South Brazil: Rio Grande do Sul and Joinville, SC (1 Viewer)

We're back from ten days in Brazil, traveling in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. My wife and an old friend were more interested in plants and horticulture than birds, but I planned the itinerary to get some birding in. We flew to Porto Alegre, rented a car and drove down to Taim, then to Joinville by way of Santana da Boa Vista, Sao Francisco da Paula and Aparados NP, and flew home from Florianopolis last Sunday.

We took a GPS loaded with maps of Brazil. It was very nice to have, particularly to find banks, but it did sort of lead us astray a couple times. On the way to Sao Francisco da Paulo from Porto Alegre, it took us on a shortcut through town and up an unpaved road when we should have taken a highway, and it sent us on a path that included 60 Km of rough unpaved roads on a day we had a 7 hour drive already. The last two hours of that day was on the freeway from Florianopolis to Joinville, racing along in the rain to arrive at about 11:00 PM, well past my bedtime. But the birding was good on the rough road, and we added several birds to the list by going that way, including Spotted Nothura and Diademed Tanager, so I can't complain.

I'll have to add more later.

I'll be interested to hear about what you've seen from a part of Brazil that's less frequently visited by birders.

Porto Alegre to São Lourenço Saturday 11/6/2010

We did not have much time the first day, arriving in Porto Alegre mid-afternoon, following an overnight flight. After picking up the little rented Fiat, hooking up the GPS, we headed straight out of town, planning to spend the night somewhere around Pelotas, some 3 or 4 hours south.

The highway heads out through vast birdy rice fields. The traffic was furious at times, and the shoulders usually narrow, but we managed to pull off at several locations to tick a few life birds, including Maguari Storks, Southern Screamers, Long-winged Harriers, and Red-crested Cardinals (near life birds, having seen them in Hawaii). It would have been well to look over these fields more thoroughly, but the day wasn't going to last forever, so we kept on, for the most part.

We pulled into São Lourenço da Sul, north of Pelotas, and found a nice hotel on the beach as it got dark.

Attached are some images taken en route.

São Lourenço

São Lourenço da Sul is a quiet beach town on Lagoa dos Patos, not the outer coast. In the morning, walking around the parks and streets by the beach was productive, and I found my first Brown-hooded Gulls, Picui Ground Doves, Monk Parakeets, Gilded Hummingbird, Firewood Gatherers, White Monjitas, Variegated Flycatcher, Masked Gnatcatcher, Red-crested Finch, and Bay-winged Cowbirds. There were some thick reed-beds, and a good birder may have been able to pull out some of the furnarids that ought to have been there, but I failed to detect anything but a Wren-like Rushbird or two, and they would not show themselves.

Keep in mind that I'm no expert, and feeling my way along in a foreign country without guidance. Great fun when you come down to it!

Here's a list for the morning, up to breakfast:
Cocoi Heron
Collared Plover
Spotted Sandpiper
South American Snipe
Brown-hooded Gull
Rock Pigeon
Eared Dove
Ruddy Ground-Dove
Picui Ground-Dove
Monk Parakeet
Guira Cuckoo
Gilded Hummingbird
Wren-like Rushbird
Firewood Gatherer
Vermilion Flycatcher
White Monjita
Variegated Flycatcher
Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Blue-and-white Swallow
Brown-chested Martin
White-rumped Swallow
Masked Gnatcatcher
Tropical Parula
Sayaca Tanager
Red-crested Finch
White-browed Blackbird
Chopi Blackbird
Chestnut-capped Blackbird
House Sparrow

Taim and Cassino - Saturday Nov. 7, 2010

After a leisurely breakfast, we packed up and headed out through Pelotas toward Taim, on the marshy strip between Lagoa Mirim and the ocean. As mentioned in Rick Simpson's site (http://www.rick-simpson.com/jeremy-minns-site-notes/rio-grande-do-sul/), The road between Pelotas and Rio Grande is busy, but there are shoulders, and we did not feel too uncomfortable pulling over on the shoulder now and again. In this area we found a nice flock of about 50 gulls, roughly half Brown-Hooded Gullls and Gray-hooded Gulls. Several Roseate Spoonbills feeding there made a fine sight.
The road south to Taim was not so busy, so pulling over was more tranquil. In a large marshy lake north of Taim there were a dozen or so Black-necked Swans, and some Coscoroba Swans, along with a few White-winged Coots and a lot of Common Gallinules. There is a good chance that other good birds were here, but I did not want to make a career out of scoping it, when the others were waiting.
We turned left onto the dirt road leading out to the Taim Ecological Station, and it was a very nice road to poke along on, through marshy pastures. There were a lot of good birds, including hordes of Southern Screamers. There was a pair of Coscoroba Swans with young cygnets. A Cinereous Harrier was near the station itself, and there was a pair of Silver Teal on the way back out.

Cassino was a disaster. I had thought to spend the night there, then use the early morning to look for some good furnarids reported from the dunes and behind them by Forrester and others. But arriving in Cassino, we found it totally overrun by people, crowding everywhere. Whether something special was going on or that was normal, we didn't care for it, and left. We found very cheap lodging in Rio Grande, and planned to head west to Santana da Boa Vista in the morning.

Here's the list for the day (not including the morning walk in São Lourenço), though I didn't list some common birds:

Southern Screamer
White-faced Whistling-Duck
Black-necked Swan
Coscoroba Swan
White-cheeked Pintail
Silver Teal
Neotropic Cormorant
Cocoi Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Cattle Egret
Striated Heron
Whistling Heron
White-faced Ibis
Bare-faced Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Maguari Stork
Turkey Vulture
Snail Kite
Long-winged Harrier
Cinereous Harrier
Savanna Hawk
Roadside Hawk
Southern Caracara
Yellow-headed Caracara
Chimango Caracara
Giant Wood-Rail
Common Moorhen
White-winged Coot
Southern Lapwing
Black-necked Stilt
Greater Yellowlegs
Brown-hooded Gull
Gray-hooded Gull
Monk Parakeet
Rufous Hornero
Cattle Tyrant
Tropical Kingbird
Fork-tailed Flycatcher
House Wren
Rufous-bellied Thrush
Chalk-browed Mockingbird
Yellowish Pipit
White-browed Blackbird
Yellow-winged Blackbird
Brown-and-yellow Marshbird

Hi Jeff,

Great report, thanks. Re Cassino: it is summer in Brazil, it was a weekend and Cassino is a beach town, do the math - all the beach crazy gauchos were there!

Dalcio

Red-spectacled Parrot Day - Monday 11-08-2010

Following Rick Simpson's directions, we headed inland:

We found the bridge some 20 kilometers south of Santana de Boa Vista, and checked into the lovely pousada at the bridge. They did not offer to feed us, so we went back into Santana da Boa Vista for supplies. That trip was nice for my fellow travelers, who are not really birders, because it is a pleasant little town, well off the tourist path, with gauchos and ice cream.

Back at the pousada, Patricia and I walked down to the woods below the bridge. It was nice to have access to such a woods. There were openings and camping areas, but no guests besides us.

Patricia saw a parrot first, and called my attention to it, but I was a little slow, and barely glimpsed it. On the way back up to the cabinas, I was busy rationalizing how I could list such a brief glimpse. While we were relaxing over some beers in the shade at the top of the hill, four of the parrots came in!

Check out my photo in Opus, the only one of the species in the gallery.
http://birdforum.net/opus/Red-spectacled_Parrot
more later,
Jeff

Here's a partial bird list for the day, including a side trip down a randomly selected unpaved road en route between Pelotas and Santana da Boa Vista:

Brazilian Teal
Anhinga
Southern Caracara
Yellow-headed Caracara
Eared Dove
White-tipped Dove
Monk Parakeet
Red-spectacled Parrot
Green-barred Woodpecker
Campo Flicker
Rufous-capped Antshrike
Small-billed Elaenia
Yellow-browed Tyrant
White Monjita
Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Bank Swallow
Rufous-bellied Thrush
White-necked Thrush
Chalk-browed Mockingbird
Tropical Parula
Green-winged Saltator
Saffron Finch
Grassland Yellow-Finch
Red-crested Cardinal
Chopi Blackbird
Hooded Siskin

to Porto Alegre Tuesday 11-9-10

Early morning was nice in the trees around the pousada. the proprietor has some bird feeders (Red-crested Finch), and there are some nice scrubby woods down the back side of the hill. A Plush-crested Jay came it to the trees around the cabina, and the Red-spectacled Parrots were flying about, making a racket.

As much as we could have spent a week there by the Rio Camaquã, we had reservations at Hotel Veroneio Hampel at São Francisco de Paula for the next night, so headed out after breakfast. We headed south until we found a back road that would cut north to BR290, where we could stop now and again. We did not have time for birding after Porto Alegre, and only arrived at the hotel Veroneio Hampel at about dark.

Here is a partial bird list for the day:
Southern Screamer
White-faced Whistling-Duck
Brazilian Teal
Yellow-billed Pintail
Cocoi Heron
White-faced Ibis
Bare-faced Ibis
Maguari Stork
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
Snail Kite
Southern Caracara
Yellow-headed Caracara
Chimango Caracara
Common Moorhen
Black-necked Stilt
Monk Parakeet
Red-spectacled Parrot
Guira Cuckoo
White Monjita
Cattle Tyrant
Streaked Flycatcher
Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Azure Jay
Plush-crested Jay
Southern Rough-winged Swallow
Brown-chested Martin
House Wren
Rufous-bellied Thrush
Creamy-bellied Thrush
White-necked Thrush
Blue-black Grassquit
Red-crested Finch
Chestnut-capped Blackbird
Bay-winged Cowbird
Golden-winged Cacique

Interesting report Jeff - love the Amazon photo. Not a species I've seen yet, but a genus I'm working my way through. It sounds like a reliable site.

Long-tailed Cinclodes Day Wednesday 11-10-10

After early morning birding around Hotel Veraneio Hampel (Black-and-Rufous Warbling Finch) and breakfast (more on this great hotel later), we headed north for Aparados da Serra NP. It is a bit of a drive, but the birding is fine the whole way. We stopped frequently, and found the Long-tailed Cinclodes at one of the first stops. I won't be able to pinpoint the place, it was just where there seemed to be a lot of activity. The cinclodes hopped out on a fencepost for me, too briefly to photograph (That is secondary to getting a good look at a bird, for me), then flew over the road to the bank above the road, and landed on another fencepost before dropping down, where not visible. A Chalk-browed Mockingbird popped up on the fencepost, causing me briefly to worry that I was mistaken, but a cinclodes popped up again too, for comparison, and settled it.

I'll have to continue later, this was a good day.

Parque Nacional de Aparados da Serra

This park is well worth visiting. But it would be better to spend the night in Cambara do Sul (the small town on the way in) than in Sao Francisco de Paula. There appeared to be many lodging options, including a new large hotel by a small lake. Rick Simpson may be right that the park doesn't open until 8:00AM, but the birding is good on the unpaved road between town and the the entrance, so a party might not get there before 8:00 anyway. The problem with starting the day from Sao Francisco de Paula is that it is easy (and productive) to spend all day on that road, and then not have time to spend in the park, before driving back.

I looked for the road into the south entrance referenced in Forrester's guide, but it isn't signed the way he describes any more, and at the north entrance they said you could not drive through to the south. We had a very pleasant walk around the top of the gorge, and saw several nice birds, though it was mid-day by then. My first Gray Elaenias were good to watch, and Biscutate swifts coming in to the waterfall. The cafe wasn't open, so don't count on that. (there was plenty to eat that evening in the Churrascaria in Sao Francisco, so we did not suffer long)

Great reporting Jeff. Comments on the logistics very much appreciated.

Dalcio

I enjoyed tooling around Rio Grande do Sul quite a bit. The reports available were a great help, so it is only fair that I give some back. The perennial problem is that we don't have enough time. We should have spent several days, at least, at each of the places we visited, to do them justice.
Having a guide would make it more efficient, but then we would not have quite the footloose feeling we enjoyed. We would have ticked more species, though. It's all a trade-off.

Bird list for Sao Fancisco do Paulo to PN Aparados da Serra

Two of the best birds for the day were the Long-tailed Cinclodes (mentioned before) and the Yellow-legged Tinamou. The Tinamou was working at crossing the road as we drove back to SF da Paulo. We passed it, and pulled over some 40 yards down. the road, while not too busy compared to some, does have traffic, and the shoulders tend to be narrow. But I pulled clear over the fog line, and we watched as two more cars missed the bird, which dodged back to the shoulder as they approached. I got out, hoping for a photo, but the bird dodged into the vegetation on the shoulder. When I walked over, it flushed, and flew across the road, landing in a dense marsh 50 yards out.

Some other images are attached below.

Here's a bird list for the day, including some that were at the Hotel Veroneio Hampel:

Yellow-legged Tinamou
Brazilian Teal
Yellow-billed Pintail
Yellow-billed Teal
Whistling Heron
White-faced Ibis
Bare-faced Ibis
Buff-necked Ibis
Maguari Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
Swallow-tailed Kite
Savanna Hawk
Roadside Hawk
Southern Caracara
Yellow-headed Caracara
Chimango Caracara
American Kestrel
Common Moorhen
Southern Lapwing
Rock Pigeon
White-collared Swift
Biscutate Swift
Black Jacobin
Glittering-bellied Emerald
Violet-capped Woodnymph
White-throated Hummingbird
Amethyst Woodstar
Amazon Kingfisher
Green-barred Woodpecker
Campo Flicker
Long-tailed Cinclodes
Rufous Hornero
Firewood-gatherer
Streaked Xenops
Gray Elaenia
Great Kiskadee
Tropical Kingbird
Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Azure Jay
Blue-and-white Swallow
Southern Rough-winged Swallow
Brown-chested Martin
White-rumped Swallow
House Wren
Chalk-browed Mockingbird
Tropical Parula
Chestnut-backed Tanager
Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch
Saffron Finch
Great Pampa-Finch
Yellow-rumped Marshbird
Screaming Cowbird
Hooded Siskin

Hotel Veraneio Hampel at São Francisco de Paula

I have to plug this hotel - it was a very pleasant place to stay, with good birds around. We failed to spend enough time in the area of the hotel, but instead blasted off for PN Aparados. We had the chronic problem - too little time!

There is a good web site for the hotel, including a nice bird list, for the region, and the area of the hotel: http://www.veraneiohampel.com.br/dir.htm

The price is very reasonable - we paid 200 BR total for two rooms for the three of us for two nights. They were very responsive when we made reservations by email, though since we were the only guests, it may not have been necessary. They were probably glad to know we were coming, though.

We asked them to fill the hummmingbird feeders before we left for the PN Aprados da Serra, and on our return there was a lot of activity there, including Amethyst Woodstar, Black Jacobin, White-throated Hummingbird, and lots of Violet-capped Woodnymphs. Chestnut-backed and Sayaca Tanagers were coming in as well. And Araucaria Tit-Spinetails were in the pines above the feeders!

When I have all the time in the world, I'll come spend a week.

Shortcut takes time - Thursday 11/11/2010

So after watching hummingbirds and Araucaria Tit-Spinetails and enjoying breakfast, we were off to Joinville, SC for the orchid show on Friday. since this would be a seven-hour drive, more or less, we needed to keep moving, but would be able to stop for birds now and again, since we did not have to arrive early.

At Tainhas, we could have headed directly toward Bom Jesus, but the GPS told us it was better to go through Cambara do Sul and Sao Jose dos Ausentes. Since we knew the road to Cambara do Sul was nice, we went that way. It turned out that the road between Cambara do Sul and SJ dos Ausentes was unpaved, and rough, and it took something like 3 hours for the 60 kilometers. It wasn't just that the driving took time, but since we were not moving very fast, stopping was easy, and the countryside interesting, we had to stop to look around now and again. We added several species to the trip list, including Diademed Tanager, Spotted Nothura, and Crested Black-Tyrant. the road wasn't so bad that our rented Fiat wasn't up to it, we just couldn't make time. The road fully deserves a whole day for proper birding along it - I was a little frustrated that we couldn't stop more, and spend more time, but that was the nature of the trip.
We went on through Bom Jesus, Vacaria, Lages, and hit the freeway at Florianopolis just after dark, in a light rain. So after a full day of driving I had the fun of the mad dash along a Brazilian freeway, jockeying between slow trucks, speeding little cars and motorcycles, and the odd horse-drawn cart on wet surfaces in the dark. We made it in good time, and it was a pretty nice day after all.

Oregonian said:

Having a guide would make it more efficient, but then we would not have quite the footloose feeling we enjoyed. We would have ticked more species, though. It's all a trade-off.

Click to expand...

Isn't that true!! You have to get the balance right (and the expense of the tour!). Personally, I think it's more fun to do it on your own, at your own pace and with your partner and/or friends. Nice report and some great birds.......I particularly like your 'list before breakfast' list.:t:

Joinville - Salto do Pirai Friday Nov. 12, 2010

We stayed at Hotel Holz, convenient to the exposition center for the orchid show, but it is also most convenient for visiting Salto do Pirai. While Patricia and Ginger enjoyed the flower show, I took the car and explored Salto do Pirai.

The site is described in Rick Simpson's web site (http://www.rick-simpson.com/jeremy-minns-site-notes/santa-catarina/). From Hotel Holz, drive through Vila Nova on R. Quinze de Novembro. Continue more or less straight out of town into the rice fields. Here are the rest of the directions, from the Rick Simpson site "from Joe Tobias' notes": "After a further 1,5km, at some rice paddies, turn right to Salto do Piraí (11km). After Piraí village cross a river and then left over another river and then right at a T junction and aim for the waterfall. Opposite the second house after the turn-off to the waterfall there is a gate through an ornamental garden, 50m from the river. Cross the river and go up a path c.40m to an area just before a tiny stream, with cecropias and shrubs on either side of a broad, grassy path. Kaempfer’s crosses here several times a day."
I had trouble after the T junction, and could not find the turn-off to the waterfall at first. The road goes for several kilometers before the end of the road, with lots of "no entrance" signs and a secure gate. The "second house" mentioned above seems to be an alternative health-care/recovery facility, and there is a path through a garden, with gates and a "no entrance" sign. I did not explore that way.
What I interpreted as the turn off to the waterfall seems to be the entrance to an eco-lodge, but I asked, and they welcomed me to come in and park at the trailhead, to walk in to the waterfall. This was a very nice spot, and I would consider staying right there. They have little cabins for rent and all I have a photo, and somewhere a card for the outfit.

Joinville - Salto do Pirai Friday Nov. 12 and 13th

I birded the area by myself on Friday, and Ginger joined me Saturday morning. The road into the place, from Vila Nova, is very birdy, and I took my time, stopping frequently. There were rice fields with a lot of shorebirds, mostly Pectoral Sandpipers and Lesser Yellowlegs, though there were also Greater Yellowlegs and stilts. I was thrilled with a South American Snipe calling from the ground at the edge on one rice field, and posted a video on Birdforum TV: http://www.birdforum.tv/members/action/viewvideo/2350/South_American_Snipe_Calling/). White-browed Blackbirds posed nicely on fenceposts (http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/336939/ppuser/18725).
A variegated flycatcher posed nicely for me, too (http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/336244/ppuser/18725).
I did not walk clear to the famous waterfall, but spent some time walking up the trail a bit. I was able to coax out a Greenish Schifornis.