Brazil; Fazenda Agua Limpa 05.09.2020 - 07.09.2020

Fazenda Agua Limpa; Day 4 05.09.2020
In the morning we headed to another area of Gallery Forest to look for Manakin nests. This are is a favourite of mine due to the walking being easier, largely following a forest stream, and the fact that it is home to one of my favourite forest birds, the Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper. We saw two of these awesome birds, one especially showed well. I also got yet another lifer, although this one a little more expected; Eastern Slaty or Blacksmith Thrush. It was very vocal but did not show so well being high up in the canopy. There was also a nice bonus before we set off when a stunning male Silver-beaked Tanager came to the flowering tree outside our lodgings. I have only seen this species once before, also here but briefly and a female, so this was a marked improvement.

In the afternoon I took a stroll around the farm before heading into the Cerrado for a look. The farm was very nice with good views of lots of common species, as well as finding a stunning male Scarlet Flycatcher, a rare migrant to this area and the first for the farm. The colour on this bird is really something else. Other nice birds included Pearl Kite, Aplomado Falcon and a Bran-colored Flycatcher. The Cerrado was absolutely dead.

In the evening I tried some night birds. The Nacunda Nighthawks put on a great display again as they left their roost with 13 individuals passing over our heads. Only Tropical Screech Owl responded to my tapes and there were only Pauraque on the road. I also lamped two Crab-eating Foxes, rounding off another excellent day in the farm.

-Silver-beaked Tanager

-Roadside Hawk

-Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper

-Scarlet Flycatcher

-Nacunda Nighthawk

Species List:

Fazenda Agua Limpa: Undulated Tinamou, Rusty-margined Guan, Pale-vented Pigeon, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Scaled Dove, White-tipped Dove, Smooth-billed Ani, Striped Cuckoo, Squirrel Cuckoo, Nacunda Nighthawk, Least Nighthawk, Pauraque, Sick's Swift, Neotropical Palm Swift, White-vented Violetear, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Southern Lapwing, Neotropic Cormorant, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Whistling Heron, Capped Heron, Green Ibis, Buff-necked Ibis, Black Vulture, Pearl Kite, Grey-headed Kite, Roadside Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Tropical Screech Owl, Burrowing Owl, Toco Toucan, White-wedged Piculet, Little Woodpecker, Campo Flicker, Red-legged Seriema, Southern Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Aplomado Falcon, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Yellow-faced Parrot, Turquoise-fronted Amazon, Peach-fronted Parakeet, White-eyed Parakeet, Variable Antshrike, Black-capped Antwren, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Rufous Hornero, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Ochre-cheeked Spinetail, Sooty-fronted Spinetail, Helmeted Manakin, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Plain-crested Elaenia, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Lesser Elaenia, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Euler's Flycatcher, Scarlet Flycatcher, Cattle Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Curl-crested Jay, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, House Wren, Buff-breasted Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Pale-breasted Thrush, White-necked Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Blacksmith Thrush, Creamy-bellied Thrush, House Sparrow, Purple-throated Euphonia, Grassland Sparrow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Shiny Cowbird, Chopi Blackbird, Golden-crowned Warbler, Flavescent Warbler, Black-goggled Tanager, White-lined Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Guira Tanager, Saffron Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, White-bellied Seedeater, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Bananaquit, Buff-throated Saltator, Green-winged Saltator, Crab-eating Fox,

Fazenda Agua Limpa; Day 5 06.09.2020

Today was an extremely eventful day filled with birds, as well as other incidents. We headed out to the Cerrado for first light to make the most of the birding available before it got hot. Here we managed excellent views of Grass Wren and Rufous-winged Antshrike, as well as a new species for the farm with White-eared Puffbird. And I got yet another new bird with a distant flock of Red-bellied Macaws that flew past. Despite having lived in this farm for two months, and spending an additional four months in Brazil birding, I’m still able to get lifers here.

Afterwards we headed to the Gallery Forest to do some fieldwork but on the way we called off at reservoir to see what there was around, hoping to find that rare wader that I hoped for. To our surprise I picked out what appeared to be a species of wader on the shoreline at the far side but due to distance no identification could be obtained. We approached as close as we could be found the shoreline fenced off and private, leaving us with only distant views. However, poor photos were obtained which showed a pinkish based to the bill, bright yellow legs with largely plain sandy brown mantle and white underparts. This, combined with the birds notable bobbing during movement clearly showed the bird to be a Spotted Sandpiper. It was whilst checking these photos that the bird was lost, and it was not until we returned to the car that we found it feeding on the near stretch of shoreline. Here better photos could be taken and it was possible to see that the bird was an adult, having retained its spotted breeding plumage. The bird carried on the near shore until it was flushed by a Rufous Hornero and flew out of view. Subsequent attempts to find it again during the day all failed, but with ample shoreline it could easily have remained out of sight. After this find I was extatic, this being the first DF record for three years and only the third submitted to WikiAves.

After that the day already peaked and the gallery forest was quiet with a few nice butterflies. We heard a Black Hawk-Eagle but we could not see it which was frustrating. After that, and still buzzing from our morning, we headed back to the farm to find that we had lost the room keys. We tried everything to find them but in the end we had to break the window to get in.

That put a downer on the day but in the afternoon I headed out birding again, but just round the farm and had a truly fantastic time. I found two new species for the farm; Yellow-browed Tyrant and Yellowish Pipit, the latter being a real surprise and hope to see more of them in the coming days. Two Small-billed Tinamou showed nicely on the road and there was an abundance of common speices, finishing off with the Nacunda Nighthawk flybys.

And then, just to really put the icing on the cake, the Maned Wolf wandered slowly past as we were waiting for the Nighthawks. What an unbelievable day!

-Rufous-winged Antshrike

-Grass Wren

-Red-bellied Macaw

-Spotted Sandpiper

-Periander Metalmark

-White-throated Kingbird

-Yellow-browed Tyrant

-Fork-tailed Flycatcher

-Small-billed Tinamou

-Yellowish Pipit

-Maned Wolf

Species List:

Fazenda Agua Limpa: Whistling Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Buff-necked Ibis, Black Vulture, Black Hawk-Eagle, Plumbeous Kite, Roadside Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Burrowing Owl, Rufous-capped Motmot, White-eared Puffbird, Toco Toucan, Campo Flicker, Red-legged Seriema, Collared Forest Falcon, Southern Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Laughing Falcon, Aplomado Falcon, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Yellow-faced Parrot, Turquoise-fronted Amazon, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Red-bellied Macaw, White-eyed Parakeet, Rufous-winged Antshrike, Black-capped Antwren, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Rufous Hornero, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Ochre-cheeked Spinetail, Helmeted Manakin, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Plain-crested Elaenia, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Yellow-browed Tyrant, White-rumped Monjita, Short-crested Flycatcher, Cattle Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Social Flycatcher, White-throated Kingbird, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, House Wren, Grass Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Pale-breasted Thrush, House Sparrow, Yellowish Pipit, Purple-throated Euphonia, Grassland Sparrow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Variable Oriole, Shiny Cowbird, Chopi Blackbird, Golden-crowned Warbler, Flavescent Warbler, White-lined Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Guira Tanager, White-rumped Tanager, Saffron Finch, Wedge-tailed Grass Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Plumbeous Seedeater, Red Pileated Finch, Green-winged Saltator, Crab-eating Fox, Maned Wolf,

Fazenda Agua Limpa; Day 6 07.09.2020

  We set off at a more usual time today to head to a new section of gallery forest which nicely borders a section of Cerrado. The forest birding itself was pretty uneventful really, a Blacksmith Thrush was singing and we had nice views of Planalto Tyrannulet on the nest but otherwise things passed without much incident. On the way back from the fieldwork he stopped by the reservoir to see if there were any waders but sadly there was nothing. Here though I did manage to find myself a lifer with Tawny-headed Swallow which was flying around with the commoner Swallow species. Photographing it was difficult but in the end, I managed to get enough photos to support my identification. It was pretty frustrating since the bird was flying so close to us but I just was not quick enough with my camera.

  In the afternoon I took the trap out to try and catch some of the Yellowish Pipits I had seen the previous day. It was a struggle since the pipits were very mobile and never ever looked interested in the tape. So, I changed my strategy to see if I could entice either of the White-rumped Monjita that were also in the field and this time I got lucky with one of these stunning birds eventually going in the trap. A real treat to see up close.

  In the evening we had arranged to see a very special owl which had taken up residence at a private location site near the city.  Buff-fronted Owl is normally only found in the southern region of the Atlantic forest, with a scatter few other populations. It took us five hours to see it, but it showed incredibly well allowing for some nice photos of what has to be one of the world’s best-looking owls. At times it was an incredibly frustrating evening but it paid off in the end.

-Black-throated Mango

-Burnished-buff Tanager

-Tawny-headed Swallow

-White-rumped Monjita

-White-eared Opossum

-Buff-fronted Owl

Species List:

Fazenda Agua Limpa: Undulated Tinamou, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Scaled Dove, White-tipped Dove, Grey-fronted Dove, Squirrel Cuckoo, Neotropical Palm Swift, White-vented Violetear, Black-throated Mango, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Southern Lapwing, Neotropic Cormorant, Great Egret, Whistling Heron, Buff-necked Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Roadside Hawk, Rufous-capped Motmot, Ringed Kingfisher, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Toco Toucan, White-wedged Piculet, Little Woodpecker, Campo Flicker, Red-legged Seriema, Collared Forest Falcon, Southern Crested Caracara, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Turquoise-fronted Amazon, Peach-fronted Parakeet, White-eyed Parakeet, Variable Antshrike, Black-capped Antwren, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Ochre-cheeked Spinetail, Sooty-fronted Spinetail, Helmeted Manakin, Greenish Schiffornis, White-throated Spadebill, Grey-hooded Flycatcher, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Southern Antpipit, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Planalto Tyrannulet, White-rumped Monjita, Long-tailed Tyrant, Short-crested Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, White-throated Kingbird, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Curl-crested Jay, Blue-and-white Swallow, Tawny-headed Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Grey-breasted Martin, Masked Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Buff-breasted Wren, Pale-breasted Thrush, Blacksmith Thrush, Creamy-bellied Thrush, House Sparrow, Yellowish Pipit, Purple-throated Euphonia, Violaceous Euphonia, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Shiny Cowbird, Tropical Parula, Golden-crowned Warbler, Flavescent Warbler, White-lined Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Guira Tanager, Saffron Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Bananaquit, Buff-throated Saltator,
Undisclosed Location: Undulated Tinamou, Pauraque, Scissor-tailed Nightjar, Tropical Screech Owl, Burrowing Owl, Buff-fronted Owl, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Laughing Falcon, White-eared Opossum,