2006 Tour Narrative
Perhaps it was the auspicious sighting of Ferruginous Pygmy Owl at the Cuiabá airport that set the stage for our incredible luck during the trip. Or it could have been the enthusiasm and keenness of our group. Whether one or the other or a combination of the two, this year’s trip started and ended with highlights that will not soon be forgotten. The spotting of Red-legged Seriemas standing motionless in an open field provided one of the first day’s highlights as we traveled toward our comfortable lodge in the Pantanal. A scrumptious meal and sampling of caipirinhas by some of the less travel-weary folks provided a chance to discuss the forthcoming days and possible birds in a relaxed setting. Anticipation was high with the hoped-for sighting of the mega-macaw — Hyacinth — the following morning. And on cue at dawn, perched and flight views provided the first of many opportunities to observe these improbable birds. As dawn gave way to full light we began our first morning in the Pantanal, with raucous calls of ibises, the dawn chorus of kiskadees, and lifers appearing one after the other — all before breakfast. Excellent Brazilian coffee and a taste of the many bakery delights that we were to indulge in far too often on this trip gave us an opportunity to take our first deep breath since stepping outside our doors on this first morning. The day passed rapidly as we explored the entrance road and forest trails, acquainting ourselves with both passerines and non-passerines of the Pantanal. A spotlighting excursion provided diverse nocturnal sightings including both Common and Great Potoos, Scissor-tailed Nightjar, Paraque and the eerie red eyeshine of Spectacled Caiman in roadside pools.
A day spent traveling the Transpantaneira Highway gave us an opportunity to marvel at the extensiveness of the Pantanal, the largest contiguous wetland on Earth. Each stop yielded new species as well as photographic opportunities of some of the familiar waterbirds and kingfishers that inhabit each roadside pool. Helmeted Manakin and Large-billed Antwrens were only a couple of the colorful forest birds sighted. Our late-afternoon boat trip along the Pixaim River offered a more relaxed but no less productive birding experience with Blue-throated Piping-Guans, enigmatic Boat-billed Herons, Sunbitterns and Giant River Otters being some of the target species seen.
All too soon, we found ourselves returning to Cuiabá for the next adventure of our journey — Cristalino Jungle Lodge. In this age of air travel delays, we were amazed to find our flight left Cuiabá early. A quick transfer to the hotel in Alta Floresta had us confirming the rumor we had heard — that there was indeed a young Harpy Eagle in the forest fragment behind the hotel again this year. The recently fledged youngster was not in the nest tree upon our arrival but the sharp ears of our guide soon heard the high pitched whistle that indicated the bird was in the vicinity. And with our continuing luck, within five minutes we were all enjoying telescope views of this majestic young eagle near his nest — a mega bird sighting that had been unexpected this year, as the parents had nested in the same site the year before and were not expected to nest again for another year. We had barely started our walk out before our guide was saying “trumpeter on the right.” It took a lot of effort but finally we were all able to see the head of a motionless Dark-winged Trumpeter in the scope — incredible!!! Two mega-sightings and we were not even in the “good” forest yet.
Five days of birding at Cristalino Jungle Lodge can easily fill 15 pages of bird experiences and adventures. Highlights seem to occur each time you step out the door of a bungalow, into the forest, onto the platform of the tower or at the first bend of the river during a boat trip. For some, it was the ability to view the brilliant colors of Red-and-green, Scarlet and Blue-and-yellow Macaws as they flew beneath us from our view at the top of the 50 meter tower. For others it was the rare encounter at this time of year of Sungrebe or the Tapir that stood motionless in the stream in front of us. And for some it was the bizarre Hoatzin and the “old-man” stare of a male Red-handed Howler Monkey. And, of course, we cannot forget the extraordinary Ocellated Poorwill on a nest along a forest trail, the brilliance of a Blue-cheeked Jacamar, views of Night Monkeys, and the reward of finally having superb views of a Flame-crested Manakin. A distant scope view of a Crested Eagle (actually seen more rarely than Harpy) provided the second large eagle of the trip. Razor-billed Curassows and Amazonian Umbrellabirds were sighted more than once this year to the delight of all. Mixed-species flocks provided a chance to test our rapid observation skills as species appeared and then rapidly disappeared, giving us nanoseconds to look for the key features of antbirds, antwrens and antshrikes. Throughout our stay, the lodge staff looked after our comfort and needs with early breakfasts (including chocolate cake), comfortable cushions on boat trips, cold drinks (including the most delicious caipirinhas of the trip) and cooling fans during the heat of the day. As the days melted into nights and back into days, suddenly our time in this paradise came to an end and we were once again retracing our steps toward Alta Floresta. A quick stop at a palm grove along the way had us thinking our luck may be waning as Point-tailed Palmcreepers did not seem to be in the area. Suddenly, a likely looking bird flew in, then a second and we were all treated to telescope views of these intriguing birds.
Chapada dos Guimarí£es offered yet another new ecosystem for us to explore — the Brazilian cerrado. After six days in rainforest, it was a delight to enjoy open-habitat birding our first morning with rapid sightings of many of the desired species including Cinnamon, White-banded and White-rumped Tanagers and Chapada Flycatchers. An afternoon excursion into a forest area provided us forest aficionados with the opportunity to once again strain our necks as we enjoyed a canopy flock of tanagers and flycatchers. Sunset at Véu de Noiva Falls did not yield the anticipated Blue-winged Macaws but we enjoyed a changing sky to the sound of White-eyed Parakeets that seemed to have taken over the macaws’ roost sites. Our final morning in Mato Grosso had us once again enjoying the cerrado area of the Agua Fria Road with a pair of Blue-winged Macaws appearing as a farewell prize. And a last stop on our way to the airport had us at last sighting the White-eared Puffbird that had been so elusive in its normal haunts this year.
It was an excellent trip that gave us the opportunity to enjoy the expected treasures of the region as well as many unexpected sightings. A recounting of individual highlights that were seldom duplicated during our final dinner the last night indicated the incredible diversity this Brazilian state holds for us as birders. Even more incredible and enticing is the thought that we could return to the same places in a year and have an entirely different set of highlights to recount!!! Anyone interested?
Judy Davis
Updated: October 2006