Sunday, November 27, 2022

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.



Tuesday, November 22, 2022

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.