REGUA, Atlantic Forest, Brazil: 12 November

Our final day in Brazil, and a marathon day at that! At 02:45, Adilei, Helen and I found ourselves blurry eyed and yawning on the Onofre Cunha Trail for our last night walk. Once again things were rather quiet but a Black-capped Screech-Owl (photo 1) showed well, and 2 Black-banded Owl were seen in their usual spot but typically remained just out of DSLR range. A Mottled Owl was heard but there was no sign of any Tawny-browed Owls so we drove to another site, where immediately on arrival we found a Tawny-browed perched up in a cecropia. Mission accomplished! 3 Pauraque on the dirt roads were a bonus, but by now the rapidly gathering light was bringing the mornings night-birding to an end.

Black-capped Screech-Owl on the Onofre Cunha Trail

We decided on a dawn visit to the area of agricultural land at Areal (photo 2) that has become another regular Giant Snipe site, to try and catch up with a few species that are difficult on the reserve now that the reforested areas are becoming more established. 1 Savanna Hawk, 2 Plain-breasted Ground-Dove (scarce here), a Burrowing Owl, 2 Grassland Sparrow, 2 Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch, 1 Red-cowled Cardinal, 2 Chopi Blackbird, several White-browed Blackbird and a group of Common Waxbill were amongst the birds seen against a backdrop of displaying Blue-black Grassquits and a beautiful sunrise. There's nothing quite like grasslands at dawn.

Sunrise at Areal

After breakfast back at the lodge I was out again, this time mapping in detail the two trails we marked yesterday. Starting on the Wetland Trail, I had only got to post 300 when I noticed a small black and white tyrant-flycatcher flying out from the bank towards a small grassy island. I knew immediately that this was no White-headed Marsh-Tyrant, but a Black-backed Water-Tyrant, and a new bird for REGUA! Landing in a dead bush, it frustratingly remained rather obscured before flying off just a minute or so later. I was sure that this species was not normally found in RJ state, and only had a few terrible record shots. After over an hour of searching there was no further sign of it so I continued walking the trail hoping to refind it. By now it was getting hot and several White-faced Whistling-Duck (photo 3), 3 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, 18 Masked Duck (the highest count of the trip), 1 Capped Heron, 2 Snowy Egret, 1 Squirrel Cuckoo, 2 Greater Ani, 1 Wing-banded Hornero, 1-2 Cattle Tyrant (now rather scarce at the wetland), 1 Short-crested Flycatcher and a Black-capped Donacobius were the best of the other birds seen.

White-faced Whistling-Ducks

A quick walk mid afternoon to map the new Forest Trail found very little bird activity, with a Blond-crested Woodpecker being the most noteworthy sighting. With only two hours left before we had to leave for the airport, I was almost back at the lodge when I refound the Black-backed Water-Tyrant. It was a little distant but I spent half an hour watching it and taking some slightly better photos, before all too soon I had to leave it and rush back for dinner, pack and say my goodbyes. It would have been nice to have had another day to try and get some better shots but I couldn't have asked for a better end to the trip (separate post on this bird to follow).