A group from Birdfinders have just completed a 9 day stay with us. Although we seem to be going through an unusually wet and colder period for this time of the year is hasn’t really affected the birding that much.

The group had a great week with a combined total of 234 species. An excellent week for Cotingas with Swallow-tailed Cotinga, Black and Gold Cotinga, Grey-winged Cotinga, Hooded Berryeater and Bare-throated Bellbird all being seen well.

Other highlights over the past week have included Capped Heron, Masked Duck, Black and White Hawk Eagle, Red-legged Seriema, Spot-winged Wood-Quail, Blue-ground Dove, White-eyed Parakeet, Peach-fronted Parakeet (a rare bird for this area, seen only occasionally on the Three-toed Jacamar Excursion), Rufous-breasted Hermit, Reddish Hermit, Plovercrest (nice views of a male on the Macae de Cima excursion yesterday), Black-throated trogon, Three-toed Jacamar, White-eared Puffbird, Black-necked Aracari, Spot-billed Toucanet (almost daily on the feeders), Toco Toucan, Yellow-browed Woodpecker, White Woodpecker, Green-barred Woodpecker, Rufous-capped Spinetail, Pallid Spinetail, Red-eyed Thornbird, White-browed Foliage Gleaner, Black-capped Foliage Gleaner, White-collared Foliage Gleaner, White-eyed Foliage Gleaner, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper (reliable as ever under the bridge at the lodges entrance) Plain-winged Woodcreeper, White-throated Woodcreeper, Scaled Woodcreeper, Lesser Woodcreeper, Giant Antshrike (on a rather rainy day at the Serra dos Orgaos National Park), Large-tailed Antshrike, Star-throated Antwren, Serra Antwren, Ferruginous Antbird, Bertonis Antbird, Rufous-tailed Antbird, Dusky-tailed Antbird, White-bibbed Antbird, Streak-capped Antwren, Brazilian Antthrush, Blue Manakin, Pin-tailed Manakin, Grey-hooded Flycatcher, Grey-hooded Attila, Long-billed Wren, a good number of Tanager species on the lodge feeders this week including Orange-bellied Euphonia, Violaceous Euphonia, Chestnut-bellied Euphonia, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Olive-green Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Azure-shouldered Tanager (now nest building in the lodge garden!), Golden-chevroned Tanager, Palm Tanager, Brazilian Tanager, Ruby-crowned Tanager and Green-headed Tanager.

Other Tanager highlights on the excursions included Yellow-backed Tanager, Diademed Tanager, Flame-crested Tanager, Red-necked Tanager, Gilt-edged Tanager, Brassy-breasted Tanager and Swallow Tanager.

Yellow-browed Woodpecker. copyright Rod Sheppard

A great mammal sighting this week was of a very rare Woolly Spider Monkey on the Theodoro Trail, this is an excellent indication that hunting is declining in the local area since the designation of the Tres PicosState Park. Other mammal sightings over the past couple of weeks have included Tufted-eared Marmosets, Buffy-tufted Eared Marmosets, Brown Howler Monkey, Brown Capuchin Monkey, Southern river Otter, Orange-spined Hairy-dwarf Porcupine, Brown-throated three-toed Sloth and Capybara.