It rained overnight at Jardim and it was a far cooler morning but we
were soon back on the same trails as the previous evening but as expected there
was still so much new to see although the falling temperature were making it
slightly more tricky. Grey-breasted Sabrewing showed well along with Black-eared Fairy, a male Dot-eared Coquette
and male Ruby Topaz. The last three were all new finds and the Coquette was the
first male Eduardo had ever seen. It was just a pity that the light was so grim.
Ruby Topaz there were glimpses of colour but with no sun it stayed subdued for most of the time
Yellow-crowned Amazons noisily called as they flew over with
the usual Blue-heads and Macaws and a pair of magnificent Red-necked
Woodpeckers were first located by the loud double tap before flying to a closer
tree and playing peek-a-boo with us.
Red-Shouldered Macaw
Red-necked Woodpecker
Red-necked Woodpecker
It was a walk dominated by birds with Ant in their name and
White-flanked Antwren, Chestnut-tailed, Grey and Black-throated Antbirds and
the difficult and super speedy Ringed Antpipit all seen as it zipped back and forth across the path. I think most of the crew only felt it as it went by but thankfully it did perch up for a couple of us. There were four
new Manakins with Snow-capped, White Bearded, Fiery Capped and Dwarf Tyrant
found.
Fiery Capped Manakin
Not got to the bottom if this yet.
Black-crowned and Black-tailed Tityras were seen in the
trees tops along with the canopy loving trilling Tooth-billed Wren which
apparently is a species that even some of the big world listers have not seen
yet and down in the understorey we tried very hard to see Snethlage’s Tody
Tyrant and the wondrously named Flammulated Bamboo Pygmy Tyrant and the long
billed Chattering Gnat-Wrens.
Tooth-billed Wren
Flame-crested Tanagers were added to the ever growing tally
of this large family along with nearly all the species seen over the previous
walks and Purple and Red-leggedHoneycreepers were noted.It was exhausting but eventually rewarding.
Black-faced Nunbird
White-faced Nunbird
Palm and Swallow Tanagers
We staggered back in for lunch but the even chillier (!)
weather precluded any sort of swim but a walk up the road gave views of a
Screaming Piha, Natterer’s Slaty Antshrike and a male White-throated Sapphire
while a troop of Black-tailed Marmosets leapt across the road.
White-throated Sapphire
Screaming Piha
Selective erosion had left these water rounded pebbles on little earth pinnacles
The White-banded Swallows were really struggling and were
sitting around on the ground and most of the Flycatchers were quite lethargic.
Rusty Margined Flycatchers
Rusty Margined Flycatcher
White-banded Swallow
White-banded Swallow
Silver-beaked Tanager - female
Silver-beaked Tanager nest
Silver-beaked Tanagers were enjoying the sprinklers
Fledgling Ruddy Ground Dove - it was dinky
There was time before the final boat trip to look again for
Band-tailed Antbirds by the riverbank and this time they showed splendidly,
rarely more an a foot off the ground. A group of Swallow Tanagers also showed incredibly well.
Drab Water Tyrant
Swallow Tanager
Swallow Tanager
The boat trip was frustrating in the ever
cooling conditions but our perseverance paid off with both Amazonian Streaked
Antwrens and Silvered Antbirds working their way along the riverbank but a walk
in the woods only added a male Bay-headed Tanager and little else.
The Monkey skull
Pyrostegia venusta
Caladium bicolor
Turnera subulata
Lesser Kiskadee
Can't find a name for this one yet
I do like a Muscovy Duck
Fly mines
We returned chilled and window shutters were pulled across
and blankets were hoiked out to try to keep warm – not something any of us were
expecting in Brazil!It was genuinely uncomfortable
and we even had to layer up to eat dinner in the open dining area but it had still been an amazing day.
A full day at Jardim
that started well as we ambled down to the boats with seven Orange-cheeked
Parrots in the gardens and a flock of Santarem Parakeets overhead while a
Bare-necked Fruit Crow gave us a taste of things to come.
Orange-cheeked Parrots
The purpose of the river excursion was
primarily to track down the super rare Cone-billed Tanager that is accessible
here and almost nowhere else in the world.
We were taken into a secret world of a crystal clear hidden
ox-bow lake and within just a few minutes a male Cone-billed Tanager was heard singing and soon
picked up in the flooded forest.Not the
most colourful bird but certainly very high on the rarity list.Two males and two rich brown female were
found along in the margins.
Cone-billed Tanager - male
Cone-billed Tanager - female although I am wondering if the fluff on the nape and still growing outer tail feather may suggest juvenile?
There was so much else to see with a silently sitting Spotted Puffbird, zipping Long-billed Star-throat and Black-throated Mango; Lesser Kiskadees in the marsh grasses and a calling Trogon.
Spotted Puffbird
Black-throated Mango
Purple-throated Euphonia
Exiting the Oxbow
We puttered back onto the main river where amazingly Amazonian
Umbrellabird, bobbly headed Bare-necked Fruitcrow,Red-throated Piping Guans and
White-throated Toucans crossed (and were heard).It was
good to be back on a river again.
Red-throated Piping Guan
A sandbank stop added Swallow-tailed Kite and Greater
Yellow-headed Vultures, a red-bellied Black-tailed Trogon along with Grey
Chested Dove and both Blackish Antbird and punky Glossy Antshrikes while a loop
through the dry forest was challenging but very rewarding with a host of new
species.
Black-tailed Trogon
Greater Yellow-headed Vulture
Blue and Yellow Macaw
Blue and Yellow Macaw
Glossy Antshrike
Glossy Antshrike - full on eye glint!!
It was hot and sweaty and hard work but the new bird kept popping out with Bar-breasted Piculets, Flame Crowned Manakins, glaring Green Backed
Trogon, White-lored Tyrannulet, Greyish Mourner, Yellow-backed, Paradise and
Masked Tanagers were encountered although the Gould’s Toucanets were worth the
effort staring up at the canopy and Rondonia Warbling Antbird won groovy name
of the day. It was very much a bins not camera sort of day. See bird, raise bins, wow, gone again and the light was somewhat challenging at any height.
Green Backed Trogon
Red-shouldered, Blue-winged and Blue and Yellow Macaws
greeted our return to camp only to be trumped by a male Razor-billed Curassow
about to cross the river with his glowing red bill knob.
Razor-billed Curassow - I only had a couple of seconds!
All this was before lunch which of course included a side
dish of newbies with the striking local race of Blue Grey Tanager, Green-tailed
Goldenthroat, Sulphury Flycatcher and Pale-rumped Swifts while Swallow-wing
Puffbirds showed much closer. Palm Swifts zoomed around the lakes.
Swallow-wing Puffbird
Swallow-wing Puffbird
Palm Tanager
Palm Tanager
Blue Grey Tanager - anywhere else that would be a different species!
Sulphury Flycatcher
Some Orchids
It was incredibly hot and humid and the forest spring fed
swimming pool beckoned.Red-throated
Piping Guans and Speckled Chachalacas moved through the tree tops and hundreds
of sulphur butterflies swirled in a co-ordinated tornado along the stream while
we bobbed in the refreshing waters.
Spencer prancing through the Sulphurs!
Ciclid
Arapaina gigas
While in the natural jacuzzi pool we glanced up to see some very furry
faces looking down at us and after the initial panic to get out of the water to
grab optics, we were treated to prolonged views of at least four of the very
rare Meittemeir’s Tapajos Saki monkeys.Even Eduardo had not seen them before.
Meittemeir’s Tapajos Saki
The post swim evening walk was very humid and the light was
quite poor but Jonathan and Eduardo managed to find a wealth of forest dwellers
with two new Hummers – Versicoloured Emerald and White-chinned Sapphire, a gang of
Black-fronted Nunbirds, Natterer’s Slaty Antshrike, Dot Winged Antwrens, the
mini chicken-like Rufous Capped Antthrush, Brown Winged Schiffornis, Moustached
Wrens and Sick’s Swifts overhead.
Black-faced Dacnis
White-lored Tyrannulet
Red-legged Honeycreeper
A magnificent Scaled Pigeon
A Ferruginous Pygmy Owl was singing in the grounds and a Hauxwell’s
Thrush popped into view as the light fell along with at least two stunningly
cryptic Blackish Nightjars that kept moving just ahead of us down the
path.
