Paraguay Day 19; Mbaracayu

   Our full day in Mbaracayu was really quite slow in the grand scheme of things. With most of the forest off-limits due to the presence of Guerillas, we had to stick close to the lodge area which limited our capacity to explore properly. In order to expand our range a little we hired the Mbaracayu bird guide, Sixto, who was able to take us a little further into the forest although not as much as we would have liked.

  The morning started with little activity, but we had our first target respond when we had a Riverbank Warbler pair on the side of the forest river. But the highlight of the trail was a fantastic display by a Bare-faced Bellbird, perched high in the canopy but doing a full performance whilst we watched. The rest of the morning was fairly uneventful, with a frustrating Saffron Toucanet not showing at all for me, despite flying over three times. A nice Surucoa Trogon rounded out the morning.

  After lunch and a nap now that we had moved into a room instead of camping, we set off out again. The trail delivered a little more with a Spot-billed Toucanet and a lek of White-bearded Manakins, although no males were present. A Buff-bellied Puffbird was also a nice addition to our site list. We tried hard for several other species but had no joy to speak of. We continued into the evening walking along the entrance road, and we heard some Spot-winged Wood Quail but never managed to see them and the forest was too thick to venture in. A nice Azaras Agouti was a good mammal to see. 

Paraguay Day 18; Mbaracayu

 Today the morning was something of a write off, since we had lodged in a Hospedaje near the Rancho Blanca and it was three hours drive until we reached the Reserva Natural Mbaracayu, our location for the next few days and our first interaction with the Atlantic Forest on this trip. The drive was long and some stretches passed through terrible dirt roads, but in the end we arrive at around 09:30, allowing just a little time for morning birding.

  Our visit started incredibly well, as we passed through the entrance gate to the lodge area itself, I picked up the call of a Pavonine Cuckoo and we immediately jumped out and sprung into action. The bird was responsive to playback, but was extremely reluctant to perch in the open. There was just one occasion when it sat out in the open, and we got very nice views indeed.

  There is only one trail to walk without a guide here, so we spent the rest of the morning on that. There were a few Atlantic Forest species that we picked up here, such as White-shouldered Fire-eye and Rufous-capped Spinetail, as well as heard only Bare-throated Bellbird, the acoustic backdrop to our entire day in Mbaracayu. After lunch and a nap we also birded along this trail and we added Rufous-margined Antwren, White-eyed Foliage-Gleaner and Yellow-fronted Woodpecker.

  For the rest of the afternoon we birded along the entrance road again and had another great encounter when an Eared Pygmy Tyrant came and sat out in the open right next to us, completely of its own accord. The rest of the walk saw us add Crested Becard but little else. We returned to the lodge early evening to relax and recover from the last few days. A Bat Falcon flying around overhead was an unexpected addition to our trip! 

  We tried to search for some night birds along the main road, but we had not got far before we were found by park security forces and marched back to camp. The presence of guerrilas in the forest has complicated our visit to the area. For all this trouble, we only saw a Tropical Screech Owl.

Paraguay Day 17; Estancia Arrecife & Rancho Blanca

   Today was the day we left Estancia Arrecife and headed eastwards. We started at 05:30 and slowly birded our way back to the highway, stopping at various wetland sites along the way in the hopes of picking up some new species. We did, but they were all common birds such as Yellow-rumped Marshbird, Yellow-bellied Elaenia and Olivaceous Woodcreeper. The highlights were a nice pair of Streamer-tailed Tyrants displaying, two Black-throated Saltators and a Rufescent Tiger Heron stood in the road.

  Once we had rejoined the main road, the day was almost entirely consumed by the driving, with very little seen on the way. Our first destination was the Laguna Blanca, a site which we had tried to arrange without success, but Carolina had managed. Unfortunately this turned out to be too good to be true, and the Laguna Blanca Ecolodge did not have permission to allow us on to the Rancho Blanca property.

  This was a disappointing setback, and I was ready to once again give up on accessing the site, but fortunately Max was a man possessed, so we drove up to the gate of the farm and found someone to talk to who eventually passed us on to someone else, and they gave us the go ahead on a strictly unofficial basis to spend the afternoon in the site.

  The afternoon did not start well, with the sandy soils causing chaos with the car, and not being 100% sure where best to bird, but we eventually cracked it and spent a good three hours of daylight in excellent Cerrado habitat. It was fairly quiet for the most part but we still saw goodies like White-rumped Tanager, Shrike-like Tanager and a brief Plumbeous Seedeater.

  But the real star of Rancho Blanca is the White-winged Nightjar, and so we had to stay after dark to hopefully find one. Fortunately, no sooner had darkness fallen than we picked up an individual. We followed it to its perch and found a smart female sitting there. As we photographed here the stunning white wings of a male flew past us but we never found him sitting. We were only able to find one more bird during the evening, a young male also perched atop of a termite mound, showing very well. We could have continued longer, but the circumstances of our entry, the fact we had nowhere to stay yet and the rarity of the bird led to us deciding to withdraw after this second encounter. We were truly extactic that this bird we seemed destined to miss out on had been seen, and seen well! 

Paraguay Day 16; Estanica Arrecife

   For our second full day in Estancia Arrecife we had a slightly delayed start whilst we hoped the Hyacinth Macaw that lives near the Estancia might make a visit. But in cloudy and cool conditions there was no sign. And so with that we set off out with Matias the Hyacinth Macaw researcher to check out some areas for the Bare-faced Currasow that we had failed to find the previous day.

  The first location we checked was a forest fragment in the middle of an area of pasture. This plan produced several sightings of interested but sadly not the Currasow. We had an excellent performance from at least two but probably more White-throated Piping Guans, and in canopy we spotted at least two Black-and-gold Howler Monkeys. But in this fragment the highlight was an unexpected Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, a completely unexpected species that I really had not anticipated in such a small fragment. 

  From here we continued to the River Apa where we had birded the previous day. By the time we arrived it was already mid-morning and there was limited bird activity. Still, we enjoyed some nice sightings of a pair of Undulated Tinamou and two Hooded Capuchin Monkeys in the canopy. But otherwise it was fairly quiet and there was a still no sign of any Currasows. 

  After lunch we continued exploring with Matias, and after completing some chores we explored the area of the farm known as Oculta, where he had recently seen a Chaco Eagle. Sadly we did not have the same luck, but we had a few nice species including our first Giant Cowbirds of the trip and a feeding trough full of Nanday Parakeets.

  The highlights of the afternoon both came very quickly, with a pair of Red-and-green Macaws that flew right by the car, before landing just out of sight, and when we moved to try locate them a female Bare-faced Currasow dropped out of the tree! We first moved in on the Macaws which were perched very nicely before trying to relocate the Curassow. Sadly only I was able to get more views of the Curassow, although I did have it sat out in the open for a good 30 seconds before it departed! 

  By the time we returned to the Estancia it was already 18:30, so we settled down for a more relaxed evening. 

Paraguay Day 15; Estancia Arrecife

  Our first day in Estancia Arrecife started with somewhat of a misunderstanding of the plan for the day. We awoke and thought that we were going to see the Hyacith Macaws but with no sign of Carolina, our guide, we set off by ourselves to the Apa River on the northern edge of the property to do some exploring. Before we set off we saw one Hyacinth Macaw which was an individual from the pair around the Estancia. Sadly it was not perched for long, but it was good to see one so early into our day.

  Our journey to the river passed through some farmland but also some gallery forest where we found a few birds. A White-throated Piping Guan perched up in the canopy was a good species to see, a target for our time here, and we also saw Chestnut-bellied Seed Finch and Black-throated Saltator.

  Our walk in the forest along the river was pleasant and we had a wide range of species but most of them were common. Along the river there were two Capped Herons and a few commoner species, but in the forest here there was very little,  a Pale-crested Woodpecker the best of it. There was another trail deeper in the forest and here we saw more birds, including goodies like White-throated Spadebill, Sibiliant Syrestes and the white-bellied form of Golden-crowned Warbler. Here I also had a new bird with flocks of Blaze-winged Parakeet feeding above the trail. In addition we found two more Hooded Capuchin.

  After this, at around 10:30, we returned and took the afternoon off until 15:00 when we decided to set off to go and look at the Macaws. On the way we searched for Chaco Eagle without success, but did have brief views of a Jaguraundi as it ran away. Once at the Macaws, we were also introduced to an orphaned baby Giant Anteater, which was very sweet but eaqually sad to see.

  There are only five known Hyacith Macaw individuals left in Paraguay, with possibly a few others also in the area. This site hosts the only pair with a chick, and so we got to look at the birds from afar as they sat atop the nest box and flew around just once. They were spectacular birds. In addition, one of last years chicks which was rescued during a period of poor weather and is unfortunately quite habituated was around, and showing very nicely within touching distance.

  Also in this area were a few pairs of Red-and-green Macaw, but we never got to see them perched up. Otherwise it was the same species complexion as other areas of the site, which were obviously still enjoyable. On the drive back it was nearly dark, and we had a Tapir run away from the road, and a Nacunda Nighthawk fly over the car. 

Paraguay Day 14; Concepcion & Estancia Arrecife

   For our final morning in the Concepcion area we birded a patch of forest just north of the national park. On paper the satellite the site looked interesting, but in reality the birding was quite slow, with limited activity and mostly common species on offer. The best birds we were able to find were a Fuscous Flycatcher and our first Falvescent Warbler of the trip.

  We returned mid-morning to our hotel, since at around midday we would meet with our guide and the team for the next few days, where we would travel north to the Estancia Arrecife, a site home to the last Hyacinth Macaws in all of Paraguay. At 13:00 we met up and then drove the four hours north. The first stretch of the road was all on the highway, with the last 50 kilometres passing along a dirt road of excellent condition that went through some incredible looking forest habitat.

  It was a shame that it was not possible to bird along the road, but even in passing we had some nice sightings with our first White-eared Puffbird and Black-throated Saltator of the trip. The undoubted highlight however was a pair of Nine-banded Armadillos that were fighting in the middle of the road, before one took refuge under our car!

  Once we arrived at the Estancia we had to change a tyre on the other teams car, but we had some light to do a little birding. We added Red-legged Seriema to our trip list, and had excellent views of Nanday Parakeets sat on the roadside fences. The amount of cattle was quite staggering, but the rare birds here continue in the expanses of forest that infringe onto the land.

Tomorrow we will begin our exploration of the area. 

Paraguay Day 13; Paso Horqueta-Santa Lucia

   We had a full day in the Concepcion area, and so had planned on how best to spend this largely underbirded area. The plans took a bit of a hit with a serious thunderstorm overnight, that did not stop until 08:00 and then continued in fits and starts until 10:00. 

  Having looked at our options, it was decided that we would explore the habitat around the small village of Paso Horqueta-Santa Lucia about 45 minutes drive north of Concepcion. Here there was a river and some nice gallery forest, with a few records of interesting species.

  The first of these interesting species was Pied Plover, which is always a stunning bird to see. No sooner had we parked up and started scanning the beaches did we find three of these attrative birds. They were not especially approachable, but we got some excellent views and some nice photos of this rare bird in Paraguay. 

  For the next 90 minutes we birded this area and had several interesting sightings. Both Large-billed Tern and Yellow-billed Tern were seen on the river, although our views of the latter were far superior to the former. In the bushes we had a pair of Rusty-margined Flycatcher, another rare bird in Paraguay but one we knew could be here. And a female Band-tailed Manakin was an unexpected bonus.

  After this we drove south to another beach adjacent to the village and here continued to have an enjoyable time. We found two Blue-crowned Trogon and flushed a pair of Blue Ground Dove. With playback we were able to gain Chestnut-capped Foliage-Gleaner although it was on the far side of the river. Given the species’ capacity to be reclusive, I did not know if we would get the chance to see it or just hear it, but fortunately the bird showed well on an exposed perch.

  Early afternoon we moved to a patch of Gallery Forest about 10 minutes driver north. A dirt road passes through the woodland and we were curious what birds we might find there. Birds were not abundant, and a Rufous-crowned Motmot that was singing refused to show, but two Hooded Capuchins were there. Seeing them here felt much more wild than the birds in the Botanical Gardens in Asuncion.

  We decided to return to Concepcion after this, finally arriving back at 16:00 once we had completed some necessary tasks. After a successful days birding we settled in for a relaxed evening! 

Paraguay Day 12; Fortin Toledo & Concepcion

   This would be our final morning in the Chaco before we headed off into the east of the country to explore some different habitats. The morning we had hoped would give us glorious light for photography, but sadly there was cloud that obscured the sunrise and we did not get the light we had hoped for.

  Still there was an enjoyable walk around Fortin Toledo to be had, and we saw a few nice bits. Stranecks Tyrannulet was a new species for our trip, although it did not show well at all. We had a lot of fun trying to photograph the Many-coloured Chaco Finches that were around, and on that front we largely succeeded. A Skunk that we found in the roadside grass was the best of our mammal encounters.

  At 10:00 we set off from Fortin Toledo, driving to the town of Concepcion, which we finally reached at 15:30. After checking in to our hotel, we decided to head south of the town to the Estero Milagro National Park, or at leas the section of it that was accessible from the 22 highway.

  In the end we found a dirt road heading east from the highway that provided us access to the patchwork of grazing areas and gallery forest. For the most part the birding involved common species, but we had a nice encounter with a pair of Black-crowned Tityra and a pair of Buff-bellied Puffbird was an unexpected surprise. We heard several Small-billed Tinamou but none came to the tape, and a pair of Streamer-tailed Tyrants was very enjoyable. On the mammal front, we had a Crab-eating Fox cross the path in front of us.

  We finished up birding at dark and headed back to Concepcion for a rest and relax in the evening. 

Paraguay Day 11; Agua Dulche & Fortin Toledo

   We had another go at driving the road west of Agua Dulche this morning, and once again had a very enjoyable time, despite the few drops of rain that fell. It was more enjoyable for Max no doubt, who had brief views of a Jaguar that I missed despite being stood next to him, but birding highlights of Upland Sandpiper and a pair of brief Green-cheeked Parakeet kept our trip list ticking over.

  At 09:30 we found ourselves back at the Agua Dulche roundabout and decided to make haste and return to Filadelfia where we could have some nice comforts and be better positioned for the next phase of our journey. The road south was long, taking six hours in total thanks to the horrendous dust thrown up by moving trucks, which made the route incredibly dangerous at times. Still we made it, and had a good drive in the end with a showy Lesser Grison at the side of the road and a pair of Green-cheeked Parakeets showing well in the roadside vegetation.

  Once back in Filadelfia we struck for Fortin Toledo again, since our accommodation had been so nice. We had no reservation so turned up hoping for the best and fortunately were able to arrange to stay the night. We spent the evening enjoying the sunny garden with a pair of Brushland Tinamou strolling around the vegetables.  

Paraguay Day 10; Agua Dulche

   We awoke at 04:30 and set off on our morning drive not long after, hoping to encounter something on the road before sunrise. It was a fairly uneventful drive with a few Tapete seen and a couple of Crab-eating Fox before light broke. Fortunately the standout mammal of the morning came an hour after sunrise, when we spotted a distant Jaguarundi slowly crossing the road ahead of us. Although distant, it was my third cat of the trip!

  The birding itself was not bad either, with a couple of migrant species in Alder Flycatcher and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo that crossed the road in front of our car. Lined Seedeater was new for the trip, although it did not show particularly well, and it was nice to see another Pale-crested Woodpecker here.

  At 10:00 we returned to the room as the day warmed up to see out the heat. After a nap and some lunch we went for a short drive on the road north of the village but the habitat was quite disturbed. That said, we still had a few nice birds, most notably the first Black-banded Woodcreeper of the trip, only my second ever. It was in the same tree as a Great Rufous Woodcreeper, allowing for a nice comparison between the two species.

  At the end of the afternoon we drove a few kilometres on the road heading east out of town but saw nothing new and after an hour we turned around and went back to the productive road heading west along the north edge of the national park. Once again the evening proved reasonably productive, although there were no new birds and mammals were limited to the usual Chaco Mara and guinea pigs.

  That was until 30 kilometres down the road, when it was almost dark, and we heard the commotion from the roadside vegetation which could only mean monkeys. After peering through the vegetation as best we could, we finally set eyes on at least three Pale Titi Monkeys, one of the parks most iconic mammal species and a worthy reward for our efforts today. The commotion that attracted us to them turned out to be a Great Horned Owl that had landed in the tree, and once it moved off the animals fell silent.

  The night drive was decent but unspectacular. We had brief views of a Tapir before it entered the vegetation and we had great views of three Crab-eating Foxes and two Tapete but otherwise quite limited. A Rufous Nightjar sat on the side of the road was a nice surprise after regularly hearing the species but not yet getting proper views of one. We returned to base at 21:30 and after doing my notes, went straight to sleep 

Paraguay Day 9; Cerro Leon & Agua Dulche

  We awoke early and set off to Cerro Leon again for some morning birding. We had hoped to get there very early but as expected the hour on the road produced some birds that slowed us down. It started as soon as we got out of the hotel, with a Barred Forest Falcon calling, although it never showed. And on the drive we picked up Greenish Elaenia, Mouse-coloured Tyrannulet, Hooded Tanager, Great Black Hawk and a Tucuman Pygmy Owl! An excellent selection for the morning drive. An Agouti was the only mammal we saw, but it was the first of the trip.

  The birding at Cerro Leon itself started at around 08:00 but was excellent, with all the target species we had hoped to find here being seen quickly. The Bolivian Slaty Antshrike was our main omission from our visit the previous evening, and we had phenomenal views of the pair this morning. Black-bellied Antwren and White-lored Spinetail both showed better as well, and there was a nice backup cast of birds. The mornings highlight was probably a Tortoise that we spotted on the side of the road as we were leaving.

  From the area called Cerro Leon to the next area we wanted to stay called Agua Dulche, it took us five hours driving on the dirt roads. For the most part the roads were not awful, but some stretches were very slow. A Lesser Grison that scuttled across the road was nice, but it didn’t slow down at all for proper views.

  Once we arrived at Agua Dulche, we took an hour for a nap before setting out for a afternoon/night drive looking for mammals. There were not many birds to target in this area, but we managed a couple of new species for the trip with White-eyed Parakeet and Laughing Falcon. The best new birds came on the night drive itself, when we had a chance encounter with a pair of Striped Owls close to the road, and taped in a Great Horned Owl at a known territory.

  The main hope for exploring this region was to find some rare mammals. The drive in the late afternoon produced dozens of Chaco Mara but little else until almost dark, when a dark shape we spotted sitting by the side of the road turned out to be a Puma! We had really wanted to see another cat species, and were thrilled! It sat and allowed us to slowly approach with the car, until it decided it had enough and got up and slowly walked into the scrub! The night drive itself could not match this thrill, but we still had two Pampas Fox and two Crab-eating Fox, as well as a single Tapete Rabbit! A brilliant start to our time in Agua Dulche. 

Paraguay Day 8; Enciso National Park & Cerro Leon

   Having seen all the birds that we wanted in Enciso National Park, we decided to leave a day earlier than anticipated and head north to the Defensores del Chaco National Park deep in rural Paraguay, where there are greater chances for mammals and a few more birds to target. The prospect of poor dirt roads combined with forecasted rain made us nervous about taking on this endevour, but we knew that we would be fools to miss out on this park.

  We spent the first hour of the day in the Enciso park, trying without success to see a heard only Giant Antshrike from the previous day. We got no response! And so, at 08:30 we headed off beginning our trip north. First we stopped off at the town of La Patria to pick up fuel, as well as some additional canisters to reduce fuel pressure when we were remote. The journey was long on dirt roads of varying quality although in general not too bad. We saw a few Chaco Mara, a Grey Brocket, a Crane Hawk and a Brushland Tinamou on the way.

  When we finally arrived at Cerro Leon, and the small room we had reserved, we found that some of the diesel had spilled out over the back of the truck. After a short cleanup operation, and a wash and rest, we headed out for the first time to explore the new location.

  The road was quite mixed quality heading towards the main Cerro Leon campsite, but once there we had an enjoyable 90 minutes of birding before dark. I managed to find my only lifer in the area; White-lored Spinetail, but it did not show well and did not respond to playback. What did show well was a pair of very attractive Black-bellied Antwren, which we got nice views of. Amazonian Motmot and Purplish Jay were other new birds that we recorded here first.

  We had snacks for dinner and then drove back to our lodging in the dark to search for mammals. It started well with dozens of Little Nightjars on the road, as well as a metre long snake, but once we turned on to the main road the quantity of sightings dropped off. It started with a Crab-eating Fox, which did not show well, and the only other mammal we encountered was a Pampas Fox which equally did not show well. A Chaco Owl made an obligatory appearance as well. Once back at camp we did a little more exploring and in a much shorted time frame had almost exactly the same result, but these foxes showed much better, and we also had a couple of Tapeite. Not a bad night in the end but certainly not to the standard of recent nights. 

Paraguay Day 7; Enciso National Park

  For our first full day in Enciso National Park we set off back up the road to the Bolivian border, this time aiming to reach further than we had the previous afternoon and with no stops, with the park and only birding beyond the furthest border where the Chaco ended. It was a long drive on often sandy roads but we had an enjoyable time with all our targets seen.

  In the same area where we had found the Black-crested Finch the previous day we found several more individuals, sometimes showing better than they had yesterday. That said they were still elusive and did not perform incredibly well. Continuing along the road we picked up Yellow-browed Tyrant for the trip list and a Paraguaian rarity with a White-tipped Plantcutter, an unexpected bird for our trip. As we reached the community of Nuevo Asuncion, there was a very showy Roseate Spoonbill in a roadside puddle and we were able to get some nice pictures.

  Not far after the community we parked up and began to walk. In this area we wanted to find the Spot-winged Falconet but did not know exactly where to look. A few eBird pins were dotted along the road, with two about six kilometres ahead of us, so that is where we struck for. Sadly we only decided to make this move halfway through the walk, and by then the cool cloud had thinned out and it was getting warm, leaving us out in the sun completely unprepared.

  Once we reached the located we found a desolated farmhouse, but more importantly we immediately found a pair of the Spot-winged Falconets! They gave us an incredible show flying over our heads and singing from the treetops. Relieved our walk had been worthwhile, we marched back to the car to refresh ourselves and relax a bit.

  The drive back to the camp was significantly less eventful, although we had a nice showy Pampas Fox and added Pearl Kite to our trip list. We made a short stop at a location we thought might be good for Giant Antshrike, but sadly the bird responded deep in the Chaco and we did not see it. We arrived back mid afternoon elated but tired, and rested before our night drive.  

  Even the campground was lively, with a Black-legged Seriema hanging around throughout the afternoon and even a few mammal species, with Chaco Mara and a new species; Thirteen-banded Armadillo both paid us a visit. The latter was very impressive being the largest Armadillo we had seen on the trip until this point.

  At night the drive was phenomenal. Although there were no new species, we had six Tapirs at various points! Two were drinking together in a roadside ditch, we saw one cross the road far away in the thermal, one ran away from the road on the edge of the National Park, one ran in front of the car in front of the campground and finally one was in the campground just after! And to top it all off, we had a lot of fun with the Plains Viscachas around the campground, including one that charged right at us when it was flushed by a dog whilst we were photographing it! Throw in a Potoo, a Little Nightjar and a Chaco Owl and it makes for quite the eventful evening!

Paraguay Day 6; Enciso National Park

   Having spent the night in Filadelfia, due to the weather, and with said weather having not improved but still being overcast and drizzly, we decided to skip birding early morning around the town and instead drive the three hours to our next destination; the Enisco National Park. This did mean skipping the traditionally best part of the day but with the weather, that did not really matter. And we found a pair of Black-legged Seriema on the road as we were driving, a species that had somehow eluded us until that point.

  We arrived at the park offices at 10:00, and after checking in and organizing ourselves we decided to set straight off out onto the road to find some birds. Our visit started well, with a Great Rufous Woodcreeper in the garden, my first new species for the day. The first sections of the road we stopped and had some success with good species like Rufous Casiornis and Plain Inezia.

  After a bit of research, we got the impression that our main target, the Black-crested Finch was further along the road, so we drove the 38 kilometer dirt road to the location where we hoped to find it. We had heard this road was sandy and difficult to drive, but we had no such problem, probably helped in large part by the weather and the drive was relatively straightforward, although we do have a big 4x4. The only bird of note we saw during this drive was a presumably stunned Chaco Owl sat by the side of the road, which we picked up and moved to a safe location.

  Once we arrived in the area, we could tell the birdlife was a little different when we immediately found Dull-coloured Grassquit, whilst listening to Small-billed Tinamou calling. It was enjoyable birding and it paid off after half an hour when we found a flock of around eight Black-crested Finch. Sadly they were not especially approachable, but since this was one of my main targets for the whole trip, I was glad to have connected.

  The drive back was also lively with birdlife. On the road we saw two different Crested Gallito, although always distant, and had a surprise bonus bird with a Chaco Earthcreeper. Not a species I had marked for this location. Other birds included an impressive number of Dark-billed Cuckoos in the roadside bushes, as well as commoner species. We arrived back at the campground at 17:00 and settled ourselves in before heading out again. 

  The first few hours of our night drive were uneventful, as we drove 20 kilometres to try find a Striped Owl, which never gave us a response. Still, we were able to find Common Potoo and Little Nightjar in the same area, so it was not a complete loss. However, the night escalated quickly right at the end. We wanted to check an area near the campsite for Plains Viscacha, but just before we arrived there we heard some rustling in the vegetation. The torch revealed a Tapir feeding in the roadside vegetation! It showed well, but moved off before any photos could be taken. The Viscacha were easy to find and showed well, although the nearby farms dog came to join us and understandably caused a few problems.

  Back at the camp, a Rufous Nightjar was calling so we tried to find it. We managed one view of the bird close overhead as it passed, but whilst doing this we had brief views of another Tapir and a Three-banded Armadillo! It was a phenomenal end to the night! 

Paraguay Day 5; Laguna Capitan, Laguna Leon & Chaco Lodge

   So far the weather had not been overly typical for our trip, with cloud and rain replacing the expected heat and humidity. But today this reached a new level, with dense overcast conditions all morning, and drizzle on and off throughout the day. A cool breeze also featured strongly in areas of open habitat, although it was not so noticeable under the trees.

  We spent the first few hours of the morning birding around Laguna Capitan, where we hoped to find the Olive-crowned Crescentchest and the Crested Gallito. The habitat area is small and we covered it all but found no sign of either species. We did have an enjoyable morning however, with excellent views of Tataupa Tinamou crossing the path and even singing from obscured cover.  There continued to be excellent numbers of wetland birds, and we added American Golden Plover and Spotted Sandpiper to our ever growing list of wader species. In total we managed 82 species in two hours of birding! Excellent going!

  Because the area was limited at Laguna Capitan, we decided to start the drive towards our afternoon destination but check out another spot on the way. This spot, Laguna Leon, was similar in that it was a saline lagoon surrounded by fragmented Chaco forest. There were less waterbirds here, but our main focus was on the Chaco, and it was here that we found our first Crested Gallito. It showed reasonably well, but all too quickly for good photos. Still, the most important species for the trip was now in the bag.

  We continued on our way and arrived at Chaco Lodge, the destination for the night at around midday. The plan was to camp here, but the road had deteriorated with the poor conditions and we struggled to make a fire to cook our instant noodles on. Still, after lunch we made the most of it and birded the 5 kilometre stretch of Chaco that leads down to the Laguna Salida which makes the site famous.

  Because of the conditions the birding was slow in the forest, with little activity. That said, we managed to find several Chaco Earthcreepers, our main target here, and plentiful Crested Gallito. The first Gallito would not come out of the woodland, but the second we spotted feeding in the middle of the road, and a pair we found at the end of our walk showed very well. The other highlight of the afternoon was a Three-banded Armadillo that ran out of the forest right next to us, before realizing its mistake and running back in. The Laguna itself held an estimated 400 Chilean Flamingos, but otherwise there was nothing to hold our interest.

  With the drizzle continuing and the wind continuing, and with all our main species seen and no prospects of an improved forecast for the morning, we decided to give up on camping and drive the 90 minutes back to Filadelfia and get a hotel, which would also cut some distance off our drive the following day.

  That said, we decided to wait until dark to start this drive so that we could do some mammal searching on the road on our way back. This was an inspired decision and we had quite the haul of species; a Skunk, a Racoon, two Rabbits, two Three-banded Armadillos, a Brown Brocket and best of all a Giant Anteater. Sadly out Anteater encounter was a little chaotic so no photos were managed and only I saw it, but the views were excellent through the thermal and with the torch before it got to the woodland. Birds were also excellent, with a Chaco Owl, two Barn Owls and the usual Little and Scissor-tailed Nightjars. We finally reached Filadelfia at 21:30 and crashed at our chosen hotel.

Paraguay Day 4; Fortin Toledo & Laguna Capitain

   For our final morning at Fortin Toledo we decided to walk south along the road from our lodging and see what birds we would encounter, with nothing particular on our agenda. It was another overcast day with but activity was good and we recorded a great variety of species once again. The only new species for the trip were Stripe-crowned Spinetail and Chaco Puffbird, but we enjoyed nice views of Aplomado Falcon and the Brushland Tinamou was once again in the garden although it scuttled off before we were able to improve on our previous photos.

  At around 09:00 we set off for Filadelfia, before spending until midday organizing ourselves for our venture into the deeper Chaco. Shopping and lunch were completed around midday, so we set off for the Laguna Capitan campsite, half an hour west of the town. This was supposed to be a half hour drive but various birding stops halted our progress, with highlights including a pond containing eight Masked Duck and three Spotted Nothura at the side of the road. The local race of Spotted Nothura is a potential split, so it was good to get the species seen and nice that it required only minimal effort.

   Before Laguna Capitan we stopped off at another lake that had a good selection of birds. We had several wading birds for the first time here, including a nice flock of Stilt Sandpipers and other commoner species. Ringed Teal was common here, which is always a delightful species to see, and there were three Chilean Flamingos and a pair of Coscoroba Swans.

  We finally reached Laguna Capitan at 15:20, and settled ourselves in. We decided last minute to take a room rather than camp, to help ease our knackered bodies. The Chaco here was pretty quiet, but we had a very responsive Tucuman Pygmy Owl which we had prolonged views of even if it did not sit still.

  But the standout birding here was on the lagoons. The first lagoon was decent, with 27 Roseate Spoonbills seen, but the second lagoon was spectacular. We counted 137 Stilt Sandpipers and 17 Wilsons Phalaropes as the highlights, but a backup cast included an estimated 125 White-rumped Sandpipers, 50 Lesser Yellowlegs and 45 Pectoral Sandpipers. It was an incredible scene, and we ended up covered in mud as we crawled for photos. A nest of Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper was also a nice find here, with the adult bringing in food for a well grown chick.

  At night we returned to the lagoon hoping to catch a Tapir crossing but sadly we did not have any joy. We did see a couple of Pampas Foxes scuttling about, although too fast for photos, and had quite the performance from a pair of Scissor-tailed Nightjars, but otherwise quiet. Since we have a few long nights searching for mammals in the subsequent days.

Paraguay Day 3; Fortin Toledo

   Our first morning and full day at Fortin Toledo and the Chaco started with overcast skies and dull conditions. It also started exactly as the previous evening finish, with two Armadillos running around the road in front of the lodge. While this would normally be the mammal highlight of any normal day in South America, about an hour into our walk we had an immense stroke of luck when a Geoffrey’s Cat ran out of the vegetation and ran across the road. My camera settings were all wrong but I managed a sequence of blurred photos to celebrate seeing this much coveted mammal species for the trip list! Despite not being able to spend time appreciating our find, it was still an exhilarating experience.

  The birding was also excellent, with a wide range of species encountered during the morning. Most of the birds were commoner species from open habitats, as expected, but there continued to be many of the Chaco birds we wanted to see, such as Crested Hornero, Lark-like Bushrunner and Many-coloured Chaco Finch. The only new species for me was the Little Thornbird, which we found to be quite abundant.

  Our main bird target for this site was the Black-bodied Woodpecker, a Chaco endemic which is occasionally seen at this site. We knew it would be difficult but decided to give it a good go anyway. Our hopes were raised and quickly dashed early morning when we encountered two of the similar Cream-backed Woodpecker but we knew this species would be more common and would cause some confusion. And yet at the exact same location on our walk back, not far from our lodgings, we managed to find it! A stunning male Black-bodied Woodpecker! We got prolonged views of the bird, but it never showed particularly well, but we were thrilled to find it.

  After a short break we birded the road back towards the main highway. It was about 10:30 now but the cloudy conditions meant the day was not hot and there continued to be some decent activity. We got our best views of Chaco Mara, and our first Stripe-backed Antbird although it did not show well. Our first Capybara was also in a roadside watering hole. After this we continued into Filadelfia for lunch. On our way back, on this same stretch road, Max spotted a Quebracho Crested Tinamou in the roadside woodland. A quick stop and we had decent views of the bird as it scurried away. I really wanted to see this species, but being a Tinamou I knew it would be tricky! I was thrilled with the encounter.

  In the afternoon we decided to explore the nearby Chaco Peccary Sanctuary, which has some trails leading through some restored Chaco. On the whole the birding was fairly steady, although we still recorded nearly 70 species and I had two lifers with Short-billed Canastero and Tucuman Pygmy Owl. It was cool to see all three species of Peccary in their enclosure, as part of the breeding program as well. We spent about two hours exploring the trails before returning to the chalet to recover before our night drive. 

  At night we once again set off to explore the roads around our lodging. We had another successful night, with a Molinas Hog-nosed Skunk, several Armadillo encounters (including an individual I was able to catch), a Brown Brocket, a couple of Crab-eating Foxes, another Chaco Owl and then to round it off a Tapir. Sadly the Tapir, although clear in the thermal, was difficult to see in the tall vegetation and I did not really see anything on the animal itself. Another brilliant evening activity closed.

Paraguay Day 2; Humedal de Benjamin Aceval, Transchaco Highway & Fortin Toledo

   Thanks to our jetlag, even though Max did not arrive at the hotel until 01:00 in the morning, we found ourselves awake at 05:00 and decided to just go. As such we drove the hour out of Asuncion and to an area of wetland, grazing and woodland on the road towards the Chaco where we would finish the day.

  Our first stop I had marked down as a good location to find Chestnut-bellied Seed Finch, and the local subspecies of Saffron-billed Sparrow (which has a grey back in contrast to the green back I am used to in this species). This site was mostly just a destination so the morning was not wasted, but we had some phenomenal birding here. Mostly common species but both of the target species were found in less than an hour, and good bonus birds included White-winged Becard and Greater Thornbird.

  After a successful start, we continued 20 minutes further and birded another location which I had marked down for Firewood Gatherer. After half an hour searching we located an individual but it did not show especially well. Chotoy Spinetail was another nice bird here, and I had my first lifer of the day when a flock of Nanday Parakeets flew over, although hopefully the swill be seen better further into the trip. In addition there were several commoner species I had not encountered for a few years which I very much enjoyed being reacquainted with.

  By 10:30 it was already hot, so we started our five hour drive to the Chaco and the town of Filadelfia. The road was long and flat but passed through long stretches of habitat and we had a few nice birds along the way. Jabiru and Maguari Stork were seen on a few occasions, and we had a nice pair of Greater Rhea by the side of the road. We also made a short stop at a know stakeout for some bats which are known to roost under the bridge. What species they are I could not say, but it was cool to see regardless. At this site we also found our first Yellow-billed Cardinals, my second new bird of the day.

  As we closed in on our destination we encountered a few wetlands which had several nice species in. Black-bellied and White-faced Whistling Ducks were abundant at one site, and another site had seven Southern Screamers and a Yellowish Pipit. There were our first Chaco birds as well, with Many-coloured Chaco Finch and Ultramarine Grosbeak. Another lifer as we approached the Chaco was Crested Hornero, a long awaited tick that we would see many more of during the afternoon.

  At 16:30 we finally reached the small village of Fortin Toledo, which would be our base for the next two nights. The disturbed chaco here has several bird and mammal targets, and we set out as soon as we had checked in to our AirBnB. Sadly the weather was not on our side, with a heavy thunderstorm looming on the horizon. We birded for about an hour, seeing goodies such as Lark-like Bushrunner and White-fronted Woodpecker, as well as our first Chaco Mara, before returning to our lodging and chilling out before night. As we arrived back to the lodge we had the first of my main Chaco Targets, with a nice Brushland Tinamou running around the garden. Due to the gloom it was tricky to get photos, but always good to see a new Tinamou species. 

   For our first night drive at Fortin Toledo we decided to drive the road south of the lodge to see what we might find. It started quite steady, with a nice snake and a toad, as well as two more Chaco Mara. But about halfway through it escalated quickly, with two Chaco Owls seen sat on the side of the road, a much wanted species for the trip, followed by a very bold, feeding Crab-eating Racoon in a roadside ditch. On the way back this improved activity continued, with a Tropical Screech Owl and an American Barn Owl also seen by the side of the road, and we finished up with three Armadillos scuttling across the path just before our lodging. If all out night drives are as good as this then it is going to be some trip.

Paraguay Day 1; Arrival, Arroyos e Esteros & Asuncion Botanical Gardens

  Paraguay was a country I had long wanted to visit, and was extremely excited to be spending a month birding and mammal watching with my good friend Max Baumgarten from Germany. We had arranged our flights so that we met in Madrid and flew into Asuncion together, but alas that is not how it transpired, as our trip commenced with a level of chaos I had not experienced in my travels to that point.

  Sadly Max outbound flight from Germany to Madrid was cancelled, and although they were able to arrange a suitable replacement that would mean we would loose only one day of our trip, it did leave me in Asuncion at 06:25, and taking care of our massive Toyota Hilux from 08:00, whilst finding an activity to do.

  With such a large car, I did not want to linger around the city, so drove an hour north to an area of grassland just north of the town of Arroyos e Esteros. Although there is a well trodden birding site in this area, I decided to visit that with Max and as such spent the time between 09:30 and 11:00 birding another road. Fortunately, the driving was pleasantly straightforward, meaning it was not as stressful as I had feared.

  The birding was good considering that the morning was already getting hot. I had hoped to find some Seedeaters here, nad they did not disappoint. The most abundant were Tawny-bellied Seedeater, a species I have seen only once before, but there was also a nice male Rusty-collared Seedeater and two new species for me with a distant Rufous-rumped Seedeater, and a rather oddly plumaged immature male Ibera Seedeater, one of the main targets for the trip. In addition, it was good to get reacquainted with several species I had seen before, such as Long-winged Harrier, Pampas Finch and Grassland Finch.

  With time still to kill before I could check in to the hotel, I decided to chance my arm at driving within the city to the Botanical Gardens. This went remarkably well and I arrived at 13:00 in the heat of the day. Despite this, over the next two hours I enjoyed some brilliant birding. All common species, but many I had not seen for some time. Highlights included Pale-crested Woodpecker, Plush-crested Jay and a Crowned-Slaty Flycatcher.

  The main target for the botanical gardens was the Hooded Capuchin which can be found here. It initially looked like I might miss them with no sign for two hours, but on my way back to the car I encountered a troop of 21 individuals, and they were not shy! Shortly after another group of seven individuals, which were a bit more timid but had a very impressive male in tow. The garden pond was home to several turtles and about 10 Caiman, but how natural these are I do not know.

  Once 15:00 rolled around I headed to the hotel, and settled in to recover from an exhausting 24 hours, and wait for Max to arrive so the real fun can begin! 

-Ibera Seedeater

-Tawny-bellied Seedeater

-Long-winged Harrier

-Cliff Swallow

-Hooded Cappuchin

-Pond Slider

-Yacare Caiman

-Cope's Mabuya

-Pale-crested Woodpecker

-Crowned-Slaty Flycatcher

-Blue-crowned Trogon

Soil Hilll

 The forecast was for a pleasant day on Soil Hill for my final visit of the autumn, but unfortunately, the wind direction (easterly) did not forecast much migration. And so it transpired, with only a small number of Meadow Pipits and finches moving throughout the morning. However, this disappointment was offset by a couple of standout species, including a surprise patch tick.

  The species in question was the Ring-necked Parakeet! When I scanned the horizon, I picked out the two birds rather distantly heading south down the Ogden valley. I managed to grab a few record shots, but they quickly passed behind the hill as they continued on their journey. Last year, I had heard this species whilst on Ned Hill Track, but had eventually dismissed the calls as coming from the captive parrots at the end of that lane. It was only once I got home and read BS blog, where he had recalled his morning at Ogden seeing two Ring-necked Parakeets, that I realised I had been a fool and had almost certainly dismissed a patch tick. Fortunately, this memory can now be looked back on as a quirky tale, and not as a missed opportunity. 

  Despite the patch tick, the highlight of the morning has to be the Great Egret that I had circling over Ogden before heading north. The change in abundance of this species within this area over the last 10 years has been astonishing, and if I were to stay a full autumn on Soil Hill, I would almost expect to see one. Still, this is only my second record after a bird last year that also headed north. 

  And finally the morning was nicely rounded out by a large flock of 241 Pink-footed Geese heading southeast over Halifax. An enjoyable morning to remember as I return to Paris for the next month, missing out on the best month of the year for birding! 

-Great Egret

-Ring-necked Parakeet

-Pink-footed Geese

Llynas Peninsula, Anglesey searching for Risso's Dolphin

   With no work on offer thanks to a staff meeting, and the weather looking warm and calm but not especially conducive to any notable movement over Soil Hill, I decided to take the plunge and drive over to Anglesey for the day in order to catch up with Risso’s Dolphin. After seeing a post on Twitter, I conducted some research and discovered that the species is supposed to be reliable on the Llynas Peninsula, located on the northeast side of the island, between September and October. Having never seen Risso’s, and being on a bit of a cetacean hot streak, I decided to make the journey and get these dolphins seen.

  The information I had gleaned indicated that they were easiest to see about an hour before high tide, which was at 11:30 today. Despite the ideal timing of high tide, I decided to set off early to avoid Manchester rush hour and to avoid any potential slip-ups with the dolphins coming a bit earlier or later than expected. Thanks to Marc Hughes, I had the information on where to sit and where to park. All I had to do was get there and hope for dolphins.

  I arrived at 08:30 after a three-hour drive from Bradshaw. There was already a birder present but he had not seen much in the morning before I arrived (Sabines Gull and Leach's Petrel were seen the previous day), and he left shortly after. But while we were there, we spotted the first group of Risso’s Dolphin, and then had the first breaching of the day. Job done, in the first 10 minutes.

  Over the next four hours, well before and after high tide, there were at least 20 Risso’s Dolphins in three pods scattered around the viewpoint. Only on a few occasions could I scan and not see some fins protruding from the waves. Only one small group came quite close, and these did not breach at all, but another group just before I left spent some time jumping in the mid-distance. But animals were breaching distantly throughout the morning, and through the scope, the views were amazing. One animal was nearly completely white, almost like a Beluga! Fantastic animals to see and well worth the effort getting over there!

  In addition to the Risso’s extravaganza, there were a few Grey Seals and a solitary Harbour Porpoise which did come reasonably close, possibly the best views I’ve ever had of Porpoise. On the bird front, it was a bit quieter, although seeing common seabirds is a novelty and Razorbill, Guillemot, Gannet, Shag and Kittiwake were all yearticks. A single Great Northern Diver was probably the highlight in terms of rarity, but I appreciated the nearly 100 Common Scoter and two Eider that I saw as well.

  All in all an excellent days birding and cetacean watching! Would absolutely recommend! 

-Risso's Dolphin

-Grey Seal

-Harbour Porpoise

-Brent Geese

-Great Northern Diver

Swillington Ings twitching Grey Phalarope

   Mid-afternoon of the Migfest Sunday news broke of a Grey Phalarope at RSPB St Aidens/Swillington Ings. Since I would be returning along the M62 once I left Spurn I decided to make the small detour to try and see it. Fortunately, thanks to my passengers HC and MCN, I had an excuse to leave Spurn at 15:30 and so that would give us at best two hours to search the reserve before darkness. The storm had already arrived so the conditions were quite gloomy, but helpfully it meant the bird would surely not be leaving the site.

  The last report came from Astley Lake so we headed straight there but were unable to find the bird from the first vantage point we searched from. A little concerned we headed to the other side of the lake and from there we were relived we managed to pick up the bird distantly feeding at the back of the lake. Sadly it never came close, but it was a great bird to see inland in West Yorkshire. It was surprisingly elusive, disappearing for extended periods, and this helped encourage us not to stick around. That and the incoming rainfall.

  Being Swillington Ings there were obviously plenty of other birds, although with finite time we did not have too much time to bird the site properly. A few Great Egrets were nice to see, and the wader selection included Ruff, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin and Ringed Plover. The 90 minutes were spent on site were very enjoyable.

-Grey Phalarope

Spurn MigFest 2025

   After a few years away it was nice to get back to a Spurn Migfest, seeing faces I had not encountered for some time and enjoying some pleasant birding. I had a few duties to attend to throughout the weekend, working as a Migfest volunteer, as well as doing a short pitch on Soil Hill as part of an ‘inland viz-mig patch-off’ against several other inland patches, a patch-off that I eventually won as decided by the attending audience.

  Friday I did no birding, instead catching up with people before spending the evening in the pub. On Saturday morning, with no duties assigned to me, I headed to Hodgesons Field to check the bushes away from the crowds. There were a few common species of interest, Lesser Whitethroat, Cettis Warbler and a Wheatear, but nothing rare. A steady stream of Meadow Pipits was heading south throughout the morning, contributing to the 6000+ total achieved by the watchers at Spurn.

  This count was exceeded again the following morning with over 8000 Meadow Pipits heading south. Being on car-parking duty I got to watch many of the birds flying over, as well as the first skein of Pink-footed Geese of the autumn, 41 flying south over the event field. Shortly after my parking management finished news broke of a juvenile Red-necked Phalarope at Chalkies Point, so I raced around to see it. The bird was showing phenomenally well on the Humber right in front of the masses of observers, but sadly I did not get to spend too long with it before it decided to become more active, and had soon made its way up the Humber. A Black Redstart was also in the same area! 

  Mid-afternoon I headed off, ahead of the forecasted storms, rounding off an excellent and very enjoyable MigFest 2025.

-Red-necked Phalarope

Whiteholme Reservoir

    Having completed my morning on Soil Hill, I was just settling down for some work when a message came through that MH had found a Curlew Sandpiper at Whiteholme Reservoir. With no Calderdale record for 10 years, per the blog, this was an overdue Halifax tick for me so I headed straight up.

  The wind was certainly a problem upon arrival, but I quickly made my way round to the NE corner of the reservoir where MH, PD and LD were all watching. Once there I was quickly put on to the Curlew Sandpiper on one of the near exposed islands but still distant. It then proceeded to fly to the far shoreline becoming even more distant, so that was great.

  Fortunately it was not long before it, and the posse of Ringed Plovers it was associating with, returned to the island where better views were possible. It was at this point that I noticed that the Curlew Sandpiper was stood right next to… a Curlew Sandpiper! Two birds together! An excellent development to the mornings birding. They shortly returned to the far shoreline, and it was another 45 minutes before they came close again, but this time they actually came close and I finally got some photos, including of both birds together.

  In addition to the Curlew Sandpipers, the Little Stint (which I had first twitched on Monday) was still present but it was always distant and difficult to pick out in the windy conditions. A Dunlin was present, as was a single Golden Plover, but most of the action was made up of the 18 Ringed Plover present. Such a lively scene with so many waders seemed a little out of place on the Pennine moors, more familiar to the east coast! 

-Curlew Sandpiper

Species List:
Whiteholme Reservoir: Eurasian Teal, European Golden Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Little Stint, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Carrion Crow, Barn Swallow, Western House Martin, Northern Wheatear, Grey Wagtail, Meadow Pipit,