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Brazil 2024 Part 3b – Eco Lodge Itororó

Posted in South America, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 24, 2025| Leave a Comment »

We arrived at Eco Lodge Itororó late in the afternoon of August 26 with just enough time for Derek to get five life birds before dinner with a Brazilian Ruby hummingbird as #1,200. It was much colder and foggier here than it had been at REGUA due to the higher elevation. This part of Brazil is south of the equator so it was the middle of winter. We piled wool blankets on our beds and tucked in the hot water bottles provided by the lodge for extra warmth. Below, the main lodge building where we had our meals.

Cirilo, our guide for the next few days, joined us for breakfast and then we set off on the wonderful Three-toed Jacamar excursion. Our first stop was a little spot on the side of the road by a wetland. Cirilo had promised us Blackish Rail and he delivered. A dependable rail? I was amazed!

This stop also gave us a few other birds – Toco Toucan, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, and Wing-banded Hornero being the highlights. I thought this hornero was sharper looking than the others I’d seen in Brazil.

More wonderful birds awaited us at our next stop, including this Black-necked Aracari.

At our third stop, we watched a Yellow-headed Caracara standing on a horse picking off ticks. The caracara also “picks flesh from open wounds on backs of cattle, which often seem oddly indifferent to the process” according to Birds of the World. But, that is “cheating” according to the cleaning symbiosis contract. Yes, “cheating” is the word that I found in scientific publications. Black Vultures occasionally clean capybaras, but several species of caracaras are the only raptors that clean large mammals.

We saw spectacular Stramer-tailed Tyrants in another horse field.

Down the road a bit farther, Derek got his much-wanted lifer Red-legged Seriema. And, we both got our lifer Crested Black-Tyrant. First, we had a distant look, but good enough to count the bird. It came closer for a better look. And, finally, the bird was right in front of us!

Cirilo could not have made it more fun if he’d had the magic ability to choreograph the bird’s movements. At the same stop, I was very happy to get a good look at a Grassland Sparrow. I’d missed the bird earlier in the trip with Sherry’s group, so it was especially satisfying to see it well.

White-eared Puffbirds were the highlight for me at our next stop. What could be more adorable?

It was a great stop with several life birds for both of us. One of the most interesting was Firewood-gatherer. First, what a cool name. And, see why with these photos of the birds and their nest.

This was one of my favorite days of birding ever. In addition to the wonderful birds, the landscape was very appealing. I loved this coral tree topped with White-eyed Parakeets.

At another horse pen, we had an intriguing bird that we couldn’t immediately identify, this beautiful immature Savanna Hawk.

We finally stopped for lunch and ate our sandwiches while we continued to look at birds, including Derek’s lifer Black-capped Donacobius. Soon we were back on the road headed towards the last birding stop of the day and the signature species on this route, Three-toed Jacamar, a Brazilian endemic that only occurs in a limited area north of Rio de Janeiro. We saw the jacamar, but the light was bad, so my photos are not very good. This White-bearded Manakin chose a spot on the other side of the road with better lighting for his photo.

Cirilo guided us on the trails around the lodge on the morning of our second full day at Eco Lodge Itororó. He found 47 species of birds for us, although I found it much harder to see birds in the dense Atlantic Forest than the open countryside of the previous day. I missed quite a few birds, but it was an enjoyable morning and only having Cirilo for half a day resulted in incredibly good luck. When we returned to the lodge for lunch, we found the photography group happily clicking away at a gorgeous Saffron Toucanet right at the feeders. This is the species that everyone wants to see and this was its only appearance during our five days there.

We spent the afternoon mostly watching the feeders, one of my favorite activities. The Magpie Tanagers were huge compared to the little Brassy-breasted Tanagers and I loved them. The Magpie Tanagers favored the feeder offering avocados.

Below, a cute little Brassy-breasted Tanager.

On August 29, we birded in Tres Picos State Park. Our walks included a short trek to see a locally famous Jequitibá tree. Scenes in the 2024 version of the Brazilian telenovela, Renascer, were filmed here as the tree plays a central role in the story. It replaces the 3,000 year old tree used in the 1993 version of the TV show which was struck by lightenng and died. As you can see from this photo of Cirilo in front of the tree, it is huge.

We also found this cute little toad on one of our paths through the forest, a Yellow Cururu Toad.

We stopped at the banana stand on our way back to the lodge. They feed leftover bananas to the birds making it a great place for a coffee and chlorophonias, tanagers, euphonias, parakeets, and other birds. Here’s a poorly named Plain Parakeet we watched there.

Derek and I had originally planned to bird on our own on the following day, but finding birds in the forest was more challenging than we had expected. Fortunately, Cirilo was available to guide us for one more day. But, where to go? We had already done all the easy trails. At dinner, Cirilo had an idea. Birders usually walk up a steep hill for the high-elevation excursion to Pico da Caledônia. Since there were only two of us, however, he was able to arrange a 4-wheel drive vehicle that could drive us almost to the top and we could walk down. Perfect!

The day got off to a wonderful start when Cirilo heard a Mouse-colored Tapaculo on the side of the road. We stopped the car and he pointed to a log in a little opening in the vegetation where he expected it to cross. I pointed my camera at the log and quickly clicked as the little bird stopped for a fraction of a second.

Again, most of the forest birding was challenging, but the only important bird that we missed was the very localized Gray-winged Cotinga which occurs only in a small area northeast of Rio de Janeiro. With only 374 observations in eBird (some of which are certainly heard-only birds), many others must also miss the cotinga.

We walked about halfway up the 650-step staircase to the summit of Pico da Caledônia.

Later that afternoon, we saw the most unexpected bird of the day, a Zone-tailed Hawk. Cirilo was excited because this was a new state bird for him. Most American birders know this bird from the Southwest US, but the southern edge of its range extends to Paragray and this part of Brazil, although it is uncommon there in winter.

My “bonus week” with Derek in the Atlantic forest went quickly. All that remained was one more morning with a few hours to leisurely watch the feeders. Blue Dacnis is common throughout much of Central and South America. The male is blue, but the beautiful female is a lovely shade of green.

Cinnamon Tanager was a species that I saw only at Eco Lodge Itororó. When I was going through my photos, I realized that I did not know how to differentiate the males and females, so I looked it up in Birds of the World where I found this fascinating information. “The sexes are similar in appearance. The species is dichromatic, however, …. Thus, these tanagers visually can distinguish between males and females, but humans are unable to see these differences.”

We enjoyed seeing the Amazon Lava Lizards that were often around the lodge.

And, what bird feeder would be complete without a squirrel? Although they were much more shy and less of a nuisance than our gray squirrels at home. This one is an appropriately named Brazilian Squirrel.

Below, Derek enjoying the feeders during our last hours at Itororó.

Andy Foster of Serra dos Tucanos Birding Tours did a wonderful job making all the arrangements for the week including transportation and our stays at REGUA and Eco Lodge Itororó. We could not have asked for a better guide than Cirilo. Bettina fed us well and treated us like family at Itororó. I would love to go back any time!

Our eBird trip report Brazil – Atlantic Rain Forest (REGUA & Ecolodge Itororo) August 2024 has all of our checklists and photos. Also see Shelley’s iNaturalist observations for the trip and Derek’s iNat observations.

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Brazil 2024 Part 3a – REGUA

Posted in South America, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 12, 2025| 1 Comment »

Derek and I met at Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport on the afternoon of August 23 and two hours later our driver delivered us to Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu, commonly known as REGUA. After the manager had shown us to our rooms, we were warmly greeted by a woman who didn’t tell us her position. We quickly learned that she was another guest. The lodge looks like it could have been an old house with a lot of bedrooms and a large kitchen, dining room, and family room. The atmosphere at REGUA is more like a gathering of friends and family than a typical tourist lodge. Current guests welcome newcomers into the fold. During our short stay, guests included a couple who were “just” birders, a well-known ecologist and an award-winning science journalist. When away from the lodge, we were frequently asked by locals if we were scientists.

It was dark after we finished dinner, so instead of birding, we spent the evening at the moth wall, simply a 8-foot high and 6-8 foot wide wall in the yard, painted white with lights to attract moths. Even though it was winter, we saw amazing moths. A sample is below; click on any image in the gallery for a larger view.

The next morning, Derek took advantage of birding with the local guide. I was lazy and opted to walk around the wetland with some of the others who were staying at REGUA. Derek saw more birds than I did, but I enjoyed the introduction to the lake and wetland which are the heart of REGUA. This beautiful Rufescent Tiger-Heron was an easy-to-see bird and a highlight of the morning.

I went back to the lodge and spent some time watching the hummingbird feeders where I was rewarded with my first life bird on this part of the trip, a Black Jacobin.

Derek returned in time for a late afternoon walk around the wetland. Many of the birds were familiar to us, but we also saw a Whistling Heron, a life bird for both of us. I also enjoyed this cute little Gray-headed Tody-Flycatcher.

The day went quickly and soon we were back at the moth wall. More fascinating moths included those below.

Our most surprising experience at REGUA occurred that evening. I was alone at the moth wall while Derek was in his room reviewing photos. Suddenly, I heard a noise behind me, turned, and saw a tapir about six feet away! I jumped in surprise and he ambled into the woods. I rushed inside to get Derek, not really expecting a return visit from the tapir, but I had to get Derek out there. We were standing by the wall quietly talking when Derek said, “Shelley, look over your shoulder.” And, there he was!

Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu is a non-profit organization with a mission of conserving and protecting the local Atlantic Forest. REGUA’s species reintroduction project works to rebalance and restore a healthy ecosystem. One of the species in that program is the Brazilian or lowland tapir, Tapirus terrestris, a large mammal that weighs an average of 500 pounds. The following day, we learned that our tapir’s name is Valente and that he was one of the animals reintroduced into the area. Valente has adapted quite well and he has fathered most of the next generation of tapirs in the area. 

On our last full day at REGUA, I thought that we should go to the wetlands as early as possible, but it turned out that wasn’t such a great idea. The local birding guide showed up an hour after we left and went with the other birders to the wetlands. They saw twice as many species as we did even though Derek is a good birder with sharp eyes. Experienced local guides who know bird songs and calls are invaluable in environments with skulky birds in thick vegetation.

Regardless, we enjoyed our walk and the birds that we saw. Two of our favorites were White-headed Marsh Tyrant and Masked Water-Tyrant.

Butterflies were not nearly as common as moths, but we did see a few on our walks around the wetlands. Below, a Pythonides jovianus, sometimes called Variable Blue-Skipper.

Back at the lodge, we continued to appreciate beauties like this Swallow-tailed Hummingbird.

On our third and last night at the moth wall, we continued to see new species. During our nights there we also saw a few other insects. One of the most interesting was this large leaf katydid, Pycnopalpa bicordata.

We had one more morning at REGUA, but it rained so we spent most of our time on the lovely open porch just outside the dining room. The rain didn’t deter the birds and other animals, so we just sat and enjoyed the show.

We appreciated good looks at a Blond-crested Woodpecker, one of my life birds at REGUA.

The banana feeders were popular, even in light rain. The Maroon-bellied Parakeets were always fun to watch.

Common Marmosets enjoyed the bananas as much as the birds.

I’ll end with my favorite bird from REGUA, the elegant little Blue-naped Chlorophonia. I could look at these beautiful birds all day and never tire of them.

Just after lunch, our driver would pick us up and take us to Eco Lodge Itororó. Most birders who stay at Itororó do a day trip to REGUA, but I’m very grateful for our three days there. Without an overnight visit, we would have missed the moths and tapir encounter as well as the camaraderie with other guests, the delicious home-cooked meals, and the wonderful warm atmosphere.

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Brazil 2024 Part 2b – Jaguars!

Posted in South America, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 25, 2024| Leave a Comment »

August 18 would be a big day, so we were up early for one last spin around the wonderful Pousada Piuval property. The sunrise promised a great day ahead.

I had missed Guira Cuckoo when others in our group had seen them on the previous two days, so I was thrilled that we had wonderful looks at these bizarre-looking birds before we left Pousada Piuval. Guira Cuckoos are not only odd-looking birds, their nesting behavior is also unusual with multiple females in a social group all laying eggs in the same nest. They feed mainly on insects including flying termites and perch atop termite mounds to survey their surroundings when hunting.

Termite mounds are a conspicuous feature of the Pantanal savanna. They perform ecologically important functions such as improving soil health and providing food and nesting habitat for wildlife. One study reported that termites are a food source for 179 bird species and the mounds were mentioned as nest sites for 45 species of birds in Brazil. We saw termite mounds in many of the dry open areas like that below.

Savannah Hawks were frequently seen on this trip. It was a much-wanted bird that did not disappoint.

Turquoise-fronted Amazon (photo below) was one of the fourteen species of parrots and parakeets that we saw.

Pink trumpet trees were scattered over the open landscape. My photos are not good enough to identify the trees to species, but I believe that they are either Handroanthus heptaphyllus or Handroanthus impetiginosus. I do know that they were gorgeous! I hated to leave this beautiful place, but we had important things to see in other places.

We drove the entire Transpantaneira highway south to Porto Jofre with several stops for birding along the way. We arrived mid-afternoon at the houseboat that would be home for the next three nights and headed out right away in a small boat to look for jaguars.

Before long, we found the beautiful Ti, a 9-year-old female, resting on the riverbank. Jaguars in the Porto Jofre area have been studied extensively and Alyson recognized all of them. The Jaguar Field Guide has a profile for each of the individuals observed most often. Jaguar spot patterns are unique like human fingerprints.

We also saw birds on the river. I loved the adorable little Pied Plovers.

Days on the river ended with spectacular sunsets.

The air on the river was a little smoky from the distant fires and the drive down the Transpantaneira had been dusty. As a result, I was coughing and feeling tired, so I decided to take the next day off and stay on the houseboat. I had not been expecting the fires. My vision of the Pantanal had been shaped mostly by John Grisham’s “The Testament” in which there was water everywhere. In hindsight, I suppose that a 25-year-old novel isn’t the best source of information. But, the Pantanal was wetter 25 years ago. Severe droughts in recent years along with deforestation and climate change have had a huge impact on the area. A few days later, The NY Times published a major article about the deadly toll on the wildlife of Brazil’s Pantanal from the fires, the worst on record since 1998. In 2024 alone, over 7,000 square miles of the Pantanal have burned.

I joined the group again on August 20 to cruise the river in our small boat. It was a great way to see birds like this Crane Hawk, a species that had been high on my wish list.

We also saw quite a few Jabirus along the riverbanks. In the photo below, note that the “small” black bird is a Black Vulture. These prehistoric-looking birds are nearly five feet tall and have an eight-foot wingspan.

Another bizarre bird of the Pantanal is the unique Boat-billed Heron.

Giant Otters are an endangered species with a current population of only 1,000 to 5,000 individuals in the wild. I was fascinated when we watched an otter aggressively chase off a caiman who tried to steal the fish that the otters were eating. The Giant Otter Project has interesting info on the otters.

We also saw several jaguars again that day including a very unhappy Patricia. That evening we heard her story. A large male jaguar tried to steal a caiman that Patricia had just caught. She successfully defended her much-needed food, but during the fight, her young cub disappeared. Speculation was that the male had killed the cub. We were all distraught and tears were shed that night for Patricia and her cub. The next day, we heard an update to the story. A tourist had taken a photo of Patricia with her cub that morning! Amazingly, the little cub had swum across the big river by himself to flee from the fight between his mother and the big male jaguar. Somehow Patricia had managed to find her baby. Is there anything more tenacious than a fierce mama jaguar?

Our three days on the river had been all we hoped for. After one last breakfast on the houseboat, we drove back north on the Transpantaneira highway towards South Wild Pantanal Lodge, where we would spend the last two days of our trip.

Many of the birds were the same species that we had seen earlier at Pousada Piuval, but some were new. In addition to the birds, I loved the other wildlife in the Pantanal including some of the smaller creatures. I was especially excited to see a Black Witch moth in the dining room at South Wild.

This little frog was in our bathroom. A sign explained that these are “toilet frogs” and they live there. It suggested calling a staff member to move a frog if you didn’t want to share your bathroom, but please don’t hurt them.

Jabirus were quite common; according to our eBird trip report, we saw 38 different individuals. This family built a nest atop a high tree right by the lodge.

The star of South Wild Pantanal is another big cat, an Ocelot, which is seen so reliably that South Wild “guarantees” a sighting. As you might expect, this is the result of feeding the Ocelot. However, no other lodge has been able to accomplish this feat. It was magical to watch this gorgeous creature leisurely come for food, go to the edge of the woods to patiently wait for more, and then come back to eat again, repeated three times.

Our Lifebird Tours trip ended the following morning. We got up early to drive north on the Transpantaneira and then to Cuiabá where we went in separate directions. Sherry flew to the Amazon for a week there, the others flew back to Sao Paulo for flights home, and I flew to Rio de Janeiro where my friend, Derek, would meet me for another week in the Atlantic Rain Forest. Sherry organized a great trip and Alyson Melo brilliantly guided us on this wonderful adventure.

For a complete list of all bird species observed and photographed, see the eBird trip report. For photos of other wildlife that I photographed on this part of my trip to Brazil, see my iNaturalist observations.

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Brazil 2024 Part 2a – Intro to the Pantanal

Posted in South America, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 16, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I can’t remember when the Pantanal of Brazil first came to my attention, but I’ve wanted to visit since I first heard about it. I think it sounded a bit romantic with jaguars and exotic birds. The reality was that and more with fascinating wildlife in a beautiful remote landscape.

Sherry’s Lifebird Tours group landed in Cuiabá mid-morning on August 16. We drove straight to our first lodge, Pousada Piuval, near the little town of Poconé at the northern end of the Pantanal. We started birding right away and the group saw 34 species of birds before we even ate lunch. A Cattle Tyrant foraged right at our feet as we entered the lodge and Yellow-billed Cardinals were abundant on the lodge grounds.

A little pond attracted capybaras, herons and egrets.

We explored the lodge property on our first outing later that afternoon. I had been looking forward to seeing Greater Rhea, the largest bird in South America (up to 65 pounds and 5 feet tall). These odd flightless birds employ an unusual breeding strategy. The male alone builds a nest and mates with several females who all lay their eggs in his nest. The male does all the incubation and then cares for the chicks for four to six months.

Another of my new favorite birds was Gray Monjita, a large attractive flycatcher.

Piping-Guans were big, odd-looking birds. We saw two species, White-throated Piping-Guan and Red-throated Piping-Guan. These birds confused me a bit. White-throated Piping-Guans can have either white or light blue skin on their necks. According to eBird, some individuals in the Pantanal have both blue and red and are most likely hybrids with Red-throated. However, I can’t find any photos in eBird of individuals identified as hybrids and I can find photos of both species with red and blue on their necks. After spending way too much time puzzling over this, I give up and I’m just going to enjoy the diversity of nature.

Our guide, Alyson Melo, is an expert on the Pantanal and he knows how to find birds and other wildlife. Just before 4:00 PM, he took us to a little pond where we spent about 20 minutes watching as birds came in for a drink. First was a Sunbittern followed by the beautiful Black-collared Hawk in the photo below. Other birds included a few Undulated Tinamous and Choco Chachalacas. An Azara’s Agouti came for a drink.

We drove around and saw a Black-fronted Nunbird and a Spot-backed Puffbird. Around 5:00 PM, we returned to the little pond for about half an hour. Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, Bare-faced Curassow, and a Black-tailed Marmoset showed this time.

I thought that the female curassows were prettier than the males. In the photo below, the black male is in front of two females with their barred black-and-white uppersides and buffy bellies.

It was an incredible start to our time in the Pantanal. We had not even been there a full day and we had seen many fascinating birds and other animals.

On Saturday morning, August 17, we headed down the famous Transpantaneira, a 91-mile dirt road, which runs from Poconé to Porto Jofre. The mosaic of dry areas, marshes, and shallow pools alongside the road contribute to unparalleled wildlife viewing. In the hour and 20 minutes before we turned back for breakfast, we saw 48 species of birds.

A group favorite was this lovely Capped Heron.

After breakfast, we spent the rest of the day birding the vast property of Pousada Piuval. Its diverse habitats include patches of forest, open dry areas, and watering holes where over 500 species of birds have been observed.

A delightful surprise was this Red-legged Seriema that hopped right up onto our vehicle. Note the second bird on the ground and listen as they call to each other.

The Pantanal has many interesting creatures in addition to birds. We saw quite a few other animals including several Argentine Black-and-white Tegus. These huge lizards can grow to be over four feet long. They don’t look very friendly to me, so I was surprised to learn they are sometimes kept as pets. According to Wikipedia, “They are notable for their unusually high intelligence and can also be housebroken.” These lizards have escaped or been released into the wild in the Southeast US where they are considered to be an invasive species and threaten native wildlife.

We saw many birds that day and had another magical experience late in the afternoon as we sat watching a little watering hole for an hour. Alyson told us that other birders usually quickly check the pond and leave. He knew it was worth staying for a while and our patience was rewarded.

Who doesn’t love toucans? This big Toco Toucan was not only colorful, it seemed to have personality.

Next was the star of Pousada Piuval, Hyacinth Macaw, the world’s largest flying parrot. Its status was endangered for several years; in 2014 it was downlisted to vulnerable. That is still not a lot of birds; population estimates range from 3,000 to 7,000 individuals. The population decline in recent decades is mainly due to habitat loss and trapping for the pet trade. The sale of these spectacular parrots is no longer legal but previously fetched $10-15,000 for a single bird in the US.

Yellow-rumped Cacique was another sharp-looking bird at the little pond.

A little before 5:00 PM, we got really excited and quietly held our breath as a tapir came out of the woods. It took him a while to go for his first drink at the watering hole, but he stayed in our view for quite some time. We were thrilled with close views as several times he walked towards the woods and then came back for another drink.

We were still not done with birds at the little pond. An Orange-backed Troupial was another of my favorites. I love the bright orange color.

After leaving the magic pond, we had just enough light to see a few more birds. Another group favorite was these Campo Flickers.

It had been an amazing day! Appropriately, it ended with this beautiful Black-banded Owl.

There is just the beginning. Watch for more Pantanal adventures on this trip.

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Brazil 2024 Part 1 – Atlantic Rain Forest

Posted in South America, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 27, 2024| 1 Comment »

Our group arrived at Hotel do Ypê on a rainy afternoon, August 10, 2024. We did not leave the hotel area that day, yet most of the birds were new to me and I got 24 “lifers.” I had been to South America before, Colombia and Ecuador, but southeast Brazil is far from where I’d been on those trips and on the opposite coast. Brazil has over 1,800 species of birds including nearly 250 that are endemic to the country. It was a great start to Sherry Lane’s Lifebird Tours trip and one that I had been looking forward to for over a year.

Green-headed Tanagers were small, colorful, and abundant around the hotel. This one was puffed up to stay warm in the cool afternoon.

Below, Mr. and Mrs. Ruby-crowned Tanager, another common species in this area. The male’s ruby crown is not always visible, but this guy shows it nicely.

Our first parrot of the trip was this lovely Blue-winged Macaw right on the hotel grounds.

Hotel do Ypê is snuggled inside Parque Nacional de Itatiaia, Brazil’s oldest national park, which is 3-4 hours northeast of São Paulo. This large park is in the Mantiqueira mountain range where elevations range from under 2,000 feet to nearly 10,000 feet. The lower part of the park, where the hotel is located, protects an important area of Atlantic rainforest. Five hundred years ago, the Atlantic Forest of Brazil comprised an area twice the size of Texas. Today, it is estimated that only 7 to 15 percent of the original forest remains. These remnants of the Atlantic Forest are extremely valuable; they host hundreds of species of plants and animals that occur nowhere else on Earth. Below, a view from Hotel do Ypê.

The next day we explored the lower part of the park where we saw beauties like this Surucua Trogon.

And, this Red-breasted Toucan.

In addition to the spectacular big birds like those above, we also saw many small birds. I even managed a photo of this tiny bird of forest undergrowth, a cute little White-throated Spadebill.

On our last day in the park, the group went to the upper part of the park to seek birds that only occur in the rocky high-altitude grasslands. It would be cold at the higher elevation and I had not brought enough cold weather gear. I was also worried about the cold triggering my asthma, so I stayed around the hotel and enjoyed my time there. Here are some of the birds I enjoyed photographing. Click any photo in the gallery for an enlarged view.

Blue Dacnis
Golden-chevroned Tanager
Chestnut-bellied Euphonia
Saffron Finch

Early on Tuesday morning, August 13, we said goodbye to beautiful Itatiaia National Park and turned south towards Ubatuba on the coast. We arrived at our first stop later than planned and I struggled birding the dark forest along the road, but our next and last stop of the day at Sítio Folha Seca made up for it.

Some of the birds there were common like this Green Honeycreeper, but I don’t think that I’ll ever tire of seeing these gorgeous birds.

The real stars of Sítio Folha Seca are the hummingbirds. It is one of the best places in Ubatuba for these little winged jewels and our group saw ten species; six of those were life birds for me. All of the photos below were taken that afternoon.

Festive Coquette
White-chinned Sapphire
Glittering-throated Emerald
Brazilian Ruby
Violet-capped Woodnymph
Saw-billed Hermit

Sítio Folha Seca has much more than hummingbirds, though. Three of the tanagers that we saw there were also life birds for me. One was this Brazilian Tanager, a group favorite.

I also saw my first Red-necked Tanager, another stunner, at Sítio Folha Seca.

Ubatuba is very popular with birders and nearly all birding tours to southeast Brazil include time in the area.

On the 14th, we continued to bird around Ubatuba and I got 12 more life birds ranging from Swallow-tailed Hummingbird to Green-backed Trogon, Channel-billed Toucan, and Yellow-fronted Woodpecker.

That day I also got my life Blue-naped Chlorophonia, a bird that is a member of one of my favorite genera. I promise to share a photo in a later post about my trip to Brazil.

Left, our group birding in Ubatuba.

As expected in the forest, we also saw small, skulky birds. I was pleased that I actually got photos of a Scaled Antbird.

We spent the afternoon of August 14 at Ninho Da Cambacica, another wonderful little ecolodge with bird feeders and trails on the property. Below, our group with the owners of Ninho Da Cambacica. This was our last birding with Atlantic Forest bird guide, Lucas (kneeling in center below). Lucas had found some great birds for us and it had been fun to spend time with him. We would miss his smile and enthusiasm. Alyson Melo (on the left), our lead guide, would continue on the trip with us.

On August 15, our last day before heading to the Pantanal, we visited Sítio Macuquinho, my favorite place on this part of the trip. The feeders attracted several species of hummingbirds and tanagers, but my favorite birds may have been the Red-and-white Crakes we viewed from one of the trails on the property.

But, that wasn’t all. We had close-up views of a White-breasted Tapaculo eating worms on a log by the side of the road. These normally shy and difficult-to-see birds were found for us by the amazing Elvis Japão, bird guide and owner of Sítio Macuquinho. He also found two Marsh Antwrens for the group, but I just couldn’t find them in the thick marsh vegetation. I didn’t feel quite too bad about missing them after noting “usually very hard to see” in the description in eBird. Another wonderful bird that Elvis found for us was a singing Bare-throated Bellbird, a bird that our entire group was thrilled to see and hear.

All too soon, it was time to head to Sao Paulo for the night and our flight to Cuiabá the next morning. Amazing birds and exciting adventures awaited us in the Pantanal of Brazil.

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