Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 9 June

We decided to push ahead with today's planned trip to Rio de Janeiro despite the continued heavy rain. I was hoping to get some decent photos of the habituated Channel-billed Toucans that inhabit Rio de Janeiro's Botanical Garden (Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro), but decided there was no point taking my DSLR considering the current weather conditions.

We logged a few species from the minibus as we entered Rio via the President Costa e Silva (or Rio–Niterói) Bridge including 1 Cocoi Heron, 2 Little Blue Heron, a Brown-hooded Gull, several South American Tern and close views of the ever present Magnificent Frigatebirds. We met Nicholas, Raquel, Robert and Micaela Locke at about 8:30 at the Botanical Garden and immediately dived into the new cafe for an espresso and a pain au raisin, temporarily avoiding the monsoon conditions outside.

Splashing around the partly flooded gardens we managed close views of several Rusty-margined Guan, 7 Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail and 5+ Channel-billed Toucan - three species that are very shy elsewhere, but otherwise birding was difficult with little in the way of activity and further sightings totalled just 1 Cocoi Heron, 1 Great Egret, many Black Vulture, 1 Southern Caracara, c8 White-eyed Parakeet, 1 Wing-banded Hornero, 3 Masked Water-Tyrant, Great Kiskadee, 1 Southern House Wren, several Rufous-bellied Thrush, 1 Pale-breasted Thrush, 2 Palm Tanager, several Green-headed Tanager, 2 Rufous-collared Sparrow, 6 Saffron Finch and 2m Double-collared Seedeater, with both Maroon-bellied and Plain Parakeets being heard only. A troop of around 8 Brown Capuchin Monkeys Cebus apella and a Brazilian Squirrel Sciurus aestuans made up slightly for the lack of bird sightings. Despite the weather the botanical garden was excellent and I really enjoy birding here whenever I get the chance (proper posts about birding in Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro here and here).

The Avenue of Royal Palms

Meu bom amigo Adilei and me in Rio Botanical Garden (Photo by Rachel Walls)

Magnificent Frigatebirds constantly patrol the skies over downtown Rio

Phallus indusiatus, Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro

In the afternoon the rain eased a little, so being complete masochists we decided to visit Forte de Copacabana - a military fort at the southern end of Copacabana Beach and one of the venues for Rio+20 - where we could be sure to find some strong onshore winds to get battered around in. Birding from the end of the fort was actually pretty good, with many Brown Boobies streaming north close inshore in strong south-easterlies, along with 4 Kelp Gull and 2 South American Tern, and a mental Snowy Egret trying to catch fish in perhaps the most exposed spot in Rio! Hoards of Magnificent Frigatebirds and Black Vultures were constant companions over the tower blocks of downtown Rio and a single Ruddy Ground-Dove and House Sparrow feeding amongst the Feral Pigeons completed the day's list.

Rio+20 venue under construction at Forte de Copacabana

Bonkers! REGUA supporter Sue Healey, Nicholas Locke and me looking good and
battling the wind at Forte de Copacabana in Rio. (Photo by Rachel Walls)