Brazil Day 10 (18Aug2022) - Aymara and Rio Pixaim

We woke on our second day at Aymara by exploring the grounds and entrance road some more.  In the poor early morning light we had our best looks at the Planalto Woodcreeper but again it was too quick.

Planalto Woodcreeper

Planalto Woodcreeper

Bare-faced Curassow

Undulated Tinamou

Black-striped Capuchin

South American Coati

Yellow-rumped Cacique

Green Kingfisher

Sunbittern - this is a species that everyone tries to get with open wings.  I don't think anyone in the group came away with very good open-winged shots.

Pale-legged Hornero - these were much less common than the Rufous Horneros.

Black-striped Capuchin

Black-fronted Nunbird

We hit the road relatively early but made a bunch of stops on the way further south along the Transpantaneira.  

Jabiru with young.

Plumbeous Ibis

Plumbeous Ibis with a Roseate Spoonbill

Plumbeous Ibis adult with begging young.

It's amazing how far down the bill of the young goes into the adult's throat.

Bare-faced Ibis

Roseate Spoonbill

Upon arrival at the Hotel Pantanal on the Rio Pixaim we were supposed to go on an afternoon boat ride to look for local specialty birds like the Kingfishers but also the Agami Heron.  However, mother nature kicked up some serious wind and intermittent rain that forced us to postpone for the next morning.  That didn't stop me from exploring the grounds.

Spirit Ground Snake - oddly I couldn't find much of anything on this snake except some pics from the pantanal that helped seal the ID.

White-lined Broad-nosed Bat

Giant Ameiva

Vermilion Flycatcher

The lime-green wings of Wattled Jacanas are gorgeous but hard to capture.

Peach-fronted Parakeet

Safron Finch

Greater Thornbird 

Grayish Baywing

Unicolored Blackbird

Bare-faced Ibis

Sayaca Tanager

Purplish Jay

White-winged Swallow

Blue-gray Saltator

Jabiru with a Crested Caracara for perspective.

Striated Heron

Rufous-browed Peppershrike

White-rumped Monjita

White-lored Spinetail

As the light faded on another day in Brazil, some nighthawks came out to feed over the Rio Pixaim.

Band-tailed Nighthawk - I couldn't believe my luck with this shot (ISO 6400).

I wasn't crazy about Hotel Pantanal at the time, but now I realize some of my better photos came from there.

Brazil Day 9 (17Aug2022) - Aymara Lodge

We woke to the sounds of the jungle on Day 9 at the famous Aymara Lodge.  This beautiful lodge is well positioned on a small river in the jungle with plenty of trails to explore.  Check out the website if you like. https://www.aymaralodge.com/

If you are a photo snob and only like crisp shots, then maybe skip this post.  The jungle is always tough for photography because of the low light but also the foliage makes it easy for birds to hide.

This Black-striped Capuchin was one of the first critters to greet us after breakfast.

This Flavescent Warbler was deep in the brambles but I managed to squeak an in between sticks shot.

White-lored Spinetail 

Pale-crested Woodpecker

Olivaceous Woodcreeper - these are wide ranging.  I think I have seen them in the Yucatan and Costa Rica.

Orange-winged Parrot is a species that always seems to be way at the top of a tall tree.

Fuscous Flycatcher

Greenish Elaenia

Narrow-billed Woodcreeper

When I refer to this as jungle, its not really a super wet jungle and there were some places where the canopy was quite open which made it get hot quickly.

Swainson's Flycatcher - hopefully I am not giving the impression that Swainson's Flycatchers were common, its just that when we had one I devoted my time to try and photograph it.  The Short-crested Flycatcher was much more common.

Yellow-olive Flycatcher

Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher

Almost looks like a different bird when it puts its "crest" up.

Hooded Tanager

Plain Tyrannulet

Glittering-throated Emerald - finally got one that lived up to its name.

Parrot Snake!

Gray-headed Tanager

Stripe-necked Tody-Tyrant

Band-tailed Antbird

Solitary Black Cacique

Planalto Slaty-Antshrike

Fork-tailed Woodnymph 

It was a long walk through the forest and it got really hot so I went for a dip in the pool when we got back. The cool water from the pool refreshed me so I got the old crusher and walked the grounds.

Black-fronted Nunbird

Buff-throated Woodcreeper

Great Rufous Woodcreeper

Crested Caracara

Great Rufous Woodcreeper

Great Rufous Woodcreeper with a frog!

Blue-throated Piping Guan

Red-throated Piping Guan

At this point the rest of the gang joined up and we walked the entrance road.

Black-striped Capuchin

Ruddy Ground Dove

Gray-cowled Wood-Rail

Mata Grosso Antbird - a notoriously skulky bird.

Fuscous Flycatcher

Rusty-margined Flycatcher

Black-collared Hawk

As the sun was starting to set we ran into some good birds in the wetlands about a couple hundred yards out from the lodge.

This Bran-colored Flycatcher stayed deep in the reeds and all I could muster was this heavily cropped shot.

White-bellied Seedeater

Chestnut-bellied Guan

Unicolored Blackbird

Jabiru

Jabiru with Wood Storks 

Great Black Hawk

Rufescent Tiger-Heron

Pale-legged Hornero

The day ended way too quickly and I felt my time at Aymara was slipping away.  I wouldn't mind spending a week at this place.