The Pantanal and Brazilian Amazon, Aug/Sept 2015

[janzin]

For the 2nd part of our trip, we opted to go to Cristalino Lodge in the southern Brazilian Amazon. We've birded in the Amazon before, in Ecuador, but this was our first time venturing to the Amazon in Brazil, and we anticipated we'd be able to add many new life birds. THE place to go for Brazilian Amazon birding is Cristalino; there are some other lodges in the northern Amazon, which are accessed out of Manaus, but this is really the only lodging that is easily accessible in southern Amazonia.

 

The lodge is accessed by a 1 hour, regularly scheduled jet flight from Cuiaba to the small city of Alta Floresta--but there are a few more stages to getting there. At the tiny airport in Alta Floresta, we were met by a representative of the lodge who guided us to the first stage of our transport, which was a car ride for about an hour, through rather uninspiring farmland. You may start to worry--this does not look like the pristine wilderness that you were expecting. But that begins at stage two, when you arrive at a tributary of the Cristalino River. Here, we were met by our birding guide, and we embarked on a 1/2 hour boat ride to the lodge in a motorized skiff.

 

A word about the guiding here. Because we are serious birders, and because of my photography focus, we opted to hire a private birding guide. If you don't hire a private guide (which is quite expensive--but, as we found, a bit negotiable) they will assign you a guide based on your interests--if possible. But I stress "if possible". Another birder who was in the transport car with us did not hire a private guide, and he was put into a group with a mother and daughter who, although eager, knew pretty much nothing about birds. All of their guides seem to be very knowledgeable, but we were really, really glad we had the private birding guide.

 

Another thing about their guides; the guides they use for private guiding are often young foreigners who are moonlighting from other bird-guiding jobs. Our excellent guide was Stephen Lorenz, German-born but now living in Texas, who also works for a fairly large birding tour company here in the USA. He was fantastic and we got along great.

 

Birding began immediately on the boat ride, as we spotted herons, kingfishers, and others along the river. As we approached the lodge we knew we were in the right place

 

 

 

The lodge is absolutely lovely. This is not "roughing it" in the jungle. There is a floating dock from which you can swim (we didn't.) The food is ample and delicious, with many local dishes. The owner is a very active conservationist and the property is in harmony with its surroundings--yet luxurious by any standards. We stayed in a Junior Bungalow because that was the only room available when we booked, and it was fabulous. Here's a photo of our bungalow from their website (I forgot to take my own accommodation photos!) It had both an indoor and outdoor shower (and plenty of hot water.)

 

 

 

 

The grounds around the lodge were very birdy, and butterflies were abundant. Capybaras munched the grass around our bungalow at night after dark.

 

There were several different monkey species and they were easy to see right around the lodge--although not so easy to photograph! The trees here are very, very tall--this is primary forest.

 

This is a White-nosed Bearded Saki Monkey, endangered and highly localized to this area.

 

 

 

And a White-whiskered Spider Monkey.

 

 

There are several other monkey species in the area as well. We heard Howler monkeys every evening, of course!

 

And parrots and macaws favored the area around the lodge as well. A pair of Blue-and-Gold Macaws entertained the guests right outside the dining area during lunch daily.

 

 

On our first evening, while we were having our nightly caipirinha (Brazil's national cocktail) at the bar, one of the guides came by with this beautiful (and deadly) coral snake that was spotted near the lodge. He was going to move it to somewhere a little safer for the guests

 

Edited January 15, 2016 by janzin

[Livetowander]

Once again, you got some fabulous shots!

[Alexander33]

Uh-oh. Our travel agent recommended that we combine our stay in the Pantanal this coming summer with Cristallino Lodge, but since I've been to the Amazon before (although not in Brazil), I opted for the Mata Atlantica rainforest along the coast instead, since its proximity to Rio makes it convenient and is also likely to give us some new habitat to explore.

 

But Cristallino is tugging already, and you've just gotten started. It looks really nice, and of course, it gets steady rave reviews. I do recall in our planning stages that private guides there are significantly more expensive than in the Pantanal. Glad to hear it was worth it, and looking forward to more so that I can justify planning another trip to Brazil in the future!

 

The white-nosed bearded saki monkey (great shot) is new to me, and I keep staring at that coral snake.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Alexander33

[janzin]

@@Alexander33 Cristalino is fantastic but you won't go wrong in the Mata Atlantica either. There are so many endemics there, lots of great hummingbirds too. We did Itatiaia and Ubatuba several years ago, otherwise we might have done that this trip. As you say, its another reason to return, and hey, you get a 10-year visa now!

[janzin]

I won't do a day by day here (I know I said that before, but I mean it this time. We spent our three days either hiking short trails around the lodge, taking short boat rides to other trails, or going up one of their two canopy towers.

 

There are two canopy towers here which can be some of the best places for photography. The one in the photo below is "the original" and there is another which is newer. Both afford fine views, with slightly different bird options; and neither are for those who don't like heights. The stairs are narrow and not as enclosed as those in the tower I climbed at Napo Wildlife Center in Ecuador; so I was a bit shakey, but I made it! It is really quite sturdy, just don't look down while climbing

 

 

 

The view of course is amazing, with rainforest as far as the eye can see.

 

 

But of course, we are here for the birds. There were two specialties I really, really wanted to see and photograph--the Curly-crested Aracari (a toucan with a curly hairdo!) and the Fan Parrot. We did see them...multiple times...and so added them to our lifelist; but alas, they were never close enough to photograph. You definitely need a spotting scope to make the best of the towers; fortunately, of course all the guides have them. We saw amazing flights of parrots, many raptors, woodpeckers, and more, but only a few species cooperated by perching close.

 

Here are some of the birds I was able to photograph from the canopy towers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is one rather annoying issue with the canopy towers. For some reason, they attract wasps and bees like moths to a flame. Early in the morning it wasn't too bad, but as the morning heated up, it became unbearable. The sweat bees don't sting, but having them buzzing around your head and flying in your hair is no fun. Unfortunately, the several varieties of nasty wasps DO sting, which my spouse learned first hand. On our first morning up the tower he was stung on the hand by a particularly-nasty looking bright orange wasp. He didn't think too much about it at the time, but within a few hours his hand had blown up like a baseball. Some Benedryl and immersing it in a bucket full of ice (nicely provided by the bartender) helped, but it didn't fully subside until we were home. Luckily the reaction was only localized!

 

Eventually, the bees chased us down, and we headed down to explore the trails. Going down is definitely easier than going up.

Edited January 15, 2016 by janzin

[Galana]

Some great photos again (as usual) so thanks for continuing the tale.

[janzin]

There are some trails around the lodge itself, but a few took a short boat ride to access. There are plenty of birds along the water, of course, but there can be more than birds. Jaguar has been seen here (although rarely) and they have even had the very rare "black panther" which of course is a melanistic jaguar.

 

During the course of our hikes, we came across both Collared Peccaries and White-lipped Peccaries; you can usually smell them before you see them as they have a very powerful (and not very pleasant) scent. We never got clear views, but saw them deep inside the brush.

 

And there are otters! We were fortunate to see both the Giant River Otter (as we saw in the Pantanal) and his smaller cousin, the Neotropical Otter, during our river excursions. We were really happy to see Neotropical Otter here, as we hadn't seen it in the Pantanal.

 

 

 

 

It is very, very difficult to photograph in this forest as it can be quite dark and the birds quite skulky. So I don't have very many good photos from within the forest. Here is an Occelated Poorwill who was nesting alongside the trail (our guide had actually spotted her on an earlier hike, so knew where to find her.) She was so well camouflaged that even when pointed out it took us quite awhile to see her. (I'm assuming it was a female as it was on the nest, but they look alike.) You could easily step on her...she never flushed, although we kept a respectable distance so as not to disturb her on the nest.

 

 

One late afternoon Stephen told us we were in for a special treat. The lodge has placed a blind of sorts by a "water feature" they put in the forest. This is simply a bamboo trough which the guide fills with water. During the dry season, towards dusk, the antbirds will come to bathe and drink. Now anyone who has birded tropical forests in the Americas knows that antbirds and their kin are some of the toughest to see, and some of the most sought after birds for a serious birder.

 

Stephen poured a few jugs of water into and around the rocks beneath the trough, and we waited patiently and in silence. Soon, birds started to arrive. It was pretty astounding, as many endemic antbirds showed themselves, along with some woodcreepers, tanagers, and even a fes Snow Capped Manakins.

 

Unfortunately, it was requested that we don't use flash, and the light was almost nil. I took some record shots at very high ISO ranging from 5000 to 12,800. Not acceptable for anything larger than these small images, but fun to play with. And records of some fantastic birds! Get a look at that Bare-eyed Antbird (an endemic), this would be VERY hard to find anywhere else.

 

[Galana]

Wonderful. No worries at all about the quality. You saw the birds and have a record photograph. If it was easy everybody would have an album full of stuff. But it's not and that is what makes your photos so worthwhile. These are difficult to see birds let along photograph them. (confession. I had such a problem with Antbirds in Ecuador, that my guide could 'see' but we could not, that I told him I would throw him to the Caiman's if he found another. )

[janzin]

@@inyathi as far as I know you are the only other SafariTalker that has been to Cristalino (or at least, has written a report.) I am wondering if that antbird water feature was there when you went?

 

I also just re-read your great report and meant to add that since the time you were there the main lodge areas--the dining hall and bar etc--have been entirely rebuilt. The area you show in your photo as the dining area is now where the guides and staff reside and dine. The new area is quite beautiful and much more luxurious.

Edited January 15, 2016 by janzin

[Alexander33]

I think you did quite well with the shots you got on the canopy tower. My one experience on such a tower yielded zilch.

 

What was the lodge's rationale for no flash at the water feature?

Edited January 15, 2016 by Alexander33

[janzin]

I think you did quite well with the shots you got on the canopy tower. My one experience on such a tower yielded zilch.

 

What was the lodge's rationale for no flash at the water feature?

 

I think because the antibirds are VERY skittish, and when it is that dark, the flash would really be a disturbance. Even the slightest noise sent them scattering.

[inyathi]

Wow beautiful photos! I was perhaps a littel impatient with my last post getting from Porto Jofre to Alta Floresta in a day would be pushing it a bit. Very nice to see that rhea displaying his wings at Piuval.

 

The moment I saw your first Cristalino shot I thought those steps up from the river look very new I wonder if they've renovated the place and checking my photos the steps certainly weren't there when I went, also in one of my shots the thatch on one of the main buildings badly needed replacing. I have to say that room looks amazing you really wouldn't believe you were in the rainforest with a room like that, I had one of the more basic rooms when I was there nothing like as nice as yours although they did have some very nice rooms then similar to your room.

 

I don't recall them having a blind for viewing antbirds I would guess this is a new innovation that one of the bird guides came up with having seen it done somewhere else, it seems quite similar to what they do in a national park called Kaeng Krachan in Thailand where poachers were doing this to kill birds and small mammals until conservationists persuaded them to stop the hunting because they could make good money from allowing birders and photographers to use their blinds. Anyway it's obviously a great idea wherever it came from even if the photography isn't easy, you saw some nice birds.

 

This report brings back so many memories I idid get stung a few times by those little sweat wasps but fortunately I didn't have a bad reaction that really sounds unpleasant, the curious thing is I've been up into the canopy in various places in the Amazon region and Cristalino is the only place I've encountered these wasps, I think this is also the only place where the sweat bees are so bad that they literally drive you back down to the ground after a while.

 

I'm very envious of your photos of the white-nosed bearded saki having had no luck seeing them at all, and seeing both otters as well at Cristalino that's pretty good going and even getting a really good photo of the Neotropical river otter, it seems like you did pretty well in this little corner of the Amazon.

 

I think you're wonderful photos are a pretty good advertisment for Cristalino i wouldn't be surprised if after reading this report a few more Safaritalkers decide to visit this remarkable place.

 

I hope you have a few more avian or even mammalian delights up your sleeve before you leave.

Edited January 16, 2016 by inyathi

[Atdahl]

@@janzin, more fantastic photos. The light on top of the tower looked perfect for picture taking. The two Dacnis shots are especially stunning. Too bad the insects were bad up there. That Bare-eyed Antbird is one cool looking bird!

 

I see that you have been to Napo Wildlife Center as well. I looked for an old trip report so I can be amazed by more photos but couldn't find one. The tower at NWC was pretty nice (and insect free) but we didn't have much luck with photography from there since most birds were too far away. Since you have been to both Amazon lodges, which do you feel is better for wildlife watching and photography? I can't quite decide if Christalino is different enough from NWC to justify the extra time up there or to use that time to visit the Atlantic Rainforest around Rio.

 

Anyway, looking forward to the rest of your report.

[janzin]

@@inyathi, glad to have brought back some memories! Its an incredible place and we really had a wonderful time. They have renovated a lot since you were there, I think they are striving to attract a more diverse crowd, more of a high-end market; if you look at their website it is very upscale looking. And they aren't cheap. But, they do still do a great job of preservation; we met the owner at the end of our trip and she is quite serious about her commitment to conserving this area.

 

I can't stress enough how important it is, in a place like this, to have an excellent guide--we were very fortunate to have Stephen Lorenz, but I do think all their guides are excellent, they hire only the best. All of the staff, in fact, were wonderful.

 

I do have one more exciting bird sighting to recount--you'll be envious

[janzin]

@@janzin,

 

I see that you have been to Napo Wildlife Center as well. I looked for an old trip report so I can be amazed by more photos but couldn't find one. The tower at NWC was pretty nice (and insect free) but we didn't have much luck with photography from there since most birds were too far away. Since you have been to both Amazon lodges, which do you feel is better for wildlife watching and photography? I can't quite decide if Christalino is different enough from NWC to justify the extra time up there or to use that time to visit the Atlantic Rainforest around Rio.

 

Anyway, looking forward to the rest of your report.

 

@@Atdahl yes we were at Napo Wildlife Center a few years ago as well, but you're right--no trip report. However, you can see the photos on my web site here: http://www.jczinn.com/Central%20and%20South%20America/Ecuador/Ecuador%202013/The%20Amazon/saindex.html

 

I do agree the canopy towers at Cristalino were more productive than the one at NWC. In fact I think the only photos I actually got from that tower at NWC was the Spangled Cotinga and the Aracaris. Most of the trees there with good perches were not close to the tower, whereas at Cristalino, there were many close perches (you still needed to be lucky for a bird to land there, but at least it was a possibility!) But we loved Napo for other reasons. There, you spend a lot of time birding directly from the boat in small channels. It was very relaxing and we spotted a lot of birds that way. Also, there are the parrot clay licks--nothing like that at Cristalino. And we had 9--yes 9 different species of monkey at NWC. At Cristalino, there really aren't any small channels; the only river birding is incidental, along the wide river. More of the forest there is terra firma (permanently dry) so there is more hiking involved. Also because of that, more opportunity to spot land mammals such as Peccary, Tapir, even jaguar. But, Napo feels much more remote. If you recall, the boat ride to NWC was four hours! And with most of the way, good forest. Here, civilization seems a lot closer.

 

Bottom line, they are both wonderful. And of course, while there are some overlapping birds, there are many endemics and near-endemics at Cristalino that you won't find in Ecuador. So if you are a lister at all, you will greatly expand your list going to Cristalino. I believe we got over 50 life birds there. And that's with two other Brazil trips and four trips to Ecuador.

 

But the Atlantic Rainforest is great too...you just have to plan more trips

Edited January 16, 2016 by janzin

[janzin]

One morning took the boat back down river to look for a few other specialties. Amazonian Umbrellabird was easily spotted along some known roosting areas, but not photographed--they were high in the trees, backlit, and a bit far. Oh well! We then went ashore on a island where there was an abandoned fishing lodge. This secondary habitat, with lots of clearings, attracted some different species than around Cristalino, such as various seedeaters.

 

Swallow-winged Puffbirds were abundant, but always perched up high.

 

 

Southern Lapwings were in the fields around the abandoned buildings.

 

 

 

 

We visited another rocky island where Stephen said we could find Ladder-tailed Nightjars. Sure enough, they were roosting among the rocks.

 

 

We also had more great looks at Pied Plover here.

 

 

And there were lots of terns flying around.

 

 

We saw many great birds at Cristalino which I was not able to photograph (or photograph well enough for me to want to show.) Razor-billed Curassow, Agami Heron, Trogons, Jacamars... I really could have used my 500mm lens on a trip like this; but because of the need to photograph the jaguars in the Pantanal, I opted to bring my 200-400 zoom (which definitely was the right choice for jaguars, but not the optimal choice for birds.)

 

But this morning was about to give one more thrilling surprise. We had just pulled back into the lodge's dock, and were heading to a spot where Stephan said we could find Blackish Nightjar roosting, when another guide came running up to us shouting to Stephen in Spanish. I could see immediately that it was something good...could it be jaguar? Well, no, but the next best thing...he that he had just had a Harpy Eagle downstream! Back the way we'd just come! This is the holy grail of raptors in South America, and while we'd seen one on our first trip to Brazil, we would certainly be thrilled to see it again.

 

Needless to say we ran back down to the dock and quickly rounded up another boat and boatman along with a couple of other excited guides, and sped downriver in about three minutes flat. We were praying the bird would have stayed perched. After an exhilarating trip downstream, there it was on the river's edge... Just as we approached it flew up and landed in a tree, where it only stayed for a few moments, but long enough to get a few shots. What a thrill, what an incredible bird. And we had no expectations of seeing it on this trip.

 

 

A great end to a great morning!

[janzin]

Well, there's not much to top the Harpy Eagle. Suffice to say that Cristalino is a fantastic place. Even if you are not a serious birder, there is plenty to appreciate. I haven't even touched upon the numerous species of beautiful butterflies--this is a paradise for butterfly fanatics.

 

This one liked my tripod (probably for the sweat.)

 

 

This one was on a tree by our cabin. I could have spent hours just shooting butterflies but it was hard to stop birding Butterfly tour groups come here often and they have a long list.

 

 

At night we would go out to the moth sheet, which was a sheet hung behind some of the cabins, with lights to attract moths. There were always cool ones, but there were so many flying around and getting in my hair that I didn't stay too long

 

 

 

and even this incredible grasshopper made a visit to the moth sheet. He was really big, maybe five or six inches long!

 

 

One last mammal--or portion of a mammal. One afternoon by the lodge we spotted an armadillo...he was nosing around right off the trail, but this is the best I could do for a photo. He's in there

 

 

 

 

So, that's pretty much THE END. My total birds for the trip: 293 species, 73 lifers. 63 of those were at Cristalino Lodge, the other 10 in the Pantanal.

 

If anyone wants to see even more photos from this trip, you can find them on my web site: http://www.jczinn.com/Central%20and%20South%20America/Brazil/Brazil%202015/saindex.html

 

And once again, thanks to Pantanal Jaguar Safaris and their wonderful guides and organizers Leen Gillis and André Moratelli who planned and executed a fantastic trip!

[michael-ibk]

And thank you for a fantastic report, your pictures are just a joy to look at. How fantastic to see the Harpy! Really like the Grasshopper, what a beautiful little critter.

 

And indeed, you managed to finish this before your India departure, remarkably efficient. Looking forward to seeing that trip through your lens.

[Galana]

Hmmm! Butterflies and moths. Don't go there. It is addictive.

Lovely photos and much enjoyed the tour.

[Atravelynn]

The butterflies/moths, the otters, the 9 different species of monkey, and the H A R P Y!

 

Thanks for the Cristalino guide info.

 

What luck & what variety.

[janzin]

The butterflies/moths, the otters, the 9 different species of monkey, and the H A R P Y!

 

Thanks for the Cristalino guide info.

 

What luck & what variety.

 

One clarification--we didn't see 9 different species of monkey in Cristalino. Maybe three or four. The 9 was in Napo Wildlife Center in Ecuador.

[Zubbie15]

Thanks for sharing,as always beautiful photos. Hard to top the Harpy sighting! I never knew there were butterfly tours, but I guess I can see why it would appeal to people.

[xelas]

Pantanal ... always a great joy to read about it. And if equipped with excellent photography, even better! Thank You, @@janzin !

 

About Harpy Eagle, I have heard about the bird from the birders in Costa Rica. Just incredible find!

[Atravelynn]

 

The butterflies/moths, the otters, the 9 different species of monkey, and the H A R P Y!

 

Thanks for the Cristalino guide info.

 

What luck & what variety.

 

One clarification--we didn't see 9 different species of monkey in Cristalino. Maybe three or four. The 9 was in Napo Wildlife Center in Ecuador.

 

But you still saw 9!

[Peter Connan]

What a stunning trip report!

 

I am in awe of your bird photography.

 

Thank you.