Brazil; Itatiba

 Now that we are out of Sao Paulo, we have been able to head out birding every morning, even if just round the estates waterbodies. We made a couple of visits to the nearby marsh, as well as visiting the local lake. On the whole the weather has been good and there has been a lot of bird activity, including patch ticks at both sites.

 Perhaps the most surprising patch tick was in Lia’s estate where we found a Rufous Gnateater holding territory. This normally deep forest species is quite secretive and so it was surprise to find one singing in the small patch of forest just at the bottom of the valley. This is the same forest patch that yielded other, albeit more adaptable, forest species such as Variable Antshrike and Spix Spinetail. Many of the trees here were also in full flower, so there was quite a bit of hummingbird activity with Black Jacobin, Sapphire-spangled Emerald and two Stripe-breasted Starthroats enjoying them. Another surprising patch tick for Lia was a flyover juvenile Snail Kite. Not a rare species at all, but there are not many sizeable wetlands nearby that could support this species.

 The small marsh just over the hill had a few species on offer as well. A White-vented Violetear was a nice Sao Paulo tick for me. There was also nice surprises in the form of Plain Antvireo and a pair of Dusky-legged Guans. These guans roam around the neighbourhood and even drink from the swimming pool in Lia’s parents’ garden, but this is the first time I have seen them. A distant Laughing Falcon was heard calling on one of the mornings, and after some time we were able to spot it, although it was nearly always looking in the opposite direction. 

-Variable Antshrike

-Stripe-breasted Starthroat

-Spix Spinetail

-Blue-and-white Swallow

-Snail Kite

-Common Tody-Flycatcher

-Plain Antvireo

-Dusky-legged Guan

Species List:
Lagoa do Jardim Leonor: Brazilian Teal, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Guira Cuckoo, Squirrel Cuckoo, Sick's Swift, Planalto Hermit, Black-throated Mango, Stripe-breasted Starthroat, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Common Gallinule, Southern Lapwing, Wattled Jacana, Neotropic Cormorant, Western Cattle Egret, Rufescent Tiger Heron, Great Egret, Western Cattle Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron, Bare-faced Ibis, Buff-necked Ibis, Green Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Snail Kite, Savanna Hawk, Roadside Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Tropical Screech Owl, Ringed Kingfisher, Amazon Kingfisher, White Woodpecker, Lineated Woodpecker, Green-barred Woodpecker, Campo Flicker, Red-legged Seriema, Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Aplomado Falcon, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Turquoise-fronted Amazon, Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet, White-eyed Parakeet, Barred Antshrike, Varied Antshrike, Rufous Gnateater, Rufous Hornero, Spix Spinetail, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Large Elaenia, White-crested Tyrannulet, Yellow-browed Tyrant, Grey Monjita, Masked Water Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, Variegated Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Grey-breasted Martin, White-rumped Swallow, House Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Pale-breasted Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Creamy-bellied Thrush, Common Waxbill, House Sparrow, Hooded Siskin, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Variable Oriole, Shiny Cowbird, Southern Yellowthroat, Tropical Parula, Orange-headed Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Chestnut-vented Conebill, Saffron Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Lined Seedeater, Double-collared Seedeater, Bananaquit, Guianan Squirrel, Capybara,
Brejão da ETE: Dusky-legged Guan, Brazilian Teal, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Eared Dove, Squirrel Cuckoo, Sick's Swift, Black Jacobin, Planalto Hermit, White-vented Violetear, Black-throated Mango, Stripe-breasted Starthroat, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Southern Lapwing, Cocoi Heron, Buff-necked Ibis, Black Vulture, Plumbeous Kite, Roadside Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, Toco Toucan, White-spotted Woodpecker, Lineated Woodpecker, Crested Caracara, Laughing Falcon, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet, White-eyed Parakeet, Plain Antvireo, Rufous Hornero, Orange-breasted Thornbird, Spix’s Spinetail, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-Olive Flatbill, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Large Elaenia, White-crested Tyrannulet, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Masked Water Tyrant, Short-crested Flycatcher, Cattle Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Streaked Flycatcher, Variegated Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Curl-crested Jay, Black-capped Donacobius, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Grey-breasted Martin, House Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Pale-breasted Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Creamy-bellied Thrush, Common Waxbill, House Sparrow, Purple-throated Euphonia, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Variable Oriole, Shiny Cowbird, Chestnut-capped Blackbird, Yellow-rumped Marshbird, Southern Yellowthroat, Golden-crowned Warbler, Orange-headed Tanager, Ruby-crowned Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Palm Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Saffron Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Lined Seedeater, White-bellied Seedeater, Double-collared Seedeater, Bananaquit, 

Brazil; Bragança Paulista - Brejão da ETE

  We took the morning away from the local sites around Itatiba to head over to the neighbouring municipality of Bragança Paulista. An area of marsh to the north of the city had been producing some rarer species of Sporophila seedeaters, and we decided to make the short 1-hour journey to see if we could cash in on this opportunity.

  The area was little more than a marshy field with a few small ponds and patches of tussock, but it right from the off it was clearly lively with Grassland Yellow Finch flying all around us, Pampa Finch in the taller grasses and a very smart pair of Streamer-tailed Tyrant showing exceptionally well on the wires next to us.

  We first birded the grasses around the small pond to see if this was the area where the seedeaters were frequenting. Our efforts found a small group of Double-collared Seedeaters and a single male Yellow-bellied Seedeater, the latter being a Sao Paulo tick for me. While nice, these were not the species we were hoping for, so expanded our search to the areas of grass adjacent to the road. It was not long before we found another larger group of Double-collared Seedeaters, and perched up distantly with them was clearly another species. A quick check through the bins, along with a photo confirmed that it was a superb male Tawny-bellied Seedeater, one of the species we were hoping for. Looking at the photos, the bird perched adjacent to this species was a male Black-bellied Seedeater, a Brazilian endemic and the species we were really hoping for during the morning. Unfortunately, they were very tricky and after they dropped from their perches, we could only relocate the male Tawny-bellied Seedeater. We never refound the Black-bellied Seedeater, which was unfortunate as Lia did not see it. Still, we have plans to return in the not-too-distant future, so hopefully we will catch up with it again before they head south to breed.

  As we birded along the road we bumped into another birder, something of a novelty here in Brazil, even in areas popular with birders. With him, we added Pearly-bellied Seedeater and Lined Seedeater to our day-list, and he showed us another area of habitat; a shallow pond surrounded by riverside forest. It took just one look here for me to comment to Lia that it looked perfect for the Clibanornis, Henna-capped Foliage-Gleaner, a sneaky species that I heard two years ago in Brasilia but never manage to see. We played a tape more in hope than expectation, but after about five minutes we heard one responding from the forest. After watching and waiting a little longer we managed to actually spot the bird on the far side of the river perched in the open, and showing exceptionally well for a member of this genus, rounding off a brilliant morning’s birding.

-Brejão da ETE

-Streamer-tailed Tyrant

-Grassland Yellow Finch

-Black-bellied Seedeater (fourth bird down)

-Tawny-bellied Seedeater

-Henna-capped Foliage-Gleaner

Species List:
Bragança Paulista--Brejão da ETE: Small-billed Tinamou, Muscovy Duck, Brazilian Teal, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Smooth-billed Ani, Striped Cuckoo, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Blackish Rail, Southern Lapwing, Wattled Jacana, Anhinga, Neotropic Cormorant, Black Vulture, White-tailed Hawk, Burrowing Owl, White Woodpecker, Campo Flicker, Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Aplomado Falcon, Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet, White-eyed Parakeet, Band-tailed Hornero, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Henna-capped Foliage-gleaner, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Spix's Spinetail, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Masked Water Tyrant, Streamer-tailed Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Black-capped Donacobius, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Grey-breasted Martin, House Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Pale-breasted Thrush, Purple-throated Euphonia, Grassland Sparrow, Chestnut-capped Blackbird, Yellow-rumped Marshbird, Southern Yellowthroat, Sayaca Tanager, Grassland Yellow Finch, Pampa Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Lined Seedeater, Pearly-bellied Seedeater, Tawny-bellied Seedeater, Black-bellied Seedeater, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Double-collared Seedeater, 

Brazil; Santo André - Campo Grande e estrada do Rio Claro

 We are finally, FINALLY, leaving São Paulo but for our final morning before we departed, we made a short trip across the city to the edge of the Serra do Mar national park for some birding. Lia had visited this location before and seen some cool birds, despite it being little more than a dirt road through a patch of Atlantic Forest. We arrive at around 07.30 and it was already getting hot.

We parked in an area of open marshland where before Lia had seen Long-tailed Reed-Finch. Before we have only seen this bird once before, in rainy conditions at Campos do Jordão and they were distant and not approachable. We were in luck today, as they were far better behaved, often showed well and offering excellent views as they sang. In this area there was also an abundance of Southern Yellowthroat, which also showed extremely well.

Satisfied with the birding in this open area we headed into the forest itself. Here it was still very active despite the morning warming up quickly. An Olivaceous Elaenia showed nicely for us. Fawn-breasted Tanager was surprisingly common, with at least five individuals spotted during the morning. There were very showy Eared Pygmy Tyrants, Streak-headed Antwren, and Orange-eyed Thornbird. We also had a very tricky Rufous-tailed Attila. There has only been one previous occasion where I have seen this species, and it was difficult then too, but this time we had the fact that it was mid-morning on our side and so we were able to spot it in the better light conditions.

There was also a lifer for me, one that I was certainly not expecting. Lia picked up a hawk flying distantly but moving away as it soared. It was a strange-looking bird with a large pale head and short tail. Before it fell below the tree line I grabbed a few photos which we were able to use to confirm the species; a Black-collared Hawk. This is a bird more abundant in interior wetland areas, so it was certainly a surprise to spot one out here in the Atlantic Forest. A check of WikiAves found that this is the first record from the Santo Andre municipality where this site is located. 

-Campo Grande e estrada do Rio Claro

-Long-tailed Reed-Finch

-Olivaceous Elaenia

-Rufous-tailed Attila

-Black-collared Hawk

Species List:
Santo André--Campo Grande e estrada do Rio Claro: Dusky-legged Guan, Picazuro Pigeon, Plumbeous Pigeon, Squirrel Cuckoo, White-collared Swift, Black Jacobin, Brazilian Ruby, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Blackish Rail, Rufous-sided Crake, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Black-collared Hawk, Roadside Hawk, Ochre-collared Piculet, Giant Antshrike, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Variable Antshrike, Plain Antvireo, Streak-capped Antwren, White-shouldered Fire-eye, Squamate Antbird, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Lesser Woodcreeper, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Orange-eyed Thornbird, Pallid Spinetail, Spix's Spinetail, Blue Manakin, Bare-throated Bellbird, White-throated Spadebill, Grey-hooded Flycatcher, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Olivaceous Elaenia, Planalto Tyrannulet, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Rufous-tailed Attila, Grey-hooded Attila, Great Kiskadee, Streaked Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Rufous-crowned Greenlet, Chivi Vireo, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, House Wren, Long-billed Wren, Yellow-legged Thrush, White-necked Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Southern Yellowthroat, Tropical Parula, Golden-crowned Warbler, Red-crowned Ant Tanager, Ruby-crowned Tanager, Diademed Tanager, Fawn-breasted Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Red-necked Tanager, Long-tailed Reed Finch, Saffron Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Double-collared Seedeater, Bananaquit, 

Brazil; Itatiba

We finally got to spend some time away from Sao Paulo at Lia’s parents’ place. The peacefulness of our new environment was in complete contrast to the last few weeks in the city. Although the area is not super birdy, it is still in the Neotropics, so even a walk around the neighborhood can assemble a list of some 80 different species. We also had the option of the small marsh just over the hill, which we were still in the process of exploring.

The first two mornings of our stay we made a visit to the marsh in the hope of finding some rare Sporophila seedeaters, but alas we failed to find any. That said the birding was very enjoyable and we had a number of cool birds, notably on our second day when we had a small mixed group of Plumbeous and Hook-billed Kites fly over. The latter is a species I have still not seen so much of, so it was exciting to see two together flying low. There were also a couple of patch ticks here, including Sepia-capped Flycatcher and Sooty-fronted Spinetail, the latter being a Sao Paulo tick for me. It was just nice to be out birding away from the main city.

We also spent a bit of time birding our usual route around Lia’s neighborhood. Although slightly less birdy than the marsh, there was still plenty of activity to keep us interested. There were a couple more Sao Paulo ticks for me in the form of Stripe-breasted Starthroat and Western Osprey, the latter also being a patch tick for Lia here, which is surprising given the medium-sized lake at the bottom of the hill. 

-Sepia-capped Flycatcher

-Great Egret

-Yellow-rumped Marshbird

-Sooty-fronted Spinetail

-Short-tailed Hawk

-Hook-billed Kite

-Sapphire-spangled Emerald

-Chestnut-capped Blackbird

Species List:
Itatiba area: Brazilian Teal, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Guira Cuckoo, Smooth-billed Ani, Striped Cuckoo, Squirrel Cuckoo, Sick's Swift, Black Jacobin, Planalto Hermit, Black-throated Mango, Stripe-throated Starthroat, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Violet-capped Woodnymph, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Blackish Rail, Slaty-breasted Wood Rail, Common Gallinule, Rufous-sided Crake, Southern Lapwing, Wattled Jacana, Rufescent Tiger Heron, Great Egret, Western Cattle Egret, Striated Heron, Whistling Heron, Green Ibis, Bare-faced Ibis, Black Vulture, Western Osprey, Hook-billed Kite, Plumbeous Kite, Roadside Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, Ringed Kingfisher, Toco Toucan, Campo Flicker, Red-legged Seriema, Crested Caracara, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet, White-eyed Parakeet, Barred Antshrike, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Band-tailed Hornero, Rufous Hornero, Orange-breasted Thornbird, Spix's Spinetail, Sooty-fronted Spinetail, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Large Elaenia, White-crested Tyrannulet, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Tyrant, Masked Water Tyrant, Short-crested Flycatcher, Cattle Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Social Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, Variegated Flycatcher, White-throated Kingbird, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Black-capped Donacobius, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Grey-breasted Martin, White-rumped Swallow, House Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Pale-breasted Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Creamy-bellied Thrush, Common Waxbill, House Sparrow, Hooded Siskin, Purple-throated Euphonia, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Variable Oriole, Shiny Cowbird, Chestnut-capped Blackbird, Yellow-rumped Marshbird, Southern Yellowthroat, Golden-crowned Warbler, Orange-headed Tanager, Ruby-crowned Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Palm Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Chestnut-vented Conebill, Saffron Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Double-collared Seedeater, Bananaquit, Capybara, Guianan Squirrel,