Brazil with Bird's Wildlife & Nature - 7th June 2023
The Rio Claro dawn chorus started well before that with
Ferruginous Pygmy Owls being joined by the cacophony of Guans and Chachalacas
and booming Curassows. Our breakfast walk gave us close views at last of an
Undulated Tinamou as well as noisy (but invisible) Buff-breasted Wrens and Mato Grosso Antbirds
decked out in black with white spots.
Back at the lodge Scaly Headed and Orange Winged Parrots fed in the
trees while Giant Cowbirds and Picazuro Pigeons and a variety of smaller dove
species. A Roadside Hawk sat just a few feet away in the gardens - surprisingly small close up.
Roadside Hawk
Bare-faced Curassows
Giant Cowbird
Picazuro Pigeon
Scaly Headed Parrots
Chaco Chachalaca
Chestnut-bellied Guan
Undulated Tinamou
Undulated Tinamou
Mato Grosso Antbird
early morning Ringed Kingfisher
Bare-faced Curassow
Chestnut-bellied Guans
Southern Lapwing
The onward journey back along the Transpantaneira toward the
famous Porta Jofree saw us make several stops.The first added the imposing Crimson Crested Woodpeckers while a little
Pearl Kite on roadside wires required a sudden stop to scope this bonus
raptor.
Crimson Crested Woodpecker - the female
Crimson Crested Woodpecker - the shyer male
Pearl Kite
Pearl Kite
Crimson Crested Woodpecker
Brazilian Teal were seen on
roadside pools alongside the road with plenty of Herons, Egrets, Ibis and
Limpkins and two Blue-throated Piping Guans sat up for long enough to actually watch.
Blue-throated Piping Guans
Brazilian Teal
Southern Screamer
Limpkin
Southern Screamer
Southern Crested Caracara
Anhinga
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
Some quality marshland species
were discovered with Rusty Collared Seedeaters,Subtropical Doraditos and noisy
Black-capped Donacobius that were always in pairs that seemed inseparable.White-rumped Swallows joined their
White-winged cousins and Pale-legged and the ubiquitous Rufous Horneros dotted
the roadside.
Subtropical Doradito
Black-capped Donacobius
Common Tody-flycatcher
There were mammals too with Capybara and their downsized
relatives the Brazilian Cavy as well as Marsh Deer, Crab-eating Foxes and a
Collared Peccary all crossing the dusty road.Ameivas scurried across as a streak of blue and green and two chunky
Tegus waddled out of our way.
Capybara
Some of the countless (although they are actually numbered) wooden bridges was an experience in itself and many were in an interestingly distressed state. We had to wait for one work crew to literally lay down some lose planks so that we could cross in the bus. They waved and barely even moved out of the way while on a home made BBQ some interestingly offal was on the go!
Porto Jofree is quite literally the end of the road and the
main hub for Pantanal Jaguar tourists.We had riverside lodges and delightful Pied Lapwings were immediately
seen on the sandy beach outside while Vermillion and Rusty-margined Flycatchers
hawked over the water and Saffron Finches, Picui and Ruddy Ground Doves ran
around our feet.Everything here was so
tame.
Pied Lapwing
Cattle Tyrant - I had not noticed the red eyes
VermillionFlycatcher
Rufous Hornero
Picui Ground Doves
VermillionFlycatcher
Rusty-margined Flycatcher
Saffron Finch
Yellow Rumped Cacique
Green Kingfisher
Rufous Horneros
Down time before a walk gave us Hyacinth Macaws in the palms
and Crested Caracaras, Jabirus, Buff-necked and Plumbeous Ibises strutted amongst the
lounging Capybaras and Caiman on the lawn where a gang of Guira Cuckoos were
meticulously searching for insects in the grass. A gang of White Woodpeckers were industriously tackling a small Wasp nest in a palm tree.
Guira Cuckoo
Guira Cuckoo
Guira Cuckoo
Hyacinth Macaw
Southern Crested Caracara
Black Vulture
Black Vulture
Jabiru
Jabiru
Buff-necked Ibis
White Woodpeckers
Yacare Caiman - note the blood filled, stripy-eyed Horse Flies. They never left the reptile
Cabybara action time - including a Giant Cowbird cleaning a wound
A giant bee with super furry pollen collecting pantaloons!
Water Hyacinth
A Hoverfly
After lunch we had a walk nearby but the Jaguar risk was
quite high and we were told to all stick close!Quite a few familiar species were seen but it was good to get close
views of Rufous Tailed Jacamar, Grey-headed Tanagers, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Fork-tailed
Woodstar and Blue-crowned Trogons.Fawn
Breasted Wrens were a new addition as they shouted from the herbage.
Green Iguana
Green Iguana
Brazilian Cavy!
Grey Headed Tanager
Blue-crowned Trogon
Blue-crowned Trogon
Silver-beaked Tanager
Southern Beardless Tyrannulet
Boat-billed Flycatcher
Rufous Tailed Jacamar
Ameiva
We spent the rest of the evening a few miles back down the
road watching the sun go down and the marsh come back to life.The Limpkins were warming up for an evening
serenade and Southern Screamers and even a Least Bittern joined in.It was seen in flight and briefly perched up
in the gloom.More Doraditos,
Cinerous-breasted and Yellow-chinned Spinetails were in the road side vegetation along
with White-headed Water Tyrants and their close cousin the Black-backed Water
Tyrant.Greater Thornbirds were getting very upset about the Monk Parakeets trying to start a new mega nest in their own chosen tree.
Lesser Bulldog Bats came out
from roost under the bridges and started fishing with Pauraque and Band-tailed
Nighthawks after aerial rather than aquatic prey.
Snail Kite
Southern Screamers- the knobbliest knees of any bird?
Lablab purpureus
Merremia umbellata
Black-backed Water Tyrant
White-headed Water Tyrant.
Grey Chested Martins
Southern Crested Caracara
Greater Thornbird and his Monk Parakeet neighbour
Monk Parakeets
We all loved Cocoi Herons
The Hyacinth Macaws and Caracaras were all roosting in the
palms when we got back and jostling for position.
Good job man, that was a great trip😊
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