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kb57's 2024 Year List (1 Viewer)

Sep 08: Vale Santo, Vila do Bispo
This is an area of low-intensity grazing land to the west of the famous Cabranosa raptor viewpoint. I opted to come here instead, because it was a well known site for foraging choughs, has breeding tawny pipits which I thought may still be around, and there's a chance of little bustard (a couple were photographed and put on eBird quite recently). It was also a nice spot to sit in the car and eat my sandwiches - whilst watching a still-singing Thekla's lark, foraging pallid swifts, and a couple of red-billed choughs in the fields. I nearly choked on the last mouthful of egg mayonnaise roll however, when two immature Egyptian vultures drifted over south, about one field over to the west. One of the birders from the boat trip came looking for them - they'd been spotted from Cabranosa too - but they'd headed off south by then. Unfortunately I'd left my camera in the back of the car, and by the time I retrieved it they'd flown into the direction of the sun. First I've seen for decades!
Tried another couple of roadside stops further north, but no luck with any other targets - an Ortolan bunting had just been seen at Cabranosa, and I was tempted to go and look for it, but I feared with the amount of cover there it would be a thankless task - I was starting to feel really tired and had a long trip back down the A22, so called it a day and headed home.

209. Red-billed Chough *
210. Egyptian Vulture *
 
Thanks, it was excellent - I'd certainly recommend Mar Ilimitado - you're only out 2.5 hours, but the RIB gets you quite a long way offshore quickly.

I haven’t been to Portugal since I was a kid, I’d definitely like to return and as I mentioned in my own thread those sort of boat trips are a hit with my wife so I’ll definitely bear it in mind. Next years holidays are already pencilled in but Portugal could be a nice mix of birds and weather some time soonish
 
Sep 13: Lagoa de Aldeia Nova, VRSA
Quite a few reports of pied flycatchers migrating through at the moment, so I thought the coastal pinewoods at Aldeia Nova could be worth a look.
The morning started with nice views of a couple of crested tits, but it took quite a bit of patient searching through the pines before I saw my first flycatcher - unfortunately backlit, so the photo could've been better. Got a nice picture of a dark southern long-tailed tit, before much briefer views of two more flycatchers. The lake was relatively quiet and sadly the beach café still closed when I left, so I was unable to celebrate with a morning coffee!

211. European Pied Flycatcher *
 

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Sep 16: Alte / Santa Margarida / Sarnadas / Rocha dos Soidos circular walk, Loulé
I've been trying to lose a few kilos and get a little bit fitter over the last few weeks, not least in order to better handle my upcoming South America trip. So it was that I decided to tackle the PR15 'Entre o Barrocal e a Serra' circular route from the village of Alta into the Serra do Caldeirão - an 18km walk with 664m of altitude gain and loss, and a maximum elevation of 482m if you decide to go up Rocha dos Soidos.
I got to the village of Alte around 07:40 after just under an hours drive from Tavira - still a pleasant 19C as the sun was rising. Although it wasn't really a birding trip, I soon had a new addition to my Portugal list with a willow warbler above the village, pale legs and long PP leaving no room for doubt (although I'd have preferred it to have called to comprehensively rule out Iberian chiffchaff). By my second pied flycatcher, it was becoming increasingly obvious that you son't have to go to the coast to observe passerine migrants - the hills can be pretty good too. Although this isn't regarded as a birding hotspot, the route takes in some pretty good quality cork oak forest which could be worth a look in spring, particularly west of the village of Sarnadas.
It was just south of that village where I had my only year list addition - a spotted flycatcher this time, giving decent views. There followed quite a long slog uphill to a ridge near the high point of the route - I was hoping for a rock bunting in this area, one of the few European species seen last year I haven't got on my current year list. Having got this close, I diverted on a small path to the Rocha and settled down to see if there was any raptor or visible migrant action - there wasn't, in fact on the entire route all I saw overhead was a group of 6 red-rumped swallows heading purposefully south.
The lack of birds was compensated for by some amazing butterfly action - the first time I've really experienced hill-topping, with territorial 2-tailed pashas, and swallowtails buzzing me.
Shortly after was the third addition to my Portugal list - a common whitethroat on the route just below the ridge, which is another migrant in the Algarve (except apparently for a small breeding population on the highest mountain - Foia - above Monchique).
The last few kilometres should've been easy as they were all downhill. but my feet, hips and legs were protesting by now, and the temperature felt well north of 30 as I descended back to Alte, for a welcome coffee, walnut muffin and can of orange. The village was transformed from the morning, with lots of tourists - 2 tour buses were parked up, with groups of people wandering apparently aimlessly around, and a larger group sat in the shade opposite the buses.
No bird pics, I kept my camera in the rucksack and only got it out on the hilltop in an attempt to get some butterfly pics...I need a bit more practice with my insect photography (too shallow depth of field for one thing)...

212. Spotted Flycatcher *
 

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Thanks, it was excellent - I'd certainly recommend Mar Ilimitado - you're only out 2.5 hours, but the RIB gets you quite a long way offshore quickly.

I haven’t been to Portugal since I was a kid, I’d definitely like to return and as I mentioned in my own thread those sort of boat trips are a hit with my wife so I’ll definitely bear it in mind. Next years holidays are already pencilled in but Portugal could be a nice mix of birds and weather some time soonish

Brings back happy memories of that pelagic.


All the best

Paul
 
Brings back happy memories of that pelagic.


All the best

Paul
Thanks for sharing the link to that trip report - you really timed the Sagres trip well in terms of migrant passerine and raptor activity, and red-footed falcon remains a serious rarity in Portugal!
 
Oct 03: Low Newton-by-the-Sea, Northumberland
Last visit to UK for family reasons (grand-daughter's 1st birthday!) before Christmas, and a chance for my partner and I to take in some rare autumn sunshine on the Northumberland coast.
Took the path from the tin church more in hope than expectation of any migrant passerine interest, then had a short seawatch from Newton Point. Quite a few gannets still around, and at least two red-throated divers on the sea - including one still in breeding plumage. Watched sanderlings feeding in Football Hole, with a large flock of golden plover displaced from offshore rocks by the tide taking flight.
After a pear and Stilton panini in the Ship Inn, we went around the back to the scrape, where my partner spotted a great egret on the near shore - it took off and flew north, giving great close views and making us appreciate really how big they are! Left the geese till later and spent some time watching a snipe at close range from the hide on Newton Pool - water rail had been recently reported in the log book, but didn't reappear for us.
As well as the usual greylags and Canada geese on and around the scrape, there were also decent numbers of pink feet, with more feeding on a stubble field beyond, as they like to do at this time of year.
Three year list ticks as a consequence:

213. Red-throated Loon
214. Great Egret *
215. Pink-footed Goose
 
Well done on the pasha. One I’ve seen but annoyingly only fleetingly with no photos
They seemed to be hanging around on tall vegetation waiting for other pashas to fly past, which they'd then fly to - whether potential mates or rivals to chase off, I'm not entirely sure.
 
Oct 16: Parque Ambiental, Vilamoura
East hide was surrounded by parks staff strimming loudly so we gave that (and the possibility of a decent waterfowl list) a miss and focussed on the bird-rich olive hedges and the west hide next to the small pool.
At least 3 booted eagles provided some overhead interest, and there were quite a few pied flycatchers still around, with a probable willow warbler, and a couple of yellow wagtails still around.
Really happy to see a male Subalpine warbler, which seem to be migrating through the coastal Algarve at the moment - the only previous one I've seen was a female, although this didn't pose for photos. Another bird seen in the same area, at the same time looks good for immature Subalpine, although I initially thought it was a common whitethroat until I had a look at very poor photo I put on BF ID forum.

216. Western Subalpine Warbler *
 

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Nov 20: Near Roura, French Guiana
Got a bit behind with my list, partly due to the need for a few corrections to my eBird lists, but mainly because I returned from French Guiana to quite a lot of work to catch up on. After a slightly delayed arrival into Cayenne, by the time I picked up my rental car and went to the supermarket for supplies it was getting dark, so no initial additions to my year list on the first day. The early morning gloom outside my balcony in the garden at Malou et Son Verger revealed an excellent new addition to year and life list, albeit a female...

217. Tufted Coquette
218. Pale-breasted Thrush

RN Tresor, Route de Kaw
My first exploration of a Guyane tropical forest was unfortunately typical of a pattern throughout the trip - I found it very quiet, and very slow, even compared to my limited previous experience in places like Rio Claro, Colombia. Doing both the longer, lower Sentier Botanique and shorter Sentier Charbon, I only managed to add 3 species - a trogon near a treetop, viewed through a rare canopy gap, a female red-legged honeycreeper, and a responsive black-headed antbird near the end of the upper trail. Back at the car park, a swallow-tailed kite lifted my spirits, even as I was getting frustrated by unresponsive canopy species in the forest edge.

219. Black-tailed Trogon
220. Black-headed Antbird
221. Red-legged Honeycreeper
222. Swallow-tailed Kite

Sentier des Coqs-de-Roche
Fortunately the main reason for my visiting FG showed well, with at least 5 males present - I also added my only white-necked thrush of the trip near the start of the trail.

223. White-necked Thrush
224. Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock

Route de Kaw
I drove down to the embarkation point for the Marais de Kaw, and took down the phone number for the ferry crossing to the village, with the intention of maybe trying to organise something for the following day. Views onto the marshes were limited from here...I had black nunbird on the approach to the jetty, and a few silver-beaked and palm tanagers flitting around the car park, before a black-collared hawk flew over my shoulder and into the forest.

225. Black Nunbird
226. Palm Tanager *
227. Black-collared Hawk

Malou et Son Verger
Back to a bit of garden birding from my balcony - I'm sure I added silver-beaked tanager earlier in the day, but this is the first time I put it on eBird...whatever, they went rapidly from 'oh what a cool-looking tanager' to 'oh no it's just another silver-beaked tanager', being the default bird in any slightly open habitat, even quite deep into primary rainforest. A larger hummingbird - glittering-throated emerald - was visiting flowers too, and I got better views of tufted coquette.

228. Silver-beaked Tanager
229. Glittering-throated Emerald
 

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Nov 21: RN Tresor
Heavy rain delayed my start today, when I decided to have another attempt at birding RN Tresor. I decided to stay a little longer in the car park to see what was around on edge / canopy habitats, and was rewarded by a mealy parrot in a treetop, and what I tentatively identified as a long-tailed hermit feeding on a flowering shrub near the visitor centre. The forest was if anything even quieter than the previous day, with no new additions to the trip list.
I was feeling pretty tired and a little indecisive, deciding not to try and visit the Marais de Kaw, partly because I couldn't face the intermittently terrible road again (little did I know at this point what kind of places I'd be taking my rental car...), and I thought I would at least be able to load up on some of the commoner species back at the accommodation's garden.

230. Band-rumped Swift*
231. Mealy Parrot
231. Long-tailed Hermit

Malou et Son Verger
The garden birdwatch did indeed prove productive, with quite a few additions up to lunchtime, the pick of which was probably barred antshrike. I felt rested enough to drive to one of the unvisited but recommended forest sites in the Cayenne area in Josh Beck's trip report (the Montagnes des Chevaux eBird hotspot). Unfortunately this proved a mistake, as there was no public access, the site being fenced off for a quarry access. I probably should've tried some of the nearby savanna sites, but decided to head back to the garden for a walk around and attempt to add a few more species - this was reasonably successful, with green-tailed jacamar added. I then had an attempt at night birding on the lane next to the garden, where there'd been a few owl records, but drew a complete blank with not even any foraging nightjars. Overall a mistake not to stick to my Marais de Kaw plan, but unfortunately one I hadn't had time to research sufficiently and finalise before travel.

232. Yellow-throated Flycatcher
233. Piratic Flycatcher
234. Southern House Wren
235. Blue-black Grassquit
236. Wing-barred Seedeater
237. Ruddy Ground Dove*
238. Rusty-margined Flycatcher*
239. Barred Antshrike
240. Green-tailed Jacamar
 

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Nov 22: Roura
Driving through the village I pulled to a stop on some grass to check out a group of swallows flying around.

241. White-winged Swallow

Cacao village and surroundings
I decided to detour here as there were some eBird records of McConnell's Spinetail in the Lagunage de Cacao area east of the village - plus I thought it would be an interesting place to stop by, as it is home to one of the largest Hmong communities in Guyane. After a visit to the riverside (adding a hummer) and a few false starts I found the correct path leaving the road near a school just outside the village, and added a few common species of agricultural habitats like seedeaters, in what seemed like quite a bird-rich area after the forest. Not sure I took the exactly correct path for the wetlands, and no response to my spinetail tape, but a pleasant enough diversion - interrupted for a while by a downpour.

242. Fork-tailed Woodnymph
243. Grey-breasted Martin
244. Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
245. Smooth-billed Ani*
246. Blue-grey Tanager
247. Greater Yellow-headed Vulture

Camp Bonaventure
I reached the camp in the afternoon after a few stops along the way in a fruitless attempt to see a Screaming Piha, before doing the Layon Marais and 'short trail' opposite. The Marais trail was really frustrating, a couple of unresponsive antbirds I later learned were black-throated, and very limited views of basically one flowering Heliconia bush. I resorted to playing Amazonian pygmy-owl calls to try and elicit some sort of response - not sure if it was coincidental, but a noisy group of red-throated caracaras flew in and perched on top of a nearby tree. The short trail was similarly frustrating, before I suddenly needed to spring into action in a tree fall gap - first a fairly large woodcreeper which I IDed as buff-throated, then a great view (but no photo) of a collared gnatwren, before another brief but close look at what thankfully must be one of the easier to ID antwrens, and a perched rufous-throated sapphire.

248. Red-throated Caracara
249. Buff-throated Woodcreeper
250. Collared Gnatwren
251. White-flanked Antwren
252. Rufous-throated Sapphire

Rain stopped any thoughts of night birding, and I enjoyed a really good meal in the camp restaurant, washed down with a local Jeune Guele Space IPA beer, before a slightly uncomfortable night in my hammock.
 

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Nov 23: Camp Bonaventure / Layon Montagne (- Montagne Tortue) trail
I was out at first light, having decided I was up for trying the mountain trail - after talking to the guys at the camp, I thought the anticlockwise out and back option to the ridge was the most achievable.
Before leaving the camp my attention was drawn to what appeared to be a multi-species hummingbird display, rising vertically above palm trees in the camp, with a spectacular crimson topaz the undoubted highlight, accompanied by white-necked Jacobin (a species I'd seen in Colombia) and another rufous-throated sapphire.
Although I was taking the gentler option, it was still quite a haul uphill, the 'trail' really just a vague path, well waymarked by red and white tape - fortunately with quite a lot of opportunities to stop and watch birds. First off I saw a Guianan woodcreeper, much smaller than the buff-breasted I'd seen the day before, and the first of several Coraya wrens. I taped in a very co-operative wedge-billed woodcreeper, another size class down from Guianan, more like treecreeper sized in fact...a bit further on I added McConnell's flycatcher. Unfortunately I didn't manage a photo of any of these birds, the light was still fairly poor.
Further up the slope I got a great view and a photo of ferruginous-backed antbird, then after a short spell of rain the most unexpected addition to my 'seen' list - a marbled wood quail took off from a tangle of fallen branches to my left - had it not panicked and flushed I'd never have stood a hope of seeing it. A couple of the guys from the camp overtook me, doing the circuit - the only other people I saw all day.
A little later, just before the main ridge came the highlight of the day - a wing-barred antbird appeared at my feet to my right, took a look at me then disappeared into the undergrowth to my left. I played a WB Antbird from my AvesVox app - it responded feebly, so I turned the volume down, but didn't need to continue taping, as I saw it foraging unconcernedly in the leaf litter a few metres away from me, tossing leaves over its shoulder. I watched it for about 10 minutes, and miraculously got a photo, as the previous shower had led to my viewfinder getting totally misted up, so I was reliant on my autofocus whilst pointing in hopefully the right direction (I'm a bit rubbish at using live view...).
The ridge walk was magical - sunlight filtering through from both sides, but no open views over the canopy - and only one more species, a female pink-throated Becard seen foraging in the mid-canopy level. Just as I reached the point of decision - go on to the waterfall, turn back, or continue on the ridge and circuit - a downpour started, leading me to shelter for about 40 minutes under my umbrella, protecting my camera from further water ingress.
I decided to continue on the ridge and complete the circuit once the rain moderated, but it never really totally stopped, so bird activity dipped and stayed low. I did see a bushy mustelid tail disappearing fast, which I think was probably a Tayra, and just as I was starting to get complacent about walking alone in the rainforest (not many ants, no mosquitos, no snakes under any of the numerous fallen logs I had to step or climb over...) a large, yellow Amazonian Puffing Snake crossed in front of me, reminding me I wasn't in Northumberland!
The trail started to descend, becoming steeper - at one point going along the edge of a cliff that would've provided great canopy views, had it not been wet and misty - then got really steep. I only added two species - a Mouse-coloured Antshrike and a frustratingly brief look at a white-crowned manakin female, ID confirmed by call. A couple of steep valleys needed negotiating before the trail decanted me on the partially overgrown piste which leads to the camp's waterfall trail. By now I'd been out about 11 hours, had walked over 16km (24km according to eBird for some reason...) and was getting really tired - at least 2 noisy presumed cracids took off from the understory either side of me - curassows perhaps, but didn't get a glimpse, and most frustrating of all was a putative spinetail which disappeared off before I could get my binoculars on it. I was also at this stage being taunted by screaming pihas, but didn't have the energy left to try and pick one out.
My intention had been to do some night birding along the entrance road, but I was so tired I just had a shower from the cold water tank in my carbet, and had my meal in the 'restaurant' - the only customer for the second night. I slept much better in my hammock that night!

253. Tropical Kingbird *
254. Crimson Topaz
255. White-necked Jacobin *
256. Guianan Woodcreeper
257. Coraya Wren
258. Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
259. McConnell's Flycatcher
260. Ferruginous-backed Antbird
261. Marbled Wood Quail
262. Wing-banded Antbird
263. Pink-throated Becard
264. Mouse-colored Antshrike
265. White-crowned Manakin
 

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Nov 24: Camp Bonaventure
I was up early, hoping for another look at the dawn hummer display, and aiming to be at the vantage point at the top of the camp to try and pick out some canopy species. Unfortunately heavy rain before dawn persisted until just before 10am, so I just packed the car up and checked out of my carbet.
Once it abated a little, I decided to try the short trail again, where there'd been a bit more activity in the tree fall gap in my first evening. I also decided to head down to the stream where I hoped I might tempt a McConnell's spinetail into responding to tape. No luck on either front, but I did see a large and very vocal raptor which came out of mid-canopy and headed for the stream, where I got another view of it perched. I was puzzled at first, but helped by AvesVox / xeno canto decided it was an immature great black hawk - it actually responded when I played back the call as I was trying to ID it!
Whilst raptor watching I was aware of a buzzing noise close by, and turned to see a tiny reddish hermit at a nearby flowering shrub - possibly two sequential lifers with the largest size contrast I'm ever likely to see!
Back at the entrance track, the brightening conditions provoked a lot more bird activity, although most were calling beyond the dense forest margin and impossible to pick out - I did hear, record and ID two black-throated antbirds close by, seeing a presumed male and photographing a presumed female (as best as I could with my still fogged viewfinder..). After posting to eBird, I was corrected by Hugh Foxonet, the FG reviewer - it was a dot-winged antwren, of the not very dotted subspecies microstictus....more than happy to stand corrected (especially as I'd actually seen the very skulking black-throated later on in the trip!), but a bit sobering to learn I also missed black-headed antbird and Guianan warbling-antbird, audible in the background of the black-throated antbird tape I'd sent him.

266. Great Black Hawk
267. Reddish Hermit
268. Dot-winged Antwren
 

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Nov 24: Piste Mataroni
This is an active forestry site to the west of the main N2 road, accessed by driving the forestry tracks and stopping at likely points. I was a bit reluctant to go in at first, given the faded sign saying 'landowners only' in French at the entrance, but decided to go for it and feign ignorance if I met anyone in the forest. The track passed through the main forestry depot, but as it was Sunday the logging trucks were all parked up, and there was only one bloke visible washing down a pickup who ignored me as I drove through.
There was some impressively tall forest close to the tracks, but light visible through the trees suggested quite a lot of clear-felling beyond the access track. Hampered by frequent downpours, there was very little bird activity apart from screaming pihas, and I only added two new species - a colony of crested oropendolas with active nests in a clearing, and a Guianan toucanet flying across the forest ride. Quite a bit of evidence of hunting here too, with spent shotgun cartridges in clearings.
Although the birding was really disappointing, whilst driving between stops I got great views of two new mammals crossing my path - a Jaguarundi, and a much better view of a confirmed Tayra than the disappearing bushy tail I'd had the previous day!

269. Crested Oropendola
270. Guianan Toucanet

10. Jaguarundi
11. Tayra
 
Nov 25: Saint-Georges
A change of accommodation style for 2 night, a comfortable self-catering studio furnished with a much-needed washing machine. I left my camera body in a sealed plastic bag with silica gel sachets overnight, which thankfully cured the viewfinder fogging. Unfortunately my own vision was by now slightly impaired, my eyes likely irritated by the mix of sweat, suntan lotion and 50% DEET getting into them on the hotter uphill parts of Layon Montagne, and I gave the contact lenses a rest - I'm never very good at birding with glasses, especially when I needed my prescription sunglasses due to a sensitivity to glare. I was obviously concerned I might have an eye infection - fortunately this didn't turn out to be the case.
Breakfast in the form of a croissant and orange juice was delivered to my terrace at 06:15, then I was off to the forest - not before adding one somewhat overdue common tanager species, along with other garden species like pale-bellied thrush and southern house wren:

271. Blue-grey Tanager *

Piste de Saut Maripa / Piste Armontabo
I spent most of the day birding here - the first stop at a clearing on the main Saut-Maripa piste revealed 3 perched swallow-tailed kites, and a brief view of a typically flighty parrot - an orange-winged amazon. Further on, I stopped at a point near a stream where there'd been an old report of scarlet fruitcrow - the only new bird here was a pair of dusky-chested flycatchers, giving good views as they perched in treetops, carrying food to presumably breeding.
Piste Armontabo is an active logging concession, and after leaving the main road I had to squeeze past an articulated lorry which had stopped on the way to delivering materials to the forestry operation. After a while this opened out into a large mown-grass clearing which appeared to be used for materials laydown and as an emergency helipad / evacuation area for the forest operations. This proved quite productive bird-wise, the canopy views giving me flight views of another ST kite, green oropendola and a purple-throated fruitcrow. Another raptor flying within the canopy looked very much like a forest falcon, but the brief view an lack of photo opportunity made it impossible for me to determine which species. I made several stops at clearings, taking walks from my car, adding double-banded pygmy-tyrant, which I can best describe as a 'yellow-browed warbler-like tyrannulid'. The accessible part of the main forest trail then ended at a river crossing, before entering an area prohibited from public access due to forest activity. I saw a small bird fly into the undergrowth as a drove across, and thought this a likely habitat for riverbank warbler - a personal target given the paucity of my Parulid list. 10 minutes or so slowly walking back and forth taping brought no response, and I'd given up and was about to get in the car to turn it round when I heard a riverbank warbler! Checking first that I hadn't just played Aves Vox by mistake I returned, and spent the next half hour duetting with a riverbank warbler before being rewarded with a deeply unsatisfactory flight view between one patch of dense cover and another. After my only previous experience of a Miothylpis warbler, the exhibitionist tail-twerking buff-tailed, this was a bit of a let-down, but still gave me some satisfaction!
I turned back, then up an apparently disused track into what I guess must've been previously selectively logged, regrown forest - I stopped at a likely clearing and tried again playing an Amazonian pygmy owl call to attempt to elicit a response - it did, from an Amazonian pygmy owl! Unfortunately try as I might, I couldn't see the owl. Walking the track here produced more views of noisy red-throated caracaras, but no new species. A little further on, after a heavy shower, I stopped where an overgrown side track descended into dense forest, and took a walk down. This finally produced good views of screaming Piha, as several birds were interacting - there was more bird activity, but very little I could get eyes on an positively ID apart from a co-operative black nunbird, and another Coraya wren. Back at the car, I got a distant view of red-necked woodpecker - my first large Campephilus species, after an uncountably brief flight view of powerful woodpecker in Colombia. I couldn't drive much further due to a fallen tree, so retraced my route, stopping near the 'pygmy owl' clearing after hearing and getting brief flight views of white-throated toucan.

272. Orange-winged Amazon
273. Dusky-chested Flycatcher
274. Green Oropendola
275. Purple-throated Fruitcrow
276. Double-banded Pygmy Tyrant
277. Riverbank Warbler
Amazonian Pygmy Owl
(heard-only)
278. Screaming Piha
279. White-throated Toucan
 

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Nov 25: Saut Maripa / botanical trail
It was quite late in the day when I reached Saut Maripa on the Oiapoque river, but decided I had enough light to do the botanical trail which headed a short distance upriver, in the hope of seeing ladder-tailed nightjar on some of the river islands. Before I set off I had a look around the river at Saut Maripa, seeing two swallow-winged puffbirds perched in a riverside tree.
I took the outward trail quite quickly so as to reach the river before dark, but still managed to actually see a black-throated antbird on the way...a scan of the river shingle islands didn't reveal any nightjars, but raucous gull-like calls alerted me to small groups of red-fan parrots heading upriver to roost. It was starting to get seriously dark on the return trip through the forest, with a large, slow-flying bat species foraging along the trail, then a movement ahead revealed possibly bird of the day - a variegated tinamou crossing the trail, seemingly oblivious of my presence! The drive back revealed a couple of nightjars in my headlights - a good view of what I hoped would've been blackish nightjar, until its clearly visible white outer tail feathers confirmed it as a pauraque, and another possible blackish - before another likely pauraque adjoining cultivated land closer to the main road.

280. Swallow-winged Puffbird
281. Black-throated Antbird
282. Red-fan Parrot
283. Variegated Tinamou
284. Pauraque *
 

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