From Campo Grande to the Pantanal
A whopping 44 new species for the list! We left Campo Grande early morning and progress was slow as we almost immediately stopped to watch Blue-and-yellow Macaws alongside the dual carriageway. As we watched these, a Campo Flicker landed in a nearby tree. This set the tone for the rest of the day, trying to drive but repeatedly stopping to collect roadside birds. Just a few selected highlights include the amazing Frilled Coquette, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Fork-tailed Woodnymph and Sombre Hummingbird, all feeding in a single pink blossoming tree! Streamer-tailed Tyrants displayed over a marsh, three Curl-crested Jay vigorously bashed their food against the tops of fence posts. Grassland areas held Red-legged Seriema and Greater Rhea, while our mammal highlight was a feeding Giant Anteater. Reaching Caiman Lodge, birds became even more numerous and driving the entrance track was almost impossible, as every few yards we screeched to a halt to admire yet another new bird. Plumbeous and Bare-faced Ibis fed in roadside pools, Hyacinth Macaws swept overhead and perched in adjacent dead trees, Golden-collared Macaws were also in the treetops, and a flock of over 200 Nacunda Nighthawks swirled in the air in broad daylight only yards from the car. Whistling Herons strode through wet grassland while raptors included Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Snail Kites and Black-collard Hawk.The Caiman Ecological Refuge (www.caiman.com.br) covers some 53 thousand hectares, a vast, carefully-managed nature reserve including areas of grassland, marshland, woods and open water, just teeming with wildlife. We’ve mentioned some of the bird highlights, but our mammal list took a boost too. Capybara are numerous and confiding, grazing in groups near the roadside, a Yellow Armadillo ambled along beside a fence while a group of Collared Peccaries viewed us cautiously before vanishing into the brush. Three lodges are scattered in the refuge and we are fortunate enough to be staying in one overlooking a large lake. Not sure the hammock on our patio will get much use, but the scope’s already set up by the bed looking out across the water.Bird species list: 2348
Posted 15th June, Caiman Lodge, Pantanal, Brazil