The Three-toed Jacamar excursion is always a challenge! Firstly there is the pressure of finding the Three-toed Jacamar (especially as the excursion is named after it!), secondly there is a handful of other "targets" for the day, and finally its always fun to try and see over 100 species during the day! The record currently stands at 124 species, but its always a very good total to see 100+ species. Last weeks Birdfinders group (Brian and Christine Shaw, Robert and Elizabeth Wilson, David and Mary Tanner, Ken and Lilian Parker, John Cresswell and Nicholas Aebischer)managed to see exactly 100 species with our guide Cirilo at the helm!

Its quite a tiring but rewarding day, we cover some 200km in a round trip (weather permitting!) and pass through mainly open countryside with some wetlands and fragmented forest areas also. Some of the days highlights included White-tailed Kite, Aplomado Falcon, Blackish Rail, Red-legged Seriema, Blue-winged Macaw, Planalto Hermit, Three-toed Jacamar, Toco Toucan, Firewood Gatherer, Tufted Antshrike, Rio de Janeiro Antbird (new site found for this difficult endemic), Streamer-tailed Tyrant, Black-capped Donacobius, Curl-crested Jay, Wedge-tailed Grassfinch and Grassland Sparrow.

The group spent 8 days at the lodge and saw a total of 252 species, of which 66 were Atlantic forest endemics!

Streamer-tailed Tyrant taken on the Jacamar excursion

Richard Hall

Blackish Rail taken on the Jacamar excursion -Richard Hall