Slightly overcast and cooler conditions today produced a little more activity. A decent mixed species flock at the wetland included a pair of White-bellied Seedeater, a female Green-backed Becard, 1 White-winged Becard, 1 Yellow-browed Tyrant, 1 White-barred Piculet, 1 Chestnut-backed Antshrike, 1 Tropical Parula, 1 White-bearded Manakin, 1 Chestnut-vented Conebill, 2 Violaceous Euphonia, 2 Sayaca Tanager and singles of Brazilian, Palm and Yellow-backed Tanagers. Elsewhere around the wetland 1 Rufescent Tiger-Heron, 7 Capped Heron, 1 Striated Heron, 1 Muscovy Duck, several Blue-winged Parrotlets feeding on cecropia fruit, another Yellow-browed Tyrant, 1 Grey-breasted Martin and a Black-capped Donacobius were also seen.
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| Female White-bellied Seedeater |
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| Male Chestnut-backed Antshrike |
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| Muscovy Duck |
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| Blue-winged Parrotlet feeding on cecropia fruit |
A flurry of activity around the top of the canopy tower produced 1 Squirrel Cuckoo, 1 Violet-capped Woodnymph, 1 Red-eyed Vireo, 2 Black-goggled Tanager, 2 Flame-crested Tanager, 1 Fawn-breasted Tanager, 3 Blue Dacnis, 1 Chestnut-vented Conebill, 1 Tropical Parula and a pair of Orange-bellied Euphonia, but calling Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl and Channel-billed Toucan both remained out of sight.
The Canopy Loop, a short circular trail at the start of the São José Trail that leads to the canopy tower, is a regular wintering site for one of REGUA's speciality birds - Shrike-like Cotinga. I had just left the tower and was making my way along the trail when I found a male calling close to the trail. Hoping for a decent photo I climbed back up the tower and the bird came in but frustratingly remained very obscured in the trees. By now it was almost midday and bird activity much reduced. The only notable sightings on the Canopy Loop on the way back to the lodge were a White-barred Piculet and a White Witch Moth
Thysania agrippina on the side of a tree.
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| The canopy tower overlooks secondary lowland humid forest |
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| View from the top of the canopy tower overlooking the Guapiaçu valley |
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| The Canopy Loop - a regular site for Shrike-like Cotinga between April and August |
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White Witch Moth Thysania agrippina, Canopy Loop,
5 June 2012. This moth is believed to have the largest
wing-span of any moth or insect in the world, with a
record wing-span of 280 mm. |
Back at the lodge, a female Rufous-tailed Jacamar performed brilliantly in the garden, however, the highlight of the day was a Bat Falcon that circled the wetland twice in the evening before heading off. Bat Falcon is rare at REGUA and this is my first record here.
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| Female Rufous-tailed Jacamar |
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| Female Rufous-tailed Jacamar |
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