Still been lots of rain around over the past week, but things seem to be slowly improving with the sun shining today!

The days are now becoming cooler and the activity on the lodge feeders is beginning to increase. We are now having daily sightings of both Spot-billed and Saffron Toucanets and the Blue-naped Chlorophonias have also returned. Slaty-breasted Wood-Rails are now also using the feeders on a daily basis, where they learnt to eat bananas we will never know! Certain species have been moving in mysterious ways lately with birds turning up at altitudes that we dont usually expect to see them. The strangest record has to be of a Slaty Bristlefront on the Cedae Trail, we usually record this species above 1.100 metres, but we were lucky enough to see a female Bristlefront at just 600 metres in altitude!

Other highlights for the past have included Pied-billed Grebe, 3 Black and White Hawk Eagles over the lodge, 3 Red-legged Seriemas, 2 Tropcial Screech Owls on the Wetland excursion, 3+ male Plovercrests, Rufous-capped Motmot in the lodge grounds, Crescent-chested Puffbird, Yellow-eared Woodcpecker, daily sightings of Blond-crested Woodpecker on the lodge feeders, Sharp-tailed Streamcreepers under the bridge by the lodge, fantastic views of Black-billed Scythebill on the Cedae Trail, Sooretama Slaty-Antshrike, all 6 of our Drymophila antbirds - Ferruginous, Bertonis, Rufous-tailed, Ochre-rumped, Dusky-tailed and Scaled Antbirds, both Rufous and Black-cheeked Gnateaters, Slaty Bristlefront, Serra do Mar Tapaculo (for some!), 6+ Swallow-tailed Cotingas Black and Gold Cotinga, Hooded Berryeater, Pin-tailed Manakin, Serra do Mar Tyrannulet, Eye-ringed Tody-Tyrant and Chestnut-headed and Diademed Tanagers.

Yellow-eared Woodpecker. John O'Sullivan

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