BRAZIL 2011: A Magical Day at Cristalino

Day 4 / August 14 – Our Brazilian Amazon adventures at Cristalino continued with a delicious buffet breakfast at the crack of dawn, followed by a few minutes admiring the Bare-faced Curassow (above) who wandered fearlessly around the reception pavilion, showing off for the gawking visitors!  Our guides Eduardo and George led us along the short walk to our morning’s destination, the Chip Haven Tower.

This older tower (above) is shorter and narrower than the new one, but it still took us above the canopy for spectacular forest views and several enjoyable hours of birding.  We heard Barred Forest Falcon, Bright-rumped Attila and Buff-throated Woodcreeper calling; we watched Tooth-billed Wren, Festive Coquette and Blue Dacnis flitting in the treetops near eye-level.

The stunning Spangled Cotinga showed well again, and, for me at least may only have been topped by a Black-bellied Cuckoo (above) with its light blue and yellow eye-ring, that ran along numerous canopy branches around the tower. Our only Black Caracara was seen flying over the forest as well as the expected Chestnut-fronted Macaws and White-eyed Parakeets. Additional species included Pygmy Antwren, Variegated Flycatcher, Bar-breasted Piculet, White-lored Tyrannulet, White-lored Euphonia, Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatcher and Flame-crested Tanager.

After descending the tower, we walked through the forest on the Saleiro Trail, encountering Brown Capuchin and Collared Peccary along the way. The trail ended at the tree house (above), a decrepit structure overlooking a broad circle of dried mud, that must have acted as a blind in its hey-day!  As the temperature rose, avian activity waned, but we managed to find our target species, the Crimson-bellied Parakeet, along with Blue Ground-Dove, Slaty-capped Shrike Vireo, Spix Warbling Antbird, Gould’s Jewelfront, Collard Trogon, and a Ringed Antpipit that we only heard. Walking back to the lodge we came across Red-headed Manakin, a group of three Plain Xenops and White-lored Tyrannulet.

In between birding we were delightfully absorbed by myriad, colorful butterflies wafting through the understory, occasionally alighting on our hats or shirts.  We enjoyed such stunners as bright blue morphos including Achilles (above), Beleus Swallowtail, Berecynthia Giant Owl, Arosa Owl  and Menophilus Tigerwing.

Late morning, Char, Janis, Sue, Debbie, Marty and Eduardo cooled off with a swim in the Cristalino River, while Patty, Edie and I photographed the large numbers of daggerwings, sulphurs and white butterflies, as well as a Black-patched Metalmark (above) that were collecting minerals from the wet sand at the boat landing.  All of us ate huge portions of the delicious lunch buffet!

Fortified and energized, we ventured out at 3pm, up the river by boat.  As George skillfully negotiated the rapids (above), we joyfully scanned the riverbanks and trees. Besides kingfishers including a Rufous-and-Green, swallows, Green Ibis (below), Sunbitterns and a Spotted Sandpiper, we watched groups of Swallow-winged Puffbirds making sorties from their treetop perches. We pulled over and got out briefly to locate Amazonian Antshrike and Flame-crowned Manakin, both seen very well.

Back on the river, Greater Yellow-headed and King Vultures soared overhead and Red-capped Cardinals alighted on boulders in the river to get a drink. Along the banks we sighted a pair of Razor-billed Curassows, their peculiar large red vertical casques very evident. A lone South American Neotropical Otter dove and surfaced nearby, eyeing us curiously.

Our final stop of the day was to a small watering hole known for attracting birds just before sunset. We were advised to sit quietly on benches behind a camouflage sheet serving as a blind. It was not easy for our excited group to get settled, but soon we were focused on the birds that immediately came into view, flitting and stalking towards a small pool of water for a drink or bath. Eduardo whispered their names behind us, a non-stop commentary that kept pace with the increasing activity before us:  Snow-capped Manakin, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Rufous-rumped Foliage-Gleaner, White-winged Shrike-Tanager, Thrush-like (Amazonia) Schiffornis, Gray-breasted Sabrewing, Green-and-gold Tanager, Black-eared Fairy, Spot-backed Antbird, White-flanked Antwren, Gray Antbird, Ruddy Quail-Dove, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, Spot-backed Antbird, Scale-backed Antbird, Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner, Cinereous Antshrike, Bare-eyed Antbird, Black-spotted Bare-Eye, White-backed Fire-Eye, Black-tailed Leaftosser and more.  Eduardo’s voice rose occasionally with excitement at a particularly special species, while our eyes remained glued on the spectacle before us.

During the day’s last light, a Long-tailed Potoo (above) flew in and alighted silently onto a snag just a few feet away from Debbie.  The group seemed to hold it’s breath while gazing at this beautiful bird for long moments before it flew off into the darkness.  Getting ready to leave, we knew that we had just witnessed something very special at “The Magic Pond,” perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  We were amazed and delighted to hear Eduardo exclaim that this was the best two hours of birding in his life!

We celebrated a magical day with drinks on the boat ride back under a starry sky.  If it could get any better, it did, when we spotlighted a Great Potoo perched on a snag, Black Caiman on the water’s edge, and a pair of Pacas moving up the banks. Back at the lodge, a wonderful fish bar-b-que (above) was prepared for our dinner.