Birding the Atlantic Rainforest, South-East Brazil Itororo Lodge and Regua 11Th – 20Th March 2018
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
BIRDING THE ATLANTIC RAINFOREST, SOUTH-EAST BRAZIL ITORORO LODGE AND REGUA 11TH – 20TH MARCH 2018 White-barred Piculet (©Andy Foster) Guided and report compiled by Andy Foster www.serradostucanos.com.br Sunday 11th March The following 10 day tour was a private trip for a group of 4 friends. We all flew in from the UK on a BA flight landing the night of the 10th and stayed in the Linx Hotel located close to the International airport in Rio de Janeiro. We met up for breakfast at 07.00 and by 08.00 our driver had arrived to take us for the 2.5 hour drive to Itororo Lodge where we were to spend our first 6 nights birding the higher elevations of the Serra do Mar Mountains. On the journey up we saw Magnificent Frigatebird, Cocoi Heron, Great White Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron, Neotropic Cormorant and Roadside Hawk. By 10.30 we had arrived at the lodge and were greeted by Bettina and Rainer who would be our hosts for the next week. The feeders were busy at the lodge and we were soon picking up new species including Azure-shouldered Tanager, Brassy-breasted Tanager, Black-goggled Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Ruby- crowned Tanager, Golden-chevroned Tanager, Magpie Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Plain Parakeet, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Green-winged Saltator, Pale-breasted Thrush, Violet- capped Woodnymph, Black Jacobin, Scale-throated Hermit, Sombre Hummingbird, Brazilian Ruby and White-throated Hummingbird…. not bad for the first 30 minutes! We spent the last hour or so before lunch getting to grips with the feeder birds, we also picked up brief but good views of a Black-Hawk Eagle as it flew through the lodge gardens. Plain Parakeet at Itororo lodge feeders (©Andy Foster) After lunch we took a short break and then set off for an afternoons birding in the lodge grounds and along the White trail. We were soon beginning to see more new species, it turned out to be a very productive afternoon with some great birds including Ochre-rumped Antbird, Uniform Finch, Variable Antshrike, Rufous-capped Motmot, Surucua Trogon, Orange-eyed Thornbird, Bertoni’s Antbird, Rufous- capped Spinetail, Dusky-legged Guan, Chestnut-headed Tanager, Ochre-faced Tody Flycatcher, Blue Manakin, Pin-tailed Manakin, Rufous Gnateater, Euler’s Flycatcher, and rather good looks at a very obliging Variegated Antpitta! We arrived back at the lodge at 18.00 picking up Cliff Flycatchers on the way back. Dinner was served at 18.30 followed shortly afterwards by completion of our first daily checklist. Monday 12th March We awoke to a beautiful morning, clear and crisp with not a cloud in the sky. We had breakfast as usual at 06.00 and by 06.45 we were departing for a days birding to the high altitude area at Pico da Caledonia. By 07.30 we had arrived at our parking spot and set off up the mountain. Today is all about quality birds rather than quantity, with lots of high altitude endemics to see throughout the day. We started off a little slow but as the sun started to warm things up the birds became more active. We soon saw our first Rufous- backed Antvireo, Diademed Tanager and Rufous-tailed Antbird, this was followed shortly afterwards by a Serra do Mar Tyrannulet and a small flock of Bay-chested Warbling Finches. Once above 1800m in altitude we started using some playback for Grey-winged Cotinga, but unfortunately this only responded distantly and remained that way for the rest of the day. Rufous-backed Antvireo (©Andy Foster) As we carried on up the track we came across our first Green-crowned Plovercrest of the day and also a Blue-billed Black-Tyrant followed shortly afterwards by a pair of Velvety-black Tyrants. We arrived at the grass plateau and got some very distant views of a male Black and Gold Cotinga and continued our way up the track until we arrived at the security guards hut. We signed in and then started the walk towards the bottom of the 620 steps that would take us (hopefully!) to an Itatiaia Thistletail. At the base of the steps I used some playback for Rufous-capped Antshrike that is often in the area, within a few minutes one appeared and gave brief but good views. We then thought we would push our luck and try for the Itatiaia Thistletail at the base of the steps (you never know, one might appear and save us a long old walk)! Amazingly within a few minutes a Thistletail responded and started coming through the vegetation further up the slope towards us, a few moments later we were having great views of this scare localised endemic! Itatiaia Thistletail (©Andy Foster) Having been so successful with the Thistletail so early on we saved ourselves about 2 hours! We started making our way back down the mountain stopping at various places and trying for a few other species until we arrived back at the minibus at around 13.45. Rufous-tailed Antbird (©Andy Foster) We took a short drive to our Red-legged Seriema spot (and were greeted by one as we arrived!), we then started to scan the surrounding area and soon picked up Hooded Siskin, Pallid Spinetail, Scaled Woodcreeper, Olivaceous Eleania and Grey-capped Tyrannulet. Bay-chested Warbling Finch (©Andy Foster) It was now 14.45 and all feeling quite tired we set off for an hours drive back to the lodge. After some tea and cake time was spent on the veranda watching the feeders that were quite busy with Maroon-bellied Parakeets, Azure-shouldered Tanager, Golden-chevroned Tanager, Magpie Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager and a fly by appearance of a Blond-crested Woodpecker! Dinner was served at the usual time of 18.30 followed by the daily checklist. Tuesday 13th March Today was quite cloudy as we set off just after 06.30 for a full days birding on the Macae de Cima trail. By 07.15 we were already driving along the dirt track to our first stop. It was fairly quiet to begin with, only a Planalto Woodcreeper and a White-rimmed Warbler, but about an hour later bird activity started to pick up and we were soon surrounded by lots of new birds as a nice mixed flock came through. Birds came thick and fast, these included Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Grey-capped Tyrannulet, Planalto Tyrannulet, White-winged Becard, Buff-fronted Foliage Gleaner, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, a nice male Pin-tailed Manakin, Dusky-tailed Antbird, Blue Manakin, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, White-bared Piculet, Yellow-browed Woodpecker, Yellow-eared Woodpecker and Ochre-faced Tody Flycatcher. We continued up the track and unfortunately cloud started to close in quickly so we drove to our final stopping point for the day as if rain comes in we need to get off of the track as quick as possible. We started using some playback for White-bearded Antshrike, shortly afterwards we had great views of a nice male, this was followed by brief views of a male Tufted Antshrike, a Large-headed Flatbill, Eared Pygmy Tyrant, Long-tailed Tyrant, White collared Swift and good views of Biscutate Swift, nice to have the two species together flying together at eye level! We walked backed to the minibus for lunch and then tried for a Slaty Bristlefront that didn’t respond, we did however get great views of a male Rufous-headed Tanager that responded very well to playback. Planalto Woodcreeper (©Andy Foster) Unfortunately it started to rain so we hopped back into the minibus and drove far enough back up the steepest hill in case the rain got heavier. We got out and started birding again picking up good views of a female Bare-throated Bellbird, and then the heavens opened! We started driving further back along the track as torrential rain came down around us! Yellow-browed Woodpecker (©Andy Foster) As we drove over into the next valley the sky was thankfully much brighter, so we stopped and waited a few minutes, the rain stopped and we were out birding again! This turned out to be by far the best stop of the day, a mixed flock came through pretty much just after we got out of the minibus that included Sharp-billed Treehunter, Buff-browed Foliage Gleaner, Lineated Woodpecker, White-shouldered Fire eye, Large-tailed Antshrike and Buff-fronted Foliage Gleaner, there was also a good fruiting tree that was attracting a lot of birds including Spot-billed Toucanet, Azure-shouldered Tanager, White-necked Thrush, Brassy-breasted Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Dusky-legged Guan and a male Bare-throated Bellbird, we also watched a small flock of Pileated Parrots fly into a tree high up on the ridge, shame they were so far away! Buff-fronted Foliage Gleaner (©Andy Foster) After some playback we also called in a Hooded Berryeater, although this flew through several times it unfortunately never perched close enough to get better views. We also managed to improve views of Dusky-tailed Antbird at the same spot. We continued on driving back down the track with one final stop, it was now 16.00 and the light levels had dropped a lot due to the heavy low cloud, nothing was vocalising so we decided to head back to the lodge arriving for tea and cake just before 17.00. Dinner was served at 18.30 followed by our daily checklist. Wednesday 14th March Another clear morning saw us setting off at 06.30 to the Cedae Trail, located some 30 minutes away at an altitude of 550m.