I have created individual pages for each of the days of this amazing adventure. You can get to any of these pages using the links you will find if you CLICK HERE. That page also has a link that will take you to a page showing the numerous species of mammals, birds, and amphibians I photographed in the Pantanal of Brazil.
The remainder of this post gives a very brief summery of each of the final 5 days.
Day 10
We reluctantly left Porto Jofre and the jaguars and headed to the Southwild Lodge where we would photograph an Ocelot and kingfishers grabbing fish.
Before we left we passed our phones around so that a volunteer could take group photos. I am on the left side of the photo with my hand on the jaguar’s hat. Behind me is Petr, also with a hand on the jaguar’s hat. In the back right is our fantastic local guide, Fisher.
Along the Transpantaneira we found a beautiful Capped Heron, our only one of the trip.
Along a fairly shallow river we saw an Amazon Kingfisher with a rather large fish.
We photographed Ringed Kingfishers splashing down and grabbing fish.
A Giant Otter was also feasting on the fish.
Along the trail to see an Ocelot, a beautiful Rufous-tailed Jacamar sat on a sign warning about Jaguar danger.
The Ocelot is a “mini-jaguar” weighing only 1/10 as much.
After dinner I photographed the Milky Way above a Jabiru Stork nest. The nest is the huge pile at the very top of the tree.
Day 11
Waiting for a morning hike to begin, I photographed a Jabiru Stork and a family of Capybara across the river.
We found a Peach-fronted Parakeet in the small forest.
We saw a pair of beautiful Amazon Motmots with very extended tails.
Before lunch a Southern Lapwing prowled the fields.
We enjoyed another boat ride in the late afternoon. I thought I saw a horse in the river far ahead. It turned out to be a huge Brazilian Tapir –- an animal that weighs around 660 pounds.
A Black-collared Hawk grabbed a fish.
We photographed Sunbittern flying along the river.
Green Iguana were apparently mating.
Large birds flew up and down the river:
We found a Roseate Spoonbill after sunset.
Day 12
After some early morning photography of a Jabiru nest and Capybara …
… we moved to out last lodge that featured a wildlife pool, Toucans, and an unusual Giant Potoo.
We twice visited the small pool favored by wildlife and saw Hooded Capuchin monkeys …
… Sunbitterns …
… and Brazilian Tapirs.
We even got a rare sunset with clouds from the wildlife pool.
Day 13
We started the morning with Toucans.
A very unusual Chestnut-eared Aracari was also present.
An Azaras Agouti briefly sat still in the early morning light.
After breakfast we headed into the small forest and found a Great Potoo. Even after Fisher pointed it out, it took me a long time to find this 24-inch-long bird that can weigh up to a pound and a half.
After leaving the Great Potoo, we found some Black-tailed Marmoset monkeys.
In the late afternoon we drove back out to the Transpantaneira and to the “second bridge” that we had visited previously. Here are a few of the photos I took there.
Black Skimmer
Day 14
On our final day of a great trip, I took the 14-photo panorama shown below before sunrise.
We were able to photograph Toucans again.
Before breakfast I also photographed:
At breakfast, Petr showed a photo of a snake that he took with his phone that morning very near where we were photographing the Toucans. This is a highly venomous pit viper, the Mato Grosso Lancehead Snake.
On an impromptu walk with Fisher, I photographed the only warbler of the trip, a Flavescent Warbler.
As we approached Cuiaba for the flight home, I saw an electronic sign stating that the temperature was 40° C. That is 104° F.
I had a 2.5 hour connection in San Paulo that I barely made, even though the flight from Cuiaba was on time. I have been trying hard to recall a worse airport I have been in, but I can’t.
It was a fantastic adventure.
I hope you will visit the pages that describe these final 5 days, and all 14 days, in more detail. You can get to a page with links to see them if you CLICK HERE.