The canteen at Legado das Aguas was more for the workers and researchers rather than visiting birders, and as such only opened at a rather sedate 7.30am. That said today would be on foot for the morning, birding the Cambuci Trail that started from the main compound, so we occupied the time from dawn birding around the buildings, the start of the trail, and the plant nursery. The day started well with a Collared Forest-Falcon calling from the valley. Its close cousin, a Barred Forest-Falcon, called from forest margins virtually outside the hut we were staying in and very brief views were had as it swooped away and out of sight. As it got lighter more birds began to awaken. Channel-billed Toucan were seen on the skyline, and Southern House Wren, Cliff Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tyrant and Grey-headed Tody-Flycatcher were around the buildings. At the start of the trail we found White-throated Woodcreeper, Plain-winged Woodcreeper, Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner and White-eyed Foliage-gleaner. Grey-breasted Martin and Blue-and-white Swallow perched on the wires, and a Riverbank Warbler pootled about behind one of the huts.
As breakfast beckoned we made our way back to the feeders on the terrace and Bruno went off to find some bananas. The birds were waiting! As usual it was a Tanager-fest, with small numbers of Olive-green Tanager, Black-goggled Tanager, Ruby-crowned Tanager and Azure-shouldered Tanager. The bulk of the hungry mob was made up of Green-headed Tanager and Red-necekd Tanager, probably 25 of the former and over 10 of the latter. Violaceous Euphonia, Chestnut-bellied Euphonia and Plain Parakeet made up the rest of the small birds, but all these were put in the shade by the arrival of a gaggle of Saffron Toucanet, a bird Mick and I had been hoping to see. We had no idea how easy it would be - they literally fed just a few feet from us, incredible. A shame that this early in the day it was so dim. We had breakfast outside, and if you left your plate unguarded for even a moment it would be swarmed by Tanagers. Red-necked Tanagers are fond of scrambled egg, who knew?
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| Chestnut-bellied Euphonia |
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| Plain Parakeet |
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| Saffron Toucanet |
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| Red-necked Tanager |
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| Ruby-crowned Tanager |
Suitably geed up we gathered our gear and headed for the Cambuci Trail, and loop that goes up a gully to a waterfall and back again, part path, part raised walkway, no more than a mile there and back, but intensely birdy. We were into new species almost immediately, with Salvadori's Antwren, a male Scaled Antbird, Streak-capped Antwren, several Saw-billed Hermit and various Woodcreepers on the way up. On the way down the other side we encountered Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Whiskered Flycatcher, Short-crested Flycatcher, a Yellow-legged Thrush, and best of all, stonking views of a Russet-winged Spadebill - this is the bird we had missed in the rain at Intervales. Despite the short trail we managed to spend the entire morning here, timing our exit to perfection as a noisy group of excited teenagers on a school trip entered the trail just as we were coming out. They didn't spend long in the forest, joining us for lunch a short while later. When I say joined, what I mean is that they descended on the buffet in a ravenous mob, leaving it virtually bare as they staggered out to the terrace with plates piled high. I have teenagers of my own and know how much they can eat... we waited for the chef to replenish the table and timed our visit before they then came back for masive seconds. We only just made it. A mega bonus pair of Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle flew over the compound just as we were leaving.
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| Saw-billed Hermit |
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| Russet-winged Spadebill |
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| Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper |
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| Mick and Bruno on the Cambuci Trail |
Our destination for the afternoon was a ground-feeder hide just outside the reserve. I am not the biggest fan of hides, but it seemed that this was the only way to see certain birds so I just had to grin and bear it. In fairness it worked out brilliantly, but it did mean two and a half hours sat on a bench with a few mozzies for company. During the time we spent there we were graced by a White-tipped Dove, Grey-fronted Dove, Ruddy Quail-Dove, Rufous-capped Antthrush, six Spot-winged Wood-Quail and a Brown Tinamou, all incredibly shy birds that you are highly unlikely to ever see as you are walking along a trail. Photography was virtually impossible, and exposed the ISO limitations of (in these circumstances) my decidely budget camera body and very slow lens. This was one of the occasions I dearly wished for my Canon 500mm and 1D body back - I would have done a much better job even without a flash.
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| Spot-winged Wood-Quail |
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| Grey-fronted Dove |
So that was day 5, a full day at Legada das Aguas. We finished the evening with some more abortive Owling - Owls heard, but not seen. The Caipirinha showed well though.
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