Manaus and Amazonia NP 2022 - Many many Birds and a long drive averted.

 Breakfast, coffee and time to watch a sunrise from a viewing platform over looking the Rio Tapajos.

Early morning over the Tapajos 

early sunrise video of the team

We still had plenty of targets to get, however there is just no way that it could live upto yesterdays haul of incredible birds..... so who is for a minibus breakdown this morning?

We drove to the Gameleira trail and totted up the species in quick time, we started off with yet more Olive Oropendolas and our seemingly regular earlybird species a White-crested Guan and after yet another sighting of Amazonian Trogan, where we were very happy to get better views this morning. 

Of course early morning poor forest light just wouldn't be the same without a load of skulkers making life difficult. Dot-winged Antwren and Rufous-rumped foilage-gleaner were both lifers, but the Common scale-backed Antbird wasn't. A Yellow-throated Woodpecker broke up the Antbird fest but quickly backing up the skulkers were even more, this time Xingu scale-backed Antbird that needed a little chasing around to finally get some acceptable views. Plain-throated Antbird and one of the less impressive Antshrikes a Saturnine Antshrike. Then we hit the jackpot.

Walking part of the trail Pablo and Gilberto heard a flock of Golden Parakeets, they were very close, in actual fact they could have just flown on-by and out of reach, but they had landed in a patch of forest to our left. We had to creep quietly and slowly through the forest until Gilberto got us all virtually under the tree that they were in. We had all sorts of dense foliage in the way but you could get your bins into a gap and get cracking views of them. We counted eight in this flock. A little maneuvering either side a few feet would get a different view of another bird, there were not huge viewing windows in the canopy buy small ones that with some patience we were all able to see absolutely stunning views. Nick and myself were able to fire off dozens of shots, how many would be good..... haha about 4, I didn't care, what an experience, for me upto now the sighting and moment of the trip. 

The back story to this find was that as time and days ran out, and if we still hadn't found a roaming flock of Golden Parakeet there was a known roost site but we would have had to drive well over 100 kms to get there, and of course get back in the dark, a whole chunk of the day for one species. Needless to say we were all chuffed that we didn't have the full day driving, but our driver was ecstatic as he basically got a day off.

somehow managed to get three in one shot

and again

who you lookin at?

 roll the tape for the Golden Parakeet

No explanation needed just admire the birds (if not the images!)

Again after half an hour or so we had to pull ourselves away as we had further to walk and more species to find. Three Red-necked Aracaris were seen along with a Chestnut Woodpecker. We had just started to descend a rather steep hill when a Rufous Motmot called just off track but back up at the start of the descent, most of us had to climb back to the top, "it had better be worth it".....  it was.

Red-necked Aracari

Rufous Motmot

 as always in forest birding you get the smallest window of opportunity to either get the bins on it or even harder get a good shot

Back on the steep descent and with the Rufous Motmot in the bag we didn't have to strain too much too get on the only Tapaculo species of the area. A brilliant Rusty-belted Tapaculo wandered along the forest floor for a good few minutes, even coming to the trail edge and catching a little leaking sunlight before wandering off out of site, just brilliant. A 100 meters further on Pablo called in a beautiful Snow Capped Manakin that foraged in mid canopy, an exceptional bird, one of my trip favorites for sure. We finished the trail with a host of Antbirds, which seem to always come in flurries. Long-winged Antwren posed at eye-level for a while, I even managed a few shots, Cinereous Antshrike, White-flanked Antbird and another endemic Spixs warbling Antbird, just that haul of Antbirds alone is quite fantastic... what a morning.

We eventually came out of the forest and ended back at the Rangers lodge area that we had made a visit to yesterday. The White-necked Jacobin was perched on the exact same snag as yesterday, while a  few Yellow-rumped Caciques, Swallow-winged Puffbirds and a Oliveaceous Woodcreeper flew around the area.

heading back up the hill to find Rufous Motmot

The fruiting tree that was extremely popular yesterday was very quiet today, what a difference a day makes. Variegated Flycatcher, Snetlages Tody-flycatcher, probably the same Ochre-bellied Flycatcher as yesterday were seen while we tried for the best part of 45 minutes to call in a Fiery-tailed Awlbill. It paid off. I noticed something fly in to a tree just around the corner and thought to best check it out and immediately saw the clear markings of a female Fiery-tailed Awlbill, calling the troops over quickly we all got prolonged views above our heads, another difficult species, beer at lunchtime? you bet. 

The distinctive female Fiery-tailed Awlbill 

The last few days have been incredible, this morning was equally so. We drove back to Portal Pousada for a chilled beer and another fantastic lunch. Today was a public holiday so we found the lodge to busy with day tippers who come for a bit of piece and quiet from the city or in the right season water sports on the Rio Tapajos. I had absolutely no intention of birding the garden again, so after completing a spot of washing and a short nap it was time to meet for this afternoons ride on the Trans Amazonian Highway. 

As it happened this afternoons target meant that we would spend the whole afternoon staking out a couple of fruiting trees in the hope of our target White-tailed Cotinga. On a large bank at the side of the highway we set up watch over two trees directly opposite. The only downside of this birding was the dust. Once every five minute or so either a truck or a 4x4 pick-up would pass at great speed throwing a whole orange dust cloud into the air (we did our best to cover up Covid style), the dust would take a minute to gradually disperse. It didn't stop the steady trickle of species to the two trees. 

 

Olive Oropendola and a Squirrel Cuckoo would be followed by two Red-fan Parrot flyovers, (good for Nick as he had missed them at the Manaus Musa Tower). A Brown-chested Barbet briefly visited as did a Red-headed Manakin, we were then entertained by a Crimson-crested Woodpecker which stuck around for a while. During this time we had quite a few Parrots coming in on and off for an hour, mostly Blue-headed Parrots, and a few fantastic Sanatrem Parakeets, a small flock of Scarlet Macaws flew over as did a Southern Meally Parrot.

my only shot and a disappointing one of a  lovely species, the Santarem Parakeet

Blue-headed Parrot

Crimson-crested Woodpecker

The final flurry of activity were a Channel-billed Toucan and five Black-necked Aracari, Goulds Toucanet, Spangled Cotinga and a Strong-billed Woodcreeper..... but no White-tailed Cotinga.   

This was a big dip upto now, we have a full day tomorrow to try for one last time 

It was now dark and the plan was to have a final days fling and try for a few Owls on the way back to our lodge. We took a trail and walked a hundred yards and very quickly got a response from a  Southern Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl fantastic a lifer, we walked even further into the trail keeping the spot lights well down and played the tape for Crested Owl we tried a few times over a few hundred meters but got no responses at all. At least we got the Southern Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl.

It was certainly time to shower and retire to the restaurant for a few hours with beer and good food

Southern Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl

Manaus and Amazonia NP 2022 - Fortunately unfortunate!

 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. 

Manaus and Amazonia NP 2022- We have moved to Amazonia NP, could it be magic

This morning will be a travel morning by plane as we start the exciting extension leg of this tour.

We leave the mighty rivers of the Rio Negro and Amazon River around the Manaus area and head to Itaituba where we will now be based on the banks of the Tapajos River at the glorious Portal Pousada Lodge

Itaituba sitting on the banks of the Tapajos River 

and our Portal Pousada lodge marked in red a little further south of the city

Click on the image to see the map in more detail

We had a mid morning flight out of Manaus for a 90 minute flight to Itaituba, a city that sits on the banks of the Tapajos River. when we landed we quickly transferred by bus away from the city to Portal Pousada Lodge along the Trans-Amazonian Highway (third longest road in Brazil, and probably the dustiest). We would be based here for nearly four days. The views are stunning.

my cabin 

and the views from the cabin balcony looking onto the Tapijos River

We dropped the case in the room and spent an hour before lunch checking out the bird species around the garden which consisted of a couple of small pools, Palm and native deciduous trees and of course the River bank. The first bird of the day had actually been a Savanna Hawk, and the obligatory Black Vultures beside the runway at Manaus Airport. 

Here hawking the river were White-winged Swallows in plentiful numbers, Southern rough-winged Swallows, and a few fantastic Black-collared Swifts. Swallow-winged Puffbirds were perched virtually everywhere, on tree snags, lodge roofs, fence posts and even on the ground where we found out they had nest holes in the sandy riverbank... (you keep on learning). Across the wide Tapajos river a single Cocoi Heron fished while Nick got the scope on a distant Black Caracara perched up on a tree. 

Lunch was served in the excellent alfresco dinning area and we had an hour  or two to either relax in the hammock or do a spot more garden bird watching. So after lunch I checked out the pools where I got lovely close views of an Amazon Kingfisher, while a Black-Fronted Nunbird could have been nailed to a branch as it really didn't want to move and let me get quite close, its partner stayed a little further away. Other usual fare were around, Tropical Kingbirds, Palm Tanagers, Lesser Kiskadee, Striated Heron, Snowy Egret, Bananaquit and a pair of Southern House-wren that were mooching around the side of my lodge. 

Black-fronted Nunbird

Amazon Kingfisher

Yellow-bellied Elaenia

Southern House Wren

Swallow-winged Puffbird...... in and out of its ground nest hole

A little time spent on the balcony got a lovely sight of upto eight Turquoise Tanagers that kept to the shade of the tree right outside my room, as did a Variegated Flycatcher. 

We all met up in the garden for 20 minutes before we were to meet for the afternoon trail, we managed a few more sightings in the garden, a pair of Yellow-bellied Elenia and a Glittering-throated Emerald Hummingbird, while hundreds of Butterflies rested on the riverbank.

Turquoise Tanagers

Butterflies resting on the riverbank

We met our local guide Gilberto who was decked out in full camo gear (even his tape and speaker were camouflaged) and he wore snake gaiters.... hmm where were we going!

We boarded the bus and headed out to our first trail in the Amazonian National Park. About half an hours drive down the Trans-Am highway we came to the Acaizal Trail. 

Trans-Amazonian Highway

we would see alot of this road during our stay

We had at least one specialty to find somewhere along this trail. But first up was a rather good Great Jacamar, not a lifer but as the name suggests a great bird to see again. A pair of Ornate Stipplethroats foraged in the high canopy with a White-eyed Stipplethroat (Antwren ssp phaeonata), I am not sure if looking down and deep into the jungle for a ground skulking bird is easier than stretching your neck back and looking high up into the shaded canopy at the underside of a bird ..... both situations are very difficult when it comes to forest birding. At least these three birds gave us plenty of opportunity to see them moving around. I missed the Elegant Woodcreeper which everyone got onto.  Then we had a prolonged view of a stunning Rufous-throated Puffbird that Gilberto had found while we were watching the Stiplethroats, what a stunning bird.

Rufous-throated Puffbird

Yellow-footed Tortoise (Brazilian Giant Tortoise)

we found this fella on the track this afternoon

It has to be said that Gilberto and Pablo are excellent birders and Gilberto knows every inch of  all the local trails, we would be in very good and able hands during the next three days.

I think the one species we needed to find on this trail was the Alto Floresta Antpitta, we had a small chance of finding one. A very difficult bird to locate never mind see, well today could be our lucky day. The good thing about having two guides is that Pablo stuck with us and made sure that we were trying to get the best views of what was around, while Gilberto was often 200mtrs ahead seeking out something special. He had been listening for the Antpitta and sure enough alerted Pablo to come up track. For the next hour we, using Brazilian lingo "suanda a camisa or sweating the shirt" ducking, diving, scrambling, bending branches off the track to eventually get to see it, and see it well. What a bird. 

Retracing our steps back out of the track, the team still had time to find Plain-throated Antwren which I missed and a Spixs-warbling Antbird. 

We still had time to stop at a small patch of open wetland area where dozens of Olive Oropendola were at their nest sight, while Short-tailed Nighthawks literally swooped just above our heads. On a dead tree were two Yellow-tufted Woodpeckers and we finished off with a Red-stained Woodpecker virtually as the light disappeared. We headed back to the lodge for beer and once again a hearty meal. 

Our first day in the Amazonian NP had produced some stunning and difficult to get species.... bring on tomorrow. 

Red-stained Woodpecker

the nest site of Olive (Amazonian) Oropendola