Brazil Pantanal Trackers – In search of the Jaguar 2009 (1 Viewer)

August 21st Broken cloud and breaking wind!

Another wet night and we awoke to clear(ish) skies which sadly didn’t last long, although the cloud was more broken than the day before. A spot of early morning birding around the camp produced Red-billed Scythbill, three Chestnut-eared Aracaris, Greyish Saltator, Common Tody Flycatchers, Bananaquit, Little Woodpecker, and a Golden-Green Woodpecker. We also came across another woodpecker which Julio didn’t recognise. I’m still not sure which species it is. Birding round the camp was extended as Julio decided that it was too windy and overcast to take the boat out in the morning. So we had a leisurely breakfast and spent some time socialising with Carminda and Maria. An interesting discovery was that jokes about breaking wind seem to cross language borders! The silent but deadly variety in the UK is know to the Portuguese as a “church fart”. We had a nice lunch at camp and spent a bit of time trying to photograph the hummingbirds in the garden. We then headed out on the boat for the afternoon at around 13.30.

ID Help please! If anyone can help with the green bird and the mystery woodpecker in the below set I'd be very grateful!

We passed a sandbar with some nice Large-billed terns and Black Skimmers, before turning into a side channel. Julio told us that he saw three jaguars on the banks of this channel the week before, but we were not so lucky. He switched off the engine and let the current take us slowly down the river, paddling occasionally to steer us away from the banks. Julio set up some fishing rods and handed one to Ian. The plan was to try and catch some fish for the next day’s dinner. Julio used fruit to fish for Pacu. Whilst he gave Ian some steak with which to fish for Piranha! To catch Piranha you use steak covering a hook. The rods were makeshift jobbies made from bamboo. When you feel a nibble on your line you have to jerk the rod up to snag the fish. Ian had a go and managed to catch himself four Yellow-bellied Piranha and he also almost caught a Pacu. Julio dispatched three big Pacu for the table before Ian decided that fishing really wasn’t the sport for him. Julio said haw saw a trogon, but it was too distant for me to really get a good look at and we then headed back to camp, passing a roost of black capped herons on the way back. We also came across a caiman that had caught a fish.

When we got out onto the main river we saw a flock of nighthawks hawking for insects. By that point the clouds had started to roll in again and it was threatening to rain. Julio told us that the weather was quite a-typical for the time of year. It’s fairly common for there to be a day or two of cloud because of a cold front coming from the Antarctic but it has not rained in August in Julio’s memory. But this year the rains came later than usual. Another thing that we heard was that the rivers are silting up and there are some places that you can now cross on horseback that would have required a boat a few years ago. We were beginning to think that this would be the end of our jaguar sightings- with the weather having turned. Julio was very relieved that we had made a sighting on the first day, it took the pressure off somewhat and we were able to just take each day as it came. But as it turned out we needn’t have been concerned.

August 22nd Sunbitterns are a good omen!

We awoke to patchy cloud before dawn thanks to the noisy cockerel. I took a wander down to the boat to discover a Sunbittern. I hoped that was a good omen for the weather and it certainly seemed to be. I also saw Masked Gnatcatcher, and a pair of Unicoloured Blackbirds.

The weather was good enough to take to boat out and we covered some areas in the morning that the lodge boats frequented. As we came across a couple of boats in one stretch of the river we spotted some Giant Otters again. I heard someone on one of the other boats asked their driver if a splash in the water was one of the otters, but then this boat and the other one left. I’m not sure why, but I guess they thought the otters had gone. Or maybe they just didn’t have the patience to sit quietly and wait. We did and we were treated to the sight of three otters. The first one we saw came out of the water and disappeared into his holt, he then reappeared followed by two others, who all entered the water and swam off.

Some time later we saw another boat speeding off so we followed them, to find a crowd of boats watching a female Jaguar! The first view we got was of her leaving a sandbar then disappearing into thicker cover, walking along the riverbank, as everyone followed. I managed to get some footage of her walking between patches of cover, and the birds making a commotion helped to reveal her position when we couldn’t see her. At one point she sat down for a few moments before becoming restless and moving on. Julio estimated that this female was about 6 or 7 years old.

After walking some way she then tried to settle down under a tree. She was watching the boats warily. There were quite a few boats by that point as word had got around, and they were spaced out along the river in front, alongside and behind the Jaguar. I don’t think she was comfortable with so many boats and you could see her wariness in her body language. She groomed herself half-heartedly before getting up and walking off again. Finally she did settled down for a while providing the onlookers with clear views for a short time. We actually got some good photos of her, before slowly the current carried us downstream and out of position. By the time we got back the Jaguar had apparently had enough of the attention and had headed back into the bush away from the river.

I guess at this point the lodge boats called it a day and headed back to the lodge for lunch. We had brought our packed lunches so could be out all day. We also headed off but doubled back a while later just on the off chance that she had returned; unfortunately not. So we decided to go to the sandbar for lunch. We had a dip in the river and threw our leftovers to the vultures and caracaras and I spent some time filming the spats between the birds.

We were so pleased with our two sightings that we thought the only way this trip could be even more wonderful was if we had spotted a Jaguar with Julio on our own, without any other boats around. Little did we know then what the afternoon would bring!

And Just when we thought it couldn't get any better- Young love in the swamp

After lunch we headed off to the same spot we birded at the day before. The plan was to do some birding, but we discovered that this wasn’t going to be a good plan. As we paddled down the shallow creek towards the sandbank at the end Julio spotted a Jaguar sitting there. I looked through my binoculars and much to my surprise discovered that there were actually two Jaguars sitting side by side. At first Julio thought it might have been a mother and cub. But as we got closer we quickly discovered that it was a courting couple. We kept a respectful distance and settled down to watch them. They were both watching us, the female took more interest in us than the male- who we assumed was tired after servicing the female at some point before we arrived. As the male settled down for a nap, the female got up and came a bit closer, sitting down on the edge of the sandbar and watching us curiously.

A while later, the male stood up and walked over to a shadier spot before lying down again. Julio estimated that the couple were about 4 years old. The male will guard the female while she is in oestrus and then the female is left to raise the young alone. Some time later the young female stood up and sauntered over to her partner, growling seductively and brushing her head and body against his. It was clear that the male was in no state to service her so soon after their last coupling, so the female settled down next to him affectionately rubbing her head against his. We stayed and watched them for a while longer and then slowly, carefully, Julio backed the boat out of the creek with his paddle.

Julio took a calculated risk getting us that close to the two Jaguars. Where we were, in a shallow, root-strewn channel, with steep banks either side of us and the cats in front, we had to be really careful not to upset the cats as if they had wanted to they could have got to us in a few short bounds. Males can be fiercely protective of their mates and if they had ever felt that we were invading their space we wouldn’t have had much of a chance. But that’s why Julio is so well renowned; he knows how to negotiate with the animals and how to treat them with appropriate respect. The cats remained relaxed around us the whole time we were there and we were able to have the perfect encounter - first had experience of a small but poignant chapter in their social life.

23rd August Farewell my friends! Camp to Hotel Porto Jofre

It had rained in the night and I was once again awoken at ungodly O’clock by the cockerel. I managed to take a record shot of the sunbittern before heading back to bed for a while. After breakfast we packed up our gear and said fair-well to our hosts. As a token of thanks we left them our little wind-up torch which I hope they will find a use for. Overcast skies and a cool breeze meant our journey back to Porto Jofre was uneventful and we arrived at the hotel in time for lunch.

We had an afternoon of relaxation after a much-needed shower. I put this to good use having a swim and then spending the rest of the afternoon photographing the Hyacinth macaws and other wildlife around the lake. Before dinner we played a few games of pool whilst listening to heavy metal on Julio’s laptop. We also viewed some of the jaguar footage that Julio took. The only new bird was a Grey-headed Tanager.

Some more birds around Porto Jofre Lodge.

24th August - A trio of Tayras and a sinister sight.

Today was basically another transit day where we drove from Porto Jofre to our last base of the trip Pousada Piuval back in Pocone. We stopped frequently to look at and photograph birds and other wildlife. The first stop we made was at the last place we stopped on the way down, where the Great Horned Owls were nesting. This time they young had fledged and we found them in a nearby tree. Julio also found me a few new birds:

Creamy-bellied Thrush, Unicoloured Flycatcher, Cream-coloured Flycatcher, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Ruddy Ground dove, Lineated woodpecker, Maguiri Stork and a Little Blue heron were all seen en route as was a distant flyover of a pair of Blue and Yellow Macaws. On the road we saw a fleeting coati and a capuchin. We stopped next for a congregation of waterbirds including Black-capped Heron. Later on we took lunch at an abandoned research station which was rather eerie. One of the rooms had a caiman partly dissected on an examination table and I dared not look too closely at the jars of pickled specimens. It was as if everyone had just suddenly vanished. According to Julio the funding for the research had suddenly run out and the place had been abandoned. I photographed a Crimson-crested woodpecker and some Guira Cuckoos before we moved on. We also saw a Plumbeous Ibis and mate on a nest and another Great Potoo.

A short while later we had a real treat. Running around on the road in front of us was a Tayra, a mustellid that looks like an overgrown pine martin crossed with a wolverine. First one came trotting up towards us, so we stopped the jeep and watched. It came closer, backed up, came closer again, ran back away again and then came forward again. Soon another one joined the first one from beside us and we saw a third to our left. The third one was more shy and stayed in the cover of the bushes. Julio told us that this was only the second time this year that he had seen tayras. So we felt really privileged.

We continued on our way and it started to rain. We stopped at the bar that we visited before, near the Rio Claro lodge for a coffee and a break. Then we continued on our way to our new lodge. We stopped again because a bridge was being repaired so we had to wait a while. There were a couple of howler monkeys in the vicinity. A Little Blue Heron was seen at one of the many congregations of waterbirds. Finally we arrived at the track leading to the lodge. We kept a lookout for giant anteaters on the way in, but sadly we didn’t see any.

We finished off the evening with a few songs accompanied by Julio on guitar. But I think we were too tired to remember most of the lyrics!

A few more along the road:

25th August – A head for heights – Tower hides at Piuval.

This was our last full day before heading home. We went for a walk in the morning, it was rather overcast so we didn’t see many birds but those we did see included, Campo Flicker, White-rumped Monjita, White-headed Marsh Tyrant, Crane Hawk, Red-crested Cardinal, Long-tailed Ground Dove. We also saw a few agoutis and a coati near a tower hide. We also climbed to the top of the tower hide- Ian had reservations as he doesn’t like heights but he made it to the top and at least I enjoyed the views.

After lunch we had a little break and did a bit of birding around the lodge, seeing White-tailed Kite, Cattle Egret, Solitary Sandpiper and White-backed Stilt. Julio also showed us a Chalk-browed Mockingbird which Ian was really excited to see (NOT). We finished up the afternoon with a boat trip on the local lake starting with a visit to a roost site for egrets. Then there was another tower hide to traverse- this time across a rickety bridge over a marsh, which creaked ominously under Ian’s weight. We saw a Tegu lizard, Agoutis, coatis and capuchins. But sadly no anteaters. After dinner we sang a few songs and watched two Crab-eating Foxes amble through the grounds.

a few more.

A Few More.

26th August - Terrific Trogons and fond farewells

Julio asked us what we’d like to do on our last morning. He said he could sort us out with a horse-riding trek or we could go for a walk and do some more birding. Ian had already had his fill of adventure and new challenges so, considering his fear of heights and inexperience of riding we decided to opt for the gentler option of an early morning walk. It proved to be a good choice. We were out at 06.30 and the first thing we came across was a large party of Coatis. So we stopped for a while photograph them. On the other side of the track from the coatis in a small copse of trees Julio pointed out a group of Pantanal Marmosets so I finally managed to get some good views of this elusive little monkey, Sadly they were too fast for me to get any photos.

We then went through a wooded area and a bird fluttered onto a branch, I looked up and was surprised to see that it was a female Blue-crowned Trogon, and then we saw the male on a nearby branch. He showed well until a car passed us and they both flew off out of sight. We also saw a Giant Antshrike. On the way back we passed the coatis again and then two Whistling Herons took off ahead of us. We had a small breakfast then packed before heading off on our long journey home.

As a final treat, Julio took us to a traditional Chuhascaria restaurant. This is an all you can eat barbeque. What happens is, you are given a card which is green on one side with the words “Sim, Por Favor” and red on the reverse which says, “Nao Obrigada”. As long as you keep the green side up, the waiters will come to the table and offer all different cuts of cooked meat on massive skewers. You take a pair of tongs, point to the bit you want and they carve it off for you. The meats on offer included different cuts of beef, like steak, brisket, fillet mignon, chicken, pork, sausage, marinated lamb etc. A massive spread of accompanying sides and desserts are also available. I’m amazed this style hasn’t caught on elsewhere.

The restaurant was literally just round the corner from the airport so after we had eaten our fill Julio took us there and checked us in for our flight before we said our final goodbyes. I was really sad to be leaving, not just because we had a fabulous holiday but because I felt like we were leaving a good friend behind. One day I hope we will return to this wonderful country and renew our acquaintances.

Link to even more photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8773601@N03/sets/72157622174180742/

List of birds:
American (Greater) Rhea
Solitary Tinamou
Undulated Tinamou
Chestnut bellied Guan
Blue-throated Piping Guan
Chacochacalaca
Southern Screamer
Bare-faced Curassow
Red-legged Seriema
Neotropical cormorant
Anhinga (Darter)
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Cattle Egret
White-necked Heron (Cocoi Heron)
Little Blue Heron
Whistling Heron
Striated Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Rufescent Tiger Heron
American Wood Stork
Maguiri Stork
Jabiru
Bare-faced Ibis
Plumbeous Ibis
Buff-necked Ibis
Green Ibis
Limpkin
Roseate Spoonbill
Muscovy Duck
White-faced Whistling Duck
Grey-necked Wood Rail
Wattled Jacana
Sungrebe
Sunbittern
Southern lapwing
Pied Plover
Solitary Sandpiper
White backed Stilt
Turkey Vulture
Black vulture
Yellow-headed vulture
Snail Kite
Great black hawk
Savannah Hawk
Black collared Hawk
Roadside Hawk
Crane Hawk
White-tailed Kite
Southern Caracara
Yellow-billed Tern
Large-billed Tern
Feral Pigeon
White-lipped Pigeon
White-winged Pigeon
Picazzuro Pigeon
Scaled Dove
Long-tailed Ground Dove
Ruddy Ground Dove
Amazon Parrot
Peach-fronted parakeet
Blue-fronted Parrot
Monk Parakeet
Nanday Parakeet
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet
Hyacinth Macaw
Blue and Yellow Macaw
Ferruginous Pygmy Owl
Burrowing Owl
Great Horned Owl
Common Nighthawk
Great Potoo
Green Kingfisher
American Pygmy Kingfisher
Amazon Kingfisher
Ringed Kingfisher
Rufous Tailed Jacamar
Blue-crowned Trogon
Versicoloured Emerald Hummingbird
Fork-tailed Woodnymph
Yellow-patch Woodpecker
Smoky-brown (little) Woodpecker
Golden-green Woodpecker
Green-barred Woodpecker
Lineated Woodpecker
Crimson-Crested Woodpecker
Cream-coloured Woodpecker
Campo Flicker
Unknown woodpecker species
Red-billed Scythebill
Black-banded Woodcreeper
Narrow-Billed Woodcreeper
White-fronted Nunbird
Black-fronted Numbird
Toco Toucan
Chestnut-Eared Aracari
Rufous Hornero
Wren-like Thrush
Rufus-bellied Thrush
Creamy-bellied Thrush
Unicoloured Blackbird
Scarlet Headed Blackbird
Red-breasted Blackbird
Purplish jay
Squirrel cuckoo
Guira Cuckoo
Crested Oropendola
Yellow-rumped Cacique
Solitary Cacique
Orange Backed Troupial
Giant cowbird
Shiny cowbird
Bay-winged cowbird
Black Cowbird
Black –capped Donacobious
Sayaca Tanager
Silver-billed Tanager
Bananaquit
Green-winged Saltator
Greyish Saltator
Epaulet Oriole
Smooth-billed Ani
White Headed Marsh Tyrant
Pied Water Tyrant
Masked Gnatcatcher
Pale-breasted Spinetail
Rufous Cachalote (Caatinga Cachalote)
Cattle tyrant
Lesser flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Boat billed Kiskadee
Tropical Kingbird
Vermillion flycatcher
Common Tody Flycatcher
White-headed Mockingbird
Chalk-browed Mockingbird
Yellow-billed Cardinal
Red-Crested Cardinal
Buff-winged swallow
Giant Antshrike
Variable Antshrike
Great Antshrike
White-rumped Monjita
Helmeted Manakin
Rusty-Collared Seed-Eater
Saffron Finch

Total:147 species



List of Mammals and other animals

Jaguar x 4
Ocelot x 1
Jaguarondi x1
Tayra x3
Giant River Otters
Neotropical Otter
South American Coati
Crab-eating foxes
Brazilian Rabbit (Tapeti)
Agouti
Capybara
Red Brocket Deer
Marsh Deer
Black Howler Monkey
Brown Capuchin
Pantanal Marmoset
Bat species

17 species

Caiman
Tegu
Green Iguana
Gecko sp.

Fantastic report and lots of great photos! Mega-envy!

John

What he said...

Rob