SouthWild Pantanal Lodge

First Boat Trip At Southwild  Lodge

After breakfast we split into two groups to take to the boats. The boats travelled up the river Pixaim from  Southwild lodge past the Mato Grosso hotel and the long bridge. We travelled as far up the river as we could go before our journey was blocked by water hyacinths choking the channel.

Along the route we saw many Capybara and Yacare Caiman. With close views of Common Iguana, Juvenile Rufescent Tiger Heron and Red Tegu Lizards. A group of Black Howler Monkeys sat in the canopy of a tree near the river bank.

As usual there were lots of sightings of kingfishers, including the smallest and rarest American Pygmy Kingfisher. This was hidden in dense vegetation on the river side. All along the river were different varieties of heron.

Boat Billed Heron

Hiding in thick vegetation on a low branch sat a Boat Billed Heron. They are mostly nocturnal. Their large bill shape looks quite amazing. It is extremely wide and flat with the upper mandible being shaped like the inverted keel of a boat. Hence the reason for their name.

Proboscis Bats

Under the long road bridge a large number of Proboscis bats clung upside down from the beams. The Proboscis Bats are so named because of their elongated noses. This with their overall frosted colouration and white tufts on their forearms make them easy to identify. They are a species which tolerates daylight and can be seen flying over the water hunting insects.

Band-Tailed Nighthawk

Roosting on a branch in thick vegetation was a very sleepy Band-tailed Nighthawk. It was good to get  such a close view and an opportunity to photograph one.

Lodge Grounds

After lunch we walked around Southwild lodge grounds. We sat and watched a male Capybara come and wallow in a puddle next to an outdoor tap outside our room. Whilst a Sayaca Tanager with its  sky blue wings perched on a branch nearby. 

A line of Leaf Cutter Ants were busily going in a single line backwards and forwards to a tree in front of us. They were cutting off leaves and carrying them on their backs back to their nest underneath the path by our room. 

Bird food had been put out on the ground and had attracted Great Kiskadees and Orange Billed Cardinals. We had an Orange Backed Troupial land in the tree right in front of us. A pair of Bare-faced Curassow walked along the fence line and a Jabiru headed down towards the water. Next to the swimming pool a flock of Monk Parakeets flew into a tree and Southern Crested Caracara looked for carrion along the track edge. Green barred Woodpeckers seemed to be busily feeding chicks in one of the trees just outside our room.

Afternoon Boat Trip

We set off from Southwild lodge on the boat trip in the opposite direction from the morning.  However, due to a lot of floating vegetation our progress was slow . We were supposed to get off the boat and have a short walk to try to see a Potoo. Unfortunately the group that had gone there in the morning told Nuam that the potoo had gone. 

The sky became darker and thunder was rolling in the distance. We decided as the water hyacinths were getting thicker and it was starting to rain to head back to the lodge.

Once more we had wet clothing to dry before we were returning to the Ocelot Hide. This time we were going before dinner. Just after 6.00  we set off  through the  drizzling rain along the muddy riverside path to the hide.

Replicating last night we sat in silence for 30 minutes waiting for the ocelot to appear and take the tempting bits of food. Unfortunately once again the ocelot didn’t appear.  Watching wildlife can sometimes be like this and in a way that’s part of the excitement of travelling to remote wild places. We have always maintained that if you want a guaranteed sighting then its a trip to a  zoo.

We returned in time for dinner and then we had an early night. Tomorrow it was a safari in the truck back on to the Transpantaneira Highway, followed by another river trip.

Day Eight :- Checklist

Mammals
Proboscis Bat	Black Howler Monkey	Capybara
Reptiles & Amphibians
Yacare Caiman	Common Green Iguana	Common Tegu Lizard	Red Tegu Lizard
Birds
Neotropic Cormorant	Anhinga	Cocoi Heron	Striated Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron	Boat -billed Heron	Rufescent Tiger-Heron	Buff-necked Ibis
Jabiru	Black Vulture	Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture	Great Black Hawk
Savanna Hawk	Black-collared Hawk	Roadside Hawk	Southern Caracara
Osprey	Chaco Chachalaca	Blue–throated Piping Guan	Grey-necked Wood Rail
Sungrebe	Limpkin	Sunbitten	Southern Lapwing
Pale-vented Pigeon	Scaled Dove	Ruddy Ground-Dove	Picui Dove
White-tipped Dove	Monk Parakeet	Yellow-chevroned Parakeet	Blue-fronted Parrot
Greater Ani	Band-tailed Nighthawk	Ringed Kingfisher	Amazon Kingfisher
Green Kingfisher	Green-and-Rufous Kingfisher	AmericanPygmy Kingfisher	Rufous-tailed Jacamar
Black-fronted Nunbird	Toco Toucan	White-spotted Woodpecker	Pale-crested Woodpecker
Green-barred Woodpecker	Red-billed Scythebill	Pale-legged Hornero	Rufous Hornero
White-headed Marsh Tyrant	Cattle Tyrant	Tropical Kingbird	Piratic Flycatcher
Lesser Kiskadee	White-winged Swallow	Brown-chested Martin	Grey-chested Martin
Purplish Jay	Fork-tailed  Flycatcher	Boat-billed Flycatcher	Streaked Flycatcher
Black-capped Donacobius	Sayaca Tanager	Palm Tanager	Greyish Saltator
Yellow-billed Cardinal	Saffron Finch	Giant Cowbird	Shiny Cowbird
Crested Oropendola	Yellow-rumped Cacique	Orange-backed Troupial	Bare-faced Curassow