FONT Tour Highlights 2006 Part 2

PO Box 9021, Wilmington, DE 19809, USA
E-mail: font@focusonnature.com
Phone: Toll-free in USA, Canada, & Puerto Rico 1-800-721-9986
or 302/529-1876; Fax: 302/529-1085

Above: A Reindeer at Dusk
(Photograph taken during the FONT tour in Iceland,
in October 2006, by Claude Bloch)
Below: The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights
in the Icelandic Sky at Night.

With tour summaries, there are links to UPCOMING TOUR ITINERARIES, CUMULATIVE LISTS relating to BIRDS, ANIMALS, & OTHER NATURE, and to PHOTO GALLERIES.

The following account was written by Armas Hill, leader of the tour:

At the end of our Dec 26, '06 to Jan 4, '07 Guatemala Tour, as we sat in a hotel restaurant, we each wrote on pieces of paper what it was we liked the most about our just-finished trip. We usually do such a thing listing the "top 10 birds" or so, but this time we opted to include also the over-all experiences, the places, and whatever else, in addition, of course, to the birds.

Number #1 was one of us was "seeing so much of a very different country - starting with the VOLCANOES". Yes, those lofty, high volcanoes were hard to ignore when we were there, and equally hard later to forget.
The beautiful Lake Atitlan and vicinity was also high on that list, followed by Antigua, the old capital city of Guatemala, with its colonial architecture, pastel colors, and cobblestone streets.

Then, in his list, there was a bird. Highest-ranking in that category, for him, was the colorful VIOLACEOUS TROGON that sat tamely in a fruiting tree above us. TOUCANS and yet other colorful birds came and went. But the TROGON stayed still. (I remember , too, my first encounter with a tropical trogon years ago.)

Then, in the list of favorites, there were the MONKEYS, both HOWLER MONKEYS and SPIDER MONKEYS. One afternoon, as we were traveling along a river by a remote Mayan site up above a cliff, the boatman, as we requested, turned off the motor. There was quiet, except for the song of birds (wrens were singing, others were calling), and the roaring, yes, ROARING, of the HOWLER MONKEY. If people traveling up such a river, whenever, did not know the source of that loud sound, what did they ever imagine?

Next on the list was the ARACARI, another colorful culprit in that fruiting tree. A small toucan, it's a bird that exemplifies the tropics.

Then, on the list, Tikal, with its temples in the jungle. What a place it is to visit, and what a place to bird.

Early in the tour we took a boat-trip in an area of extensive marshes near the Pacific Ocean. There were birds, many of them. Late in the afternoon, it was a good time for that boat-ride. Against the sky, in the good light that afternoon, as looked inland, away from the Pacific, there were those Guatemalan volcanoes. Simply put, they were impressive. It was a beautiful afternoon. As dusk ensued, the sky, for a while, was filled with flying NIGHTHAWKS - dozens of them - LESSER NIGHTHAWKS they were.

Often as we walked in the area of Tikal, there were birds in the trees. Many were small; some were large. Among the biggest was a single CRESTED GUAN that stayed there, somewhat clumsily moving about, above us.

Not as large as a guan, but big enough, another bird was a bit more adept as it moved about in a tree. It was the SQUIRREL CUCKOO, moving a bit as it did rather like a squirrel.

And last on that first list was the CROCODILE. It was big, very big, across the way on the bank of a pond. Its mouth was wide open, and let me say, we didn't need our binoculars to see its teeth.

On another person's list, number #1 was the PINK-HEADED WARBLER. And deservedly so. It's a brilliant bird, mostly red, with a frosty head, living in the pines and oaks of the Guatemalan mountains.

Number #2 was the ORNATE HAWK-EAGLE. One morning as we were on a high slope of a volcano, 2 of them flew by above us, one after the other. The species was the second Hawk-Eagle of the morning for us. We had just seen the BLACK-AND-WHITE. We were just about to see the BLACK. Incredible it was to encounter 3 species of HAWK-EAGLES in just a couple hours.

Another morning as we were traveling in the northern Guatemalan region called the Peten, not really near anything, there was in the sky ahead of us, a large kettle of big birds lifting up in a thermal. We stopped and looked up. They were WOOD STORKS, about a hundred of them, soaring in circles. It was a truly nice sight.

Next on the was the BLACK-AND-WHITE HAWK-EAGLE mentioned a moment ago. We had such a good look at that marvelous raptor.

During the tour we were never along the seacoast, the haunt of the BROWN PELICAN. So we didn't really expect to see them. But twice we did in the remote Peten. Once, along a river, where it widened into almost a lake, they sat on the water, 6 of them. Another day, by the edge of what was a large lake, we saw a bigger group of those large birds, in flight. There were 17 of them, like a squadron, as they passed by. Also in that area, by the way, was another bird usually by the sea, a ROYAL TERN. And interesting also, there was a single LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL with the LAUGHING GULLS on pilings. During the FONT tour there, 2 years ago, we saw one LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL.

Did I mention that when we were on that slope of the volcano, where we saw the HAWK-EAGLES, there was an EARTHQUAKE? Well, there was. It was a mild one, but it made the list of favorite things of the trip.

The SQUIRREL CUCKOO got another vote. Also getting votes were the KEEL-BILLED TOUCAN and the MONTEZUMA OROPENDOLA. It's not hard to understand why. Both were fun to watch, and the oropendola, also, fun to hear.

Then there was the pair of ORANGE-BREASTED FALCONS at Tikal. One perched high in a tree. Another called nearby. ORANGE-BREASTED FALCONS have been seen during FONT tours at Tikal in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, and now, 2007. Probably no where can they more readily seen than at Tikal.

Another trogon got a vote, the MOUNTAIN TROGON. Yes, it's a bird of the mountains, and a nice one at that.

The MONKEYS got another vote. The IGUANA was not forgotten. And the OWL BUTTERFLY that we saw so nicely along a forest trail was not only not forgotten. It was very well remembered. Photos of it, and a number of the other vote-getters that we've mentioned here, are elsewhere in this website (the link precedes this narrative).

Let me, if I may, give my "Top Ten" of the tour, before concluding. All of them, of course, are birds:
* the 3 species of HAWK-EAGLES during 1 morning
* the ORANGE-BREASTED FALCON
* an ANT SWARM with a frenzy of birds including: various WOODCREEPERS, GRAY-HEADED TANAGER, GRAY-THROATED CHAT, and others
* the PINK-HEADED WARBLER
* the BLUE-THROATED SAPPHIRE (a nice hummingbird in the forest; during the tour there were over 15 species of hummingbirds)
* the PREVOST'S GROUND-SPARROW (a truly dapper bird!)
* the CHESTNUT-COLORED WOODPECKER (we saw it so well; it was so nice to see)
* HOODED WARBLERS (even though they're in our North American woodlands in the summer, they're always nice to see! - as were the many WOOD THRUSHES we saw at Tikal)
* the WOOD STORKS in the large kettle already mentioned
and lastly,
* the VERMILION FLYCATCHER. In a Spanish-speaking country, I like to call the brilliantly-red male the "brazito de fuego", "that little ball of fire".
Also in terms of color, it's deserves mentioning that we saw 7 bright species of ORIOLES during the tour.
There were 260 species of other birds, as the total for the trip was 267.

Guatemala has been the destination for a number of years now for our annual December/January Holiday Tour. Years ago, we went, for a number of years, over the holidays, to Costa Rica. We've also done Dec/Jan Holiday Tours in southern Spain and in the Caribbean, in the Dominican Republic. Next time, in December 2007/January 2008 we'll be going to the Caribbean again, to the Lesser Antilles - to the islands of Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, and Domincia, for parrots and more.

However, as to Guatemala, we'll be going there again this year - in 2007, at a time more convenient for teachers & others too, July 12 -22,- and a time that will also be good there for the birds!

Also during the October tour, we went to the southernmost Brazilian state, Rio Grande do Sul. The southern portion of that state, where we enjoyed some tremendous birding, is very much like Uruguay and Argentina. Brazil borders both of those countries there. When we were in that area, it felt to us "more like" Argentina and Uruguay than Brazil. That region is so different than elsewhere in the country. It's a vast, open, and flat countryside, without many people, away from the one major city of Porto Alegre. But, there are many birds!

And so Rio Grande do Sul has become one of our favorite places for birding in Brazil. It's not as well known for birds as other places in the big country, but it should be. When one thinks of Brazil and its wildlife (including birds), it's those other places such as the Pantanal (in Mato Grosso), the Amazon Basin, and the Atlantic Forest of southeast Brazil, that first come to mind.

It's true that when we were in the Mato Grosso do Sul in September, we saw many birds. And there were big concentrations of them at places where some water remained during the dry season. There were clusters of egrets, ibises, and storks (including Jabirus), and in general there were numerous birds throughout. However, during our October tour in Rio Grande do Sul, were actually saw probably more birds than when we were in the Pantanal. Granted there were no Jabirus or Hyacinth Macaws, but there were many, many others, and some of them in the thousands.

In the Pantanal, there were some ducks (mostly at an area we visited with irrigated rice fields), but in southern Rio Grande do Sul, there were many. There's no need for irrigation in Rio Grande do Sul, as there are numerous bodies of water, one after another, as we drove south toward the Uruguayan border. At one of the first ponds we encountered, there were thousands of FULVOUS WHISTLING-DUCKS. In general, as we traveled, WHITE-FACED WHISTLING-DUCKS were more common. But both were plentiful. And there were also other DUCKS: 3 species of TEAL (SPECKLED, SILVER, and RINGED), YELLOW-BILLED PINTAIL, ROSY-BILLED POCHARD, and BRAZILIAN DUCK (the last of these is a proper name, and just an adjective describing location). A rarity that far south was the COMB DUCK. The favorite of the ducks during the tour was the RINGED TEAL. The plumage of the drake is quite beautiful, and maybe nowhere can the bird be seen in such numbers as where we were. The species has a rather restricted range in southeastern South America.

In the Pantanal, the previous month, we saw a few SOUTHERN SCREAMERS, here and there. In southern Rio Grande do Sul in October, there were many. Meaning by that, there were as many as 200 at one place, and then a little further down the road, another 200. Overall, there were many. SOUTHERN SCREAMERS (somewhat related to waterfowl), are, if nothing else, big, bigger than swans, and they can be noisy - hence their name.

Every noted so far was plentiful during our tours (except the COMB DUCK). But, by far, the most abundant of the birds were the IBISES. Both WHITE-FACED and BARE-FACED IBISES were continually seen on fields and pastures, and by puddles and ponds. Late in the day, they flew to a place that must be absolutely incredible. Strings of IBISES flew, flock after flock, in the beautiful twilight. There were thousands upon thousands going somewhere, and wherever it was (apparently near the coast), it must be beyond belief during the night for the sheer number of birds present there.

A Southern Crested-Caracara with the twilight sky,
photographed in Brazil in 2006 during a FONT tour.

High in that twilit sky, we saw a SHORT-EARED OWL fly. A few times at dusk, atop roadside telephone poles, we saw GREAT HORNED OWLS (said in the book to be rare there). BURROWING OWLS stood by their holes, appearing more awake as the day waned. And still the SCREAMERS called. As did the LIMPKINS. Not quiet, they actually don't call as much as they wail. What a place to be at the end of the day, with so many birds. And there were no other people.

A Burrowing Owl in Brazil,
photographed during a 2006 FONT tour.

Into the evening, the SOUTH AMERICAN SNIPE continued their flight displays. It was similar to that of the WILSON'S SNIPE in North America, but the sound was a bit different. The source of the sound is the same. The phenomenon is called "winnowing", and the odd sound comes from air in the wings as the bird flies quickly.

Even though, as noted there were no JABIRUS, there were many more MAGUARI STORKS than in the Pantanal. And there were WOOD STORKS, seasonal visitors. The countryside was sprinkled with the MAGUARIS as it was with an assortment of HERONS and EGRETS. There were WHISTLING, COCOI, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT, and STRIATED HERONS. There were GREAT, SNOWY, and CATTLE EGRETS, in addition to NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS, and some PLUMBEOUS IBISES. Yes, once again, let me say, that there were birds, many of them.

RAPTORS were also plentiful. Probably none more so than the SNAIL KITE. There was also WHITE-TAILED KITE, and SAVANNA and ROADSIDE HAWKS. CARACARAS (SOUTHERN CRESTED and CHIMANGOS) were abundant. Oddly, however, in southern Rio Grande do Sul, there were no VULTURES (other than the periodic LESSER YELLOW-HEADED). That's very odd, particularly as to the BLACK VULTURE, which throughout most of Brazil, is, one might say, omnipresent, or put another way "everywhere".

The RAPTORS, which were the nicest to see, were the two species of HARRIERS: the LONG-WINGED and the CINEREOUS. Both were common, although the larger LONG-WINGED was more so. When these raptors flew by, close to us, and usually low to the ground, it was hard not to watch them. The plumages of both, though quite different from each other, are yet both beautifully striking. One of the CINEREOUS HARRIERS, near us, and nearly on the ground, was seen actually striking something, in the physical sense. It was a TINAMOU, known as the SPOTTED NOTHURA. The prey, however, was a bit too heavy for the predator, causing it trouble, which was compounded by the constant harassment of noisy LAPWINGS. We had a ring-side seat for that show.

Even though many of the birds, present in numbers, were large, not all were. At a reedbed, the WREN-LIKE RUSHBIRD was seen in flight. On the ground, a SHORT-BILLED PIPIT stood, until it decided to fly - straight up into the sky to do its songful display. In my book, it was noted that the species has been observed, up there in the air, in song for as long as 55 minutes, uninterrupted. Ours may have been tired, as it soon fluttered back down to the ground. RUFOUS HORNEROS abounded. Some telephone poles has as many as 4 or 5 "ovenbird nests" on them. Almost every telephone pole had at least one. Nests of FIREWOOD-GATHERERS were also about. Those nests, made of sticks, were also occupied as it was spring-time when we were there. Also with nests made of sticks were MONK PARAKEETS.

Among the FLYCATCHERS, it was a tour for TYRANTS. During our October '06 Brazil Tour, we saw nearly a dozen species of them. In Rio Grande do Sul, some were in the southern portion of the state, while some were more northerly. We saw the nifty SPECTACLED TYRANT (only in Brazil in this far-southern region), and the WHITE-HEADED MARSH TYRANT, the dapper YELLOW-BROWED TYRANT, the widespread CATTLE TYRANT, and two cousins, the BLUE-BILLED and the CRESTED BLACK-TYRANTS. (TYRANTS during the Minas Gerais portion of the tour will be mentioned later.)

Never during our days in Rio Grande do Sul were there no birds around us. That Brazilian state is about the size of the American state of Colorado. About 600 bird species have been recorded in the state, in a range of habitats from the ocean to the forested hills of the interior. What has been referred to so far is in between, in flat open country, filled with marshes and ponds. The 600 or so species range from the large GREATER RHEAS on the fields to the little GILDED SAPPHIRE, a hummingbird in the flowers.

Oceanside, one can drive for miles on the beach, as we did in October '06, and as we have in the past. We didn't have to go many miles before we had seen 7 types of TERNS, in addition to BLACK SKIMMER, and GULLS of a few species. The TERNS, and the other birds, were close to us, by our vehicle. The 7 species of TERNS we saw on the beach were: SOUTH AMERICAN (in breeding plumage), COMMON (from North America, in non-breeding plumage), ANTARCTIC (in breeding plumage), YELLOW-BILLED (similar to the Least Tern), ROYAL (a South American population), and the CAYENNE (closely related to, some say conspecific with, the Sandwich Tern). The favorite was the distinctive SNOWY-CROWNED TERN (also called the TRUDEAU'S TERN). It was seen in its nice breeding plumage.

Talking about GULLS, on the beach that morning, there had been both KELP and BROWN-HOODED. However, look as hard as we might, there were no GRAY-HEADED GULLS, as we've seen there in the past. Time went by, and that species was not seen anywhere along the coast where we thought it could be. However, a couple days later, as were heading inland along the highway, we passed a large marsh that a few days earlier we had gone by in the dark. We saw a big cloud of many birds, GULLS, above the marsh. They were GRAY-HEADED GULLS, at a huge nesting colony (of thousands of birds). And so we learned where the GRAY-HEADED GULLS had gone. It really was nice, before we left the region, to see them. The adults in breeding plumage are truly attractive. We saw some closely, at a field, near the marsh with the breeding colony, as they followed a plow with the BROWN-HOODED GULLS (a species similar in appearance to the Black-headed Gull of Eurasia, which actually, as you may know, in breeding plumage has a brown head.)

Along the beach, noted earlier, there were numerous SOUTH AMERICAN STILTS in the surf, LESSER YELLOWLEGS also surfside, AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, COLLARED PLOVER, AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER (yes, on the beach), RED KNOT (recently having arrived from northern North America), SANDERLING, a single RUDDY TURNSTONE (a rarity that far south), and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER (the most common "peep" in the area).

Earlier during the tour, also in Rio Grande do Sul south of Porto Alegre, we birded in an area of mostly wet agricultural fields, but with some drier fields nearby. Many SHOREBIRDS were present. Those that were there, already mentioned in the last paragraph, were SOUTH AMERICAN STILT, AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER. But we also found a nice number of PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, some WILSON'S PHALAROPES, and a single HUDSONIAN GODWIT, in addition to GREATER YELLOWLEGS and WATTLED JACANAS.

A shorebird that we looked for, but did not see, in Rio Grande do Sul was the Buff-breasted Sandpiper. In our book, it was noted that as many as 200 can occur there together, and that they can be found on pastures and fields with AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS. We looked through a number of plover flocks, on a number of fields. In doing so, we found more PECTORAL SANDPIPERS than expected. In wet fields, we found more WILSON'S PHALAROPES than expected. Both PECTORAL SANDPIPER and WILSON'S PHALAROPE were said in the book to be rare to uncommon where we were. Apparently, they can become more common when looking for Buff-breasted Sandpipers.

Two other rarities were also seen: the BLACK-AND-WHITE MONJITA and the CANEBRAKE GROUNDCREEPER. Whereas the WHITE MONJITA, already noted, was common, the BLACK-AND-WHITE MONJITA, for some reason, is quite rare throughout its range. We saw it in southern Rio Grande do Sul (near the rare SAFFRON-COWLED BLACKBIRD), and also in northern Rio Grande do Sul (minus the blackbird). It's said that there's some relationship between the two rarities (the monjita & the blackbird) that is not well understood.

Not well known at all, is the third rarity of our tour, the CANEBRAKE GROUNDCREEPER. It was completely unexpected, but we saw it nicely in a tangle at a forest-edge, in northern Rio Grande do Sul. As well as we know, in the area where we saw it, there have not been any recent records of this bird in the "Ovenbird" group (and looking superficially like a large wren with a white brow). But, honestly, where we were, who's been looking? That's the truth of it - in Rio Grande do Sul, one gets the feeling of being in a "birding frontier"!

Where we were in northern Rio Grande do Sul (north of Porto Alegre), it was was completely different than where we were in the south. Firstly, it's a higher area, with rolling hills. Secondly, there's more extensive forest, including nice patches of distinctive trees called "araucaria". Some people think of them as "monkey-puzzle" trees. They are large, coniferous, and with branches that appear like upward chandeliers. They also harbor some distinctive birds. Among those we saw that favor araucaria were: VINACEOUS-BREASTED AMAZON, AZURE JAY, STRIOLATED TIT-SPINETAIL, MOTTLED PICULET, CHESTNUT-BACKED and DIADEMED TANAGERS, and the BAY-CHESTED WARBLING-FINCH (known in Portuguese as "Peito-pinhao" meaning "Araucaria-nut Breast").

In a remote area of a beautiful araucaria forest, in a late-afternoon mist, we watched and heard noisy BUFF-NECKED IBISES, having just entered their evening roost above kind-of-a-log cabin, with smoke coming from the chimney. People lived there, it was clear, but not so clear was how they could each evening tolerate the noise! Earlier that afternoon, a few miles sooner along the road, we saw something that was interesting and silent. It was the late-day flight display of the BLUE-BILLED BLACK-TYRANT. That little bird flew vertically, straight up in the air, and then straight down. Birds are fun to find, and quite often, fun (and interesting) to watch.

There's a dirt road on which we like to travel, and along which we like to bird, in northern Rio Grande do Sul. It descends from a tableland covered with both fields and forest, downward into a wooded valley nearly to sea level. Birdlife changes with the elevation. And so the lightly-traveled road is good, not only since there's not much disturbance, but also due to the diversity of the birds.

At the top, in the trees, there were BARE-THROATED BELLBIRDS. At one of our lower points along the road, we saw, among other birds, a RED-NECKED TANAGER (again, according to "the book" a rarity in the state, with no recent records - since 1928 - but, again, who's looking?) In that same area, we had the opportunity to compare and contrast 3 similar FLYCATCHERS: the PIRATIC, the VARIEGATED, and the STREAKED. Also along the road, between the bellbird and the locally-rare tanager, there were birds from the small OCHRE-FACED TODY-FLYCATCHER to the large RED-BREASTED TOUCAN. Colorful, and nice to see, was the SURUCUA TROGON. Nice to hear, in the distance, was the RUFOUS-TAILED ANTHRUSH (yet another bird that's scarce in Rio Grande do Sul).

Along a roadside, that morning, we spent some time enjoying ANTBIRDS. Yes, ANTBIRDS can be enjoyed, when on a CD, their call or their song is played, and the birds come in closely to investigate. We stood by quietly, and watched a procession come by, in order, of: VARIABLE ANTSHRIKE, TUFTED ANTSHRIKE, OCHRE-RUMPED ANTBIRD, DUSKY-TAILED ANTBIRD, SERRA ANTWREN, and WHITE-SHOULDERED FIRE-EYE.

The birds in the previous paragraph were among those we saw at a place called Caraca. It's large area, of forested hills, mostly undisturbed. Nestled in the hills, at the end of a long road, is a monastery, where we ate meals and spent the night. Before we went to bed, we watched apparently 2 different MANED WOLVES, come onto the steps outside the front door, to eat their meals (chicken-parts put out for them on trays).

Another place we visited in Minas Gerais was a rocky hilltop called "Serra do Cipo". Among birds we saw at that rather unique habitat were: the HYACINTH VISORBEARER (a nice hummingbird that favors the "rather unique plants" there), the CINEREOUS WARBLING-FINCH, the PALE-THROATED SERRA-FINCH, and another finch that was very nice to see as well as we did: a male BLUE FINCH. As we walked about, we flushed a resting LEAST NIGHTHAWK from among the rocks.

Another area we visited in Minas Gerais was a place called Canastra. It's a large plateau. On top, there's grassland, with birds such as the SHARP-TAILED GRASS-TYRANT, the STRIPE-TAILED YELLOW-FINCH, and the OCHRE-BREASTED PIPIT. We saw each of these and other species too. There were TINAMOUS of two species that we saw and heard: the larger RED-WINGED TINAMOU and the smaller SPOTTED NOTHURA.

We also saw in those grasslands, a nice number of UPLAND SANDPIPERS, in all about 3 to 4 dozen, in a few flocks. It was interesting, when watching the UPLAND SANDPIPERS from North America, to note how, in a way they resembled the nearby TINAMOUS that, of course, always stay in South America. Their color was about the same. Their shape (with the skinny neck) is somewhat similar, although the tinamous are fatter. The UPLAND SANDPIPER falls in between the size of the SPOTTED NOTHURA and the RED-WINGED TINAMOU. All 3 species walk about in the grass, but, candidly, the TINAMOUS do a better job at staying hidden.

Flying in the sky above the plateau was a BLACK-CHESTED BUZZARD-EAGLE, just one of the raptors we observed in the area. Others were a large number of GREAT BLACK HAWKS and WHITE-TAILED HAWKS, as well as SAVANNA and BICOLORED HAWKS, and APLOMADO FALCONS and AMERICAN KESTRELS, in addition to ever-present SOUTHERN CRESTED CARACARAS. Near the plateau, PLUMBEOUS KITES were flying in the sky.

A Savanna Hawk photographed during a FONT Brazil tour in 2006

At the end of a nice day in the Canastra area, during which we saw many birds from TOUCANS to TYRANTS, we watched a SICKLE-WINGED NIGHTJAR fly back-and-forth across a dirt road ahead of us, before we left the plateau.

One last bird in Minas Gerais should be mentioned. We had, the previous afternoon, a fine time on the plateau at Canastra, so early in the morning we ventured there again. But the weather was not good. It poured rain. On the dirt road (that was quickly turning to mud), there was a bird that we could see to be a shorebird. It, rather surprisingly, was a lone SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, the first we had ever seen in Brazil in 40 tours away from the coast. The literature says that they rarely occur in interior Brazil, usually on mud by rivers or lakes. Well, whether or not the bird read the book, the dirt road, when we were on it, had turned to mud with puddles that seemed as large as lakes.

There have been 14 FONT birding & nature tours in Iceland, and oddly, in a way, most of them have been in the Fall.
Yes, we've also enjoyed Iceland in the late Spring (late May & early June), and it is wonderful then with all of the breeding birds and the wildflowers in addition to the fascinating geology and wonderful scenery.
But Iceland in the Fall also has its strong points. The geology and scenery of course are still there. The days are still long enough. After dark, the "Northern Lights", or Aurora Borealis, can be seen dancing in the sky.
FONT started, years ago, going to Iceland in the Fall as something interesting to do in conjunction with the tour in southern Sweden for the southbound bird migration. Our Fall Iceland tours, until this one, were in October. In 2006, we went about a week earlier, being there for the first time during September, and then spilling a day or two into October.

In relation to birds, Iceland in the Fall is when some are coming and others are going, and their paths are in a number of directions. During our Fall '06 tour, we saw Eurasian Curlews and Bar-tailed Godwit along the southern Icelandic shoreline. Both species had come from Norway to spend the winter in Iceland. Nearby, at a pasture with Icelandic Horses, there were Wheatear and White Wagtail. Those two species were about to leave Iceland to go to mainland Europe - to Spain, or even to Africa.

From North America, that same day, we saw a Long-billed Dowitcher (an Icelandic rarity - the 6th record for the island), a Sabine's Gull (a species that breeds in the Canadian Arctic, and not in far-northern Europe), and a Snow Goose that joined in other geese. The dowitcher was on a pasture with European Golden Plovers (they were staging prior to their migration to the British Isles). The Sabine's Gull was in a flock of assorted Gulls in a fishing village. In that assemblage there were Black-headed and Black-backed Gulls, Herring Gulls (of a European race), and Glaucous and Iceland Gulls. The Glaucous Gulls stay in Iceland year-round, but the Iceland Gull, it's name notwithstanding, has just arrived from Greenland. It breeds there, and not in Iceland at all. Some Lesser Black-backed Gulls were still about, but that species, now abundant in Iceland during the breeding season, otherwise departs (to southwestern Europe, and probably elsewhere).

The Snow Goose, mentioned a moment ago, was 1 of 5 species of geese during our tour. It was the rarest, as we only saw one. It was in with a flock of Greylag Geese. That's the most commonly seen goose in Iceland, widespread in the lowlands. The Pink-footed Goose nests in Iceland in the interior highlands, but our encounter with that species was an interesting one at sea level. The birds were in a large, tight flock out on a bay. There were hundreds of birds close together in that group. When we stopped our vehicle, and even before we exited, the big flock simultaneously did the same, to be further from us. I read later that such wary behavior is normal for that species, outside their breeding season. The large flock was soon to go to where the birds would winter in England, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
In northwestern Iceland, at the entrance to a large fjord, we saw a massive number of Brant (or Brent Geese as they're called in Europe). We've seen them staging there during previous years. Those birds, from Greenland, would continue on their journey to winter in Ireland. What we had not seen during any of previous Iceland tours, was a flock of Barnacle Geese, migrating as they do through Iceland in late September into October. That was because they normally occur in another part of the island where we don't normally go in the fall. This time, however, we did, and so we saw a large flock of Barnacle Geese, resting during their migration from Greenland to Scotland. They were in southeastern Iceland on rather barren terrain where in the summer more Great Skuas nest than anywhere else. Barnacle Geese are nice to see. As I looked at them, I thought of how the fluffy young goslings in Greenland had plummeted down seaside cliffs.
The only normally-occurring goose that we did not see in Iceland during our Fall '06 tour was the Greater White-fronted, a species that also passes through Iceland from Greenland to elsewhere. In Iceland, its path is usually through the southwestern part of the island. Well, we couldn't be everywhere (even though it could be said we tried!)

During our '06 Fall tour, there were no Great Skuas, where we saw them earlier in the year during our May/June tour, in barren southeastern Iceland (where, as just noted, in October we saw the Barnacle Geese). Actually, during FONT Iceland tours in the past, prior to Oct '06, we'd only seen Great Skuas in Iceland in the late Spring. But during our Fall 2006 tour, we did enjoy seeing a few Great Skuas in northwestern Iceland, flying over a fjord where often we've had good birding. It's a fjord where apparently numerous fish often cause there to be, in our experience, numerous birds and marine mammals such as seals and whales.
Our Great Skuas in the Fall '06 were seen on the last day of September, so still we haven't seen a Great Skua in Iceland in October.
The same also applies to the Arctic Tern. During our Fall '06 tour, at the same fjord, we also saw a few Arctic Terns. When we've been in Iceland in the late Spring, the Arctic Tern is one of the most abundant birds, occurring at nest sites throughout the Country. As with the Great Skua, prior to the fall of '06, we'd never seen an Arctic Tern during that season, and still have not in October. Of all the Icelandic birds, the Arctic Terns that leave after they nest travel the furthest. They go south beyond South Africa into the Indian Ocean and to waters off the west coast of Australia.

In northwestern Iceland, a picturesque area of bays and islands is the stronghold in the country for the White-tailed Eagle. During our Fall '06 Tour in that area, we enjoyed sightings of 5 of them. Our first were from a boat, from which, in addition to the nice scenery, we saw, closely, Shags, along with flocks of Eider, and, on the water, Black Guillemots, not-so-black in their non-breeding plumage.
The White-tailed Eagle population in Iceland is not large, with only about 30 nesting pairs. The first pair that we saw (from the boat) we were told did not nest successfully in 2006. The species ranges across northern Eurasia, as far east as northern Japan, as far west as Greenland.

But is Greenland in Eurasia? No, it's said by most to be part of North America. So, birds that come to Iceland from Greenland, such as the geese, various shorebirds, the Wheatear, the Iceland Gull, and even another race of Black Guillemots that come for the winter, are, in essence, changing continents.
In Iceland, itself, there are just 3 bird species that are "North American". They are: the Common Loon (called in Europe the Great Northern Diver), the Harlequin Duck, and the Barrow's Goldeneye. None of these nest anywhere else in Europe. Some of the Loons (or Divers) spend the winter off, for example, the coast of Scotland. But the Barrow's Goldeneye and Harlequin Duck do not normally occur anywhere else in Europe.

During our Fall Iceland Tours, we do not usually visit Lake Myvatan, a large lake in the Icelandic northern highlands that is, in the late spring and summer a nursery for many ducks. But in the Fall of '06 we did go there, and found that a number of ducks were still there too (as the lake had not yet frozen). The Common (or Black) Scoter, for example, that nests there, was still present. It had not yet gone to the sea. The Harlequin Ducks that nest by rapids along a rushing stream near the lake were gone. We had seen them the previous day along the northern Icelandic seacoast, bobbing about on the ocean, just a very few miles from the Arctic Circle. Where the Harlequins are in the late spring and summer, however, we did see something fascinating - a large flock of dozens of male Barrow's Goldeneyes in the rapids of the stream. Certainly, that was the largest such grouping of Barrow's Goldeneyes in Europe. It was quite a sight, and with a background not to be forgotten with volcanic craters, and dark clouds in sunlight with the most vivid of complete, colorful rainbows.
About an hour or so, further along the road in the highlands, we saw one of the very few land mammals in Iceland, a Caribou (or Reindeer). It was a male with a huge rack of antlers - a descendent of animals brought to Iceland years before from Lappland.

In this narrative, mention has been made of where Iceland birds come from, and where they go. And the mixture of what's European and American has been noted. Actually, Iceland, itself, (although a European country) is a mixture of European and American. It's the only place where the Mid-Atlantic Rift is above the surface of the ocean. A bridge over the rift, where it appears as a channel of water, is actually a bridge between continents. And that's just another thing of what's interesting in Iceland .

Interesting, too, is the Iceland bird-list. Although about 70 species of birds breed, during the late-spring and summer, in Iceland, and a few other birds routinely come to spend the winter (such as the curlew & godwit mentioned earlier), the number of birds on the Iceland list is substantially more, about 350 species. That's due to the number of rarities and vagrants that come from either Europe or America.
We look forward to going to Iceland to see what unexpected birds we find. During our next tour, the FONT Iceland bird-list should top 100 species. As of now (the end of 2006), we're at 96.

Two of the raptors seen in their migration at Falsterbo
during our Fall '06 Sweden Tour
were the Red Kite (above)
and the Eurasian Sparrowhawk (below).

The European Robin was seen in numbers
during its migration on the Swedish island of Öland.
With it, also closely and tame were numerous Goldcrests.

Sweden, during the southbound fall migration of birds, is a wonderful place to be. There are birds, and there are birders with whom to share the experience. At a couple particular places along the coast, that avian migration can be tremendous. During our September 23-28, 2006 Sweden Tour, we about half of our time in each of those two particular places.

One place was the Falsterbo/Skanor area at the southern tip of Sweden, where birds funnel in as they are about to cross the Baltic Sea, as they continue their journey south. The birds there at Falsterbo are of various kinds: RAPTORS, PASSERINE LANDBIRDS, SHOREBIRDS, and WATERBIRDS.

The other place that we visited for good birding was the long, narrow island of Oland. That island is in southeastern Sweden, and yes, it is long, over a hundred miles. Birds in passage on Oland can be anywhere on the island, but it's the southern tip that's usually the best spot to be, especially early in the morning. Oland is a very pastoral place, with farmfields and small villages. There's very little commercialism. In fact, much of Oland, at least on a clear day, looks like a post card, with very clean-looking houses, barns, and stone fences. Though the island overall looks like a post card, rather ironically there are not many places there to by post cards. Stores, even for groceries, are few and far between. Actually, the best shop for postcards seemed to be a store (which we assume to be seasonal, during migration time), filled with an array of bird books and birding optical equipment. In the fall, Swedish birders come to Oland from throughout the country, as do other birders from some various, mostly European, countries. We met many birders when we were in Sweden, mostly Swedish, but also other Scandanavians, Dutch, British, and probably others. However, we met no other birders from North America. We did, however, actually meet a bird from North America on Oland, a PECTORAL SANDPIPER. It, of course, was a favorite of the European birders. Word regarding any "good bird" that appears anywhere on the island spreads fast, as all of the birders have beepers.

Oland gets "good birds" from the east as well as from the west. Each year, there are a number of species that normally reside east of western Europe. During our '06 stay, one such bird we saw was the YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER of Siberia. We also enjoyed a nicely cooperative RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER, sallying for insects from the low branches of a bush - the same bush in which it had been found a hour or so earlier. In Europe, that species is primarily Russian. Another bird from eastern Europe that we saw on Oland was a LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE. It was spotted - by us - as we traveled along a country road.

The Lesser Spotted was not the only eagle for us during our stay on Oland. At the southern tip of the island, along the coastline, where there were some shorebirds and many waterfowl, a WHITE-TAILED EAGLE was present. We would see it either perched on a big rock, or on something else above the fray. When it flew, so did many other birds.
Especially nice to see at that part of Oland was the large flock of BARNACLE GEESE that was sometimes at rest on the flats. They came from far-northern Europe.
And yet another bird from far-northern Europe was at the southern end of Oland during our tour, that was really good - you might say "steller". With COMMON EIDERS, either resting on the rocks, or swimming and feeding in the nearby sea, there was a STELLER'S EIDER! It was a male, although not in adult breeding plumage. Still, a great bird, and a "new bird", not just for the FONT Sweden tours, but for FONT European tours overall. There have been 49 FONT birding tours in Europe since 1990. The STELLER'S EIDER at Oland Island, Sweden in September '06 was bird #437 for FONT in Europe.

A male Steller's Eider in non-breeding plumage,
photographed during the September 2006
FONT tour in Sweden,
by Claude Bloch

And there were yet other fine birding moments for us in September '06 on Oland Island. Seeing the COMMON (or EUROPEAN) CRANES was such a time.
At other times when we'd enter small groves of trees, either by a beach, or near the lighthouse, there were small birds, often tamely about. Most often they were EUROPEAN ROBINS and GOLDCRESTS (dapper little birds similar to American KINGLETS). Of course, we'd look for other species among them (and would find some), but it was hard not to continue to look at those tame ROBINS and GOLDCREST. The EUROPEAN ROBIN is, of course, smaller than the AMERICAN ROBIN (and actually a quite different bird). The GOLDCREST is about the smallest of European birds (with the similar FIRECREST being about the same size). Having either the ROBIN or the GOLDCREST in the grass at one's feet, or very closely on a branch of a bush, is nice indeed. For about the smallest of European birds, binoculars were not needed.

Conversely, at other times during the September '06 Sweden tour, and especially at Falsterbo, the small birds, flying in migration overhead, were so high in the sky that binoculars hardly helped. Most species, at some time during the tour, were seen well, but many times birds such as WOODLARKS and SKYLARKS (aptly named) were certainly up there. We became somewhat adept at identifying such birds overhead by their flight calls, but, in all candor, we were not as adept (nor ever would be) as were the kind Swedish birders who constantly told us what was calling up the sky beyond the realm of vision.
I should take a moment to explain something in this regard. From the moment we arrived in Sweden, until the morning of the day that we left, the sky was clear, nearly always cloudless. For a site in western Europe, that's very unusual for sure. And because the weather, everyday, was so "good", some of the bird migration tended to higher. During our tours at Falsterbo in previous years, with weather more varied, with more wind and low clouds, many birds were seen closer to the ground in, for example, bushes at Falsterbo by the greens of the golf course, or even on the greens themselves. In those bushes, there would be flocks BLUE TITS and other birds as if they were made on "production lines" somewhere further north. On the golf course greens, themselves, flocks would land of such birds as PIPITS and WAGTAILS and various FINCHES.
In September '06, there were some of these, yes, but not as obviously. A notable bird that did alight by us in one of the golf course bushes, however, was a NORTHERN GRAY SHRIKE (in North America, the species is called the NORTHERN SHRIKE).
A explanatory comment should be given regarding the golf course that's been referred to. It's at the tip of the peninsula at Falsterbo, where the birds and birders convene in the fall. In Sweden, due to both custom and law, the golfers and the birders and the birds all coexist at that golf course during the time of the bird migration. Respect is given by the birders, who don't enter upon a green when the golfers are there. The birds go about their business of migrating regardless who is there.

RAPTORS are overhead above Falsterbo, sometimes in large numbers. The most common for us in '06 were, as they would normally be, EURASIAN SPARROWHAWKS and COMMON BUZZARDS. Because we were about a week earlier than our other years, we saw more EUROPEAN HONEY-BUZZARDS. We were too early for Rough-legged Buzzards. Again, as during our other years, the RED KITES were fun to watch. During our September '06 Sweden Tour, other RAPTORS included 2 species of HARRIERS (WESTERN MARSH & HEN), the 2 species of EAGLES already noted, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, EURASIAN KESTRELS, MERLIN, PEREGRINE FALCON, and the NORTHERN (or EURASIAN) HOBBY. The last of these was a favorite during the tour, particularly when we watched a group of them flying about in the sky catching dragonflies. The behavior of the HOBBY is similar to that of the Mississippi Kite in North America.

The birds called SHOREBIRDS in North America are referred to as WADERS in Eurasia. In addition to the American SHOREBIRD, the PECTORAL SANDPIPER, already mentioned, the WADERS we saw during our '06 Sweden Tour were: EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER, GREY PLOVER, NORTHERN LAPWING, DUNLIN, RED KNOT, COMMON and SPOTTED REDSHANKS, COMMON GREENSHANK, COMMON SANDPIPER, RUFF, EURASIAN CURLEW, the similar and smaller WHIMBREL, and PIED AVOCET. Not at all a bad assortment, and it's always nice to see SHOREBIRDS, or WADERS, whichever they're called.

WADERS were among the birds, at times numerous, on the large farm fields throughout the Swedish region of "Skane". It's a flat region of mostly farms, with small villages, north of Falsterbo. The countryside there is dotted with windmills and churches. Some of the fields there, in the fall, can be covered with birds. We saw some large flocks. The GULLS favoring fields were the COMMON and BLACK-HEADED. WADERS included big groups of GOLDEN PLOVERS and LAPWINGS. On one of the fields, with the PLOVERS, we saw a few birds that looked, superficially, like large BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS of North America. They were actually juvenile RUFFS, about to continue on their way further south.

The flocks of SPOTTED REDSHANKS that we saw were also to continue southward, to either the Mediterranean area, or further south, to Africa.
A flock of KNOTS we saw, along the shoreline at Falsterbo, had come from their breeding grounds in the High Arctic. That flock would never connect with those of the same species we see in North America that migrate many miles south to the end of land in South America (Tierra del Fuego). But where we saw those KNOTS, during our Sweden Tour, was close to where the species got its name - just a relatively few miles across the Baltic in Denmark. "The KNOT was called CANUTUS (that's still the scientific name), bird of old, of that great king of the Danes, his name that still doth hold, his appetite to please, that farre and neare was sought, for him (as some have said), from Denmark hither brought". Thus, the name of the KNOT. The quote just given was written in 1622.

Our tour in Scandanavia, with KNOTS and all the other birds, written about now, 384 years later in 2006, was an enjoyable experience. Most of our birding, as has been noted, was in Sweden, but we were also in Denmark, as the tour began and ended at the airport in Copenhagen.
After this tour on the European mainland, there was another, that followed, in Iceland. Each year, the FONT Sweden and Iceland Tours in the Fall can be done in conjunction with each other.

The KNOT was one of 110 species of birds found during our '06 Sweden Tour. A link to the list is at the beginning of this narrative.

We also saw BUTTERFLIES, notably groups of RED ADMIRALS, Vanessa Atalanta, a strong flier that's migratory (they say, a northward migrant from Africa), and some MAMMALS: both GRAY and HARBOR SEALS, and FALLOW DEER. The last of these were brought from the Mediterranean Region to the southern part of Oland Island, over 300 years ago, when that location was a royal estate.

The MIGRATION of BIRDS in southern Sweden has been well tracked for many years. I don't know if that's been so for 300 or more years, but certainly detailed records, tallying the migrants, have been kept through much of the 20th Century.
In 2006, it was good for us to be there again, with one of the foremost of the world's BIRD MIGRATIONS. Regardless how many years records of it have been kept, the MIGRATION there, one can imagine, has occurred as long as there have been BIRDS flying south every fall.

Birds in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul,
mostly Egrets & Jabiru Storks,
photographed during our Sep '06 Brazil Tour

Although this tour would take us into 3 South American countries, it was mostly, by far, in Brazil. There's certainly no doubt about it - Brazil is a great place for birding, which is why our September 3-17, 2006 tour there was our 39th in that country.

During the tour, we visited 3 distinctly different areas. Firstly, we went to Iguazu Falls, in southern Brazil by the border with Argentina & Paraguay. The falls itself is spectacular, and the national park on the Brazilian side of the river is a wonderful place, with nice forest that's good for both BIRDS and BUTTERFLIES.
As we were in the area, one afternoon we visited Paraguay to see what nature (particularly birds) we'd see there. The hummingbird known as the BLACK JACOBIN there was a bit of a surprise for us (at the far western edge of its range). The hummingbird known as the GILDED SAPPHIRE was the only one we'd see during the entire tour, and, oddly, another "exclusive" for us in Paraguay was the colorful YELLOW-FRONTED WOODPECKER, a species we often see in southeastern Brazil. Colorful, yes, as it's not just yellow, but also with bright red, and black and white. It's in the same genus as the Acorn Woodpecker of North America.

The second area of Brazil that we visited is one of best regions in all of South America for the observation of nature - the area of the Pantanal in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. We stayed at two places in that area, each a bit different from the other in terms of setting and habitat, and therefore each with some different birds. Both, however, had wildlife just outside the doors of where we slept and ate. Also outside those doors, birds ate too, often in large numbers, especially in the morning coming to feed put on trays for them. At one place, there were dozens of BLACK-HOODED, or NANDAY, PARAKEETS. At both places, there were DOVES (as many as 7 species) including the LONG-TAILED GROUND-DOVE, a bird, it could be said, to be "of the Pantanal". There were 2 species of CARDINALS, the RED-CRESTED and the more-common YELLOW-BILLED (also, by the way, with a red head, and with a bill that usually appears more orange than red). There were also numbers of bright yellow SAFFRON FINCHES. And, at the feeders, as well, were SAYACA TANAGERS, with their soft blue hue (a cousin of the Blue-gray Tanager), along with an assortment of FLYCATCHERS, SALTATORS, THRUSHES, and even CARACARAS outside those doors.

Black-hooded (or Nanday) Parakeets,
coming to lunch outside where we had ours in the Pantanal

That part of the Pantanal is not far from the border with Bolivia, and so one afternoon we visited that country, where mostly by a large lake, we saw a nice number of birds. Nice to see was a flock of about 15 NACUNDA NIGHTHAWKS that rose up at about 5 in the afternoon, from a grassy island, to fly about. They had been roosting on that island during most of the day. Also nice for us in Bolivia were 2 APLOMADO FALCONS perched side by side.

And then, the third area of the tour was in the interior of southeastern Brazil, in the state of Minas Gerais, a place known for mining and gems, and historic cities in the hills. The most famous of them is Ouro Preto, with cobblestone streets and many churches. A reason why we chose this to be the third region for our September '06 Tour was because, for birding, it's very "Brazilian". Whereas the other areas were near borders, Minas Gerais is a place, on the other hand, where a number of birds endemic to Brazil can be found. It's a good place for specialties and also for some rarities. Foremost among the latter, for us, was the BRAZILIAN MERGANSER. It is, in fact, one of the rarest birds in the world, with an estimated total population of less than 200 birds. We saw a pair of them, nicely, in a telescope, gray and green, blending in against gray rocks along a riverside. This was the 5th FONT tour during which we'd seen the BRAZILIAN MERGANSER, or "PATO MERGULHAO", since 1997. 50 years before that the bird was thought to be extinct. It was re-found in 1948. Seeing the BRAZILIAN MERGANSER, as we did, was certainly one of the highlights of our September '06 Tour.

But the merganser was not the only highlight. When a tour is in the Brazilian Pantanal, there are undoubtedly other highlights too. Nor was the merganser the only rarity. In the Pantanal, there's also the HYACINTH MACAW. Actually, we saw ours, during the Sept '06 tour, rather unexpectedly prior to being in the Pantanal, by a large rocky hill. 2 HYACINTH MACAWS were perched in a large cliffside hole. In that area, during previous tours, we've seen Red-and-green Macaws. Just a mile or so down the road, after our first Hyacinth pair, we saw another, closer to us, perched in a tree.

The HYACINTH MACAW is the largest member of the parrot family, anywhere in the world. In Brazil, yes, a large country, and the largest in South America, there are some other birds, that we also saw in the "largest" category. The TOCO TOUCAN is the largest of that tribe. The GREATER RHEA is the largest American bird. It is flightless. Standing almost as tall, the JABIRU is the largest American stork. Over 5 feet tall, it is big. We saw many JABIRUS. And many other birds too (EGRETS, IBISES, STORKS, SPOONBILLS, and others) congregated at dwindling waterholes in the Pantanal during the dry season, as it was in September.

I noted earlier that in the area of the Pantanal, in Mato Grosso do Sul, we stayed at two places. And I said that both were in various ways different from each other. Both, certainly, were great places to visit. But at one of the places, the excursions that we took in open vehicles, throughout the vast property, were great. During the day, we traveled in such a way through extensive rice-fields, and then into other habitats, along channels, and by edges of fields with scattered trees and sometimes by dense forest. At night, we also did such excursions - on two consecutive nights. They were simply put, absolutely superb!

During one of those two nights, we saw a JAGUAR. It was a fair distance away, but in our binoculars we could see the spots, the ears, the large head, and its face as it looked at us. When it arose, in the mist, the cat steadfastly just walked away. It was an image not ever to be forgotten. Some of the other animals we saw that night would run into the distance. The fearless JAGUAR did not.
In addition to the JAGUAR, other animals that we saw on the open-vehicle excursions during those two consecutive nights were:
7 OCELOTS (*)
a PANTANAL CAT (*) (formerly considered part of the more-southerly PAMPAS CAT)
a MANED WOLF (*)
2 BRAZILIAN TAPIRS
3 GIANT ANTEATERS
CRAB-EATING FOXES (*)
CRAB-EATING RACCOONS (*)
about a dozen MARSH DEER (*)
a TAPITI (or BRAZILIAN RABBIT)
and many CAPYBARAS.
Not only animals were seen during those nocturnal excursions. We also saw, nicely, STRIPED OWL (*) and BARN OWL (*), and a large number of NIGHTJARS including: SCISSOR-TAILED NIGHTJAR (*), LITTLE NIGHTJAR (*), and PAURAQUE. Additionally, we heard RUFOUS NIGHTJARS and GRAY (formerly called COMMON) POTOOS. The call of the former is rather like that of a Chuck-Will's-Widow. The call of the latter is one of the most beautiful sounds in nature.

During the tour, we were fortunate to have with us a talented photographer, who took excellent photographs of many of the animals and nocturnal birds just mentioned. Photographs of those with an (*) are elsewhere in the FONT website:
Photos of Birds & Animals from our Sep '06 Brazil Tour

Also elsewhere in this website in the feature relating to "South American Mammals", there are photos of the MARSH DEER and CAPYBARAS, and also during the tour, those of BLACK HOWLER MONKEYS. Other animals that we saw during the Sept '06 Brazil Tour included: GIANT OTTER, both RED and BROWN BROCKET DEER, AZARA'S AGOUTI, SOUTH AMERICAN COATI, the BLACK-STRIPED TUFTED CAPUCHIN (MONKEY), the MASKED TITI (MONKEY), the BUFFY-HEADED MARMOSET, and the BRAZILIAN SQUIRREL and BRAZILIAN GUINEA-PIG.

Fine photographs of birds, taken during the FONT September '06 Brazil Tour, now in our website, include those of:
HYACINTH MACAW
BLUE-AND-YELLOW MACAW
PLUMBEOUS IBIS
BUFF-NECKED IBIS
SAVANNA HAWK
PALE-CRESTED WOODPECKER
CRIMSON-CRESTED WOODPECKER
WHITE WOODPECKER
RED-BILLED SCYTHEBILL
NARROW-BILLED WOODCREEPER
RUFOUS-TAILED JACAMAR
AMERICAN PYGMY KINGFISHER
AMAZON KINGFISHER
BLACK-HOODED PARAKEETS
GRAY-NECKED WOOD-RAIL
RUFOUS HORNERO at its nest
BLACK-CAPPED DONACOBIOUS
GREAT ANTSHRIKE
SILVER-BEAKED TANAGER
YELLOW-BILLED CARDINAL
ORANGE-BACKED TROUPIAL
WHITE-BELLIED SEEDEATER
WHITE-BROWED BLACKBIRD
Again, these are reached from the link in the feature box on the home-page.

In all, over 380 species of birds were found during our September '06 tour in Brazil. A complete listing of them is in our website under 2006 Previous Tour Highlights.

Among the nearly 400 birds during our September '06 Brazil Tour, there are still a few, not yet mentioned here, that should be.
Before we saw the Brazilian Merganser, in Minas Gerais, we were fortunate to see both a CROWNED SOLITARY-EAGLE and an ORNATE HAWK-EAGLE fly above us. A few days earlier, in another part of Minas Gerais, we were fortunate to see a MANTLED HAWK circling about in the sky. On the ground, a number of times in Minas Gerais, we enjoyed watching RED-LEGGED SERIEMAS (odd creatures to say the least). Some other notable sightings in Minas Gerais included these:
on a treetop near Ouro Preto, a SWALLOW-TAILED COTINGA (a beautiful bird),
at a marsh, the striking burgundy and beige-colored bird with a long tail, called the STREAMER-TAILED TYRANT,
by a stream, a nice look at a SHARP-TAILED STEAMCREEPER (imagine, they wanted us to call that bird the STREAMSIDE LOCHMIAS),
on a forest floor, another nice look at certainly a dapper little bird, the RUFOUS GNATEATER,
in trees, in another forest, high in the hills above a belt of coffee groves, birds such as the GIANT ANTSHRIKE (that it is), and the brilliantly-blue DIADEMED TANAGER. Just a few miles back down the road, also brilliantly-blue male SWALLOW-TAILED MANAKINS were performing at their lek.
At yet another Minas Gerais location, where we stopped for a sandwich for lunch, a bird not often seen, a GREEN-CHINNED EUPHONIA, also came by to eat, at a feeding tray.
These were some of the birds during the last few days of the tour.

During the first few days, in the area of Iguazu Falls (which we already referred to as "spectacular"), there were yet some other birds worth noting.
Over the river above the falls, there were at least a few dozen SNAIL KITES flying about above the water and landing on the small rocky islands. We've been to Iguazu over 10 times during previous FONT tours in Brazil and Argentina, but, prior to this tour, we had never seen SNAIL KITES there.
GREAT DUSKY SWIFTS were at the falls, but not as many as there could be (or have been for us in the past).
During one of our mornings at Iguazu, a tree bare of leaves was, however, filled with color. It was filled with EUPHONIAS in brilliant plumage, mostly VIOLACEOUS, feeding on berries. The also-colorful BLUE-NAPED CHLOROPHONIA was there as well, along with the CHESTNUT-BELLIED EUPHONIA (also a looker!) Across the road, a white bird with a blue throat that's a member of the cotinga family, was calling loudly - a BARE-THROATED BELLBIRD.
Among trees in the forest, that morning, at one time we were surrounded by ANTBIRDS with other birds in a mixed flock. There were both STREAK-CAPPED and RUFOUS-WINGED ANTWRENS, BERTONI'S ANTBIRD, and PLAIN ANTVIREO. In the distance, a SHORT-TAILED ANTTHRUSH was calling.
One of our most interesting bird sightings at Iguazu was when the head of a BLOND-CRESTED WOODPECKER appeared out of a treehole, at eye-level. It looked at us. And we looked at it, of course!

That woodpecker was just one of the nice encounters we had with birds, and other nature, during our September '06 Brazilian Tour, in the areas of Iguazu, Mato Grosso do Sul (the Pantanal), and Minas Gerais. We look forward to more such encounters when we return to Brazil in 2007.

The birds voted by the participants, following the tour, as the "Top Birds" were:

1 - Brazilian Merganser (p)
2 - Streamer-tailed Tyrant
3 - Red-legged Seriema
4 - Black-breasted Plovercrest
5 - Pale-crested Woodpecker (p)
6 - Red-billed Scythebill (p)
7 - Spotted Nothura
8 - Striped Owl (p)
9 - Scissor-tailed Nightjar (p)
10 - Toco Toucan
11 - Swallow-tailed Hummingbird
12 - Blond-crested Woodpecker

Photographs of those birds noted with a (p) are elsewhere in this website in our NEOTROPICAL BIRD PHOTO GALLERY.
That of the #1 bird, the Brazilian Merganser, is also below.

The very rare Brazilian Merganser in Minas Gerais, 2006.
A pair was seen during the FONT September '06 tour.
(Photo courtesy of Renilda Dupin)