Sunday 27 September 2020

Brazil; Fazenda Agua Limpa 26.09.2020 - 28.09.2020

Fazenda Agua Limpa Day 25 26.09.2020
Today was an absolute scorcher, and as such morning fieldwork was tough going. It did not help that we were exploring an area where the trails were very overgrown and we soon found ourselves lost, although we were able to locate ourselves once we reached the river. Birding was still enjoyable, with a pair of Double-collared Seedeaters feeding in the canopy as part of a mixed flock being the highlight. The Planalto Hermit also did a quick flyby and the Ringed Kingfisher also sat up nicely, although I’m not sure what it was doing following a small forest stream.
Once the afternoon started to cool down a bit more I headed out again. This time I decided to follow the road past the cattle fields to explore the Cerrado around there. Although the Cerrado was fairly quiet I did enjoy possibly my best Maned Wolf encounter yet, when I turned a corner on the road to find it striding towards me. It did a quick check, before taking a few more steps towards me and then entering the adjacent field through the barbed wire fence. It is such a stunning animal and it always gets the adrenaline pumping whenever I see it. Bird was it was fairly quiet but I did spot a Crowned-slaty Flycatcher perched atop one of the trees in the farm. This is only the second time I have seen this species, so that’s pretty cool.
-Double-collared Seedeater
-Ringed Kingfisher
-Crowned-slaty Flycatcher
-Burrowing Owl
-Maned Wolf

Species List:
Fazenda Agua Limpa: Undulated Tinamou, Small-billed Tinamou, Pale-vented Pigeon, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Scaled Dove, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Squirrel Cuckoo, Pauraque, Little Nightjar, Sick's Swift, Neotropical Palm Swift, Planalto Hermit, White-vented Violetear, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Southern Lapwing, Green Ibis, Buff-necked Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Plumbeous Kite, Roadside Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, Tropical Screech Owl, Burrowing Owl, Mottled Owl, Rufous-capped Motmot, Ringed Kingfisher, Green Kingfisher, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Toco Toucan, White-wedged Piculet, Little Woodpecker, Campo Flicker, Red-legged Seriema, Southern Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Turquoise-fronted Amazon, Peach-fronted Parakeet, White-eyed Parakeet, Variable Antshrike, Black-capped Antwren, Rufous Hornero, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Ochre-cheeked Spinetail, Sooty-fronted Spinetail, Helmeted Manakin, Greenish Schiffornis, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Plain-crested Elaenia, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Olivaceous Elaenia, Euler's Flycatcher, White-rumped Monjita, Short-crested Flycatcher, Cattle Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Social Flycatcher, Piratic Flycatcher, Variegated Flycatcher, Crowned Slaty Flycatcher, White-throated Kingbird, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Chivi Vireo, Curl-crested Jay, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Masked Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Buff-breasted Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Pale-breasted Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Blacksmith Thrush, House Sparrow, Purple-throated Euphonia, Grassland Sparrow, Saffron-billed Sparrow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Shiny Cowbird, Chopi Blackbird, Tropical Parula, Flavescent Warbler, Hooded Tanager, White-lined Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Saffron Finch, Grassland Yellow Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Double-collared Seedeater, Red Pileated Finch, Green-winged Saltator, Maned Wolf, 

Fazenda Agua Limpa Day 26 27.09.2020
It was another hot day today, but with occasional cloud cover and a slight breeze which slightly took the edge off it. Before fieldwork we had a quick check of the reservoir which was not bustling but had a few nice bits to see. Almost simultaneously I picked out an Anhinga at the far end of the reservoir (a farm tick), while Lia picked out Pale-breasted Spinetail in the grass down the road. We decided to focus on the Spinetail but it did not really show well, and in the end we resorted to simply recording the birds audio. The Anhinga had sadly left when we got back to the reservoir but a pair of Blue-and-yellow Macaws that flew over were a nice treat. The ringing session that followed was uneventful, catching just a single Manakin and a White-lined Tanager. The most eventful part was when a Rufous Casiornis came and sat on the top strand of the net, but, frustratingly, never went in.
In the afternoon I headed to a new area to do some exploring. It was a brilliant decision as I had a truly fantastic afternoon. The highlight, without doubt, was a world tick for me in the form of Cinereous-breasted Spinetail. The first individual I spotted responded well to my experimental playback, matching the call, but did not really look the part. I then found another individual where I had the same problem, before I then found a whole bunch them in the scrub, all looking exactly right and singing away. There was also farm ticks for me in the form of a brief flyover Crane Hawk, which sadly flew through the trees, and a distant Lineated Woodpecker. Both of these species are only the second for the farm. To cap it off birdwise I also found a new Brasilia Tapaculo territory, but the bird was in thick bracken and it did not come out. The Maned Wolf also put in an appearance, and I got a new mammal with Black-and-gold Howler-Monkey. Having heard these animals calling many times during my stays in the farm, it was nice to finally get to see one. What a fantastic afternoon, in just two hours. 
  In the evening we headed back to this same area to see if any Owls were using the patches of Gallery Forest in this area. Spoiler alert, they weren't but we did have a fantastic time with Little Nightjars which were everywhere in the Cerrado, a few individuals finally allowing us to get close for some photos. And then on the way back we found a Common Potoo hunting from a roadside fence post, right at eye level. Potoos are very reliant on their camouflage and as such we were able to get so close to this bird that we could touch it. What a fantastic encounter to end the day with.
-Pale-breasted Spinetail
-Cinereous-breasted Spinetail
-Lineated Woodpecker
-Black-and-Gold Howler-Monkey
-Little Nightjar
-Common Potoo

Species List:
Fazenda Agua Limpa: Undulated Tinamou, Small-billed Tinamou, Red-winged Tinamou, Pale-vented Pigeon, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Scaled Dove, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Squirrel Cuckoo, Pauraque, Little Nightjar, Common Potoo, Sick's Swift, Neotropical Palm Swift, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Grey-cowled Wood Rail, Southern Lapwing, Anhinga, Neotropic Cormorant, Whistling Heron, Buff-necked Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Crane Hawk, Roadside Hawk, Tropical Screech Owl, Burrowing Owl, Ringed Kingfisher, Amazon Kingfisher, Toco Toucan, White-wedged Piculet, White Woodpecker, Lineated Woodpecker, Campo Flicker, Red-legged Seriema, Collared Forest Falcon, Southern Crested Caracara, Aplomado Falcon, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Yellow-faced Parrot, Turquoise-fronted Amazon, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Red-bellied Macaw, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Rufous-winged Antshrike, Plain Antvireo, Brasilia Tapaculo, Rufous Hornero, Ochre-cheeked Spinetail, Cinereous-breasted Spinetail, Pale-breasted Spinetail, Helmeted Manakin, Greenish Schiffornis, Grey-hooded Flycatcher, Southern Antpipit, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Plain-crested Elaenia, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, White-rumped Monjita, Long-tailed Tyrant, Rufous Casiornis, Short-crested Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, Piratic Flycatcher, Variegated Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, White-rumped Swallow, Masked Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Buff-breasted Wren, Pale-breasted Thrush, Blacksmith Thrush, House Sparrow, Purple-throated Euphonia, Violaceous Euphonia, Grassland Sparrow, Saffron-billed Sparrow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Chopi Blackbird, Southern Yellowthroat, Tropical Parula, Golden-crowned Warbler, Flavescent Warbler, White-lined Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Guira Tanager, Saffron Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Red Pileated Finch, Bananaquit, Green-winged Saltator, Black-and-Gold Howler-Monkey, Maned Wolf,

Fazenda Agua Limpa Day 27 28.09.2020
Having got back late last night having been looking for Owls we took it fairly easy this morning, although we still made time for a cheeky visit to the reservoir before heading into the Gallery Forest. It looked as if it was going to be another slow day on the reservoir but after maybe 15 minutes of scanning I pick up what could only have been a wader on the far shore. I walked along the dam wall for a closer look until I could see that it was a Solitary Sandpiper, my second here but just as exciting. Sadly, in all my excitement I accidentally trod on a wasps nest, and two stings later I was running back the way I had come. Still, it was of no concern though as local dogs had started barking just moments before, flushing the sandpiper which then flew off and over the Cerrado. The Anhinga was still present at the top end of the reservoir, but nothing else of note otherwise. The Gallery Forest was very uneventful.
In the afternoon I headed in a similar direction to the previous day, but slightly further up the Gallery Forest system right to the edge of the farm. Once again the forest was open and fragmented with lots of bracken but the birding was enjoyable again. I managed two new species for my personal farm list; Greenish Elaenia and Orange-winged Amazon Parrot and a full new species for the farm; Chestnut-vented Conebill. Frustratingly the Conebill did not cooperate with me and the photos I did manage were extremely poor. Still, the other species were excellent to see rounding off an excellent day.
And then, in the evening whilst we were finishing off our Lasagne we hear a strange call which could only have been a Barn Owl. We headed out to the road but could not see anything until we put on a tape. At that point the bird appeared overhead, wheeling above us its white form contrasting the darkness of the night. A stunning bird always, but this is my first time seeing one in America.
-Solitary Sandpiper
-Picazuro Pigeon
-Greenish Elaenia
-Orange-winged Amazon
-Black-pencilled Marmoset

Species List:
Fazenda Agua Limpa: Undulated Tinamou, Small-billed Tinamou, Red-winged Tinamou, Rusty-margined Guan, Pale-vented Pigeon, Picazuro Pigeon, Scaled Dove, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Striped Cuckoo, Squirrel Cuckoo, Little Nightjar, Sick's Swift, Neotropical Palm Swift, White-vented Violetear, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Glittering-throated Emerald, Southern Lapwing, Solitary Sandpiper, Anhinga, Neotropic Cormorant, Whistling Heron, Green Ibis, Buff-necked Ibis, Black Vulture, Roadside Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, American Barn Owl, Tropical Screech Owl, Green Kingfisher, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Toco Toucan, White Woodpecker, Little Woodpecker, Red-legged Seriema, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Yellow-faced Parrot, Turquoise-fronted Amazon, Orange-winged Amazon, Black-capped Antwren, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Rufous Hornero, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Ochre-cheeked Spinetail, Cinereous-breasted Spinetail, Sooty-fronted Spinetail, Helmeted Manakin, Southern Antpipit, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Greenish Elaenia, Plain-crested Elaenia, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Olivaceous Elaenia, White-rumped Monjita, Short-crested Flycatcher, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, Piratic Flycatcher, Variegated Flycatcher, White-throated Kingbird, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Chivi Vireo, Curl-crested Jay, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Grey-breasted Martin, Masked Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Buff-breasted Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Pale-breasted Thrush, Blacksmith Thrush, House Sparrow, Yellowish Pipit, Purple-throated Euphonia, Grassland Sparrow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Chopi Blackbird, Tropical Parula, Flavescent Warbler, Hooded Tanager, Grey-headed Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Guira Tanager, Chestnut-vented Conebill, Saffron Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Bananaquit, Green-winged Saltator, Black-penciled Marmoset,  

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