TwoDipsfromAmsterdam
Anything About?
This was an on/off-on/off business trip that wasn't confirmed until less than 24 hours before departure. So little time for preparation birdwise and no fieldguide as I had never been to South America before. So into the suitcase went binoculars and a notebook - and I ordered Sousa's "All the Birds of Brazil" before I left - better to travel in hope than not to travel at all! The identifications are based on my notes, plus Sousa and Opus, along with one or two other sites on the Internet.
So on 28 February there we were on final approaches to Brasilia Airport when a small flock of Black Vultures passed by - fortunately not into the aircraft's engines. The taxi ride into town produced Picazuro Pigeons but at the speed the taxi travelled the chances of seeing anything other than a police car were remote.
Sunday 1st March - went for a walk through the centre of Brasilia. If you've never been, then my recommendation is - don't bother. A city built for the car, not pedestrians. A 14-lane highway runs down the spine of the city with traffic lights every so often, so crossing is an experience if you happen to be far from a set of lights. The central reservation of the highway is grass - about 150m wide and held small numbers of Southern Lapwing. Blue-and-White Swallows were around the Cathedral and the first of several Rufous Horneros was also on the central reservation. A flock of Canary-winged Parakeets flew across the reservation whilst my (non-birding) colleague was happy watching the Brazilian Women's Cricket Team practice (bet you didn't know there was such a beast) - also on the centre reservation! Well, he's South African and cricket-mad. A Great Egret flew gracefully across the road. With a strong sun burning us we decided to retire to the bar in the Parque da Cidade, which looked promising although being a Sunday was filled with families having picnics and generally having a good Brazilian time. So.......
Monday 2nd March. Straight to Parque da Cidade at 06:30. That produced a Southern Caracara flying at some speed across a lake, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird (what a bird), Fork-tailed Flycatcher (what a bird!) and House Wren (around my feet whilst watching unidentifiable and hideously ugly ducks). Some ground-feeding birds on an island were also not identified - seedeaters of some description? Walking around the lakes I came across noisy Great Kiskadees, Ruddy Ground-Dove (like a mini Collared Dove), a Ringed Kingfisher also flew across a lake, a Gray Monjita was on a lamp-post, red eyes gleaming in the sun. Another Great Egret, a Black Vulture (quite common over the city), Tropical Kingbird and four Guira Cuckoos (not so beautiful but very non-WP!) rounded off a couple of hours of good birding. No doubt I missed loads through having to write so many notes and there were certainly some species that I couldn't pin down. Oh, nearly forgot - also saw a House Sparrow.
Then the rest of the week was work, work, work returning to Paris on the morning of 6th March. More than happy for anyone with knowledge of Brazil to question my identifications - Sousa's fieldguide certainly is not going to win any prizes!
David
So on 28 February there we were on final approaches to Brasilia Airport when a small flock of Black Vultures passed by - fortunately not into the aircraft's engines. The taxi ride into town produced Picazuro Pigeons but at the speed the taxi travelled the chances of seeing anything other than a police car were remote.
Sunday 1st March - went for a walk through the centre of Brasilia. If you've never been, then my recommendation is - don't bother. A city built for the car, not pedestrians. A 14-lane highway runs down the spine of the city with traffic lights every so often, so crossing is an experience if you happen to be far from a set of lights. The central reservation of the highway is grass - about 150m wide and held small numbers of Southern Lapwing. Blue-and-White Swallows were around the Cathedral and the first of several Rufous Horneros was also on the central reservation. A flock of Canary-winged Parakeets flew across the reservation whilst my (non-birding) colleague was happy watching the Brazilian Women's Cricket Team practice (bet you didn't know there was such a beast) - also on the centre reservation! Well, he's South African and cricket-mad. A Great Egret flew gracefully across the road. With a strong sun burning us we decided to retire to the bar in the Parque da Cidade, which looked promising although being a Sunday was filled with families having picnics and generally having a good Brazilian time. So.......
Monday 2nd March. Straight to Parque da Cidade at 06:30. That produced a Southern Caracara flying at some speed across a lake, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird (what a bird), Fork-tailed Flycatcher (what a bird!) and House Wren (around my feet whilst watching unidentifiable and hideously ugly ducks). Some ground-feeding birds on an island were also not identified - seedeaters of some description? Walking around the lakes I came across noisy Great Kiskadees, Ruddy Ground-Dove (like a mini Collared Dove), a Ringed Kingfisher also flew across a lake, a Gray Monjita was on a lamp-post, red eyes gleaming in the sun. Another Great Egret, a Black Vulture (quite common over the city), Tropical Kingbird and four Guira Cuckoos (not so beautiful but very non-WP!) rounded off a couple of hours of good birding. No doubt I missed loads through having to write so many notes and there were certainly some species that I couldn't pin down. Oh, nearly forgot - also saw a House Sparrow.
Then the rest of the week was work, work, work returning to Paris on the morning of 6th March. More than happy for anyone with knowledge of Brazil to question my identifications - Sousa's fieldguide certainly is not going to win any prizes!
David
