From San
Sebastian on the coast we travelled two hours inland to a small city on the main
road from Sao Paulo to Rio, the previous evening, in order ensure we had time
to relax and take it easy on our Journey to Lia’s friend Alex’s house in Pindamonhangaba.
After a relaxed morning working in the hotel, we arrived in the city around
midday.
After lunch
we set off to twitch a Chilean Flamingo that was being seen regularly roughly
an hour away. Although we enjoyed a nice afternoon birding a fantastic wetland
area we failed to see the flamingo. I got a fantastic heron lifer with Pineated
Bittern, and enjoyed nice views of Solitary Sandpiper as well as White-browed
Blackbird and Chestnut-capped Blackbird. In the same area whilst travelling
between the main wetland and some nearby rice paddys we also found a Sooty
Grassquit, which was another lifer for me.
-Pinneated Bittern
-Chestnut-capped Blackbird
-White-browed Blackbird
-Sooty Grassquit
For the
last few hours of daylight we visited another area of rice plantation where
there were a number of duck species to be seen. The area was fantastic with
fields full of Wood Stork and Roseate Spoonbill, as well as Lesser Yellowlegs
and Solitary Sandpiper. The walk to the lake was roughly half and hour but when
we got there we found masses of White-faced, Black-bellied and Fulvous Whistling
Ducks, as well as both of our targets; Southern Pochard and Comb Duck. Were it
not for the fact that it absolutely poured in down on the walk back, it would
have been a perfect afternoons birding.
-Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, Great Egret etc.
-Lesser Yellowlegs
-Solitary Sandpiper
-Southern Pochard
-Comb Duck
Species
List:
Guaratinguetá:
White-faced
Whistling Duck, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Brazilian Teal, Feral Pigeon, Picazuro
Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Smooth-billed Ani, Limpkin, White-backed Stilt, Southern
Lapwing, Wattled Jacana, Solitary Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Pinnated
Bittern, Cocoi Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Western Cattle
Egret, Striated Heron, Whistling Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Vulture, Turkey
Vulture, Long-winged Harrier, Savanna Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Southern Crested
Caracara, Common Waxbill, House Sparrow, White-browed Blackbird, Chestnut-capped
Blackbird, Orange-headed Tanager, Saffron Finch, Double-collared Seedeater, Sooty Grassquit, Bananaquit,
Arrozais
de Tremembé: White-faced
Whistling Duck, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Comb Duck,
Brazilian Teal, Southern Pochard, Rock Dove, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove,
Guira Cuckoo, Smooth-billed Ani, White-backed Stilt, Southern Lapwing, Wattled
Jacana, Solitary Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Wood Stork, Anhinga, Neotropic
Cormorant, Cocoi Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Western
Cattle Egret, Striated Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, Savanna
Hawk, Southern Crested Caracara, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Yellow-chinned
Spinetail, Great Kiskadee, Blue-and-white Swallow, Common Waxbill, House
Sparrow, Yellowish Pipit, White-browed Blackbird, Shiny Cowbird, Chestnut-capped
Blackbird, Blue-black Grassquit,
Brazil
Day 17 01.03.2020
Today we
finally visited one of my most anticipated destinations, the PN Itatiaia; an
area of forest and upland open plateau. We arrived just after first light and
spent the next couple of hours slowly driving up a steep and winding path that
would lead us to the plateau and one of my most wanted species, the Itatiaia
Spinetail. It was a bummer that it rained all day, and that as a result there
were periods where birding was not possible due to the conditions. Still I managed
to stack up eight new species and have a fantastic days birding.
On the way
up we tried for a few woodland birds but mainly made the most of the time. A
couple of pairs of Rufous-tailed Antbirds were nice to see again and it was
excellent to catch up with my first Atlantic forest Warbling Finch; Buff-throated.
We spent most of the time driving up with occasional stops where we would
encounter some cool species. As we got nearer the top where the forest opened
out we encountered a few more birds; Thick-billed Saltator and Bay-chested
Warbling Finch were both lifers for me.
-Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail
-Buff-throated Warbling Finch
-Bay-chested Warbling-Finch
-Rufous-tailed Antbird
-Green-crowned Plovercrest
-Dusky-legged Guan
The whole
way up the mountain the road condition had gradually deteriorated until we
reached the plateau where the size of the puddles were just too great to risk
crossing with the car. We walked maybe two kilometers from this point to the
entrance of the National Park. Along the way we saw many Itatiaia Spinetails
showing well. The birds are less like a spinetail and more like a canastero, clambering
through the vegetation but also over rocks and bare surfaces. Also on this
upland area we found Pampa Finch and Large-tailed Antshrike, both of
which were new for me. Sadly by midday the weather had deteriorated to the
point where there was little point carrying on birding, and we made our way
back down the mountain.
-Itatiaia Spinetail
-Pampa Finch
-Large-tailed Antshrike
Species
List:
PN Itatiaia: Dusky-legged Guan, Brazilian Ruby, Green-crowned
Plovercrest, Slaty-breasted Wood Rail, Southern Crested Caracara, White-eyed
Parakeet, Large-tailed Antshrike, Variable Antshrike, Rufous-tailed Antbird, Rufous
Gnateater, Scaled Woodcreeper, Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner, Itatiaia Spinetail,
Pallid Spinetail, Spix's Spinetail, Blue Manakin, White-winged Becard, Crested
Becard, Olivaceous Elaenia, Chilean Elaenia, Greenish Tyrannulet, Planalto
Tyrannulet, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Velvety Black Tyrant, Short-crested
Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Chivi Vireo, Blue-and-white Swallow, House Wren,
Rufous-bellied Thrush, Creamy-bellied Thrush, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Golden-crowned
Warbler, White-rimmed Warbler, Buff-throated Warbling Finch, Diademed Tanager, Golden-chevroned
Tanager, Brassy-breasted Tanager, Bay-chested Warbling Finch, Pampa Finch, Thick-billed
Saltator,
Brazil
Day 18 02.03.2020
For our
second day exploring the northern mountain range of the Mata Atlantica we
headed to the picturesque town of Campos do Jordao, which is surrounded by
stunning Araucaria forest home to a number of endemic species. Our host, Alex,
came with us again and without him we would not have found half the species we
did, and would not have been able to get to far along the road due to the awful
condition it was in (He had a 4x4).
We started
by driving the road out of the town through an area of stunning Araucaria
forest looking for the rare and endemic Vinaceous-breasted Amazon Parrot. We
found our first perched atop a tree hanging over the road, but the light was
still fairly poor here. We saw several more at various points during the day,
allowing us to appreciate these stunning birds. Also along this road at our
various stops we found Swainson’s Flycatcher and Plush-crested Jay.
-Vinaceous-breasted Amazon Parrot
-Plush-crested Jay
Then we
headed up an abomination of a dirt track up the mountain to more areas of
forest, but also open areas of grassland. The forests had a few bird species in
them that were new for me; Brown-banded Bamboo-Tyrant and Rufous-backed
Antvireo were two. The grassland areas, although smaller were offering more new
species, including Long-tailed Reedfinch and a crazy encounter with a
Short-eared Owl, which I flushed from the grassland whilst looking for the Helmayr’s
Pipits, of which we saw one. The highlight of the day was when we found a
perched Black Hawk-Eagle which sadly lasted all too short as it was perched so
close to the road that the bird flushed as soon as we stopped. You could still
appreciate the awesome size of the bird, even in these brief views.
-Dusky-legged Guan
-Short-eared Owl
-Black Hawk-Eagle
-Green-crowned Plovercrest
-Rufous-backed Antvireo
-Surucoa Trogon
-Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet
-Long-tailed Reed Finch
-Helmayr's Pipit
On the
descent from the road we managed to find an Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, another
endemic of this habitat, and had a flyover Pileated Parrot. And then on the way
back to the town we were staying in from Campos de Jordao we called off at a
small area of wetland where we had excellent views of Rufous-sided Crake,
including an individual with a chick.
-Black Capuchin
-Aruacaria Tit-Spinetail
-Rufous-sided Crake
Species
List:
Campos
do Jordao: Brazilian
Teal, Dusky-legged Guan, Picazuro Pigeon, Smooth-billed Ani, Brazilian Ruby, Green-crowned
Plovercrest, White-throated Hummingbird, Common Gallinule, Rufous-sided Crake, Black
Vulture, Black Hawk-Eagle, White-tailed Hawk, Short-eared Owl, Surucua Trogon, Green-billed
Toucan, Southern Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Pileated Parrot, Vinaceous-breasted
Amazon, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, White-eyed Parakeet, Variable Antshrike, Rufous-backed
Antvireo, Rufous-tailed Antbird, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Buff-browed
Foliage-gleaner, Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, Pallid Spinetail, Yellow-chinned
Spinetail, Blue Manakin, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Black-and-gold Cotinga, Mottle-cheeked
Tyrannulet, Brown-breasted Bamboo Tyrant, Crested Black Tyrant, Velvety Black
Tyrant, White-headed Marsh Tyrant, Swainson's Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Tropical
Kingbird, Plush-crested Jay, Helmayr’s Pipit, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Golden-crowned
Warbler, White-rimmed Warbler, Buff-throated Warbling Finch, Diademed Tanager, Long-tailed
Reed Finch, Pampa Finch, Black Capuchin,
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