REGUA, Atlantic Forest, Brazil: 21 July

Decided on a morning visit to the Waldenoor area today. The dirt road up the Matumbo valley produced a very obliging Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (photo 1), 4 White-eared Puffbirds, a pair of Double-collared Seedeaters (the first of this common bird I'd seen this trip), 2 Shiny Cowbirds and this Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth Bradypus variegatus (photo 2) crossing the road and blocking our path. After taking a few photos Adilei placed it gently in a tree out of harms way (photo 3).

Eyes in the back of the head - click photo to enlarge

Towards the top the 'road' becomes too steep to drive safely and you need to walk the last few hundred metres to the trail head. However, it was very windy from this point onwards and there were few birds in evidence. 2 Mantled Hawk and a Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle were soaring overhead and 2 Blue-winged Parrotlet, a Tropical Pewee (a winter visitor here), 1 Chestnut-crowned Becard and a showy Blue-naped Chlorophonia were the only birds of note actually seen.

The trail at the end of the dirt road that leads to the disused house where Waldenoor (the previous owner of the land here) once lived was more productive but still relatively quiet. The highlights were a flock of 10 Brassy-breasted Tanager (a good record for the reserve) and a troop of Brown Capuchin Monkeys Cebus apella moving through the trees. Other birds seen include 1 Grey-fronted Dove (the first I've ever seen on the deck), about 10 Plain Parakeet, 3-4 Pileated Parrot, 2-3 Grey-rumped Swift, 1 White-chinned Sapphire, 1 Rufous-breasted Leaftosser out in the open, 1 Sepia-capped Flycatcher, 1 Yellow-olive Flycatcher, 1 Blue Manakin, another Chestnut-crowned Becard, 1 Black-goggled Tanager, 1 Flame-crested Tanager, just a single Green-headed Tanager and 3 Yellow-green Grosbeak.