July 2-11, 2026 with Willy Perez & Local guides, Oscar Tapuy and Donaldo
There is something about returning to Sacha that is difficult to put into words. This was our second tour of 2026, and although I know some of what to expect, the Amazon once again managed to surprise me. Our adventure started in Quito. After a short flight across the Andes, we landed in the town of Coca and met Oscar (our local guide) and the Sacha Lodge team.
From there, the real journey began. We climbed aboard our motor canoe and headed downstream along the Napo River. For around two hours, we watched the landscape change around us as we travelled deeper into the Amazon. The noise and bustle of Coca gradually disappeared, replaced by forest, river and the feeling that we were heading somewhere very special.
Eventually, we left the motor canoe behind and walked through the forest for about 30 minutes. The final part of the journey was by dugout canoe, paddling our way towards the lodge. By the time we arrived at Sacha, you really feel that you’ve left the outside world behind. Sacha Lodge is a wonderful place to spend a week. It is comfortable, the food is excellent and the staff seem to anticipate everything you might need. Most importantly, it puts us right in the middle of the rainforest, with wildlife all around us.
Our first afternoon was an easy introduction. We paddled across the Pilchecocha Lagoon and along the Orquidea Creek, taking in the surroundings and getting our first taste of the wildlife. It wasn't long before we found one of our first special birds, the striking Orange-crested Manakin, which is one of the specialties of the Igapo forest.
From there, the week gathered momentum, as one of the first visits to the towers gave us an incredible view into the canopy. We spent hours watching colourful tanagers moving through the trees. Green-and-gold, Turquoise and Opal-rumped, were among the highlights, and seeing these birds so close and almost at eye level was simply magical.
Of course, we always have a few birds on our wish list, particularly the difficult and elusive ones. Our patience was rewarded with an excellent view of a Chestnut-capped Puffbird, exactly the sort of encounter that makes all the searching worthwhile.
One of the biggest highlights of the trip was our visit to the parrot clay lick in the Yasuní National Park area. At first, there wasn't much happening, then the Cobalt-winged Parakeets started to arrive. Gradually, more birds appeared, and before long we were watching parrots, parakeets and colourful macaws gathering together. The arrival of the Red-and-green and Scarlet Macaws was particularly spectacular. Watching these magnificent birds gather and descend to the clay lick to drink the mineral rich water was one of those experiences that everyone will remember. It was wonderful to just stand there and take it all in.
Another favourite day took us to the Kapok Tower. A fruiting tree nearby was attracting an amazing selection of birds, and we had some fantastic views. Gilded and Lemon-throated Barbets, Plum-throated Cotinga, Chestnut-eared, Many-banded Aracaris, Cream-colored, Ringed and Waved woodpeckers all put in appearances. There was so much going on that we were constantly looking in different directions, wondering what would turn up next. Then we noticed a sloth feeding on the young leaves. We watched as it slowly made its way down the tree, completely unconcerned by the audience nearby. It was a lovely, peaceful moment and one of those encounters that you see just in nature documentaries.
Away from the towers, we spent plenty of time exploring the creeks and lagoons around the lodge. We found Giant Otters, Yellow-spotted Amazon River Turtles and Spectacled Caimans, while some of the group were lucky enough to see a Green Anaconda. The birding was super enjoyable; we recorded Ringed, Green and Rufous kingfishers, as well as the much more usual American Pygmy. Moving quietly along the Amazon waterways, never quite knowing what might appear next, was a big part of the fun.
Then came the river islands and plenty of mud! Getting around was not always easy, but the effort was worth it. We found Spotted Tody-Flycatcher and Black-and-white Antbird and spent time searching for some of more elusive species like Gray-breasted Crake that we saw crossing over the grass. These searches can sometimes test your patience. You hear a bird, catch a glimpse of movement and then spend what seems like an age trying to work out exactly where it is. But when you finally find it and get a good view, the satisfaction is enormous. Silver, Spot-backed Antbirds and Black-spotted Bare-eye were some particularly memorable finds. They gave us excellent views and reminded us why we enjoy the challenge of birding in the rainforest.
And then there was the rain! During one of our forest walks, the heavens suddenly opened. Within minutes, the trail had become a stream, and we were wading through water and mud. It was wet, uncomfortable and slightly chaotic, but also great fun. You can't really visit the Amazon without getting properly soaked at least once, and this was certainly a memorable way to experience it.
Looking back on the week, it is the collection of moments that stand out most. The excitement when a difficult bird finally appeared. The sudden arrival of a flock of colourful macaws. Watching a sloth slowly feeding below us. Quietly drifting along a creek with a kingfisher on the side. The laughter and inevitable mud on the river islands. And, of course, that tropical downpour.
Sacha gave us another wonderful week, but for us it was much more than a list of birds and wildlife. It was about being together, exploring somewhere extraordinary and enjoying whatever the Amazon decided to give us each day. We came home with plenty of great memories, a few muddy clothes, countless photographs and, as always, the feeling that we had only scratched the surface of this incredible place.
One thing is certain, we will be very happy to return to Sacha again. Thank you, everyone, for some seriously fun birding.
Other Wildlife that we came across:
Proboscis Bat (Rhynchonycteris naso)
Northern Pygmy Marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea)
Black-mantled Tamarin (Saguinus nigricollis)
Guianan Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri sciureus)
Spix's Night Monkey (Aotus vociferans)
Colombian Red Howler (Alouatta seniculus)
White-fronted Capuchin (Cebus albifrons)
Poeppig’s Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix lagothricha poeppiggii)
Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus)
Black Agouti (Dasyprocta fuliginosa)
Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)
Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus)
Yellow-spotted Amazon River Turtle (Podocnemis unifilis)
Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis)
Anole Lizard
Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus)
Ecuadorian Poison Dart Frog (Ameerega bilinguis)
Owl Butterfly (Caligo sp)
You can see my complete trip report on eBird at this link: https://ebird.org/tripreport/561501
You can download a combined PDF of this page and the eBird report at this link: https://fieldguides.com/triplists/sac26bTRIPLIST.pdf
-- Abrazos from Dorset, Willy