Rain, rain and more rain over the past week! We have just had a group with a fixed itinerary for the past 7 days and spent most of our time trying to avoid the rain, however thankfully due to our local knowledge we managed to avoid the heaviest rain and see a good number of birds.

The first day of the week had to be the best, with 75 species being seen between the lodge grounds and the Cedae Tail. The highlights of this day included Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Palin Parakeet, Saw-billed Hermit, Sombre Hummingbird, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Black Jacobin, Violet-capped Woodnymph, Versicolored Emerald, Brazilian Ruby, Rufous-capped Motmot, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Crescent-chested Puffbird, Spot-billed Toucanet on the lodge feeders, White-barred Piculet, Yellow-eared Woodpecker, Plain Xenops, White-browed Foliage Gleaner, Black-capped Foliage Gleaner, White-eyed Foliage Gleaner, White-throated Woodcreeper, Lesser Woodcreeper, Spot-breasted Antvireo, Salvadoris Antwren (only the fourth record for the lodge grounds), Ferruginous Antbird, great views of both male and female Scaled Antbird, Rufous-capped Antthrush, Rufous and Black-cheeked Gnateaters, amazingly a Slaty Bristlefront on the Cedae Trail, we usually see this species only above 1000m, 500m higher than this record, Oustalets Tyrannulet, Gray-hooded Attila, Long-billed Wren (again a good record for the lodge grounds), Ruby-crowned Tanager, Brazilian Tanager, Golden-chevroned Tanager, Chestnut-bellied Euphonia, Green-headed Tanager and Red-necked Tanager........ a truly amazing day!

Other highlights of the past week have included Red-legged Serema, Scale-throated Hermit, Dusky-throated Hermit, Reddish Hermit, 15+ Plovercrests on our High AltitudeExcursion, White-throated Hummingbird, Three-toed Jacamar, White-eared Puffbird, Yellow-browed Woodcpecker, Rufous-capped Spinetail, Pallid Spinetail, Red-eyed Thornbird, Sharp-billed Treehunter, Pale-browed Treehunter, Thrush-like Woodcreeper, Black-billed Scythebill, Rufous-backed Antvireo, Star-throated Antwren, Bertonis Antbird, Rufous-tailed Antbird, White-bibbed Antbird, Serra do Mar Tapaculo, Blue Manakin, Pin-tailed Manakin, Serra do Mar Tyrant-Manakin, Shear-tailed Gray-Tyrant, Brassy-breasted Tanager, Bay-chested Warbling-Finch and Half-collared Sparrow.

Blue Manakin. Jon Burrell