Brazil; Rio Grande do Sul & Santa Catarina - Day 3

 Having completed most of our targets the previous day, we had little left on the agenda before departing from Urupema. We decided to return to the Atlantic Forest but early morning before breakfast. In the two hours that we were there we failed to get a sniff of the Antpitta but did manage to see the Rufous-tailed Antthrush, well but through the vegetation. The highlight was a very showy female Large-tailed Antshrike that put on a nice display inside the forest, bounding between the bamboo stems.

We returned to breakfast and to have one last look at the feeders there. The Thick-billed Saltator, Chestnut-backed Tanager and Blue-and-yellow Tanagers were all there, as was our first Red Tanager of the trip. A very enjoyable final act in what had been a brilliant first few days on this trip.

Next stop was further south, about four and a half hours, to Sao Francisco de Paula on the Rio Grande do Sul/Santa Catarina border. At the end of the afternoon we found a place to stop at Parque Estadual de Tahina where there was some grassland habitat. The grassland did not yield much, presumably due to the afternoon heat, but in the early evening the marshes were fantastic.

Within ten minutes we found both of our key targets for the next few days; Straight-billed Reedhaunter and Saffron-cowled Blackbird. Although neither came particularly close for photos both looked brilliant in the early evening light. There was also a very dapper male Black-bellied Seedeater to enjoy, and a distant pair of parrots that flew over turned out to be Red-spectacled Amazon when we checked the photos, which we did not know if we would find on our trip due to the time of year, and is a very localised in this area of Brazil. A real bonus species for our trip. 

Species List:
Urupema: Brown Tinamou, Red-winged Tinamou, Dusky-legged Guan, Picazuro Pigeon, Sick's Swift, Glittering-bellied Emerald, White-throated Hummingbird, Southern Lapwing, Buff-necked Ibis, Black Vulture, Swallow-tailed Kite, White-spotted Woodpecker, Red-legged Seriema, Yellow-headed Caracara, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Large-tailed Antshrike, Variable Antshrike, Mouse-colored Tapaculo, Rufous-tailed Antthrush, Scalloped Woodcreeper, Striolated Tit-Spinetail, Olive Spinetail, White-winged Becard, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Small-billed Elaenia, Greenish Tyrannulet, Swainson's Flycatcher, Variegated Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Chivi Vireo, Azure Jay, Blue-and-white Swallow, House Wren, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Blacksmith Thrush, Hooded Siskin, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Golden-winged Cacique, Tropical Parula, White-rimmed Warbler, Red Tanager, Grey-throated Warbling Finch, Diademed Tanager, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Chestnut-backed Tanager, Green-winged Saltator, Thick-billed Saltator,
Parque Estadual do Tainhas: Red-winged Tinamou, Picazuro Pigeon, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Great Dusky Swift, White-collared Swift, Sick's Swift, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Southern Lapwing, Great Egret, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Savanna Hawk, Campo Flicker, Red-legged Seriema, Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Chimango Caracara, American Kestrel, Red-spectacled Amazon, Rufous Hornero, Freckle-breasted Thornbird, Firewood-gatherer, Straight-billed Reedhaunter, Spix's Spinetail, Sooty Tyrannulet, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Tyrant, Grey Monjita, Black-and-white Monjita, Great Kiskadee, Variegated Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Azure Jay, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Brown-chested Martin, White-rumped Swallow, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Hooded Siskin, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Chopi Blackbird, Saffron-cowled Blackbird, Yellow-rumped Marshbird, Diademed Tanager, Saffron Finch, Lesser Grass Finch, Pampa Finch, Black-bellied Seedeater, Double-collared Seedeater,

Brazil; Rio Grande do Sul & Santa Catarina - Day 2

 Today was our first, and only full day in Urupema, and although we could have most of the following day if need be, we had a list of destinations to visit and about 14 hours of daylight in which to fit them all in.

First was finding the birds around the Pousada, featuring the number one target of the trip; Planalto Tapaculo. Normally Tapaculos are difficult and elusive but this one was beyond easy. During the morning we found four individuals, the first of which perched right out on the road without any encouragement, allowing for some excellent photos. Next we tried our other targets here, the range restricted Mottled Piculette and Striolated Tit-Spinetail, both of which we found before 10:00am.

Next stop was an area of upland marsh called Morro do Combates. It was about a half-hour drive from the eco-pousada and there were a few small stops on the way for odd bits that increased this time. Once we arrived it was already very sunny and quite breezy. Consequently, there was not a huge amount of activity but we found a few of the regions marshland specialities; Lesser Gras-Finch, Long-tailed Reed-Finch and the stunning Black-bellied Seedeater, a migrant breeder in this area.

Next on the agenda was lunch, after which we headed up into an area of Atlantic Araucaria forest behind Urupema itself. The birding here started quite slow but as the afternoon wore on we started picking up nice bits. A couple of Mouse-coloured Tapaculos were nice, but not as showy as their compatriot in the morning. Greenish Tyrannulet was only my second ever, and there were heard-only for both Speckle-breasted Antpitta and Rufous-tailed Antthrush, which hopefully we will find when we return tomorrow.

At the end of the afternoon we headed to the marsh opposite the Pousada in preparation for the night-birding. In the last hour of light we added Black-and-white Monjita and Freckle-breasted Thornbird to our list of regionally endemic marshbirds. There was also a nice showy Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch and almost all of the same species we has seen earlier in the day, including many Black-bellied Seedeaters.

As dusk drew in three others birders arrived, including an internet acquaintance of Lia’s, Gustavo Pinto who was working as a bird guide. With his help we managed to see both of the birds we failed to find the previous night. The Giant Snipe we only saw fly-in, as a silhouette against the sky, but the Sickle-winged Nightjar showed very well, and it would not have been possible without Gustavo’s help. When we finally arrived back at the Pousada, we quickly tried for the Long-tufted Sceech-Owl that lives in the garden, and mercifully it showed very quickly, rounding off a day when we managed almost every-single target bird.

A truly phenomal days birding. 

Species List:
Urupema: Brown Tinamou, Red-winged Tinamou, Spotted Nothura, Picazuro Pigeon, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Short-tailed Nighthawk, Sickle-winged Nightjar, Sick's Swift, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Purple-crowned Plovercrest, White-throated Hummingbird, Plumbeous Rail, Rufous-sided Crake, Southern Lapwing, Giant Snipe, Whistling Heron, Buff-necked Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Swallow-tailed Kite, Roadside Hawk, Long-tufted Screech Owl, Surucua Trogon, White-eared Puffbird, Green-billed Toucan, Mottled Piculet, White-spotted Woodpecker, Yellow-browed Woodpecker, Campo Flicker, Red-legged Seriema, Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Chimango Caracara, American Kestrel, Monk Parakeet, Pileated Parrot, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Dusky-tailed Antbird, Speckle-breasted Antpitta, Planalto Tapaculo, Mouse-colored Tapaculo, Rufous-tailed Antthrush, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Planalto Woodcreeper, Scalloped Woodcreeper, Long-tailed Cinclodes, Striolated Tit-Spinetail, Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, Freckle-breasted Thornbird, Firewood-gatherer, Olive Spinetail, Grey-bellied Spinetail, Spix's Spinetail, Serra do Mar Tyrannulet, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Small-billed Elaenia, White-crested Tyrannulet, Greenish Tyrannulet, Planalto Tyrannulet, Euler's Flycatcher, Blue-billed Black Tyrant, Yellow-browed Tyrant, Grey Monjita, Black-and-white Monjita, Swainson's Flycatcher, Cattle Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Variegated Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Chivi Vireo, Azure Jay, Blue-and-white Swallow, Grey-breasted Martin, White-rumped Swallow, House Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Hellmayr's Pipit, Hooded Siskin, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Golden-winged Cacique, Shiny Cowbird, Chopi Blackbird, Yellow-rumped Marshbird, Southern Yellowthroat, Tropical Parula, White-rimmed Warbler, Grey-throated Warbling Finch, Diademed Tanager, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Chestnut-backed Tanager, Long-tailed Reed Finch, Black-and-rufous Warbling Finch, Saffron Finch, Grassland Yellow Finch, Lesser Grass Finch, Pampa Finch, Black-bellied Seedeater, Double-collared Seedeater, Green-winged Saltator, Thick-billed Saltator, 

Brazil; Rio Grande do Sul & Santa Catarina - Day 1

  With Christmas out of the way, Lia and I decided to travel again, having not been on a real trip since I arrived in Brazil, the others both being related to Lias work. Our chosen destination was the south of Brazil; Santa Catarina and especially Rio Grande do Sul. These states encompass the more southern reach of the Atlantic Forest and its transition in Pampas. It is also the wealthiest region in Brazil, with good infrastructure and standard of living, at least compared to the rest of the country.

  We arrived in Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, the previous evening, picked up our car and then headed to a hotel. Our destination for the morning was the city's Botanical Garden before we set off on a six-hour drive north to our first real stop. The botanical garden has a few common species, but notable is Scaled Chacalaca, a species with a limited distribution that we wouldn’t encounter elsewhere on our trip. In the two hours we search we didn’t find the bird, but the weather was cold and rainy. There were some nice birds though, especially very habituated Slaty-breasted Wood Rail. The small lake in the park was filled with turtles; both Hilaire’s Side-necked Turtle and Pond Slider. Monk Parakeet was also a new species for my Brazil list.

  At 11:00 we headed north. The drive was long and with limited stops, but a small marsh we visited did produce our first lifer of the trip Black-and-rufous Warbling Finch. The wind kept them low in the vegetation and they were difficult to see. There were also two Brown Hares chasing each other around the adjacent fields and Chimango Caracara was another new bird for my Brazil list.

  Our destination was the small town of Urupema, in the state of Santa Catarina, surrounded by stunning Araucaria forest. Our lodge was set up especially for birders, with small chalets and a brilliant feeding station. Once we arrived at 18:30 we had around half an hours’ worth of light to explore and made the most of it with Chestnut-backed Tanagers visiting the feeder, our first new bird here, plus Araucaria Tit-Spinetail common and Long-tailed Cincloides nesting in the roof. The proprietor was extremely friendly, and his optimism and excitement about the birds left us extremely excited for what the following days will bring. 

  In the evening we searched a small marsh across the road for night birds, and were rewarded with a pair of very confiding Scissor-tailed Nightjars. Night birding would be a strong feature of our stay here, as there were a few species on our hit list!

Species List:
Jardim Botânico de Porto Alegre: Picazuro Pigeon, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Sick's Swift, Grey-cowled Wood Rail, Slaty-breasted Wood Rail, Striated Heron, Bare-faced Ibis, Black Vulture, Roadside Hawk, Green-barred Woodpecker, Monk Parakeet, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Rufous Hornero, Spix's Spinetail, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Small-billed Elaenia, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Blue-and-white Swallow, House Wren, Pale-breasted Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Purple-throated Euphonia, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Shiny Cowbird, Tropical Parula, Golden-crowned Warbler, Red-crested Cardinal, Sayaca Tanager, Bananaquit,
Urupema: Sick's Swift, White-throated Hummingbird, Whistling Heron, Buff-necked Ibis, Turkey Vulture, Swallow-tailed Kite, Chimango Caracara, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Long-tailed Cinclodes, Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, Tropical Kingbird, Blue-and-white Swallow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Chestnut-backed Tanager, Saffron Finch, 

Brazil; Alagoas - ESEC Murici week 2; 22nd - 28th

  The second week, while it still had some long days in the field, was generally more relaxed. Once we had searched all the areas of the forest there was much less work to be done, since avoiding excess disturbance to these areas was the most important aspect of the work. We still made the long trip to the furthest reaches of the forest on one of our last day, but other than that there was more time to be spent relaxing.

  In these free afternoons I continued going to the border where I eventually managed to get photos of the swifts that had been bothering me. The photos showed that they were clearly Band-rumped Swift, which Herminio informed us was suspect to be in the area but had not been documented for around 30 years. Other birds the border produced included Black Hawk Eagle, Mantled Hawk and Plumbeous Kite, as well as an assortment of commoner species that you can find in border habitats; Southern White-fringed Antwren, Black-capped Antwren and White-lined Tanager.

  In terms of rarer species there were a few notable sightings this week, including a lifer for me in the unspectacular form of Forest Elaenia, which was very vocal but only showed distantly at the bottom of one of the river valleys. Big thanks to Lia who heard the bird calling, before we were able to use playback to bring the bird in closer. There were also appearances from Scaled Antbird and White-necked Thrush, both of which are uncommon in the forest. The Lesser Swallow-tailed Swifts also continued to put in an appearance most evenings, keeping things lively for the rarer species in the forest. We also visited the lek of Margaretta's Great-billed Hermit on the 24th, where there were still three males, as there had been back in February.

  There were just three new nests for me this week; another Black Jacobin, a Blue-backed Manakin that was already abandoned and then a spectacular Ruddy Quail Dove. Previously I have only seen the dove on two occasions, so to stumble across an adult sat on a nest with two chicks was incredible. Sadly I didn’t have my camera so photos were only on my phone. The Dove nest had a camera installed on it, so hopefully we will get to see how the chicks progress and if they are successful. 

  And finally to wrap up, we continued to have no luck with mammals, just a couple of bat species and a possum were all we could manage. However, we continued our good streak with snakes, managing to see both Green Jararaca and the endemic and very rare Murici Lancehead, the latter of which we found two together sitting by the side of a river at night. The river in question is the nicknamed river of endemics due to the presence of frog species, some of which are found nowhere else. We made a visit on our last night and found most of them, although all the ones we had seen before. The only new frogs for us on this trip were the Mata Do Catolé Heart-tongued Frog and the Bananeiras Heart-tongued Frog both of which we found delightfully living in Bromeliads, which we had failed to find last time.

  And that wraps up our time here in Murici. The forest was good to us once again and we enjoyed working here. Fingers crossed we will have the chance to return again in the future. 

-Band-rumped Swift

-Forest Elaenia

-Pernambuco Foliage-Gleaner

-Greyish Mourner

-Screaming Piha

-Black Jacobin

-Pauraque

-Mantled Hawk

-Plumbeous Kite

-Rufous-Thighed Kite

-Margaretta's Great-billed Hermit

-Mata Do Catolé Heart-tongued Frog

-Mata da Bananeira Snouted Tree Frog

-Frei Caneca Tree Frog

-Subaúma Canebrake Tree Frog

-Green Jaracara

-Murici Lancehead

Species List:
ESEC Murici: Red-winged Tinamou, Scaled Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Ruddy Quail-Dove, White-tipped Dove, Grey-fronted Dove, Smooth-billed Ani, Squirrel Cuckoo, Short-tailed Nighthawk, Pauraque, Rufous Nightjar, Band-rumped Swift, Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, Black Jacobin, Great-billed Hermit, Reddish Hermit, Planalto Hermit, Black-eared Fairy, Long-tailed Woodnymph, White-chinned Sapphire, Southern Lapwing, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Black Hawk-Eagle, Rufous-thighed Kite, Plumbeous Kite, Roadside Hawk, Mantled Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Black-throated Trogon, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Black-necked Aracari, Channel-billed Toucan, Golden-spangled Piculet, Red-stained Woodpecker, Yellow-throated Woodpecker, Collared Forest Falcon, Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Blue-headed Parrot, Red-shouldered Macaw, White-shouldered Antshrike, Plain Antvireo, Silvery-flanked Antwren, Black-capped Antwren, Rusty-winged Antwren, Southern White-fringed Antwren, Scaled Antbird, Orange-bellied Antwren, East Amazonian Fire-eye, Scalloped Antbird, Black-cheeked Gnateater, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Plain-winged Woodcreeper, Amazonian Barred Woodcreeper, Ceara Woodcreeper, Plain Xenops, Pernambuco Foliage-gleaner, Blue-backed Manakin, White-bearded Manakin, Red-headed Manakin, Screaming Piha, White-winged Cotinga, Brown-winged Schiffornis, Buff-throated Purpletuft, White-throated Spadebill, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, White-bellied Tody-Tyrant, Olivaceous Flatbill, Ochre-lored Flatbill, Forest Elaenia, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Euler's Flycatcher, Bright-rumped Attila, Greyish Mourner, Short-crested Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Chivi Vireo, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Trilling Gnatwren, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Moustached Wren, Pale-breasted Thrush, White-necked Thrush, Yellowish Pipit, Violaceous Euphonia, Grassland Sparrow, Yellow-green Grosbeak, Flame-crested Tanager, Palm Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Seven-colored Tanager, Red-necked Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Green Honeycreeper, Yellow-backed Tanager, Saffron Finch, Wedge-tailed Grass Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Bananaquit, Buff-throated Saltator, 

Brazil; Alagoas - ESEC Murici week 1; 14th - 21st

  The first week in the forest of Murici was certainly the most challenging, as we searched all the areas for new nests and territories of the birds we were looking for. But it was also very rewarding as even I managed to find some nests, including two nests of Black Jacobin and a nest of Long-billed Gnatwren. Sadly, while the Jacobins both continued with their eggs, the Gnatwrens were predated within 48 hours of their discovery.

  The privilege of working in this reserve is that while most visitors are restricted to the main trail, our work took us deep into the forest, especially focusing our work on the deep river valleys that are otherwise inaccessible. It was in one of these ravines that we found our first and only Black-tailed Leaftosser of the week, when one showed incredibly well on the 19^th. Other species which are rare in the forest but we encountered a few times included Todd’s Amazonian Woodcreeper, which we saw on three different occasions, White-winged Cotinga which we saw twice and Rufous-thighed Kite, which surprisingly had a nest not too far from where we were staying.

  During this first week we were kept very busy surveying areas, but on a few occasions we had time to visit the forest border at the end of the day to scan for raptors. And it was during these initial periods that my attention was drawn to the Swifts flying over the forest. On a previous visit I had recorded the first WikiAves registrations of Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, and these continued to be present now as well, but distant Chaetura swifts certainly had my interest, although it would be another week before I was able to identify them. It was also at the forest border that on the 21^st we found a brilliant Rufous Nightjar showing.

  Of course, ESEC Murici is famous for its critically endangered species, and while I cannot reveal too much about its key target, some of the others were a bit showier. It took us all of 11 days last time to see the endemic, soon-to-be split, Black-throated Trogon but we managed to see one after just three days on this occasion. The screech owl did not put in any performances at all, which was frustrating.

  In contrast to last time, there was much less action from other forest residents as well. We saw no mammals, very much the same assortment of frogs and only a few reptiles. Snakes were certainly an improvement with two in the first two days; Lichtenstein's Green Racer on the 14^th and then a Xenodon sp. on the 15^th. But the highlight was on the 20^th when I stumbled across a stunning Aesculapian False Coral Snake. It sat for a few minutes before it slithered off into the leaflitter. Given we only saw a single Boa Constrictor last time, we were already ahead in the snake stakes. 

-Black-cheeked Gnateater

-Amazonian Barred Woodcreeper

-Alagoas Black-throated Trogon

-Rufous-thighed Kite

-Silvery-flanked Antwren

-White-lined Tanager

-Southern White-fringed Antwren

-Rufous Nightjar

-White-winged Cotinga

-Black-tailed Leaftosser

-Scalloped Antbird

-Reddish Hermit

-Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

-Vampyressa pusilla

-Dryadosaura nordestina

-Lichtenstein's Green Racer

-Aesculapian False Coral Snake

-Elegant Forest Tree Frog

-Renal Smooth-horned Frog

-Tropidacris cristata

-Moth

Species List:

ESEC Murici: Solitary Tinamou, Scaled Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Ruddy Quail-Dove, White-tipped Dove, Grey-fronted Dove, Smooth-billed Ani, Squirrel Cuckoo, Short-tailed Nighthawk, Pauraque, Rufous Nightjar, Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, Black Jacobin, Rufous-breasted Hermit, Reddish Hermit, Planalto Hermit, Long-tailed Woodnymph, White-chinned Sapphire, Southern Lapwing, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Black Hawk-Eagle, Rufous-thighed Kite, Plumbeous Kite, Roadside Hawk, Mantled Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Mottled Owl, Black-throated Trogon, Black-necked Aracari, Channel-billed Toucan, Golden-spangled Piculet, Red-stained Woodpecker, Yellow-throated Woodpecker, Collared Forest Falcon, Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Blue-headed Parrot, Red-shouldered Macaw, White-shouldered Antshrike, Plain Antvireo, Silvery-flanked Antwren, Alagoas Antwren, Rusty-winged Antwren, Southern White-fringed Antwren, Scaled Antbird, Orange-bellied Antwren, East Amazonian Fire-eye, Scalloped Antbird, Black-cheeked Gnateater, Black-tailed Leaftosser, Amazonian Barred Woodcreeper, Ceara Woodcreeper, Plain Xenops, Pernambuco Foliage-gleaner, Blue-backed Manakin, White-bearded Manakin, Red-headed Manakin, Screaming Piha, White-winged Cotinga, Brown-winged Schiffornis, Buff-throated Purpletuft, White-throated Spadebill, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, White-bellied Tody-Tyrant, Olivaceous Flatbill, Ochre-lored Flatbill, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Euler's Flycatcher, Bright-rumped Attila, Greyish Mourner, Short-crested Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Chivi Vireo, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Trilling Gnatwren, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Moustached Wren, Pale-breasted Thrush, Yellowish Pipit, Violaceous Euphonia, Grassland Sparrow, Red-crowned Ant Tanager, Yellow-green Grosbeak, Flame-crested Tanager, White-lined Tanager, Palm Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Seven-colored Tanager, Red-necked Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Green Honeycreeper, Yellow-backed Tanager, Wedge-tailed Grass Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Bananaquit, Buff-throated Saltator,