Ubatuba Birdwatching Centre

Our evening arrival in Baturité, Ceará, allowed for us to check out the site for the Grey-breasted Parakeets mentioned in Ciro’s account. Sadly he only gave a (albeit precise) grid reference for the turning to reach the site, which was about as much use as a chocolate fire-guard if you have no GPS. We tried several tracks but none matched his description. Needless to say we didn’t see the birds. We did however see a Pectoral Sparrow.

Pectoral Sparrow taken in the fog next morning © Elis Simpson

Next day dawn saw us at the Remanso hotel, in thick fog. We saw more Pectoral Sparrows but little else of interest in the terrible weather. We gave up and returned to the hotel for breakfast after which we found a Slender-footed Tyrannulet right above our chalet. We returned to the Remanso hotel road and stopped in a likely looking spot, as we alighted from the car in flew a small group of… wait for it… Grey-breasted Parakeets.

Slender-footed Tyrannulet © Elis Simpson

We moved on to Quixada, the Pygmy Nightjar site. On arrival we found that none of the staff at the hotel had the slightest idea what we were on about when we asked about the nightjars, so as dusk fell we plumped for a likely looking spot with good all round vision and waited. Five birds whizzed by at about 100 MPH with a following wind, never to be seen again.

Dusk at Quixada © Elis Simpson

Next morning had us up at dawn, in the hope of a returning group. Nothing was seen by anyone except Elis who saw one on the sandy track which then flew across the pond and away.

Dawn at Quixada © Elis Simpson

Despondently we packed our bags to leave. As we were paying the bill the owner of the hotel arrived. Elis asked him about the nightjars and he promised, promised mind you, to show us some. We followed him dutifully to the spot where they always are, guess what? Nothing! Then on to a second place, again, nothing. Through the woods we came across a Black-bellied Antwren, Caatinga Antshrike, Great Antshrike, Blue-crowned Trogon and Sooty-fronted Spinetail.

Female Black-bellied Antwren © Elis Simpson

Caatinga Antshrike © Elis Simpson

Sooty-fronted Spinetail © Elis Simpson

At the third and final spot again our host turned up nothing, just about to give up, a familiar excited jabbering came from behind me, Elis had found three sitting on a rock under the bushes behind us. Whew!

There are three birds in this shot, easy to see how one could miss them © Elis Simpson

Two of the threesome © Elis Simpson

Elis caught one of the birds doing a curious little jump © Elis Simpson

On then to Crato and the Chapada do Araripe. Arriving at the hotel we had booked, brandishing our e-mail confirming same we were told that they had no record of us, but that they could put us up for one might as the hotel was fully booked with a company booking the next day. Not hard to see what happened there then! Disgruntled we left and found anohther hotel that was suggested by a motor taxi driver, who took us there. It was called the Hotel Pasárgada. It turned out to be a boon. Very close to the forest and handy for the chapada. In transit we camwe across Caatinga Cachalote and another off Mick’s top 5 ( a bogey bird missed on numerous other trip to South America) Zone-tailed Hawk.

Zone-tailed Hawk © Elis Simpson

Next morning priorities were to be satisfied first, and we headed for the water park where we were greeted with the news that the park was shut. On spotting our attire and bins the girl quickly realised why we were there, and said she’d call someone. This someone duly arrived and escorted us to the trail where the manakins are. We saw at first some females mindful of Jeremy Minns’ notes about how he only saw females here, I was pleased, but not yet satisfied. Next a young male, all green with the red ‘helmet’. Then a male sang, some distance off, but we approached and finally, bam! Stunning views of a stunning bird. Also at this site we had Moustached Wren, and Tawny Piculet.

Araripe Manakin, what a bird! © Elis Simpson

From here we  headed over the chapada. Our first stop at the top of the hill presented us with some good looking forest and some trails. We took one and quickly added Pale-bellied Tyrant-Manakin, Ash-throated Cassiornis and Flavescent Warbler,. Further along in the drier caatinga we stopped when we heard the loud song of the Stripe-backed Antbird. It was elusive to say the least, but we did get some reasonable views in the end. At the same spot we had another bird that was high on my wish-list Red-shouldered Spinetail. Bigger and darker than the typical spinetails with a fetching yellow eye. A stunning bird.

Pale-bellied Tyrant-Manakin © Elis Simpson

Ash-throated Cassiornis © Elis Simpson

Red-shouldered Spinetail © Elis Simpson

We returned to the hotel via the chapada once we had found our way. Mick and Jayne had a rest and Elis and I returned to the chapada. Along the track we found a trail and took it. It all seemed pretty quiet until a Rufous-breasted Leaftosser started to sing, followed shortly by an Ochre-cheeked Spintetail, another on my wanted list. We got good views of both. Returning to the hotel after dark we added Rufous Nightjar to the list.

Ochre-cheeked Spinetail taken in very poor light © Elis Simpson

Next morning finds us back on the chapada showing the others our birds from the night before (except the nightjar of course). We heard but didn’t get a look at White-browed Antpitta, but we did see a magnificent pair of Great Xenops, another of my top 5 and we had our only White-naped Xenopsaris of the trip.

Great Xenops © Elis Simpson

White-naped Xenopsaris © Elis Simpson

So onwards, down into Bahia and Canudos. Incredibly the hotelier was expecting us and had our booking correct! In the evening we went for a drive with a local minibus owner to a site where he said the Lear’s Macaws always fly past, we were told our car would not be suitable for the track, but we discovered this was not the case. The van had seen better days and we were all covered in dust that came up through the numerous holes in the floor. We had some interesting birds here as we waited, among them was Masked Gnatcatcher, which according to all the books I have is out of range, we also had Lesser Wagtail-Tyrant, a very pretty and pleasing little bird. As dusk fell we had Least Nighthawks flying around, and then, about a mile away, a flock of Lear’s Macaw flying to their roost site. Most unsatisfactory.

Masked Gnatcatcher © Elis Simpson

Lesser Wagtail-Tyrant © Elis Simpson

Man with the (clapped-out) van © Elis Simpson

When we returned to the hotel, a group of birders from the US arrived and among them were two ex RSBS clients Derb and Kent. They were booked in to the NGO with the roosting cliffs the next morning. Derb wanted to speak to the person in charge, one Tania, but neither spoke the other’s language, so I stepped in, made the arrangements and the silver-tongued devil in me wangled for us to join the trip, and boy what a trip it was. Met at 04:00 drove to the NGO HQ then into a rickety old Toyota for a white knuckle drive to the site. As dawn broke we were surrounded by squawking macaws, by the hundred, a great experience. There were several Blue-crowned Parakeets here too and an Ultramarine Grosbeak that only I saw.

At first we saw noisy groups in flight, all around us… © Elis Simpson

… but soon got views of them perched © Elis Simpson

A relieved Elis: ‘On my list!’ © Rick Simpson

Part of the admiring crowd: Derb, Mick, Jayne, a bod from Derb’s group, Kent and me © Elis Simpson

The rocky valley where the birds roost/breed © Rick Simpson

Our luxury transport © Elis Simpson

Blue-crowned Parakeet © Elis Simpson

One of the birds Mick most wanted to see was the Silvery-cheeked Antshrike. I had imagined we would bump into many of them on our travels, but the nearest we got was to hear one at the Lear’s site. So we set off on our last evening with this target in mind. We found a Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, a Greater Wagtail-Tyrant, larger and more yellow than its congener, and some White-naped Jays, but despite trawling for the antshrike it didn’t respond. As dusk began to fall I stopped the car. As I opened the door I said “This is where we will see the antshrike.’ more in desperation than hope to be honest. I played the taped and waited, not a sausage. Five minutes passed and we were thinking of packing up, when a Silvery-cheeked Antshrike called nearby. It responded to the playback I played, and in it came, talk about by the skin of our teeth, then it got dark and we returned to the hotel.

Narrow-billed Woodcreeper © Elis Simpson

Cactus Parakeet © Elis Simpson

Tropical Gnatcatcher © Elis Simpson

Greater Wagtail-Tyrant © Elis Simpson

Finally!; Silvery-cheeked Antshrike © Elis Simpson

Typical caatinga habitat where we found the Silvery-cheeked Antshrike at dusk on the last day © Elis Simpson

Next day we drove to Salvador and then in the morning we took our flight back to São Paulo.

View from our balcony in Salvador © Elis Simpson

Some additional photos: