ovenbird43
Well-known member
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Brazil 2010: Pantanal and Atlantic Forest (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter ovenbird43
- Start date
Birdingcraft
Well-known member
Those Green-headed Tanagers look unreal!
antshrike69
Well-known member
Brilliant report and some great birds. The monkeys are Brown Capuchins.
ovenbird43
Well-known member
Thanks!
At this rate I'm not going to finish my report before my next adventure begins after Christmas... it's been crazy semester! Let's see if I can make it... I haven't even finished some of my other travel threads...
Aug 26 and 27
I had learned about a park about 10 kilometers out of the main part of town, known as Horto Florestal. I also learned that a bus travels there every hour all day, so I caught the earliest bus (6:30 or something) out to the place on both of these days. Typically for this time of year, it was just above freezing when I started out, but the rising sun soon warmed me up. I had no maps of the area, but I saw some signs that said "trails" (whatever the word was in Portuguese, that I've now forgotten) and headed that way. After passing by some lawns, playgrounds, and concession stands, I found myself on a trail winding through open Araucaria woodland and thick bamboo stands. Great!
My notes are kind of jumbled, so this is a composite of both mornings.
Bird activity was good. Lots of mixed flocks, including large numbers of Red-rumped Warbling-Finches, as well as Buff-browed Foliage-Gleaner, Buff-fronted Foliage-Gleaner, Pallid Spinetail, cute little Sharp-billed Treehunters, and Araucaria Tit-Spinetail. On both mornings I managed to find Diademed Tanager in at least one flock- on the second morning I was treated to close views near eye level, allowing me to see the bit of red on its crown. Gorgeous bird! On one morning, a real surprise flew overhead in bounding flight- a single Red-breasted Toucan! I had written off that species at that point, thinking I was too high up. In the undergrowth in a denser area of forest, I heard the characteristic whirring of displaying Chiroxiphia manakins... and peering through the thick understory, through a lucky little window through all the greenery, I saw at least 4 or 5 male Blue Manakins all leap-frogging in a single cartwheel display- holy crap! How cool is that?! :t:
ovenbird43
Well-known member
Aug 27, pm
On my way back into town in the late morning, I ran into some other visiting birders on the bus. They were returning from a very early start at a road not far from Horto Florestal, which they had visited for two special species- Black-and-gold Cotinga and Long-trained Nightjar. I think I may have drooled a little
not quite, but I did ask for details and made plans to return later that day. Turns out, the mysterious Campos do Jordao State Park, that I had been unable to find information about, was down the dirt road they described. Conveniently there was a bus stop right at the start of this road. Apparently, the field containing the nightjars was about 1.5 miles up the road, and the cotinga was another 1.5 from that.
I arrived at the start of the dirt road around 3:30, and started walking like mad- I had about 2 and half hours before the nightjars would come out and decided I would try to see the cotinga first. A few birds kept me busy along the way up- always striking Campo Flickers, plus some close looks at a Cliff Flycatcher. Maybe an hour and a half later, after a brisk walk of 3 uphill miles and several bird distractions, I heard it- I had never heard the sound before, but the call had been described to me, and that strange series of long, rising whistles had to be the cotinga! Sure enough, I rounded the last bend and found 3 birders there, using a tape to lure in the cotinga. Well, the call I had been hearing was the real thing, and there it was right in front of me! I had mixed feelings, elated that I was seeing the bird but a little miffed that someone had called it in and was continuing to play it. I watched and listened for a while, taking it in and enjoying the view of the sun setting on the mountain landscape.
Soon it was time to start heading down for the nightjar. Bird activity picked up distractingly on the way down, many flocks of woodland songbirds. One new species appeared, a tiny flycatcher that zipped around manakin-like. I couldn't ID it on the spot but later determined it to be a Brown-breasted Bamboo-Tyrant. Just as I approached the nightjar field, in the remaining light I saw a Shear-tailed Gray Tyrant at the top of a tree by the road.
I knew I had found the spot, not just because it matched the description I had been given, but because there were about 7 other people there. Greetings and introductions were made, dusk fell swiftly, and we settled down to wait. Minutes of silence stretched, and then in a dark flash, the bird flew across the road, long tail feathers streaming dramatically behind it- the Long-trained Nightjar! We waited for it to reappear, and then cautiously approached the area it had last been seen. It was full dark now, but we quickly relocated it as it flew right over our heads and landed in the road. Someone got a spotlight on it, and I cursed myself for not bringing my camera along as I stared at this amazing bird barely ten feet in front of me. I watched for as long as I dared before I felt it was time to start walking back to catch the last bus into town. I was quite thrilled with the day's birds!
On my way back into town in the late morning, I ran into some other visiting birders on the bus. They were returning from a very early start at a road not far from Horto Florestal, which they had visited for two special species- Black-and-gold Cotinga and Long-trained Nightjar. I think I may have drooled a little
not quite, but I did ask for details and made plans to return later that day. Turns out, the mysterious Campos do Jordao State Park, that I had been unable to find information about, was down the dirt road they described. Conveniently there was a bus stop right at the start of this road. Apparently, the field containing the nightjars was about 1.5 miles up the road, and the cotinga was another 1.5 from that. I arrived at the start of the dirt road around 3:30, and started walking like mad- I had about 2 and half hours before the nightjars would come out and decided I would try to see the cotinga first. A few birds kept me busy along the way up- always striking Campo Flickers, plus some close looks at a Cliff Flycatcher. Maybe an hour and a half later, after a brisk walk of 3 uphill miles and several bird distractions, I heard it- I had never heard the sound before, but the call had been described to me, and that strange series of long, rising whistles had to be the cotinga! Sure enough, I rounded the last bend and found 3 birders there, using a tape to lure in the cotinga. Well, the call I had been hearing was the real thing, and there it was right in front of me! I had mixed feelings, elated that I was seeing the bird but a little miffed that someone had called it in and was continuing to play it. I watched and listened for a while, taking it in and enjoying the view of the sun setting on the mountain landscape.
Soon it was time to start heading down for the nightjar. Bird activity picked up distractingly on the way down, many flocks of woodland songbirds. One new species appeared, a tiny flycatcher that zipped around manakin-like. I couldn't ID it on the spot but later determined it to be a Brown-breasted Bamboo-Tyrant. Just as I approached the nightjar field, in the remaining light I saw a Shear-tailed Gray Tyrant at the top of a tree by the road.
I knew I had found the spot, not just because it matched the description I had been given, but because there were about 7 other people there. Greetings and introductions were made, dusk fell swiftly, and we settled down to wait. Minutes of silence stretched, and then in a dark flash, the bird flew across the road, long tail feathers streaming dramatically behind it- the Long-trained Nightjar! We waited for it to reappear, and then cautiously approached the area it had last been seen. It was full dark now, but we quickly relocated it as it flew right over our heads and landed in the road. Someone got a spotlight on it, and I cursed myself for not bringing my camera along as I stared at this amazing bird barely ten feet in front of me. I watched for as long as I dared before I felt it was time to start walking back to catch the last bus into town. I was quite thrilled with the day's birds!
Last edited:
ovenbird43
Well-known member
Aug 28: the last day
This was our last full day in Brazil, and as the conference was winding down I spent the whole morning at Horto Florestal, exploring some new trails. It was another productive outing, starting with the bridge over the stream at the entrance- a Blackish Rail was walking along the edge of the stream. Neat! In a wet spot on the lawn by the concessions were 2 striking Masked Water-Tyrants.
The first trail I explored led through forest as well as open Aracauria woodland with a grassy understory. I found several Golden-winged Caciques, and I wish I had taken notes on their song- I remember it being rather bizarre. I got a look at a skulking spinetail in the shrubbery, took notes on plumage and vocalizations and later identified it as Spix's Spinetail. A large mixed flock in the forest held the usual species for the area, including a few more Diademed Tanagers. The real star of this trail though, as I rounded a bend and heard repetitive chipping coming from the shrubs on the enbankment- when I finally located the source, I found myself staring at several stunning Plovercrest males! Probably my most-wanted hummingbird for the whole trip. And, of course, I didn't have my camera then.
I grabbed some espresso and a snack (pao do queijo, yum!) at the cafe and headed off for a new trail. On the way I spotted a strikingly patterned raptor soaring above, a White-rumped Hawk. As I crossed a stream I was greeted by the song of a Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, and picked out 2 of them on the bank. The next trail was pretty quiet, it was getting somewhat hot and much of the trail passed through open grassland. Some grosbeak-looking thing escaped me before I could observe enough identifying features. A patch of woodland was a little more productive, with a flock of tanagers that included my first Brassy-breasted Tanagers. Toward the end of the trail I came upon a large, black, rather crow-shaped bird that quickly took off. I thought it landed nearby, but no amount of scanning the forest produced it. I racked my brain and the field guide, eventually concluding it had to have been a Red-ruffed Fruitcrow- frustrating to get such a short look!
Well, that about ends it. I finished up the day at the conference, Tom and I packed our stuff, and the next morning we rode the bus back to Sao Paulo to catch our 10 pm flight back home. I sure hope to make it back to Brazil someday, it would take several trips to do justice to such a diverse country.
Below: Rufous-collared Sparrow, Gray Monjita, Burnished-Buff Tanager, and Araucaria woodland
This was our last full day in Brazil, and as the conference was winding down I spent the whole morning at Horto Florestal, exploring some new trails. It was another productive outing, starting with the bridge over the stream at the entrance- a Blackish Rail was walking along the edge of the stream. Neat! In a wet spot on the lawn by the concessions were 2 striking Masked Water-Tyrants.
The first trail I explored led through forest as well as open Aracauria woodland with a grassy understory. I found several Golden-winged Caciques, and I wish I had taken notes on their song- I remember it being rather bizarre. I got a look at a skulking spinetail in the shrubbery, took notes on plumage and vocalizations and later identified it as Spix's Spinetail. A large mixed flock in the forest held the usual species for the area, including a few more Diademed Tanagers. The real star of this trail though, as I rounded a bend and heard repetitive chipping coming from the shrubs on the enbankment- when I finally located the source, I found myself staring at several stunning Plovercrest males! Probably my most-wanted hummingbird for the whole trip. And, of course, I didn't have my camera then.
I grabbed some espresso and a snack (pao do queijo, yum!) at the cafe and headed off for a new trail. On the way I spotted a strikingly patterned raptor soaring above, a White-rumped Hawk. As I crossed a stream I was greeted by the song of a Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, and picked out 2 of them on the bank. The next trail was pretty quiet, it was getting somewhat hot and much of the trail passed through open grassland. Some grosbeak-looking thing escaped me before I could observe enough identifying features. A patch of woodland was a little more productive, with a flock of tanagers that included my first Brassy-breasted Tanagers. Toward the end of the trail I came upon a large, black, rather crow-shaped bird that quickly took off. I thought it landed nearby, but no amount of scanning the forest produced it. I racked my brain and the field guide, eventually concluding it had to have been a Red-ruffed Fruitcrow- frustrating to get such a short look!
Well, that about ends it. I finished up the day at the conference, Tom and I packed our stuff, and the next morning we rode the bus back to Sao Paulo to catch our 10 pm flight back home. I sure hope to make it back to Brazil someday, it would take several trips to do justice to such a diverse country.
Below: Rufous-collared Sparrow, Gray Monjita, Burnished-Buff Tanager, and Araucaria woodland
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kittykat23uk
Well-known member
Great trip report. Makes me want to go back. We went at exactly the same time as you last year. Probably didn't rack up anywhere near so many birds, but we just went to the pantanal and our focus was on the cats.
