothpaste and a toothbrush out in the open was a great way to attract them. Later in the trip when I had a two-inch cockroach on my shirt, I was really glad it wasn’t my toothbrush.

This is a large ficus tree. Yes, I did look before I touched it.

            #5: Before you get out of bed in the morning, check the floor to make sure it’s safe to put your feet down. This rule is similar to rules one and two. Putting feet down on a creature that could bite, sting, or pinch would be an unfortunate and painful mistake. So, the floor had to be checked every morning. I expanded this rule into an entire morning routine. Before I got up, I would shine my flashlight all around inside my mosquito net. I always slept with my flashlight inside the net because it was my only light source at night since we didn’t have any electricity. Anyway, then I would sit up and shine the light all around on the floor. I had flip flops right next to my bed, so once I was sure the coast was clear, I would come out of my mosquito net and put on my flip flops. I never once walked barefoot during the trip. I always had shoes on.

            #6: Keep luggage zipped and closed at all times. This rule was important unless you didn’t mind sharing suitcase space with a snake, spider, or bat. I have to admit, I struggled the most with this rule because living out of a suitcase was hard enough without having to keep it closed all the time. I guess I was lucky that a small creature didn’t find my luggage too attractive.

            #7: Keep your field pack fully stocked for every hike. This meant that we had to carry drinking water, our rain gear, and our journals. I also included my camera equipment, granola bars, and bug spray. I faithfully carried my rain gear on every hike, but we only needed it two times. My journal was completely waterproof, and that included the paper, too. The whole thing could get wet over and over again without ruining the pages or the writing. It was an amazing little notebook, but unfortunately, I never got to put it to the test because we hardly had any rain.

            When I look back on these rules now, they seem very obvious, and they make sense. At the time, however, they were just another part of my learning curve for surviving in the rain forest. At home I never had to worry about a cockroach on my toothbrush, but clearly, I wasn’t at home any longer.