Our first full day at Murici started at 05.30 with a steady breakfast and coffee, followed by a slow amble along the trail to the area we would spend the day searching for nesting birds. The forest had taken a beating in overnight storms, with strong winds and rain keeping both Lia and I awake at times. As the morning wore on the birds began to liven up and we found a few bits as we walked along the trail. We managed our first of the reserve's critically endangered inhabitants with Orange-bellied Antwren, a species that frustratingly likes to spend much of its time in the canopy. We managed good views of its stomach before it moved on. Other cool species we found included another Scalloped Antwren, Black-cheeked Gnateater, and Trilling Gnatwren.
The
surveying we did found very little, just a few old nests of hummingbirds, but
the exploration of the forest yielded a nice Black-cheeked Gnateater and Red-stained
Woodpecker. The way back began quite slow but towards the end, it livened up
immensely, with many Screaming Piha singing away, and a few new birds for our
trip list, such as Streaked Xenops and Black-necked Aracari. Perhaps the
highlight of the walk was not even a bird at all, but a White Witch moth, the
largest moth in the world. Lia flushed the animal from roost but helpfully it
returned to an exposed perch, trusting in its camouflage, allowing us to get
excellent views of this stunning beast. We also found the same lizard that we
had seen the night before, and a day roosting bat under a large leaf. Once we
arrived back at camp we began to unwind after our 10-kilometer hike.
In the evening there was another light rain shower, which brought out more frog activity, with at least one new species for us from the previous day; Frostius pernambucensis. However, that was nothing, as the evening held a special treat for us all. Maybe half an hour after dark we heard a mammal calling from the canopy, and dashed over to see what we could find. There were no subsequent noises to guide us, but we headed towards a large fruiting tree that had been hosting a few different mammals in nights previous. Upon arrival there, Herminio picked out a huge Brazilian Porcupine feeding in the canopy, an enormous animal with a huge tail. This was my first porcupine and hardly what I was expecting. We were able to enjoy it for a few minutes before it descended the tree and carried on its way. And then, as if that wasn’t enough, a Kinkajou arrived, clambering over the branches as it made its way into the canopy to feed. Although it chose to feed high in the canopy, we still had brilliant views as it arrived. And then, to round things off, there was also a Big-eared Opossum in the same tree. It was an absolutely exceptional experience.
ESEC Murici: Scaled Pigeon, Ruddy Quail-Dove, Short-tailed Nighthawk, Reddish Hermit, Turkey Vulture, Black-necked Aracari, Channel-billed Toucan, Red-stained Woodpecker, Yellow-throated Woodpecker, Plain Antvireo, Silvery-flanked Antwren, Rusty-winged Antwren, Scaled Antbird, Orange-bellied Antwren, Scalloped Antbird, Black-cheeked Gnateater, Ceara Woodcreeper, Plain Xenops, Streaked Xenops, Blue-backed Manakin, Red-headed Manakin, Screaming Piha, Brown-winged Schiffornis, White-throated Spadebill, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, White-bellied Tody-Tyrant, Bright-rumped Attila, Chivi Vireo, Trilling Gnatwren, Violaceous Euphonia, Yellow-green Grosbeak, Kinkajou, Big-eared Opossum, Brazilian Porcupine,
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