We had arranged to stay another night at Hacienda Amorique, leaving us with another full day to explore the site in search of our remaining targets. So we decided to follow the same pattern as yesterday; taking a ride to the top of the road and then slowly birding our way down. This would mean another hike in excess of five kilometres but the birding had been so productive the previous day, it was absolutely worth the effort.
This time we encountered only one large flock, although it
did contain an enormous variety of tanagers, possibly as many of 15 different
species. It passed over around lunchtime just as we were leaving the main area
of forest. In it were many common species, as well as more interesting birds
such as Black-goggled Tanager and Black-faced Dacnis. There were also a few
Versicolored Barbets in the mix as well. It passed over not far from the
Cerulean-capped Manakin lek, and although they were not dancing today, we still
saw two individuals foraging.
The morning was mainly filled with hummingbirds, with just
short of ten species encountered. This included two new species for me;
Rufous-booted Raquet-Tail and Geoffreys Daggerbill, both of which we managed to
encounter multiple times during the morning. The only other new bird for me was
Black-striped Puffbird, which we encountered right at the top of the forest,
where a group of two or three, difficult to say, were feeding near the path. Perhaps
the highlight of the morning was an incredibly showy Streak-headed Antbird. On
the two previous occasions I have seen this species it was elusive and
difficult, but this particular male sat on in the open on multiple occasions.
Of course I put it more effort on the Tapaculo front, and
got brief views of two more not white-crowned White-crowned Tapaculos. The
first bird I only managed to see in a patch of bright sunshine blasting through
the forest, but the second did actually perch out in the open for a long enough
time to grab some kind and picture, and sure enough, it had no white-crown.
Presumably then, this means that this population of White-crowned Tapaculos is
distinctive enough to warrant some kind of recognition in its own right, but
that’s for the nerds to figure out.
At the end of the afternoon I went for a short walk along the
road near the lodge. There was very little activity but there were a few
standout birds to enjoy. A stunning male White-browed Antbird was a surprise,
as was a very showy White-throated Quail-Dove, showy but all too brief. And
then to wrap off the daylight birding, there was a Cabanis Spinetail which was
a new bird for me. They were an absolute pig to see however, and I only managed
to get poor views through the grasses they were inhabiting.
In the evening we once again tried again for owls, and once
again we failed to see any owls. But, as with the previous evening, our time
was not wasted as we had a brilliant mammal encounter when Martin pointed out
two Bicolor-spined Porcupine on the road. They were bright yellow, completely different to the
animals I have seen in Brazil. We were able to follow them up the road for a
short while, before they scurried off into the undergrowth. Between the Night
Monkeys and the Porcupine, we have done phenomenally well for mammals at this
site.
-Bicolor-spined Porcupine
Hacienda Armorique: Speckled Chachalaca, Plumbeous Pigeon, White-tipped Dove, White-throated Quail-Dove, Squirrel Cuckoo, Ocellated Poorwill, Geoffroy's Daggerbill, Speckled Hummingbird, Long-tailed Sylph, Bronzy Inca, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Rufous-booted Racket-tail, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Sapphire-spangled Emerald, White-bellied Hummingbird, Black Vulture, Swallow-tailed Kite, Plumbeous Kite, Roadside Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, Band-bellied Owl, Black-streaked Puffbird, Versicolored Barbet, Lineated Woodpecker, Golden-olive Woodpecker Woodpecker, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, Plain Antvireo, Stripe-chested Antwren, Creamy-bellied Antwren, Streak-headed Antbird, Blackish Antbird, White-browed Antbird, White-crowned Tapaculo, Black-banded Woodcreeper, Ocellated Woodcreeper, Streaked Xenops, Montane Foliage-gleaner, Plain-crowned Spinetail, Cabanis's Spinetail, Cerulean-capped Manakin, Streak-necked Flycatcher, Marble-faced Bristle Tyrant, Scale-crested Pygmy Tyrant, Cinnamon Flycatcher, Peruvian Tyrannulet, Long-tailed Tyrant, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Social Flycatcher, Golden-crowned Flycatcher, Brown-capped Vireo, Chivi Vireo, Inca Jay, Violaceous Jay, House Wren, Grey-breasted Wood Wren, Bronze-green Euphonia, Russet-backed Oropendola, Buff-rumped Warbler, Slate-throated Whitestart, Black-goggled Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Palm Tanager, Spotted Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Blue-browed Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Golden Tanager, Black-faced Dacnis, Blue Dacnis, Green Honeycreeper, Golden-collared Honeycreeper,
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