Brazil; Fazenda Agua Limpa 11.09.2020 - 13.09.2020

Fazenda Agua Limpa Day 10 11.09.2020

Because Lia had missed a few nice species in my exploration during the previous afternoon we decided to make a morning visit to the same area to see if we could refind those species and possibly more. It was a very productive morning with a showy pair of Collared Crescentchests, with three additional indiviuals singing. The Shrike-like Tanagers also showed as did the Suiriri Flycatchers. It was very pleasant morning birding with nice views of lots of parrot species, namely Red-bellied Macaw and Yellow-faced Parrot. But the undoubted highlight was a cracking juvenile Chaco Eagle. I spotted the huge bird being mobbed by a pair of Southern Crested Caracara and immediately knew this had eagle potential. The bird then landed and we were able to approach closer and confirm the identification as this species, a very rare bird both in Brasilia and generally across its range. What a stunning species to find in the farm.

  The reservoir was fairly quiet by the end of the morning, with a few Hirundines but little else. I created a new route to another pool that I had spotted on the satellite images from the park, and here I found a pair of Brazilian Teal and a flock of 50 Common Waxbill. The habitat is different to anything else in the farm and it certainly has potential for new species. We set mist-nets in the afternoon and then I wandered around the agricultural fields where I found a nice assortment of usual farm inhabitants. It was an excellent day out once again with 111 species recorded.

-Collared Crescentchest

-Yellow-faced Parrot

-Suiriri Flycatcher

-Chaco Eagle

-White-vented Violetear

Species List:

Fazenda Agua Limpa: Undulated Tinamou, Brazilian Teal, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Scaled Dove, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Guira Cuckoo, Smooth-billed Ani, Squirrel Cuckoo, Nacunda Nighthawk, Least Nighthawk, Pauraque, Neotropical Palm Swift, White-vented Violetear, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Neotropic Cormorant, Western Cattle Egret, Buff-necked Ibis, Black Vulture, Western Osprey, Savanna Hawk, Chaco Eagle, Roadside Hawk, Tropical Screech Owl, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Burrowing Owl, Ringed Kingfisher, Green Kingfisher, White-eared Puffbird, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Toco Toucan, White-wedged Piculet, Campo Flicker, Red-legged Seriema, Collared Forest Falcon, Southern Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Aplomado Falcon, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Yellow-faced Parrot, Turquoise-fronted Amazon, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Red-bellied Macaw, White-eyed Parakeet, Rufous-winged Antshrike, Variable Antshrike, Collared Crescentchest, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Rufous Hornero, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Helmeted Manakin, Grey-hooded Flycatcher, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Suiriri Flycatcher, Plain-crested Elaenia, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Planalto Tyrannulet, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Euler's Flycatcher, Grey Monjita, White-rumped Monjita, Long-tailed Tyrant, Short-crested Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Social Flycatcher, White-throated Kingbird, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Curl-crested Jay, Blue-and-white Swallow, Tawny-headed Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Grey-breasted Martin, White-rumped Swallow, Masked Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Buff-breasted Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Pale-breasted Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Creamy-bellied Thrush, Common Waxbill, House Sparrow, Purple-throated Euphonia, Grassland Sparrow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Shiny Cowbird, Chopi Blackbird, Golden-crowned Warbler, Black-faced Tanager, Shrike-like Tanager, White-lined Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Palm Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Blue Dacnis, White-rumped Tanager, Saffron Finch, Wedge-tailed Grass Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Red Pileated Finch, Bananaquit, Buff-throated Saltator, Green-winged Saltator, Crab-eating Fox,

Fazenda Agua Limpa Day 11 12.09.2020

After a couple of early mornings today we had a little bit of a break, only waking up at 06:30. This did not mean an end to early morning birding as we were able to check the flowering tree in front of the farm which was, as usual, very lively with Tanagers and other common fruit eating birds. Following a good hour watching these birds we finally made it into the field where we spent two hours searching for Manakin nests in a new area before opening the mist nets that we had installed the previous day. Although we only caught a handful of birds, and ringing even fewer, there were a couple of really outstanding birds, namely the Green Kingfisher that somehow found its way into the forest nets. Its always awesome to see these birds up close and study their stunning plumage in detail. We also caught a Rufous-browed Peppershrike, which as its name ‘shrike’ suggests, it was an absolute handful constantly chomping on my fingers until blood was dripping down. Still, not a species I see so often as they spend a lot of their time in the canopy.

  After lunch and an afternoon break I went for a walk around the farm. There was nothing outstanding, although it was nice to see the Scarlet Flycatcher again, until the end of the walk when it all kicked off. In the last hour of daylight I was trying, and failing, to photograph the Yellowish Pipits on site when a Gray Brocket deer left the Cerrado and started walking across the field towards me. It did not stop until it reach about 10 meters away at which point it stopped and stared for a good 10 minutes before cautiously going around me. Having only seen this deer once before, running away from the car in near darkness, this was a real treat. And the evening only got better with a distant view of the Maned Wolf walking across the field as I waited for the Nacunda Nighthawks to arrive. What a frantic finish to another brilliant day in the farm.

-Purple-throated Euphonia

-Sepia-capped Flycatcher

-Green Kingfisher

-Rufous-browed Peppershrike

-Yellowish Pipit

-Gray Brocket

-Maned Wolf

Species List:

Fazenda Agua Limpa: Undulated Tinamou, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Scaled Dove, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Smooth-billed Ani, Squirrel Cuckoo, Nacunda Nighthawk, Least Nighthawk, Pauraque, Neotropical Palm Swift, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Versicolored Emerald, Neotropic Cormorant, Western Cattle Egret, Buff-necked Ibis, Black Vulture, Plumbeous Kite, Roadside Hawk, Tropical Screech Owl, Burrowing Owl, Rufous-capped Motmot, Ringed Kingfisher, Green Kingfisher, Toco Toucan, White-wedged Piculet, Campo Flicker, Red-legged Seriema, Southern Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Yellow-faced Parrot, Turquoise-fronted Amazon, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Black-capped Antwren, Brasilia Tapaculo, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Rufous Hornero, Ochre-cheeked Spinetail, Helmeted Manakin, Grey-hooded Flycatcher, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Plain-crested Elaenia, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Euler's Flycatcher, Scarlet Flycatcher, White-rumped Monjita, Short-crested Flycatcher, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Cattle Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Social Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, White-throated Kingbird, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Curl-crested Jay, Blue-and-white Swallow, Tawny-headed Swallow, Masked Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Buff-breasted Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Pale-breasted Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Blacksmith Thrush, Creamy-bellied Thrush, House Sparrow, Yellowish Pipit, Purple-throated Euphonia, Grassland Sparrow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Shiny Cowbird, Chopi Blackbird, Golden-crowned Warbler, Hooded Tanager, Black-goggled Tanager, White-lined Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Palm Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Guira Tanager, Saffron Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, White-throated Seedeater, Red Pileated Finch, Bananaquit, Buff-throated Saltator, Green-winged Saltator, Gray Brocket, Crab-eating Fox, Maned Wolf, 

Fazenda Agua Limpa Day 12 13.09.2020

In the morning we reopened the nets in the same area that we had the previous morning, hoping to catch a male Helmeted Manakin that had set up territory in the area. It took until the very last net round before he fell but in the mean time we were able to catch a few other species and bird the nearby gallery forest. The highlight of the ringing was obviously at Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper that somehow found its way into the nets. A pair of Channel-billed Toucan in a nearby tree were probably the highlight otherwise.

In the afternoon I decided to venture further into the farm Cerrado in the hope of finding some new species in new areas. The area I chose was an area of wooded Cerrado near a scrubby river valley. Initially the birding was slow and hard work but by the end I had managed two new species for the farm, Rufous-fronted Thornbird and Scaled Pigeon, the latter being only the second time I had observed this species ever. It was a pretty exciting afternoon and the nearby habitat looked just as interesting and will require some investigation in the near future. A King Vulture that flew over was also a very pleasant surpirse. 

After our evening snack we tried for the Little Nightjar in the Cerrado nearby. It responded well but would not site for photos, preferring to sing from the dense cover of the roadside vegetation. The parks Mottled Owls were also being very vocal in the background.

-Tropical Screech Owl

-Yellow-bellied Seedeater

-Yellow-chevroned Parakeet

-Flavescent Warbler

-Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper

-Grey Monjita

-Rufous-fronted Thornbird

-Plumbeous Seedeater

-King Vulture

-Scaled Pigeon

Species List:

Fazenda Agua Limpa: Undulated Tinamou, Pale-vented Pigeon, Scaled Pigeon, Picazuro Pigeon, Scaled Dove, White-tipped Dove, Smooth-billed Ani, Nacunda Nighthawk, Pauraque, Little Nightjar, Neotropical Palm Swift, White-vented Violetear, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Versicolored Emerald, Southern Lapwing, Neotropic Cormorant, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Western Cattle Egret, Whistling Heron, Buff-necked Ibis, King Vulture, Black Vulture, Plumbeous Kite, Roadside Hawk, Tropical Screech Owl, Mottled Owl, Rufous-capped Motmot, Toco Toucan, Channel-billed Toucan, White-wedged Piculet, Little Woodpecker, Campo Flicker, Red-legged Seriema, Collared Forest Falcon, Southern Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Yellow-faced Parrot, Turquoise-fronted Amazon, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Red-bellied Macaw, White-eyed Parakeet, Variable Antshrike, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Rufous-fronted Thornbird, Helmeted Manakin, Grey-hooded Flycatcher, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Plain-crested Elaenia, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Euler's Flycatcher, Grey Monjita, Short-crested Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Social Flycatcher, White-throated Kingbird, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Curl-crested Jay, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Grey-breasted Martin, Masked Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Buff-breasted Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Pale-breasted Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Creamy-bellied Thrush, House Sparrow, Purple-throated Euphonia, Grassland Sparrow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Flavescent Warbler, Hooded Tanager, White-lined Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Palm Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Guira Tanager, Saffron Finch, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Plumbeous Seedeater, Red Pileated Finch, Bananaquit, Buff-throated Saltator, Green-winged Saltator, Crab-eating Fox,