Another early morning bridge visit, this time I had my camera and flash. The Streamcreeper was again on view - a misleading description for the extreme gloom of the riverside below. However, I attempted some photos, mainly guessing at the bird's position, managing the following digi enhanced and cropped shot.
After breakfast,an hour's drive via Brazil's lingerie capital, Nova Friburgo. The drive through the latter caused much hilarity on the bus, most shops seemed to consist of large window displays of scanty-underwear clad women, as did the large roadside billboards. Via a very steep, cobbled and narrow road through secondary forest we arrived at a higher altitude trail. The minibus struggled, so part of the way along, half the party and Peter got out and the rest of us groaned uphill for a further fifteen minutes. Again the bus struggled, we had to get out earlier than 'usual' whilst it returned for the jettisoned party. Warned not to climb any higher, we saw some bird movement, eventually having very good views of a flock of seven target birds, Diademed Tanager. Fortunately - for the group - the flock remained in the vicinity to allow the remaining half to see them too.
An hour's slow amble downhill produced some excellent birds. Pam managed to photo a male Black and Gold Cotinga, silhouetted on a bare branch, with her Canon Ixus.
Best birds for me were, Bay-chested Warbling Finch, Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant (because I saw it first!), a brief view of Plovercrest, all the Antshrikes, Antbirds and a Brazilian Antthrush. The Ant+ birds are skulkers, many not responding to tape lures as well as they did earlier in the season. Both Peter and Chris have green laser pointers, which makes locating the birds for all of us to see much easier. The Brassy-breasted Tanager (what an unfortunate name for a lovely bird) was a good sighting too.
The handsome male Brazilian Ruby and White-throated Hummingbird showed well.
The next destination was labelled the 'low altitude' walk but was still a steepish climb on a dirt track. The minibus stopped overlooking a verdant valley, with a few villas dotted about.
We collected our packed lunch of two filled rolls (contents ordered last night) a handful of goodies from the lucky dip bag - chocolate bars, pink wafers, bags of rock hard nuts and some fig roll type things - and an apple, and walked a hundred metres down a cobbled avenue to the track below.Judy, Pam and I often loitered along the hot valley floor to photograph butterflies but didn't miss any of the few birds seen.
Deep-hedge skulking Red-eyed Thornbirds (this one has orange eyes) exercised persistence, a White-tailed Hawk flew across the hillside, our first Turkey Vultures spiralled lazily on the morning thermals. A very distant scoped bird was pronounced to be a Cliff Flycatcher. Oh for better views. A steep slope near a small farmstead had two young Burrowing Owls in the shade of a bush, luckily Peter knew of their nesthole, they were not easy to locate. Lindsay was delighted as they were much wanted birds. Noisy but delightful Campo Flickers flew across the near horse paddock hillside, occasionally perching for better views.
The top of the climb had some welcome rocks where most of us could perch in the shade to eat our 12.40 lunch. Chris and Helena motioned us to take over their seat which we gratefully accepted. Old age has some advantages - as long as there are thoughtful people about. Bird guide Peter sat in the sun.....
Setting off still further and downhill, we heard Peter mention ' two or three hours more' so we decided to remain where we were. The thought of climbing back up again in the heat when, already we have noticed that, as usual in the tropics, bird activity is minimal late morning/early afternoon. We stayed in the area for an hour, having very good views of an Eulers Flycatcher, before making our leisurely way downhill. No birds seen nor heard until we reached the valley floor with its villas in extensive grounds where we had excellent views of the Red-eyed Thornbirds and a Black-headed Tityra perched treetop (the only one seen by anyone the whole trip).
After a short detour (Pam missed the turnoff and she's usually better at remembering routes),we climbed wearily up the cobbled road towards the van. 'Oh look, there are some geese in there' I said waving at a pasture on the left. I hastily changed it to 'Two Red-legged Seriemas'. Fantastic looking birds with their grey plumed heads.
We then sat on the raised road edge looking down over the valley, hounded by small flies, birding. After 3 p.m. an excellent 40 minutes or so with much activity to keep us enthralled. Hooded Siskins in the trees overhead, White-eyed Parrots flying and perching in full view, a Yellow-browed Woodpecker (this one's White-browed!), humping up a bare trunk in the sunlight, Rufous-capped Greenlet and many of the commoner species.
At about 4.20 the gang appeared, waving, before trudging up the hill, Peter trotting towards us to inform us of the Seriemas, bless him. We assured him we'd seen them and, on request, told him what we'd seen. They'd also seen the same birds bar the Tityra and very little indeed after they'd left us. Very satisfying that the last half hour had been so productive.
After the hour's drive back to the Lodge, shattered........we showered, washed hair, ate supper, downloaded photographs and retired to bed.
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