After a
long day traveling we spent the day resting up at Lia’s parents house before commencing
our road trip through the Mata Atlantica. Although the day was mainly spent
resting up, we did a short walk around the neighborhood looking for some birds,
and this yielded a good number of species including some that I had not seen very
often.
As soon as
we stepped out of the door an Anhinga flew over high, which was a very long
overdue life tick. Although the views were distant there can be no mistaking
the species peculiar shape. On the walk itself I had two species of seedeater
that I had only seen poorly before; Lined and Double-collared. In addition,
there was a good selection of common species to make it an extremely enjoyable day.
There was also a mammal bonus with a small group of Capybaras sheltering from
the sun under the shrubbery next to the lake.
-Anhinga
-Lined Seedeater
-Double-collared Seedeater
In the
evening we went out and tried to find a few Owls. Although it was a housing
estate well lit up with only gardens for greenery, we managed to get fantastic
views of a Tropical Screech Owl almost directly above our heads. Although a
common species, these are some of the best views I have ever had of this
species.
-Tropical Screech Owl
Species List:
Jardim Leonor:
Brazilian Teal, Picazuro
Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Eared Dove, Sick's Swift, Planalto Hermit, Swallow-tailed
Hummingbird, Common Gallinule, Anhinga, Great Egret, Western Cattle Egret, Black
Vulture, Turkey Vulture, White-tailed Hawk, Amazon Kingfisher, Green-barred
Woodpecker, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Blue-winged Parrotlet, White-eyed
Parakeet, Rufous Hornero, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Euler's Flycatcher, Masked
Water Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Social Flycatcher, Streaked
Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Blue-and-white
Swallow, Brown-chested Martin, House Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Pale-breasted
Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, House Sparrow, Sayaca Tanager, Palm Tanager, Blue-black
Grassquit, Lined Seedeater, Double-collared Seedeater, Capybara,
Brazil
Day 5 18.02.2020
Unfortunately
today was another day spent travelling, this time from Campinas to the small
town of Cabo Frio on the far side of Rio de Janeiro. The journey was long,
lasting more than eight hours but at least this time we had air conditioning in
the car so that we did not roast. There were no birds of note on the trip until
we reached Rio where we had impressive numbers of Magnificent Frigatebirds
showing very low over the car. And later on towards Cabo Frio we had a smart
group of Grey-headed Gulls on the beach, which are a lifer for me.
-Grey-headed Gull
Once we
arrived at Cabo Frio it was evening, but we went for a walk on the beach and
had more of the same species. There were some Brown Boobies fishing not far
offshore and Kelp Gulls were lingering around the beach. Offshore there was a
smart Green Sea Turtle, rounding off a pleasant evening.
-Green Sea Turtle
Species
List:
Traveling: Magnificent Frigatebird, Brown
Booby, Grey-headed Gull, Kelp Gull, Black Vulture,
Cabo
Frio: Feral Pigeon,
Picazuro Pigeon, Guira Cuckoo, Grey-headed Gull, Kelp Gull, Brown Booby, Neotropic
Cormorant, Little Blue Heron, Black Vulture, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird,
Common Waxbill, House Sparrow, Saffron Finch, Green Sea Turtle,
Brazil
Day 6 19.02.2020
We set off
at first light to an area of restinga forest just north of Cabo Frio. Here we
were optimistic we would be able to find the Restinga Antwren and it was not long
before we managed to find a pair showing quite well next to the path. The
female was difficult and elusive but the stunning male showed extremely well at
times. We continued around the site and I mustered a number of other Brazil
ticks, although not lifers; Lesser Yellowlegs, Greater Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper
and Roseate Spoonbill, among a host of other good birds.
-Little Blue Heron
-Greater Yellowlegs
-Spotted Sandpiper
-Restinga Antwren
-Masked Water Tyrant
-Sooretama Slaty Antshrike
We then
headed back for breakfast, our number one target for the area nicely wrapped up
before 08.30. We drove slowly back only the coast, calling off at a few sites
where we could look for waders. The cast was largely the same, but I added
Turnstone and White-rumped Sandpiper to my ever growing Brazil list.
-Sanderling
In the
afternoon we made a visit to the Christ the redeemer. It was a fantastic
monument, well worth the visit, seriously impressive. I enjoyed the whole
experience a lot, with fantastic views all over Rio, including seeing the
Maracana football stadium. Obviously there was not much doing bird wise, but on
the drive back down the mountain in the evening our driver spotted a Brown-throated
Three-toed Sloth hanging from a tree adjacent to the road, which was a fantastic
end to the day.
-Christ the Redeemer
Species
List:
Cabo
Frio: White-cheeked
Pintail, Feral Pigeon, Picazuro Pigeon, Plain-breasted Ground Dove, Ruddy
Ground Dove, Smooth-billed Ani, Versicolored Emerald, American Oystercatcher, Southern
Lapwing, White-backed Stilt, Semipalmated Plover, Spotted Sandpiper, White-rumped
Sandpiper, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Grey-headed
Gull, Kelp Gull, Royal Tern, Cabot's Tern, Magnificent Frigatebird, Brown Booby,
Neotropic Cormorant, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Striated
Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Vulture, Ringed
Kingfisher, White-barred Piculet, Southern Crested Caracara, Sooretama Slaty
Antshrike, Restinga Antwren, Rufous Hornero, Hangnest Tody-Tyrant, Masked Water
Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Blue-and-white Swallow, Purple
Martin, Grey-breasted Martin, House Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Common
Waxbill, House Sparrow, Sayaca Tanager, Palm Tanager, Bicolored Conebill, Saffron
Finch,
Christ
the Redeemer: Black
Vulture, Sick’s Swift, Green-headed Tanager, Brown-throated Tree-toed Sloth,
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