Brazil's Southern Amazon
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BRAZIL’S SOUTHERN AMAZON: RIO AZUL & RIO CRISTALINO JUNGLE LODGES SEPTEMBER 23–OCTOBER 8, 2017 Zigzag Heron (Kevin J. Zimmer) LEADERS: KEVIN ZIMMER & BRADLEY DAVIS (RIO AZUL ONLY) LIST COMPILED BY: KEVIN ZIMMER VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM BRAZIL’S SOUTHERN AMAZON: RIO AZUL & RIO CRISTALINO JUNGLE LODGES September 23–October 8, 2017 By Kevin Zimmer Amazonian Umbrellabird (male), Ilha Ariosto, rio Teles Pires (Kevin J. Zimmer) Our inaugural “Brazil’s Southern Amazon” tour began with our rollout of a new location (Rio Azul Jungle Lodge) and ended with a “golden oldie” (Cristalino Jungle Lodge). My intent in combining these two sites from the same biogeographic region was to provide participants with a real immersion into the fauna and flora of the amazingly biodiverse region that lies south of the Amazon River, and between two of its major South Bank tributaries, the rios Tapajós and Xingú. As hoped, the two sites proved very complementary to one another, overlapping enough to give us multiple chances at many of the more difficult-to-find regional specialties, while still offering plenty of novelties at each site to keep things fresh and exciting. When it was all said and done, we had racked up nearly 400 species of birds (an impressive total for 11 days of forest birding in a land- locked, single biogeographic region), 15 species of mammals, and numerous interesting Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Brazil’s Southern Amazon, 2017 “lower” vertebrates and invertebrates, all while enjoying comfortable accommodations, great food, plenty of icy caipirinhas , and loads of Brazilian hospitality. Prior to our arrival in Alta Floresta, I had been hearing a lot about the drought that was plaguing the region. The nearby Cristalino Reserve had received no rain in over three months, which didn’t augur well for avian breeding activity and accompanying levels of vocal activity. Not to worry, because all it took was our arrival in Alta Floresta to end the drought! We landed amid ominous dark clouds, and most of us were only halfway from the plane to the terminal when we looked up and saw a virtual wall of heavy rain moving toward us like a freight train. A mad dash ensued, and we made it into the terminal, if in somewhat soggier condition than when we first disembarked. Once inside, we met up with Alta Floresta resident Brad Davis, who would co-lead the Rio Azul segment of the tour with me, and with Nestor, who would drive the other vehicle. After securing the luggage in waterproof bags, we headed to a nearby rodizio for a hearty Brazilian barbecue lunch, while it continued to rain cats and dogs outside. Then, we were off on our four-hour drive to Rio Azul Jungle Lodge, located in adjacent Pará state, and separated from the contiguous Serra do Cachimbo reserve only by the narrow width and crystal-clear waters of the rio Azul. Our plan was to drive with minimal stops until we were near the lodge, with the intent of arriving at a particular spot in time for the late afternoon parrot show, as good numbers of parrots and macaws returned from their daytime feeding areas to their evening roosts. Unfortunately, the combination of 100% cloud cover mixed with intermittent rain made for dark, gloomy conditions, and the day ended, not with the usual bang, but with the proverbial whimper. The rain also meant that road conditions were such that the drive took longer than usual, so darkness fell before we could reach our intended spot. There was nothing to do upon our arrival at Rio Azul Jungle Lodge but to settle in and be treated to the first of many delicious meals and exceptional desserts prepared by Ivaní, although we could not help but take note of the Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl and Amazonian Pygmy-Owl that serenaded us from the surrounding forest on-and-off throughout dinner, as well as the Great Tinamou that took up the refrain right after we had returned to the cabins for the night. The next three-and-a-half days blurred into one continuous highlight reel, as we split our time between birding the tall terra firme forest and contiguous campina and campinarana woodlands (lower wooded vegetation types unique to white sand soils) by foot, and the lush, river-edge forests flanking the rio Azul by boat. The lodge clearing proved a hotbed of activity at almost any hour of the day. Between the resident flock of Madeira Parakeets, the omnipresent perched Greater Yellow-headed Vultures, the alternating pairs/groups of aracaris (Lettered, Red-necked, Chestnut-eared, and Curl-crested), the clownish antics of the abundant Yellow-tufted Woodpeckers and the aerial grace of the many Swallow-winged Puffbirds, the dogfights between several species of hummingbirds (Green-tailed Goldenthroat, Long-billed Starthroat, Amethyst Woodstar, and Fork-tailed Woodnymph among the regulars), the potential for Bald Parrots to fly over at any moment (and the many Blue-and-yellow and Red-and-green macaws that regularly did), and the many forest birds that we were able to lure down to the edge (Ringed Woodpecker, Brown-banded and Eastern Striolated puffbirds, Uniform Woodcreeper) combined to make it difficult to ever tear ourselves away from the clearing. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 Brazil’s Southern Amazon, 2017 Black-girdled Barbet (male), Rio Azul Jungle Lodge (Kevin J. Zimmer) The entrance road proved equally productive, yielding such gems as Gould’s Toucanet, Black-girdled Barbets, Razor-billed Curassows, a pair of Marbled Wood-Quail that flushed from nearly underfoot, and a tanager-magnet in the form of a fruiting tree that attracted, among several flashier but more common species, the rare Dotted Tanager and a pair of Fulvous-crested Tanagers (the latter species being one that does not occur at the Rio Cristalino Jungle Lodge). It was here too, where we obtained crippling views of a “Southern” Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl as we spotlighted our way back to the lodge one evening. Forest trails offered up even more goodies, from skulking Rufous-faced Antbirds and Plain-throated Antwrens in the understory to dazzling Flame-crowned and White-crowned manakins, multiple Blue-cheeked Jacamars, and a couple of hard-to-get and very attractive puffbirds (Rufous-necked and Collared) in the midstory, to Pará Gnatcatcher and Sclater’s Antwren in the canopy. Brad turned up a real gem in the form of a Gray Tinamou that had gone to roost at dusk. He had found this particular bird going to roost the week before, took note of the spot, and then checked it again at dusk on our third evening, and SCORE! The campina and campinarana farther out the entrance road treated us to several species that we would not find elsewhere on the tour, among them, Rufous-throated Sapphire, Spotted Puffbird, Natterer’s Slaty-Antshrike, and Red- shouldered Tanager. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 Brazil’s Southern Amazon, 2017 Gray Tinamou on its evening roost, Rio Azul Jungle Lodge (Kevin J. Zimmer) Some of our best finds were along the rio Azul itself, including our best views of Bald Parrot, the signature bird of Rio Azul Jungle Lodge. We never managed close views of any perched birds, but we did watch, in good light, a group of 7 birds fly across the river and settle into a tree on the left bank, offering brief perched views before they disappeared into the foliage and ultimately flew out the backside of the tree. Those views were a significant improvement on the ones that we had of a fast-flying group of 8 that rocketed over the lodge clearing against a gray sky the previous day. The river-edge forest also gave us stunning views of a spotlighted Zigzag Heron, multiple Green-and- rufous Kingfishers, our first Long-billed Woodcreepers (surely one of the most spectacular birds of South America), a pair of Point-tailed Palmcreepers, a less-than- cooperative Pavonine Quetzal, groups of recently fledged White-banded and White- winged swallows (still being fed by their parents), and our only records of Crimson Topaz (at least two different individuals). Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 Brazil’s Southern Amazon, 2017 Zigzag Heron, Rio Azul Jungle Lodge (Kevin J. Zimmer) Our time at Rio Azul Jungle Lodge produced many non-avian highlights, ranging from numerous encounters with primates (particularly the superb views of White-whiskered Spider-Monkeys and Red-nosed Bearded Sakis), to Neotropical Otters on the river, to at least two species of freshwater Stingrays on the sandy bottom of one of the many clear- water streams that feed the rio Azul, to an odd caecilian (a primitive, limbless amphibian that more resembles a fat, segmented, annelid worm) along the entrance road, to more species of stunning butterflies than we could count. After lunch on 9/29, we reluctantly said our goodbyes to Carlão and Ivaní, and to their fabulous, intimate lodge, and made our way back across the rio Teles Pires (by ferry) before turning onto the road that led to the Fazenda Cristalino and the Cristalino Jungle Lodge (CJL) boat launch. Much of the drive was through the same largely deforested pastureland that we had driven four days earlier, but on this day the sun was shining with intensity, and the road was dusty rather than muddy. Burrowing Owls, various species of ground-doves, Picazuro Pigeons, Guira Cuckoos, Red-breasted Meadowlarks, and other open-country species kept us entertained for much of the drive, but it was the remnant forested areas that yielded such gems as Razor-billed and Bare-faced curassows, a pair of spectacular White Hawks (one of which was carrying a large snake), a Southern Tamandua (= Lesser Anteater), and our first Brazilian Tapir of the trip (a scarred-up individual that was reluctant to leave the comfort of its tiny pool of muddy water, even when we exited the vehicles to look at it).