NORTH-EAST BRAZIL 2009: True Blue.

The early (very early) morning gathering to watch Lear's Macaws leaving their roost near Canudos in North-east Brazil, November 2009.

Some birds really are worth that extra bit of effort. Lear's Macaw Anodorhynchus leari is one of them. I'd seen them before several years ago feeding on Lucuri Palms but when Fred (our local guide) suggested we hike out into the canyons with rangers monitoring the macaws to see them leave the roost I had little doubt that it would be an experience of a lifetime.

Walking along the sandy trails of the Brazilian Caatinga as the sun began to rise was a wonderful, if little taxing experience. As we began our hike up to the plateau we could hear the Lear's Macaws calling as they left their cliff ledge roosts to perch on trees and the odd cactus before deserting the canyon to feed further afield. The total population of Lear's Macaws has recently been estimated at little more than around 250 birds. We may well have seen 50% of the world population on that incredible morning!

Making our way back to the bus we encountered plenty of birds including small groups of these smart Cactus Parakeets (above) and plenty of Blue-crowned Parakeets (below). Caatinga Black-Tyrant, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Blue-fronted Parrots and Lesser Wagtail-Tyrants made the return walk quite easy before heading back to the hotel for a well earned rest with lashings of Brazilain coffee and cake!

Blue-crowned Parakeet, Raso da Catarina near Canudos, November 2009.

It wasn't all parrots though. The capistratus subspecies of Barred Antshrike occurs in North-east Brazil and this male showed very well indeed. This race has orange eyes and the crown is less barred and more black. Maybe the bill is heavier and the bars more crescent-like too?
We left Canudos last weekend and headed to the state of Alagoas and onto Sergipe where I'm writing from at the moment.

Dusk over the Caatinga near Canudos in Bahia, Brazil November 2009.

More from North-east Brazil soon ........

NORTH-EAST BRAZIL 2009: A good start ....

Grey-breasted Parakeet, Guaramiranga November 2009.

Just a quick bit of blogging and this may be my only chance until I get back home. So far so good here in NE Brazil with a host of rare endemic or range-restricted species under the belt already.
We started well in the Serra da Baturite with these cracking Grey-breasted Parakeets, a rarity restricted to this part of Brazil. The supporting cast in the forested hills wasn't bad either with Gould's Toucanet, Crimson Topaz, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser, Ochre-cheeked Spinetail, Buff-breasted Tody-Tyrant, Caera Gnateater and Grey-headed Spinetail all seen on the first day. Those Red-necked Tanagers are real corkers too!

Red-necked Tanager, Guaramiranga, November 2009.

After a couple of days in the hills we travelled to Crato taking in Cactus Parakeets, Caatinga Cacholotes and plenty of waterbirds en route.

We arrived in Crato early enough to visit a patch of forest where this crippling Araripe Manakin made the long journey seem like a breeze! It's not a great picture I know, but the forest conditions aren't great for us digiscopers. Anyway, you get the picture - only discovered a few years back and with a tiny known range, this is a "must see" bird for any Neotropical bird enthusiast.
We spent today in the Caatinga (dry, thorny forest typical of this region) in the company of Great Xenops, Silvery-cheeked Antshrikes, Caatinga and Black-bellied Antwrens, Stripe-backed Antbird, Ash-throated Casiornis, Red-shouldered and Sooty-fronted Spinetails and Pale-bellied Tyrant Manakins. A White-browed Antpitta took a bit of finding, but the whole group saw it well in the end and we were well rewarded with several White-browed Guans on the track through the Caatinga too. Back there for another early morning stint before heading off south again tomorrow. Can't wait!

BRAZIL: Ornate Hawk-Eagle.

Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Chapada dos Guimaraes October 2009.

Nice one to sign off with for a little while; this superb adult Ornate Hawk-Eagle (one of a nesting pair at Chapada) gave us a fine performance after a bit of a wait in the midday sun. We kept a good distance, standing in the shade waiting for the bird to arrive as it called in the distance. Quite widespread, but scarce the Ornate Hawk-Eagle hunts birds, mammals and even reptiles in tropical and subtropical forests of Central and South America.





We spent quite a bit of time watching this bird but the forests of Chapada have plenty to offer. Band-tailed and Fiery-capped Manakins, Southern Antpipits, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Pheasant Cuckoo and Brown Jacamar are all regularly found.

Band-tailed Manakin, Chapada dos Guimaraes October 2009.

Lettered Aracari, Chapada dos Guimaraes October 2009.

LANCS: Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB.

If I'd found a Pec' Sand' or a Yellow-browed Warbler it would have been a pleasant late autumn afternoon on the Ribble Estuary. I didn't so it was a pleasant early winter's afternoon down at the reserve.
2 Little Grebe, 8 Mute Swans (no Whoopers), 1000+ Pink-footed Geese on the salt marsh, 25 Mallard, 35 Shelduck, 10 Teal, 3 Merlin, Common Buzzard, 6 Cormorants, 6 Little Egrets (no rings), 3 Grey Heron, 55 Curlew, 80 Redshank, 1 Snipe, 500+ Golden Plover (river), 1000+ Lapwing (river). Small stuff included 6 Fieldfares, a Mistle Thrush 3 Blackbirds, 2 Redwings in the hedgerow, 15+ Skylarks, 10+ Mipits and a single Reed Bunting on the marsh.

I stayed at HOM until dusk(ish) in the hope of Hen Harrier (one over at Warton this afternoon apparently) or Short-eared Owl but no luck. Someone at the HOM viewpoint said the Southport Shorelark was still around today. All good stuff.

BRAZIL: Chapada dos Guimaraes

Birding the Cerrado of the Agua Fria Road, Chapada dos Guimaraes, October 2009.

White-eared Puffbird, Chapada dos Guimaraes October 2009.

Chapada is one of my favourite sites on the Brazil birding circuit. Not as famous as the wetlands of the Pantanal or the endemic-rich Atlantic Forests, the Cerrado of Chapada holds many interesting birds typical of this rather arid stunted forest. Although the semi-humid forests near Chapada are well worthy of investigation the primary birding site here is the Cerrado along the Agua Fria Road. Unfortunately the habitat along this road is becoming a little degraded due to clearance and tipping, but most of the birds can still be found. These included Horned Sungem, Collared Crescentchest and Blue Finch.

Other sites within the park include the picturesque Veu de Noiva (Bride's Veil) waterfall. Waiting here in the late afternoon can be productive as Blue-winged Macaws, White-eyed Parakeets and Blue-headed Parrots come to roost. The rock face behind the waterfall is also used as a roosting spot for Great Dusky and Biscutate Swifts as well.

Chapada is the home to a variety of tanagers. The White-banded Tanager (above) is easy to see, even near the houses at the start of the road, as is the handsome White-rumped Tanager. Pairs of the latter can often be heard duetting in the mornings.

Rufous-winged Antshrike, Chapada dos Guimaraes October 2009.

I confessed to my soft spot for antbirds in a previous posting. They are vocal, quite easy to locate and a pleasure to see once in view. Chapada has a couple of very attractive of "ant-things" including Rusty-backed Antwren and this handsome male Rufous-winged Antshrike. This species is always quite co-operative and requires very little encouragement to come in and have a look at its admirers.

Eduardo Patrial watching the endemic Crested Black Tyrant at the Mirante (viewpoint), Chapada dos Guimaraes, October 2009.

Burrowing Owl, Chapada dos Guimaraes October 2009.

A sunny morning on the Cerrado will see White-eared Puffbirds belting out their strident song from an exposed perch. Less obvious, the Black-faced and Burnish-buff Tanagers (below) may be foraging nearby.

Burnish-buff Tanager, Veu de Noiva, Chapada dos Guimaraes October 2009.

Cinnamon Tanager, Agua Fria Road, Chapada dos Guimaraes October 2009.

Another endemic, the Cinnamon Tanager can be a tricky customer so it was nice to see one on our last morning in the Cerrado this year. The rather dull conditions didn't do the chances of photography any favours but no complaints as far as the views that were obtained of this scarce species.

Blue-winged Macaw, Agua Fria Road, Chapada dos Guimaraes October 2009.

BRAZIL: The Spix Fix

Sorry about that; just liked the headline.

I'm off to Brazil again in a few days so I thought I'd try to add a bit of cheer by revisiting the Pantanal with a few photos of colourful birds by the Pixaim in the Pantanal.

Rufous-bellied Thrush, Rio Pixaim, Pantanal September 2009.

OK, the Palm Tanager's not up to much but the Red-crested Cardinal makes up for it. All these were frequent bird table visitors just outside the hotel as was this Greyish Saltator.

Greyish Saltator is a pretty common bird over most of South America, often found near damp areas, riverine habitats or lakes. Basically anywhere near water. This Crab-eating Fox had become quite accustomed to the hotel grounds and its residents, often approaching for scraps of food in the evenings.

The Crested Caracara is a familiar bird to many birders visiting the Neotropics. Widespread and fairly numerous throughout the Americas this mainly carrion eater is now two species!

This one (in the Pantanal) is a Southern Caracara. Note the brownish, slightly mottled scapulars and pale brown lower back. There is a small contact area with Northern Caracaras (below) in northern Amazonian Brazil which also occurs in Cuba (where this bird was photographed), South America (south to northern Peru and northern Amazonian Brazil), Central America, Mexico and southernmost USA.

Northern Caracara, Cuba March 2008.

Northern Caracaras, like this one photographed in Guyana this year, have less extensive (more spotty) barring on the chest, blackish scapulars and lower back.
I'll be visiting the north-east of Brazil on the next trip, the home of many rare endemics. One I won't be seeing is the Spix's Macaw, now extinct in the wild. The failed re-introduction scheme (see BBC Wildlife cutting header photo) was well publicised and the female met with an untimely end (probably a collision with overheard cables). I was privileged to see the one remaining wild male back in the late 1990's, probably one of the last birders to see the bird in the wild. My excitement at seeing such a rare bird was stiffled somewhat with the realisation that I was in fact celebrating watching a bird on the brink of extinction in the wild. That memory will stay with me forever.

Common Caracaras?

LANCS: Ribble Coast & Marshes.

"Twitcher!" and "Stringer!": I've been accused of being both today. I have seen a lot of birds though; an awful lot.

Shore Lark, Southport 8 November 2009.

I suppose I did do a bit of twitching today. My original plan for today was another look at the Sizergh Hawfinches followed by some birding at some "new" sites in Cumbria.

Anyway all this changed roughly 4 pm on Saturday afternoon with the news of a Shore Lark at Southport. The dull afternoon and rain made a quick dash less than appealing so I decided to give it a go this morning with a more promising forecast as an incentive "to play it cool". I still ended up leaving in the rain this morning arriving at Weld Road in the drizzle. I had passed a small gathering of birders not looking in any direction in particular (never a good sign), but decided to give it a go with the rain easing. Thirty plus Twite "wheezing" in a tight flock was a nice start but as I neared the end of the saltings only a fine adult Med' Gull lifted my spirits as the all too familiar dipping feeling started to set in.

The comforting sight of a small huddle of green or camouflage-clad bodies a little way along the beach made me a little more optimistic. Indeed one of them was digiscoping so it's in the bag then? Thankfully my confidence was not misplaced and despite the rather bad light the Shore Lark showed really well, quite oblivious to the crowd of birders gathered now that the "negative news" had been rectified and the odd person out for a stroll.

Rare bird in the north west, my last Shore Larks were the Fairhaven / Star Gate birds (in the company of Snow Buntings) on the north side of the Ribble a few years back. I have to go back a long way for any large numbers; so far that I can't remember the date but I can remember a flock of 20+ (more?) on Blakeney Point and even a few on the east coast of Scotland as we returned from Shetland after seeing Harlequin Duck. Now that was twitching!

I left Weld Road and had a quick look on Southport Marine Lake for Scaup but couldn't find any Aythyas whatsoever and moved on for Marshside RSPB. Flocks of Skylarks, 3 Little Egrets, and several hundred Pink-footed Geese on the salt marsh opposite Hesketh Road with smaller numbers on the reserve viewed from the platform. Single Barnacle Goose with the Pinks on the reserve plus the usual large numbers of Wigeon and Teal.

Great-spotted Woodpecker and Kingfisher from the platform as I took in some sunshine thinking how good the Shore Lark would look in daylight!

I checked the marsh from Nel's Hide (250+ Black-tailed Godwits, Pintails, etc) , Junction Pool, Sandgrounders (5 Pochard on the pool and 50+ Golden Plover in the 1000+ Lapwings) and Stonechat on the old sandplant rubble.

Next stop was the sluice near Crossens Outer Marsh where I pulled off the road to check some geese. Nine Barnacle Geese were in with the Pink-feet and a Peregrine perched on a post. I counted the Little Egrets and I think I got to 15 when I heard some murmurings behind me about one of the egrets looking a bit big. I got on to the bird and although distant and no bare part colours could be seen, it was obvious we were looking at a Great White Egret.

Great White Egret, Crossens Outer / Banks Marsh, Lancs 8 November 2009.

It was a real thrill to see GWE on the Ribble once again, and even more so as this is a different bird to the one saw in September. Today's bird sports rings on both legs, appearing red and yellow at a distance. Unfortunately the closer I got to the GWE the more time it spent in the ditches and gutters. I'd say that this is probably the bird that appeared at Brockholes Quarry as the ring colour scheme was thought to be red / yellow at first (actually a combination of orange, lime and metal [Bill Aspin pers. comm]), but colours were difficult to confirm in such poor light.

Crossens was literally littered in birds this afternoon with thousands of Wigeon on the pools, smaller numbers of Teal, Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin and a couple of Black Swans. A huge flock of Lapwings with 1000+ Golden Plover whistling away as dusk approached.
As the afternoon drew to a close skeins of Pink-footed Geese began to arrive. I followed one group and noted a solid dark tail band contrasting with the white rump, differing from the Pink's grey band with white terminal tips. The dark back was noticeable and as the bird landed I could see it was one of the vagrant Canada Geese. Admittedly it was some distance and the light wasn't good enough for decent photos but it looks like the Lesser Canada Goose seen at Martin Mere WWT of late.
Mrs B accused me of stringing when I got home. Must've been a good day.