NE Brazil Day 2

We set off at first light to walk another trail through yet more excellent forest and the first bird of the day was a Red-cowled Cardinal perched by the minibus. We had just started along the trail when a Pale-legged Hornero appeared and shortly after seeing this we began a protracted but ultimately frustrating battle with an Ochre-backed Woodpecker. It showed several times but never out in the open, leaving most of the group with untickable views.  So moving on we saw Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Common Waxbill, Caatinga Puffbird, Blue-winged Parrotlet, Orange-headed Tanager and Grey-headed Spinetail all quite well despite the low cloud and dull visibility. 

Blue-winged Parrotlet

Caatinga Puffbird

A Sooty-fronted Spinetail skulked low down in some bushes, a Plain Antvireo played hard to get, but a male Band-tailed Manakin showed very well. A Gray-lined Hawk flew around the hillside, and the next section of trail produced a Gray Elaenia that came in to check us out, there were further views of Ceara Gnateater, a stunning Red-billed Scythebill showed really well, Lafresnaye’s Woodcreeper would have blotted the sun out if it was indeed out, a few Burnish-buff Tanagers appeared, followed by a Large Elaenia, and the action never slowed. 

Ceara Gnateater

We did battle with Ochre-cheeked Spinetail once again but this time it actually showed at eye-level for a little while, and on the return a male Violaceous Euphonia was perched next to a female Purple-throated Euphonia and a pair of Little Woodpeckers fed beside the path.

After breakfast we left and drove some to hours to Quixada, driving through a scenery of Caatinga with low scrub and bushes. Species such as Savanna Hawk appeared and at a lake we scoped approx. 7 Masked Ducks amongst some White-faced Whistling-Ducks. At least 3 Southern Lapwings were also seen, as well as a pair of Yellow-chinned Spinetails. And then, after a ten minute drive we were driving up onto an escarpment amidst dry, arid caatinga and watching a pair of Pygmy Nightjars at their day roost beside the swimming pool of our hotel! There was also a flock of Biscutate Swifts flying over the hillside and a Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle as well. Brazil rocks!

Pygmy Nightjar

After a little siesta we walked along a trail and found Scaled Doves to be common, a pair of Common Tody-Flycatchers, Dark-billed Cuckoo, Variable Oriole and a pair of nesting Crested Becards. Luckily we dallied to watch the cuckoo as just then a pair of endemic White-browed Guans were spotted feeding across the pond and gave great views in the scope, along with endemic White-naped Jay and some White-tipped Doves. Walking up the hill we had several views of the endemic Ochre-backed Woodpecker, as well as Grey Pileated Finch, a pair of awesome Black-bellied Antwrens and a Rufous-browed Peppershrike. Scope views 

of the endemic Cactus Parakeet followed as we walked back down the track and just around the corner a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl stared down at us from some bamboo. We walked to the edge of the escarpment and scoped a pool below where several Least Grebes could be seen and a Savanna Hawk was seen by all. The steep road down was productive with White-winged Becardand Greenish Elaenia in the same tree.

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl

The open fields and bushes were alive with birds. A mad half an hour produced White-browed Meadowlarks singing from exposed perches, endemic Caatinga Cacholotes were obvious, Chalk-browed Mockingbird and a Green-barred Woodpecker posed on some fence posts, a flock of endemic White-throated Seedeters were scoped, endemic Pale Baywings flew into some bushes in front of us, a Grassland Sparrow sang from a sparse bush and a pair of Brazilian Teals were seen.