05:00am breakfast and on the road shortly after, this morning we were heading to the Capelinha trail. We hadnt driven for more than 10 minutes when warning lights and a disturbing beeping came up from the cab, next minute we were stopped and it seemed quite serious. It was a little while later that we started to worry that the day would go horribly wrong and the trails would be out of reach this morning. Nick decided that he may as well play the tape and see if he could get a response from an Owl.
While Gilberto, Pablo and the driver stayed in the van to figure what was going on we were now outside with an incredible response from a pair of Spectacled Owls. Firstly one responded and flew in directly above us and then quickly flew across the minibus to a high branch where its partner was already perched. Fan bloody tastic! Good spotlight views of this lifer for me, a really fortunate moment from an unfortunate breakdown.
sometimes the birding gods are actually on your side
Spectacled Owls look down and wonder what the fuss is about with a minibus breakdown
Unbelievably after thirty minutes or so we were on our way with apparently a repair to the cam belt and now no warning lights hoorah...... until! five minutes later more warning lights. Another stop and fairly speedy repair and the driver smiled, we presumed he was pleased with his final repair.
So now travelling towards our destination and wow, we had only gone and timed it perfectly again, this time to see a pair of Razor billed Currasow walking on the roadside verge before they ambled into the forest as we drove alongside..... see what I mean, everything came together because we were fortunately unfortunate with the breakdowns, two species that we almost definitely would have missed on this tour.
As we drove along, Gilberto was always on the lookout for fruiting trees and now he spotted one with a number of White-crested Guans. Two moved off fairly quickly while one worked its way to the top of the tree and flew out basically right in front of us at tree top height, fantastic and what a start to the morning, everything falling into place and three lifers (and three megas in anyone's language) and it was only just daylight. The bus seemed quite happy too. Will we ever get to this trail?
We did.... and we were back to trying to get good views of a few skulking species.
the endemic White-crested Guan going up up
and away
So once on the trail, first up was a Spot-winged Antshrike that again took me a little while to get onto, but Pablo followed it long enough for me to eventually get it in the bins, where a little easier were the two Spixs-warbling Antbird that I missed yesterday so was very happy to get that one back.
I didn't know at the time but we were heading only as far down the track to a certain spot to pick up a new species for everyone, then we were going to turn right round again and head to another trail. It was going to be a 100% certainty, "never been missed" Pablo admitted later on once we had all got onto it.
Once we had reached the particular point Gilberto pulled a camo sheet that would be our blind. Tied it to two branches and Pablo pointed out three branches and said it will come here, here and here. We lined up as if at the pictures and it did. It jumped onto this one that one and the other one.... its obviously done this before.
What a bird, a Black-bellied Gnateater, in full view,, Pablo was right we couldn't miss. But what a bird.
could have easily have been the star of the morning, Black-bellied Gnateater
On the way back we saw (our only sighting this trip) a small Three-striped poison dart-frog.
A Broad-billed Motmot had been calling and Pablo managed to spot it very high up and partially obscured, we chased around an Amazonian Trogan in the same area and finally managed to get views then a while later Gilberto found us a stunner near a small river crossing. Sat just round he corner was a White-browed Hawk. It sat and watched us for a minute or so before retreating into the dense forest.
White-browed Hawk
another contender for bird of the morning....... but we have already had some absolute corkers.
We walked a little further on along a short trail but Gilberto and Pablo were concerned that the noise that the Cicadas were now making was drowning out any chance of hearing the birds, we double backed.
Luckily we didn't have time to dip our toes in the water here..... Electric Eel waters
just love the jumble of vines - Amazonia National Park is fantastic
Buttress roots, thick vegetation and Jeff and Nick on the trail Picarreira
A few more species were seen on the way out with a Long-billed Woodcreeper another Rufous-necked Puffbird (a species that was willing to get closer by the day) and once back onto the highway six Swallow-tailed Kites circling overhead.
Rufous-necked Puffbird was becoming quite the common bird
Trans-amazonian highway, everytime a pick up went past we ate the dust.... literally
We now headed back towards the lodge but before lunch we stopped off at a visitors centre and had an hour around the grounds. Although a ranger was making a right din with a grass strimmer (yes in the Amazon Forest) it didn't stop us getting onto the main target a Flame-crested Manakin. A look around the grounds and close to the edge of another trail we were here quite a while as we had alot of activity. It started with a Ruddy Spinetail in close bushes at eye-level and three Red-necked Aracaris flew in to the back of the trees behind these bushes.
Flame-crested Manakin
We now had alot of activity in and out of a number of fruiting trees above our heads. Dusky-chested Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, Ochre-Bellied flycatcher and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher were joined by a Spangled Cotinga, Forest Eleania and a few Honeycreepers, both Red-legged and Purple Honeycreepers
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher
We had a few skulkers here aswell but they both gave fairly good views with a Natterers slaty-Antshrike and another Ruddy Spinetail. We wernt quite finished as three Santarem Parakeets and some Golden-winged Parakeets fed directly above us as four Scarlet Macaws flew over and away.
A White-necked Jacobin preened on the lower branch of a tree and it was time for lunch.
Quite a dramatic morning with plenty of really good birds, I picked up a tonne of lifers and the minibus breakdown was a very fortunate hiccup.
This afternoon couldn't get any better, so I decided to enjoy the trail walk and leave the camera in the minibus...... how foolish.
We headed onto the Tracoa Trail this afternoon and pretty much immediately got onto two endemic Brown-chested Barbets that gave good but distant views high up on a branch, however a Goulds Toucanet got pretty close, what a smashing bird and a damn sight easier than the one that Jeff and myself spent three hours trying for in NE Brazil a few years ago. Then Gilberto and Pablo took us off the trail and into the undergrowth where they set up the camo blind again, oh I wish I had taken my camera, absolutely crippling views down to a few meters was a stunning Banded Antbird. It mooched (or ambled, strolled, even calmly posed) while it put on a wonderful display just in front of us. Another stunner in a stunning situation. Hoorah next up was my missing Elegant Woodcreeper, I know, always a day behind the others.
Then the world went mad.... more mad than it already is. Pablo and Gilberto heard the trails "holy grail" call somewhere in the undergrowth up ahead. We all got off the trail and clambered deeper into the forest and followed the sound where we congregated while Gilberto went investigating. It took him 5-10 minutes to locate its actual whereabouts but deep deep deep beyond the immediate tangle of branches and leaves was a stunner and definitely the bird of the day (I know.... we haven't even finished the day yet, it might not be the bird of the day I hear you all say..... ) its only an effing Harlequin Antbird, a stunning male. It was one of those where you had to look beyond the branches in the fore, mid and background and then admire. It sat there still calling for a full 5 minutes, everyone got good views, Pablo set up the scope. It wont get better or even equaled will it?... you bet it will. Not thirty minutes later, right above us in the upper canopy three Vulturine Parakeets again gaving good but a little obscured views. I wonder how many people get these two birds one after the other within thirty minutes, my guess is that both species could and are often missed on many tours. What a day..
Just for good measure we stood on the road outside the forest and easily bagged a few more species, two Channel-billed Toucans, Flame-crested Tanager, White-lined Tanager (surprisingly rare on this tour so far), Dark-billed Cuckoo, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Nick called out a Amazonian Pygmy-Owl that was happy to perch in the semi open.
We drove to the last trail of the day, but wouldn't walk more than 50mtrs into the forest where again the camo blind came out and Pablo called in yet another incredibly sought after species, Amazonian Antpitta. It performed well giving us all brilliant views, the light in the forest quickly faded and we returned to the road.
home of the Amazonian Antpitta
last light of the day, Nick, David, Bart, Pablo, Gilberto and Jeff
Birding from this bridge we caught the last light of the day with a few overflying Olive (Amazonian) Oropendolas and then David found us the last bird of the day a Rufescent Tiger-heron.
So today started with a breakdown, and ended with a bag full of seriously sought after bird species that most birders across the world would envy.
If we wernt up so early in the morning we could have got seriously pissed..... so just the three beers tonight, others drank some Brazilian cocktail type thing... in celebration of the bird or birds of the day.
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