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Brazil Trip Report Pantanal & Serra Dos Orgaos

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Brazil Trip Report Pantanal & Serra Dos Orgaos Brazil Trip Report Pantanal & Serra dos Orgaos st th 21 August to 6 September 2016 (19 days) Hyacinth Macaw by Forrest Rowland Tour Leaders: Forrest Rowland & Joe Sebastiani Tour Participants: Rachel Cameron, Harold Davis, Katherine Graham, Barbara Graham, Bettina Heffner, Brian Henderson, Marilyn Henry, Susan Welles RBL Trip Report - Brazil Pantanal & Serra dos Orgaos 2016 2 Pantanal & Chapada TOP 10 (as voted by participants) 1. Harpy Eagle 2. Hyacinth Macaw 3. Southern Screamer 4. Frilled Coquette 5. Helmeted Manakin 6. Sunbittern 7. Scarlet-headed Blackbird 8. Great Potoo 9. Jabiru 10. Cream-colored Woodpecker Mammal Highlights – Jaguar, Giant Anteater, Giant Otter, and Tapir Serra dos Orgaos Top 5 (as voted by participants) 1. Long-trained Nightjar 2. Blue Manakin 3. Rusty-barred Owl 4. Red-legged Seriema 5. Surucua Trogon Mammal Highlight – Southern Muriqui Brazil has long been thought of as a wildlife and birding mecca, though seemingly relatively distant, inaccessible, or rough. Now, it is finally getting the notoriety it deserves among wildlife enthusiasts, nature lovers, and birders as being one of the most beautiful, accommodating, and comfortable countries to visit! The variety of habitats - hosting more than 1800 bird species (including 211 endemics), that its vast borders encompass range from lush coastal rainforests to xerophytic desert-like scrub in the North, across the vast Amazon Basin full of microhabitats, known but seemingly entirely unexplored. This incredible diversity, combined with an emerging infrastructure paying more mind to eco-tourism makes Brazil one of the planet’s most unique and rewarding destinations to explore. The two destinations we visited on this tour allowed us Jaguar by Forrest Rowland exposure to several of these habitat types in some of the most spectacular fashion – in view of stunning Bridal Veil Falls of Chapada dos Guimaraes, across the grasslands and swamps of the wildlife-laden Pantanal, and strolling through the endemic- rich Atlantic Rain Forests in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Our List Totals of 513 birds and 27 species of mammals (including the likes of Giant Anteater, Giant Otter, and Jaguar) reflect not only how diverse the country is, but just how rich it can be from day to day. RBL Trip Report - Brazil Pantanal & Serra dos Orgaos 2016 3 The Pantanal The Pantanal is the World’s largest wetland system. To add perspective, it covers no less than 60,000 square miles, extending from south-east Bolivia South into Paraguay, and east, through Brazil, to encompass the better portion of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. There are but two access points into this series of swamps, open wetlands, dry forests, and grasslands. We chose to drive deep into the heart of the Pantanal via the famous Transpantaneira. Nowhere in the New World is any road more heavily-travelled by wildlife, and despite its popularity among nature enthusiasts, birders, and, perhaps especially photographers, fewer than 2500 visitors make their way down the Transpantaneira per annum. Though it provides unparalleled wildlife opportunities, this region, indeed, this very road, is left largely to the local wildlife and few human inhabitants. Due to unexpected flight changes, we found Harpy Eagle by Forrest Rowland ourselves a day early, rather than late, in Cuiaba. We also found ourselves in the fancy Hotel Deville, with a hankering for some celebratory caipirinhas after our first afternoon’s birding together at the nearby municipal park. Despite being relatively small, the habitat in this park is outstanding, and we started the tour off with loads of great birds! Blue-crowned Trogon, Planalto Slaty-Antshrike, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, and Buff-breasted and Moustached Wrens all happened in the first few minutes of our stroll. Getting down by the creek, we picked up Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Grey-headed Tanager, Barred Antshrikes, Red-crested Finch, and White- wedged Piculets. But it was the Russet-crowned Crake pair that we had views of that might have earned us those preliminary caipirinhas! That and, of course, the anticipation of our upcoming expedition! Our first lodging, and experience with the Pantanal was at Pousada Piuval. On the very northern edge of the Pantanal, this working ranch has some special habitats, and species, not easily found elsewhere. Aside from these special birds - which include the likes of White-fronted Giant Otter by Forrest Rowland RBL Trip Report - Brazil Pantanal & Serra dos Orgaos 2016 4 Woodpecker, White-wedged Piculet and Rusty-backed and Black-bellied Antwrens - Piuval hosts nearly all of the amazing “mega” birds of the region, such as Greater Rhea, Red-legged Seriema, Jabiru, and the stunning Hyacinth Macaw, all of which we had excellent views of! We also had one of the most eventful night drives of the tour, bagging Nacunda Nighthawk, Pauraque, Spot-tailed Nightjar, and Scissor-tailed Nightjar all in the same evening! Some of the other great species we found in this mosaic of habitats included White-lored Spinetail, Rufous Casiornis, Mato Grosso Antbird, the beautiful White-rumped Monjita, Bare-faced Curassow, and the first of many run-ins with some of the more widespread wetland species, like the ornate Sunbittern, 4 species of Ibis, numerous raptors, and one of the most sought-after birds of the region – the near-endemic Chestnut-bellied Guan, of which we had numerous wonderful views feeding on the beans of the Ipe tree. Best of all, no travel was required! Crab- eating Foxes, Green-barred Woodpeckers, and so much more, right from our porches at the Pousada!!! One of the “best” birds of this portion of the tour came in the form of the inornate, though undeniably cute, White-naped Xenopsaris. Certain years prove better than others for this species that winters in the Pantanal, in varying numbers, depending on factors that are Blue Manakin by Forrest Rowland mostly unknown. A great surprise! From Piuval, at the very edge of the Pantanal, we drove directly to, literally, the road’s end. Porto Jofre, some 150 kilometres from the nearest civilisation, is the farthest one can travel into the depths of the Pantanal, and our days there were simply incredible. En route to Porto Jofre, we made a couple stops at key sites, netting 4 species of kingfishers, White-banded Mockingbird, Least Bittern, the stunning Scarlet-headed Blackbird and more Wood Storks, Jabiru, and Capybara than anyone could possibly count! But, perhaps, the most memorable morning and afternoon of the main tour was had by boat, cruising the meandering waterways of the Pixaim and its tributaries, in search of none other than the most mythical cat in New World culture, from before the Incan reign over the Andes until today, the Jaguar. Proving itself as the Jaguar Capitol of the World, we saw FIVE Jaguars in ONE day!!! Two spectacular, huge males lounged on the riverbank for stellar views, only to be outdone by the most amazing sight an animal lover could ever hope to see: a mother, with two cubs! Truly the experience of a lifetime to watch these gorgeous creatures from the comfort of the waterway. This was only topped off with groups of Giant Otter families fishing, Black Howlers howling, and a few new additions to the bird list! We really did have incredibly good fortune during our most anticipated stop of the tour. Making our way, slowly, towards civilisation, Cream-colored Woodpecker we returned north, up the Transpanteneira, picking by Forrest Rowland up several species of Seedeaters, Cinereous- RBL Trip Report - Brazil Pantanal & Serra dos Orgaos 2016 5 breasted Spinetail, and Subtropical Doradito on the way to our modest accommodations at Fazenda Curicaca. Though some might describe this site as our “most basic” accommodation, it was nearly unanimous that it was the most pleasant! Homestyle meals and lovely cabins set in the forest are unique in this area, and our hosts were more than gracious. The main focus of our stop at this Fazenda was to access its forests and river, each of which offers great opportunities for unique birds. We scored two-of-three on the river specialities, getting great views, at the final hour, of Sungrebe and Green-and-Rufous Kingfisher. Agami Heron was not in evidence, so we proceeded towards our forest targets, taking a nice, meandering walk, through forests and spending plenty of time enjoying the fabulous birding on the lodge grounds. Stripe-necked Tody- Jabiru by Forrest Rowland Tyrant, Pale-crested Woodpecker, Large- billed Antwren, Straight-billed, Planalto, Buff-throated Woodcreepers, Plain Inezia, and many other great birds put in appearances. The clear avian highlights of our time in the middle transpantaneira were, undoubtedly, the endearing White-eyed Attila that we whistled to within 8 meters, and the gorgeous male Blue-crowned Trogon that sat perfectly, posing for photos, and the expertly-spotted Great Potoo on a day roost! Of course, it’s hard to choose amongst the many species present right around the lodge itself, which also included Tropical Screech-Owl, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, and more Wood-rails and Curassows coming to the feeder than we’d ever expected! We left the Pantanal more than satisfied after seeing so many beautiful birds, and such a rich array of wildlife, in general. Our next destination was the luxurious Pousada do Parque, on the border of Chapada dos Guimarães National Park. Consisting of a series of high plateaus, and canyons, this fine area blends Cerrado and forest birds with an amazing surrounding scenery of red sandstone and cliffs. The Pousada offers the very best food in the region, with fine birding and wildlife on the grounds, making this a fun, and logical choice for us to end this amazing tour. Among the more interesting highlights were several Cerrado specialities including Rufous-winged Antshrike, White-rumped, Black-faced and Shrike-like (White-banded) Tanagers, Red-and-green, Blue-and-Yellow, and Blue-winged Macaws, stunningly adorned Horned Sungem (which is sporadic at best!), beautiful Coal-crested Finch, and the city’s homonymous Chapada Flycatcher (only recently discovered), and its cousin Suiriri Flycatcher.
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