Because we had travelled a day before Lia’s academic
conference started, we had a full day to bird around the area before Lia would
become too busy. We decided to try our luck with one of the world’s rarest
birds, Cherry-throated Tanager, but alas we did not have any luck. We did have
a fantastic days birding at the site for the species.
We initially made a mess of our attempts to find the bird,
as we spent the morning birding the wrong location. Whilst it was the same
wood, and it would have been possible to find the bird there, it did not stop
us having a fantastic mornings birding in a fantastic fragment of Atlantic
Forest. Even before we arrived there were lifers to be had, with two Dusky-legged Guans roosting above the
road in the early morning gloom. As soon as we arrived at our site we had aother
new species; Magpie Tanager one of
the first birds that we saw. And from that point it only got better! In total I
managed thirteen new species; White-throated Hummingbird, White-collared Foliage-Gleaner, Rufous-capped
Spinetail, Blue-billed Black-Tyrant, Hooded Berryeater
(My first Cotinga species),
Rufous-crowned Greenlet, Half-collared Sparrow and Brassy-breasted Tanager. And there were other none lifer species
that were crazy too, such as a fantastic male Green Honeycreeper and top notch views of a feeding Frilled Coquette at insanely close
quarters.
-Magpie Tanager
-Hooded Berryeater
-Frilled Coquette
-Scale-throated Hermit
-Yellow Tyrannulet
-Rufous-headed Tanager
-Gilt-edged Tanager
-Long-tailed Tyrant
After a lunch break, and realising that we were in the wrong
location, we headed to the right spot for the afternoon. This was a far more
closed section of forest with tall trees following a stream. The birding was
much harder but we did manage some nice birds with three more new species; Black-throated Trogon, White-browed
Woodpecker and Yellow-rumped Myiobius.
The Trogon especially was amazing, catching caterpillars incredibly close. There
were also a number of new species that got away, with frustratingly fleeting
glimpses. We stayed until it was almost dark but could not find our number one
target. That did not take the gloss off what had been a truly amazing days
birding.
-Black-throated Trogon
-Ferruginous Antbird
Species List:
Mata dos Caetés: Dusky-legged
Guan, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Squirrel Cuckoo, Grey-rumped Swift, Scale-throated Hermit, Frilled Coquette, Glittering-bellied Emerald,
White-throated Hummingbird, American Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Lesser Yellow-headed
Vulture, Roadside Hawk, Black-throated Trogon, Crescent-chested Puffbird, (Ariel) Channel-billed Toucan, White-browed Woodpecker, Maroon-bellied Parakeet,
Spot-breasted Antvireo, Ferruginous Antbird, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Lesser Woodcreeper,
Rufous Hornero, White-collared Foliage-Gleaner, Buff-fronted Foliage-Gleaner,
Rufous-fronted Thornbird, Rufous-capped Spinetail, Spix’s Spinetail,
Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Yellow Tyrannulet, Grey-capped Tyrannulet,
Eared Pygmy-Tyrant, Drab-breasted Pygmy Tyrant, Yellow-rumped Myiobius, Euler’s
Flycatcher, Tropical Peewee, Blue-billed Black-Tyrant, Masked Water-Tyrant, Long-tailed
Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Hooded Berryeater, Black-crowned
Tityra, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Rufous-crowned Greenlet, Pale-breasted
Thrush, White-necked Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Chalk-browed Mockingbird,
Purple-throated Euphonia, Chestnut-bellied Euphonia, Half-collared Sparrow,
Rufous-collared Sparrow, Golden-crowned Warbler, Magpie Tanager, Black-goggled
Tanager, Brassy-breasted Tanager, Gilt-edged Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Green
Honeycreeper, Rufous-headed Tanager, Saffron Finch,
For the first day of the conference in Vila Velha Lia was
otherwise occupied with teaching a short course, so Ed and myself headed out
birding. We visited a small forest fragment on the edge of the city. The
fragment clung to the side of a mountain and was presumably protected from the
expanding city by the church situated on top of the mountain. On the whole the
birding in the woods was poor, but at the top the views were fantastic and we
found a small feeding station where Tanagers and other forest birds were coming
close. Here I had a new species; White-bellied
Tanager which showed extremely well, as did some Green-headed Tanagers and Palm
Tanagers.
-Green-headed Tanager
-White-bellied Tanager
-Palm Tanager
-Tropical Parula
From the top we could see some terns fishing in a small
secluded harbour away from the ocean, so we decided to head down to see which
species they were. At the harbour we had fantastic views of both Cabot’s Tern and South American Tern, both of which were new for me. And in addition
to this we also managed Kelp Gull,
my first Brazilian seagull species, and fantastic views of Magnificent Frigatebirds.
-Cabot's Tern
-Magnificent Frigatebird
-South American Tern
-Kelp Gull
With such good seabirding to be had in the harbour we headed
round to the beach to see if there were more species out at sea. Whilst there
were many of the same species, there were a few others as well. We had awesome
views of American Oystercatcher on the
rocks just offshore, as well as our third tern species of the day American Royal Tern which were
patrolling the edge of the ocean along the beach. Further out there were
distant Brown Boobies but the views
were poor.
-American Oystercatcher
-Tropical Mockingbird
-Magnificent Frigatebird
-American Royal Tern
Species List:
Vila Velha: Feral
Pigeon, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, White-tipped Dove, American
Oystercatcher, Southern Lapwing, Kelp Gull, South American Tern, American Royal
Tern, Cabot’s Tern, Magnificent Frigatebird, Brown Booby, Great White Egret,
Little Blue Heron, American Black Vulture, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture,
Short-tailed Hawk, Southern Caracara, Rufous Hornero, Southern Beardless
Tyrannulet, Masked Water Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Social Flycatcher, House Wren,
Pale-breasted Thrush, Tropical Parula, Palm Tanager, White-bellied Tanager,
Green-headed Tanager, Saffron Finch, Bananaquit, House Sparrow,
Brazil Day 36 09.07.2019
Brazil Day 36 09.07.2019
For our second morning in Vilha Vella we decided to head back to the beach with Ed, but earlier in the morning for some Seawatching. We spent some time with the scope but it soon became apparent that either through the time of day, or the change in wind that there was not as much action out at sea as the previous day. We still managed Cabot’s Tern and South American Tern, as well as American Oystercatchers, but on the whole it was much quieter.
After half an hour or so Ed left us to head to the conference, so Lia and I wandered around a quiet wooded part of the coast not far from where we had been Seawatching. Although the habitat was little more than a well wooded coastal neighbourhood we still managed a nice selection of species. Most of the birds were common, but from this selection White-barred Piculette was new for me. We also had something of a more unusual species when I spotted a female Black-backed Tanager, a scarce winterer in the region. And from the shore we spotted a few more seabirds, including much better views of Brown Booby with a squad of maybe ten birds following a small fishing boat. It was a really pleasant morning, with a nice selection of species to keep us occupied.
-Brown-crested Flycatcher
-Southern Rough-winged Swallow
-Black-backed Tanager
-East Brazilian Chachalaca
Species List:
Vila Velha: East Brazilian Chachalaca, Feral Pigeon, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, American Oystercatcher, Southern Lapwing, Kelp Gull, South American Tern, Cabot’s Tern, Magnificent Frigatebird, Brown Booby, American Black Vulture, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Southern Caracara, White-barred Piculette, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Rufous Hornero, Masked Water Tyrant, Cattle Tyrant, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Blue-and-white Swallow, Brown-chested Martin, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, House Wren, Tropical Mockingbird, Purple-throated Euphonia, Violaceous Euphonia, Campo Troupial, Sayaca Tanager, Palm Tanager, Black-backed Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Saffron Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, House Sparrow, Bananaquit, Common Waxbill, White-headed Marmoset,
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