We drove into the lowlands of the northern Pantanal on 1st July. To be honest, the weather didn't change that much, being overcast & pretty chilly. However, there was no fog!
After stocking up on supplies in Pocone we hit the Transpantaneira Highway & immediately started seeing waterbirds. It was a pleasant drive to the lodge & the dirt road was in reasonable condition.
We arrived at Pousa Alegre mid-afternoon & quickly settled in to our room. This is a very old cattle ranch which has partially converted to tourism. We then went for a walk around the property & quickly noted all the common birds present.
We were eager to be up & about on 2nd July. However, the weather was still overcast & a gale was blowing! Despite the environmental handicaps we set off to walk the more open areas of the marsh & a small area of island gallery forest. At first birding was hard, but as the morning progressed the weather improved & we started seeing birds. On the way back to the lodge, we played a tape for Cinereous-breasted Spinetail & received a response! We spent over an hour trying to get views & our persistence paid off handsomely! This is a very range restricted & localized species, being renowned for being difficult to see. So we were ecstatic to eventually get good views.
In the late afternoon we did a short drive to a wetland area & it was full of waterbirds! It was a pleasant outing. After dark we did a nightdrive to the entrance to the property & back to the lodge. We saw 3 Collared Peccary; 3 Crab-eating Foxes & 2 Rufous Nightjars, together with a few Common Paraques. It was difficult to get photos, as Delana was driving & I was using the spotlight. One needs more hands!
We were up at the crack of dawn on 3rd July & visited the feeders at the lodge. Plenty of common species were present & the resident pack of Coatimundi's & a Crab-eating Fox, which tried to hoover up all the food!
After breakfast we did a walk along the road concentrating on the more wooded areas & eventually we found a small trail which went into gallery forest. At first it was extremely quiet but we eventually hit a bird party & Delana saw an Ashy-headed Greenlet, which I missed! This would have been a new bird for me.
Once back on the main track a Long-tailed Ground Dove literally flew into us, giving fantastic close range views. Shortly after we came across a much wanted White-wedged Piculet. We had been searching hard for this species, so we very pleased to get decent views of it.
In the afternoon, we once again walked the marsh trail which leads to a small island of gallery forest & the tower which gives fantastic views of the entire area.
On 4th July we explored some forest & scrub fairly close to the lodge. It was a long & tiring walk, but quite productive.
In the afternoon we checked the more open area, not too from the lodge. In the evening we did a night drive seeing plenty of Common Paraques & a nice Great Horned Owl. However, the highlight was excellent views of Lowland Tapir drinking at a pool. We also saw around 15 Collared Peccaries & a Crab-eating Fox. An excellent ending to a fine day in the field.
A quick look at the feeders early on 5th July revealed the usual chaos! We then ventured out into the forest with a local guide, mainly to show us the spot for Great Potoo. However, he proved to be an enthusiastic birder & we enjoyed a great morning together.
The Great Potoo was in rather an open area on the forest edge. It wasn't too high up, so one got excellent views.
In the afternoon we went for a drive down the main road & struck gold with a brilliant Giant Anteater & Sunbittern! So ended another brilliant day in Brazil!
On the 6th July we drove down the road to explore some drier forest closer to the main highway. We found a trail & followed it for about a kilometre. As usual the birding was slow but we managed a few good species. However, at this point I started to feel unwell & we had to return to the lodge a little earlier than planned.
I spent most of the day in bed sleeping. Late afternoon I was feeling slightly better & so we walked a little way down the main track. It was pleasant, but I was still not feeling good. Didn't have a good night at all.
I awoke on 7th July feeling a little better after an uneasy night. So we decided to conduct a short walk to the marsh & associated small patches of forest. It was a lovely cool morning & we saw plenty of birds in the short time available to us.
I was again feeling unwell & spent the rest of the day in bed. Delana went out with Luis in the afternoon & had a great encounter with a large group of White-lipped Peccaries.
The next morning we packed up & left after a very nice stay here. The place is basic, but OK. What makes it special is that one can walk around without a guide, doing your own thing.
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