Brazil - July 2024 - Day 4 - Pousada Piuval

Today was a big day, all of it to spent at Piuval, on paper at least the most promising of all of the many eBird hotspots along the Transpantaneira. It is a vast property, the entrance track alone is probably several kilometers and the boundaries extend in all directions. It is a also big business, with loads of tour groups and their guides, and a fleet of converted 4x4s to transport these groups around, basically a pick-up with raised open-air seating on the back, safari style. It was in one of these that we had seen the Jaguar and the Puma the previous evening. In other vehicle news our original car had been sorted out and at some point during the morning replaced the temporary one we had been using. 

Great Rufous Woodcreeper

Dull-capped Attila

Savanna Hawk

We set off before 6am, heading east towards the river. This was a pre-breakfast expedition rather than being out for the duration, yet we still recorded nearly 80 species in two hours. The birdlife here is sensational. The pools directly in front of the lodge held Limpkin, Black-necked Stilt, Southern Lapwing, Wattled Jacana and Black Skimmer, and a nearly dried up creek bed a short distance away had a nice showy Sunbittern. Meanwhile Jabiru, Plumbeous Ibis and Buff-necked Ibis stalked the margins. Snail Kites were present, along with Savanna Hawk and Roadside Hawk. One of the big draws here are the resident Hyacinth Macaws, and we were soon looking at one of their nesting trees. Sensational birds, one of the principal reasons people come here. And the noise they make, my goodness! Close by a pair of Orange-winged Amazon were in a smaller tree but this fact passed us by until after the trip had ended, we thought Orange-winged Amazonless, but my photos said otherwise. In a stand of trees close to the defunct bridge we found Great Rufous Woodcreeper, and into the forest itself, the amazing Red-billed Scythebill and a Dull-capped Attila. There are once again too many birds to list, but the session is logged here. And to repeat, all before breakfast!

Roadside Hawk

Hyacinth Macaw

Orange-winged Amazon

Back at the lodge we stocked up on calories quickly before climbing aboard the pick-up again and heading out further, this time driving all the way to the Rio Bento Gomes in a big loop. This gave a slightly different set of birds, with Neotropic Cormorant, Yellow-billed Tern, Large-billed Tern and loads of Rufescent Tiger-Heron. Kingfishers too, with Ringed and Amazon, and by the old pier, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Lesser Kiskadee, Greater Thornbird, Black-backed Water-Tyrant, Unicoloured Blackbird and Yellow-chinned Spinetail.

Rufous Cacholote

Common Tody-Flycatcher

In the forest we encountered more Antthings, with Black-bellied Antwren showing well, and two different Mato Grosso Antbirds that we also saw remarkably well. Rufous Cacholote and Rufous Casiornis were seen around here, as well as White-lored Spinetail. In short it was a memorable three hours, with plenty of time outside of the vehicle birding on foot, after which the driver would catch us up and we would head off to the next promising spot, often dictated by what Brad could hear.

Campo Flicker

Cattle Tyrant

Cattle Tyrant

Hyacinth Macaw

After lunch we had a bit of free time during the heat of the day. Bob elected to have a nap, would that I had done the same. Instead Richard and I chilled out around the pool with a beverage. From the pool I noticed that there were some photogenic Cattle Tyrant and Campo Flickers on the short grass and so went back to the room to get my camera. I then made the critical error of stepping off the tiles and onto this grass to get some nice shots. Mistake. The Pantanal is the spirtual home of the all-conquering Red Fire Ant, one of Brazil's earliest and most successful exports. Somehow I stepped on a nest, and within seconds there were dozens of these tiny tiny ants biting my left foot. Jesus! I swatted them off but the damage was done, a conglomeration of bites on my foot causing a huge and uncomfortable swelling. Bugger! Oh well, time to carry on birding, so I rubbed some cream on it and took an antihistamine pill in the hope the swelling might reduce as it was quite uncomfortable putting a shoe on.

Capybara. They hang out near human habitation as a Jaguar avoidance tactic!

Great Potoo

We met at the vehicle and I explained to Brad what had happened. He gave me a slightly quizzical look, and strangely (or so it seemed at the time) asked me if I ever had any reaction to ant stings. Nope I said, all fine. I'd been bitten by them in Florida before - also whilst photographing birds - and whilst annoying nothing had happened. We set off, our first destination a Great Potoo stake out. It was as we were looking at this bird that I began to feel a little peculiar. Initially this was limited to coming out in hives everywhere, not just my left foot. Back in the car and heading to one of the tracks to continue birding I noticed that my hearing seemed to be fading and I was having difficulty focussing, the world seemed a little blurry. I said to the guys that I thought I might be a bit of trouble here, and it seemed I was. The next few hours were a bit of a blur, but I think I fainted and then vomited, or maybe the other way around, and was subsequently rushed by Brad at high speed to a clinic in Poconé where I had an injection of adrenaline in my backside and was put on a drip. During this time I remember having uncontrollable full body spasms every minute or so as I recovered on a bed trolley. What is remarkable is that my recovery was almost as swift as my downfall, and within a couple of hours I was back on my feet and we drove back to Piuval. I am not sure how close I came to being in real difficulty, but when I said in the earlier post that Brad was the man for a crisis this is exactly what I meant.

My re-arrival at the room was greeted with much happiness by Bob and Richard. They had been at rather a loss, our afternoon birding session having been replaced with a frantic medical emergency. Very decently they had held off just kicking back and having a few beers, just in case.... I too decided to forgoe an evening beer, but I was well enough for an evening birding session. Exactly three hours had elapsed between starting the post-lunch eBird list and starting the evening one so as medical dramas go it was pretty short lived. To complete the story I now have an EpiPen, and whilst it has been a long wait my allergy clinic is in a couple of weeks. I think they will confirm what I already know, which is that Fire Ants and I do not get on. The more important thing is whether this now extends to any other insects, as well as what they can do about it. I've read that Fire Ant allergy can be combatted to such an extent that it is no longer a worry - let's hope so. I have no idea whether I had full-blown Anaphylaxis, nor what would have happened without that rapid trip to the clinic. But sitting here typing this the more I reckon I owe Brad big time. He probably didn't even break sweat, all in a day's work.

Our evening trip saw us head back out to the mosquito-ridden field where we had been surrounded by Nightjars the previous evening. Once again we saw Common Pauraque and Scissor-tailed Nightjar but for some reason all the Spot-tailed Nightjars weren't there. It had been an exciting day!

Common Pauraque