After an overnight storm we woke to clearing skies (and it didn't stop the cockerel from crowing at 3am!!) and after a 5.30am breakfast we set off along the dirt road in the minibus. Our first stop was to check out an area of grassland that Ciro knew was good for Copper Seedeater and sure enough we enjoyed fine views of this scarce species.
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| Copper Seedeater |
However, this was completely overshadowed by the 3 Pinnated Bitterns we watched flying around the marsh below us and even had scope views of one stationery bird! Wow! Oh and I’m forgetting the pair of White-bellied Nothuras that we watched from the minibus as they walked along the track next to us. Not a bad start huh?
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| White-browed Antpitta - another NE Brazil endemic |
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| Planalto Slaty Antshrike (female) - endemic |
Anyway, things got even better if that’s at all possible when on entering the trail through some great caatinga forest we heard and eventually saw well, a pair of endemic White-browed Antpittas. Stunning birds and one to get the pulse racing for sure. Next up was a pair of Planalto Slaty Antshrikes posing well beside the path. An Ochre-cheeked Spinetail made a mockery of the previous poor views we’d had by prostituting itself in front of us! In between the mega birds we’d been finding consistently there were also some commoner things like Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Greenish Elaenia, Chestnut-vented Conebill etc. But next up was the mega endemic Great Xenops and we had repeated views of several individuals all along this trail. What a bird!
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| Great Xenops - and yes, another endemic! |
An Ash-throated Casiornis was a real surprise, whilst the superb views of Ochre-backed Woodpecker were awesome and a Caatinga Antwren was really cool too!
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| Ochre-backed Woodpecker - endemic |
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| Caatinga Antwren |
A Golden-green Woodpecker, Flavescent Warbler and Sooty-fronted Spinetail rounded off our morning and we returned to the minibus by 11am in order to get back to the lodge for lunch and a long siesta, as boy its hot here!
At 3pm we set out in the minibus to another area of caatinga where the lodge owner knew about an active Spotted Piculet nest. We found the dead tree, saw the nest hole but no piculet. Instead we had a cracking view of an Ochre-backed Woodpecker at its nest hole!
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| Ochre-backed Woodpecker - and still endemic |
The same spot had White-crested and Mouse-coloured Tyrannulets and a pair of Chivi Vireos. A short walk along the track was good as we had a pair of Silvery-cheeked Antshrikes, and a fine ‘Caatinga’ Barred Antshrike – a potential split.
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| Silvery-cheeked Antshrike - endemic |
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| 'Caatinga' Barred Antshrike - a potential split and another possible endemic |
A Long-billed Wren was also glimpsed here but at our next stop most of us saw the wren better. A Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant appeared, along with an Ultramarine Grosbeak and a female Ruby Topaz but it was a little late in the day and things had died down, although we also saw Burnished-buff and Hooded Tanagers and a flyover Least Nighthawk. What a day...
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