Rondônia
This new lodge, near Guajará-Mirim, overlooks the meeting of the black water of the Rio Pacaás Novos and the white water of the Rio Mamoré, with Bolivia on the far bank. It has just been included in Victor Emmanuel’s programme and the first group will go there in June 2003. Andy Whittaker carried out a bird survey in July 2002 and found 367 species to which we added a further 39 in March 2003. Noteworthy are Brazilian Tinamou Crypturellus strigulosus, Zigzag Heron Zebrilus undulatus, Orinoco Goose Neochen jubata, the new forest-falcon being described by Andy, Crimson-bellied Parakeet Pyrrhura perlata, Chestnut Jacamar Galbalcyrhynchus purusianus, Black-girdled Barbet Capito dayi, White-breasted Antbird Rhegmatorhina hoffmannsi, Subtropical Doradito Pseudocolopteryx acutipennis, the very rare Buff-cheeked Tody-Flycatcher Todirostrum senex, Black Manakin Xenopipo atronitens, Tooth-billed Wren Odontorchilus cinereus, Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea, Pearly-breasted Conebill Conirostrum margaritae, Slate-coloured Seedeater Sporophila schistacea and Lesson’s Seedeater Sporophila bouvronides.
The lodge has extensive boardwalks, totalling 2 ½ km, through riverine vegetation and ending in an oxbow lake. Otherwise there is little birding habitat nearby. The options are to make boat trips along the two rivers, from which one or two trails are accessible, and to the river islands, or drive 20 km to excellent forest which can be birded from the road. To get to this forest turn right at the lodge gate and right at a fork with a green cross.
The lodge itself is an immense, semicircular, concrete structure on high columns with a thatched roof, impressive from the water but more like a building site when one arrives at the back. The accomodation is in extremely comfortable chalets, also on stilts, connected to the main building by boardwalks. The food was poor when we visited but the owner has since advised us that they have a new chef.
Few birders will arrive here independently by road but for those that do, turn left at the roundabout as one enters Guajará-Mirim (with a petrol station, the IBAMA office and a football stadium on three of the corners). Follow this road for 6.2 km until the tarmac turns left to the airport at an overgrown roundabout. Here go straight ahead on a dirt road for 6.7 km where you will come to the Pakaas gatehouse on the right. The lodge is 6 km from the gate. There are plenty of cheaper hotels in Guajará-Mirim but they are 20 km further from the forest and do not have their own boats.
