The 2010 Bird Fair held at Rutland Water in the UK (20th - 22nd August) is now approaching fast! As usual we will have a stand at this great event, we will be located in Marquee 6, stand number 22. If you are visiting the Fair then please come by and see us!

For further information on the Bird Fair please visit their official website:

http://www.birdfair.org.uk/

Birds around the lodge grounds.

Today saw the return of the Black and White Hawk Eagles to their now annual nesting site that is visible from the lodge grounds. Located high in a huge emergent tree an adult bird was observed rennovating the nest presumably ready for this years breeding season that should commence next month. We have also been watching a pair of Black-Hawk Eagles flying daily over the lodge for the past few days, they have been giving great views!

Other species of note in the lodge grounds this week have included Solitary Tinamou, Brown Tinamou, Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail (on the feeders as usual!), Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Plain Parakeet, Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, Saw-billed Hermit, Dusky-throated Hermit, Sombre Hummingbird, Brazilian Ruby, Black-thoated and Surucua Trogon, Rufous-capped Motmot, Crescent-chested Puffbird, Spot-billed Toucanet, Yellow-eared Woodpecker, 2 Blond-crested Woodpeckers (on the feeders), Black-capped Foliage Gleaner, White-eyed Foliage Gleaner, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper (building a nest by the bridge at the front of the lodge), Thrush-like Woodcreeper, White-throated Woodcreeper, Lesser Woodcreeper, Spot-breasted Antvireo, Ferruginous Antbird, Scaled Antbird, White-shouldered Fire-eye, Rufous-capped Antthrush, Black-cheeked Gnateater, Pin-tailed Manakin, Gray-hooded Attila, Long-billed Wren, Ruby-crowned Tanager, Brazilian Tanager, Azure-shouldered Tanager, Green-chinned Euphonia (on our upper canopy feeder), Green-headed Tanager, Red-necked Tanager, Brassy-breasted Tanager and amazingly.... Gilt-edged Tanager!

The Buffy-tufted eared Marmosets are back, 3 were seen "stealing" bananas from our canopy feeder yesterday, hopefully this will turn into a daily ritual for them!

Plain Parakeet taken from the photo hide. Cristina Foster

Having had our annual months staff holiday in June we are now back out on the excursions and seeing some fantastic birds! Our new bird guide Cirilo Rodrigues Vieira who has been with us for the last 6 months is now leading the excursions and finding some great birds for our guests!

Some of this weeks sightings included the following:

Three-toed Jacamar Excursion – 12^th July

Always a popular excursion that involves a 180km round trip to look for the endemic Three-toed Jacamar. The record for this day trip currently stands at 124 species (set in the summer when there are some migrant species in the area), this week we managed 89! Highlights included Whistling Heron, Capped Heron, Crane Hawk, Aplomado Falcon, Ash-throated Crake, Blackish Rail, 2 Red-legged Seriemas, Blue-winged Macaw, 4 Three-toed Jacamars, 3 White-eared Puffbirds, White Woodpecker, Tail-banded Hornero, Serra Antwren, Sooty Tyrannulet, Ochre-faced Tody-Flycatcher, Streamer-tailed Tyrant, Black-capped Donacobius and Half-collared Sparrow.

High Altitude Excursion Upper Section – 14^th July

With rain at the lodge we decided to head up over the mountains to see if it could possibly be drier on the other side….. thankfully it was but cloud built up making visibility hard and rain set in late afternoon. Highlights included Scale-throated Hermit, 2 male Plovercrests, Pallid Spinetail, Large-tailed Antshrike, Rufous-tailed Antbird, Black and Gold Cotinga, Serra do Mar Tyrant Manakin, Serra do Mar Tyrannulet, White-rimmed Warbler, Bay-chested Warbling Finch and Thick-billed Saltator.

Portao Azul – 15^th and 17^th July

Always a great excursion due to the mixture of different habitats with good primary forest, bamboo, secondary forest, scrub and some open water. Highlights from the 2 trips included Gray-headed Kite, Dusky-legged Guan, Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail, White-eyed Parakeet, Glittering-bellied Emerald, White-throated Hmmingbird, Rufous-capped Spinetail, Pallid Spinetail, Red-eyed Thornbird, White-collared Foliage Gleaner, Lesser Woodcreeper, Black-billed Scythebill, great views of Tufted Antshrike, Ferruginous Antbird, Dusky-tailed Antbird, White-shouldered Fire-eye, Pin-tailed Manakin, Gray-hooded Flycatcher, 2 Gary-capped Tyrannulets, Drab-breasted Bamboo-Tyrant, Hangnest Tody-Tyrant, Velvety Black-Tyrant, Green-backed Becard, Gilt-edged Tanager, Half-collared Sparrow, Temmincks Seedeater and 2 Green-winged Saltators.

Serra dos Orgaos National Park – 16th July

A rather wet and cloudy day with temperatures below 14 degrees centigrade made birding a little hard. However we spent three hours in the lower park with good views of Black Hawk-Eagle, Black-throated Trogon, Surucua Trogon, Spot-billed Toucanet, 2 Yellow-throated Woodpeckers, Streaked Xenops, Lesser Woodcreeper, White-throated Woodcreeper, Star-throated Antwren, Yellow-backed Tanager, Flame-crested Tanager and Buff-throated Saltator. After a 20 minute drive we arrived in the upper park that’s at an altitude of approximately 1000 metres. We found ourselves in thick cloud but the birding remained good with sightings of Rufous-capped Spinetail, Pallid Spinetail, Buff-browed Foliage Gleaner, White-collared Foliage Gleaner, Tawny-throated Leaftosser, Scaled Woodcreeper, Ochre-rumped Antbird and amazing views of Brown Tanager.

Brown Tanager© Peter Royle

Just returned from a checking out a new site that we hope to be running excursions to soon. This was our second visit and we are already building up a respectable list of endemics! The highlights from todays visit included Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail, White-eyed Parakeet, Scale-throated Hermit, Planalto Hermit, Black Jacobin, Glittering-bellied Emerald, White-throated Hummingbird, Versicolored Emerald, Crescent-chested Puffbird, Gray-bellied Spinetail, Red-eyed Thornbird, White-collared Foliage Gleaner, amazing views of a male Tufted Antshrike, several pairs of Serra Antwrens (we have only previously recorded these from our Jacamar excursion), Ferruginous Antbird, Drab-breasted Bamboo Tyrant, Hangnest Tody-Tyrant, Chestnut-headed Tanager, Gilt-edged Tanager and Uniform Finch.

Yesterday we took our High Altitude Excursion Upper Section and had great views of Itatiaia Thistletail, a male Black and Gold Cotinga at close quarters, stunning views of a male Plovercrest, Brazilian Ruby, Yellow-eared Woodpecker, Red-eyed Thornbird, Large-tailed Antshrike, Rufous-tailed Antbird, Rufous Gnateater, Serra do Mar Tapaculo, Shear-tailed Gray-Tyrant, Velvety Black-Tyrant, White-rimmed Warbler, Brassy-breasted Tanager, Bay-chested Warbling Finch and Thick-billed Saltator.

The lodge feeders remain busy with daily visits from the Slaty-breasted Wood Rails, Maroon-bellied and Plain Parakeets, Blond-crested Woodpecker, Ruby-crowned Tanager, Red-cronwed Ant-Tanager (strange record for the feeders!), Brazilian Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Golden-chevroned Tanager, Palm Tanager, Violaceous Euphonia, Orange-bellied Euphonia, Chestnut-bellied Euphonia, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Green-headed Tanager, Blue Dacnis and Green Honeycreeper.

Brazilian Tanager on the lodge feeders. Cristina Foster

Blond-crested Woodpecker on the lodge feeders. Cristina Foster