Urgent birding!!!

Two weeks with very little birding and I woke up with the urgent need of beeing in the forest, I needed to listen, feel and hear the forest.
I had planned to go to Itatiaia today and try a good picture of the Atlantic Royal Flycatcher, that André had showed me the nest 2 weeks ago, but, due to work, I had to put it off.  Very luckly I live only few KM from the amazing urban forest, the Tijuca national Park, not bad for a backyard. I left home with the feeling I would finaly see the Brown Backed Parrotlet, but I was wrong...they were not there. I had anyway a great morning with the very commom birds of our park. Here are some pictures.

Eye-ringed Tody flycatcher

Rufous-breasted Leaftosser

Olivaceous Woodcreeper

Red-eyed Vireo

???Butterfly

Star-throated Antwren

Scaled Antbird

Itatiaia, Teresopolis and Caledonia

It was a 5 days trip with intense birding. A nice and big group and 2 very rare birds, 2 young girls on their mid 40´s.
Among all good birds we had axcellent view of the Mantled Hawk in Itatiaia, another great encounter with the super rare Gray-winged Cotinga at Caledonia, a surprizing vew of an imature Black-and-gold Cotinga with the plumage of the female turning into the black plumage of the adult male. Not even one good picutre onf any of the birds. I clearly need more photo practices.

Tour october 2013

Finishing another wonderful tour of 15 days.
Great company: the half brazilians Patricia and David from Texas, the beautiful Amy from Minesota, the lovely Leslie and Jackie, and the very nice couple Lindsay and Robin from NY state. We were all guided by KJ.
Great places; Intervales with Betinho, Ubatuba with no rain this year, Itatiaia and REGUA with Lelei. Excellent birds including 4 lifers: Red and white Crake and Gray Bellied Hawk at Itervales, Gray Hooded Gull at Praia Seca and Crowned Eagle, incredibly spotted by KJ at the noisy and busy Serra das Araras...great views, but poor photos...sorry.
Among all the good birds, we had specially great close views of the super rare Salvadori´s Antwren at REGUA and momorable encounter with the Crowned Eagle.
OK, I know I have to go better with the pictures, but here are some of the "best ones".

Gray Hooded Gull 

Black Breasted Plovercrest

Mouse colored tapaculo

Brown Tanager

Surucua Trogon

Ruby Crowned Tanager - Female

Crowned Eagle

Salvadori´s Antwren

Spanish TVE documentary on Planned obsolecence

http://planetasustentavel.abril.com.br/blog/planetaurgente/comprar-jogar-fora-comprar-novo-279116_post.shtml

Beautiful morning with the Murphys

This is our arrival back to the Iate Club of Rio de Janeiro after a enjoyable morning trip in the ocean in front of Rio. It was a perfect morning for the Murphys and for me too. Beautiful scenaries of the Wonderful city, confortable boat, sunny day but not hot, and birds...only the usual  Brown boobies, Magnificent frigatebird, Kelp gulls, Great egrets, Ringed Kingfisher. No terns or penguins at this trip. Many thanks to the Murphys for the ride and for the amazing simpathy.
Bellow the ballet/fight for a little fish of the Magnificent frigatebird.

Unforgetable day on the beach

If you like brazilian music you should check this out. Maria Bethania (a blessed voice) and Paulinho da Viola (the Prince of samba) singing on the beach...if you are not familiar with Brazilian music, this will be a great start. Enjoy it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpaNVNZDwsE&feature=related

Hi,
I am just starting my blog at 3 pm of a very hot day, 36 degrees C, 21st of december 2010.
The intention of this Blog is to find people planning to come to Rio and help them to organize their trip, and maybe, include myself in their plans as their guide
As you probably guessed I am very interested in birds, and if you found me using birds/Rio as the key word, you are the person I am looking for.
Are you a birder? Are you coming to Rio? Wonderfull!!!!
Let me introduce myself:
My name is Ricardo and I am a tour guide of Rio de Janeiro, city and state, for 21 years and love my city and my job. About 10 years ago I run into my first birding client, Tom and Heidi from Florida, and with their binoculars and their kindness I felt in love with birds at first sight. Few years later I became the local guide for some birding groups from USA and UK and traveled with them many times around the state of Rio. Their amazing leaders, some of the most knowlegeble ornithologists, showed me all the incredible birds of my area.
Now I am here to offer you my help to find some of this birds...so, if you are planning to come to South east Brazil, specially Rio, let me help you to organize it...and perhaps be your guide.