On the Solway.

Golden Plovers (foreground) with Knot and Oystercatchers in the Southerness Point roost,.

Back from a few days in Scotland. Nothing unusual to report and definitely no "Indian Summer" where I was working thanks to the "Dumfries Micro-climate" as usual. 

Sanderling, Dunlin and Ringed Plover on the beach in Gillfoot Bay, Southerness Point.

I didn't get too much free time for birding but the beach at Gillfoot Bay was littered with waders the other evening including an impressive 450+ Sanderling. They were in the company of Ringed Plovers and a few Dunlin but I couldn't find anything else with them unfortunately.

Sandwich Terns in Gillfoot Bay.

A spectacular gathering of waders roosting at high tide on the point included a pack of 500+ Knot, 600+ Oystercatchers and a few Bar-tailed Godwits and Curlews. No Purple Sandpipers as far as I could see, but every chance one or two were hiding amongst the rocks with the Turnstones there out of sight.

Knot, Oystercatcher, Bar-tailed Godwit and Curlew at Southerness Point.

A very pleasant walk along the shore at Carsethorn produced the usual Whimbrel (they appear to be resident here), with at least 3 on the beach. More Knot here (600+) - something I've not noted at Carsethorn in large numbers before and the usual huge Redshank flocks that the Nith appears to be very good for.

Whimbrels with Redshanks and Ringed Plovers at Carsethorn.

A single Grey Plover flew by as I scanned for any Scaup, which I didn't see but a few hundred should be here this time next month. A flock of 95 Turnstone with a few Dunlin showed nicely on the beach opposite the Steamboat Inn at high tide.


Barnacle Geese had started to arrive (although I didn't see any myself) and there were 6 Whooper Swans on the Solway near Gretna at the weekend so winter is just around the corner. With this weather (away from Dumfries at least), it's hard to believe.

Turnstones and Dunlin at Carsethorn.

An Eye for a Bird?

"An Eye for a Bird" by Eric Hosking was my first book on birds that wasn't a field guide. I was probably twelve or thirteen when I read it and it had quite an effect on my early birding years. The late Eric Hosking is of course well known as an accomplished, skilled and pioneering bird photographer and although I was not particularly interested in bird photography at the time, I found this book a fascinating insight into the world of birds and birding. Minsmere became a "must visit" place; eagles, harriers and Bitterns became "must see" birds and drift migration and huge wader roosts (see the chapter on Hilbre) just had to be experienced. "An Eye for a Bird" ignited my interest in travelling further afield in search of birds (particularly waders as I lived in land-locked Hertfordshire) and later re-reads were undoubtedly the catalyst for an interest in birding outside our shores. Above all it was a book written by a man absorbed in birds and dedicated to his family.

Margaret Hosking at REGUA, September 2011.

 Eric's daughter Margaret was at REGUA with us over the last fortnight so it was nice to chat about "An Eye for a Bird" with her. The above photo shows Margaret photographing a Crescent-chested Puffbird on the approach road to the Guapi Assu Lodge at REGUA this month.

Here it is ......... I dare say Margaret's photo is better though!

Full of western promise?

Northern Wheatear, Hesketh Out Marsh 22 September 2011. 

Garganey (right) with Teal, Banks Marsh 22 September 2011.

I was expecting a few waders from across the Atlantic locally (after the fast moving weather systems battering the Lancs coast while I was in Brazil), but arrived back in Lancashire late on Monday evening to the news that the Grey Phalarope located initially by Bill Aspin by the A59 bridge over the Ribble and subsequently by Pete Bainbridge on the river by the docks, was still present. Having a poor track records with local phalaropes of late (Red-necked and Grey disappearing the day after I arrived back from abroad), I wasn't too optimistic but decided to take the dog for a walk along the Ribble and see if it was still about on Tuesday morning.

A very educational morning:

• When BBC NorthWest Tonight weather forecast says "Rain easing by early morning", they mean the forecasters don't get up until nearly midday.
• It's very tricky birding with a 18 week-old puppy on a lead.
• It's no fun carrying bags of dog pooh and birding (makes sure you have a dog with you if you do this!).
• Digiscoping is impossible with a puppy on a lead.

But more importantly I DID see the Grey Phalarope on the Ribble near Penwortham Bridge. After 3 local Red-necks (Marshside and 2 at Martin Mere WWT) this was most welcome and many thanks to Bill and Pete for finding and relocating this bird.

A lunchtime message about a Sabine's Gull reported at Marshside had me heading out again but no sign unfortunately. Plenty of birds around though including several hundred Pink-footed Geese on Crossens Inner Marsh, as many Golden Plover at Crossens Outer and Bank's Marshes, 2 Green Sands at Banks and Avocet, 2 Marsh Harriers, Greenshank and 2 Sparrowhawks at Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB.

A Red Kite lingering at Martin Mere WWT was yesterday's target bird but typically for me at this locality I made hard work of seeing it. It finally appeared in gusty conditions, hanging over some distant woods best seen from the Ron Barker hide. By mid-afternoon a few Pink-footed Geese were dropping in and 12 Ruff fed in front of the hide. Very autumnal.

Late this moning I headed back to Preston (without the dog) in hope of  getting a photo of the phalarope (it was still there yesterday). However I couldn't find it and after an hour of searching I gave up having seen Kingfisher, Grey Wag', several Goosander and a single Common Sand'. 

A mid-afternoon visit to Hesketh Out Marsh started slowly, improving as I wandered back along the seawall with 160 Pink-footed Geese overhead, immature Marsh harrier over the saltmarsh, Greenshank, Avocet and 4 Wheatears noted too.

Late afternoon overlooking the NNR at Banks was most rewarding: Garganey, 2 Little Stints, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, Green Sand', 107 Golden Plover and a Ruff were all on view near Old Hollow Farm. 

Return from REGUA.

Green-headed Tanager. 

Blue-naped Chlorophonia.

 Back from Brazil after a fabulous two weeks plus at REGUA. Our final evening saw us night birding again with some great views of Giant Snipe, Spot-tailed Nightjar, Scissor-tailed Nightjar and a passing Nacunda Nighthawk. The latter is a scarce bird in the area and this record (maybe a REGUA first?) is hot on the heels of the small flock we saw last year a little further afield as we travelled back one late afternoon from a day excursion to the coast.

Grey-headed Kite from the lodge garden.

Our final morning was spent in the Onofre Cunha forest patch where we walked the "Trilha de Araponga" (Bellbird Trail). We saw a few Bellbirds of course but mostly immature males and Rufous Motmot performed very well there once again.

REGUA: Any puffbird day is a good day.

Buff-bellied Puffbird from the 4x4 Trail at REGUA this morning. 

 Early start once again with White-browed Blackbirds in the fields (above) shrouded by mist and a magical Atlantic Forest swathed backdrop. Can't beat it!

 We spent the whole morning on the 4x4 Trail in REGUA where the highlight (for me) was a pair of Buff-bellied Puffbirds on the stretch above Casa Anibal. Haven't seen one of these for many years (Ubatuba in the 90's?) so I was very pleased indeed. A slightly less showy Crescent-chested Puffbird was appreciated nonetheless.

Barred Forest-Falcon, 2 Black-and-white Hawk Eagles with a Black Hawk-Eagle in the air together (!), Red-necked Tanagers, Rufous-headed Tanagers, Spot-billed Toucanet and a few Red-cowled Cardinals made it another great morning's birding.


Can't remember a better week than this in the Atlantic Forests (and I've done quite a few). 

REGUA: Serra dos Orgaos.

Blue Manakin.

We visited the Serra dos Orgaos NP yesterday (16th); my first time for many years. A raised walkway has been constructed since my last visit when we walked the rocky trail up to the elfin forest to see Grey-winged Cotinga (much easier at Caledonia!).

Sharpbill.

I can't remember seeing (or hearing) so many Sharpbills at one site, their high-pitched "dropping bomb" song ringing out throughout the forest. A few in the mixed species flocks too.

Plenty of action the whole time with passing banks of cloud making life interesting at times as we walked through the mid-levels of the trees, peering down to the forest floor from time to time.

It's a great way to bird the Atlantic Forests as long as there's not too many in a group of course. No leaf-litter noise as you walk the trails and less chance of "Neotropical neck" with reduced gazing up into the canopy as most birds pass at eye-level.

One of three Spot-billed Toucanets that perched beautifully above the trails as the cloud rolled in!

Some great additions to our trip list included many Brazilian and Atlantic Forest endemics and regionally restricted birds like Brazilian Antthrush, Black-billed Scythebill, Pin-tailed Manakin, Pale-browed Treehunter, Rufous-capped Spinetails, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser and White-throated Woodcreepers were all seen well.

Black-goggled Tanager.

The higher elevation (than REGUA) of 1100 metres gave us different selection of birds and the bird flocks were very impressive indeed. Many Brassy-breasted and Brown Tanagers led the line with Sharp-billed Treehunters, White-browed and Buff-fronted Foliage-Gleaners, Green-backed Becard, Scaled and Planalto Woodcreepers, Yellow-eared and Yellow-browed Woodpeckers as the air filled with the sound of bellbirds and Hooded Berryeaters. The pool near the car park had Sharp-tailed Streamcreepers too.
We ended the day in a subtly different habitat (dryer forest) above nearby Teresopolis where Aplomado Falcons, Curl-crested Jays, White-vented Violetear, Ultramarine Grosbeak, Spix's Spinetail, Rufous-capped Antshrike and Glittering-bellied Emerald finished the day off nicely.

Aplomado Falcons.

REGUA: Back to the coast.

Greater Yellowlegs. 

Lesser Yellowlegs.

White-cheeked Pintail.

 We took another day trip to the coast today (15th) in hope of some more waders and a bit of Restinga birding. The coastal woodland and scrub of Praia da Concha (below) was very good indeed and we were soon watching Hangnest Tody-Tyrant, Restinga Antwren and Sooretama Slaty-Antshrikes.

Best of all we saw a Black-backed Tanager for the second year running; a tough bird to see in this habitat and yet another of eastern Brazil's threatened species.

The sea wasn't as rough this week and although we didn't find any Magellanic Penguins (last year was good for them here) we managed great views of Brown Boobies (above) fishing close inshore, Cayenne and South American Terns.

Cabo Frio.

Burrowing Owl.

Little Blue Heron.

 Little Blue Herons, Great Egrets (below), Pied-billed Grebe, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Black-necked Stilts, a Pectoral Sandiper, Semipalmated Plovers, a Royal Tern and several Roseate Spoonbills were on show at the marshes and mangroves as we headed back to REGUA in the mid-afternoon.

Greater (left) and Lesser Yellowlegs.

REGUA: Cotinga heaven.

Shrike-like Cotinga, REGUA 14 September 2011. 

Really pushing our luck now. After a busy start to our walk on the Sao Jose trail this morning the bird activity seemed to die down with increased humidity. We'd retraced our steps to the area where we heard Shrike-like Cotinga at the weekend but no sign this morning. Nice early mixed feeding flock action though: White-eyed Foliage-Gleaner, Greyish Mourner, Unicolored and White-flanked Antwren, Red-crowned Ant-Tanagers with Dusky-capped Flycatcher new for the trip.
A walk along the lower part of the trail produced little really (no sign of last weekend's Southern Antpipit or Black-cheeked Gnateater) so we had a look at the new tower hide site. This Shrike-like Cotinga was picked up in a mixed feeding flock of ant-tanagers, Grey-hooded Attila and Plain-winged Woodcreeper; first located bashing a huge caterpillar against branches. I had no idea these cotingas joined feeding flocks as we've normally located singing birds here at REGUA in the past. REGUA has to be the most reliable site to find this bird, but it was still a nice surprise even after yesterday's haul of cotingas.

REGUA: Cotinga day.

Grey-winged Cotinga, Pico Caledonia 13 September 2011. 

A day trip from REGUA to the highlands near Nova Friburgo was very successful indeed. The threatened Grey-winged Cotinga is probably easier to see here than any of the other three localities it is currently known from. It lives in the humid elfin cloud forests around 2000 metres above sea level and is endemic to the Atlantic Forests of eastern Brazil. 

Black-and-Gold Cotinga, Pico Caledonia 13 September 2011.

 We also managed to see the only other member of the genus Tijuca today; the Black-and-Gold Cotinga. It lives at lower altitudes than the Grey-winged and is best looked for by searching the canopy.

Pico Caledonia today: Fire is the greatest threat to the Grey-winged Cotinga.

 I was saddened to see how much of Caledonia had been burnt by recent fires. With the dry season coming to an end the threat must be reduced but the rains can't come quick enough for this area.

 Today was without doubt one of my most memorable days in the Atlantic Forests, with so many rare highland species recorded. Our Cotinga treble was completed late in the day in the lower sections of Caledonia when Leonardo discovered a pair of Swallow-tailed Cotingas high on a ridge.

Leonardo Pimental on Pico Caledonia today. Note the burning forest patch!

 Other birds today: Velvety-Black Tyrant, Highland Elaenia, Rufous-tailed Antbird, Rufous-backed Antvireo, Green-winged and Thick-billed Saltator, Orange-eyed Thornbird, Pallid Spinetail, Bay-chested Warbling-Finch, Large-tailed Antshrike, Brassy-breasted Tanager, Plovercrest, Rufous Gnateater, Dusky-tailed Antbird, Giant Antshrike, Buff-browed Foliage-Gleaner, Yellow-browed Woodpecker, Serra do Mar Tyrannulet, Diademed Tanager, Serra do Mar Tyrant-Manakin, Blue-billed Black Tyrant, Mouse-coloured Tapaculo all recorded today.......

Many thanks Leo!

REGUA: Bellbirds!

Bare-throated Bellbird, REGUA 11 September 2011.

REGUA guide Adelei and I took a trip out to one of REGUA's newest properties yesterday morning where we watched at least 8 Bare-throated Bellbirds in the forest canopy. They started "clanging" around 0630 and this male was still at it at 10.00 when we left. One emergent tree had at least 4 bellbirds visiting its topmost branches, mostly females and immature males throughout the morning. Several Rufous-capped Motmots and a few Black-necked Aracaris and Channel-billed Toucans were seen during the outing as well.

REGUA: Long-tailed Potoo.

Not easy to see from this angle?

 We took the truck out to the 4x4 Trail this afternoon and the Long-tailed Potoo was in residence.

But with a minor adjustment ........

Long-tailed Potoo seen well!

A very pleasant afternoon, even if the weather wasn't great, with Rusty-margined Flycatcher, White-thighed Swallow, Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, Green-headed Tanagers, Yellow-eared Woodpecker and a smart Laughing Falcon with a snake in its talons all seen. Green-winged Saltator from the garden and White-bellied Seedeater this morning were new for the trip too.