Brazil; Northeast Trip -- Day 5

  The previous day we had driven north from Sergipe to Pernambuco, to the small town of Tamandaré where there were a couple of species for us to target in the nearby fragments on habitat. They could be tricky, but we had a full day reserved to try and spot them, so we were optimistic that we would see them both.

  First was the very rare Yellow-faced Siskin. Although widespread in the Northeast of Brazil, pressure from trappers means it is difficult to come by. The only reliable site is in a private forest fragment, but helpfully the birds preferred pine trees to feed in are right by the road, so this is where we set ourselves up for the morning. I was bracing for a good few hours stakeout but after around 40 minutes we spotted a male siskin distantly in the pines, but it flew off before we could get any photos or good views. Fortunately we would only have to wait another twenty minutes before either it or another male arrived. Although it was equally brief, this time we were able to grab a few record photos.

  The forest here was quite birdy, despite being next to the main road. We had brilliant views of Seven-coloured Tanager and Scaled Pigeon, and another lifer for me at least in the form of Grey-headed Flatbill, which is a very rare species in the Northeast region due to deforestation. In the end, it was a very enjoyable hours birding and that allowed us time to head to our next target species before the midday heat.

  Our next species was the equally range-restricted, but less threatened and easier to find within its range, Forbes Blackbird. Despite only being eight in the morning, the day was already hot and by the time we found the bird an hour later it was absolutely roasting. Lia spotted the birds feeding on the floor under some trees, before they moved out into the open allowing us for better views and even some photos. In the same area I lifered the stunning Lettered Aracari, which was preening in a Coconut Palm, as well as nice other species such as Red-shouldered Macaw and Black-capped Donacobius.

  We spent the rest of the day on the beach. We had a patch of forest we wanted to visit the evening but we found access too difficult due to the previous nights rainfall and as such made tracks down to the coast to another small coastal town where we would be going snorkelling the following day. 

-Grey-headed Flatbill

-Yellow-faced Siskin

-Lettered Aracari

-Red-shouldered Macaw

-Forbes Blackbird

-Smooth-billed Ani

Species List:
Tamandaré: Small-billed Tinamou, Scaled Pigeon, Scaled Dove, White-tipped Dove, Guira Cuckoo, Smooth-billed Ani, Squirrel Cuckoo, Black-throated Mango, Purple Gallinule, Southern Lapwing, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Roadside Hawk, Caatinga Puffbird, Lettered Aracari, Green-barred Woodpecker, Crested Caracara, Golden-tailed Parrotlet, Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Red-shouldered Macaw, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Band-tailed Hornero, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Grey-crowned Flatbill, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Short-crested Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Social Flycatcher, Variegated Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Chivi Vireo, Black-capped Donacobius, Tropical Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Moustached Wren, Pale-breasted Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Common Waxbill, Violaceous Euphonia, Yellow-faced Siskin, Shiny Cowbird, Forbes's Blackbird, Tropical Parula, White-lined Tanager, Brazilian Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Palm Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Seven-colored Tanager, Red-necked Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Bananaquit, Buff-throated Saltator,