As we prepared for our first excursion, Cattle Egret
were leaving their roosting trees around the wetland. The Swallow-tailed Hummingbirds continued to
defend their respective feeders and the Violet-capped Woodnymphs and Glittering-throated Emeralds did their best
to avoid attack.
We took the 4X4 vehicle along the road from the Lodge and
Yellow-headed Caracara sat in the trees and fields nearby. An American Kestrel sat on a wire, whilst
Burrowing Owl and Yellowish Pipit gave great views.
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| Rufous-tailed Jacamar |
We drove as far along the trail as possible and then started
our walk. Channel-billed Toucan called and
Adilei pointed out five sitting in a distant tree. Scaled Antbird started to call and with some
playback came close in. Blue Manakin
were lekking, and as we watched and waited we gradually found them perched deep
in the forest behind some large trees – not great views but at least we managed
to see a whole bird occasionally.
Chestnut-vented Conebill and Eye-ringed Tody-tyrant were our next
sightings, and then we started a rather long section with no hint of avian
distraction. Claire, however, decided to amuse us and as she followed along behind the group, she spotted a snake
which the rest of us had passed. It was
lying over a boulder in the centre of the path – any one of us could have
stepped on it, and some of us must have stepped over it! A Bothrops jararacucu, not a good type to
meddle with, but at least it was a small example. We took our photos from a distance before
our guide gently removed it with a stick into the undergrowth on the side of
the forest for safety.
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| Bothrops jararacucu |
Scaly-headed Parrot flew noisily overhead. A few spots of rain soon turned into a
downpour and after about 20 minutes we decided that our birding for the morning
was over, so we returned to the vehicle and then the lodge.
After another excellent lunch some of us decided to take a
walk to the Wetland again. We were
rewarded with White-chinned Sapphire, Orange-bellied Euphonia, Violaceous
Euphonia, Savannah Hawk, Roadside Hawk, Smooth-billed Ani, White-faced
Whistling Duck, Short-crested Tyrannulet, Hooded Tanager, Chestnut-capped
Blackbirds coming into roost in the reedbeds, brilliant views of Striated Heron
which flew into a tree immediately in front of us, Yellow-bellied Elaenia,
Crested Becard, Least Grebe, Neotropic Cormorant, Ringed Kingfisher. Then we added two non-avian species, Capybara
and Caiman.
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| Just part of the Cattle Egret Roost |
As darkness fell we returned to the lodge and as we
approached the garden Ken signalled for us to stop as a Rusty-margined Guan was
on the bird table eating bananas.
Over dinner the drinks flowed as Ron was leaving us in the
morning and had a bottle of red wine to share, then the gin, Bacardi and brandy
appeared - on top of the delicious Caipirinha it was all a bit much!
