Brazil; Rio Grande do Sul & Santa Catarina - Day 13

 Today was a long, long day in the field. This was the only day that we had decided to hire a guide, in order to help us find a couple of very difficult birds in the National Park here; South American Painted Snipe and Dot-winged Crake. The Snipe is very easy during the breeding season, which we were about a month too late for, and the Crake is always tricky. We hired Eloir to help us try to track down these difficult birds.

Once we picked him up, he took us to a day-roost of Great Horned Owl, which we found easily. This is a new bird for me, and we found two birds roosting in the trees in the area. A brilliant start to the day. In the same area we had a flyover Ringed Teal and a Dark-billed Cuckoo.

The next site we visited was an area of reedbed on the margin of an enormous lake. This site we had planned to visit the following day, to find Many-coloured Rush-Tyrant, and indeed we found this bird very common here. Frustratingly they did not show well for photos. Throughout the morning, there was a steady stream of Sand Martin all flying north. I suspect there were at least 300 that all passed through while we were there. Given I had seen just one Sand Martin in Brazil before, this was awesome to witness. There were no Painted Snipes here!

Next we went to another similar habitat nearby, but where we found more wading birds, including a flock of nine Stilt Sandpiper. This is one of the last Nearctic wading species I had not yet seen, so it was good to finally be able to get acquainted with them. We also had nice views of Coscoroba Swan and a Scarlet-headed Blackbird, plus flyby Tawny-headed Swallows. Still no Painted Snipes, however.

After lunch we tried to access another area via the beach, but the sand was too soft to allow us to pass, so we returned to the main trail of the National Park, where we had spent a lot of time over the last two days. Here we checked and area of marsh, which produced many Pantanal Snipes, and our first Common Miners of the trip. But again no Painted Snipes, and it was beginning to look like a lost cause.

We switched species and moved on to the Dot-winged Crake, which prefers the tussocks of grass in the dry lagoon margins. We tried a few areas but had no joy at all, with nothing responding. This too looked like a lost cause. In the hope of saving face, we switch to another species, the Hudsons Canastero, which is also difficult, but crucially we have both seen before in Argentina. This bird also did not appear.

Although the birding had been brilliant, we were now tired and disappointed at not landing either species, no matter how much of a shot in the dark it had been to begin with. But on our way back to the car we kept checking the tussocks in more hope than expectation. Then Eloir heard it. The crake was uttering just a soft note, but he said that was the bird. We waited, but nothing happened. We moved position and the bird finally did one full blast of song, but it still refused to come and show itself. We waited for over 15 minutes before finally, the Dot-winged Crake appeared in the grass in front of us. Typically it did not hang around, and the contrast in the grass was severe in the evening light, but we had finally found of quarry when it really looked like we wouldn’t.

Filled with joy and relief, we went back to drop Eloir off at his house, where he showed us his gorgeous collection of model birds that made from wood. Now he sells them as well, but the price he retails them at is no way a reflection of the value of the work, they should have been at least three times as much. Really really beautiful pieces of art. His personal collection was really something to behold! A wonderful end to the day! 

Species List:
Lagoa do Peixe National Park: Southern Screamer, White-faced Whistling Duck, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Coscoroba Swan, Ringed Teal, Brazilian Teal, Yellow-billed Pintail, Yellow-billed Teal, Picazuro Pigeon, Picui Ground Dove, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Guira Cuckoo, Dark-billed Cuckoo, Gilded Sapphire, Plumbeous Rail, Dot-winged Crake, Common Gallinule, Limpkin, White-backed Stilt, American Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, American Golden Plover, Southern Lapwing, Collared Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Wattled Jacana, Hudsonian Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Stilt Sandpiper, Sanderling, White-rumped Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Pantanal Snipe, Wilson's Phalarope, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Brown-hooded Gull, Grey-headed Gull, Kelp Gull, Yellow-billed Tern, Large-billed Tern, Common Tern, Snowy-crowned Tern, Royal Tern, Black Skimmer, White-chinned Petrel, Maguari Stork, Wood Stork, Neotropic Cormorant, Cocoi Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Western Cattle Egret, Striated Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, White-faced Ibis, Bare-faced Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Vulture, Snail Kite, Long-winged Harrier, Great Horned Owl, Burrowing Owl, Crested Caracara, American Kestrel, Common Miner, Rufous Hornero, Wren-like Rushbird, Firewood-gatherer, Bay-capped Wren-Spinetail, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Many-colored Rush Tyrant, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Sooty Tyrannulet, Spectacled Tyrant, Yellow-browed Tyrant, White Monjita, Cattle Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Tawny-headed Swallow, Grey-breasted Martin, Brown-chested Martin, White-rumped Swallow, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Masked Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Yellowish Pipit, Correndera Pipit, Grassland Sparrow, White-browed Blackbird, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Greyish Baywing, Yellow-winged Blackbird, Chestnut-capped Blackbird, Brown-and-yellow Marshbird, Red-crested Cardinal, Grassland Yellow Finch, 

Brazil; Rio Grande do Sul & Santa Catarina - Day 12

 After last nights incident, we ended up starting a little later than we had expected while the vice-mayor collected his tractor to help us go collect the car. So we set off around 08:30, on the tractor, my first time, and about an hour and a half later the car was finally free of the mud. It took another couple of goes to get it back to dry land thanks to overnight rain, but our ordeal was finally finished.

Since we were already on the edge of the lagoon, we spent the rest of the morning birding there and had a very enjoyable time filtering through the numerous wading birds. There was a new species for me in Double-banded Plover, and views of other goodies such as more Wilsons Phalarope. In the adjacent bushes we found more Bay-capped Wren-Spinetail, but they did not show well for photos.

After lunch and moving our lodging to a new pousada out of town on the fringes of the National Park, we decided to first drive along the beach looking for waders and seabirds, before then birding around the Lagoa itself once the heat haze had died off a little.

The beach was very lively, with brilliant numbers of waders, especially Sanderling and White-rumped Sandpiper. But among them we found nice small groups of Turnstone, American Golden Plover and Grey Plover. The shore also had groups of Snowy-crowned Tern and Yellow-billed Tern, and scanning out to see found us seven White-chinned Petrels flying north at speed.

We returned to the lagoon at around 18:30 just in time for all the birds to be dappled in the afternoon light. We finally found the large group of Hudsonian Godwit I had been desperate to find, with at least 28 individuals around, but certainly more. They flew for us occasionally, displaying their beautiful black axillaries. Also on the wader front were my first Knot in Brazil, with a group of six feeding feverishly on the edge of the lagoon. And it was not just the lagoon, as the margins had very confiding Correndera Pipits, allowing us to get some cracking photos.

And even then the birding was not done, as on our drive into Mostardas we had a few Nacunda Nighthawks fly over us. And on the way back, we flush three Sisscor-tailed Nightjar from the road to the Pousada. 

Species List:
Lagoa do Peixe National Park: Southern Screamer, Coscoroba Swan, Eared Dove, White-backed Stilt, American Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, American Golden Plover, Southern Lapwing, Collared Plover, Two-banded Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Hudsonian Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Sanderling, White-rumped Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Brown-hooded Gull, Grey-headed Gull, Kelp Gull, Yellow-billed Tern, Large-billed Tern, Common Tern, Snowy-crowned Tern, Royal Tern, Cabot's Tern, Black Skimmer, White-chinned Petrel, Maguari Stork, Wood Stork, Neotropic Cormorant, Cocoi Heron, Great Egret, White-faced Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Long-winged Harrier, Crested Caracara, Chimango Caracara, Rufous Hornero, Firewood-gatherer, Bay-capped Wren-Spinetail, Spectacled Tyrant, White Monjita, Cattle Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Brown-chested Martin, Barn Swallow, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Correndera Pipit, White-browed Blackbird, Yellow-winged Blackbird, Grassland Yellow Finch, Pampa Finch,

Brazil; Rio Grande do Sul & Santa Catarina - Day 11

 The advice given to us was to get to the ferry early in the morning to ensure that you can cross without any problems. So that was what we did, although it did use up a mornings birding, it ensured that our travel from Pelotas to our next stop, the Lagoa do Peixe National Park would continue unhindered. We narrowly missed the 07:00 ferry, but fortunately only had to wait an hour before the next crossing at 08:00. The hour on the boat did not provide too much in the way of birding, although we did get our only Little Blue Heron of the trip.

We arrived in Lagoa do Peixe late-morning, so headed straight to the beach to look for some shorebirds. And there were plenty, although common species it gave us a taste of what was to come over the next few days. So, we headed back to our new lodging, in the small town of Tavares and tucked into some lunch while we waited for the midday heat to subside.

In the afternoon we headed to another area of the park. Here was not on the beach, but instead on the shoreline of the slowly drying shallow lagoon. We had been told that it was possible to cross the lagoon by car and access another area of the beach, so that is what we tried to do. However, this was very, very foolish and to nobody's surprise our car got stuck in the mud. We tried all evening but could not get it out, and after a few calls, we resigned ourselves to leaving the car overnight and dealing with it in the morning.

This was not an ideal development, for sure. We did see a few nice birds in-between moments of despair, including my first Wilsons Phalaropes, and added Bay-capped Wren-Spinetail to our trip list. In the morning we arranged for the vice-mayor to use his tractor to try pull the car our, so fingers crossed that comes together and we can continue with our birding without any further unexpected setbacks…

 Species List:
Lagoa do Peixe National Park: Coscoroba Swan, Feral Pigeon, Eared Dove, White-backed Stilt, American Oystercatcher, American Golden Plover, Southern Lapwing, Semipalmated Plover, Sanderling, White-rumped Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Brown-hooded Gull, Grey-headed Gull, Kelp Gull, Yellow-billed Tern, Large-billed Tern, Snowy-crowned Tern, Royal Tern, Black Skimmer, Wood Stork, Neotropic Cormorant, Cocoi Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, White-faced Ibis, Bare-faced Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Crested Caracara, Chimango Caracara, Monk Parakeet, Bay-capped Wren-Spinetail, Brown-chested Martin, White-rumped Swallow, House Sparrow, Correndera Pipit, Brown-and-yellow Marshbird, Grassland Yellow Finch, 

Brazil; Rio Grande do Sul & Santa Catarina - Day 10

 Lia felt unwell today, so we spent the day around the apartment while she rested and recovered. This gave me time to clear my memory cards in the camera, and to work on organizing the data I had collected during our trip so far, both for these blog posts and for the trip report I was hoping to write.

In the evening Lia felt a little better, so we returned to Ilha da Torotama to watch the Nacunda Nighthawks again. They were a little later out of roost today, but still put on a good show with probably around 10 individuals seen feeding against the setting sun. Tomorrow we will take the ferry across to the Lagoa do Peixe national park, our final stop on this itinerary. 

Species List:
Pelotas: Nacunda Nighthawk, 

Brazil; Rio Grande do Sul & Santa Catarina - Day 9

 Having learned the state of the waterbodies around Pelotas the previous day, we were better prepared for the struggle to find good numbers of waterbirds. We still had all of our passerine targets to deal with as well, and as such we decided to head to a similar area that we had the previous evening. In fact the road we birded this morning runs exactly parallel to the one we birded last night.

And it paid off, as we were soon able to find Curve-billed Reedhaunter, the most important species for us in the this area, followed by Scarlet-headed Blackbird. Both showed very nicely early morning, especially the Reedhaunter, which perched fantastically well whilst it was singing. We also found the rarer Sulphur-bearded Reedhaunter, our second of the trip, but sadly it did not cooperate in the same way. There was also a brilliant Brazil tick for us both, with a displaying Screaming Cowbird, vocalising so we could easily distinguish it from the commoner Shiny Cowbird.

For the heat of the day we went to the beach, which was absolutely rammed with tourists. Seawatching yielded a Magnificent Frigatebird but little else. In the afternoon, having wrapped up many of our targets already, we headed to the Ilha da Torotama which is a popular birding destination. The birding was slow for the most part, but the esturine marina had many species of wader to enjoy, including my first Brazilian Hudsonian Godwits, which meant I finally got to see the species’ black axillaries.

There was also a long overdue lifer here, with a few very distant Buff-breasted Sandpipers in the fields, along with good numbers of American Golden Plover. As the afternoon wore on the activity continued to increase, and we had great views of a Black Skimmer feeding in the marshes. Then, at dusk, we were treated to a fantastic show by the local Nacunda Nighthawks. We were not sure where to look for them, or how many there could be, but we found a deceased individual on the road when we arrived and this tipped us off to the general area to wait. And it was worth it, as when dusk arrived we were treated to around 15 individuals flying all around us. Absolutely brilliant birding. 

Species List:
Pelotas: Southern Screamer, Brazilian Teal, Silver Teal, Yellow-billed Teal, Feral Pigeon, Picazuro Pigeon, Spot-winged Pigeon, Picui Ground Dove, Eared Dove, Guira Cuckoo, Striped Cuckoo, Nacunda Nighthawk, Giant Wood Rail, Spot-flanked Gallinule, Common Gallinule, White-winged Coot, Limpkin, White-backed Stilt, American Golden Plover, Southern Lapwing, Semipalmated Plover, Wattled Jacana, Hudsonian Godwit, White-rumped Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Brown-hooded Gull, Grey-headed Gull, Kelp Gull, Snowy-crowned Tern, Black Skimmer, Maguari Stork, Wood Stork, Magnificent Frigatebird, Neotropic Cormorant, Cocoi Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Western Cattle Egret, Striated Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, White-faced Ibis, Plumbeous Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Snail Kite, Long-winged Harrier, Savanna Hawk, Roadside Hawk, Burrowing Owl, Amazon Kingfisher, Green Kingfisher, White Woodpecker, White-spotted Woodpecker, Campo Flicker, Crested Caracara, Chimango Caracara, American Kestrel, Monk Parakeet, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Rufous Hornero, Curve-billed Reedhaunter, Freckle-breasted Thornbird, Firewood-gatherer, Sulphur-bearded Reedhaunter, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Spix's Spinetail, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Sooty Tyrannulet, Scarlet Flycatcher, Spectacled Tyrant, Yellow-browed Tyrant, White Monjita, Black-and-white Monjita, Cattle Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Blue-and-white Swallow, Grey-breasted Martin, Brown-chested Martin, White-rumped Swallow, Barn Swallow, Masked Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, House Sparrow, Yellowish Pipit, Hooded Siskin, Grassland Sparrow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, White-browed Blackbird, Screaming Cowbird, Shiny Cowbird, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Greyish Baywing, Yellow-winged Blackbird, Brown-and-yellow Marshbird, Red-crested Cardinal, Sayaca Tanager, Black-and-rufous Warbling Finch, Saffron Finch, Grassland Yellow Finch, Pampa Finch, Rusty-collared Seedeater,

Brazil; Rio Grande do Sul & Santa Catarina - Day 8

 Pelotas is the main city in the south of Rio Grande do Sul state. The city is surrounded by reedbeds and marshes, and this draws many birdwatchers from all over Brazil but rarely from outside the country. We were excited to visit, to see the large flocks of ducks and waterbirds that the area promised.

Sadly it was not to be, as the continued dry weather had turned all the fields into dust-bowls, and the wildfowl totals were well down on what we had hoped, with absolutely no swans at all. We started by visiting the Banhado da Marambia, which is one of the most productive and accessible wetland areas in the region, but sadly there was almost no water at all. We found a few Southern Screamers but aside from those, we were largely relegated to looking for birds in the bushes, which we were a little more successful with. There was a lifer for me in Gilded Sapphire, a simple but pretty hummingbird, and a few other nice species such as Dark-billed Cuckoo and heard only Stripe-crowned Spinetail.

In the afternoon we headed further south more towards the coast, and while things here were still extremely dry, the birding did improve a lot with some wetland areas still managing to retain water. We still failed to find any of our key targets but had a lot of fun watching the Southern Screamers in the area, as well as the herons, storks and Roseate Spoonbills that were still lingering in the area. The passerines were also good fun, with Chotoy Spinetail being a new species for me, as well as nice views of Firewood Gatherer, Yellow-winged Blackbird and other commoner species.

We still have two full days around Pelotas, so hopefully we will find areas with more waterbirds that we can enjoy, but it is certainly more difficult that I had hoped. 

Species List:
Pelotas: Spotted Nothura, Southern Screamer, White-faced Whistling Duck, Brazilian Teal, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Picui Ground Dove, Eared Dove, Guira Cuckoo, Dark-billed Cuckoo, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Gilded Sapphire, Plumbeous Rail, Giant Wood Rail, Rufous-sided Crake, Limpkin, Southern Lapwing, Wattled Jacana, Maguari Stork, Wood Stork, Cocoi Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Western Cattle Egret, Striated Heron, Whistling Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, White-faced Ibis, Plumbeous Ibis, Buff-necked Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Snail Kite, Long-winged Harrier, Savanna Hawk, Burrowing Owl, Ringed Kingfisher, Campo Flicker, Crested Caracara, Chimango Caracara, American Kestrel, Monk Parakeet, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Rufous Hornero, Wren-like Rushbird, Orange-breasted Thornbird, Firewood-gatherer, Stripe-crowned Spinetail, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Chotoy Spinetail, Spix's Spinetail, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Sooty Tyrannulet, Scarlet Flycatcher, Spectacled Tyrant, Yellow-browed Tyrant, White Monjita, Black-and-white Monjita, Cattle Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Brown-chested Martin, White-rumped Swallow, Barn Swallow, Masked Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Rufous-bellied Thrush, House Sparrow, Yellowish Pipit, Hooded Siskin, Rufous-collared Sparrow, White-browed Blackbird, Variable Oriole, Shiny Cowbird, Yellow-winged Blackbird, Brown-and-yellow Marshbird, Southern Yellowthroat, Red-crested Cardinal, Sayaca Tanager, Black-and-rufous Warbling Finch, Grassland Yellow Finch, Pampa Finch, Rusty-collared Seedeater, 

Brazil; Rio Grande do Sul & Santa Catarina - Day 7

 We only had one day in Bage, as dictated by our itinerary, so we had to be sure to make the most of it. We did not have so many target species here, but we did not know if we would be able to find them and this meant that we might have to spend some time searching, not ideal when between 10:00 – 16:00 the temperature all but reduces activity to zero.

We started our day at the premier destination in the area, the Banhado da Carpintaria, which is about an hour and a half drive away from Bage, on the border with Uruguay. To make the most of the day, we set off at 05:00 before first light, and as such got to see a beautiful sunrise over the pampas, with the early morning fog shrouding all the water bodies we drove past. There was also an abundance of activity, with Brazilian Guinea Pig lining the road almost everywhere, plus a few Spotted Nothura crossing in front of us, and a family of foxes fighting over a roadkill Tegu.

Once we arrived at the marsh the birding continued with gusto. One of the species we really wanted to find here was Marsh Seedeater, and no sooner had we got out of the car did a pair fly past us. As we birded we managed to find three different territories of this stunning little finch. Not long after we picked up two more key targets; Sulphur-bearded Reedhaunter and Crested Doradito, both easily missed. At the far side of the marsh to where we parked we had a brilliant bonus with a flock of seven Ringed Teals, tiny ducks and one of the few species of South American wildfowl that had eluded us on our trip to Argentina earlier in the year. Brilliant birding all round, with loads of activity from passerines, wildfowl flying over and even Greater Rhea in the fields adjacent. Then to wrap it off, on our way back we managed to tape in a Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper, a spectacular bird that unfortunately did not show as well as we would have hoped but were still thrilled to see.

After a few hours break in the town to see off the worst of the afternoon, we headed out to explore the north of the city in the hopes of finding Chiloe Wigeon on the ponds there. Lias friend Alex had given us a few locations and a plan of action, but the warm weather had dried many of the pools and our chances of finding the species was very much reduced. We still enjoyed some brilliant birding though, finding a small flock of Chestnut Seedeaters certainly the standout, along with good views of Southern Screamer. But the highlight was when we had an armadillo cross the road right in front of us.

It was getting late with no sign of the wigeon, but fortunately Lia still had signal and had been in touch with Alex. He sent through another pin to an artificial reservoir which normally had a lot of birds, but that would be distant. With light fading we raced over and found exactly what he said, hundreds of Cormorants, Coots and Herons but all far too far away to pick out any wigeon lurking among them. Then, as if by magic, we picked up a flock of ducks coming in flying over the reservoir, with big white wing patches. It was them! The Chiloe Wigeon! They did one circuit overhead before continuing onwards over the fields. Just like that, we completed all of our targets in Bage, and had a brilliant days birding whilst at in.

During the rest of the evening and early night we drove on to Pelotas, just two and a half hours away, where we would continue with our birding the following day. 

Species List:
Bagé: Greater Rhea, Red-winged Tinamou, Spotted Nothura, Southern Screamer, White-faced Whistling Duck, Black-necked Swan, Coscoroba Swan, Ringed Teal, Brazilian Teal, Silver Teal, Chiloe Wigeon, Yellow-billed Teal, Dusky-legged Guan, Great Grebe, Picazuro Pigeon, Spot-winged Pigeon, Picui Ground Dove, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Guira Cuckoo, Plumbeous Rail, Giant Wood Rail, Spot-flanked Gallinule, Common Gallinule, White-winged Coot, Rufous-sided Crake, Limpkin, White-backed Stilt, Southern Lapwing, Collared Plover, Wattled Jacana, White-rumped Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Pantanal Snipe, Lesser Yellowlegs, Brown-hooded Gull, Maguari Stork, Wood Stork, Neotropic Cormorant, Rufescent Tiger Heron, Cocoi Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Western Cattle Egret, Striated Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, White-faced Ibis, Bare-faced Ibis, Plumbeous Ibis, Buff-necked Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Turkey Vulture, Savanna Hawk, Burrowing Owl, Amazon Kingfisher, Campo Flicker, Crested Caracara, Chimango Caracara, American Kestrel, Monk Parakeet, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper, Rufous Hornero, Wren-like Rushbird, Freckle-breasted Thornbird, Firewood-gatherer, Sulphur-bearded Reedhaunter, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, White-winged Becard, Crested Doradito, Sooty Tyrannulet, Scarlet Flycatcher, Spectacled Tyrant, Yellow-browed Tyrant, White Monjita, Black-and-white Monjita, Cattle Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Brown-chested Martin, White-rumped Swallow, Masked Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Rufous-bellied Thrush, House Sparrow, Hooded Siskin, Grassland Sparrow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, White-browed Blackbird, Shiny Cowbird, Greyish Baywing, Yellow-winged Blackbird, Chestnut-capped Blackbird, Southern Yellowthroat, Red-crested Cardinal, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Black-and-rufous Warbling Finch, Saffron Finch, Grassland Yellow Finch, Pampa Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Marsh Seedeater, Chestnut Seedeater, Double-collared Seedeater, Rusty-collared Seedeater, 

Brazil; Rio Grande do Sul & Santa Catarina - Day 6

Since we had visited all the sites we planned and seen all the species we wanted in the area immediately around São Francisco de Paula, we decided to add a small detour to our itinerary, a detour of two hours driving, and visit a site called Canion Palanquinhos where it was possible to find the very rare Tropeiro Seedeater.

The site itself was an area of mixed pasture and woodland on the border of a small but well-vegetated canyon. The plan was that we would arrive, search for an hour or so, see the seedeater and then continue with our long drive to the town of Bagé, on the Uruguayan border. Sadly, however, that is not how it transpired, as we failed to find the bird and in the end only left the site at lunchtime.

There was still some good birding to be had however, and we saw Black-tailed Tityra and Crested Black Tyrant only here on our trip. There was also an impressive swarm of White-collared and Dusky Swifts circling over the canyon. So the morning, while disappointing, was not a complete bust. In the end the long drive to Bagé was relatively smooth, and we still arrived in the town during daylight.  

Species List:
Canion Palanquinhos: Red-winged Tinamou, Spotted Nothura, Dusky-legged Guan, Pale-vented Pigeon, Picazuro Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Eared Dove, Great Dusky Swift, White-collared Swift, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Southern Lapwing, Neotropic Cormorant, Western Cattle Egret, Buff-necked Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Rufous-thighed Hawk, Ringed Kingfisher, Green-barred Woodpecker, Campo Flicker, Red-legged Seriema, Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Chimango Caracara, American Kestrel, Monk Parakeet, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Rufous Hornero, Firewood-gatherer, Black-tailed Tityra, Cliff Flycatcher, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Small-billed Elaenia, Crested Black Tyrant, Yellow-browed Tyrant, Grey Monjita, Great Kiskadee, Variegated Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Blue-and-white Swallow, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, White-rumped Swallow, House Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Hellmayr's Pipit, Hooded Siskin, Grassland Sparrow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Chopi Blackbird, Yellow-rumped Marshbird, Tropical Parula, Diademed Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Saffron Finch, Pampa Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Double-collared Seedeater, Green-winged Saltator, 

Brazil; Rio Grande do Sul & Santa Catarina - Day 5

For the first of January, we found ourselves with no real species to target, having cleared up over the past couple of days. The only species left for us was the Chestnut-headed Tanager, a widespread but low-density species that is difficult to see. Fortunately, a pair had recently bred in the garden of the pousada, so we spent our morning waiting for them to appear, which after some time both male and female did. Sadly they were very elusive and difficult to see well, especially the male, and so we were left with unsatisfactory but sufficient views.

After breakfast, we tried a new road but the temperature was already very high and activity in the marshes we found we significantly reduced. We were still able to find both Saffron-cowled Blackbird and Straight-billed Reedhaunter again, but neither came close and activity was generally so slow that I spent half the time photographing the dragonflies feeding along the roadside ponds.

In the afternoon, after a glorious two-hour nap, we returned to the same road, only this time carried on until it turned into Atlantic Forest. The forest here was nice, with a few new Atlantic Forest species for our trip list. These included many Bare-throated Bellbirds singing, although we typically did not see any. We did however get nice views of Blue-Billed Black-Tyrant and Yellow-legged Thrush. A nice way to round out our time here in Sao Francisco de Paula. 

Species List:
São Francisco de Paula: Brown Tinamou, Picazuro Pigeon, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, White-collared Swift, Sick's Swift, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Violet-capped Woodnymph, Slaty-breasted Wood Rail, Rufous-sided Crake, Southern Lapwing, Buff-necked Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Rufous-thighed Kite, Stygian Owl, Green-billed Toucan, White-spotted Woodpecker, Campo Flicker, Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Pileated Parrot, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Lesser Woodcreeper, Scalloped Woodcreeper, Rufous Hornero, Sharp-billed Treehunter, Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner, Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, Straight-billed Reedhaunter, Olive Spinetail, Blue Manakin, Hooded Berryeater, Bare-throated Bellbird, Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Olivaceous Elaenia, Planalto Tyrannulet, Euler's Flycatcher, Blue-billed Black Tyrant, Black-and-white Monjita, Swainson's Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Chivi Vireo, Azure Jay, Blue-and-white Swallow, Grey-breasted Martin, House Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Yellow-legged Thrush, White-necked Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Blacksmith Thrush, Hellmayr's Pipit, Green-chinned Euphonia, Hooded Siskin, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Golden-winged Cacique, Saffron-cowled Blackbird, Yellow-rumped Marshbird, Tropical Parula, White-rimmed Warbler, Chestnut-headed Tanager, Grey-throated Warbling Finch, Diademed Tanager, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Chestnut-backed Tanager, Uniform Finch, Saffron Finch, Grassland Yellow Finch, Lesser Grass Finch, Pampa Finch, Black-bellied Seedeater, Double-collared Seedeater, Bananaquit, Green-winged Saltator, 

Brazil; Rio Grande do Sul & Santa Catarina - Day 4

 There were a few places in Sao Francisco de Paula where we wanted to check, but the birding started nice and relaxed at our lodging where Roberto had set up a lively feeding station, freshly stocked at 06:00 in the morning. And it was an excellent setup with Chestnut-backed Tanagers, Azure-shouldered Tanagers and one of our key targets for this location; Green-chinned Euphonia. He also has another setup in a different location where there was more seed as well as fruits. Roberto took us to this setup saying that a family of Azaras Agouti had been visiting. We did get phenomenal views of the Agouti, including the juvenile, but they were overshadowed by an incredibly tame Brown Tinamou that came to feed on the seed, the best views I have ever had of any Tinamou ever.

After a 09:00 breakfast, Roberto took us out to a few sites for a mornings guiding. There was only one bird we really wanted however, the Swallow-tailed Cotinga. During my research for the trip I had discovered that there was an active nest of this species nearby, so finding out that the hostel proprietor was a bird guide was an incredible stroke of luck, and he took us to see the nest. We watched it for just under an hour, with a bird always sat on the nest and occasionally a changeover would take place. I have waited so long to see this species, one of the most beautiful birds in all South America, and it did not disappoint.

Before lunch Roberto also took us to see a nest of Short-tailed Nighthawk, which meant I finally got to see this species as something more than a silhouette flying at dusk. Near to this we also worked to find Ochre-breasted Pipit, and endangered species restricted to old growth pasture in this area. We did have excellent views of three birds displaying and another perched on the ground. This rounded off a truly brilliant mornings birding.

In the afternoon we set out alone. It was extremely hot so did not head back out until after 16:00. We chose to bird an open road through a series of small marshes and pastures to try and get better views of some species we had already seen. As soon as we arrived we had a stunning male Long-winged Harrier gliding over the marsh, and we quickly picked up another Saffron-cowled Blackbird. A Long-tailed Cinclodes, a species had hoped we would encounter during the afternoon, showed extremely well. And to top it all off, we had fantastic flyby views of a few small groups of the Red-spectacled Amazon, a species which I really did not think we would find at this time of year.

An absolutely fantastic days birding to round out 2022!

Happy New Year everybody! 

Species List:
São Francisco de Paula: Brown Tinamou, Red-winged Tinamou, Spotted Nothura, Yellow-billed Teal, Dusky-legged Guan, Picazuro Pigeon, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, Guira Cuckoo, Short-tailed Nighthawk, Sick's Swift, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Violet-capped Woodnymph, Rufous-sided Crake, Southern Lapwing, Green Ibis, Buff-necked Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, White-tailed Kite, Long-winged Harrier, Roadside Hawk, Green-billed Toucan, Campo Flicker, Crested Caracara, Chimango Caracara, Monk Parakeet, Pileated Parrot, Vinaceous-breasted Amazon, Red-spectacled Amazon, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Variable Antshrike, Planalto Woodcreeper, Rufous Hornero, Long-tailed Cinclodes, Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, Olive Spinetail, Grey-bellied Spinetail, Spix's Spinetail, Swallow-tailed Cotinga, Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet, Small-billed Elaenia, Olivaceous Elaenia, White-crested Tyrannulet, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Azure Jay, Blue-and-white Swallow, Brown-chested Martin, White-rumped Swallow, House Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Creamy-bellied Thrush, Ochre-breasted Pipit, Green-chinned Euphonia, Hooded Siskin, Grassland Sparrow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, White-browed Blackbird, Golden-winged Cacique, Chopi Blackbird, Saffron-cowled Blackbird, Yellow-rumped Marshbird, Southern Yellowthroat, Tropical Parula, White-rimmed Warbler, Red-crested Cardinal, Grey-throated Warbling Finch, Diademed Tanager, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Azure-shouldered Tanager, Chestnut-backed Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Uniform Finch, Long-tailed Reed Finch, Saffron Finch, Grassland Yellow Finch, Lesser Grass Finch, Pampa Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Double-collared Seedeater, Bananaquit,