Brazil - July 2024 - Day 2 - Chapada dos Guimaraes and Rio da Casca/Aroe Jari Access Road

We were birding at first light on the north side of Chapada dos Guimaraes on one of the many tracks off the main road that went through the Cerrado. This one was quite well known, and is a hotspot on eBird known as the Estrada da Caixa d'Agua (Water Tower Track). Our main target here was Collared Crescentchest, a real looker but also a real skulker. Brad heard one after about 20 minutes and we hurried to try and see it but it didn't want to give itself up. However it soon became clear that a second bird was also calling from a more distant location and so we made our way through the brush to try and get closer to it. We were initially peering into the thick scrub, but then Richard found it - amazingly it was actually sat up in a tree and gave sensational views, far better than we had been expecting.

One of the Cerrado tracks

Collared Crescentchest

Plumbeous Seedeater

White-rumped Tanager

White-eared Puffbird

White-banded Tanager

Curl-crested Jay

This was a properly good birding spot, nice and quiet for the most part, and with the sun only just up we really enjoyed it. Swallow-tailed Hummingbird was seen well, and a pair of White-eared Puffbirds showed brilliantly in the same tree as a Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, along with a brief Checkered Woodpecker. The Tanagers here were also excellent, with a Shrike lookalike White-banded Tanager and some duetting White-rumped Tanagers. A short distance away we stopped for around ten minutes to specifically find Coal-crested Finch, and of course there it was sitting on a fence with some Red-crested Finch.

Coal-crested Finch

We spent the rest of the morning stopping in at sites wither in or adjacent to the Cerrado. One track in particular just off the main road east of town was very productive. We had stopped for  a Grey Monjita, but there was a lot more down the road than this, with a Pearl Kite perched in a tree in the paddock, Campo Flicker more or less underneath it, and a pair of Blue-headed Parrot in the next tree along. It was still only 9.30!

Pearl Kite

Blue-headed Parrot

Our next stop was more prolonged, a two hour amble along the Estrada Canions do Jamaca. Leaving the car at the head of the road we enoyed great birding mostly shaded from the sun, and gradually accumulated a good list of new birds - Fork-tailed Woodnymph, White-chinned Sapphire, Blue-crowned Trogon, and a fantastic Southern Antpipit that seemed to be able to change locations without moving, a teleporting ability of sorts. Other Antthings were represented by Planalto Slaty-Antshrike, Plain Antvireo, and Large-billed Antwren, and we had a good selection of Woodcreepers, Flycatchers and Tanagers.

Blue-crowned Trogon

Planalto Woodcreeper

We had lunch at the same place as the previous day before returning to Pousada Cambara for a short break. Needless to say it was impossible not to bird the gardens again, with Mouse-coloured Tyrannulet a new bird, Black-fronted Nunbird and Purplish Jay all giving good views along with Sayaca and Palm Tanagers. Meanwhile a large flock of Wood Stork flew over. I cannot recall if we ever managed a siesta or not.

Chaco Eagle...

...and friend

If you see this car don't get in it!

With the heat of the day more or less behind us we set off east to a good area Brad knew along the access road to some caves just under an hour away. Along the road we were fortunate to find a massive Chaco Eagle sat in a tree which was then dive-bombed by a pair of passing White-tailed Hawk with seemingly nothing better to do. A rare bird here, and not expected at all. Once at the access road the birding was sensational. Guira Cuckoo were everywhere, and we had our first good looks at Greater Rhea with a couple of family groups. Further on we found Burrowing Owl and some fabulous Red-legged Seriema right by the roadside. We spent an hour an half driving slowly down this road picking up loads of good birds such as Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch, Double-collared Seedeater and Black-throated Saltator. Towards the caves themselves we got back in the car after seeing a Blue-tufted Starthroat and when Brad turned it over nothing happened. Completely dead. And no mobile signal either. Oh dear. And with none of us being mechanics we were stuck. But Brad is the man for a crisis. As it was closing time for the caves a trickle of vehicles started to pass, and Brad flagged one down. We carried on birding and he then got a life further up the road to the cave offices where he managed to do several things in short order. One, he organised lifts back to town for all of us in two or three different cars that were heading that way. Two, he organised a replacement vehicle with whoever it was that owned the dead one to be delivered to the Pousada. And three, once back he ordered takeaway Pizza and beers seeing as we didn't have car to get into town that evening. And all with minimal fuss - we just carried on birding while all this just happened. This is the mark of someone you want leading a trip.

Black-throated Saltator

Guira Cuckoo

Red-legged Seriema

Burrowing Owl

Anyway, we all got back to town fine, me in a car with some Brazilian tourists and their guide who had been visiting the caves, and Brad, Richard and Bob in a couple of other vehicles that had spaces. On the way back out to the main road we all saw the same Least Nighthawk flying over the fields, so that was a bonus. Pizza and beers were great, and at some point that evening a new vehicle was duly delivered to the Pousada. I don't think we really lost any birding time at all.