REGUA, Atlantic Forest, Brazil: 12 September

We decided to set our second camera trap towards the top of the Elfin Forest Trail. This trail climbs steeply to over 900 metres, is very remote and passes through excellent selectively logged primary forest. Previous visits have found numerous tracks and signs of Puma Puma concolor, including kills, and so for a long time we've wanted to position a camera trap here, however, this mean't a long walk and an early start.

The dirt road from the reserve entrance to the trail head at Casa Pesquisa produced 2 Fork-tailed Flycatcher (the first reported at REGUA this spring), 1 Grassland Sparrow, 1 White-browed Blackbird and several Blue-black Grassquit.

The Waterfall Trail was extremely quiet, but did produce a surprise adult male Shrike-like Cotinga at post 500 (I was expected the males to be back on territory at higher altitudes by now) and also 2 Crescent-chested Puffbird, 1 Channel-billed Toucan, 1 Streaked Xenops, 1 White-throated Spadebill, 1+ Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, 1 Southern Antpipit, 1 Bananaquit (not particularly common at REGUA), a pair of Brazilian Tanager, 2 Yellow-backed Tanager and a pair of Blue Dacnis.

Crescent-chested Puffbird

A diversion up the Grey Trail for Russet-winged Spadebill failed to produce sight nor sound of any birds, or much else for that matter, with just 6 Bare-throated Bellbird seen (5 imm male and 1 ad male) and around 30 heard, and 1m Black-throated Trogon, 3 Spot-billed Toucanet, 1 Yellow-throated Woodpecker, 1 Spot-backed Antshrike, 1m Black-cheeked Gnateater, 2 Olivaceous Woodcreeper, 1 Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner, 1 Eye-ringed Tody-Tyrant, 1 Greyish Mourner and 1 Yellow-legged Thrush.

The only adult Bare-throated Bellbird seen today. All others see were immature
males. This bird was a long way off, hence the terrible photo!

We reached the Elfin Forest Trail by early afternoon, but by now it was very hot and there was even less activity. Blue-bellied Parrots were frequently heard but we only managed poor views of 1 bird perched and 3 flying off. 1 Saw-billed Hermit, 1 Channel-billed Toucan, 1 Rufous-breasted Leaftosser, 1 Ochre-breasted Foliage-gleaner, 1 Black-capped Foliage-gleaner, a few Olive-green Tanager, 1+ Azure-shouldered Tanager, a few Red-necked Tanager and a pair of Chestnut-bellied Euphonia showed well, but arguably the best bird of the day was a Planalto Hermit that showed very briefly (a good bird for REGUA).

White-eyed Foliage-gleaner

After setting up the camera trap at post 1650 we made our way back. Back on the Waterfall Trail we added several Grey-rumped Swift, 1 Yellow-eared Woodpecker, 1 Plain Antvireo, 3 Unicoloured Antwren, 1 Olivaceous Woodcreeper, 1 White-throated Woodcreeper, 1 Blue Manakin, a nesting White-eyed Foliage-gleaner, 1+ White-thighed Swallow and 1f Red-crowned Ant-Tanager to the day list. Open country birds seen along the dirt road from Casa Pesquisa back to the reserve entrance include 2 Whistling Heron, 1 Burrowing Owl, 2 White-rumped Monjita, 2 Fork-tailed Flycatcher and a White-rumped Swallow.