Peruvian Rainforests of the Tambopata River

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This program highlights Martin Selzer’s second trip to Peru, where he visited Southeastern Peru, a region that is generally acknowledged as the most species-rich birding region on Earth. Martin stayed at three classic rainforest lodges on the Rio Tambopata: Posada Amazonas, Tambopata Research Center (TRC), and Refugio Amazonas. These complementary sites included a range of lowland rainforest habitats, from meandering rivers and Hoatzin-lined cochas to varzea, and terra firme forest. The three sites produced an astonishing variety of lowland Neotropical birds, mammals and other animals.

martin-selzerTravel along the Rio Tambopata between the lodges was by motorized canoe and the product of a long relationship between TRC administrators and the native community of Infierno. At each lodge birding was conducted on well maintained trails with experienced local Ese’eja Indian guides.

Martin began birding back in first and second grade when his aunt first took him to the bird banding demonstrations at Washington’s Crossing State Park and to the Spring and Fall New Jersey Audubon Cape May Weekends. This was back when the mornings started with coffee, juice and donuts before everyone set out birding around Lily Lake and the Point. Besides these trips, his early birding adventures included many local Wyncote Audubon and Academy of Natural Sciences field trips.

Martin’s first trip outside the mid-Atlantic region was a Northeast Birding Workshop to Corpus Christi, TX in the spring of 1979. For some people it is a single bird or birding experience that gets them hooked on birds. For Martin, it was his aunt’s early influence: “I would not have been bitten by the birding bug without her influence and her willingness to take me on all these trips.”

Since that initial trip to Corpus Christi, Martin has birded across North America, taken 20 trips to Central and South America, eight trips to Europe, two trips to Africa and even managed to fit some birding in during a business trip to Australia. Although he considers shorebirds and raptors to be his favorite families of birds when home, it is really the spectacle of nature that he finds truly the most appealing and attractive part of birding. Whether watching Sandhill Cranes along the Platte River in Nebraska, witnessing the wonders of the Galapagos Islands or seeing 10,000+ geese in the Netherlands, these overwhelming wonders of nature are what make travel and birding so appealing.

Martin is an active local and world birder, is a member of ABA, DOS, a life member of DVOC, and currently serves as Field Trip Chairperson of the Wyncote Audubon Society.

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